Here is an interesting lecture given by John MacArthur on the subject of Roman Catholicism.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0FD39C91B9DD5EFA

God bless,
George

Scripture contains prophecy, and the history of the Christian church has been documented (as prophecy) in Revelation, where Jesus Christ addresses the seven churches. We can now know the truth of this prophecy as most of the events described are now past. We are now in the final church age, the Laodecian.

More information can be found in the study entitled: Secret Societies and the Seven Churches of Revelation, which is available online in the link below:

http://philologos.org/%5F%5Feb%2Djki/

The canon was decided in the Council of Nicea, which occurred during the Pergamos Chruch Age, and the Nicene Creed was one of the good accomplishments of that age. However, it also was during this time that the Christian Church compromised with the Babylonian religion to allow idolatry, and the division of priests and laity, where the priests are the ones who interpret scripture for the laity.

However, this is not allowed by God. It is written:

2 Peter 1:19-21 “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

The Holy Spirit helps us to interpret scripture. Our ability to interpret Scripture by reading the Bible comes from the Holy Spirit, not by a priest class (which is the Babylonian organizational model, in case you wondered where the idea of a priest class originated).

As for 2 Thessalonians 3:6, you should know better: the context is about morality and behaviour, and not doctrine.

Matthew 15:8-9’s context is doctrine.

“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

God bless,
George

WHO picked the books of the Bible and WHEN did this happen? If the Bible is the sole source of our faith and the book did not even come to be until around the year 300, how did the church survive and what and how did the early church (I think they called themselves The Catholic Church then) use to know God’s word, use in its liturgies (I think they called it the Eucharist), and educate the faithful? Were some early Christians using early writings NOT from the Bible? Or did some Christians not have ALL the books of the Bible available to use? How confusing!

And speaking of the “sole source” or sola scriptura, where in the Bible does that concept come from? You can’t have the Bible without the Church. And you can’t have the Church without Tradition. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 states: “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the TRADITION which he received of us.” (for your benefit, quoting the sometimes erroneous King James Version, which you seem to prefer)

Manny also talked about INTERPRETATION. There was and is and always will be only One holy Catholic and apostolic Church. How many Protestant churches are there? How many splinter denominations? Thousands? Seems if you interpret scripture differently from another “church” and disagree with them on a few principles, you just simply go off and start your own “church” (sounds like divorce to me, and we know what Jesus said about that!). Whereas the Catholic Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, has stood, through the good times and bad, for over 2,000 years upon the same understanding and interpretation of the Bible.

The verse you are looking for follows. It is written:

2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

How does one know the Bible is true? It is written (Jesus talking to his followers):

John 16:7-13 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

It is the Holy Spirit which guides us to all truth.

Be warned that the primary strategy of Satan is to lead people to doubt the truth of God’s Word. The first recorded utterance of Satan in the Bible is:

Gen 3:1 “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

Jesus Christ’s testified to the truth of the Bible, by quoting from Scripture during His confrontation with Satan:

Mat 4:3-4 “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

All arguments should be confirmed by Scripture, and this is the approach of the historians that I cited. God is the Author of the Bible, which we know through the testimony of the Holy Spirit. There are no contradictions in the Bible. Read your Bible to verify the truth for this. Get a good Study Bible. If you like to get into the original languages, Companion Bible by Bullinger is excellent. If you like something less heavy, The Evidence Bible has a good reputation. Both are available from Amazon.

God bless,
George

Let’s get to the basics, George.

First, you claim that the Bible is the Word of God, and rightly so. But how do you know this? Any book can claim to be the Word of God, and some actually do. That does not necessarily make them all the Word of God. What is your basis for claiming that the Bible is the Word of God. The only real basis is the authority of the Church, which put the Bible together.

Second, show me even one verse in the Bible that clearly states that the Bible is the ONE and ONLY source of Christian doctrine, to the exclusion of all else. Take all the time you want, but you won’t find even one such verse, because there isn’t any.

Third, how do you know what is supposed to be in the Bible? Who decided what books are supposed to be in it? Did God Himself come down from heaven and give you a complete Bible? We all know He did not, and if you’re honest with yourself and your research, you will also find that it was the Catholic Church that decided what books were supposed to be in the Bible. There was no Bible in the early Church, and no one had an authoritative biblical canon (list of books in the Bible) until the Catholic Church officially decided on one.

Finally, what gives you the PERSONAL authority to interpret Scripture? There are many Fundamentalist Baptists out there with crackpot interpretations that contradict each other. If Christians are supposedly guided by the Holy Spirit when they interpret Scripture, well that guidance isn’t exactly operative now, is it?

Only the Catholic Church has had a consistent history dogmatic interpretation of Scripture, without any contradictions whatsoever. There have never been any official Church dogmas that have contradicted each other in the two millenia that the Church has existed. In contrast, fundamentalist preachers contradict themselves and each other at every turn.

George, you’ve got to get over these fanatical, fundamentalist views and get real. You have no real basis for these nutcase accusations against the Catholic Church. Every one is based on false history, personal (non-authoritative) interpretation, or logical errors.

May God bless you and open your eyes.

Acts 5:38-39 “And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”

God bless,
George

What about the NAILS you’re pounding in? Don’t delete me, talk to me.

–Tom

Your arguments are hogwash, your reasearch is faulty and you are pounding nails deep into the the flesh of Christ with each negative word you utter about his Church on Earth.