Christ as the only head and shepherd of the church
Claim examined: Faith, grace, and obedience
Scriptural Answer
rod, You wrote, "If you maintain that your Bible is complete and correct, but you deny the works of Martin Luther, you are in error." If this is true, then please tell everyone rod why the name "Martin Luther" is NOT mentioned in the Bible??? If I claim that the Bible (without the Apocrypha) is COMPLETE and CORRECT (and it is), then if I deny the works of a MAN (Martin Luther), how am I in error??? If the Jews who were entrusted with the "oracles of God" (the Old Testament - Romans 3:1-2), how can you make the FALSE CLAIM that the Catholic Church has any AUTHORITY to ADD to the Scriptures if they were NEVER entrusted them at all??? It is the Catholic Church that is in ERROR for ADDING to God's word. You wrote, "Why haven't you questioned Luther, yet you criticize his false faith? I'm not so sure that you can have both feet in different rooms. If you believe the Bible that you keep, then you have to acknowledge that Luther was correct in censoring the Bible. If you criticize Luther, than you must give some credit to the compilers of the Catholic Bible. Which one will it be?" Because Luther was NOT a Christian to begin with!!! He went from one extreme (a meritorious works based salvation - the Catholic Church) to the other extreme (salvation based on faith only - ALL Denominations) of which NEITHER are CORRECT. James, You wrote, "You are anti-Catholic. You are anti-Blessed Virgin Mary (you deny her Virginity and you probably think she is the whore of Babylon)" Yes, I am "Anti-Catholic" because there is NO such thing as a Catholic-Christian. I do NOT deny that Mary was a Virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. What I deny is that she remained a Virgin after Jesus was born. Your FALSE DOCTRINE that Mary remained a "perpetual Virgin" is WITHOUT Biblical support!!! Not only is this without a basis from God's word, it is an outright CONTRADICTION of what is said in Matthew 13:55-56. The inspired record also says of Joseph, "and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son..." (Matt. 1:25). It is OBVIOUS that Catholics have NOT read their Bible for the text PLAINLY states that Mary did NOT remain a Virgin after the birth of Jesus. You wrote, "You are anti-Pope (you probably think he is the Anti-Christ) You are anti-anything Catholic. You are anti-anything related to anything Catholic." To this I say AMEN!!!! The Word of God AND the church of Christ is ANTI to anything related to anyone who is a Catholic. I showed you how the Catholic FALSE DOCTRINE of SPRINKLING and POURING is NOT in accordance with the Word of God and I CHALLENGE you to PROVE ME WRONG!!! There is NO SUCH THING as the office of Pope listed in the Word of God. The Pope, who IS THE MAN OF SIN as the Apostle Paul described him in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, " WHO OPPOSES AND EXALTS HIMSELF ABOVE ALL that is called God or that is worshiped, so that HE SITS AS GOD in the temple of God, SHOWING HIMSELF THAT HE IS GOD." Paul continues in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, "And now you know what is restraining, that HE MAY BE REVEALED IN HIS OWN TIME. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way." The mystery of "lawlessness" was this as stated by Paul in Acts 20:29-30, "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves." This is EXACTLY what happened with the eldership as they moved to "draw away the disciples after themselves" and eventually ended up with ONE elder (or bishop), the Pope in charge. The force that was "restraining" was the Roman Empire. The Pope did NOT come into power UNTIL the Roman Empire was overthrown. Paul continued his description of the MAN OF SIN (the Pope) in 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, WITH ALL POWER, SIGNS, and LYING WONDERS, and with ALL UNRIGHTEOUS DECEPTION AMONG THOSE WHO PERISH, because THEY DID NOT RECEIVE THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH, that they might be saved. And for this reason GOD WILL SEND THEM STRONG DELUSION, that THEY SHOULD BELIEVE THE LIE, that THEY ALL MAY BE CONDEMNED who DID NOT BELIEVE the TRUTH but HAD PLEASURE in UNRIGHTEOUSNESS." Catholics BELIEVE THE LIE that the Pope is the head of the church and they WILL PERISH. You wrote, "You worship on the Sabbath Day ~ Saturday for you. (The New Testament Holy Apostles gather for Mass on Sunday)" No, this is another FALSE ACCUSATION. I told you that Catholics DENY the Ten Commandments for the FOURTH COMMANDMENT PLAINLY states to "keep the Sabbath day HOLY" and if you claim that the Ten Commandments are in force, then you are BREAKING THEM for NOT OBSERVING the Sabbath day as God CLEARLY and PLAINLY COMMANDS. I do NOT worship on the Sabbath day, for the Sabbath day was ONLY given to the Jews as were the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were NEVER given to the New Testament church to observe!!! They along with all of the Old Testament were NAILED TO THE CROSS when Jesus died. (Colossians 2:14). You continued with: "YOU MUST BE a Seventh-Day Adventist!!! Huh! If your are, then I would know what kind of SNAKE I'm dealing with (or would rather not deal with.) Even mainstream Protestants do not like your kind ~ they think your religion is a cult! You follow the cultic teachings of Ellen White! Is that the the Deluded church you belong to? (you probably think you belong to the "remnant church") If not, what is your FANTASTIC church ??? Reveal your SPOTS!" I am NOT a "Seventh-Day Adventist" because the First day of the week - Sunday is our day of worship. If you would have read my last post, you would not have wasted your time in stating that I followed the "cultic teachings of Ellen White". Go back and re-read my last post to find out the church of which I am a member. You wrote, "If ever you get to Heaven (the one where the Most Holy Trinity is, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and part of the Catholic Church is right now;" The FALSE DOCTRINE that Mary was taken into heaven (the assumption of Mary) is NOT TAUGHT in the Bible. Virginity before marriage is a virtue, but after marriage it is NOT a virtue (Heb. 13:4). In fact, to refuse the sexual union with one's marriage spouse (Joseph) is a SIN because it tempts one's spouse to commit fornication (1 Cor. 7:2-5). Jesus had "brothers and sisters" in the very same sense that Mary was His "mother" (Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 6:3). (Note that "sister" NEVER refers in the gospel to a cousin or more distant relative. There was a different Greek word for a female cousin or kinswoman - Luke 1:36.) You wrote: "the remainder of the Catholic Church will be in Heaven as well) you will be in the presence of the Mother of God, The QUEEN OF HEAVEN ~ The Blessed Virgin Mary." This is another FALSE Catholic doctrine that Mary is the "QUEEN OF HEAVEN"!!! If Mary is the "queen of heaven", I CHALLENGE you to PROVE IT!!! Please show everyone here James where the Word of God EVER states that Mary is the "queen of heaven"! You wrote, "I advise you to make ammends with her right now by praying this prayer with your whole heart (also, Jesus Christ is angry with you for blaspheming His Mother!" I have NOT offended Mary, for Mary does NOT know anything for she is dead. Ecclesiastes 9:5 states, "But the dead know nothing," Jesus is also NOT "angry" with me as you FALSELY accuse me once again for He PLAINLY stated in Luke 8:21, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it." How can someone "blaspheme" something that is NOT TRUE to begin with??? You wrote, "Also, St. Peter, the First Pope is angry with you as well!)" "And he (Christ) is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He (Christ) might have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18). "And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him (Christ) to be the head over all things to the church" (Ephesians 1:22). "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church" (Ephesians 5:23). The Catholic Church, in acknowledging the clear teaching in Scripture that Christ is the head of the church, attempts to justify its position by stating that the pope is the visible head while Christ is the invisible head. This, PLAINLY and CLEARLY CONTRADICTS the Biblical picture of the church as a body; WHAT BODY HAS TWO HEADS??? Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:14). He further said that there would be "one flock with one shepherd" (John 10:16). NOT TWO SHEPHERDS! Thus, there is NO such thing as the office of Pope. The Pope is called the Vicar of Christ as the Head of the Church on earth. Vicar means deputy; one who takes another's place. However, in John 14:26, 15:26 and 16:7 we read of the TRUE Vicar of Christ, the Holy Spirit. Why does man think it right to ascribe to a man that which is only rightly ascribed to God, His Son, or the Holy Spirit?! James, if you remain a Catholic, you will NOT be saved!!! I will pray that God will open your eyes to the TRUTH of His word that you might be saved. God has laid down the requirements for salvation. He has COMMANDED us to: 1. Hear the gospel (Rom. 10:17, Jas. 1:21) 2. Believe the gospel (John 8:24, Heb. 11:6, John 3:16, John 6:45) 3. Repent of our sins (Acts 17:30, Acts 26:2, Luke 13:3) 4. Confess Jesus as Lord (Phil. 2:11, John 12:42, Rom. 10:9, Matt. 10:32, Acts 8:37) 5. Be Baptized for the forgiveness of our sins (Matt. 28:19, John 3:5, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38) 6. Remain faithful until we die. (Rev. 2:10) Only those who OBEY God will receive salvation. You will be shocked to find on judgment day that you have been lied to by the Catholic Church, and while you are still on earth, it is not too late for you to obey the gospel and be saved. Jesus said in Luke 6:46, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" Unless you obey the gospel, YOU WILL BE LOST. (2 Thes. 1:7). Now is a good time for you to study the Book of Acts where the Holy Spirit has recorded several accounts of conversion and salvation. When you do what they did you will be as they were. This is what one must do to be saved. Please consult Acts 2:14-47; 6:7; 8:4-13, 26-40; 9:6, 17-19; 22:16; 10:34-48; 11:14; 15:7-11; 16:14, 15; 18:7, 8; 19:1-5.
KJV Scriptures Used
Read each passage in its chapter and compare the Scriptures together.