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Originally Posted by Peace-be-with-you  Brothers, I have a feeling that anything I say here will be rejected, and that's ok because I'm not trying to sway anyone here. I understand where you are coming from and in no way condem any of you in any way, as I once was much like some of you....until I realized something.
Peace be with all of you. |
I would rather you stick around. But if you choose to leave that is your prerogative. I have two points of contention in particular that I would like to highlight one last time.
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Catholics do indeed believe the bible is the inspired Word of God, but not the final authority.
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Scripture says otherwise: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3-4, 1 Peter 4:11. The scriptures not only bring people to Christ, but they are all-sufficient. A Christian needs NOTHING else to live and worship God correctly.
The Bible
saves (Rom. 1:16),
justifies (Rom. 10:17, 3:28),
edifies (Acts 2:32),
gives light (Psalm 119:130),
comforts (Rom. 15:4),
gives growth (1 Peter 2:2)
prevents error (Matt. 22:29),
cleanses (Eph. 5:26). "...It is profitable profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
In other words its all we need.
In fact God has never been appreciative of man's effort to amend His words. From the Old Law Deuteronomy 4:2 "
You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you." To the New Covenant, Galatians 1:6-9. To the final Revelation of Jesus Christ 22:18-19. This means all new or different revelation is condemned even if an angel or an apostle brings such.
We will be judged not by catholic teaching or "tradition" but by the All-sufficient word of God, Romans 2:16 "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."
Either the inspired word is ALL we need to be
complete or God lies.
Jude 3 states that the faith is delivered once for all time (hapax). There's no room for continual revelation, no matter if its the catholic church, mormon church, pentecostals, etc. We have our final authority.
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Catholics do believe that Peter is the rock that Christ was refering to in Matthew 16:18
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This is at variance with the Greek language and with scripture. The nouns of Matthew 16:18 are of different genders and are of different significance. Petra (rock) feminine and signifies something large like bedrock or foundation. Petros (Peter) is masculine and signifies fragment. To illustrate the city of Petra was located in southern Jordan and was carved out of rock cliffs. Christ named Simon bar-Jonah long before his confession in Matthew 16:18, found in John 1:42 "
And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone."
Scripture makes it clear that the Christ's church was not built on Peter, but rather on Christ. Christ is the cornerstone (that upon which all else is built) Luke 20:17, Eph. 2:20. Peter himself acknowledges this, Acts 4:11, 1 Peter 2:6-7.
Certainly Peter was important to the early church, no denying that. He along with the other apostles were charged with spreading the gospel to all the world Matthew 28:19-20. They were to be lead into all truth John 16:13. Peter was in my opinion a man easy to like, impetuous, perhaps fun to be around. Those character traits also caused him to err a number of times. He gave into racial prejudices and had to be apposed personally by Paul in Galatians 2:11. Not only was Peter not perfect he was no more likely to be named to a higher position than the others, save Judas.