for theja

[Fear_nam_Beanntan]

If you would like to respond to my recent posts on Sweden.com, you may do so here.

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Originally posted by theja
FNB, I know the invisible and visible church concept. What I'm saying is that the Church of Christ is not owened by the RCC, and need not be called RCC.
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Indeed it need not. I never call it that. I simply call it Catholic, which means universal, and is synonymous with Christian. The Roman Rite may be the largest subdivision, but it is just that; a subdivision.

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Originally posted by theja
I wish to call the Church the Church of Christ or the body of Christ. If anyone within the RCC is born-again then he/she is a true member of the Church. The same for all others.
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The context of John 3:5 indicates that to be born again means to be baptized. Just prior to this statement, Jesus was baptized with water, and He recieved the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove (John 1:29-34 cf. Matthew 3:13-17). So here we have the "water" and "Spirit" mentioned in John 3:5. Then immediately after this statement, Jesus and the disciples beging baptizing people with water (John 4:1-2). This is a clear indication of how we are to interpret John 3:5.

So, I agree with you that anyone who is born again is made a member of Christ's Church, since according to 1 Corinthians 12:13 baptism incorporates one into the same.

This having been said, baptism no wise gaurantees that one will attain eternal life. Between the time one is made a member of Christ's body, the Church, and the time of death, there always remains the possibility of being cut off from said Church (Romans 11:21-22, Galatians 5:4, 2 Timothy 2:12).

Now, what could cause one to be cut off from Christ's body? Among other things, rejecting Christ's lawfully established teaching authorities (Luke 10:16) and forsaking the unity of the one Church which He established and imbued with the authority to teach and discipline in His Name, that Church being the Catholic Church.

"There is only one truth, one faith (Ephesians 4:4-5). There is only one Church (Matthew 16:18). This Church teaches only truth (1 Timothy 3:15). This Church is universal (Romans 1:8, Acts 1:8, Psalm 2:8, Isaias 2:2, Daniel 2:44, Matthew 28:19). This Church is visible (Isaias 2:2, Micheas 4:1, Daniel 2:35, Matthew 18:17). Anyone who departs from this faith is an accursed heretic (Galatians 1:8, Titus 3:10, 2 John 9-10). Anyone who will not submit to this Church is a heathen, not a Christian (Matthew 18:17)."
http://www.cathinsight.com/apologetics/response.htm

Thus, anyone who is baptized becomes a member of the Catholic Church, but cuts himself off from her membership upon consciously rejecting her.

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Originally posted by theja
I'm not Pentecostal, but try to figure this: South American Catholics are joining the Pentecostal Church by the thousands, literally every month. The Holy Spirit is the difference. In the Philippines too, and Cardinal Sin has voiced a strong objection in frustration.
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This is not surprising. St. Paul predicted a great apostasy in the times before the Apocalypse (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 2 Timothy 4:3)

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Originally posted by theja
For me, if the Spirit is guiding me into all truth, which is the Bible (John 16:13).
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John 16:13 does not stipulate what "all truth" is. Your assertion that "all truth" refers to the Bible is an unproven assumption. I could just as easily claim that "all truth" refers to Catholicism.

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Originally posted by theja
FNB, I'm aware many Catholics limit the Holy Spirit into intellectual statement, and beyond that they have no clue how He works in the heart.
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No, Catholics do not limit the Holy Spirit to intellectual statements. We object to the notion that the Holy Spirit will guide every individual to the correct interpretation of the Bible. This idea is simply oppossed to empirical observation; when different people read the Bible they come up with contradictory interpretations. The Holy Spirit doesn't lead people to false conclusions, theja.

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Originally posted by theja
People there know that this has been happening even with other guests and the residents. But the religious people there have no clue how to bind the devil and cleanse the compound of evil molestation.
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This is not surprising. Exorcists are much fewer and farther between now than they were before Vatican II.