Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
For the record:
I am NOT a protestant.
I am NOT a Catholic.
I am NOT a reformer.
I am simply a Christian.
Acts 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
As for cleaning "my own house", I have no problems with that, and I try to do it on a daily basis. Being fairly "Pete-centric" is a given and my brothers can see me better than I can. When you intimate that I "answer to no one", you obviously have no clue what I believe in. But yes, as a tool for discussion it really has no place, which is why I never addressed it.
BTW, I find that your separation of "tradition and scripture" completely ignores God's power. You see this as merely a human effort, while I see a superhuman force at work. Scripture is referred to as "graphe" or that which is written. No where do the authors of the New Testament restrict that meaning and exclude the letters and Gospels that were written. I only see inclusion of the apostle's teachings here and not other wise. I DO however, see the exclusion of any ADDITIONAL teachings (Galatians and Revelations) as well as evidence that there were several apostate churches who had LEFT the Apostle's teachings. Was the Catholic sect one of these? You must decide for yourself. But they obviously do not hold only to the teachings of the apostles.
You have repeatedly made the case that Catholics also wrote what we have come to call the New Testament. I have yet to hear a retraction of that statement in spite of no compelling evidence (Christian or Catholic) to support it. I do appreciate that you are far less strident in your assertion here.
You have also pointed out that the bishop who canonized the scriptures referred to the catholic Church, and not the Catholic church. Not even he referred to the church by any other name than the "church" and yet you maintain the "superiority" of your sect for doing this or that.
Matthew 6:1 "Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
You asked earlier how we could "identify" the men to listen to. I tried to answer, but technology got in the way! The answer is WAY simple. Look at their fruit.
Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' 24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Galations 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
So inspect the fruit. If you like what you see, then great. Just remember your salvation may just depend on it.
I am NOT a protestant.
I am NOT a Catholic.
I am NOT a reformer.
I am simply a Christian.
Acts 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
As for cleaning "my own house", I have no problems with that, and I try to do it on a daily basis. Being fairly "Pete-centric" is a given and my brothers can see me better than I can. When you intimate that I "answer to no one", you obviously have no clue what I believe in. But yes, as a tool for discussion it really has no place, which is why I never addressed it.
BTW, I find that your separation of "tradition and scripture" completely ignores God's power. You see this as merely a human effort, while I see a superhuman force at work. Scripture is referred to as "graphe" or that which is written. No where do the authors of the New Testament restrict that meaning and exclude the letters and Gospels that were written. I only see inclusion of the apostle's teachings here and not other wise. I DO however, see the exclusion of any ADDITIONAL teachings (Galatians and Revelations) as well as evidence that there were several apostate churches who had LEFT the Apostle's teachings. Was the Catholic sect one of these? You must decide for yourself. But they obviously do not hold only to the teachings of the apostles.
You have repeatedly made the case that Catholics also wrote what we have come to call the New Testament. I have yet to hear a retraction of that statement in spite of no compelling evidence (Christian or Catholic) to support it. I do appreciate that you are far less strident in your assertion here.
You have also pointed out that the bishop who canonized the scriptures referred to the catholic Church, and not the Catholic church. Not even he referred to the church by any other name than the "church" and yet you maintain the "superiority" of your sect for doing this or that.
Matthew 6:1 "Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
You asked earlier how we could "identify" the men to listen to. I tried to answer, but technology got in the way! The answer is WAY simple. Look at their fruit.
Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' 24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Galations 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
So inspect the fruit. If you like what you see, then great. Just remember your salvation may just depend on it.
