The Roman Catholic Church is the Church built by Christ through the Apostle Peter. The Eastern Orthodox Church are also Apostolic because they can also trace their lineage to an Apostle.
According to the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, salvation comes only from God and only God judges who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell. According to our Catechism, Protestants are also Christians and therefore members of the Body of Christ despite that they are not Catholics. Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians are all members of the Body of Christ, but there is only ONE Church that Christ built. It is the Church founded by Christ through the Apostle Peter.
Okay...cool. I would perhaps just add two things that I disagree with. First...the bible should be our foundation...not 'catechisms'. And two...the Church was founded and headed by Christ. Peter was the head of the disciples...well, most of them. I'm not sure I would say he was Paul's boss though! Paul rebuked him without concern, and Peter humbly accepted it. All of them were under Christ, however, as the Church still is!
I also for the most part agree with what the three of you wrote, the thing that I have a problem with is that how do you consider the JWs and Mormons Christian, I'm not saying that their bad people only that they really don't believe in some of the basic tenets of our Christian Faith.
Actually, we don't call them Christian. We call them cults. And no, a lot of them are not bad people. But there are a lot of 'decent' people out in the world who claim no beliefs at all. Doesn't mean they are saved, however. Thus it is with the mormons, the JW's, etc.
Also I can't understand that if each Protestant must admit that his/her interpretation is fallible , how can any Protestant in good conscience call anything heresy or bind another Christian to a particular belief? It's like who in Protestantism is to decide 'authoritively' if you all have a different 'take' on interpretation. Even if you Protestants say 'Well we agree on the important things' . But how can that be so, if using for an example 'Baptism ", we can see where Protestantism is divided into at least five different camps on this issue alone.
Protestants take the Holy Bible "alone" as their sole rule for salvation when back in the early years of Christianity the early Church evangelized and overthrew the Roman Empire , survived and prospered almost 400 years without knowing which books belonged in the canon of Scripture. A prime example was the apostle Thomas who evangelized in India without any form of a Bible [ using only Oral ApostolicTraditional Teachings ] and converted millions to Christianity.
"Authority" has always been a bone of contention among Christians since the Protestant Reformation, ask yourselfs who in Christianity had the authority to determine which books belonged in the NT canon and to make this decision binding on all Christians? If nobody has this authority, then can I remove or add to the canon on my own authority ?
These are only a few of the many questions that make me realize why Jesus left us His Teaching Authorative Church first and then that same Catholic/ Apostolic Church's bishops compiled the correct Canonical Books found in our completed bibles today. Jesus taught His apostles, they becoming the first Church 'teachers' [ substitutes ] until the" Real Teacher"comes back.
These are all really good questions. Tough ones, but good. Answered mainly, I think, with what we term sanctification. When saved, we receive the Holy Spirit. He guides us, convicts us, speaks to our conscience. We receive a new heart, new desires...to follow God and to read His word. We find a good, bible teaching Church and place ourselves in community, for encouragement and accountability. We actively spend our time trying to read and learn about God, His truths and what brings Him glory and joy. As far as our acknowledgement of our own 'fallibility' goes, I don't think its as bad as it sounds. Most Protestants, if you ask them, would be very definite on the things we would term closed handed issues. Things like the Trinity, that Jesus came to earth, still fully God but also fully human. That he lived a perfect life and died on the cross for our sins. That he rose again on the third day and descended back into heaven. That salvation comes through Christ alone, through faith alone, through grace alone. That he will return, physically, at the end of the age, not a humble servant this time, but a triumphant, glorious king!
You will find on the 'open handed' issues, that most of us have a definite opinion as well...what we believe is the truth of what the bible teaches. But on these points, which are not essential to salvation, we tend to give liberty...to happily pave the way for biblical discussion and growth, and if need be, leave to walk away, disagreeing maybe, but still friends and brothers in Christ.
Hope that answers some of your questions!
You still provide no scripture backing up the claim that Jesus was a Jew.
:blink: I'm sorry, are you saying Jesus wasn't a Jew???
Okay. Um, how about this...if Jesus wasn't a Jew, how on earth was he allowed into the temples to teach??? Or, what about the genealogies given in the gospels? His linage was traced back (very deliberately, to prove Jesus was who the prophecies talked about) to David, to Abraham, to Adam. That's about as Jewish as you get! Remember the first Jew...Abraham. Remember how God gave Him a promise, that it would be through his people...the Jewish people, that salvation would come?
Verses, huh.
The Genealogy of Jesus: Matt 1:1-17, Luke 2:23-38
That the nations would be blessed through Abraham: Gen 18:18, Gen 22:16-18
