I am someone who considers myself a "Born Again Catholic." I was raised Catholic, but also have friends who are Evangelicals. I place great value on the Bible, but I also know how much power there is in the Sacraments that Jesus instituted. I like to think I benefit from the best of both worlds.
I do believe that the Catholic Church can historically trace it's roots all the way back to the moment in Matthew 16:18 when Jesus told Peter: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
With this in mind, we can be quite certain that the Lord knew His Church would be attacked throughout the ages. It was being attacked by evil when it had been infiltrated by corrupt popes in the past.
Then came the Protestant revolt or reformation, depending on your viewpoint. This was a big split from the original Church, and Satan saw this as a big opportunity to splinter us into a million pieces and scatter us into the wind. With his interference, there have been literally thousands of different Churches & denominations that have been developed. Some of them are cults, but I believe that God has seen fit to lead almost all the rest of them on a decent path. Ultimately, I believe that if your Church leads you to Jesus, and teaches that He is the sole pathway to salvation, you are probably on a good path.
I think it is shortsighted to believe that one faith or one denomination (or lack thereof) is the sole pathway to heaven. Jesus covered it very clearly in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
When people talk about all the disagreements between the different denominations, I think the Lord covered that too: Mark Chapter 9: 38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."
As Christians, I think we all agree on A LOT more than on what we disagree. Let's stick together, respect our differences, love the Lord as He loved us, and be good examples of His peace in this evil world. God bless you all.
If anyone has any questions about what the Catholic Church teaches, I encourage them to bring their questions to someone who is knowledgeable about the Catholic faith. No offense to Protestants, but a lot of them think they know all about it, and they may not. Feel free to bounce any questions off of me if you want, and I will do my best to answer them or guide you to someone/somewhere that you can find an answer.
Get a Strongs concordance and work the word Peter in the greek His name means little pebble. Jesus actually was referring to himself as THE ROCK. The churchb
is built on Jesus Christ not Peter. In fact Peter disappears from the records after a disagreement with Paul. I don't denigrate Peter but he isn't the the head of the church, Christ is.
I'll check one out. I'm a life long Catholic, but I also believe that I can learn from Bible Christians and what they have to say. To be honest, I will check out a Strong's concordance, but I will also find out what the Church teaches on the subject. Up to now, what I've found is that they do have a good explanation on why they believe what they believe on certain issues.
Please know I'm not speaking with a spirit of superiority or trying to preach to you. You work with the Word of God and I totally respect that.
In that spirit, I just thought I'd quote what the Catholic Church teaches on the subject of Peter and his role in Christ's institution of His Church.
This is from what is called "The Catechism of the Catholic Church," which is kind of an out line that explains Church teaching on all the different topics.
" "The keys of the kingdom"
551 From the beginning of his public life Jesus chose certain men, twelve in number, to be with him and to participate in his mission. He gives the Twelve a share in his authority and 'sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal." They remain associated for ever with Christ's kingdom, for through them he directs the Church:
As my Father appointed a kingdom for me, so do I appoint for you that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
552 Simon Peter holds the first place in the college of the Twelve; Jesus entrusted a unique mission to him. Through a revelation from the Father, Peter had confessed: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Our Lord then declared to him: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." Christ, the "living Stone", thus assures his Church, built on Peter, of victory over the powers of death. Because of the faith he confessed Peter will remain the unshakeable rock of the Church. His mission will be to keep this faith from every lapse and to strengthen his brothers in it.
553 Jesus entrusted a specific authority to Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The "power of the keys" designates authority to govern the house of God, which is the Church. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, confirmed this mandate after his Resurrection: "Feed my sheep." The power to "bind and loose" connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgements, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church. Jesus entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of the apostles and in particular through the ministry of Peter, the only one to whom he specifically entrusted the keys of the kingdom.
I am someone who considers myself a "Born Again Catholic." I was raised Catholic, but also have friends who are Evangelicals. I place great value on the Bible, but I also know how much power there is in the Sacraments that Jesus instituted. I like to think I benefit from the best of both worlds.
I do believe that the Catholic Church can historically trace it's roots all the way back to the moment in Matthew 16:18 when Jesus told Peter: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
With this in mind, we can be quite certain that the Lord knew His Church would be attacked throughout the ages. It was being attacked by evil when it had been infiltrated by corrupt popes in the past.
Then came the Protestant revolt or reformation, depending on your viewpoint. This was a big split from the original Church, and Satan saw this as a big opportunity to splinter us into a million pieces and scatter us into the wind. With his interference, there have been literally thousands of different Churches & denominations that have been developed. Some of them are cults, but I believe that God has seen fit to lead almost all the rest of them on a decent path. Ultimately, I believe that if your Church leads you to Jesus, and teaches that He is the sole pathway to salvation, you are probably on a good path.
I think it is shortsighted to believe that one faith or one denomination (or lack thereof) is the sole pathway to heaven. Jesus covered it very clearly in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
When people talk about all the disagreements between the different denominations, I think the Lord covered that too: Mark Chapter 9: 38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."
As Christians, I think we all agree on A LOT more than on what we disagree. Let's stick together, respect our differences, love the Lord as He loved us, and be good examples of His peace in this evil world. God bless you all.
If anyone has any questions about what the Catholic Church teaches, I encourage them to bring their questions to someone who is knowledgeable about the Catholic faith. No offense to Protestants, but a lot of them think they know all about it, and they may not. Feel free to bounce any questions off of me if you want, and I will do my best to answer them or guide you to someone/somewhere that you can find an answer.
Get a Strongs concordance and work the word Peter in the greek His name means little pebble. Jesus actually was referring to himself as THE ROCK. The churchb is built on Jesus Christ not Peter. In fact Peter disappears from the records after a disagreement with Paul. I don't denigrate Peter but he isn't the the head of the church, Christ is.
I'll check one out. I'm a life long Catholic, but I also believe that I can learn from Bible Christians and what they have to say. To be honest, I will check out a Strong's concordance, but I will also find out what the Church teaches on the subject. Up to now, what I've found is that they do have a good explanation on why they believe what they believe on certain issues.
Please know I'm not speaking with a spirit of superiority or trying to preach to you. You work with the Word of God and I totally respect that.
In that spirit, I just thought I'd quote what the Catholic Church teaches on the subject of Peter and his role in Christ's institution of His Church.
This is from what is called "The Catechism of the Catholic Church," which is kind of an out line that explains Church teaching on all the different topics.
" "The keys of the kingdom"
551 From the beginning of his public life Jesus chose certain men, twelve in number, to be with him and to participate in his mission. He gives the Twelve a share in his authority and 'sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal." They remain associated for ever with Christ's kingdom, for through them he directs the Church:
As my Father appointed a kingdom for me, so do I appoint for you that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
552 Simon Peter holds the first place in the college of the Twelve; Jesus entrusted a unique mission to him. Through a revelation from the Father, Peter had confessed: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Our Lord then declared to him: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." Christ, the "living Stone", thus assures his Church, built on Peter, of victory over the powers of death. Because of the faith he confessed Peter will remain the unshakeable rock of the Church. His mission will be to keep this faith from every lapse and to strengthen his brothers in it.
553 Jesus entrusted a specific authority to Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The "power of the keys" designates authority to govern the house of God, which is the Church. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, confirmed this mandate after his Resurrection: "Feed my sheep." The power to "bind and loose" connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgements, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church. Jesus entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of the apostles and in particular through the ministry of Peter, the only one to whom he specifically entrusted the keys of the kingdom.