jakejonesiv

I would say go with the church that
1. Loves Jews in Israel and hates Jews in Holywood
2. Burns the most books
3. Favors the maximum amount of constitutional amendments.
4. Speaks in the most tongues.
5. If they handle snakes and drink poison you don't need rules 1-4.

Faithful

I see what you are getting at now. I just gave you the short - quick answer.

The members in the congregation of my church get out their Bibles as the pastor makes references during his sermon. Some churches they never open a Bible. The preacher will perhaps quote one scripture and speak on that one portion.

I don't have a problem with different doctrines/interpretations in the Protestant church. The Bible says that we are all one body, but have different parts. However I would look at some core beliefs, such as it must believe in a triune God, and teach that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and we personally have to accept him into our lives. The church must believe that the Bible is inerrantly inspired by God.

Doug Shaver

I remember doing that, along with the other members, when I attended a Bible-based church.

But you have a problem with interpretations in the Roman Catholic Church, I take it? I understand. So did my church.

Uh oh. My church taught, with lots of scriptural backing, that the Trinity was invented by those heathen Catholics, and anybody who believed in it was going to burn in hell right alongside the pope.

My church believed that, absolutely, and we didn't see any Trinity anywhere in the Bible.

Faithful

The word Bible isn't in the Bible either, The Trinity wasn't invented by the Catholics. It has been around as long as God has existed. Trinity/triune means three, so here is a sample of references to a triune God in the Bible.

Matthew 28:19
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Doug Shaver

I didn't mean that I couldn't find the word. I meant that I couldn't find the concept.

You say so. As my church interpreted the Bible, it does not say so.

You have your proof texts. We had ours. And more of them.

Faithful

Were/are you a Roman Catholic Doug Shaver??

voodoomage

He referred to them as "heathen catholics"... I seriously doubt that he's a roman catholic.

Anyhow, to stay on track, Doug Shaver is absolutely right. I've been to several churches where they do exactly the same thing as you do - open the bible and "follow along" with the pastor, but it doesn't mean diddly squat. Baptists, methodists, adventists, and all sorts of churches in all sorts of denominations open their bibles during the service and read. Just vecause you're following along doesn't mean you're interpreting it the same way.

jakejonesiv

Where does the Bible, as a compilation of texts as we know it now, claim for itself inerrancy?

When did the Bible get its name, and who named it?

Jake Jones IV

jakejonesiv

According to Matthew 16:17-19, didn't Jesus appoint Peter to be the first Pope?

Matthew 16
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Didn't a bunch of Catholic Bishops choose your Bible for you? (Council of Nicaea 325 CE).

Where were the Protestants before Martin Luther?

Jake Jones IV
P.S., No, I am not a Catholic.

Faithful

If you are a true believer, we call it insight and discernment. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom to help the scriptures come alive and have depth. We could be reading the Bible for years and gain new understandg every time we open its pages.

My faith doesn't have legalistic boundaries on it. The Bible talks about baptism. The church I grew up in never practiced baptism by immersion, so therefore I have never been baptized. I am not against it, but I have enough confidence in my salvation not to have it done.

As long as I follow the core message of "Ye must be born again" and believe in a triune God, how I interpret the rest of the scriptures is between me and him and what he puts on my conscience. I don't have a conscience about baptism, but others may have. That's the freedom that comes with personally knowing Jesus.