And once more: The part I wished to respond to was the part about the Holy Spirit interpreting the Word for you. Why insist upon a response to every word posted.
I insist on you not clipping out one part of that sentence because you dishonestly used part of what I said to buttress your statement that we rely only on ourselves to understand Scripture, when what I said clearly was the opposite. Relying solely on yourself is foolish, as an individual is easily misled.
Let's take a look at the obvious: Televangelists who have huge followings.
And most of those have become corrupt beyond belief, chasing money and fame. They may have started out on the right path but got seduced by the world along the way. Because of that, I don't place a lot of value on what they say. One who wasn't led down that path was Billy Graham, who remains one of the most respected televangelists ever.
Next obvious: Protestants do not follow all the traditions of the early Church that Catholic and Orthodox follow to this day. There is nothing to discuss about this.
Actually, there is. What makes a tradition so infallible that it cannot even be questioned in the light of the Word? Traditions started by early Christians who came from a Jewish background may not be relevant to Christians from a Gentile background, for one example. Traditions can be challenged. Where they bring value, they should be celebrated. Where they do not or only sow confusion, they can be challenged.
Worth discussing is the assertion of the Holy Spirit interpreting scripture. In interpreting, translating scripture it is best to go back to the original language, to the etymology of the words, the history and culture of the author and his original audience.
I wholeheartedly agree. We need a lot more training in how to read Greek and Hebrew and to understand sentence structure in each. Translations attempt to convert the meaning of the original languages into verbiage relevant for the people who want to read it, and the translated verbiage can become outdated as well. Take the King James version, for example. In reading it, you are reading verbiage written hundreds of years ago that attempt to bring meaning to verbiage written hundreds or thousands of years before that in completely different languages. You basically have to interpret two languages at once to understand what is really being said. What was easily understood by the people of the day is not so easily understood by the people of today.
Where the Holy Spirit comes in prominently and significantly is how a Bible passage, correctly translated and interpreted, can come into play in one's own individual life. Examples might be, Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, don't hide your light under a bushel basket, what can I learn from the three temptations of Christ.
Yes, He DOES instruct us on how the Bible applies to our individual lives. That's one of the things Jesus said He was going to do.
Do you believe you are consuming the actual body and blood of Christ?
No, I do not, because Scripture does not stipulate that I am, and it makes no sense to me that I should.
Do you believe in the seven Sacraments, which include confession/reconciliation?
I believe I need to follow what Christ commanded, which is to repent, be baptized, make disciples and to walk in the light of His presence.
Do you believe given grace, works are a vital part of our salvation?
I believe that Jesus completed the work of salvation on the cross and when He walked out of the tomb. He Himself proclaimed that "IT IS FINISHED!" when He died. There is nothing anyone can add to or take away from His completed work, lest any man should boast of his own accomplishments. IOW, no one has standing to feel superior to another because he has done more works than the other. The fact that you cannot say how many works or even what works need to be done says it all, the work was done by Jesus.
I also believe that my works need to display the salvation that Christ has already completed in me, otherwise my proclamation of salvation rings hollow. IOW, I cannot lead a life of sin while proclaiming Jesus saved me. That would make as much sense as an eye patch on a Cyclops!
Do you believe that those who have passed on can join in our prayers?
No, I do not because Scripture does not indicate that they do. I believe they are with Christ and are a part of the great cloud of witnesses observing us, but I don't believe they are equipped to hear and to pass on millions of simultaneous prayers being continually offered up.
Do you believe there is a purification process some must endure after death (purgatory).
No, I do not because Scripture does not support the idea. I believe that I am completely saved by the blood of Christ, purified and holy by His completed work. He said, "IT IS FINISHED", not, "I GOT IT STARTED, NOW YOU FINISH IT" when He died.
Do you believe prayers can also help those who have passed on?
No, I do not because Scripture does not support the idea. I believe that a man is appointed once to die, then the judgement.
Do you pray the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, the Divine Office?
No, I do not. I approach the Father's throne in the name of Jesus to worship. When I am reminded of Jesus' suffering, I mourn for what He went through while praising Him for submitting to the Father's will, because He loved me that much. I do not perform rote prayers, hoping that I will be heard through the multiplicity of my words, reciting things that do not come from my heart. If someone says that I should pray in a certain way, I look for the meaning of that prayer and make it my own, so that it honestly comes from me and not someone else.
Catholics are criticized for taking part in all of these (the whole cake).
They should not be criticized as long as they realize that these things are shadows of the real thing, which is relationship with God. They should not stop at rituals and feel virtuous because they completed a rote set of actions without their heart and mind being drawn into a deeper relationship with Him. Do you really think God is pleased when His people recite words that don't come from their hearts? Now, you will say that they do come from your heart, and assuming that for you it is true, that's fantastic. Unfortunately, one of the first things that happen when we set up prayers and things to recite is they lose meaning for the people reciting them.
You see your experience as the whole cake and mine as just a piece of the cake. How can you place a value judgement on my relationship with God while protesting that no one should place such a judgement on yours (such as criticizing your reliance on man-made traditions and a sinful man granting you absolution)? We also have traditions that we value, they are just not the same ones you follow, and we don't see them as being absolute, only ways to implement Scripture in our lives in ways that are meaningful for us. We enjoy our whole cake as well, and many look at you as being bound by tradition, not set free in Christ. Remember, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He came to break chains, not add to them.
So be careful about extolling the virtues of the Christian life you choose to lead, leading some to believe you feel yourself superior. I think I understand that you do not. Christ did not come to create a bunch of robots who mindlessly all live the same way, following traditions set up thousands of years ago that no longer hold meaning for them. I do not believe God wants us doing things just because we're told to do them without understanding them. Remember on Judgement Day He will say to those who even did miracles in His name but did not have a relationship with Him that He never knew them. Relationship with Him as much, much more important than a stack of deeds or rote prayers.
