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Oh, side note. Someone mentioned baptism (Gr: Baptiso To dip; dunk or immerse) as being required for salvation. This is not the case. The thief on the cross was told by Jesus "This day you will be with me in paradise". This thief had no opportunity for a water baptism.
A water baptism is a public declaration. It is a public display of obedience, saying that we are "crucified with Christ". It is symbolic of our death to our old selves, burial of that old self, and resurrection in a new life in Christ.
Should we be baptised, yes, is it mandatory for salvation? No.
Neither likely was Chi Zhuzi the Chinese martyr's name I took as my confirmation name in honor of the suffering Chinese Church. He likely was killed before he was baptized. But that's what Catholics term baptism by blood.
So, his Chinese name becomes a "Christian name" as my first name (the name of an Early Roman convert from paganism that became martyred) is what would be termed my "Christian name."
The thief on the cross was baptized through desire.
But save facing death imminently... baptism by water and with belief in the Trinity is required.
Another of the martyrs was 18-year-old Chi Zhuzi, who had been preparing to receive the sacrament of Baptism when he was caught on the road one night and ordered to worship idols. He refused to do so, revealing his belief in Christ. His right arm was cut off and he was tortured, but he would not deny his faith. Rather, he fearlessly pronounced to his captors, before being flayed alive, “Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian."
Because I have faith in God in God's mercy. If God can forgive me I presume He can forgive anyone. But more importantly it goes to an issue of what people can know, understand, and come to understand to be true. I'm sure sociologist would like to chime in here.
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God doesn't make mistakes. God will only forgive those who repent and ask Jesus to be the lord and savior of their lives. That includes people of all races.
For God sent his son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him might be saved. John 3:17
I read the catholic links, but I have to tell you, Catholicism and Christianity are not the same thing. The doctrines are completely different.
Christianity is based solely upon the Bible, the Holy Scriptures. Not on the writings of man, or the speculations or traditions or works of man. It is not a religion. It is different for every single person.
Christianity is a relationship, between one person, and their savior, Christ Jesus.
Jesus did not come as a Sacrifice,
he came to teach us the Narrow Way of Life.
We already had Buddha for that.
Jesus came as a sacrifice and its clearly what the Early Apostles believed. The actual people that walked with him. Not to mention there would be no need for his resurrection from the dead or ascension in heaven.
He doesn't appear to have been an abolitionist, labor union organizer, feminist, or Civil Rights activist, so, what "Narrow Way of Life" was he showing us that the East Indians sitting lotus couldn't?
We have a modern day boy doing just that (rather impressively I might add too).
They asked not where he had been or what he had been doing. Instead thousands of jubilant devotees simply trudged to the far jungle bit in south-east Nepal where a teenage "Saint Boy" reappeared to preach to villagers, more than a assemblage after he went missing.
“St. Paul said, ‘Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.’ How do St. Paul’s sufferings make up for what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? I thought Christ accomplished all necessary for salvation. St Paul does speak to his audience about their sufferings and how Christ will take it and do ongoing works of salvation. So, is our suffering what St. Paul is talking about as this completion? I don’t understand.”
I referred to this passage (Col 1:24) from St Paul during the summer series talk, “Why Does God Allow Suffering?” I made the point that Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross is the perfect sacrifice, but it is not complete. Yes, Anon, we, the Church, complete it. God allows us to suffer so that, among other reasons, we will complete the afflictions of Christ. We are allowed the incredible gift of sharing in the Cross of Christ so that we will complete it. Elsewhere in his letters, St Paul writes that Christ is the head, the Church is the body. We, as the Body of Christ, complete the suffering of Christ, our Head.
Whenever each of us carries our small portion of Christ’s Cross, our suffering joins in Christ’s work of salvation. This means that our suffering can be salvific; hence, the phrase, “offer it up”. God gives us the opportunity to offer our suffering up for (the salvation of) others in the same way that Christ offered himself up for the salvation of all.
Blue bold and underlined my emphasis.
The history and theology of Christianity did not end with the canon of the Bible.
Plus, I don't know how--in terms of the logical order of time--St. Paul's letters to the Church of Corinth could have entered the Bible, if the Church can only exists after the existence of the Bible. That's chronologically out of order for his letters to be in the Bible to a Church that apparently existed before he composed those letters.
The history and theology of Christianity did not end with the canon of the Bible.
Plus, I don't know how--in terms of the logical order of time--St. Paul's letters to the Church of Corinth could have entered the Bible, if the Church can only exists after the existence of the Bible. That's chronologically out of order for his letters to be in the Bible to a Church that apparently existed before he composed those letters.
So you think you can add to Christ's work because he wasn't sufficient?
I hate to be the one to break this to you, but you ain't all that and certainly can't add to the finished work. You are not God.
God doesn't make mistakes. God will only forgive those who repent and ask Jesus to be the lord and savior of their lives. That includes people of all races.
For God sent his son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him might be saved. John 3:17
I read the catholic links, but I have to tell you, Catholicism and Christianity are not the same thing. The doctrines are completely different.
Christianity is based solely upon the Bible, the Holy Scriptures. Not on the writings of man, or the speculations or traditions or works of man. It is not a religion. It is different for every single person.
Christianity is a relationship, between one person, and their savior, Christ Jesus.
Actually, you know what the term Catholic means? It means "universal." The term Orthodox means roughly "right teaching or right spirit."
You know what the term Protestant means? It means "Protestor."
Inferring a protest of the Christian Church--the Catholic Church.
Catholics gave Protestants their name, originally it was a derogatory statement.
Just as Protestants gave Latin Catholics the misnomer "Roman Catholic" which was originally meant as a derogatory label. The only real Roman Catholics are those that live in the city of Rome. But both Catholics and Protestants have come to embrace their labels given by their foes and they no longer carry a derogatory meaning.
I know this is hard for some Protestants to understand but Christianity did exist in between the periods of the creation of the Bible circa 300 AD or so and the 1500s. Over a thousand years. Not to mention the Protestant Reformation occurred in Western Christianity, not Eastern Christianity. Similarly, the Jewish Reformation occurred in Western Judasim in Europe too. Ironically in Germany as well.
As one of my historical heroes Charles V said... with respects to Martin Luther whom he called before him and guaranteed his safe passage, and I paraphrase, "It is ridiculous to think a thousand years or more of Christianity can be wrong and that a single monk can be right."
I hate to break it to you guys but the Apostles where just human beings
They wherent perfect.
Most of the New Testament is just a collection of Letters they wrote.
Only God is perfect.
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