tuppence wrote:I also am not a scholar. I must talk to Catholic cleregy before commenting, as I do not wish to say something then contradict the Church.
This is EXACTLY the one of the points I made at the end of the lead post here! One of the legs of the RC church is ignorance. Another is fear. This person is AFRAID of saying something which would contradict the church he belongs to. That is the hold the RC church has over its members. No matter what the Bible says, the RC church has primacy.
That's just like a cult. They control using fear, just like a cult. They demand money, just like a cult. They prey on their members' ignorance and even encourage it by telling them they cannot possibly understand what the Bible says without the church interpreting it for them.....just like a cult.
Dear sir or ma'm, you do not have to be a scholar to read the Bible. God's Word is extraordinarily clear on its own. Read it cover to cover (preferably withouth the Apocrypha) and see if you can possibly come away and still be a Roman Catholic.
From the Bible you will learn that God Himself is the Rock.
From the Bible you will learn that one need only believe on Jesus to be saved, not be a member of a church.
From the Bible you will learn that Jesus did all the work for us, and penance, indulgences, and the myriad of other RC rites and works are simply not needed -- in fact they contradict the Bible.
From the Bible you will learn that Mary was just a young woman, born a sinner like the rest of us, and chosen to do something extraordinary -- bear the Messiah and raise Him to manhood.
From the Bible you can learn so much!
Very well said. Excellent thread you started here. The subject of the conversation between Jesus and Peter was simply "Who" Jesus Christ is. Jesus asked the question and Peter answered it. The revelation of who Jesus Christ is the "Rock". Jesus Christ who is God manifest in the flesh is the Rock. He is the invisible God of the O.T. revealed in the flesh in the N.T. Every believer needs to have a personal revelation of who Jesus Christ is as Peter did in order to have the relationship God desires with His people. No where in Scripture is it even inferred that Peter was some divinely appointed overseer of the Church. If anyone, it would be Paul who assumed a dominate role in establishing Truth and order in the Church. Not once did Paul consult Peter for a blessing in his ministry. Paul submitted himself to the True Head of the Church which is Jesus Christ alone. The administration of the Church is to be carried out by the ministries of Pastor, Teacher, Apostle, Evangelist, and Prophet. All these offices have their place within the Body. And Jesus Christ is the only One who appoints who will assume any of those offices. The Pope is not a Biblical office established by the Lord but a man-made one. The concept of a "Pope" usurps the authority of Jesus Christ and the Word of God over the Church thus making Jesus Christ void as the Head and the Word of God null. The result is vain religion.