Zone1 Why do Protestants always believe their pastors rather than the 2000 year old CHURCH Christ established?

[Batcat]

Christ's Church is universal. Anyone can call himself a Christian and never set foot in Christ's Church... But why would Jesus found a Church on Earth and then say "Hey.. totally OK if you don't like My Church.... Don't want to enter it? No problem!"

please

Today many churches, including Roman Catholic Churches, appear to be preaching a religion that is not Christianity.

Many Christians may not even notice it, but false teaching is creeping into our churches and some are perverting the gospel. Here are examples of these false teachers slipping into congregations around the world.

Many Christians may not even notice it, but false teaching is creeping into our churches and some are perverting the gospel. Here are examples of these false teachers slipping into congregations around the world.

www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com

 

[Zincwarrior]

No. Have you read the John Jay report?

But the Church didn't. Certain individuals did.

No. Have you read the John Jay report?

But the Church didn't. Certain individuals did.

Again,outside of supporting sex prevents and men who never worked telling others what to do, what's the good with the Catholic Church?

 

[K9Buck]

Obviously, away from Jesus.

John the Baptist said the verses below. My interpretation is that those that willingly go to God are baptized by the Holy Spirit while those that refuse are thrown into the fire where they will be baptized, the hard way.

Again, faith in Jesus saves us from that experience.


Matthew 3:10-12 esv
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

 

[ding]

Again,outside of supporting sex prevents and men who never worked telling others what to do, what's the good with the Catholic Church?

Is that a no? You didn't read the John Jay report? Don't you believe you should have all of the available information before jumping to conclusions?

By any objective measure the Catholic Church has been a force for good.

 

[Ace Nova]

He was in their midsts. He is the ultimate representative/ambassador as the coming King.
Christians are also representative of the coming Kingdom.

That's an neat series on the life of Jesus, I've watched a little of it myself. Just be careful quoting it as Gospel - the writers seem to have taken poetic liberty with the script/dialogue.

 

[Meriweather]

I think they are damned and sent into the Lake of Fire for correction and purification. Faithful followers of Christ are indeed "saved" from that process, unlike the ungodly.

Lake of Fire. Revelation. Apocalyptic literature.

Do you believe in a literal lake of fire and a literal burning?

 

[K9Buck]

Today many churches, including Roman Catholic Churches, appear to be preaching a religion that is not Christianity.

Many Christians may not even notice it, but false teaching is creeping into our churches and some are perverting the gospel. Here are examples of these false teachers slipping into congregations around the world.

Many Christians may not even notice it, but false teaching is creeping into our churches and some are perverting the gospel. Here are examples of these false teachers slipping into congregations around the world.

www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com

I agree with him to a point but his arguments against universal salvation are erroneous and demonstrate a lack of scriptural understanding.

 

[K9Buck]

Lake of Fire. Revelation. Apocalyptic literature.

Do you believe in a literal lake of fire and a literal burning?

No. I believe those were metaphorical terms that people of that era would understand. I do believe that there is a process by which Jesus saves unrepentant, unremorseful, sinners that is punitive but also purifying and restorative. Do you believe that?

 

[Meriweather]

John the Baptist said the verses below. My interpretation is that those that willingly go to God are baptized by the Holy Spirit while those that refuse are thrown into the fire where they will be baptized, the hard way.

Are you picturing God throwing souls into fire to baptize them the hard way?

 

[K9Buck]

That's an neat series on the life of Jesus, I've watched a little of it myself. Just be careful quoting it as Gospel - the writers seem to have taken poetic liberty with the script/dialogue.

Unfortunately that show isn't scripturally accurate.

 

[K9Buck]

Are you picturing God throwing souls into fire to baptize them the hard way?

Yes. What do you believe?

 

[Zincwarrior]

Is that a no? You didn't read the John Jay report? Don't you believe you should have all of the available information before jumping to conclusions?

By any objective measure the Catholic Church has been a force for good.

You still haven't said why.

 

[Meriweather]

No. I believe those were metaphorical terms that people of that era would understand. I do believe that there is a process by which Jesus saves unrepentant, unremorseful, sinners that is punitive but also purifying and restorative. Do you believe that?

There are two things I believe about God through personal experience.

• His love is absolutely indescribable. No one loves like God. Unless experienced, it is unimaginable.
• Our free will is of prime importance to Him. He honors it.

Suppose it is my will to love like God. Compare that to an Olympic Gold Medalist. Did that Gold Medal come without pain or a whole lot of effort?

Now imagine someone with so little interest in the Olympics, they didn't even bother with news reports? They are the ones with no pain, they are those with nothing. Therefore, I more easily imagine 'hell' as a place where no knowledge of God exists. God is pure goodness and love. Hell could well be a place where there is little or no goodness, little or no love, because the beings there do not see either as of any importance.

I see heaven as a place of service, where love and goodness are tended and grown. I see heaven as more work than hell. That's just me. And I would hate to be in that other place.

 

[K9Buck]

Our free will is of prime importance to Him. He honors it.

What about Jonah?

 

[Meriweather]

What about Jonah?

What about him?

 

[K9Buck]

There are two things I believe about God through personal experience.

• His love is absolutely indescribable. No one loves like God. Unless experienced, it is unimaginable.
• Our free will is of prime importance to Him. He honors it.

Suppose it is my will to love like God. Compare that to an Olympic Gold Medalist. Did that Gold Medal come without pain or a whole lot of effort?

Now imagine someone with so little interest in the Olympics, they didn't even bother with news reports? They are the ones with no pain, they are those with nothing. Therefore, I more easily imagine 'hell' as a place where no knowledge of God exists. God is pure goodness and love. Hell could well be a place where there is little or no goodness, little or no love, because the beings there do not see either as of any importance.

I see heaven as a place of service, where love and goodness are tended and grown. I see heaven as more work than hell. That's just me. And I would hate to be in that other place.

Thanks for your thoughts my brother. I believe that God is loving and merciful and just. It's also my belief that some lost souls are so far gone that God has no other choice but to put them into the "fiery furnace" (Matthew 13:50) in order that they can be cleansed and saved. It's my understanding that it is NOT a pleasant experience but it is temporary and restorative. Think of it like a sick child hating his oral medication because it tastes awful.

 

[K9Buck]

What about him?

God didn't honor Jonah's choice as to whether or not he would serve God. We do have choices but, ultimately, God's will supersedes everybody else's.

 

[JustAGuy1]

I'm curious what you think God's church looks like.

Just like you and I.

 

[Meriweather]

God didn't honor Jonah's choice as to whether or not he would serve God. We do have choices but, ultimately, God's will supersedes everybody else's.

Actually, I see it as Jonah changing his mind. Going against God wasn't going so well for him, so he decided to try the other way. Jonah is an interesting story. Here is a man, deeply devoted to his people, and here he was being asked to give outsiders a chance to show they were just as good--if not better--than his own people.

 

[Meriweather]

Thanks for your thoughts my brother. I believe that God is loving and merciful and just. It's also my belief that some lost souls are so far gone that God has no other choice but to put them into the "fiery furnace" (Matthew 13:50) in order that they can be cleansed and saved. It's my understanding that it is NOT a pleasant experience but it is temporary and restorative. Think of it like a sick child hating his oral medication because it tastes awful.

Possibly. I do have hell in the category of mystery. We don't know. Putin and his war may be a modern day example. Can you imagine being in the presence of great love and goodness and having to view all the hate, evil, and damage your existence brought about? Two courses of action here: The wish to make reparations (purification that would be painful) or total disregard resulting in never again being in the presence of God (goodness/love).

Possibilities, wondering...but I don't know. It also crosses my mind that God knows our hearts and minds. Often second chances are ignored, disregarded. This life may be enough to inform God whether there is a wish to reform or there is an insistence that love and goodness be blown off.

I would like to think it is impossible to turn from that great love of God. But I don't know everyone. I remember reading that Hitler had a venereal disease known to cause mental problems. If that were the case, what might he have been if he had not been affected by disease?