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Ga:1:8: But
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we (the church) have preached unto you,
let him be accursed.
The Christian scenario
is confronted with more than 33500 churches, all claiming to be true churches
'built by Jesus', when Jesus said there shall be 'One fold'. The 'so called
churches' all preaching a different thing according to their
private interpretation of the same One Bible, when Jesus had said that His
disciples 'shall be of One mind'. All this being the after effect of the
Protestant Reformation of the 16th century that declared that the One and Only
church of Christendom till that time, the Catholic church to which the
reformers all (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Huss) belonged to had been taken over
by the devil and that the Lord had deserted His Only church somewhere
around the 4th or the 7th century. But the Lord had
prayed for ‘One fold’ and promised of His presence ‘always’ and ‘till the end
of time’ with this church (Matt 28:19, 20). To encounter this idea, the
Reformers declared that the church which was promised the Lord’s presence
‘always’ and till the end of time’ was not a visible one as to be seen but an
invisible one and no believer knew if he belonged to it. Only God knew who were
His. They claim that this true church remained invisible alongside the Catholic
church and that the written ‘Word of God’, the Holy Bible alone was the rule of
faith. A claim for which they have no base or support from the Bible though
they all claim to be Sola Scriptura or Bible only believers. All of the reformers Luther,
Calvin,
Zwingli, Huss in fact belonged to the Catholic church and none from any
other. The Lord in fact as the Bible in Matt 28:18, 20 says, promised His everlasting
presence with a ‘witnessing church preaching unto all nations’ and so evidently
a very visible one. The only church seen doing this from the beginning is the
Catholic church. What does the Lord Himself say in the Bible?
Take
heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. (Luke 21:8)
To Go after the 'Many'
churches and be deceived or to remain with the One and Only from Christ, is for
the elect to discern.
Why is it so difficult
for the Sola Scriptura or Bible alone believers to discern the true church
when the characteristics of the true church is plainly given in the Holy Bible? A look into what the
Bible says about the Lord's church. Jesus entrusted
with the church the mission of preaching, baptizing and making disciples, thus
sending out a witnessing church which then ought to be a visible one
‘witnessing unto all nations'.He promised his presence ‘always’ ‘till the end
of time’ to this visible church(Mt 28:19,20). A 'light of the world'
shining before men, whose works can be 'seen by men'. A 'city that is
never hid' because the Lord said it 'cannot be hid'. (Mt 5:14-16). He left His
church to
the authority of ‘servants’ who were to take care of it not just for a couple
of years or centuries, but ‘till His return’. (Mk 13:34-37 & Lk 12:41-46). He said there shall be
'One' fold and One Shepherd', (Joh: 10:16), then not a variety of 'churches'.
And this fold’ and the successive generations of this fold’ is ‘visibly seen
& known to the world’ as His disciples (Jn 17:20-22). A Single Visible fold of successive generations
'seen & known by the world' as 'His disciples' by their being 'One'. He promised
the presence
of the Holy Spirit in the church 'forever' and that the Holy Spirit would
'guide the church into all truth'. (Jn 14:16 & 16:12-14). The Lord had
said that
He who hears the church hears the Lord Himself, and he who despises the church
despises the Lord Himself and the Father who sent Him. ( Lk 10:16) He also gave
the church
the authority to treat as heathen or unbeliever, those who did not listen
to the church (Mt 18:17). The Bible says, Some
will leave the church 'to manifest that they did not belong to the church and
that divisions and heresies happen in church to make manifest the
approved ones, not that the approved will go invisible. (1Cor 11:18, 19
& 1Jn 2:18-20). The Bible
says about those who preach a gospel different from the church of
Jesus and the apostles was accursed. (Gal 1:8,9). Isn’t the Catholic
church this True, visible witnessing church that is being cared for by those
entrusted with the care ‘till the lord’s return’? Before a look into the
True and the One Church in line of succession with the Only Church of Jesus and
His apostles to which the Lord had promised His presence 'always' 'till the end of the age or end of time', it is worthwhile
to look into what the Bible
says of the Protestant claim of Sola Scriptura or Bible only and Sola Fide or
Faith Alone.
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Next Page>> Sola
Scriptura or Bible Alone
revisited
Verses
for reference
Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo,
I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen. M't:28:19, 20
Ye
are the light of the world. A city that is set on an
hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light
so shine before men, that they may see
your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. M't:5:14-16
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave
authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter
to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not
when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or
at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:Lest coming suddenly he find you
sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. M'r:13:34-37
Then
Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward,
whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion
of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that
he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall
begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder,
and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. Lu:12:41-46
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If
any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Ga:1:8,9
And other
sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear
my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Joh:10:16
Neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through
their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in
us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory
which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them,
and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the
world may know that thou hast sent me,
and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Joh:17:20-22: (visible throughout the successive generation of
believers ‘for the world to see’)
And I will pray the
Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may
abide with you for ever. Jn 14:16
I have yet many things
to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth,
is come, he will guide you into all truth: Joh:16:12-14
He that heareth you
heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth
him that sent me. Lu:10:16
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if
he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
M't:18:17
Little children,
it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are
there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out
from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of
us, they would no doubt have continued with
us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they
were not all of us. But ye have an unction from
the Holy One, and ye know all things. 1Jo:2:18-20
For first of all,
when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe
it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may
be made manifest among you. 1Co:11:18, 19
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revisited
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