Please email me with your questions, objections or comments. INRI33AD@aol.com
Before one can analyze one's belief system, or that of another's, one must
know where he sits personally. Please read the "7 Stages of Spiritual
Development" below and decide for yourself where you stand.
1. Believes in God. Yet does nothing about it.
2. Believes in God and is bothered by his conscience, yet does nothing about it.
3. Believes in God, goes to church occasionally, feels guilty for his sins but rationalizes his actions. Knows nothing about his faith.
4. Believes in God, goes to church regularly, is morally responsible for his actions. Never questions what he is taught about God or what his faith is, or even why he believes it. Fills the spiritual square.
5. Believes in God, goes to church regularly, is truly a servant of God. Feels saved and tries to evangelize others yet never questions what he has been taught or why he believes it. Considers the New Testament inspired and rightly so, yet doesn't know why it is inspired considering the fact it never “claims” inspiration. In essence a blind faith. A faith mostly based on emotion verses education, logic and historical apostolic precedent. Often discounts other denominations if they are threatening to his belief system. Feels threatened by inconsistencies/contradictions in his own theology but does nothing about it. Feels that he can:"Just read the Bible" and somehow he will have the Apostolic interpretation of Scripture as the Apostles meant it to be, even though he is 2000 years and 3 languages removed. Given this, he never ponders who the authors of his present doctrines and beliefs are, he just assumes his personal version or that of his Pastor's was taught by the Apostles 2000 years ago. He has embraced a belief system he has not challenged.
6. Believes in God, goes to church regularly, truly seeks God and his One Truth. Investigates his theology for this One Truth. Not a blind faith but a seeking faith. Uses knowledge and logic (as opposed to emotion) to arrive at what he believes to be the One Gospel of Christ. Truly seeks the authors of his doctrines, yet when he discovers these authors, he still ignores/rationalizes the inconsistencies/contradictions of his doctrines when compared to the teachings of the Apostles and the writings of the early Church or even the beliefs of his own Protestant reformers in the 16th century. Still embraces the notion, that even though a particular doctrine was not taught by a single Christian soul before the Renaissance era, and in many cases was not even taught by his own Protestant reformers,,, it could still somehow be the teachings of Christ's Apostles and that of his primitive Church 1500+ years earlier. Yet emotion, pride or often financial necessity triumph over logic, resulting in rationalization and continuing acceptance of ideas he knows are modern inventions, and therefore are impossible for the Apostles and the early Church to have taught them. In the end he rationalizes his faith rather than follow what he knows to be true.
7. Believes in God, goes to Church regularly, actually seeks reasons for his faith. Again not a blind faith but wants to believe what the Apostles actually taught Christ's early Church. Doesn't simply accept on blind faith the teachings of his pastor, his church or even his own modern interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. He concludes in accordance with Gal 1:8-9, that there really is just ONE Gospel of Jesus Christ and seeks that ONE Gospel. Wants his beliefs to be Apostolic, i.e., what the Apostles taught Christ's early Church, no matter where it leads him and no matter what it costs him. Through historical and Biblical research, he discovers who authored his doctrines. Knowing the author, he then either rejects the doctrine because of its author, or embraces it because of who the author is. Logic triumphs over emotion and his courage prevails. His faith is strengthened for he now knows without question the historical teachings of the Apostles to Christ's infant Church. He knows his theology is truly Apostolic. He fully embraces the Words of Holy Writ as they speak of the One Faith:
"There is One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One God." (Eph 4:4)
I know this all must sound crazy right now and it was so simple before when all one needed to do is read the Bible and come to a conclusion based on one's 21st century personal opinion on a 1st century scroll. But the "One" Gospel of Jesus Christ (Gal 1:8-9) cannot be attained by one's modern spin on the Bible. For every Protestant and every Protestant denomination has a *different* spin on the Bible. And we now have over 20,000+ Protestant denominations/non-denominations. (Just look in your phonebook under "church").
Who is right??--That is why we must know who authored our doctrines. So,
who authored your doctrines? Are they Apostolic? Did the Apostles teach them to
the early Church? Or are they modern Bible interpretations that have absolutely
no link to Christ and his Apostles, other than the claim of a link by the modern
author?
That is why I have created this site, because I desire as our
Lord does that all Christians believe and follow the one Gospel of Jesus Christ
Eph 4:4 tells us:
"There is One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One God."
One Faith, not thousands. My friend, to read of who invented your
theology and in what century, visit the site below:
Remember, just because you have believed something for years on end, doesn't mean it's true.
God Bless you,
Daniel
Suggested reading:
Catholic Answers: "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth" A compendium of basic Catholic beliefs and the Biblicism behind these beliefs. http://www.catholic.com/library/pillar.asp
14 Questions for the Earnest Believer:
1. Are you a Bible Believing Christian? Does your pastor preach " Bible Only?"
Click Here: 40 modern Christian Practices and Doctrines not found in the Holy Bible... https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/unbiblical.html
2. Three Questions your pastor can't answer... https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/formypastor.html
4. THE ORIGINS & AUTHORS OF THE PROTESTANT THEOLOGIES.
Do you know who authored Protestantism's distinctive beliefs and in what century? You might be surprised. https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/dates.html
5. "The 7 Stages of Christian Spiritual Development."
What stage you are in?... https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/7stages.html
6. Faith Alone (Sola Fide): It is a Catholic position.
Has your pastor taught you that Catholics must "work their way to Heaven?" Another misunderstanding of Catholic theology. https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/faithalone.html
7. "Who is the Bride of Christ?
What does the Holy Bible say? ...https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/bride.html
8. Non-Catholics often ask: "WHAT ELSE IS THERE?"
"What else has Christ's Infallible Authority besides the Holy Scriptures?"
Read the verses not underlined in your Bible nor taught in your seminaries or present church. https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/whatelse.html
9. Is Sola Scriptura or the "Bible Only theory" even Biblical?
Where does the Bible teach the "SOLA" in Sola Scriptura?
Click here to read what the Bible says about God's Word and how it is to be taught... https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/ss.html
10. Did the Bereans "Search the Scriptures" and thereby follow the "Bible Only" theory?
Many claim they did, but not if you read the whole chapter, i.e., the verses not taught in non-Catholic churches. Read the story again and then decide. https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/bereans.html
11. The 3rd Unanswered Challenge for Non-Catholic Theologies: Is the Catholic Faith Apostolic?
Name just one Catholic doctrine that isn't. Name one doctrine the early Church believed,,,, that the Catholic Faith *no longer does*. Why can't the modern Christian theologies make the same bold claim? https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/3challenge.html
13. Is Praying to Saints Biblical? Is the "Hail Mary" prayer Biblical? (Read the Verses not underlined in your Pastor's Bible.) https://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/saints.html