How many “churches” are there?

[Jethro Bodine]

Only apostles have authority from Christ and only they can send more apostles not some self-appointed preacher with a so called spiritual calling! But ordained bishops and priests. Thanks

The true church of born again believers spread out in all the various churches in the world are doing fine without the authority of your denomination's 'apostles'.

We have pastors and elders, called and gifted according to Ephesians 4:11 who we can recognize, via the Spirit of discernment, who do not teach the superstitions and religiosity of the Catholic church. If it works for you then fine, but we are non-Catholics. We have rejected it's authority because of it's errors of doctrine and practice. We are quite able to 'have church' without the leadership of the Catholic church.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Without an apostle?

Paul was not in attendance at all the churches of his day. It is not necessary to have an apostle present to have a meeting of the saints.

 

[donadams]

The true church of born again believers spread out in all the various churches in the world are doing fine without the authority of your denomination's 'apostles'.

We have pastors and elders, called and gifted according to Ephesians 4:11 who we can recognize, via the Spirit of discernment, who do not teach the superstitions and religiosity of the Catholic church. If it works for you then fine, but we are non-Catholics. We have rejected it's authority because of it's errors of doctrine and practice. We are quite able to 'have church' without the leadership of the Catholic church.

Spiritual anarchy in s not in the new covenant, you are protesting christ and his authority

 

[donadams]

Paul was not in attendance at all the churches of his day. It is not necessary to have an apostle present to have a meeting of the saints.

Has to be under the authority of an apostle but the can ordained priests to help

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Spiritual anarchy in s not in the new covenant, you are protesting christ and his authority

500 years of born again, Spirit-filled people say you are WRONG!

We don't need the Catholic church. If it works for you, fine, but we don't need it.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Has to be under the authority of an apostle but the can ordained priests to help

In the absence of the structure and authority of the original church under the original Apostles, believers have Jesus' and the Apostle's teachings in the Bible, and the Holy Spirit of discernment to teach and guide them into truth, unhindered and obstructed by the carnal teachings of the Catholic church who corrupted those teachings to the point the Catholic church had to be abandoned.

 

[donadams]

500 years of born again, Spirit-filled people say you are WRONG!

We don't need the Catholic church. If it works for you, fine, but we don't need it.

You saying you don’t need Christ?

 

[donadams]

500 years of born again, Spirit-filled people say you are WRONG!

We don't need the Catholic church. If it works for you, fine, but we don't need it.

One universal church one new covenant For all men
You reject the faith which is the first requirement for salvation

 

[donadams]

One universal church one new covenant For all men
You reject the faith which is the first requirement for salvation

One universal church one new covenant For all men
You reject the faith which is the first requirement for salvation

 

[donadams]

In the absence of the structure and authority of the original church under the original Apostles, believers have Jesus' and the Apostle's teachings in the Bible, and the Holy Spirit of discernment to teach and guide them into truth, unhindered and obstructed by the carnal teachings of the Catholic church who corrupted those teachings to the point the Catholic church had to be abandoned.

Spiritual anarchy to the max

Spiritual anarchy essentially it is pride!

Like Saul, he thought he was acting righteously and doing God’s will, did not need Christ and his apostolic church, he found out different as the blinding light Christ revealed!

We have no authority to decide faith, doctrine or truth for ourselves by any means including scripture study!

Jn 14:6 Jesus Christ (not you) is the way, the truth, and the life!

Jn 1:16-17 grace and truth come by Jesus Christ!

Truth must be revealed by God thru Christ to His church (the apostles Jude 1:3) then must be proposed by the church, (Matt 28:19 gal 3:23) without error by the Holy Spirit! (Jn 16:13)

Christ and His church are one! (Acts 9:4 eph 5:32 Jn 15:1-5)

We must be taught or instructed:
Lk 1:4
Matt 28:19
Jn 20:21
Acts 8:31
Colossians 2:7
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught…

No Christian has the authority to read scripture for yourself and decide your own doctrines or beliefs! Eph 4:5 Jude 1:3

 

[Jethro Bodine]

You saying you don’t need Christ?

What I don't need is the Catholic church. The Catholic church is not Christ. It may have some Christians in it but it is not Christ. No Christian organization is. The Son of God is not an organization.

I understand how Catholic teaching has made it so you can only grasp Christ that way, as an organization. I don't have that limitation because, thankfully, I did not grow up under Catholic teaching nor have I ever been under the influence of Catholic teaching as a seeker of Christ, or as a saved believer.

I truly do thank God for that. I can more easily see the truth of scripture because I don't have the control and hindrance of a preconceived religous ideology through which my understanding gets filtered. I am a free agent. The Holy Spirit himself teaches me as I read my Bible for myself and I talk to other believers who read their Bibles for themselves, too. And together we sort out the truth as we learn from each other. I know that is forbidden in the Catholic church and you are only allowed to believe what the leadership of the church discerns for you. I could never attend a church like that. Not to mention that's its practices are carnally minded and misguided, even unBiblical. No thanks. I don't need that. If it works for you, great. But since I have encountered amazing fellowship with God and learning through the style of meeting together taught in the Bible (ignored by Catholics and most churches) I could never go back to cold dead regimented 'religion'.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

One universal church one new covenant For all men

The church is CHRIST AND HIS BODY, not a religious organization.

You do not have to meet under the auspices of the Catholic church or any other religious organization to be the church. The church is Christ and the members of his body, not an organization with a certain set of religious beliefs and practices that you must attend and participate in in order to be the church.

You reject the faith which is the first requirement for salvation

I do believe. I believe that Jesus is the sacrifice that God requires for the forgiveness of sin. That is the faith that justifies and which solicits the imputation of the right standing that comes from God apart from works, not from doing works of righteousness.

This is the fundamental reason why non-Catholics, who know better, can never be Catholics: Righteousness comes from God and is given as a free gift of his grace by believing that Christ is the sacrifice that forgives all sin and makes one righteous. Catholics do righteous things to be righteous. That is the works justification gospel that can not save. It's the reason why the Catholic church had to be abandoned. They believe righteousness is given in exchange for doing righteous deeds and rituals instead of righteousness being given as a free gift of God's grace when you believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, apart from the performance of deeds and rituals.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

No Christian has the authority to read scripture for yourself...

All believers can read the scriptures for themselves.

The Catholic church suppressed this truth from believers for centuries.
Thank God for the Reformation that broke the iron fist of the Catholic church.

...and decide your own doctrines or beliefs! Eph 4:5 Jude 1:3

Correct. No one is to create their own doctrines and beliefs. We are to only learn and believe the ones taught by Jesus and the original Apostles recorded for us in the pages of the Bible. Teachings every believer is free to read and study and learn for themselves.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

We must be taught or instructed:
Lk 1:4
Matt 28:19
Jn 20:21
Acts 8:31
Colossians 2:7

14I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another. Romans 15:14

These words can NEVER be spoken in the Catholic church, because it says only the hierarchy can discern truth and teach it to you. As we can see from the Apostle Paul that is a complete and total lie. A lie used by the Catholic church to control the masses and preserve the necessity for their paid positions. Perhaps what the Catholic church fears most is the truth that believers do not need them.

 

[donadams]

What I don't need is the Catholic church. The Catholic church is not Christ. It may have some Christians in it but it is not Christ. No Christian organization is. The Son of God is not an organization.

I understand how Catholic teaching has made it so you can only grasp Christ that way, as an organization. I don't have that limitation because, thankfully, I did not grow up under Catholic teaching nor have I ever been under the influence of Catholic teaching as a seeker of Christ, or as a saved believer.

I truly do thank God for that. I can more easily see the truth of scripture because I don't have the control and hindrance of a preconceived religous ideology through which my understanding gets filtered. I am a free agent. The Holy Spirit himself teaches me as I read my Bible for myself and I talk to other believers who read their Bibles for themselves, too. And together we sort out the truth as we learn from each other. I know that is forbidden in the Catholic church and you are only allowed to believe what the leadership of the church discerns for you. I could never attend a church like that. Not to mention that's its practices are carnally minded and misguided, even unBiblical. No thanks. I don't need that. If it works for you, great. But since I have encountered amazing fellowship with God and learning through the style of meeting together taught in the Bible (ignored by Catholics and most churches) I could never go back to cold dead regimented 'religion'.

Please explain acts 9:4?

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Please explain acts 9:4?

What's to explain?

 

[donadams]

The church is CHRIST AND HIS BODY, not a religious organization.

You do not have to meet under the auspices of the Catholic church or any other religious organization to be the church. The church is Christ and the members of his body, not an organization with a certain set of religious beliefs and practices that you must attend and participate in in order to be the church.


I do believe. I believe that Jesus is the sacrifice that God requires for the forgiveness of sin. That is the faith that justifies and which solicits the imputation of the right standing that comes from God apart from works, not from doing works of righteousness.

This is the fundamental reason why non-Catholics, who know better, can never be Catholics: Righteousness comes from God and is given as a free gift of his grace by believing that Christ is the sacrifice that forgives all sin and makes one righteous. Catholics do righteous things to be righteous. That is the works justification gospel that can not save. It's the reason why the Catholic church had to be abandoned. They believe righteousness is given in exchange for doing righteous deeds and rituals instead of righteousness being given as a free gift of God's grace when you believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, apart from the performance of deeds and rituals.

Explain Matt 5:7 please?

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Explain Matt 5:7 please?

You're going to have to be more specific. These are self explanatory verses you're sharing.

If you're somehow trying to show the Catholic church is the one true church you'll have to connect the dots.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Explain Matt 5:7 please?

Are you trying to show that the Catholic belief that the grace of God is earned by works, not given as a free gift when you believe and are justified (as was Abraham)?

 

[donadams]

What's to explain?

Christ and his church are one!