Coke Bear said:
Oldbear83 said:
Please pray for guidance before posting a blast, brother. Otherwise you will have to explain attacking a brother to our Lord.
I can only say again that I do not depend on any human tradition. Scripture is there for us all, and it is both trustworthy and consistent. The errors happen when people start looking for reasons to claim Scripture is not saying what it plainly says.
Finally, FLBear speaks wisely when he commends us to make arguments only to essentials when addressing other Christians. Looking for reasons to be angry with fellow Christians certainly grieves the Holy Spirit.
Fair enough, I ask that you do the same when you post about the Church when you post comments like this -
Oldbear83 said:
Again, I go by Scripture. Never by what some guy with a title and pride says.
Having said that, do you disagree that Catholics (and Orthos) are reading what the Greek says plainly?
I want to address first a few of your recent comments, as they speak to the tone of the discussion, and my response may help illuminate my perspective.
Coke Bear:
"Tradition - You too are following a tradition. A tradition started by anti-Catholics 500 years ago."This is, in my opinion,, a common but false allegation. I understand that Roman Catholics are biter about the Protestant Reformation, but it sometimes feels like a guy who speeds on his way to work getting angry about the ticket he receives from the cops, because he feels like he established a precedent by getting away with speeding for so long before he got pulled over.
I certainly agree that there are a few people so bitter that their religion becomes opposition to Roman Catholicism. I would caution my RC brothers to not become the counterparts, hating Protestants automatically on the assumption that we are all haters of Roman Catholics. Frankly, it is a wrong path for any Christian to make a decision about our brothers or sisters based on hatred, or its close friend, hot anger.
I accepted Christ not out of tradition, but out of contrition for my sins, belief in the Gospel, and faith in Christ's promise to all who accept Him as Lord. I believe in God the Father, Christ His Son Our Lord, and in the Holy Spirit. No human tradition drove that decision, then or now.
Coke Bear: "
First - Jesus was first born, but by your account doesn't make him right because he would have had siblings. Your argument is silly."
You seem to have forgotten that I was addressing the Roman Catholic claim that your position is superior because you came first, and that Protestant denominations only had what you gave them. I simply demonstrated that coming first, of itself, proves nothing. Your last sentence: '
your argument is silly' - sums up my message to you.
Coke Bear: "
You say you follow Jesus, but you reject what HE said in Aramaic and written in Greek."What precisely did Jesus say, that you claim I am rejecting? Keep in mind that rejecting your
interpretation of what Jesus said is not at all rejecting what Jesus clearly said, and nowhere - with regard to this topic - did Jesus deny that Mary had other children after having Jesus, and nowhere did Jesus ever say that Mary was a '
perpetual virgin'. Those are human inventions, and it is no sin to note that.
Coke Bear:
"Finally, it is apparent that you cannot answer honestly why Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli believed that Mary was a perpetual virgin."As I noted in the first part, and several times before, what one or many humans believe in no way drives what is true, and in no way compels me to agree with them simply because they were famous in their time.
The Roman Catholics seem to put great stock in human opinion, especially if that human was famous or prominent or popular. But God often prefers men willing to stand alone, and the Bible is plain on that truth,
Gideon was such a man, and God counseled him to
reduce the number of his men in order to find victory.
Jeremiah was an unpopular man, and suffered much as a prophet for that reason, but he was a true and worthy prophet of the Lord.
Joseph the son of Isreal was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery, but he was right.
Job lived righteously but when his troubles came upon him, his family and friends deserted him. God alone vindicated Job.
Being right in God's eyes, therefore, is not a matter of popularity with men, but by walking faith according to the Holy Spirit. I do not follow Luther, Calvin, or Zwingli. I follow Christ. And I do not accept the word of man according to what men find popular, but try all claims by Scripture, and so trust in the Lord for my beliefs.
I hope this brings light to the discussion.
That which does not kill me, will try again and get nastier