Aguest, I am a Catholic. This is a Catholic prayer. I use it when I pray the Rosary.
Okay, dear BTS (again, peace to you!)...
On your interpretation of the Bible, you are not an authority for anyone except yourself.
This is true. No one should be listening to me. Shouldn't be listening to the Catholic Church, either... or any religious "church" or institution for that matter... anything other than the Holy Spirit, but...
The Bible is not a comprehensive compendium of Christian teaching
I agree...
although it contains much of it.
Not sure I can agree here... as we don't know what all's missing (and hidden in the Vatican... or other... enclaves)... or added, so...
The comprehensive compendium of Christian teaching is the Church itself.
Now, here I must disagree. I offer that it is the Holy Spirit... and the anointing with holy spirit. At least, it is for those who walk by faith and not by sight...
why baptize in his name, if he is not an additional entity as Jesus said in Matthew 28? baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
I explained that in my previous post, dear one...
The Christian Bible you hold today is a Catholic book.
Yes, I know. Which is why I wish we'd all just put it down, every version, and just trust the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, most aren't able to do that nor do they trust anything one says, even if one says they received it from the Holy Spirit... by means of holy spirit... unless they also see it written in the Bible...
Christians did not have a Bible composed of the individual books for the first 300 years.
YES!!! And so how did they know anything? True, Paul and others wrote letters (most many, many years later), but even those contained error.
Members of the Church wrote the books of the new testament, preserved them, decided what writings were actually sacred scripture, and what writings were not.
Ummmm... that's not accurate, dear BTS... on so many levels. First, none of the writers of the NT contents were members of the [Catholic] Church (surely, you know this). Second, the NT doesn't contain any "books" - it contains 21 letters, 4 accounts of the acts of Christ and one of the acts of the Apostles, and account of a revelation given to John. Third, none of the writers preserved the writings, or decided which were "sacred" or not... or would be included in a compilation. Indeed, with the exception of John (who was told to write), they would have told you and me to go to Christ and not them. The fact that "many" undertook to write an accounting... but only four are accepted... and even these contain some differences... should show us not only that God didn't intend for them to BE written, but also the folly of "making [so] many books" and giving "much devotion to them." Which is indeed wearisome to the flesh.
According to the scriptures, the NEW Covenant wasn't to be written on [stone] tablets... but on tablets of flesh; on the heart. And even one writer (Paul) stated, "Not that we are masters over your faith." Because no one is, but Christ. Yet, the "Church" has its "leader"... and teachers... in spite of the fact that in their book Christ is recorded to say that we should call NO ONE our teacher nor should anyone [besides him] be our leader.
Then there is the whole thing about Peter... and he being the first "pope" (seriously?)... and the Church being built on him as the rock-mass... which is an utter error... as the rock mass is Christ and the church is built... by him... on FAITH in him... which is what Peter demonstrated and Christ meant when he said, "Oh this rockmass I will build my temple."
And finally, the thing were men "decided" what was actually sacred and "scripture" and what was not... in direct opposition to what Christ said was "scripture". For example, Paul's first letter to the Corinthians was not considered scripture and so is not included, yet his second and third are... and titled as if they were his first and second.
And I could go on... but it's all moot, really...
The decision on what is and is not Scripture was a Catholic (and I include the Orthodox in this) decision.
Yes, I know. I was raised Lutheran and my best friend was Catholic and we both attended catechism and were "confirmed", so I get that. That doesn't override the truth, however, that the decisions were completely flawed... and still are...
Respectfully, when it comes to the interpretation of Christian doctrine and its sacred writings, I give the Church far greater weight than I give you.
And you are entitled to do so, dear one. We are all entitled to believe who and what we will. I only shared with you what I received from Christ, the Holy Spirit... who does not lie. For some time now, I've tended to trust and believe him more than man, though... and that works for me. Has saved me a LOT of confusion... and given me quite a lot of freedom.
I go with orthodoxy, and that which has been handed down from the Apostles
Again, you are entitled. I go with Christ... and that which I receive from him. I mean, it's a little "cleaner", you know, since it doesn't have to pass through "certain men" before making its way to me...
, not all of which is contained in the Bible.
Yeah, and why is that, exactly? I mean, since only Christ himself can open up the scriptures to his followers it's not like folks can figure anything he doesn't want them to. Right?
God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
I agree... that God's Household is the church of the living God, the congregation of the Firstborn, and Body of Christ... that some are pillars and some are stones... built upon the Foundation... which are the Apostles. It's not what the Apostles taught, however, but what they DID that created this foundation: they stuck with him during his trials and they build their "houses" UPON him, the Rock-Mass... by means of FAITH in him... and his resurrection... so that when the wind came and blew (i.e., the persecution/tribulation started), they did not waver. Even to death. Because of their faith in him... and his resurrection.
The Church that is the Body of Christ is, indeed, the House/Household/Temple of God. But they don't worship God in handmade temples, they don't look to priests and teachers other than Christ, the Holy Spirit... and they have no other Leader than Christ. They call NO ONE Father, other than the Most Holy One of Israel, JAH of Armies, who is the God and Father of Christ, and they don't look to the Law written in books, Bibles, or on stone tablets: they look to the Law written on their hearts... by Christ and no other.
Anything else... is adultery, dear BTS. And those who truly have received the promised holy spirit know this. Thus, they separate themselves and QUIT touching the unclean things... ALL golden calves... and ALL harlots... no matter what such idols and adulteresses call themselves... or who their leaders are.
Again, I bid you peace!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
