Thank you Scott. Love the Catholic Church. I am British. Brought up in the Church of England. Converted to the Catholic Church in1978. Left for many years. Became a crazy J. W. For about 19yrs. Did me so much family damage. Almost four yrs ago I journey back to the Catholic Church.i thank you all. Watching the Journey Home started me on my Journey back to the Church.God bless you all.🙏
I was Anglican too. I wasn't very devout though and was just looking for a good Sunday School for my kids. My neighbour suggested we go to her Church (RCC) as they had a great Sunday School. God had the last laugh though - I never looked back and converted 15 years ago along with my family.
I listen to Jehovas Witnesses but I know the real faith is in the Catholic Church. I was High Anglican as a younger man but it was just a prelude to being Catholic later on like Saint John Newman. I appreciate all of being Catholic from Adoration to the Eucharist to Confession. I also love Catholic Charismatic Singing and Praise, Latin Mass, Novus Ordo, Vespers, Holy Pilgrimages etc etc. I know no over Church could Satisfy me except the Catholic Church and its Holy Orders
Family fellowship goes back to the tribalism mentality. They not admit that they cover up the horrendous abuses over the centuries. They avoid the dark side.
I've been Catholic all my life but when I listen to this speech from Scott Hahn today I sat with tears in my eyes because of the depth of his understanding
I think the reason I like Dr. Scot Hahn so much beyond just his content is that his style reminds me so much of the Baptist sermons I grew up on. As a fellow convert, this bridges the gap in a powerful and impactful way.
Wonderful. We as Catholics, as Dr Hahn does, need to be excited about our Catholic faith. We need others to see how much we love God, be excited about our loving God and show how much we love our church...
Thank you Dr. Hahn for allowing to be led by Christ. I read your testimony several years ago and was disturbed by how a protestant pastor would ever go over the Catholic church. The more I have listened the more I understand why you had no choice. Pray for me!
You are a very good speaker. I love listening to you because I learned a lot from your teachings. God has blessed you very well. I wish I could do the same to my fellow members of my community. Thanks Scott.
Praise and thanks be to God for the beautiful convert couple Scott & Kimberly Hahn. Thanks to both of you for sharing your gifts of knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. It makes it easier for people like me to appreciate more deeply the of beauty of our Trinitarian Catholic Faith that is centred on Jesus Christ the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist .
I pray to God our Father so He keeps Dr Scott Hann to be firm in his Catholic faith in his enthusiastic ways.. Dr Hann's way of preaching is kind of different from our Catholic tradition preaching but we have to understand he came from Protestant background.. Im glad for him. May his heart stand firm to the end of time.. Amen.
7:02 - "IF you dont have a bible...." - Dr Hahn points out a great point regarding Catholics and converts, and rep that most Protestant "Christians " have and bring THIER OWN bible to this gathering. very funny, finally get it.
Thank you Dr. Hahn for your help to bring me closer to Christ. It is amazing and exciting for me to find out that you were a protestant pastor, but now you became a catholic. Welcome home Dr. Hahn. May our Lord bless you and your loved ones. May our Beloved Savior also bless all the people who took their time to listen to you.
You' re the best Dr. Scott Hahn, i love to watch all your videos. It' s inspiring and amazing to watch. I admired your teachings. And for me you" re really the best Catholic Convert. God Bless your ministry.
Father God thank you so much for giving us Dr Scott Hahn that gift of wisdom and share to all of us. Dr Hahn salamat po. God bless you and your family more and more🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
God is Great All The Time and for All The Times. To be called by God is a gift greater than any. Excellent talk and thank you for choosing the walk you use here to His Glory for us to see better His glory. I LOVE how you say, “All Of Us!” This is not “us” and “them”. This IS ALL of us! Glory Be To God!
It's amazing that how God weaving the History of his creation if we reflect carefully. Thank Scott for before you were born this is the right time for your assignment and what l've learned from it. You do with all your energy but i fail to do mine. God Bless you.
God bless you always Brother Scott Hahn. Praying hard that you may not get tired of evangelizing God 's holy words to educate and enlighten us Catholics. Thank you very much for your great energy and zeal to serve God by strenghtening the faith of the church with your brilliant exegesis of the scriptures. You're indeed a big gift from God in heaven.
Dr Scott Hahn, u are so blessed,n ur blessing just bless us all.. I have a wish, hope someday u can make it.. Please make bible schools, n teach us how u unfold the bible with the guidance of Holy Spirit (or u can say, how we can hear the Holy Spirit better) N open those schools in another countries also, especially here in Indonesia, I would really love to attend that school Hope u can read this message someday Tq so much Dr. Hahn
So elated. We are blessed to have you speak the truth. I pray others to follow. So called men of God should stop making others not to come to the one true church
Thank you Dr.hahn, im 27yrs old, im n the process of marriage preparation. Really this Catechises was very much helpful to get into the marriage sacrament in holy Eucharistic view. And i bless god for you and for my Marriage.
what a coincidence that the mass reading for today August 23, 2020 becomes clear through Dr. Scott Hahn's explanation of the old and the new. I was struggling to understand about the relationship of the first reading with the new testament reading. Jesus is so merciful He lead me to this video that for me was by chance.
I have so much respect for Scott Hahn for his knowledge wisdom, discernment and sense of humour. So often we can listen to dry commentators especially with faith but Scott brings life to his talks and does this with great honesty and humour. He shows humility and a self depcritating sense of humour admiting his faults and confirming all is through the spirit of Christ in the Trinity. A great teacher. If he was a man of the Collar then he would be an Archbishop or Cardinal or Pope
Thank you for inspiration and the education on our faith and scripture! I love the Divine Office liturgy oh the hours and I've been praying with the Word among us for 20+ years as a gift from my mother back in my 30's to learn to read the scriptures. Praise Jesus Christ
Thank you Dr. Hahn for the all your efforts to enlighten lay people like me out side of USA. I read your books , in English and in Korean translation, these day I am watch and listen your UA-cam lectures. And thanks for all that. The problems come from abuse of historical criticism seem to be more serious in Korea since there are no discussions or dialogues about merits and limits of the method among scholars in Korea. Reading NABRE2011, I am confused by the logic of the introduction of Matthew. Quote "Since Mark was written shortly before or shortly after A.D. 70(see introduction to Mark), Matthew composed certainly after that date, which marks the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans at the time of the First Jewsih Revolt(A.D.66-70), and probably at least a decade later since Matthew's use of Mark presupposes a wide use diffusion of that gospel. The post-A.D. 70 date is confirmed within the text by Mt 22:7, which refers to the destruction of Jerusalem." unquote.[pp.2039] This paragraph is full of uncertainty, because they use words such as "shortly before or shortly after," "certainly," "probably," and "presupposes," but in spite of these uncertainty they still "confirmed" the date of Matthew referring to Mt 22:7. If we follow above logic in this introduction, the word "The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murders, and burned their city"(Mt 22:7) implies that the reason of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem(Lk 19:41) seems to be not from love but from hatred, and later on God avenged Jerusalem by destruction using Roman troops otherwise the introduction cannot directly connect the destruction of the city(Mt 22:7) with the destruction of Jerusalem A.D. 70. I am also wondering that what this introduction means by explaining "Q" as "represent traditions, written and oral, used by both Matthew and Luke."[pp.2038] Does this mean Mark didn't use traditions? What is the use of simple references to "Q" in exegestical end-note of NAB without informing the real contents of Q. If "Q" represent tradition as the introduction said why they do not use the word Traditions or traditions instead of "Q" In Economics even the famous scholar, Schumpeter recognized the limit of economic research method, utilitarianism, but he said we use the method because so far there is no alternative to quantify economic performance . For a lay person like me, I found it almost impossible to pray after reading bible with historical exegestical note. Every body would wondering for example why end-note of Mt 8:28 is so long but superficial, teaching us nothing important. When I visit USA, l say l'm from Korea, and that is enough, in Korea I say I'm from a big city (near my home village), though no one asks me what is exact name of the small village where I have grown up. Learning from you, I realize why Pope Benedit 16 worries so much in about historical method fundamentalist in Catholic and why I have been so confused in past by reading books about bible. I hope reading will help me to keep out of danger from some confusing historical critical exegesis.
God bless🙏 scott hanh I think scott hanh and Steve ray should do a colab if not see him watch they have both covereted to the Catholic Church and now great speakers for the Catholic Church.
It has been my observation that people who tell Catholics that they should leave the Catholic Church never invite them to their own place of worship. All they say is that they should find a good bible believing Church to join.
The Catholic Church is the one true church. Deepen your relationship with Christ within the church. No other way than the way of truth which is the Catholic way.
Citation: Appendix section, p 213 of "Dogmatics II: The Christian Doctrine of Creation and Redemption" by Brunner & Wyon (1950). To read more about Hahn's (2003) argument on this quote read "Scripture Matters: Essays on Reading the Bible from the Heart of the Church" (p. 15).
My main problem (not with scott hahn or the church) but with xian preaching in general, is whenever jesus is mentioned over and over again, my old atheist prejudice pops up into the back of my head. I am sure that this will work well with protestants, but we really need to work on how to lead atheists into the church, and I'm not sure the same method will work equally well for both.
Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. [Rev 22:13 KJV] "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." [Rev 22:14 KJV] "Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
Roman Catholicism: The One True Church? By Steve Meehan For years, growing up as a Roman Catholic, we were taught that we were members of the one true Church. It was impressed upon us regularly by the parish priest during Mass, while giving his homily; by the nuns all throughout my Catholic parochial school years of 2nd through 7th grade; during our preparation to receive for the first time the sacraments of Penance, Communion and Confirmation; and while attending CCD classes all the way through high school (the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine is an association established at Rome in 1562 for the purpose of giving religious education, normally designed for children). It was an established fact that we understood and we never questioned the validity of it. And to be honest, it was a matter of pride, that we were privileged enough to be a member of the correct Church, while all others had belonged to something else that didn't quite measure up to the status of the Roman Catholic Church. After all, how could it be possible that Roman Catholicism is not the One True Church? Look at what Rome has to offer: it has the priests, the nuns; the bishops; the cardinals; and of course, the Pope. They have the Sacraments; the statues; the holy water; the incense; the Stations of the Cross; the Eucharist - in which Christ physically manifests Himself into the wafer after the consecration by the priest during the Mass; the Marian apparitions - which appear mainly to Roman Catholics; and they have the Vatican - where the Vicar of Christ (Christ's representative on Earth) governs the faithful and makes infallible proclamations and doctrine. How can this not be The One True Church? No other organization on the face of the Earth comes close to offering to its flock what Rome provides for its faithful. But, of course, to be true, one must adhere to what has been established as truth and not teach or practice what is contrary to the truth. We read in Scripture a few passages that declare what is truth and what is not. Jesus proclaimed in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me." He also professed in John 8:31-32: "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, 'If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'." It is clear then, by just these two verses, that Jesus Christ has described Himself as Truth, and that those who adhere to His Word and practice what He taught, will be living and worshipping truthfully, and that only His truth will set us free; not in anything else that detracts or subtracts from His truth. In fact, the verse is worded in a way ("you shall know the truth") that suggests that it is imperative to know His Word, to know His Truth, by studying the scriptures, in order to avoid any false doctrine being taught by some other source that may later try to establish itself as the bearer of truth but is actually offering a false truth. Jesus also proclaimed that it is only possible to worship Him correctly in spirit and in truth: "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" John 4:23, 24 So for a person or an organization to call themselves true, they must teach his Word correctly and abide by His Word. Unless one is doing that, the above verse says, that they are not true worshippers. Another purveyor of Truth is the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised His disciples, that when He would depart from them and return to Heaven, that He would send in His stead the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's role in the world - and who indwells those who have accepted Christ's free gift of salvation - is to point us to Jesus Christ and not to anything or anyone else as the sole means of salvation. "Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells within you, and shall be in you." John 14:17 It takes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit into the believer to be able to discern what is written in God's Word and to be able to understand and to apply His truth in our Christian walk. Without His assistance, it is too easy to be lead astray and to accept false doctrine. The Holy Spirit, after all, inspired the Jewish scribes and later the Apostles, to write the books of the Holy Bible and it takes His discernment in our lives for us to properly comprehend the Word and understand it correctly. It also stands to reason, that if one is not aware of what is contained in the Scriptures, then they can easily accept doctrines of men that may be inspired by another source. Growing up as a Roman Catholic, I was completely ignorant of what was contained in the Bible - regarding Jesus, salvation and His gospel of grace. Like most Catholics, the Holy Bible was in the home, but just collected dust and was never read. We accepted all that was taught us by the priests, the nuns, the lay teachers in the CCD classes, and in their catechism. Whatever they told us had to be correct, as they assured us that they were the One True Church. Why would they ever steer us wrong? This was the mindset of my siblings, my parents, grandparents, and going back generations of all past family members who trusted in and were raised in the Roman Catholic system. We were ignorant of anything else but their plan of salvation. The Roman Catholic Church tells their members that only they, through their Magisterium - the teaching authority of the Catholic Church, as exercised by the bishops or the pope - can properly interpret scripture for their faithful. So, while they say they encourage the reading of the Holy Writ, it is only by their guidance and authority can one fully understand what the verses are meant to convey. They are not open to private interpretation, and must be filtered through their teachings to understand their version of the truth. It wasn't until my early 20s, that the Lord led me to start reading His Word. At that point of my life, I wasn't even a marginal Catholic. I stopped going to Mass, stopped going to the normally required weekly confessions to a priest, and had pretty much given up on their version of the faith. I got tired of the repetitiveness of the Mass: the rote prayers; genuflecting before the figure on the cross; the lighting of votive candles before a statue - usually of Mary; dipping my hand in the "Holy Water" and making the 'sign of the cross'; receiving the Eucharist wafer and giving my assent when the priest said "the Body of Christ" that I was consuming the physical body of Jesus; and the whole bit. It was all very ritualistic, legalistic, lacking any real passion and completely devoid of the presence of Christ. But in reading the Word, I began to see that what God has revealed to us through the scriptures doesn't completely mirror the teachings of Rome; in fact, most of it doesn't. You would think that the One True Church would certainly follow what Christ and the Apostles taught. Why would they teach something different? If they are in fact the One True Church, wouldn't they follow and teach all that scripture reveals to us and they wouldn't deviate from the Truth? Have they got the ultimate authority to change God's Word or trump His commandments? For instance, Exodus 20:4 - the second commandment - forbids us from worshipping graven images, and yet Rome has deleted this commandment and subdivided the last one, which tells us not to covet our neighbor's belongings. How can they delete a commandment? Christ said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" - not delete them (John 14:15). Is it that important for Rome to disregard a commandment, so that the parishioners can dress up, light candles before, and parade behind statues or graven images, as the Bible calls them? Was the prohibition of worshipping before a graven image only meant for the Jews, but Christians are free to do so? Over and over throughout the Word, we are told that God detests that kind of activity. Rome calls the pope the Vicar of Christ (Christ's representative on Earth) but that title is more befitting the Holy Spirit: He is the Comforter that Christ promised; He is the one who indwells each believer; and He is the one who seals us, points us to Jesus Christ, and gives us discernment in reading the Word. Rome calls the pope the Holy Father, but Jesus used this term only once in scripture referring to God the Father as the Holy Father: "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom thou has given me, that they may be one, as we are." John 17:14 Neither Jesus, nor the Apostles would ever use that term in addressing a man; only God the Father is the Holy Father. In fact, Christ even told His followers not to refer to any man as our father (spiritual father): "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven" - Matthew 23:9 If Christ told us not to do it, why does Rome give that title to their priests? Is this something that a One True Church should be doing - flaunting God's Word? Are they exempt from this restriction and can override Christ's teachings? It doesn't add up. If we are truly Christians, we should be following Christ's examples and His admonitions. If they are truly the One True Church, shouldn't they be abiding by His Word instead of disregarding it? There are countless other examples of where the teachings of Rome fly in direct contrast to the teachings of Jesus and His disciples. Perhaps the biggest is the question of our salvation. Repeatedly in the gospels and in the other books of the New Testament are verses telling us that Christ's Gospel is a gospel of grace and is freely given - to all those who would accept it. It is not by works and it cannot be earned. Grace is God's unmerited favor; it is impossible to work for it, neither can one ever be good enough to attain it: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God Not of works, lest any man should boast" - Ephesians 2:8, 9 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" - Titus 3:5 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" - Romans 6:23 "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved..." - Acts 16:31, 32 Why would Rome insist that we have to work along with God's grace (what they refer to as "cooperating grace") in order to be saved? The very expression of cooperating grace or cooperating with grace is a contradiction in terms. If Grace is unmerited favor and is freely given by God, how can one then co-operate or work alongside with it to receive it? Co-operating with grace would nullify grace; it wouldn't be freely received. Their works for attaining salvation include: going to weekly Mass; partaking of the sacraments; paying a penalty or Penance for one's sins (which denies the sufficiency of Christ's death on the cross to cover all sins); and then finally spending time in a fictitious place called Purgatory, to purge away any leftover sins that Christ's blood couldn't cover, or not enough Penance was performed. Purgatory is just another means of denying the sufficiency Christ's atonement for our sins; it is the ultimate declaration that his agonizing crucifixion on a wooden cross - the plan of salvation that was established before the foundation of the world was laid - was not enough to pay the cost of all of our sins. In other words, when Christ uttered those final words "It is finished" - signifying that He had satisfied the wrath of God against us for the sins we have committed and that all our sins were "paid in full", Rome declares that no it is not finished and the paying of penances and time spent in Purgatory is required. It is a rejection of what Christ accomplished. Their gospel is a complete distortion of the gospel of grace, and is in fact another gospel - as the Apostle Paul warned against: "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:6-9 Why would Rome teach another gospel? They are leading their followers astray and the gospel they teach can't possibly save anyone. A gospel of works nullifies God's free gift of grace: "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work" Romans 11:6 "Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" - 2 Timothy 1:9 It should be clear that a true church would never teach a false gospel. Along with the aforementioned false teachings - and there are many others - Rome has taken upon itself to invent new teachings over the centuries that neither Jesus nor the Apostles ever taught. Here is a brief list of some of their "infallible" doctrines that they have implemented: * Prayers for the Dead and the Sign of the Cross - 300ad * Veneration of Angels and Dead Saints - 375ad * The Mass, as a daily celebration adopted - 394ad * The worship of Mary, and the use of the term "Mother of God" - 431ad * Priests begin to dress differently from the laity - 500ad * Extreme Unction or Last Rites as a sacrament - 526ad * Doctrine of Purgatory established (denies Christ's sufficiency) - 593ad * Latin language used in prayer and worship in churches (not all Catholics understood Latin, rendering the words meaningless) - 600ad * Prayers directed to Mary (even though Jesus taught to pray to the Father) - 600ad * Title of Pope bestowed upon the Bishop of Rome - 610ad * Kissing of the Pope's feet - 709ad * Temporal power of the Popes - 750ad * Worship of the Cross, Images and Relics (idolatry) - 788ad * Holy Water instituted - 850ad * Veneration of St. Joseph begins - 890ad * Baptism of Bells - 965ad * Canonization of Dead Saints (ALL Christians are saints!) - 995ad * Fasting on Fridays and during Lent - 998ad * The Mass is an ongoing sacrifice of Jesus and attendance mandatory - 1079ad * Celibacy of Priesthood - 1079ad * Praying the Rosary introduced (vain repetitions, Christ warns against) - 1090ad * Inquisition of Heretics (Bible believing Christians who didn't bend the knee to Rome) - 1184ad * Selling of Indulgences to lessen time spent in Purgatory (denies Christ's atonement) - 1190ad * Transubstantiation priest can transform a wafer into Jesus Christ - 1215ad * Confession of sin to a priest - 1215ad * Adoration of the wafer (blasphemy, idolatry) - 1220ad * Bible forbidden to be read or owned by laymen (Bibles deny Rome's teachings) - 1229ad * Scapular of Mary worn frees a person from Purgatory (nonsense) - 1287ad * Cup of Blood of Christ forbidden to be touched by laymen - 1414ad * Doctrine of Purgatory proclaimed to be Dogma of the Faith - 1439ad * Doctrine of 7 Sacraments affirmed (works that must be done along with grace) - 1439ad * Ava Maria instituted (Prayer/hymn to Mary) - 1508ad * Tradition of Rome equal with Scripture (free license for popes in declarations) - 1545ad * Apocryphal Books added to Rome's Bible - 1546ad * Immaculate Conception of Mary (they declare she was born without sin Romans 3:23) - 1834ad * Papal Infallibility (pope can declare anything and their faithful must believe) - 1870ad * Modern Science "Modernism" condemned by pope - 1907ad * Condemnation of public schools (Rome couldn't teach kids their doctrines) - 1930ad * "Mother of God" title to Mary reaffirmed - 1931ad * Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Mary bodily arose to Heaven - not in Bible) - 1950ad Along with these doctrines that Rome has established over the years for their faithful to adhere to and further one's bondage to their system, they have also leveled condemnations or "anathemas" on all bible believing Christians who would not submit to the papacy or their system. Here is a sampling of 100 or so anathemas that the papacy has declared over the years: - If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification...let him be anathema. - If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in divine mercy which remits sins for Christ's sake, or that it is this confidence alone that justifies us, let him be anathema. - If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he shall have learned this by special revelation, let him be anathema. [1 John 5:13 tells us that we can be assured of our salvation. Either John, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is lying to us, or Rome is] - If anyone says that the Catholic doctrine of justification as set forth by the holy council in the present decree, derogates in some respect from the glory of God or the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, and does not rather illustrate the truth of our faith and no less the glory of God and of Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. [The Bible declares that Rome's doctrine is in error] - If anyone says that the sacraments of the New Law were not all instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, or that there are more or less than seven, or that any one of these seven is not truly and intrinsically a sacrament, let him be anathema. [The sacraments are works and nullify grace] - If anyone...denies that wonderful and singular change of the whole substance of the bread into the body and the whole substance of the wine into the blood - which change the Catholic Church most aptly calls transubstantiation, let him be anathema. [Worshipping a wafer is both idolatrous and blasphemous] Whether they realize it or not, they have not only bestowed these condemnations on all Bible believing Christians, but on Christ and His Apostles as well - including Peter, who they claim was the first pope. They would never teach the things that Rome claims nor would they have any part in their false religious system. Is Roman Catholicism, as they contend, the One True Church? Not hardly, if they teach doctrines of men, instead of the Word of God: "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" - Matthew 15:3 "Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." - Matthew 15:6 "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." - Matthew 15:9 "And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition" - Mark 7:9 Dear Roman Catholic, there is no way that the Church of Rome can be The One True Church. They offer a false gospel and there is no truth in it. The true Church of Christ is the body of all believers who have put their complete faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross - it is not just a particular denomination or any other man made religious system. Works are not a part of His salvation; neither is paying a penance for your own sins, or going to a purging place called Purgatory, or any of the other means of attaining salvation that Rome concocts. As a matter of fact, after a lifetime of being active in their system: being baptized as an infant; attending mandatory weekly mass (and should you miss one Sunday purposely, they claim you have committed a "mortal sin" and would go to hell if not confessed to a priest); confessed your sins to a priest and paid a penalty or Penance for those sins; receive Jesus Christ physically (instead of spiritually as the Bible attests) through their Eucharistic service; performing the other sacraments; and then ultimately, after death, spend an undetermined amount of time suffering in Purgatory to purge away any remaining sins that Christ couldn't cover because His plan of redemption obviously came up short, one can still never claim that they have any assurance of salvation. According to Rome, one commits the "sin of Presumption" if they believe they can claim to know for sure that they have secured salvation through Christ; an anathema will be directed your way if you claim that you know that you are saved. Even though the Apostle John - the one whom Christ entrusted with the care of His earthly mother to after Jesus' death on the cross - assured us regarding salvation: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." - 1 John 5:13 All of the so-called works that the Catholic must do to try to attain salvation, only furthers one's commitment to their religion to try to appease God and ends up increasing their bondage to this false system. Their "Holy Mother Church" can only save us; the priests are needed for absolving our sins; their Mass has to be attended; the sacraments are needed; and on and on it goes. Even the erroneous doctrine of Purgatory is presented with the caveat that one's time can be lessened there by buying Mass cards, donating money to the Church, etc. It is all about their system and not Christ. The Roman Catholic Church is not the One True Church. Their system offers really no hope. It is a counterfeit Christianity and they present a corrupted version of the truth. On the surface, they appeal to the flesh in all their displays of piety, ritualism, relics, images, incense, candles, acts of contrition, shrines usually dedicated to Mary mainly, as well as other dead saints, and for the most part, Christ is left out in all of their regalia - unless, of course, He is depicted as a baby or still hanging on the cross. All of that is a substitute for real thing but is attractive to those who have no clue as to what God's Word says about sin, atonement, salvation or a gospel of grace. They don't waste an opportunity to diminish what Christ has performed for us on the cross, or who Christ really is. Instead of rightly pointing to the Creator for salvation, they point to the created - the priests; the popes; the statues; the wafer; Mary, or their version of Mary; the dead saints; the "Holy Mother Church" as they refer to the Catholic Church; and anything else other than Jesus Christ. They really do teach another gospel and have another Jesus - who is received via transubstantiation, but was powerless to cover all of our sins; and another Mary (the Mary of the Bible doesn't reflect any of the attributes that Rome has ascribed to her: she wasn't sinless; didn't remain a virgin after the birth of Christ; she had other children; is not a co-redeemer or co-mediator; doesn't hear or answer prayer; etc.) They emphatically are not the true church, despite their proclamations otherwise. One day, we will all stand before Christ at His judgment. If you die as a Roman Catholic, Rome will not be there to defend you. If they can't even be entrusted with the safeguarding of its members children (speaking of the decades, may be centuries long molestation and raping of children by their clergy, and the cover-up and relocation of these criminals to other parishes by their bishops, cardinals and popes), how can you possibly trust them with your eternal security and salvation? The bottom line is: you can't....and you must not. Accept the One who WILL be there in front of you at His judgment. Don't be beguiled by the enemy and accept a false substitute plan of salvation. Accept His free gift of salvation, believe in Him and His Word, and His Truth will indeed set you free! "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." - Colossians 2:8 "There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" - Proverbs 14:12
Stephen Meehan YES! Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. However, the rest of your post is an anecdotal screed that proves Dr. Hahn's premise, "A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text". You lift that ONE verse, out of its context, and completely IGNORE other statements of Jesus Christ's that clarifies, refines and qualifies other statements. For example, I notice you TOTALLY skip over the statements of Jesus Christ's to the Apostles that state, "He who hears YOU (the Apostles) hears Me (Jesus Christ), he who reject you (the Apostles), rejects Me (Jesus Christ) AND He who sent Me (the Father)". cf. Luke 10: 16 Or how about this one which you also ignore, "Whatever YOU (the Apostles) bind on earth, SHALL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN. Whatever you (the Apostles) loose on earth, SHALL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN." cf. Jesus Christ is saying that the Apostles are delegated His authority by the Holy Spirit to act in His name for the Church. And this isn't anything new in the sense that there had BEEN "succession" in the Old Testament as well. When Moses was getting long in the tooth and he realized that someone needed to carry on God's work as "prophet" to the people of God of ancient Israel, God commanded him to anoint his successor, Joshua, and in so doing Joshua would receive the Holy Spirit by "the laying on of hands" and a measure of the truth guaranteed by that ritual and the Holy Spirit, to lead the Old Testament people of God, "And the LORD replied to Moses: Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man of spirit, and LAY YOUR HAND UPON HIM. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and COMMISSION HIM in their sight. INVEST HIM WITH SOME OF YOUR OWN POWER (i. e. the Holy Spirit, the "spirit of wisdom"), THAT THE WHOLE ISRAELITE COMMUNITY MAY OBEY HIM. He shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who will seek for him the decision of the Urim in the LORD’s presence; and as it directs, Joshua, all the Israelites with him, and the whole community will go out for battle; and as it directs, they will come in. Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. Taking Joshua and having him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD had directed through Moses." cf. Num. 27: 18-23 "Now Joshua, son of Nun, WAS FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM, SINCE MOSES HAD LAID HIS HANDS UPON HIM; AND SO THE ISRAELITES GAVE HIM THEIR OBEDIENCE, just as the LORD had commanded Moses." cf. Deut. 34: 9 In one sense, Jesus Christ isn't doing anything new in calling, and commissioning the college of the Twelve, and investing them with the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of truth" (cf. John 14: 17; John 16: 13 - and compare that to "the Spirit of wisdom" in Num. 27: 18-23 & Deut. 34: 9 above) as His successors. What MAKES it "new" is that Jesus Christ is the fully Divine, fully human God-man who is recapitulating all of salvation history in Himself, fulfilling what was left undone and undoing the sin and evil that was done. And does He Himself do this and let it go at that? NO! The writer of the letter to the Hebrews considers the doctrine of "the laying on of hands" (the New Testament way of expressing what the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church calls "apostolic succession" - i. e. just as Joshua "succeeded Moses", the apostles succeed Jesus Christ, and the "episkopos" (the bishops) succeed the Apostles, ALL by the "laying on of hands" and the consequent imparting of the Holy Spirit, the "Spirit of truth" to them) an ELEMENTARY doctrine, "Therefore, let us leave behind the BASIC TEACHING about Christ and advance to maturity, without laying THE FOUNDATION all over again: (i.)repentance from dead works and faith in God, (ii.) instruction about baptisms and LAYING ON OF HANDS, (iv.) resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And we shall do this, if only God permits." cf. Hebrews 6: 1-3 According to the author of Hebrews, "the basic teaching about Christ", "the foundation", INCLUDES "the laying on of hands" (i. e. apostolic succession of the episkopos to the Twelve Apostles). We know from sacred Scripture that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses let all things be established". What does St. Paul have to say about "the laying on of hands"? Does it comport with what Jesus Christ and the writer of the letter to the Hebrews has to say? The Apostle, St. Paul, is writing to one of the "episkopos" (literally "overseers", from which we get the English word "episcopal" or "bishop") he has appointed, St. Timothy, and instructs him thus, "For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through THE IMPOSITION OF MY HANDS." cf. II Tim. 1: 6 When we consider the texts from Numbers 27 and Deut. 34, and Jesus Christs's statements at John 14 and John 16, we know that the "gift of God" that St. Paul imparted through the "imposition of [his] hands", is "the Spirit of wisdom" or "the Spirit of truth", the Holy Spirit. The ritual ceremony of "the imposition of hands" or "the laying on of hands" imparts the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of truth" to the successor receiving it. THIS is how the charism of "Truth", the correct understanding of God, of Jesus Christ, their teachings, their commandments, the sacraments, et al is passed in the Church. "Do not neglect the gift you have, which was conferred on you through the prophetic word with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate." cf. I Tim. 4: 14 Just as Jesus Christ spoke over and breathed on the Apostles in the Upper Room and conferred on them the Holy Spirit, so the "imposition of hands" also involves a ritual ceremony involving prayer and communicating that this person is succeeding this Apostle or bishop and is to be understood by the gathered community as his successor to whom obedience is due that is spoken over the person receiving it which imparts the "gift of God", the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing the receiver a participation in "the Spirit of truth" to sanctify, teach, and guide the believing community and in Christ's office as priest, prophet, and king. "They presented these men to the apostles who PRAYED AND LAID HANDS ONO THEM." cf. Acts 6: 6 "Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, COMPLETING THEIR FASTING AND PRAYER, THEY LAID HANDS ON THEM AND SENT THEM OFF." cf. Acts 13: 3 "They APPOINTED PRESBYTERS for them in each church and, WITH PRAYER AND FASTING, COMMENDED THEM TO THE LORD (i. e. laid hands on them) in whom they had put their faith." cf. Acts 14: 23 "Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit." cf. Acts 8: 17 How could you have missed such a "basic teaching", a "foundational" teaching of Jesus Christ? I'll tell you how. There IS NO "laying on of hands" (apostolic succession) IN Protestantism, and so it is, conveniently, IGNORED, dismissed and explained away. You have traded away your birthright for a mess of pottage, like Esau before you. Is John 14: 6 a part of the canon of sacred Scripture? ABSOLUTELY! Is Jesus Christ the "the way, the truth and the life"? ABSOLUTELY! And how do we know this? From the Apostles and their successors down to the present day. Jesus Christ DID NOT hand them a textbook and say, in effect, 'Read this, know this, do this and tell everyone, 'If it's not written in this book, don't believe it, don't do it.'" Of course they heard Tanakh read in the synagogue, but the personal possession of a copy of the sacred Scriptures by each household didn't occur until the 19th century with the invention of the printing press (16th century) and the mass production of the Industrial Revolution making them actually affordable for the common man. The last book of the Bible wasn't composed, by the Apostle St. John, until circa 95 AD (the Apocalypse / Revelation). The canon of sacred Scripture wasn't decided on, for the first time, until 382 AD at the Council of Rome (cf. Decretum Gelasianum). IF "sola Scriptura" is the Christ ordained means of transferring "truth" to the Church, then for 382 years, the Church is without a complete canon of sacred Scripture!!! "Sola Scriptura" is self refuting, and is NOWHERE contained in sacred Scripture itself. In fact, you don't even know that you HAVE the "Bible", from the Bible itself. Show me the book, chapter, and verse reference that states, in effect, 'These books and only these books ARE "the Bible"'. FROM THE BIBLE ITSELF, you don't even know that you HAVE "the Bible". Again, "sola Scriptura" is self refuting. Additionally, there is NO express statement from Jesus OR the Apostles recorded in sacred Scripture, that says, in effect, Write down all this good stuff I'm giving to you guys, and tell those who come after you, If it's not recorded in these books, which you are ALL, each and every one, to read separately for yourselves and decide for yourselves what is true and what isn't, then don't believe it, don't live it, don't teach it. NOWHERE! Again, "sola Scriptura" is self refuting. Jesus Christ hand picked Twelve Apostles and formed them in a living, breathing relationship for three and a half years. He sent them out to recruit disciples in His name based on what He had personally taught them. Those Apostles did what He did. They went out preaching and teaching the Gospel in a living breathing human relationship and passed on by word of mouth (oral Tradition) and by practices (sacred Tradition; their lived example and practices), and YES!, eventually, by a written record (sacred Scripture ITSELF is a PART of sacred Tradition, the Tradition of the Apostles as given to them by Jesus Christ), and gathered disciples to themselves, who they themselves formed into a believing community and chose from among THEM those who would succeed them to the apostolic office to which the believing community gives obedience, as the people of God of ancient Israel did to Joshua, because they know that it was through "the imposition of hands" that the "spirit of wisdom", the Holy Spirit, was conferred that guaranteed the believing community the charism of Truth, "Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, since Moses had laid his hands upon him; AND SO THE ISRAELITES GAVE HIM THEIR OBEDIENCE, just as the LORD had commanded Moses." cf. Deut. 34: 9 "He who hears you, hears Me; he who rejects you, rejects Me and Him who sent Me." cf. Luke 10: 16 "As completely as we obeyed Moses, we will obey you. Only, may the LORD, your God, be with you as God was with Moses." cf. Joshua 1: 17 "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day. THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES AND TO THE COMMUNAL LIFE, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done THROUGH THE APOSTLES." cf. Acts 2: 41-43 The same paradigm is both fulfilled and covenantally extended BY JESUS CHRIST to His "Ekklesia". Jesus Christ goes about preaching the Gospel. Calls, chooses, and forms the Apostles teaching them the Gospel, commissions them and fills them with the Holy Spirit. The Apostles go about preaching the Gospel. Call, choose, and form the first disciple leaders (the 'episkopos', presbyteros, and diakonia), lay hands on them and fill them with the Holy Spirit. And by "apostolic succession" (the laying on or imposition of hands) the charism of truth has been preserved in Jesus Christ's one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church down through the ages to the present day, "For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as CHRIST DOES THE CHURCH, because we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother and be joined to his wife, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.' This is a great mystery, but I SPEAK IN REFERENCE TO CHRIST AND THE CHURCH." cf. Eph. 5: 29-32 "Behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age." cf. Matt. 28: 20
***** a.) Having myself been a former 'independent Baptist ' / fundamentalist Protestant for five and a half years, before being led deeper into the truth through conservative, evangelical Protestantism (PCA, CRCNA) for twelve and a half years who then, by God's grace, was eventually led into the fullness of truth after having been received into the fullness of communion with Jesus Christ in His one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church (seven years ago), it has been my experience that the narrative you are attempting to pass off as the "truth" is ahistorical. The religious and ecclesiastical literature of the first century AD / CE is one of the most well attested and documented in history and remains extant. Anyone with the desire can go and read not only the New Testament, but the literature of the first century by those Christians who received the faith from the Apostles themselves (the Didache, Clement of Alexandria, Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr Irenaeus, et al. The portrait that emerges from both the New Testament and those first Christian witnesses who had themselves received the faith directly from the Apostles and their successors, the Church's ministers, does not remotely resemble 20th century independent Baptist or New England congregational denominations. b.) Baptismal regeneration is materially found in the sacred Scriptures of the New Testament. The rite of initiation into the believing community, in Judaism, was circumcision (applied only to males). The rite of initiation into Jesus Christ's Church is baptism through which material sign is conferred the indwelling Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ: "He said to them, 'Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. WHOEVER BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED; whoever does not believe will be condemned." cf. Mark 16: 15-16 "Jesus answered, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without BEING BORN OF WATER AND SPIRIT. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, "You must be born from above." The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.'" cf. John 3: 5-8 St. Peter: "For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. THIS PREFIGURED BAPTISM, WHICH SAVES YOU NOW. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him." cf. I Peter 3: 18-22 St. Paul "...HE SAVED US THROUGH THE BATH OF REBIRTH AND RENEWAL BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life." cf. Titus 3: 5b-7 c.) Infant baptism is also materially found in sacred Scripture. St. Paul compares the rite of initiation into Judaism (circumcision) with the rite of initiation into Jesus Christ's Church as recorded in his Epistle to the Church of Colossae, chapter 2, "For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead [in] transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross; despoiling the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it." cf. Colossians 2: 9-15 Baptism is Christian "circumcision" ("In Him you were also circumcized with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism...") administered now not merely to males, but to BOTH "male and female, slave and free...". WHEN did Jewish males receive circumcision / the rite of initiation into Judaism? On the EIGHTH DAY of their natural born lives, "God said to Abraham: For your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages. This is the covenant between me and you and your descendants after you that you must keep: every male among you shall be circumcised. Circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. That will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. Throughout the ages, every male among you, WHEN HE IS EIGHT DAYS OLD, shall be circumcised, including houseborn slaves and those acquired with money from any foreigner who is not of your descendants. Yes, both the houseborn slaves and those acquired with money must be circumcised. Thus my covenant will be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. If a male is uncircumcised, that is, if the flesh of his foreskin has not been cut away, such a one will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." cf. Genesis 17: 9-14 St. Paul's comparison at Colossians 2 ISN'T a contrast, as if to say, Look how different baptism is to circumcision. Rather, St. Paul comparison is to use analogically employ "circumcision" as a precursor or foreshadowing to NT baptism and to note the similarities: Abraham received the covenant of circumcision, Jesus Christ has instituted baptism; in other words 'circumcision is fulfilled in NT 'baptism' itself a sacrament of Jesus Christ's Paschal death and resurrection. "Baptism" as such was NOT unknown in Judaism. They had a rite of minor rite of ritual purification known as a "mikvah" bath wherein someone who had become ceremonially "unclean" (by becoming exposed to a dead animal carcass, or to venereal seminal fluids, etc) would be reconsecrated to God and made ritually 'clean' through a ritual ablution with 'living' water. It seems Jesus Christ adapted Jewish 'mikveh' in the 'NEW covenant' (e. g. 'You do not put new wine into old wineskins') and made it His rite of initiation into His Church, 'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age." cf. Matthew 28: 18-20 SINCE "circumcision" was received by EVEN INFANTS, and commanded by YHWH to be administered to infant children born into the house of Israel on "the EIGHTH DAY" of their natural born lives, AND St. Paul favorably compares circumcision TO baptism at Colossians 2, it stands to reason that NOT ONLY adults, but even INFANTS and CHILDREN were to be initiated into Jesus Christ's Church through the sacrament of baptism. IN FACT, this is EXACTLY consonant with His teaching while He walked the face of the earth. When confronted by the Apostles who attempted to EXCLUDE infants and children from Him as either less or unimportant to His public ministry, Jesus Christ REPRIMANDS them for attempting to do so and charges them to INCLUDE BOTH "little children" (toddlers and young school age children) AND specifically INFANTS, "Then CHILDREN were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.' After he placed his hands on them, he went away." cf. Matthew 19: 13-15 "And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.' Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them." cf. Mark 10: 13-16 "People were bringing EVEN INFANTS to him that he might touch them, and when the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, called the children to himself and said, 'Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.'” cf. Luke 18: 15-17 Jesus Christ rebuked the Apostles for attempting to exclude both "children" and "infants" from "then kingdom of God" and then charges them that adults must received the kingdom LIKE infants and children. How did the Apostles interpret this after Jesus Christ had returned to the Father and ascended into heaven? Did they then say to themselves, You know what, the old man had gotten this part wrong. Little children and infants cannot express individual faith by making an adequate profession of faith, therefore they must be excluded? NO, exactly the OPPOSITE. They baptized not only adults, but whole households and children, "God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you (both) see and hear. For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” Peter [said] to them, “Repent and BE BAPTIZED, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; AND YOU WILL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. For the promise is made TO YOU AND TO YOUR CHILDREN and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day." cf. Acts 2: 32-41 "Then he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.' So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then HE AND ALL HIS FAMILY WERE BAPTIZED at once. He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God." cf. Acts 16: 30-34 Children and infants are INCLUDED in the kingdom of God according to the unanimous witness of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
***** Do you really base the rejection of the totality of the biblical witness in the New Testament to infant baptism to an 'argument from silence' in a single verse at Acts 16? So, for you, because the word "infant" or "child" doesn't occur at Acts 16, and that in spite of the fact that the jailer's faith resulted in his ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD receiving baptism, you feel justified to totally reject all of the other evidence, including Jesus Christ's personal testimony regarding children AND infants being included in the "kingdom of God" and specifically commanding they NOT be rejected because of your private demand that the word "child" or "infant" must be included in each and every verse for them to be considered? You cannot isolate a single clause or single verse and insist, "Well unless a specific word is used, it cannot be considered as a valid reference". IF it refers to 'baptism' then it is germane to consideration regarding the OVERALL teaching of the sacred Scriptures regarding baptism. Acts 16, in light of Jesus, Peter's AND Paul's (in the mouth of two or three witnesses let all things be established) combined TOTAL teaching on baptism, AND in light of the comparison between circumcision and baptism at Colossians 2 (that is, in light of the fact that circumcision and baptism are compared as precursor / foreshadowing to fulfillment and circumcision was administered to EIGHT DAY old infant males), suggests BECAUSE the WHOLE HOUSEHOLD is mentioned as having been baptized, suggests that the Apostolic witness is to be administered to EVERYONE: male AND female (no longer is the right of initiation into God's household exclude a whole class of persons or 1/2 of the world), slave and free, adult AND children / infant. In other words, EVERYONE is welcome, everyone is included, EVEN children and infants, ""People were bringing EVEN INFANTS to him that he might touch them, and when the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, called the children to himself and said, 'Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.'” cf. Luke 18: 15-17 ""For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power. IN HIM YOU WERE ALSO CIRCUMCISED WITH A CIRCUMCISION NOT ADMINISTERED BY HAND, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. YOU WERE BURIED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead [in] transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross; despoiling the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it." cf. Colossians 2: 9-15 Circumcision was administered to EIGHT DAY OLD children and baptism is compared to circumcision as precursor to fulfillment. In light then, of Jesus Christ INCLUDING children and infants in the kingdom of God and rebuking those who sought to exclude them, in light of St. Peter's teaching, perfectly consonant with Jesus Christ's that the "promise is made to you AND TO YOUR CHILDREN", in light of St. Paul's comparing baptism to circumcision, in light of the fact that circumcision took place on the eighth day of an infant males life, YOU are arguing that because Acts 16 doesn't include the word "child" or "infant" that the "whole household" was baptized as a result of the head of that household's faith, CAN NOT include children and infants? Am I understanding you correctly?
***** Protestant denominations didn't exist for 1,500 years. The Catholic Church has practiced infant baptism for 2,000 years. I'll stick with the original that Jesus Christ founded.
RTHE EVERLASTING GOSPEL IS THE NEW WORD OF THE LAMB OF CHRIST. Only I teach it. Scripture is a blueprint for creating a heaven a garden a house a tree of life and you have nothing.
Stephen I guess your heart is closed. I was born a Baptized if you read Matthew 16 18 Jesus instituted Isaiah 22 Keys sign of authority. John 19 23 Jesus institutes confession he breathes on his apostles giving them his authority, John 6 51 55 Jesus instituted but you like other protestants leave what Jesus says. I didn't understand but one thing I did know Jesus is Holy he doesn't lie I obeyed. Protestants don't have 7 books in Old Testament. Mary is in Gen 3 15 Isaiah 7 14 Luke Rev 12 others. Where did you get your scripture? Catholic Church. Our Old scriptures we read from same Jesus taught from when he was on earth. Jesus was Jewish he set up his Church on Old testament he fore filled prophecies You must read in context. Rev. speaks of Saints giving prayers to God. Jesus on Mount of Transfiguration spoke with Moses who was dead. See you don't have the book of Maccabees Jews prayed to the dead relatives. To pray for the souls of dead is fine. You ask people on earth to pray for you that is intersession pray. Why can't I pray to a Holy Saint to assist me. Yes we pray to Jesus Yes we know he died once for all. Yes we know there is only one mediator. Have you read in Kings the Jewish custom is Kings called there Mothers Queen. Jesus is King Mary his Mother Luke is Queen. Yes in book of King the Kings Mother comes in he goes bows to her get a chair puts a crown on her head. What she ask of him he does. Old my dear anti christ may you someday come home to the One Holy Catholic Church Why Holy Jesus is Holy our Head of Universal Church
For a Response SEE Augsburg Confession ... "The representatives from states and free cities throughout Germany had united in presenting a testimony of divine truth before the Roman Catholic Emperor. It was a dramatic moment which has captured the imagination of men ever since. When Luther received the details of the actual presentation, he, in a letter of July 6, 1530, from the fortress Coburg, summed up the event in these words, “I am tremendously pleased to have lived to this moment when Christ, by His staunch confessors, has publicly been proclaimed in such a great assembly by means of this really most beautiful confession. And [so the Word] is fulfilled, ‘I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings.’ What follows will [also] be fulfilled: ‘And will not be put to shame.’ [Psalm 119:46]. Tradition - through time is dependent on Faithfulness of humanity --- inconsistent... far from divinely inspired ... We teach that since the fall of Adam all who are propagated according to nature are born in sin, that is, without the fear of God, without trust in God, and with concupiscence; and that this disease, or vice of origin is truly sin, even now condemning and bringing eternal death upon those not born again through Baptism and the Holy Spirit. We condemn the Pelagians and others who deny that the vice of origin is sin, and who, to obscure the glory of Christ’s merit and benefits, argue that a person can be justified before God by his own strength and reason. Furthermore, it is taught by us that it is necessary to do good works, not so that we can believe we merit grace by them, but because it is the will of God. It is only by faith that forgiveness of sins and grace are apprehended. We also teach this because it is through faith that the Holy Spirit is received, hearts are renewed and endowed with new affections, so as to be able to bring forth good works. For Ambrose says, “Faith is the mother of a good will and right doing.” For without the Holy Spirit human powers are full of ungodly affections and are too weak to do works that are good in God’s sight. Besides, they are in the power of the devil, who impels men to various sins, to ungodly opinions and to open crimes. We see this in the philosophers, who although they endeavored to live an honest life, could not succeed but were defiled with many open crimes els.org/beliefs/augsburgconfession/
Scott Hahn is great..this is exactly what is wrong with the "Catholic Church"..Scott is not a Priest..is Married..and he preaches as a Biblical Scholar what the Priests should be teaching..because as a Non Catholic with mostly Catholic Friends and family... I have been to many Masses and have never heard any of this ..yes Scott is saying what was meant to be said but ..the Churches constant ritualistic Mass precludes any time to teach this Doctrine..I do go to a non denominational Church on weekends..an during the week I go to a work Nondenominational service Prayer Praise and Worship by Baptist Preachers... I hear Preaching in many ends by Pastors like this.. I am very very Blessed and am growing in ways I never could have believed possible..Christ said go and sin no more..So much for Sacrements being celebrated by the Catholic Body of Christ..again Precludes the divorced,out of fellowship Catholic from partaking in Communion..Catholic Bible has inclusion of Witchcraft in it..66 books of Protestant Cannon exclude....Now with the Evil Assault of Satan on the Church by the Priest abuse. we all must Pray for the Church..the Body of Christ..Walk with Jesus and Love like he did...Live your Life by the Golden Rule..
You need to read all of Scott Hahn's books, then you need to go to RCIA. Yes, you can go to Mass, Communion is required of God's children. You need to realize that it is Worship. You can read the Bible outside of Mass. You can study it outside of Mass. We have rules, Jesus said no divorce, we are united. Yes, some have done wrong, but most are being taken out of service with children. Watch out for Baptist ministers and their attacks on children. Where did the Protestants get the Bible? It came from the Catholic Church. All the books. The Evil Assault of Satan against the Catholic Church is to teach us to be stronger.
You might mistake the main purpose of the Mass. We don't go to get or learn first. We go to worship- to give thanks to God - to offer our sacrifice both personal and eucharistic. Worship is not about us, it is about God. And yet God is so good he still gives to us his Word and The Eucharist. The rest of the week is for learning and discovering God more and more, so that at the next Mass, I can go back and give him more worship, thanks, praise, and sarifice.
@@ajamusic7322 what comes 1st the Chicken or the egg??? Worship Service.. or Discovery /learning? When does one become a believer? During the Worship Service or During Discovery/leaning ?
@@barron975 No "one size fits all" answer. For some, it could be one. For others it could be the other. For others it's both in an ongoing journey. Me personally, my faith has been nurtured over my lifetime both at home, at Mass, at school. I can't credit one without the others.
Yep. Catholicism fulfills the New Covenant in Christ like Judaism fulfilled the Old Covenant. Jesus gave the early Catholic Christians the inspiration to write the NT books based on the Sacred Traditions he taught them. Praise be to Jesus Christ our redeemer.
Biblical literacy can only be learned from Christ for there's one mediator between God and man. Emperor Haile Selassie the First is the only person in attested history to legitimately acquire both titles King of Kings and Lord of Lords therefore he's the God of the Bible and the Father of Jesus Christ. The Rastafarian preacher named Primus St. Croix from the British Commonwealth island of St. Lucia is the one and only true Christ (Revelation 3:12). If you disagree you don't have enough information yet, Google and research us immediately (your salvation depends on it): The Order of Primus St. Croix.
how does your current pope accepting homosexual relationships in the roman catholic church seem? why doesn't the roman catholic church fully reject scripture and just do anything it wants according to what it decides to make up (it does!)?
@@bhrismaw-q by our baptism, we are allowed to defend our faith. truecatholics.org. dont think its a joke. Everything on that site is true. "Just believe it and the understanding will come later" St. Augustine. God bless you.
I'm a cradle catholic and never saw or realized all that typology...
There's a lot!
Highly energised! The Lord iwith you dr. Hann..
Catholic man that can preach like a protestant is a powerful mixture. Love listening to him.
Thank you Scott. Love the Catholic Church. I am British. Brought up in the Church of England. Converted to the Catholic Church in1978. Left for many years. Became a crazy J. W. For about 19yrs. Did me so much family damage. Almost four yrs ago I journey back to the Catholic Church.i thank you all. Watching the Journey Home started me on my Journey back to the Church.God bless you all.🙏
I was Anglican too. I wasn't very devout though and was just looking for a good Sunday School for my kids. My neighbour suggested we go to her Church (RCC) as they had a great Sunday School. God had the last laugh though - I never looked back and converted 15 years ago along with my family.
I listen to Jehovas Witnesses but I know the real faith is in the Catholic Church. I was High Anglican as a younger man but it was just a prelude to being Catholic later on like Saint John Newman. I appreciate all of being Catholic from Adoration to the Eucharist to Confession. I also love Catholic Charismatic Singing and Praise, Latin Mass, Novus Ordo, Vespers, Holy Pilgrimages etc etc. I know no over Church could Satisfy me except the Catholic Church and its Holy Orders
Family fellowship goes back to the tribalism mentality. They not admit that they cover up the horrendous abuses over the centuries. They avoid the dark side.
I'm a simple man. I see "Scott Hahn" and I click like. Lol.
deep but simple
Very informative and deep thought video. Thank you for sharing ❤❤❤❤❤
I've been Catholic all my life but when I listen to this speech from Scott Hahn today I sat with tears in my eyes because of the depth of his understanding
I think the reason I like Dr. Scot Hahn so much beyond just his content is that his style reminds me so much of the Baptist sermons I grew up on. As a fellow convert, this bridges the gap in a powerful and impactful way.
God Bless Scott Hahn and his family.
Wonderful. We as Catholics, as Dr Hahn does, need to be excited about our Catholic faith. We need others to see how much we love God, be excited about our loving God and show how much we love our church...
😊😊😊0😊😊0⁰
A big AMEN to that.
Thank you Dr. Hahn for allowing to be led by Christ. I read your testimony several years ago and was disturbed by how a protestant pastor would ever go over the Catholic church. The more I have listened the more I understand why you had no choice. Pray for me!
God bless you!
I will pray for you Kirk. Keeping your heart open, as you have, will help lead you to where you're meant to be.
gasraff u
God Bless you. Deus te abençoe.
Kara Withee
You are a very good speaker. I love listening to you because I learned a lot from your teachings. God has blessed you very well. I wish I could do the same to my fellow members of my community. Thanks Scott.
God bless you Dr Hahn
Praise and thanks be to God for the beautiful convert couple Scott & Kimberly Hahn. Thanks to both of you for sharing your gifts of knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. It makes it easier for people like me to appreciate more deeply the of beauty of our Trinitarian Catholic Faith that is centred on Jesus Christ the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist .
Amen 🙏
I pray to God our Father so He keeps Dr Scott Hann to be firm in his Catholic faith in his enthusiastic ways.. Dr Hann's way of preaching is kind of different from our Catholic tradition preaching but we have to understand he came from Protestant background.. Im glad for him. May his heart stand firm to the end of time.. Amen.
7:02 - "IF you dont have a bible...." - Dr Hahn points out a great point regarding Catholics and converts, and rep that most Protestant "Christians " have and bring THIER OWN bible to this gathering. very funny, finally get it.
Our faith really is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic! Praise be Jesus Christ!
This man is a great wonder of God' mercy once a protestant now a catholic.
THANK YOU VERY -VERY MUCH DR.SCOTT HAHN,...I'M SO PROUD OF YOU,..GBU AND YOUR FAMILY.!
Thank you Dr. Hahn for your help to bring me closer to Christ. It is amazing and exciting for me to find out that you were a protestant pastor, but now you became a catholic. Welcome home Dr. Hahn. May our Lord bless you and your loved ones. May our Beloved Savior also bless all the people who took their time to listen to you.
Splendid! Dr. Hahn God bless.
Thank you Scott. I always see on holy catholic's a kind heavenly radiance on their face. Somewhat subtle but yet glowing.
klain simoes
Thank you Klain Simoes:-) I believe you're true Catholic at heart. God bless you..
Wow! Wow! Wow! You' re the best among all Catholic Converts. God Bless you and your beloved family.
You' re the best Dr. Scott Hahn, i love to watch all your videos. It' s inspiring and amazing to watch. I admired your teachings. And for me you" re really the best Catholic Convert. God Bless your ministry.
Father God thank you so much for giving us Dr Scott Hahn that gift of wisdom and share to all of us. Dr Hahn salamat po. God bless you and your family more and more🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
This is wonderful! Thank you, Dr. Hahn. You're awesome! Always on fire.
Still the best sermon on the internet, thankyou
Thank God for Dr. Hahn🙏
God is Great All The Time and for All The Times. To be called by God is a gift greater than any. Excellent talk and thank you for choosing the walk you use here to His Glory for us to see better His glory. I LOVE how you say, “All Of Us!” This is not “us” and “them”. This IS ALL of us! Glory Be To God!
Thank you Dr. Scott Hahn for sharing your beautiful talent and wisdom! May our Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you and your family!!!❤
GOD BLESS DR. SCOTT HAHN.
Thank you. God keep you and your family in peace and perseverance.
It's amazing that how God weaving the History of his creation if we reflect carefully. Thank Scott for before you were born this is the right time for your assignment and what l've learned from it. You do with all your energy but i fail to do mine. God Bless you.
Dr. Hahn you are a gift to the church along with your Holy Family.
the Best preachser all over the world
Also the Early Church history helped me on my Journey back to the Church. Love History. So sorry I was so ignorant of the Early Church history.
God is so amazing!!! Thank you.
53:20 The connection he draws from the liturgy to the canon of the NT! St. Augustine must have shouted a BIG amen :D
Thank you Dr. Scott Hahn!
God bless you always Brother Scott Hahn. Praying hard that you may not get tired of evangelizing God 's holy words to educate and enlighten us Catholics. Thank you very much for your great energy and zeal to serve God by strenghtening the faith of the church with your brilliant exegesis of the scriptures. You're indeed a big gift from God in heaven.
You r genuin0e in catholic faith to preach ach to thepeopl
GOD Bless you Dr. Hahn! Keep on teaching and I pray the Holy Spirit continues to grace you with knowledge and wisdom!
Dr Scott Hahn, u are so blessed,n ur blessing just bless us all..
I have a wish, hope someday u can make it..
Please make bible schools, n teach us how u unfold the bible with the guidance of Holy Spirit (or u can say, how we can hear the Holy Spirit better)
N open those schools in another countries also, especially here in Indonesia, I would really love to attend that school
Hope u can read this message someday
Tq so much Dr. Hahn
So elated. We are blessed to have you speak the truth. I pray others to follow. So called men of God should stop making others not to come to the one true church
Thank you Dr.hahn, im 27yrs old, im n the process of marriage preparation. Really this Catechises was very much helpful to get into the marriage sacrament in holy Eucharistic view. And i bless god for you and for my Marriage.
what a coincidence that the mass reading for today August 23, 2020 becomes clear through Dr. Scott Hahn's explanation of the old and the new. I was struggling to understand about the relationship of the first reading with the new testament reading. Jesus is so merciful He lead me to this video that for me was by chance.
Me too
I have so much respect for Scott Hahn for his knowledge wisdom, discernment and sense of humour. So often we can listen to dry commentators especially with faith but Scott brings life to his talks and does this with great honesty and humour. He shows humility and a self depcritating sense of humour admiting his faults and confirming all is through the spirit of Christ in the Trinity. A great teacher. If he was a man of the Collar then he would be an Archbishop or Cardinal or Pope
Amen !! Just Amazing lecture from Dr. Scott .. praise the Lord for such passion in explaining the treasures dwelling in the word of God. so Inspiring
I absolutely love being Roman Catholic
Thanks much for this video.
Wonderful! You are indeed a great scholar of the word. Thank you sir
So Good!!! Thx Scott!!!
Thank you for inspiration and the education on our faith and scripture! I love the Divine Office liturgy oh the hours and I've been praying with the Word among us for 20+ years as a gift from my mother back in my 30's to learn to read the scriptures. Praise Jesus Christ
Kathleen Williams
the History of the Catholic Church the True Church
alejandro purca. yes always yes is the answer to you question
Thank you Dr. Hahn for the all your efforts to enlighten lay people like me out side of USA. I read your books , in English and in Korean translation, these day I am watch and listen your UA-cam lectures. And thanks for all that.
The problems come from abuse of historical criticism seem to be more serious in Korea since there are no discussions or dialogues about merits and limits of the method among scholars in Korea.
Reading NABRE2011, I am confused by the logic of the introduction of Matthew. Quote "Since Mark was written shortly before or shortly after A.D. 70(see introduction to Mark), Matthew composed certainly after that date, which marks the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans at the time of the First Jewsih Revolt(A.D.66-70), and probably at least a decade later since Matthew's use of Mark presupposes a wide use diffusion of that gospel. The post-A.D. 70 date is confirmed within the text by Mt 22:7, which refers to the destruction of Jerusalem." unquote.[pp.2039]
This paragraph is full of uncertainty, because they use words such as "shortly before or shortly after," "certainly," "probably," and "presupposes," but in spite of these uncertainty they still "confirmed" the date of Matthew referring to Mt 22:7. If we follow above logic in this introduction, the word "The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murders, and burned their city"(Mt 22:7) implies that the reason of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem(Lk 19:41) seems to be not from love but from hatred, and later on God avenged Jerusalem by destruction using Roman troops otherwise the introduction cannot directly connect the destruction of the city(Mt 22:7) with the destruction of Jerusalem A.D. 70.
I am also wondering that what this introduction means by explaining "Q" as "represent traditions, written and oral, used by both Matthew and Luke."[pp.2038] Does this mean Mark didn't use traditions? What is the use of simple references to "Q" in exegestical end-note of NAB without informing the real contents of Q. If "Q" represent tradition as the introduction said why they do not use the word Traditions or traditions instead of "Q" In Economics even the famous scholar, Schumpeter recognized the limit of economic research method, utilitarianism, but he said we use the method because so far there is no alternative to quantify economic performance .
For a lay person like me, I found it almost impossible to pray after reading bible with historical exegestical note. Every body would wondering for example why end-note of Mt 8:28 is so long but superficial, teaching us nothing important. When I visit USA, l say l'm from Korea, and that is enough, in Korea I say I'm from a big city (near my home village), though no one asks me what is exact name of the small village where I have grown up.
Learning from you, I realize why Pope Benedit 16 worries so much in about historical method fundamentalist in Catholic and why I have been so confused in past by reading books about bible. I hope reading will help me to keep out of danger from some confusing historical critical exegesis.
Peace be with you , Scott. God bless you and your family😄
The difference a few lines make.: At about 1:00:00. Every couple needs to listen. Great marriage advice!
Beautiful heart soul & intellect :) must share & see!
I realy apreciate You. GOD Bless You
11:28 send chills to my bones, i wouldn't relate if im not going through Jeff Cavin's BTS- we're on session 8 btw..thank you Lord Father God
Wonderful information...thanks!
God bless🙏 scott hanh I think scott hanh and Steve ray should do a colab if not see him watch they have both covereted to the Catholic Church and now great speakers for the Catholic Church.
I learn a lot about my faith thanks sir,so I want to buy to share w my family and friends
Praise the Lord 🙏
This is so awesome! 😎
Excellent.
Great inspiring message!
Grace Antony
Thanks alot
In this teaching, Dr Hahn summarized everything he ever thought and includes some of his conversion testimony, just excluding teaching on purgatory.
Glorious tie
Beautiful
Here;s a question for protestants etc. Say I wanted to quit the Catholic Church, which church SHOULD I join and why?
It has been my observation that people who tell Catholics that they should leave the Catholic Church never invite them to their own place of worship. All they say is that they should find a good bible believing Church to join.
The Catholic Church is the one true church. Deepen your relationship with Christ within the church. No other way than the way of truth which is the Catholic way.
As a Protestant, you shouldn’t leave the Catholic Church.
Decisions, decisions. Choose the church that accommodates your prejudices.
Very very and the best .......
Tag team yes Scott
Wow .. you really got the positive reviews on this video.
can I ask if you have cd for this I want to buy,if u have where can I buy here in hongkong,,
flora ak
Amen
TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS
That quote from Emil Brunner at 23:06, what book is he reading from? I'd love to find a reference for that quote
Citation: Appendix section, p 213 of "Dogmatics II: The Christian Doctrine of Creation and Redemption" by Brunner & Wyon (1950). To read more about Hahn's (2003) argument on this quote read "Scripture Matters: Essays on Reading the Bible from the Heart of the Church" (p. 15).
BARS!
My main problem (not with scott hahn or the church) but with xian preaching in general, is whenever jesus is mentioned over and over again, my old atheist prejudice pops up into the back of my head. I am sure that this will work well with protestants, but we really need to work on how to lead atheists into the church, and I'm not sure the same method will work equally well for both.
I agree with you.
try davidic biblical typology, to lead you to Our Lady.
try davidic biblical typology, to lead you to Our Lady.
try davidic biblical typology, to lead you to Our Lady.
atheistic prejudices will have no choice but to be ignored as weak.
Ever since I discovered that the new testament is hidden in the old testament, I see jesus and the the new testament events everywhere!!!.
::
Please, Anyone here know what's the name of the song in the beginning?
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Rev 12:17
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
[Rev 22:13 KJV] "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
[Rev 22:14 KJV] "Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
Roman Catholicism: The One True Church?
By Steve Meehan
For years, growing up as a Roman Catholic, we were taught that we were members of the one true Church. It was impressed upon us regularly by the parish priest during Mass, while giving his homily; by the nuns all throughout my Catholic parochial school years of 2nd through 7th grade; during our preparation to receive for the first time the sacraments of Penance, Communion and Confirmation; and while attending CCD classes all the way through high school (the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine is an association established at Rome in 1562 for the purpose of giving religious education, normally designed for children). It was an established fact that we understood and we never questioned the validity of it. And to be honest, it was a matter of pride, that we were privileged enough to be a member of the correct Church, while all others had belonged to something else that didn't quite measure up to the status of the Roman Catholic Church.
After all, how could it be possible that Roman Catholicism is not the One True Church? Look at what Rome has to offer: it has the priests, the nuns; the bishops; the cardinals; and of course, the Pope. They have the Sacraments; the statues; the holy water; the incense; the Stations of the Cross; the Eucharist - in which Christ physically manifests Himself into the wafer after the consecration by the priest during the Mass; the Marian apparitions - which appear mainly to Roman Catholics; and they have the Vatican - where the Vicar of Christ (Christ's representative on Earth) governs the faithful and makes infallible proclamations and doctrine. How can this not be The One True Church? No other organization on the face of the Earth comes close to offering to its flock what Rome provides for its faithful.
But, of course, to be true, one must adhere to what has been established as truth and not teach or practice what is contrary to the truth. We read in Scripture a few passages that declare what is truth and what is not. Jesus proclaimed in John 14:6:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me."
He also professed in John 8:31-32:
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, 'If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'."
It is clear then, by just these two verses, that Jesus Christ has described Himself as Truth, and that those who adhere to His Word and practice what He taught, will be living and worshipping truthfully, and that only His truth will set us free; not in anything else that detracts or subtracts from His truth. In fact, the verse is worded in a way ("you shall know the truth") that suggests that it is imperative to know His Word, to know His Truth, by studying the scriptures, in order to avoid any false doctrine being taught by some other source that may later try to establish itself as the bearer of truth but is actually offering a false truth.
Jesus also proclaimed that it is only possible to worship Him correctly in spirit and in truth:
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" John 4:23, 24
So for a person or an organization to call themselves true, they must teach his Word correctly and abide by His Word. Unless one is doing that, the above verse says, that they are not true worshippers.
Another purveyor of Truth is the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised His disciples, that when He would depart from them and return to Heaven, that He would send in His stead the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's role in the world - and who indwells those who have accepted Christ's free gift of salvation - is to point us to Jesus Christ and not to anything or anyone else as the sole means of salvation.
"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells within you, and shall be in you." John 14:17
It takes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit into the believer to be able to discern what is written in God's Word and to be able to understand and to apply His truth in our Christian walk. Without His assistance, it is too easy to be lead astray and to accept false doctrine. The Holy Spirit, after all, inspired the Jewish scribes and later the Apostles, to write the books of the Holy Bible and it takes His discernment in our lives for us to properly comprehend the Word and understand it correctly.
It also stands to reason, that if one is not aware of what is contained in the Scriptures, then they can easily accept doctrines of men that may be inspired by another source. Growing up as a Roman Catholic, I was completely ignorant of what was contained in the Bible - regarding Jesus, salvation and His gospel of grace. Like most Catholics, the Holy Bible was in the home, but just collected dust and was never read. We accepted all that was taught us by the priests, the nuns, the lay teachers in the CCD classes, and in their catechism. Whatever they told us had to be correct, as they assured us that they were the One True Church. Why would they ever steer us wrong? This was the mindset of my siblings, my parents, grandparents, and going back generations of all past family members who trusted in and were raised in the Roman Catholic system. We were ignorant of anything else but their plan of salvation.
The Roman Catholic Church tells their members that only they, through their Magisterium - the teaching authority of the Catholic Church, as exercised by the bishops or the pope - can properly interpret scripture for their faithful. So, while they say they encourage the reading of the Holy Writ, it is only by their guidance and authority can one fully understand what the verses are meant to convey. They are not open to private interpretation, and must be filtered through their teachings to understand their version of the truth.
It wasn't until my early 20s, that the Lord led me to start reading His Word. At that point of my life, I wasn't even a marginal Catholic. I stopped going to Mass, stopped going to the normally required weekly confessions to a priest, and had pretty much given up on their version of the faith. I got tired of the repetitiveness of the Mass: the rote prayers; genuflecting before the figure on the cross; the lighting of votive candles before a statue - usually of Mary; dipping my hand in the "Holy Water" and making the 'sign of the cross'; receiving the Eucharist wafer and giving my assent when the priest said "the Body of Christ" that I was consuming the physical body of Jesus; and the whole bit. It was all very ritualistic, legalistic, lacking any real passion and completely devoid of the presence of Christ.
But in reading the Word, I began to see that what God has revealed to us through the scriptures doesn't completely mirror the teachings of Rome; in fact, most of it doesn't. You would think that the One True Church would certainly follow what Christ and the Apostles taught. Why would they teach something different? If they are in fact the One True Church, wouldn't they follow and teach all that scripture reveals to us and they wouldn't deviate from the Truth? Have they got the ultimate authority to change God's Word or trump His commandments?
For instance, Exodus 20:4 - the second commandment - forbids us from worshipping graven images, and yet Rome has deleted this commandment and subdivided the last one, which tells us not to covet our neighbor's belongings. How can they delete a commandment? Christ said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" - not delete them (John 14:15). Is it that important for Rome to disregard a commandment, so that the parishioners can dress up, light candles before, and parade behind statues or graven images, as the Bible calls them? Was the prohibition of worshipping before a graven image only meant for the Jews, but Christians are free to do so? Over and over throughout the Word, we are told that God detests that kind of activity.
Rome calls the pope the Vicar of Christ (Christ's representative on Earth) but that title is more befitting the Holy Spirit: He is the Comforter that Christ promised; He is the one who indwells each believer; and He is the one who seals us, points us to Jesus Christ, and gives us discernment in reading the Word.
Rome calls the pope the Holy Father, but Jesus used this term only once in scripture referring to God the Father as the Holy Father:
"And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom thou has given me, that they may be one, as we are." John 17:14
Neither Jesus, nor the Apostles would ever use that term in addressing a man; only God the Father is the Holy Father. In fact, Christ even told His followers not to refer to any man as our father (spiritual father):
"And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven" - Matthew 23:9
If Christ told us not to do it, why does Rome give that title to their priests? Is this something that a One True Church should be doing - flaunting God's Word? Are they exempt from this restriction and can override Christ's teachings? It doesn't add up. If we are truly Christians, we should be following Christ's examples and His admonitions. If they are truly the One True Church, shouldn't they be abiding by His Word instead of disregarding it?
There are countless other examples of where the teachings of Rome fly in direct contrast to the teachings of Jesus and His disciples. Perhaps the biggest is the question of our salvation. Repeatedly in the gospels and in the other books of the New Testament are verses telling us that Christ's Gospel is a gospel of grace and is freely given - to all those who would accept it. It is not by works and it cannot be earned. Grace is God's unmerited favor; it is impossible to work for it, neither can one ever be good enough to attain it:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God Not of works, lest any man should boast" - Ephesians 2:8, 9
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" - Titus 3:5
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" - Romans 6:23
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved..." - Acts 16:31, 32
Why would Rome insist that we have to work along with God's grace (what they refer to as "cooperating grace") in order to be saved? The very expression of cooperating grace or cooperating with grace is a contradiction in terms. If Grace is unmerited favor and is freely given by God, how can one then co-operate or work alongside with it to receive it? Co-operating with grace would nullify grace; it wouldn't be freely received.
Their works for attaining salvation include: going to weekly Mass; partaking of the sacraments; paying a penalty or Penance for one's sins (which denies the sufficiency of Christ's death on the cross to cover all sins); and then finally spending time in a fictitious place called Purgatory, to purge away any leftover sins that Christ's blood couldn't cover, or not enough Penance was performed.
Purgatory is just another means of denying the sufficiency Christ's atonement for our sins; it is the ultimate declaration that his agonizing crucifixion on a wooden cross - the plan of salvation that was established before the foundation of the world was laid - was not enough to pay the cost of all of our sins. In other words, when Christ uttered those final words "It is finished" - signifying that He had satisfied the wrath of God against us for the sins we have committed and that all our sins were "paid in full", Rome declares that no it is not finished and the paying of penances and time spent in Purgatory is required. It is a rejection of what Christ accomplished.
Their gospel is a complete distortion of the gospel of grace, and is in fact another gospel - as the Apostle Paul warned against:
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:6-9
Why would Rome teach another gospel? They are leading their followers astray and the gospel they teach can't possibly save anyone. A gospel of works nullifies God's free gift of grace:
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work" Romans 11:6
"Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" - 2 Timothy 1:9
It should be clear that a true church would never teach a false gospel. Along with the aforementioned false teachings - and there are many others - Rome has taken upon itself to invent new teachings over the centuries that neither Jesus nor the Apostles ever taught.
Here is a brief list of some of their "infallible" doctrines that they have implemented:
* Prayers for the Dead and the Sign of the Cross - 300ad
* Veneration of Angels and Dead Saints - 375ad
* The Mass, as a daily celebration adopted - 394ad
* The worship of Mary, and the use of the term "Mother of God" - 431ad
* Priests begin to dress differently from the laity - 500ad
* Extreme Unction or Last Rites as a sacrament - 526ad
* Doctrine of Purgatory established (denies Christ's sufficiency) - 593ad
* Latin language used in prayer and worship in churches (not all Catholics understood Latin, rendering the words meaningless) - 600ad
* Prayers directed to Mary (even though Jesus taught to pray to the Father) - 600ad
* Title of Pope bestowed upon the Bishop of Rome - 610ad
* Kissing of the Pope's feet - 709ad
* Temporal power of the Popes - 750ad
* Worship of the Cross, Images and Relics (idolatry) - 788ad
* Holy Water instituted - 850ad
* Veneration of St. Joseph begins - 890ad
* Baptism of Bells - 965ad
* Canonization of Dead Saints (ALL Christians are saints!) - 995ad
* Fasting on Fridays and during Lent - 998ad
* The Mass is an ongoing sacrifice of Jesus and attendance mandatory - 1079ad
* Celibacy of Priesthood - 1079ad
* Praying the Rosary introduced (vain repetitions, Christ warns against) - 1090ad
* Inquisition of Heretics (Bible believing Christians who didn't bend the knee to Rome) - 1184ad
* Selling of Indulgences to lessen time spent in Purgatory (denies Christ's atonement) - 1190ad
* Transubstantiation priest can transform a wafer into Jesus Christ - 1215ad
* Confession of sin to a priest - 1215ad
* Adoration of the wafer (blasphemy, idolatry) - 1220ad
* Bible forbidden to be read or owned by laymen (Bibles deny Rome's teachings) - 1229ad
* Scapular of Mary worn frees a person from Purgatory (nonsense) - 1287ad
* Cup of Blood of Christ forbidden to be touched by laymen - 1414ad
* Doctrine of Purgatory proclaimed to be Dogma of the Faith - 1439ad
* Doctrine of 7 Sacraments affirmed (works that must be done along with grace) - 1439ad
* Ava Maria instituted (Prayer/hymn to Mary) - 1508ad
* Tradition of Rome equal with Scripture (free license for popes in declarations) - 1545ad
* Apocryphal Books added to Rome's Bible - 1546ad
* Immaculate Conception of Mary (they declare she was born without sin Romans 3:23) - 1834ad
* Papal Infallibility (pope can declare anything and their faithful must believe) - 1870ad
* Modern Science "Modernism" condemned by pope - 1907ad
* Condemnation of public schools (Rome couldn't teach kids their doctrines) - 1930ad
* "Mother of God" title to Mary reaffirmed - 1931ad
* Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Mary bodily arose to Heaven - not in Bible) - 1950ad
Along with these doctrines that Rome has established over the years for their faithful to adhere to and further one's bondage to their system, they have also leveled condemnations or "anathemas" on all bible believing Christians who would not submit to the papacy or their system.
Here is a sampling of 100 or so anathemas that the papacy has declared over the years:
- If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification...let him be anathema.
- If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in divine mercy which remits sins for Christ's sake, or that it is this confidence alone that justifies us, let him be anathema.
- If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he shall have learned this by special revelation, let him be anathema. [1 John 5:13 tells us that we can be assured of our salvation. Either John, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is lying to us, or Rome is]
- If anyone says that the Catholic doctrine of justification as set forth by the holy council in the present decree, derogates in some respect from the glory of God or the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, and does not rather illustrate the truth of our faith and no less the glory of God and of Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. [The Bible declares that Rome's doctrine is in error]
- If anyone says that the sacraments of the New Law were not all instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, or that there are more or less than seven, or that any one of these seven is not truly and intrinsically a sacrament, let him be anathema. [The sacraments are works and nullify grace]
- If anyone...denies that wonderful and singular change of the whole substance of the bread into the body and the whole substance of the wine into the blood - which change the Catholic Church most aptly calls transubstantiation, let him be anathema. [Worshipping a wafer is both idolatrous and blasphemous]
Whether they realize it or not, they have not only bestowed these condemnations on all Bible believing Christians, but on Christ and His Apostles as well - including Peter, who they claim was the first pope. They would never teach the things that Rome claims nor would they have any part in their false religious system.
Is Roman Catholicism, as they contend, the One True Church? Not hardly, if they teach doctrines of men, instead of the Word of God:
"Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" - Matthew 15:3
"Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." - Matthew 15:6
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." - Matthew 15:9
"And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition" - Mark 7:9
Dear Roman Catholic, there is no way that the Church of Rome can be The One True Church. They offer a false gospel and there is no truth in it. The true Church of Christ is the body of all believers who have put their complete faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross - it is not just a particular denomination or any other man made religious system. Works are not a part of His salvation; neither is paying a penance for your own sins, or going to a purging place called Purgatory, or any of the other means of attaining salvation that Rome concocts.
As a matter of fact, after a lifetime of being active in their system: being baptized as an infant; attending mandatory weekly mass (and should you miss one Sunday purposely, they claim you have committed a "mortal sin" and would go to hell if not confessed to a priest); confessed your sins to a priest and paid a penalty or Penance for those sins; receive Jesus Christ physically (instead of spiritually as the Bible attests) through their Eucharistic service; performing the other sacraments; and then ultimately, after death, spend an undetermined amount of time suffering in Purgatory to purge away any remaining sins that Christ couldn't cover because His plan of redemption obviously came up short, one can still never claim that they have any assurance of salvation.
According to Rome, one commits the "sin of Presumption" if they believe they can claim to know for sure that they have secured salvation through Christ; an anathema will be directed your way if you claim that you know that you are saved. Even though the Apostle John - the one whom Christ entrusted with the care of His earthly mother to after Jesus' death on the cross - assured us regarding salvation:
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." - 1 John 5:13
All of the so-called works that the Catholic must do to try to attain salvation, only furthers one's commitment to their religion to try to appease God and ends up increasing their bondage to this false system. Their "Holy Mother Church" can only save us; the priests are needed for absolving our sins; their Mass has to be attended; the sacraments are needed; and on and on it goes. Even the erroneous doctrine of Purgatory is presented with the caveat that one's time can be lessened there by buying Mass cards, donating money to the Church, etc. It is all about their system and not Christ.
The Roman Catholic Church is not the One True Church. Their system offers really no hope. It is a counterfeit Christianity and they present a corrupted version of the truth. On the surface, they appeal to the flesh in all their displays of piety, ritualism, relics, images, incense, candles, acts of contrition, shrines usually dedicated to Mary mainly, as well as other dead saints, and for the most part, Christ is left out in all of their regalia - unless, of course, He is depicted as a baby or still hanging on the cross. All of that is a substitute for real thing but is attractive to those who have no clue as to what God's Word says about sin, atonement, salvation or a gospel of grace.
They don't waste an opportunity to diminish what Christ has performed for us on the cross, or who Christ really is. Instead of rightly pointing to the Creator for salvation, they point to the created - the priests; the popes; the statues; the wafer; Mary, or their version of Mary; the dead saints; the "Holy Mother Church" as they refer to the Catholic Church; and anything else other than Jesus Christ.
They really do teach another gospel and have another Jesus - who is received via transubstantiation, but was powerless to cover all of our sins; and another Mary (the Mary of the Bible doesn't reflect any of the attributes that Rome has ascribed to her: she wasn't sinless; didn't remain a virgin after the birth of Christ; she had other children; is not a co-redeemer or co-mediator; doesn't hear or answer prayer; etc.)
They emphatically are not the true church, despite their proclamations otherwise. One day, we will all stand before Christ at His judgment. If you die as a Roman Catholic, Rome will not be there to defend you. If they can't even be entrusted with the safeguarding of its members children (speaking of the decades, may be centuries long molestation and raping of children by their clergy, and the cover-up and relocation of these criminals to other parishes by their bishops, cardinals and popes), how can you possibly trust them with your eternal security and salvation? The bottom line is: you can't....and you must not.
Accept the One who WILL be there in front of you at His judgment. Don't be beguiled by the enemy and accept a false substitute plan of salvation. Accept His free gift of salvation, believe in Him and His Word, and His Truth will indeed set you free!
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." - Colossians 2:8
"There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" - Proverbs 14:12
Stephen Meehan Ho Hum. Nice cut and paste from Lorraine Boettner and Jack Chick. What are you even doing here, shouldn't you have been raptured?
Stephen Meehan YES! Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. However, the rest of your post is an anecdotal screed that proves Dr. Hahn's premise, "A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text". You lift that ONE verse, out of its context, and completely IGNORE other statements of Jesus Christ's that clarifies, refines and qualifies other statements. For example, I notice you TOTALLY skip over the statements of Jesus Christ's to the Apostles that state,
"He who hears YOU (the Apostles) hears Me (Jesus Christ), he who reject you (the Apostles), rejects Me (Jesus Christ) AND He who sent Me (the Father)". cf. Luke 10: 16
Or how about this one which you also ignore,
"Whatever YOU (the Apostles) bind on earth, SHALL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN. Whatever you (the Apostles) loose on earth, SHALL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN." cf.
Jesus Christ is saying that the Apostles are delegated His authority by the Holy Spirit to act in His name for the Church. And this isn't anything new in the sense that there had BEEN "succession" in the Old Testament as well. When Moses was getting long in the tooth and he realized that someone needed to carry on God's work as "prophet" to the people of God of ancient Israel, God commanded him to anoint his successor, Joshua, and in so doing Joshua would receive the Holy Spirit by "the laying on of hands" and a measure of the truth guaranteed by that ritual and the Holy Spirit, to lead the Old Testament people of God,
"And the LORD replied to Moses: Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man of spirit, and LAY YOUR HAND UPON HIM. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and COMMISSION HIM in their sight. INVEST HIM WITH SOME OF YOUR OWN POWER (i. e. the Holy Spirit, the "spirit of wisdom"), THAT THE WHOLE ISRAELITE COMMUNITY MAY OBEY HIM. He shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who will seek for him the decision of the Urim in the LORD’s presence; and as it directs, Joshua, all the Israelites with him, and the whole community will go out for battle; and as it directs, they will come in. Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. Taking Joshua and having him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD had directed through Moses."
cf. Num. 27: 18-23
"Now Joshua, son of Nun, WAS FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM, SINCE MOSES HAD LAID HIS HANDS UPON HIM; AND SO THE ISRAELITES GAVE HIM THEIR OBEDIENCE, just as the LORD had commanded Moses."
cf. Deut. 34: 9
In one sense, Jesus Christ isn't doing anything new in calling, and commissioning the college of the Twelve, and investing them with the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of truth" (cf. John 14: 17; John 16: 13 - and compare that to "the Spirit of wisdom" in Num. 27: 18-23 & Deut. 34: 9 above) as His successors. What MAKES it "new" is that Jesus Christ is the fully Divine, fully human God-man who is recapitulating all of salvation history in Himself, fulfilling what was left undone and undoing the sin and evil that was done.
And does He Himself do this and let it go at that? NO! The writer of the letter to the Hebrews considers the doctrine of "the laying on of hands" (the New Testament way of expressing what the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church calls "apostolic succession" - i. e. just as Joshua "succeeded Moses", the apostles succeed Jesus Christ, and the "episkopos" (the bishops) succeed the Apostles, ALL by the "laying on of hands" and the consequent imparting of the Holy Spirit, the "Spirit of truth" to them) an ELEMENTARY doctrine,
"Therefore, let us leave behind the BASIC TEACHING about Christ and advance to maturity, without laying THE FOUNDATION all over again: (i.)repentance from dead works and faith in God, (ii.) instruction about baptisms and LAYING ON OF HANDS, (iv.) resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And we shall do this, if only God permits."
cf. Hebrews 6: 1-3
According to the author of Hebrews, "the basic teaching about Christ", "the foundation", INCLUDES "the laying on of hands" (i. e. apostolic succession of the episkopos to the Twelve Apostles). We know from sacred Scripture that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses let all things be established". What does St. Paul have to say about "the laying on of hands"? Does it comport with what Jesus Christ and the writer of the letter to the Hebrews has to say? The Apostle, St. Paul, is writing to one of the "episkopos" (literally "overseers", from which we get the English word "episcopal" or "bishop") he has appointed, St. Timothy, and instructs him thus,
"For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through THE IMPOSITION OF MY HANDS."
cf. II Tim. 1: 6
When we consider the texts from Numbers 27 and Deut. 34, and Jesus Christs's statements at John 14 and John 16, we know that the "gift of God" that St. Paul imparted through the "imposition of [his] hands", is "the Spirit of wisdom" or "the Spirit of truth", the Holy Spirit. The ritual ceremony of "the imposition of hands" or "the laying on of hands" imparts the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of truth" to the successor receiving it. THIS is how the charism of "Truth", the correct understanding of God, of Jesus Christ, their teachings, their commandments, the sacraments, et al is passed in the Church.
"Do not neglect the gift you have, which was conferred on you through the prophetic word with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate."
cf. I Tim. 4: 14
Just as Jesus Christ spoke over and breathed on the Apostles in the Upper Room and conferred on them the Holy Spirit, so the "imposition of hands" also involves a ritual ceremony involving prayer and communicating that this person is succeeding this Apostle or bishop and is to be understood by the gathered community as his successor to whom obedience is due that is spoken over the person receiving it which imparts the "gift of God", the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing the receiver a participation in "the Spirit of truth" to sanctify, teach, and guide the believing community and in Christ's office as priest, prophet, and king.
"They presented these men to the apostles who PRAYED AND LAID HANDS ONO THEM."
cf. Acts 6: 6
"Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, COMPLETING THEIR FASTING AND PRAYER, THEY LAID HANDS ON THEM AND SENT THEM OFF."
cf. Acts 13: 3
"They APPOINTED PRESBYTERS for them in each church and, WITH PRAYER AND FASTING, COMMENDED THEM TO THE LORD (i. e. laid hands on them) in whom they had put their faith."
cf. Acts 14: 23
"Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit."
cf. Acts 8: 17
How could you have missed such a "basic teaching", a "foundational" teaching of Jesus Christ? I'll tell you how. There IS NO "laying on of hands" (apostolic succession) IN Protestantism, and so it is, conveniently, IGNORED, dismissed and explained away. You have traded away your birthright for a mess of pottage, like Esau before you.
Is John 14: 6 a part of the canon of sacred Scripture? ABSOLUTELY! Is Jesus Christ the "the way, the truth and the life"? ABSOLUTELY! And how do we know this? From the Apostles and their successors down to the present day. Jesus Christ DID NOT hand them a textbook and say, in effect, 'Read this, know this, do this and tell everyone, 'If it's not written in this book, don't believe it, don't do it.'" Of course they heard Tanakh read in the synagogue, but the personal possession of a copy of the sacred Scriptures by each household didn't occur until the 19th century with the invention of the printing press (16th century) and the mass production of the Industrial Revolution making them actually affordable for the common man.
The last book of the Bible wasn't composed, by the Apostle St. John, until circa 95 AD (the Apocalypse / Revelation). The canon of sacred Scripture wasn't decided on, for the first time, until 382 AD at the Council of Rome (cf. Decretum Gelasianum). IF "sola Scriptura" is the Christ ordained means of transferring "truth" to the Church, then for 382 years, the Church is without a complete canon of sacred Scripture!!! "Sola Scriptura" is self refuting, and is NOWHERE contained in sacred Scripture itself.
In fact, you don't even know that you HAVE the "Bible", from the Bible itself. Show me the book, chapter, and verse reference that states, in effect, 'These books and only these books ARE "the Bible"'. FROM THE BIBLE ITSELF, you don't even know that you HAVE "the Bible". Again, "sola Scriptura" is self refuting. Additionally, there is NO express statement from Jesus OR the Apostles recorded in sacred Scripture, that says, in effect, Write down all this good stuff I'm giving to you guys, and tell those who come after you, If it's not recorded in these books, which you are ALL, each and every one, to read separately for yourselves and decide for yourselves what is true and what isn't, then don't believe it, don't live it, don't teach it. NOWHERE! Again, "sola Scriptura" is self refuting.
Jesus Christ hand picked Twelve Apostles and formed them in a living, breathing relationship for three and a half years. He sent them out to recruit disciples in His name based on what He had personally taught them. Those Apostles did what He did. They went out preaching and teaching the Gospel in a living breathing human relationship and passed on by word of mouth (oral Tradition) and by practices (sacred Tradition; their lived example and practices), and YES!, eventually, by a written record (sacred Scripture ITSELF is a PART of sacred Tradition, the Tradition of the Apostles as given to them by Jesus Christ), and gathered disciples to themselves, who they themselves formed into a believing community and chose from among THEM those who would succeed them to the apostolic office to which the believing community gives obedience, as the people of God of ancient Israel did to Joshua, because they know that it was through "the imposition of hands" that the "spirit of wisdom", the Holy Spirit, was conferred that guaranteed the believing community the charism of Truth,
"Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, since Moses had laid his hands upon him; AND SO THE ISRAELITES GAVE HIM THEIR OBEDIENCE, just as the LORD had commanded Moses."
cf. Deut. 34: 9
"He who hears you, hears Me; he who rejects you, rejects Me and Him who sent Me." cf. Luke 10: 16
"As completely as we obeyed Moses, we will obey you. Only, may the LORD, your God, be with you as God was with Moses."
cf. Joshua 1: 17
"Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day. THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES AND TO THE COMMUNAL LIFE, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done THROUGH THE APOSTLES."
cf. Acts 2: 41-43
The same paradigm is both fulfilled and covenantally extended BY JESUS CHRIST to His "Ekklesia". Jesus Christ goes about preaching the Gospel. Calls, chooses, and forms the Apostles teaching them the Gospel, commissions them and fills them with the Holy Spirit. The Apostles go about preaching the Gospel. Call, choose, and form the first disciple leaders (the 'episkopos', presbyteros, and diakonia), lay hands on them and fill them with the Holy Spirit. And by "apostolic succession" (the laying on or imposition of hands) the charism of truth has been preserved in Jesus Christ's one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church down through the ages to the present day,
"For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as CHRIST DOES THE CHURCH, because we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother and be joined to his wife,
AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.' This is a great mystery, but I SPEAK IN REFERENCE TO CHRIST AND THE CHURCH."
cf. Eph. 5: 29-32
"Behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age."
cf. Matt. 28: 20
*****
a.) Having myself been a former 'independent Baptist ' / fundamentalist Protestant for five and a half years, before being led deeper into the truth through conservative, evangelical Protestantism (PCA, CRCNA) for twelve and a half years who then, by God's grace, was eventually led into the fullness of truth after having been received into the fullness of communion with Jesus Christ in His one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church (seven years ago), it has been my experience that the narrative you are attempting to pass off as the "truth" is ahistorical.
The religious and ecclesiastical literature of the first century AD / CE is one of the most well attested and documented in history and remains extant. Anyone with the desire can go and read not only the New Testament, but the literature of the first century by those Christians who received the faith from the Apostles themselves (the Didache, Clement of Alexandria, Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr Irenaeus, et al. The portrait that emerges from both the New Testament and those first Christian witnesses who had themselves received the faith directly from the Apostles and their successors, the Church's ministers, does not remotely resemble 20th century independent Baptist or New England congregational denominations.
b.) Baptismal regeneration is materially found in the sacred Scriptures of the New Testament. The rite of initiation into the believing community, in Judaism, was circumcision (applied only to males). The rite of initiation into Jesus Christ's Church is baptism through which material sign is conferred the indwelling Holy Spirit,
Jesus Christ:
"He said to them, 'Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. WHOEVER BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED; whoever does not believe will be condemned."
cf. Mark 16: 15-16
"Jesus answered, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without BEING BORN OF WATER AND SPIRIT. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, "You must be born from above." The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.'"
cf. John 3: 5-8
St. Peter:
"For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. THIS PREFIGURED BAPTISM, WHICH SAVES YOU NOW. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him."
cf. I Peter 3: 18-22
St. Paul
"...HE SAVED US THROUGH THE BATH OF REBIRTH AND RENEWAL BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life."
cf. Titus 3: 5b-7
c.) Infant baptism is also materially found in sacred Scripture. St. Paul compares the rite of initiation into Judaism (circumcision) with the rite of initiation into Jesus Christ's Church as recorded in his Epistle to the Church of Colossae, chapter 2,
"For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead [in] transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross; despoiling the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it."
cf. Colossians 2: 9-15
Baptism is Christian "circumcision" ("In Him you were also circumcized with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism...") administered now not merely to males, but to BOTH "male and female, slave and free...".
WHEN did Jewish males receive circumcision / the rite of initiation into Judaism? On the EIGHTH DAY of their natural born lives,
"God said to Abraham: For your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages. This is the covenant between me and you and your descendants after you that you must keep: every male among you shall be circumcised. Circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. That will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. Throughout the ages, every male among you, WHEN HE IS EIGHT DAYS OLD, shall be circumcised, including houseborn slaves and those acquired with money from any foreigner who is not of your descendants. Yes, both the houseborn slaves and those acquired with money must be circumcised. Thus my covenant will be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. If a male is uncircumcised, that is, if the flesh of his foreskin has not been cut away, such a one will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."
cf. Genesis 17: 9-14
St. Paul's comparison at Colossians 2 ISN'T a contrast, as if to say, Look how different baptism is to circumcision. Rather, St. Paul comparison is to use analogically employ "circumcision" as a precursor or foreshadowing to NT baptism and to note the similarities: Abraham received the covenant of circumcision, Jesus Christ has instituted baptism; in other words 'circumcision is fulfilled in NT 'baptism' itself a sacrament of Jesus Christ's Paschal death and resurrection.
"Baptism" as such was NOT unknown in Judaism. They had a rite of minor rite of ritual purification known as a "mikvah" bath wherein someone who had become ceremonially "unclean" (by becoming exposed to a dead animal carcass, or to venereal seminal fluids, etc) would be reconsecrated to God and made ritually 'clean' through a ritual ablution with 'living' water. It seems Jesus Christ adapted Jewish 'mikveh' in the 'NEW covenant' (e. g. 'You do not put new wine into old wineskins') and made it His rite of initiation into His Church,
'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age."
cf. Matthew 28: 18-20
SINCE "circumcision" was received by EVEN INFANTS, and commanded by YHWH to be administered to infant children born into the house of Israel on "the EIGHTH DAY" of their natural born lives, AND St. Paul favorably compares circumcision TO baptism at Colossians 2, it stands to reason that NOT ONLY adults, but even INFANTS and CHILDREN were to be initiated into Jesus Christ's Church through the sacrament of baptism.
IN FACT, this is EXACTLY consonant with His teaching while He walked the face of the earth. When confronted by the Apostles who attempted to EXCLUDE infants and children from Him as either less or unimportant to His public ministry, Jesus Christ REPRIMANDS them for attempting to do so and charges them to INCLUDE BOTH "little children" (toddlers and young school age children) AND specifically INFANTS,
"Then CHILDREN were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.' After he placed his hands on them, he went away."
cf. Matthew 19: 13-15
"And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.' Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them."
cf. Mark 10: 13-16
"People were bringing EVEN INFANTS to him that he might touch them, and when the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, called the children to himself and said, 'Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.'”
cf. Luke 18: 15-17
Jesus Christ rebuked the Apostles for attempting to exclude both "children" and "infants" from "then kingdom of God" and then charges them that adults must received the kingdom LIKE infants and children.
How did the Apostles interpret this after Jesus Christ had returned to the Father and ascended into heaven? Did they then say to themselves, You know what, the old man had gotten this part wrong. Little children and infants cannot express individual faith by making an adequate profession of faith, therefore they must be excluded? NO, exactly the OPPOSITE. They baptized not only adults, but whole households and children,
"God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you (both) see and hear. For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said:
‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” Peter [said] to them, “Repent and BE BAPTIZED, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; AND YOU WILL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. For the promise is made TO YOU AND TO YOUR CHILDREN and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day."
cf. Acts 2: 32-41
"Then he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.' So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then HE AND ALL HIS FAMILY WERE BAPTIZED at once. He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God."
cf. Acts 16: 30-34
Children and infants are INCLUDED in the kingdom of God according to the unanimous witness of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
*****
Do you really base the rejection of the totality of the biblical witness in the New Testament to infant baptism to an 'argument from silence' in a single verse at Acts 16? So, for you, because the word "infant" or "child" doesn't occur at Acts 16, and that in spite of the fact that the jailer's faith resulted in his ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD receiving baptism, you feel justified to totally reject all of the other evidence, including Jesus Christ's personal testimony regarding children AND infants being included in the "kingdom of God" and specifically commanding they NOT be rejected because of your private demand that the word "child" or "infant" must be included in each and every verse for them to be considered?
You cannot isolate a single clause or single verse and insist, "Well unless a specific word is used, it cannot be considered as a valid reference". IF it refers to 'baptism' then it is germane to consideration regarding the OVERALL teaching of the sacred Scriptures regarding baptism. Acts 16, in light of Jesus, Peter's AND Paul's (in the mouth of two or three witnesses let all things be established) combined TOTAL teaching on baptism, AND in light of the comparison between circumcision and baptism at Colossians 2 (that is, in light of the fact that circumcision and baptism are compared as precursor / foreshadowing to fulfillment and circumcision was administered to EIGHT DAY old infant males), suggests BECAUSE the WHOLE HOUSEHOLD is mentioned as having been baptized, suggests that the Apostolic witness is to be administered to EVERYONE: male AND female (no longer is the right of initiation into God's household exclude a whole class of persons or 1/2 of the world), slave and free, adult AND children / infant. In other words, EVERYONE is welcome, everyone is included, EVEN children and infants,
""People were bringing EVEN INFANTS to him that he might touch them, and when the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, called the children to himself and said, 'Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.'”
cf. Luke 18: 15-17
""For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power. IN HIM YOU WERE ALSO CIRCUMCISED WITH A CIRCUMCISION NOT ADMINISTERED BY HAND, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. YOU WERE BURIED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead [in] transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross; despoiling the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it."
cf. Colossians 2: 9-15
Circumcision was administered to EIGHT DAY OLD children and baptism is compared to circumcision as precursor to fulfillment. In light then, of Jesus Christ INCLUDING children and infants in the kingdom of God and rebuking those who sought to exclude them, in light of St. Peter's teaching, perfectly consonant with Jesus Christ's that the "promise is made to you AND TO YOUR CHILDREN", in light of St. Paul's comparing baptism to circumcision, in light of the fact that circumcision took place on the eighth day of an infant males life, YOU are arguing that because Acts 16 doesn't include the word "child" or "infant" that the "whole household" was baptized as a result of the head of that household's faith, CAN NOT include children and infants? Am I understanding you correctly?
*****
Protestant denominations didn't exist for 1,500 years. The Catholic Church has practiced infant baptism for 2,000 years. I'll stick with the original that Jesus Christ founded.
Did not our hearts burn from within
23:00
RTHE EVERLASTING GOSPEL IS THE NEW WORD OF THE LAMB OF CHRIST. Only I teach it. Scripture is a blueprint for creating a heaven a garden a house a tree of life and you have nothing.
Stephen I guess your heart is closed. I was born a Baptized if you read Matthew 16 18 Jesus instituted Isaiah 22 Keys sign of authority. John 19 23 Jesus institutes confession he breathes on his apostles giving them his authority, John 6 51 55 Jesus instituted but you like other protestants leave what Jesus says. I didn't understand but one thing I did know Jesus is Holy he doesn't lie I obeyed. Protestants don't have 7 books in Old Testament. Mary is in Gen 3 15 Isaiah 7 14 Luke Rev 12 others. Where did you get your scripture? Catholic Church. Our Old scriptures we read from same Jesus taught from when he was on earth. Jesus was Jewish he set up his Church on Old testament he fore filled prophecies You must read in context. Rev. speaks of Saints giving prayers to God. Jesus on Mount of Transfiguration spoke with Moses who was dead. See you don't have the book of Maccabees Jews prayed to the dead relatives. To pray for the souls of dead is fine. You ask people on earth to pray for you that is intersession pray. Why can't I pray to a Holy Saint to assist me. Yes we pray to Jesus Yes we know he died once for all. Yes we know there is only one mediator. Have you read in Kings the Jewish custom is Kings called there Mothers Queen. Jesus is King Mary his Mother Luke is Queen. Yes in book of King the Kings Mother comes in he goes bows to her get a chair puts a crown on her head. What she ask of him he does. Old my dear anti christ may you someday come home to the One Holy Catholic Church Why Holy Jesus is Holy our Head of Universal Church
ella hope
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The seven Books the ancient Jewish scribes rejected them in relation to divine inspiration
wow
For a Response SEE Augsburg Confession ... "The representatives from states and free cities throughout Germany had united in presenting a testimony of divine truth before the Roman Catholic Emperor. It was a dramatic moment which has captured the imagination of men ever since. When Luther received the details of the actual presentation, he, in a letter of July 6, 1530, from the fortress Coburg, summed up the event in these words, “I am tremendously pleased to have lived to this moment when Christ, by His staunch confessors, has publicly been proclaimed in such a great assembly by means of this really most beautiful confession. And [so the Word] is fulfilled, ‘I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings.’ What follows will [also] be fulfilled: ‘And will not be put to shame.’ [Psalm 119:46]. Tradition - through time is dependent on Faithfulness of humanity --- inconsistent... far from divinely inspired ... We teach that since the fall of Adam all who are propagated according to nature are born in sin, that is, without the fear of God, without trust in God, and with concupiscence; and that this disease, or vice of origin is truly sin, even now condemning and bringing eternal death upon those not born again through Baptism and the Holy Spirit.
We condemn the Pelagians and others who deny that the vice of origin is sin, and who, to obscure the glory of Christ’s merit and benefits, argue that a person can be justified before God by his own strength and reason. Furthermore, it is taught by us that it is necessary to do good works, not so that we can believe we merit grace by them, but because it is the will of God. It is only by faith that forgiveness of sins and grace are apprehended. We also teach this because it is through faith that the Holy Spirit is received, hearts are renewed and endowed with new affections, so as to be able to bring forth good works. For Ambrose says, “Faith is the mother of a good will and right doing.” For without the Holy Spirit human powers are full of ungodly affections and are too weak to do works that are good in God’s sight. Besides, they are in the power of the devil, who impels men to various sins, to ungodly opinions and to open crimes. We see this in the philosophers, who although they endeavored to live an honest life, could not succeed but were defiled with many open crimes els.org/beliefs/augsburgconfession/
how is that a reply to what Scott Hahn said?
Scott Hahn is great..this is exactly what is wrong with the "Catholic Church"..Scott is not a Priest..is Married..and he preaches as a Biblical Scholar what the Priests should be teaching..because as a Non Catholic with mostly Catholic Friends and family... I have been to many Masses and have never heard any of this ..yes Scott is saying what was meant to be said but ..the Churches constant ritualistic Mass precludes any time to teach this Doctrine..I do go to a non denominational Church on weekends..an during the week I go to a work Nondenominational service Prayer Praise and Worship by Baptist Preachers... I hear Preaching in many ends by Pastors like this.. I am very very Blessed and am growing in ways I never could have believed possible..Christ said go and sin no more..So much for Sacrements being celebrated by the Catholic Body of Christ..again Precludes the divorced,out of fellowship Catholic from partaking in Communion..Catholic Bible has inclusion of Witchcraft in it..66 books of Protestant Cannon exclude....Now with the Evil Assault of Satan on the Church by the Priest abuse. we all must Pray for the Church..the Body of Christ..Walk with Jesus and Love like he did...Live your Life by the Golden Rule..
You need to read all of Scott Hahn's books, then you need to go to RCIA. Yes, you can go to Mass, Communion is required of God's children. You need to realize that it is Worship. You can read the Bible outside of Mass. You can study it outside of Mass. We have rules, Jesus said no divorce, we are united. Yes, some have done wrong, but most are being taken out of service with children. Watch out for Baptist ministers and their attacks on children. Where did the Protestants get the Bible? It came from the Catholic Church. All the books. The Evil Assault of Satan against the Catholic Church is to teach us to be stronger.
Do you really understand what Scott teaches?
You might mistake the main purpose of the Mass. We don't go to get or learn first. We go to worship- to give thanks to God - to offer our sacrifice both personal and eucharistic. Worship is not about us, it is about God. And yet God is so good he still gives to us his Word and The Eucharist.
The rest of the week is for learning and discovering God more and more, so that at the next Mass, I can go back and give him more worship, thanks, praise, and sarifice.
@@ajamusic7322 what comes 1st the Chicken or the egg???
Worship Service.. or Discovery /learning?
When does one become a believer?
During the Worship Service or During Discovery/leaning ?
@@barron975 No "one size fits all" answer. For some, it could be one. For others it could be the other. For others it's both in an ongoing journey. Me personally, my faith has been nurtured over my lifetime both at home, at Mass, at school. I can't credit one without the others.
what are your connections??????
Is he Novus Orda or Vatican 2?
looking to divide right off the bat?
1:09:58
Yep. Catholicism fulfills the New Covenant in Christ like Judaism fulfilled the Old Covenant. Jesus gave the early Catholic Christians the inspiration to write the NT books based on the Sacred Traditions he taught them. Praise be to Jesus Christ our redeemer.
I love that part where that second grader said that he found Adam's underwear.
The power of myth deeply ingrained in human psyche.
Brant Pitre
Do you believe a Christian should keep the Ten Commandments?
Obviously. Yes Catholics do.
Biblical literacy can only be learned from Christ for there's one mediator between God and man. Emperor Haile Selassie the First is the only person in attested history to legitimately acquire both titles King of Kings and Lord of Lords therefore he's the God of the Bible and the Father of Jesus Christ. The Rastafarian preacher named Primus St. Croix from the British Commonwealth island of St. Lucia is the one and only true Christ (Revelation 3:12). If you disagree you don't have enough information yet, Google and research us immediately (your salvation depends on it): The Order of Primus St. Croix.
so you worship a mere human? while smoking dope
how does your current pope accepting homosexual relationships in the roman catholic church seem? why doesn't the roman catholic church fully reject scripture and just do anything it wants according to what it decides to make up (it does!)?
we can see you watched the video, and adjusted your question accordingly....or YOU'RE A TROLL
truecatholics.org wake the heck up
@@bhrismaw-q by our baptism, we are allowed to defend our faith. truecatholics.org. dont think its a joke. Everything on that site is true. "Just believe it and the understanding will come later" St. Augustine. God bless you.