Rebuttal: we refuse to turn away from any of Jesus's teachings, regardless of how hard they are to understand. that's what 'faith' is all about!
What the Bible Says
In Other Words The Greek word mysterion was translated into Latin by two terms: mysterium and sacramentum. In later usage the term sacramentum emphasized the visible sign of the hidden reality of salvation which was indicated by the term mysterium. Saint Augustine said, “For there is no other mystery of God, except Christ.” “How is the Catholic’s discernment differing from a Protestant's discernment? The difference is in who we believe has the full truth of the gospels. This begs the question of infallibility. The Protestant, in their quest to have a personal private relationship with Jesus, become isolated and the truth of the gospels become whatever they say it is. In a Protestant's mind he / she are infallible, relying on their own intellect, will and judgement. These are all based on his / her own personalities, education, background and other personal characteristics. So, are Protestants suggesting that they are perfectly enlightened? Yes! This is why Protestants often change their traditions or interpretations over time - they realize the error of their ways. This is the problem with "Faith alone and nothing else," which coincides with "Once saved always saved." For Catholics, the discernment of the truth was deposited onto the apostles. You can clearly read in the Bible, Jesus established his Church, in order to hand down teachings a guide his believers in truth. The Catholic Bible reader can rest assured that the true deposit of faith and interpretation lies within the infallibility of the Church's head - Peter. Peter was protected by the Holy Spirit to lead Jesus’s Church in the fullness of truth. Peter then deposited this truth to his successors, the popes. A Catholic’s judgement is not his / her own, but a progression of growth within the twelve original ambassadors appointed by Jesus. Therefore a Catholic can be confident that divine revelation, is not of human opinion, but of sound doctrine. The biblical description of faith in Hebrews 11 is, “...realization of what is hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." So what is it that we hope for? Hope here is a reality. The reality of what the Father has provided for us - salvation through Jesus Christ. This realization comes to us through grace, God’s first move. Realizing this is objectively true, we exercise our free will to accept or deny this truth. If you lose hope, you will lose faith. It is impossible to live a righteous life for God without it. Because I have said "yes" to accept God's grace, more grace is provided through baptism and the other sacraments. |
What the Church Teaches
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