Why listen to men at all
Why can we not just read the words and take them at what they say. All of them
One of the reasons I reject the Catholic Church is I read the word and what the word says and what the church says do not line up. Unless I twist the word. Take resources outside the word. Or ignore much of the word.
I stopped doing this about 15 years ago. I study the word. Study what people say outside the word. Then try to put it together when they do not agree I question them (the people). If they can’t convince me I am seeing something wrong (which many have). I change my view. If they can’t convince not. Mostly because they do not even want to discuss the word just the few word sentences they think proves them right. The. I go with the word
A prime example is seen here
@nedsk wants to focus on 7 words. He will not even look at the rest. No matter how many people try to show him he is closed minded (to be honest it’s not just him almost every Catholic I have ever discussed John 6 with does the same
Or another conversation. Baptism they focus on act 2. They refuse to look elsewhere when others try to show them or James 2 and works. How dare we look to paul
This shuts off communication and only goes to hurt the one refusing to look at the rest. And you see the anger they have when people do Not listen to them
Well why should we?
EG
I agreed with you until I studied some church history.
I say "some" because there is just too much to know and I'm certainly not a scholar.
I find that the ECFs agreed on some topics (not all).
If we don't want to read what those that THE APOSTLES taught,,,then I don't know
why we read anything outside of the bible.
We read many authors that write on the bible.
They didn't KNOW the Apostles, yet we pay attention to what they say.
The ECFs KNEW THE APOSTLES,,,some were taught by John, some by Peter, some by both, etc.
I certainly will read them and take into consideration what they believed to be true.
All the ECFs understood Jesus to be God.
Most of the ECFs understood the host to be the body and blood of Jesus.
So, this could be debated...but it's not something we should be debating so much.
We are each free to believe what we will.
It's not a soteriological issue, which is why I don't care to post on it too much.
We have enough problems trying to agree on how a person is saved and what keeps a person saved.
(as you well know).
Actually, we agree on HOW to become saved...
it's the STAYING saved that we don't agree on.
Doesn't mean either one of us is not saved.
(as you've often accused me).