The Pope begins a Bible reading Marathon

[Gold Dragon]

That's not Catholic bashing. It is a simple fact that has been recognized for 1500 years until recently. No one, until recent times, believed that protestants and Catholics were merely variations of the same thing. It has been been recognized that there are irreconcilable differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. For the sake of argument, Catholicism may be right but if they are, then Protestantism is wrong. Protestantism may be right, but if they are Catholicism is wrong. They disagree on some of the main points of the Bible itself.

I would say Catholicism and Protestantism are both right about many things and both wrong about many things.

 

[Pastor Larry]

I would say Catholicism and Protestantism are both right about many things and both wrong about many things.

Perhaps. I won't testify to Protestantism at large, but historically, in the main, the reformers were right on authority and soteriology and the Catholics were wrong. And those are two big issues. To this day, the Catholic church has not repented of their false teaching on these matters. They have not changed what they believe.And that is serious.

 

[Gold Dragon]

Perhaps. I won't testify to Protestantism at large, but historically, in the main, the reformers were right on authority and soteriology and the Catholics were wrong. And those are two big issues. To this day, the Catholic church has not repented of their false teaching on these matters. They have not changed what they believe.And that is serious.

I would have to agree with you there. Wow, we've come a long way since one of the first debates I had on this forum which was with you over Catholicism. :thumbs:

I believe the Catholic church has repented and changed of a lot of problems it has had since around the time of the reformation. However you are correct that on the issues of soteriology and authority they still fall short of the mark.

 

[Matt Black]

What Christianyouth said, more or less, AFAIC

 

[Pastor Larry]

Just would add, a lot of historical work has been done, and it seems that A LOT of early Christians believed in salvation by faith but the need to perservere with works.

All Christians have always believed this. But Rome has never taught this.

 

[Matt Black]

I beg to differ - Augustine of Hippo? Anselm of Bec? (Plus the old saying about the Lutheran Reformation being about Augustine's theology of salvation versus his theology of the Church.)

 

[christianyouth]

All Christians have always believed this. But Rome has never taught this.

Pastor Larry, as I understand most Protestant theology, it says that perservering is an evidence of our salvation, not the cause of our salvation. Polycarp and others actually believed, and warned others, that if they did A, they would be damned. It was a warning, not saying, "If you do A you were never saved to begin with" but, "If you do A, you will be damned".

So there is most definitely a difference in how a lot of Christians have viewed salvation. They hailed it as by grace alone, but they also saw the danger of apostasy, both from turning from the teachings of Christ to trust in a false Gospel, and also apostasy in the form of leaving the path of righteousness to trudge on the path of unrighteousness. This doesn't mean they were right on this issue, but it means that we have to broaden our views of orthodoxy enough to allow Christians from after Clement to before Luther to be considered saved.