I'm debating a protestant who thinks the Catholic Church, and every sect of Protestantism, is the whore of babylon (Mother {RCC} of all harlots and abominations {protestants}). What do you think he is? Maybe he's a Jehovah's Witness?
but anyways, I've been debating him, and it's been very confusing, lately, so here's what I have compiled, at best, from our debates together, via youtube:
From what I could piece together…
GUY
‪He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 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. 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. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ."‬
‪If you compare this to Acts 4:11-13, you can see that it is only by the name of Jesus Christ that the apostles had power to loose and to bind, and to heal. And that it is Jesus Christ Who is the STONE that the builders rejected. There is no power in Peter's name, or in any name, save for the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.‬
‪"If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.' Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."‬
‪Now look at Revelation 21:14 ..... We see in the above verses that Jesus Christ is the Rock and the Cornerstone upon which the Church of God was built. And then in Revelation, we see that the 12 apostles are the foundation of the wall of the city, which is the New Jerusalem coming from Heaven. The 12 apostles, this includes Peter, who was never the Rock but part of the foundation of the New Jerusalem.‬
‪Revelation 21:14 - "The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."‬
ME
I'll get back regarding the other verses.
but why do you believe liturgical services are bad?
GUY
‪I've found that often times when people attack each other in religious debates, it's because they want others to come under their submission, rather than having people be under submission to the Word of God. I think maybe a lot of it has to do with pride, in which case, the people are in danger. Christ warned us that pride comes before destruction.‬
‪But there's something else. The Catholic and Protestant churches form the Antichrist religious system that Jesus warned us against. I think we see this false system even more concentrated on the Internet, and on youtube. When I hop from 'Christian' channel to channel, it's like I'm hopping from one church to another/one denomination to another. All the Catholic and Protestant sects appear to be represented here, which is why there's so much chaos and confusion. God is not the author of confusion, but the devil is.‬
ME
‪Jesus said to Peter, "Thou Art Peter, AND Upon This Rock, I will Build ETC...‬
‪NOT Thou Art Peter "but" "however" etc... ‬
‪
http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/peter's-authority‬‪The Letter of Clement to James‬
‪"Be it known to you, my lord, that Simon [Peter], who, for the sake of the true faith, and the most sure foundation of his doctrine, was set apart to be the foundation of the Church, and for this end was by Jesus himself, with his truthful mouth, named Peter" (Letter of Clement to James 2 [A.D. 221]). ‬
‪The Clementine Homilies‬
‪"[Simon Peter said to Simon Magus in Rome:] 'For you now stand in direct opposition to me, who am a firm rock, the foundation of the Church' [Matt. 16:18]" (Clementine Homilies 17:19 [A.D. 221]). ‬
‪Origen‬
‪"Look at [Peter], the great foundation of the Church, that most solid of rocks, upon whom Christ built the Church [Matt. 16:18]. And what does our Lord say to him? 'Oh you of little faith,' he says, 'why do you doubt?' [Matt. 14:31]" (Homilies on Exodus 5:4 [A.D. 248]). ‬
‪Cyprian of Carthage‬
‪"The Lord says to Peter: 'I say to you,' he says, 'that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it. And to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven . . . ' [Matt. 16:18--19]. On him [Peter] he builds the Church, and to him he gives the command to feed the sheep [John 21:17], and although he assigns a like power to all the apostles, yet he founded a single chair [cathedra], and he established by his own authority a source and an intrinsic reason for that unity. Indeed, the others were that also which Peter was [i.e., apostles], but a primacy is given to Peter, whereby it is made clear that there is but one Church and one chair. . . . If someone does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? If he [should] desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can he still be confident that he is in the Church?" (The Unity of the Catholic Church 4; 1st edition [A.D. 251]). ‬
‪"There is one God and one Christ, and one Church, and one chair founded on Peter by the word of the Lord. It is not possible to set up another altar or for there to be another priesthood besides that one altar and that one priesthood. Whoever has gathered elsewhere is scattering" (Letters 43[40]:5 [A.D. 253]). ‬
‪"There [John 6:68--69] speaks Peter, upon whom the Church would be built, teaching in the name of the Church and showing that even if a stubborn and proud multitude withdraws because it does not wish to obey, yet the Church does not withdraw from Christ. The people joined to the priest and the flock clinging to their shepherd are the Church. You ought to know, then, that the bishop is in the Church and the Church in the bishop, and if someone is not with the bishop, he is not in the Church. They vainly flatter themselves who creep up, not having peace with the priests of God, believing that they are ‬
‪secretly [i.e., invisibly] in communion with certain individuals. For the Church, which is one and Catholic, is not split nor divided, but it is indeed united and joined by the cement of priests who adhere one to another" (ibid., 66[69]:8). ‬
‪Firmilian‬
‪"But what is his error . . . who does not remain on the foundation of the one Church which was founded upon the rock by Christ [Matt. 16:18], can be learned from this, which Christ said to Peter alone: 'Whatever things you shall bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth, they shall be loosed in heaven' [Matt. 16:19]" (collected in Cyprian's Letters74[75]:16 [A.D. 253]). ‬
‪"[Pope] Stephen
. . . boasts of the place of his episcopate, and contends that he holds the succession from Peter, on whom the foundations of the Church were laid [Matt. 16:18]. . . . [Pope] Stephen . . . announces that he holds by succession the throne of Peter" (ibid., 74[75]:17). ‬
‪Ephraim the Syrian‬
‪"[Jesus said:] 'Simon, my follower, I have made you the foundation of the holy Church. I betimes called you Peter, because you will support all its buildings. You are the inspector of those who will build on earth a Church for me. If they should wish to build what is false, you, the foundation, will condemn them. You are the head of the fountain from which my teaching flows; you are the chief of my disciples'" (Homilies 4:1 [A.D. 351]). ‬
‪Optatus‬
‪"You cannot deny that you are aware that in the city of Rome the episcopal chair was given first to Peter; the chair in which Peter sat, the same who was head—that is why he is also called Cephas ['Rock']—of all the apostles; the one chair in which unity is maintained by all" (The Schism of the Donatists 2:2 [A.D. 367]). ‬
‪Ambrose of Milan‬
‪"[Christ] made answer: 'You are Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church. . . . ' Could he not, then, strengthen the faith of the man to whom, acting on his own authority, he gave the kingdom, whom he called the rock, thereby declaring him to be the foundation of the Church [Matt. 16:18]?" (The Faith 4:5 [A.D. 379]). ‬
‪"It is to Peter that he says: 'You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church' [Matt. 16:18]. Where Peter is, there is the Church. And where the Church is, no death is there, but life eternal" (Commentary on Twelve Psalms of David 40:30 [A.D. 389]). ‬
‪Pope Damasus I‬
‪"Likewise it is decreed . . . that it ought to be announced that . . . the holy Roman Church has not been placed at the forefront [of the churches] by the conciliar decisions of other churches, but has received the primacy by the evangelic voice of our Lord and Savior, who says: 'You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; and I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. . . . ' [Matt. 16:18--19]. The first see, therefore, is that of Peter the apostle, that of the Roman Church, which has neither stain nor blemish nor anything like it" (Decree of Damasus 3 [A.D. 382]). ‬
‪Jerome‬
‪"'But,' you [Jovinian] will say, 'it was on Peter that the Church was founded' [Matt. 16:18]. Well . . . one among the twelve is chosen to be their head in order to remove any occasion for division" (Against Jovinian 1:26 [A.D. 393]). ‬
‪"I follow no leader but Christ and join in communion with none but your blessedness [Pope Damasus I], that is, with the chair of Peter. I know that this is the rock on which the Church has been built. Whoever eats the Lamb outside this house is profane. Anyone who is not in the ark of Noah will perish when the flood prevails" (Letters 15:2 [A.D. 396]). ‬
‪Augustine‬
‪"If the very order of episcopal succession is to be considered, how much more surely, truly, and safely do we number them [the bishops of Rome] from Peter himself, to whom, as to one representing the whole Church, the Lord said, 'Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not conquer it.' Peter was succeeded by Linus, Linus by Clement. ... In this order of succession a Donatist bishop is not to be found" (Letters 53:1:2 [A.D. 412]). ‬
‪Council of Ephesus‬
‪"Philip, the presbyter and legate of the Apostolic See [Rome], said: 'There is no doubt, and in fact it has been known in all ages, that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the apostles, pillar of the faith, and foundation of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the human race, and that to him was given the power of loosing and binding sins: who down even to today and forever both lives and judges in his successors'" (Acts of the Council, session 3 [A.D. 431]). ‬
‪Sechnall of Ireland‬
‪"Steadfast in the fear of God, and in faith immovable, upon [Patrick] as upon Peter the [Irish] church is built; and he has been allotted his apostleship by God; against him the gates of hell prevail not" (Hymn in Praise of St. Patrick 3 [A.D. 444]). ‬
‪Pope Leo I‬
‪"Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . has placed the principal charge on the blessed Peter, chief of all the apostles. . . . He wished him who had been received into partnership in his undivided unity to be named what he himself was, when he said: 'You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church' [Matt. 16:18], that the building of the eternal temple might rest on Peter's solid rock, strengthening his Church so surely that neither could human rashness assail it nor the gates of hell prevail against it" (Letters 10:1 [A.D. 445]). ‬
‪Council of Chalcedon‬
‪"Wherefore the most holy and blessed Leo, archbishop of the great and elder Rome, through us, and through this present most holy synod, together with the thrice blessed and all-glorious Peter the apostle, who is the rock and foundation of the Catholic Church, and the foundation of the orthodox faith, has stripped him [Dioscorus] of the episcopate" (Acts of the Council, session 3 [A.D. 451]). ‬
‪"I think it my duty to consult the Chair of Peter, and to turn to a church whose faith has been praised by Paul...My words are spoken to the SUCCESSOR of the fisherman, to the disciple of the cross." St.Jerome, To Pope Damasus, Epistle 15 (A.D. 377)‬
‪"For what purpose did He shed His blood? It was that He might win these sheep which He entrusted to Peter and his successors." St.John Chrysostom (A.D.387)‬
‪"I am held in the communion of the Catholic Church by...and by the SUCCESSION of Bishops from the very seat of Peter, to whom the Lord, after His resurrection commended His sheep to be fed up to the present episcopate." St.Augustine (A.D. 395)‬
‪"Philip, presbyter and legate of the Apostolic See, said: There is no doubt, and in fact it has been known in ALL AGES, that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the apostles, pillar of the faith, and FOUNDATION of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of the human race, and that to him was given the power of loosing and binding sins: Our holy and most blessed Pope Celestine the Bishop is according to due order his SUCCESSOR and holds his place...Accordingly the decision of all churches is firm, for the priests of the eastern and western churches are present...Wherefore Nestorius knows that he is alienated from the communion of the priests of the Catholic Church." ***Ecuмenical Council of Ephesus*** Session III (A.D. 431)‬
‪"Peter in his successors has delivered what he received." Pope Sixtus III To John of Antioch, Epistle 6 (A.D. 433)‬
‪St. Theodore the Studite of Constantinople (759-826) says, writing to Pope ‬
‪Leo III ....‬
‪Since to great Peter Christ our Lord gave the office of Chief Shepherd after entrusting him with the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, to Peter or his SUCCESSOR must of necessity every novelty in the Catholic Church be referred." (Theodore, Bk. I. Ep. 23)‬
‪St.John 13:20 - Jesus says, "he who receives anyone who I send, receives Me." He who receives the apostles, receives Christ Himself. He who rejects the apostles and their successors, rejects Christ.‬
‪St.Matthew. 16:19; 18:18 - the apostles are given Christ's authority to make visible decisions on earth that will be ratified in heaven. God raises up humanity in Christ by exalting his chosen leaders and endowing them with the authority and grace they need to bring about the conversion of all. Without a central authority in the Church, there would be chaos (as there is in protestantism).‬
‪Acts 1:15-26 - the first thing Peter does after Jesus ascends into heaven is implement apostolic succession. Matthias is ordained with full apostolic authority. Only the Catholic Church can demonstrate an unbroken apostolic lineage to the apostles in union with Peter through the sacrament of ordination and thereby claim to teach with Christ's own authority.‬
‪Acts 1:20 - a successor of Judas is chosen. The authority of his office (his "bishopric") is respected notwithstanding his egregious sin. The necessity to have apostolic succession in order for the Church to survive was understood by all. God never said, "I'll give you leaders with authority for about 400 years, but after the Bible is compiled, you are all on your own."‬
‪Acts 1:22 - literally, "one must be ordained" to be a witness with us of His resurrection. Apostolic ordination is required in order to teach with Christ's authority.‬
‪my views.‬
‪http://www.scripturecatholic.com/blessed_virgin_mary.html#tradition-I‬
‪back to the new Eve, it was JESUS, not Mary, who saved us, and through Mary's obedience, Jesus took on His Flesh which atoned for the world. she played a special part, though, in redemption. you must admit that.‬
GUY
‪We have to keep the verse within its context, or we lose its meaning. First Jesus asked Peter what he knew, and then Jesus told Peter what He knew. After Peter answered Jesus, Jesus responded by saying that He too knew who Peter was, and Jesus also knew that His Church would be built upon this Rock that was revealed to Peter only by God, Who is Jesus Christ.‬
‪"Thou art Peter, and on this Rock (that was revealed to you by God) I will build my Church"‬
‪Look at 1 Corinthians 1:10-30 very closely .....‬
‪"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?"‬
‪Paul is directly admonishing the very thing that the Catholic church has done with Peter, and Peter himself would admonish the Catholic church for it. By following Peter, the Catholic church has attempted to divide Christ. ‬
‪The crucifixion of Christ, and the baptism into His name are the Rock upon which Christ's Church is built.‬
‪Was Peter crucified for us? No.‬
‪Are we called to be baptized in the name of Peter? No.‬
‪Do the Scriptures call us to follow Peter? No. Only the Catholic church calls us to follow Peter, and not even Peter, but their popes who have assumed Peter's identity.‬
ME
‪2 Peter 1:20 - interpreting Scripture is not a matter of one's own private interpretation. Therefore, it must be a matter of "public" interpretation of the Church. The Divine Word needs a Divine Interpreter. Private judgment leads to divisions, and this is why there are 30,000 different Protestant denominations.‬
‪2 Peter 3:16 - the Scriptures are difficult to understand and can be distorted by the ignorant to their destruction. God did not guarantee the Holy Spirit would lead each of us to infallibly interpret the Scriptures. But this is what Protestants must argue in order to support their doctrine of sola Scriptura. History and countless divisions in Protestantism disprove it.‬
‪No evidence in scripture alone?‬
‪Matt. to Rev. - Peter is mentioned 155 times and the rest of apostles combined are only mentioned 130 times. Peter is also always listed first except in 1 Cor. 3:22 and Gal. 2:9 (which are obvious exceptions to the rule).‬
‪Matt. 10:2; Mark 1:36; 3:16; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:3; 2:37; 5:29 - these are some of many examples where Peter is mentioned first among the apostles.‬
‪Matt. 14:28-29 - only Peter has the faith to walk on water. No other man in Scripture is said to have the faith to walk on water. This faith ultimately did not fail.‬
‪Matt. 16:16, Mark 8:29; John 6:69 - Peter is first among the apostles to confess the divinity of Christ.‬
‪Matt. 16:17 - Peter alone is told he has received divine knowledge by a special revelation from God the Father.‬
‪Matt. 16:18 - Jesus builds the Church only on Peter, the rock, with the other apostles as the foundation and Jesus as the Head.‬
‪Matt. 16:19 - only Peter receives the keys, which represent authority over the Church and facilitate dynastic succession to his authority.‬
‪Matt. 17:24-25 - the tax collector approaches Peter for Jesus' tax. Peter is the spokesman for Jesus. He is the Vicar of Christ.‬
‪Matt. 17:26-27 - Jesus pays the half-shekel tax with one shekel, for both Jesus and Peter. Peter is Christ's representative on earth.‬
‪Matt. 18:21 - in the presence of the disciples, Peter asks Jesus about the rule of forgiveness. One of many examples where Peter takes a leadership role among the apostles in understanding Jesus' teachings.‬
‪Matt. 19:27 - Peter speaks on behalf of the apostles by telling Jesus that they have left everything to follow Him.‬
‪Mark 10:28 - here also, Peter speaks on behalf of the disciples by declaring that they have left everything to follow Him.‬
‪Mark 11:21 - Peter speaks on behalf of the disciples in remembering Jesus' curse on the fig tree.‬
‪Mark 14:37 - at Gethsemane, Jesus asks Peter, and no one else, why he was asleep. Peter is accountable to Jesus for his actions on behalf of the apostles because he has been appointed by Jesus as their leader.‬
‪Mark 16:7 - Peter is specified by an angel as the leader of the apostles as the angel confirms the resurrection of Christ.‬
‪Luke 5:3 -- Jesus teaches from Peter's boat which is metaphor for the Church. Jesus guides Peter and the Church into all truth.‬
‪Luke 5:4,10 - Jesus instructs Peter to let down the nets for a catch, and the miraculous catch follows. Peter, the Pope, is the "fisher of men."‬
‪Luke 7:40-50- Jesus addresses Peter regarding the rule of forgiveness and Peter answers on behalf of the disciples. Jesus also singles Peter out and judges his conduct vis-à-vis the conduct of the woman who anointed Him.‬
‪Luke 8:45 - when Jesus asked who touched His garment, it is Peter who answers on behalf of the disciples.‬
‪Luke 8:51; 9:28; 22:8; Acts 1:13; 3:1,3,11; 4:13,19; 8:14 - Peter is always mentioned before John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.‬
‪Luke 9:28;33 - Peter is mentioned first as going to mountain of transfiguration and the only one to speak at the transfiguration.‬
‪Luke 12:41 - Peter seeks clarification of a parable on behalf on the disciples. This is part of Peter's formation as the chief shepherd of the flock after Jesus ascended into heaven.‬
‪Luke 22:31-32 - Jesus prays for Peter alone, that his faith may not fail, and charges him to strengthen the rest of the apostles.‬
‪Luke 24:12, John 20:4-6 - John arrived at the tomb first but stopped and waited for Peter. Peter then arrived and entered the tomb first.‬
‪Luke 24:34 - the two disciples distinguish Peter even though they both had seen the risen Jesus the previous hour. See Luke 24:33.‬
‪John 6:68 - after the disciples leave, Peter is the first to speak and confess his belief in Christ after the Eucharistic discourse.‬
‪John 13:6-9 - Peter speaks out to the Lord in front of the apostles concerning the washing of feet.‬
‪John 13:36; 21:18 - Jesus predicts Peter's death. Peter was martyred at Rome in 67 A.D. Several hundred years of papal successors were also martyred.‬
‪John 21:2-3,11 - Peter leads the fishing and his net does not break. The boat (the "barque of Peter") is a metaphor for the Church.‬
‪John 21:7 - only Peter got out of the boat and ran to the shore to meet Jesus. Peter is the earthly shepherd leading us to God.‬
‪John 21:15 - in front of the apostles, Jesus asks Peter if he loves Jesus "more than these," which refers to the other apostles. Peter is the head of the apostolic see.‬
‪John 21:15-17 - Jesus charges Peter to "feed my lambs," "tend my sheep," "feed my sheep." Sheep means all people, even the apostles.‬
‪Acts 1:13 - Peter is first when entering upper room after our Lord's ascension. The first Eucharist and Pentecost were given in this room.‬
‪Acts 1:15 - Peter initiates the selection of a successor to Judas right after Jesus ascended into heaven, and no one questions him. Further, if the Church needed a successor to Judas, wouldn't it need one to Peter? Of course.‬
‪Acts 2:14 - Peter is first to speak for the apostles after the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost. Peter is the first to preach the Gospel.‬
‪Acts 2:38 - Peter gives first preaching in the early Church on repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.‬
‪Acts 3:1,3,4 - Peter is mentioned first as going to the Temple to pray.‬
‪Acts 3:6-7 - Peter works the first healing of the apostles.‬
‪Acts 3:12-26, 4:8-12 - Peter teaches the early Church the healing through Jesus and that there is no salvation other than Christ.‬
‪Acts 5:3 - Peter declares the first anathema of Ananias and Sapphira which is ratified by God, and brings about their death. Peter exercises his binding authority.‬
‪Acts 5:15 - Peter's shadow has healing power. No other apostle is said to have this power.‬
‪Acts 8:14 - Peter is mentioned first in conferring the sacrament of confirmation.‬
‪Acts 8:20-23 - Peter casts judgment on Simon's quest for gaining authority through the laying on of hands. Peter exercises his binding and loosing authority.‬
‪Acts 9:32-34 - Peter is mentioned first among the apostles and works the healing of Aeneas.‬
‪Acts 9:38-40 - Peter is mentioned first among the apostles and raises Tabitha from the dead.‬
‪Acts 10:5 - Cornelius is told by an angel to call upon Peter. Angels are messengers of God. Peter was granted this divine vision.‬
‪Acts 10:34-48, 11:1-18 - Peter is first to teach about salvation for all (Jєωs and Gentiles).‬
‪Acts 12:5 - this verse implies that the "whole Church" offered "earnest prayers" for Peter, their leader, during his imprisonment.‬
‪Acts 12:6-11 - Peter is freed from jail by an angel. He is the first object of divine intervention in the early Church.‬
‪Acts 15:7-12 - Peter resolves the first doctrinal issue on circuмcision at the Church's first council at Jerusalem, and no one questions him. After Peter the Papa spoke, all were kept silent.‬
‪Acts 15:12 - only after Peter (the Pope) speaks do Paul and Barnabas (bishops) speak in support of Peter's definitive teaching.‬
‪Acts 15:13-14 - then James speaks to further acknowledge Peter's definitive teaching. "Simeon (Peter) has related how God first visited..."‬
‪Rom. 15:20 - Paul says he doesn't want to build on "another man's foundation" referring to Peter, who built the Church in Rome.‬
‪1 Cor. 9:5 -- Peter is distinguished from the rest of the apostles and brethren of the Lord.‬
‪1 Cor. 15:4-8 - Paul distinguishes Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to Peter from those of the other apostles. Christ appeared "to Cephas, then to the twelve."‬
‪Gal.1:18 - Paul spends fifteen days with Peter privately before beginning his ministry, even after Christ's Revelation to Paul.‬
‪1 Peter 5:1 - Peter acts as the chief bishop by "exhorting" all the other bishops and elders of the Church.‬
‪1 Peter 5:13 - Some Protestants argue against the Papacy by trying to prove Peter was never in Rome. First, this argument is irrelevant to whether Jesus instituted the Papacy. Secondly, this verse demonstrates that Peter was in fact in Rome. Peter writes from "Babylon" which was a code name for Rome during these days of persecution. See, for example, Rev. 14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2,10,21, which show that "Babylon" meant Rome. Rome was the "great city" of the New Testament period. Because Rome during this age was considered the center of the world, the Lord wanted His Church to be established in Rome.‬
‪2 Peter 1:14 - Peter writes about Jesus' prediction of Peter's death, embracing the eventual martyrdom that he would suffer.‬
‪2 Peter 3:16 - Peter is making a judgment on the proper interpretation of Paul's letters. Peter is the chief shepherd of the flock.‬
‪Matt. 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:44 - yet Peter, as the first, humbled himself to be the last and servant of all servants.‬
‪Paul goes to Peter at Jerusalem instead of James, the bishop.‬
‪The Church has authority, as given to the disciples by Christ (Matthew 18):‬
‪" If your brother sins[k], go and [l]show him his fault [m]in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every [n]fact may be confirmed. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as - a Gentile and [p]a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you [q]bind on earth [r]shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you
loose on earth [t]shall have been loosed in heaven.‬
‪Peter's remains were found under the Vatican, without a doubt, his bones. I would not say he is buried in Jerusalem, since in that grave plot is supposedly Jesus.‬
‪Jesus was admonishing the pride of the pharisees in that passage, you might has well have added call no man Father attacking the priesthood.‬
‪I would be VERY surprised that the Spirit left us for two thousand years. Christ promised He would guide us.‬
Regarding Mary, after I described New Ark and New Eve
GUY
‪Mary was chosen by God, blessed by God, favoured by God to be Jesus' mother. And that's where it ends. After this, even Mary recognizes Jesus as her Savior, and Jesus tells us outright that his mother and brethren are not those who are physically related to Him, but related to Him by spirit. ‬
‪Say you went on to become an awesome, marvelous physician. Could we say your mother had a part in it? Yes, in the sense that she gave birth to you. But wouldn't you be mortified if your mother followed you everywhere, standing next to you everywhere you went, telling everyone who would listen that the credit for your career belonged to her? And if she claimed to be a physician herself simply because her son went on to become a physician, she would be arrested and thrown in jail.‬
‪So we must not underplay the role that Mary was chosen for by God, but we must not overplay it either. And the Catholic church has overplayed it to the point of creating a completely false religion out of it, that is supported nowhere in all of Scripture. Not even supported by simple common sense.‬
‪Very good questions :)‬
‪Did Mary suffer on the cross for Christ?‬
‪Did Mary suffer in the bowels of the earth on Christ's behalf?‬
‪Did Mary travel with Christ everywhere He went?‬
‪Luke 10:22‬
‪"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."‬
‪John 8:54‬
‪Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.‬
‪Who glorifies Mary? Jesus said she could not be His mother if she was only related to Him physically. So who has glorified Mary? The Catholic church. Even Mary never glorified herself the way the Catholic church has, and the true Mary would be appalled by it, who recognized Christ alone as her God and her Lord and her Savior.‬
ME
‪ah! but look at Luke 2:35!‬
‪Old Simeon, having blessed the young couple, turned to Mary and, inspired by the Holy Spirit, opened her eyes to the sufferings her Son would have to undergo and to the sword of sorrow that would pierce her soul. Pointing to Jesus, he said: Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Lk. 2:35)‬
‪Commenting on this, St Bernard says: The time will come when Jesus will not be offered in the temple nor in the arms of Simeon, but outside the city walls on the arms of a cross. The time will come when he will not be ransomed with money but will himself redeem others with his own blood, for God the Father has sent him as a ransom for his people. The suffering of his Mother, the sword that will pierce her soul, will have as their only cause the agony of her Son, his persecution and death, the uncertainty about when these things will happen, and the resistance to the grace of the Redemption, which will be the ruin of many. Mary's destiny is bound up with that of Jesus, in its operation, and without any other possible reason.‬
‪The joy of the Redemption and the pain of the Cross are inseparable in the lives of Jesus and Mary, as if God, through his most beloved creatures in the world, wished to show us that happiness is to be found close to the Cross.‬
‪Right from the start then, the lives of Our Lord and of his Mother are stamped with the sign of the Cross. To the joy of the first Christmas is soon added privation and anxiety. From these first moments Mary already knows the pain that awaits her. And when her hour comes she will contemplate the Passion and Death of her Son with neither reproach nor complaint. Suffering as no mother could ever suffer, Mary will accept her pain in peace of mind, for she knows its redemptive significance.‬
‪Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the Cross, where she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, endured with her only-begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, associated herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consented to the immolation of this victim which was born of her.‬
‪Mary's suffering has an especially suitable meaning and is related to the sins of mankind. It is a coredemptive suffering and that is why the Church gives to the Blessed Virgin the title of Co-redemptrix. ‬
‪We ourselves learn the value and meaning of the sufferings and troubles which are part of every human life, when we meditate on Mary. With her we learn to sanctify pain, uniting it to that of her Son and offering it to the Father. The Holy Mass is the most suitable moment for offering all that is most painful in our lives. And there we will encounter Our Lady.‬
‪alright, I might need to go to do some schoolwork, since exams are arriving.‬
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