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"Don't give in to winning the argument
and losing one of your eternal crowns..."
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Enjoy... But remember
"Don't give in to winning the argument
and losing one of your eternal crowns..."
God bless you...
The term "Catholic" is Claimed by at least 7 Different Churches! 
Catholic Principles on Ecumenism (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism) (Matthew Tan Yew Hock)
Already Rebutted http://www.antioch.com.sg/cgi-bin/Agora-Pub/get/expressions/95/3/3/1.html (Christopher Yip)
Folly of Self-Interpretation, and Careless and Incomplete Reading (Matthew Tan Yew Hock)
Already rebutted again! (eom) (Christopher Yip)
A rebuttal that is not. (Matthew Tan Yew Hock)
You must be referring to YOUR own. (Christopher Yip)
The Text and Context: Unam Sanctam. (No Salvation Outside The Church, Proper Interpretation - cont'd) (Matthew Tan Yew Hock)
Pope Pius IX: Fuller Teaching on "No Salvation Outside The Church" (Matthew Tan Yew Hock)
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Anti-Protestant Mr Tan: Protestants are joined to the Catholic Church through the Holy Spirit and Baptism, and are in imperfect COMMUNION with the Catholic Church.
ME: Agreed. But the "Catholic Church" is NOT the "Roman Catholic Church." The Catholic Church consists of ALL believers who are baptised by the Holy Spirit and who adhered to apostolic teaching as given in the bible. As I said before, every Roman Catholic heresy has some ounce of truth in it. That is how unwary Christians get deceived. From http://users.exis.net/~frimmin/Faith/apostolic.html (a Roman Catholic source), we have a list of “Catholic Churches”: 1. The Catholic Church aka The Roman Catholic Church or The Western Church 2. The Church of the East aka Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Assyrian Church of the East whose identity became separate in 431 when she refused to attend Council of Ephesus in protest of "Nestorian controversy" 3. Oriental Orthodox which was part of united church until 459 Council of Chalcedon. Split over semantics in describing the nature(s) of Christ. 4. Eastern Orthodox aka Orthodox Catholic Church (see later) 5. Apostolic Lutherans. Most Lutheran Churches made no attempt to keep the Apostolic Succession, but the Swedish and Finnish Lutherans did. 6. Anglican. Identity became separate in 16th century by King Henry VIII of England. 7. Independent Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican Churches. An example is The Anglican Catholic Church which is Orthodox as regarding their theology, but Anglican as to their heritage. Now, all seven of these churches call themselves “Catholic” one way or the other. However, they are not all one faith. The Catholic Church of the early centuries consisted of the entire Christendom, led by the Pentarchy - the five strategic headquarter-Church of Jerusalem, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch and Constantinople. The more appropriate term is simply the Church. Catholic was use to emphasise its universal scope. The Catholic Church is the Church which remains faithful to the apostolic teaching which is found in written Scripture. Rome would like to claim itself to be the unchanging, ancient and authoritative head of the Christian Church and that all who are outside of her jurisdiction are either apostate churches or in nicer terms, in "imperfect communion" with Rome. Well, the Mormons claim the same thing too. How should we test them? As the apostles have taught, test them with Scripture and on this count, Rome fails miserably. Nowhere in Scripture are found the many heresies of Rome. Anti-Protestant Mr Tan: Protestants in general are ignorant of authentic Catholic teachings due to misinformation, distortions, misrepresentations, lacking in certainty of knowledge, etc. In most cases, but not all, Protestants are not in the visible confines of Catholic Church because of ignorance. But still, they are joined to the Catholic Church, spiritually -- except those who oppose the Catholic Church even in their spirit. ME: Here comes that ounce of truth mixed with heresies again! Roman Catholics ASSUME that they are the true descendents of apostolic teaching and they ASSUME that they alone carried on the apostolic heritage but as we saw earlier, at least 6 different other churches claim the same thing. Does claiming alone make it true? Again, how do we judge? It's back to the bible and Rome is found wanting again. Anti-Protestant Mr Tan: The teaching is similar to bible teaching: No salvation Except Jesus. Yet, we hold that those who have not heard of Jesus may be saved through obedience of their conscience and doing God's will as they know it. (Rom 2, Matt 7). This is an ancient Catholic teaching that goes all the way back to Justin Martyr, St Cyprian, St Ambrose, St Augustine, Pope Gregory I, etc. I have made it very clear. ME: Ah, the difference is equally clear! While there may be some truth in Universalism and those who did not hear of the Gospel may be judged with a different standard, this is not versus obedience to Rome. It is not the case that those who REJECT ROME may find salvation in some other way! The bible teaches NO SUCH THING! Instead the bible gives the plausibility that those who have not heard the GOSPEL, the GOSPEL, not papal authority, not papal authority, may be saved through another standard - their conscience. Such universalistic teaching in the Church Fathers has NOTHING whatsoever to do with Rome's teaching of "No salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church"! Such misrepresentations and equivocation is really very dishonest, not to mention desperate! Let's examine the juxtaposition. Pius said that "outside the Apostolic Roman Church none can achieve salvation. This is the only ark of salvation. He who does not enter into it will perish in the flood." That's one side of Rome's salvation coin. Note, it is NOT faith in Christ's completed work but in Rome and what it teaches. The other side of the coin is "Nevertheless equally certainly it is to be held that those who suffer from invincible ignorance of the true religion are not for this reason guilty in the eyes of the Lord." So, CONTRARY TO WHAT THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS and SOME PROTESTANTS' TEACHING, Rome says that salvation is EITHER through HER DOORS or through CONSCIENCE. That basically excludes all non-Roman Catholics! THANKFULLY, the bible teaches NO SUCH THING. Instead, it makes it clear that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone and then it gives the plausibility that those who have not heard the Gospel may be saved through their conscience. God is the judge and He alone sets the standard. He is the host and the guest list is His to determine! To end this post, let us read the heretical proclamations of Rome in its full force and realise how far gone she is: "The Church is One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman: unique, the Chair founded on Peter...Outside her fold is to be found neither the true faith nor eternal salvation, for it is impossible to have God for a Father if one has not the Church for a Mother." "The mystery of salvation is revealed to us and is continued and accomplished in the Church, and from this genuine and single source it reaches the whole world....We have to be conscious of and absorb this fundamental and revealed truth, contained in the phrase consecrated by tradition: 'There is no salvation outside the Church.' From her alone there flows surely and fully the life-giving force destined, in Christ and in His Spirit, to renew the whole of humanity, and therefore directing every human being to become a part of the Mystical Body of Christ." Our task is to do what we can to combat her heresy and to try and reform it. It is of paramount importance that the Christian not lose sight of the sole authority of the written Word and to test all things by it! Christopher
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