Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm much more in tune with "seeing" a spirit filled life displayed in Godlike actions by the believer, than in listening to those who foolishly think they have a lock on the written "truths" of the Bible when they haven't even approached it in a critical fashion to discover if what they have is anything more than a Sunday School lesson by those wishing to control gullible minds.
Yes, and your question is fair and deserving of a good answer. In fact, it's one of the better questions asked in the past few days. Here is my answer:
We need to know for sure that the Church which speaks for Christ is actually “getting the message right” and that they have not somehow distorted the words of Jesus like children playing a game of “Telephone”. Fortunately, there are scriptures that give us confidence that the Church founded by Christ is prevented from teaching anything that conflicts with the truth. Taking a second look at the verses quoted from Matthew 28 above:
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ ” (Matthew 28:18-19)
Focusing on the last phrase, we can see that Jesus has promised that He will remain with the Church “always, to the end of the age.” With Jesus remaining with her always, how can the Church go wrong when teaching the truth about Christ Himself? But there’s more:
"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
Jesus promises that the Spirit will teach them all things, to remind them of everything Jesus had said to them, and to guide them into all truth. It is this sure guidance of the Holy Spirit that protects the Church from teaching error in matters of faith and morals. The Apostles were able to teach without error, or infallibly, because the Spirit of God guided them. This can be seen powerfully supported in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians:
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Paul explains that his oral preaching is not the “word of men” but the “word of God.” This is how we can be sure that apostolic authority is the sure guide to finding the truth we need for salvation - the Apostolic church is infallible when teaching on matters of faith and morals.
Paul explains that his oral preaching is not the “word of men” but the “word of God.” This is how we can be sure that apostolic authority is the sure guide to finding the truth we need for salvation - the Apostolic church is infallible when teaching on matters of faith and morals.
Faith and morals:
"Love God and each other; use words if necessary."
Actually this is a lot of bologna. There are over 5700 partial or complete texts of the New Testament gospels and letters. No two of them are alike. There are more errors among the early manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament. Many of them are rather benign, but there are some glaring deficiencies, such as a lack of verses 9-20 of Mark 16 in the earliest known manuscripts. Verses 9-20 accepted by the RCC but obviously a scribal addition to make the ending to Mark's gospel more palatable to early Christians. In addition the writing "tone" varies from the pattern found in the first part of that gospel.
This is true in some of Paul's letters as well, where some scribe has inserted a verse or two in an otherwise seamless work.
It is simply a huge and faulty misconception to think anything other than there have been many, revisions and explanations written in by other than the original authors whoever they may have been.
The only answer to these obvious "additions" is that there were probably deletions as well. What we are left with are gospels and letters apparently written by well-meaning men who were describing their faith as they understood it, and who were edited by other well-meaning men ( supposedly) who attempted to "clarify" what the original authors or redactors had penned.
While there is much to be gained by scriptural study, it can only be approached with caution and a certain amount of skepticism that the "God-breathed" material survived at all. I'm much more in tune with "seeing" a spirit filled life displayed in Godlike actions by the believer, than in listening to those who foolishly think they have a lock on the written "truths" of the Bible when they haven't even approached it in a critical fashion to discover if what they have is anything more than a Sunday School lesson by those wishing to control gullible minds.
In addition, this simplified presentation does not take into account how the early church destroyed some manuscripts that were considered heretical. Nor did it even mention the Letter of Judas, only recently discovered and dismissed by radical conservatives without serious consideration. If one letter survived without being found, couldn't there be others?
Actually this is a lot of bologna. There are over 5700 partial or complete texts of the New Testament gospels and letters. No two of them are alike. There are more errors among the early manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament. Many of them are rather benign, but there are some glaring deficiencies, such as a lack of verses 9-20 of Mark 16 in the earliest known manuscripts. Verses 9-20 accepted by the RCC but obviously a scribal addition to make the ending to Mark's gospel more palatable to early Christians. In addition the writing "tone" varies from the pattern found in the first part of that gospel.
This is true in some of Paul's letters as well, where some scribe has inserted a verse or two in an otherwise seamless work.
It is simply a huge and faulty misconception to think anything other than there have been many, revisions and explanations written in by other than the original authors whoever they may have been.
The only answer to these obvious "additions" is that there were probably deletions as well. What we are left with are gospels and letters apparently written by well-meaning men who were describing their faith as they understood it, and who were edited by other well-meaning men ( supposedly) who attempted to "clarify" what the original authors or redactors had penned.
While there is much to be gained by scriptural study, it can only be approached with caution and a certain amount of skepticism that the "God-breathed" material survived at all. I'm much more in tune with "seeing" a spirit filled life displayed in Godlike actions by the believer, than in listening to those who foolishly think they have a lock on the written "truths" of the Bible when they haven't even approached it in a critical fashion to discover if what they have is anything more than a Sunday School lesson by those wishing to control gullible minds.
In addition, this simplified presentation does not take into account how the early church destroyed some manuscripts that were considered heretical. Nor did it even mention the Letter of Judas, only recently discovered and dismissed by radical conservatives without serious consideration. If one letter survived without being found, couldn't there be others?
Actually, my name is Lord Jerwade. But never, bow down and worship me.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
