Complete and utter lie. How can you on one hand say that no one could read God's word for themselves to see whether what they were being taught was actually backed up by Scripture and then on the other hand say the Bereans could read God's word for themselves to see whether what they were being taught was actually backed up by Scripture. That makes zero sense and is historically not factual! You have once again ignored Scripture (Romans 10:17) and given me your opinion with zero facts to back it up.
Rom 10:17....? Let’s give that some context...shall we?
Paul’s words....under the heading...in the NCB, ”Not All Have Responded to the Good News”.
“But how can they call on him if they have not come to believe in him? And how can they believe in someone about whom they have never heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach to them? And how will there be people to preach if they are not sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim the good news!” However, not all have accepted the good news. As Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So then, faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. And so I ask: Have they not heard? Indeed, they have:“Their voice has gone out all over the world,and their words to the ends of the earth.” (Rom 10:14-18 NCB)
So “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ”.
Where will we find the word of Christ recorded so that we know what he taught? Who recorded his words and activities? Have we read his words and understand what he did and why he did it? Do we understand what he taught about all the things he addressed specifically? Is Scripture enough to convey his teachings clearly and understandably? Please tell us what more was needed if it led “the church” into what became Catholicism?
How many additions did “the church” make to the teachings of Jesus Christ? And on whose authority did they claim to make those additions?
I am trying to figure out if you meant they couldn't read God's word for themselves because they (the average person at the time) were not taught to read OR they could not read God's word because The Church would not allow them access to Scripture? A agree with you on the former and if you meant the latter, it is a complete lie.
The Boereans were described as “noble minded”, which in Greek is “
eugenēs” meaning...
- “well born, of a noble family
- noble minded” (Strongs)
So not just your ordinary folk....these ones were eager to check out what Paul was teaching them in their synagogues....this is a ‘spiritual noble-mindedness’, meaning that they had a desire to make sure of what Paul was teaching them by consulting the Scriptures for themselves....the Hebrew Scriptures were all they had at that time.
Now if the Boereans were commended for doing that, why would “the church” place the Scriptures off limits to the people? They were obviously not off limits to the Jewish people, so why did they become off limits to later Christians?
If there was illiteracy, why didn’t the church teach it’s members to read and write? Most Jews were not illiterate. They taught their children to read and write at home.
Didn’t illiteracy serve the purpose of keeping the people in ignorance.....for centuries....feeding them all manner of false ideas and corrupting the faith till it was not even a shadow of what Christ and his apostles taught? They had no way to do what the Boereans were commended for doing.
I think we all know why....if they were illiterate and had no access to Scripture, then how easy was it to pass off introduced church traditions and extra-biblical ideas, onto an ignorant people who were afraid of the power that the church attained by its “friendship with the world”. (James 4:4) No one was allowed to question the church for fear of accusations of heresy! And we all know what that meant!
Yet the real heretics were the leaders of the church...just as it was in Jesus’ day. (Matt 15:7-9)
It’s an all too familiar scenario to Bible students....a repeating of history. The majority don’t see it.
You are comparing yourself to the Bereans which is very disturbing and we have been thru this before back in October. The Bereans were Jews. When Paul and Silas told them how Jesus fulfilled the ancient prophesy they researched, what we now call the OT, and determined that Paul and Silas were telling them the truth and that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah.
Yes...and they were commended for doing so.....would we know about them if it was not recorded in Scripture for our benefit in their example?
The Bereans then became Christians and were subject to the teachings/doctrines of The Church. You and your ilk are not Jews. Christianity teaches what I wrote in post #595. It is those passages in Scripture (that I referenced in post #595) that you reject which makes you think you are like a Berean. You are not. You are, according to your own testimony, a Christian. Therefore, you should follow the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. You should obey and submit yourself to the elders of The Church for they watch out for your soul, and they have been appointed by the Holy Spirit.
Your references to the Scriptures are empty because of how they are interpreted to fit what “the Catholic church” did to the Christian Faith....corrupted beyond recognition.
Keeping it real with logic, Scripture and true history.
If only....
You Protestants act as if you have no tradition that guides their own interpretation even though Scripture says hold fast to the traditions you were taught either by word or letter.
I am not a Protestant...I am a Christian who is not shackled by the teachings of an apostate church system.
Your religion is a product of Rome....all the pagan teachings and ideas are still there under a thin “Christian” veneer. Roman sun worship is simmering just under the surface. And the Roman gods still dominate the landscape in disguise. Seen daily in the names of the months and days included in the Gregorian calendar....under the authority of Pope Gregory. He had the opportunity to change the names of all those days and months...but he didn’t...and he had no excuse to include the names of pagan gods.
It’s not hard to see Zeus disguised as Jesus....and emblems of the sun everywhere...even in changing the Sabbath to Sunday...a day already dedicated to the sun god.
The obelisk standing in St Peter’s Square is an Egyptian symbol of the sun god Ra.
The circular pattern of the “Square” is nothing but a Babylonian sun wheel.
Mary is presented in the same manner as the ancient mother goddesses, even bearing their titles and being put on the same level as her son, as mediatrix, when Scripture says there is only one mediator....Jesus. She receives adoration and a position that God’s word never gives her.
It’s all there in plain sight, but you are all blind to the deception.
The Bible (Sola Scriptura) is not sufficient in and of itself to resolve differing interpretations. Elders of The Church are necessary, and their decrees are binding upon all Christians, just like Scripture teaches (Matthew 18:17-18, Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:5, Acts 15), of which you ignore.
What we ignore is what you consider to be the “Elders of the church”....if the church was corrupt then so were it’s leaders...just like it was in Jesus’ day. (Matt 23:1-12) The hierarchy in the church system is nothing close to what was practised in the days of the apostles. Positions of responsibility were not positions of power....as we all know, “power corrupts”....and “absolutely power corrupts absolutely” as is evident down through church history.
I regular use Scripture to back up what I am saying. You, on the other hand, just keep giving me your opinion. Thank you for your opinion. I will stick with Scripture.
If you did that with any understanding about what the Scriptures teach, we would have no bones of contention. You don’t stick with Scripture at all, but only your church’s flawed interpretation of it.
The day will come when there will be an accounting....false worship will be the first thing on God’s agenda....
Rev 18: 4-5 is a command. If we do not heed it, we will go down with this religious harlot, whom he has sworn to destroy. Who is “Babylon the great”? Unless you know, you cannot obey that command.
