Augustin56
Well-Known Member
Hey, Tulipbee! I support your right to disagree with me. It's okay.Augustin56,
As a Calvinist, I must respectfully disagree with your assertion that the doctrines of the Catholic Church are the original doctrines given mankind by Christ. The Roman Catholic Church has a long history of adding to and changing the teachings of Scripture, resulting in a system of beliefs that is far removed from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The claim that there was no other Church for the first 1000 years of Christianity is simply not true. There were numerous Christian communities that existed outside of the Roman Catholic Church, many of which held to beliefs that were different from those of Rome. The Orthodox Church, for example, split from the Roman Catholic Church in 1054 AD, but it traces its roots back to the early centuries of Christianity.
Protestantism did not begin in the 16th century; it is a continuation of the Reformation movement that began in the 15th century. The Reformers, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, sought to restore the church to its biblical foundations and to reject the errors of the Roman Catholic Church.
The doctrines of the Catholic Church are not based on Scripture but on human tradition and papal authority. This is evident in the fact that there are numerous Catholic doctrines that are not found in the Bible, such as the immaculate conception, purgatory, and the veneration of Mary.
The claim that personal interpretation of the Bible does not work because it has led to tens of thousands of Protestant denominations is a false equivalence. The differences between Protestant denominations are not on the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, such as the deity of Christ, the need for salvation through faith in Him, and the authority of Scripture. Rather, they are on secondary issues, such as church government, baptism, and the Lord's Supper.
The new information that Protestants claim to have received did not come from a new revelation or from personal interpretation of the Bible. It came from a careful study of Scripture and a rejection of the errors of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Roman Catholic Church has a long history of suppressing and distorting the gospel message. It has persecuted those who dared to challenge its authority and has used its political power to enforce its doctrines. The errors of the papal system are many, and they have led millions of people astray.
I urge you to reconsider your position on the Roman Catholic Church and to embrace the biblical teaching that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
I'm getting ready to go to Mass, so quickly...
IF, as you say, the Catholic Church has corrupted God's message, WHERE did any corrections come from 16 centuries later? ALL of God's message came FROM the Catholic Church, because there was NO other Christian Church for the first 1000 years of Christianity. Where would this new information come FROM? An angel? Jesus coming back, Himself? Where?
Is it possible that Catholic doctrine just doesn't agree with your (or Calvin, who arrived on the scene 16 centuries later) personal interpretation of Scripture? (See 2 Peter 1:20-21, where St. Peter warns against personal interpretation of Scripture with regard to creating doctrines (prophecy)).
Food for thought...
God bless!