Like Catholics and Protestants Vista?
the two churches are the same in that worship Christ as Lord. just bothers me that there is much difference in how they approach the faith …
please explain to me, with verses from the Bible, why these ideas should or should not exist …
holy water
confession to a priest
alter call
cult of the Virgin Mary (the Hail Mary)
rosario
Infant Baptism
crucifix
authority of the pope
Now most of these ideas is the authority of the Pope. many of the responses received are likely to be on his authority so …. something I would like answered is why the Pope should give authority. Bible evidence, please … thanks. god bless.
Several people here have very good points. Sola scriptura, for example, as someone mentioned, it is unbiblical (see, for example, 2 Thess. 2:15). But ask specific Bible verses, so I do my best to accommodate.
1. Holy water - Something Sacred is devoted to the service of God. See Numbers 5:17. In addition, the water of the Jordan that John used to be holy water baptism.
2. Confession to a priest - To start, we have a tradition of the Old Testament. The Israelites could pray to God directly, but when they committed a sin, He has to go to a priest, confess, and offer the sacrifice (Lev. 5:6-7). Similarly, in the New Testament, John 20:21-23 is where the Apostles are given this role.
3. Altar calls - I have never seen an altar call, I think it is more traditional Protestant thing. However, I do not see as unbiblical. The starting point is the community. Our faith must involve God, ourselves, and a community of believers. Worship together, pray together, the bread together, before confessing to each other (Acts 2:42, 19:18). I can not find it, but there is a verse that says we should worship together because we are stronger in faith that way. If used correctly, seems to be an altar called a way of promoting community needed.
4. The cult of Mary - NO Catholics worship Mary. The Ave Maria directly quote the Bible (Luke 1:28, 42). The last part of the prayer, "Holy Mary, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of death. Amen "comes from the Catechism of the Council of Trent. It is not religion, is to pray for us its like you can ask a friend to pray for you.
5. Rosario - Firstly not worship them (I've heard that said), we have them. The prayers are biblical. The count against them as "useless and repetitive" is answered by the Church: "[This] is … objection by any but those who have failed to realize how entirely the spirit of the exercise lies in the meditation of the mysteries about the fundamental …. of our faith the words of the angelic greeting only a kind of half-conscious accompaniment … which can resemble the [repeating] "Santo, Santo, Santo" [Rev 4:8] of the heavenly choirs and surely not in itself meaningless. "
6. Infant Baptism - First, this also has its precedent in the Old Testament. Jewish children were circumcized baby before they had the opportunity to affirm his faith (Gen. 17:12). Then in the NT there are examples of all households were baptized, when the household head who became (Acts 16:15, 33; 1 Cor 16). Any "home" almost certainly had children, and therefore should not be considered exempt.
7. Crucifix - In the Old Testament, God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it over a pole to the Israelites. In John 3:14 Jesus interprets this: "As Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted." The crucifix is the same type of symbol. It is not worship, only use it as a reminder of the sacrifice of Christ.
8. Authority of the pope - first, there is the precedent of the Old Testament with Aaron as the first High Priest. Then in the NT, Jesus names Peter as the cornerstone of the Church (Matthew 16:18). Finally, in John 14:26 and 15:26-7 Jesus promised the Apostles would send the Holy Spirit to be with them for the truth. For this reason we believe that the Pope, speaking as head of the Church on religious affairs in infallible.
I know it's probably still disagree with many Catholic beliefs, but I hope they now have a better understanding of where is coming from.
* Is Catholic
The authority of the Pope does not do some things over. Vouchsafes papal authority and serves only those things for them. That the papal authority to certain testimony, but the truth of these things is not based on papal authority.
Catholicism, as the dogmatic teaching is not a people of the book, but we are a people of God's Word, the Christ and Son of the Father. Functions of the Scripture is not the only book of definitions, true religion, etc, but is rather a form of revelation and contains the words of God as the Holy Spirit moved people to write without errors human, and only the words that the Spirit so wished.
Scripture is the foundation of the Catholic faith, instead of the foundation is Christ. Writing is one of the pillars of faith.
Thus, Scripture is not used as a "test" but rather as support.
In Catholicism there is no lack of harmony between faith and reason, as such, must defend the Catholic faith also testing philosophy, reason, history and science. We Catholics proclaim Christ not only with a quote from a book, but to proclaim Christ through our book, through the history of the world, through philosophy, through our liturgical structures and, through the understanding of what it means to be human.
Beyond those who have given to you to find the lyrics, let me offer some basic reasoning and you can tell if this is reality or superior to Protestantism.
1. Holy Water. Which means that something is made a saint? This means that it has been in service to God and consecrated to be allocated towards this task and that task alone. Thus, water can be Holy? Sure, we can take water, take it to a priest (who is not a teacher, but intercedes before God) and ask him to consecrate the water so that it could be of service to God. Holy water? Only if you believe that God is God of the Catholic religion and the priest is a priest. Why should Holy Water? Because it is water, which washes clean. Holy water, thus neglecting the water to wash the body and soul.
2. Confession to a priest. This is easy to understand that if a priest is a priest, and not just a teacher and leader. A priest intercedes. If you believe that Christ created the priests, then a priest may intercede on his behalf, either in confession or during the Divine Liturgy. God does not need priests? And we do not need priests, we must be picked up at a single human family and not all things either.
3. ALTAR not Alter. There is no such thing. Besides the Protestants have no altars, since they do not sacrifice anything. For Catholics, the conversion to Christ, takes place outside the Divine Liturgy, which is there to worship God. The altar is where the community of believers is gathered.
4. N Catholic worships Mary. The Hail Mary is taken from the Gospels. The Rosary is designed as the poor man of the Liturgy of the Hours.
5. They help you keep in mind. Use your fingers if you want, is not a problem.
6. Infant baptism. Baptism is a gift of grace. Can not be won. Those who say that one must have faith, saying it must first win the grace of baptism by faith. No, baptism is a pure gift. Furthermore, the responsibility of a Catholic father is to give Catholic children. They can not do very well that if their children are not baptized (which is what makes a person Catholic).
7. Crucifix. Because it is the way in which Christ died. Granted the crucifixion of the Messiah's death is found in prophecy in multiple places in the Old Testament, but if Christ was stoned to death, would be a man of stone crushing in the Catholic Church. One point I would make … an empty cross is a sign of the resurrection is a sign of impending death. The sign of the resurrection is the empty tomb. There are a lot of spiritual meaning of why we use crucifixes, but the reason is because that body is what happened.
8. Papal authority - rather complex because the Pope has more than papal authority. He is the Bishop of Rome, the Patriarch of the Roman Catholic Church and the Patriarch of the Universal Catholic Church. You need to pay attention to what authority is being used. The reason we have a single leader is because the pope acted as a control for the rest of the bishops. Pope functions as the final arbiter of theological issues and struggles among the bishops. In all human structures, the buck must stop somewhere. Christ decided, for deep spiritual reasons, that stop at the Peter and his successors.
Christianity is not, contrary to the claims Protestantism, a "religion of the book." The Bible is not the norm of Christian faith. The Bible is the expression of the faith of the Christian Church. The Church came before the Bible, Scripture and the faith shown the principles of the Church founded by Christ.
What this means is that you will not find the "answer" to the above (holy water, confession, etc.) only in the Bible. Christianity is not based on a written word, but on the living word which is Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God.
The main difference between Protestant and Catholic Christianity is that the former reduces the Christian faith in a book (maybe even some talk of a "librology," ie, a book of worship), while the latter recognizes that the Christian faith is based on a person, Jesus Christ, who conveyed the truth about himself and about the Holy Trinity of God to man through the apostles and, therefore, through His Church.
The teaching of the Church (what we call the Magisterium), therefore, is where you should look for an answer. The Teacher will show the correct way to interpret scripture in ways that do not twist and turn out of context. For this reason, there is only one Catholic Church, while there are thousands of Protestant "churches", each to claim its authority based on the Bible alone.
I hope this helps.
>> for something I would like answered is why the Pope should give authority. Bible evidence, please. <<
The authority was given by God himself. The Father revealed to Peter who is Jesus, and Jesus promised Peter the keys and the power to bind and loose:
He told them: "But who say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of God." And Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona ! For flesh and blood has not revealed to you, but my Father in heaven. And I say, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. To you I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and everything that bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. "- Matthew 16:15-19
Later, Pedro Jesus entrusted the care of his flock:
"Feed my lambs … tend my sheep … feed my sheep. " - John 21:15-17
After Jesus ascended to Heaven, Peter first order of business was to direct Jude office filled, so we were successors of the Apostles (Acts 1:15-26). Therefore, someone out there has the keys of the kingdom of heaven has the power to bind and loose, and has the duty to feed and tend Christ's flock. If that person is not Benedict XVI, who is?
As a Protestant, just call the altar to see something we do. The Reverend Pastor, or the altar is open for those who want someone to pray with them or give to salvation. It's like going to the Throne of God.
Hebrews 4:16 tells us that, therefore, boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in times of need. Catholics do not do things.
I want to know why the pope should have this authority, but I think its just part of their religion and tradition. It is likely that Peter speaks of being the first pope in his reply.
I do not know the verses, but I can tell you why they are wrong:
holy water: there is nothing sacred in the earth except the Bible. No man has the power to make things holy. Not even Jesus walked on the ground is holy.
Confession: All sins must be confessed to God, or God through Jesus, through prayer. A majority of Catholics have never been cleansed of sin. Only God can, and not a priest.
Virgin Mary adoring people, but God is idolatry. Mary was a mortal, and was saved by Jesus or any other Christian. She is not a god.
Rosario: The Bible is firmly against the rituals (which much of the Catholic mass is based on, resulting in many Pagan traditions). Singing is also prohibited, the rosary, but it is nothing, and prayer to Mary is prohibited, which is also in the rosary.
Infant Baptism: In order to be saved and baptized, a person must make a personal decision on his own heart and mind to accept Jesus as their savior. In childhood, the baby has yet to make such a decision. So many Catholics go through life without really being saved.
Crucifix: 1.) Jesus is still on the cross, which is not true at all, considering that he is alive today. 2.) Believe that Catholics have supernatural powers when the Scripture clearly says otherwise.
Authority of the Pope: No man has authority over the church, which belongs to God. Moreover, considering past popes have made many changes to the 10 commandments and other very important things, nobody is allowed to blasphemy the Bible, we believe that God has guided and supported through their training and holy translation. (If he can make the world in 6 days, which is a fairly easy task.)
Sorry, I do not know what they are asking for modification, or I do not have Bible verses, but it's easy to see how corruption is the book that Catholicism is based on!
The idea that all truth is revealed in "66 books" is not only in Scripture, is contradicted by the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 11:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 1 Timothy 3: 15, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Peter 3:16).
It is a concept unknown in the Old Testament, where the authority of those who sat in the chair of Moses (Matthew 23:2-3) there. In addition, over 400 years, does not define the canon of Scripture "apart from the Old Testament, there is no" New Testament ", there was only tradition, not the canonical books and letters.
Our Lord founded a Church (Matthew 16:18-19), not a book that was to be the mainstay of the Truth and the earth (1 Timothy 3:15).
We know what the Church teaches, looking not only to Scripture, but in history and by reading what the earliest Christians have written, so we sat on the Chair of Peter have spoken consistently with Scripture and tradition, and what we now formally defined.
To believe that the Bible is our sole source of Christian truth is unbiblical and illogical.
I never considered a person of a Catholic believer saved. If someone is saved, we will leave Catholicism. Until then, are tricked into lying.
I will not address all of them because most are not addressed in the Bible:
holy water (no comments)
confession to a priest
First, in the New Testament, all true Christians are priests, not just a few select members of the clergy. In fact, when the New Testament describes the clergy do not mention the priests.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should Shew forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;
Ephesians 4:
11 and gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists, and some, pastors and teachers;
12For the perfecting of the saints for works of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Then we are told by John to confess our sins directly to Jesus. He would have known about if Jesus had taught that it must be confessed the sins of men.
1 John 1:
8If say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9If confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.
alter call
The first altar call in Acts chapter 2. Seem more along the book of Acts.
cult of the Virgin Mary (the Hail Mary)
Matthew 4:10
Then Jesus said unto him, Get you hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only you can serve.
Luke 4:8
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get you behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only you can serve.
rosario (no comments)
Infant Baptism
Acts 8: (it requires belief before baptism)
36And as they were on their way, there was some water and the eunuch said, Look, here is water, which is to prevent me from being baptized?
37And Philip said, If believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38And he sent the car to stand still, and both fell into the water, both Philip and the eunuch and he baptized him.
crucifix (no comments)
authority of the Pope (no comments)