Pope Benedict XVI Dead at 95. Now Comes The Fiery Judgement
The former Pope Benedict XVI passed away at his residence in Vatican city early this morning. He was 95.
The Vatican said in a statement “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible.”
Benedict XVI famously resigned the papacy in 2013, the first pope since Gregory XII in 1415 to do so. Sadly, there is no purgatory that awaits Benedict, but unless he had a death-bed confession where he renounced the false gospel of the Roman Catholic Church he has spent his whole life in, and led for a decade, he is lost and going to hell.
Canon IX of the Council of Trent, on justification, in which is still the official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church today says:
If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema. 1
However, we can see from Scripture that this is doctrine is diametrically opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in Ephesians 2:8-10.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
God’s word says that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and that our faith results in good works. However, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that both faith and works are necessary for salvation. Both of these cannot be true, so either Scripture is wrong, or the Roman Catholic Church is wrong.
Further, the Roman Catholic Church says that grace is not the free gift of God:
If any one saith, that men are justified, either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ, or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of the grace and the charity which is poured forth in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, and is inherent in them; or even that the grace, whereby we are justified, is only the favor of God; let him be anathema. 2
But Romans 3:24 says, “…Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Roman Catholicism consistently denies many of the “fundamental doctrines of the faith as revealed in Holy Scripture” in preference of their traditions. Many of their doctrines, such as sacramental, or works-based salvation, idolatrous forms of Mary and Saint veneration, Purgatory, Papal infallibility, and transubstantiation of the Eucharist, just to name a few, are extremely dangerous doctrines that turn people away from the truth of the Scriptures.
The Scriptures clearly and consistently tell us to have nothing at all to do with these false doctrines, rather expose them (Eph 5:11). These false religions are the works of darkness. They are designed by the ultimate deceiver to counterfeit the true Christian faith, and they lead people to Hell.
If Benedict did not recant and repent of them, then only fear, terror and endless suffering awaits him.
We now await to see which SBC leaders and Christian pastors and teachers say otherwise.
About Author
Gotta love the “Christian” vitriol spewed by a person who doesn’t even have the intestinal fortitude to put their own name on their article written for a website that is so hard up for money that the site is running adds for a documentary by Fathom on Mother Teressa entitled “No greater love” and adds for Atlanta Mission which is currently lead by Tensley Almand who was “…the Lead Pastor of Decatur City Church, one of the eight Atlanta-area churches of North Point Ministries” for 12 years previous to becoming the CEO for the charity. For those who don’t know North Point Ministries is lead by the Protestia declared Arch-Heretic Andy Stanley.
So, not only is Protestia supremely spineless but is also just fine partnering with those it deems heretics as long as money is involved. Seems to me that all the articles calling out these traits in others is simply Protestia projecting onto others to try and distract their readers from the truth of who they really are.
Protestia makes for outstanding reading as a first-class case study in modern “Christian” hypocrisy displayed so blatantly that even Satan himself is left in awe.
Oh, it gets better! Another advertisement that just popped up on this site is for Kingdom Winds. I had never heard of it before, but after just a little browsing, this site is all things that Protestia deems heresy. Women teaching, hearing directly from God, etc. etc.
There you go Protestia, way to stick it to the heretics! Take their money!
Did it ever occur to you that maybe they don’t control who advertises on their site? It’s not uncommon.
Advertising on most websites is hosted by third-party companies that control content.
Nailed it. Protestia could do so much better by just getting rid of the bitter writers. The arguments aren’t necessarily wrong, but they all sound like they come straight out of Ephesus.
Can’t wait for the next article with tips for ignoring the log in your eye and why your brother is a filthy heretic for the speck in his.
if you’re Roman Catholic, why do you read Protestia?
Also, nice job refuting the very solid argument in this article. I pray you repent and believe the true gospel because I care about your soul.
You assume I’m Roman Catholic?
Do I assume that you make yourself feel better by claiming others are going to hell while continuing to support the legacy of a Xanax addicted narcissist? No, because I care about your soul.
I once heard someone say, “There’s no hate like Christian love”. My thought was, “But it’s not hate if it’s truth. It’s just sharing the gospel and truth of what the Scripture says which is not about hate, but all love”. Some time has passed since then and in that time I engrossed myself in even more in depth Bible and Greek language study and it forced me to challenged myself to step out of my echo chamber because I was adamant, as we all are, that the Bible would hold up to any and all scrutiny. I read books, watched documentaries, had discussions about, and read resource materials from all sides of the isle when it comes to the “truth” of the Bible before coming to my beliefs today. I grew up Christian, was “saved” and baptised at 15, spent many years teaching (children and women) within the church, sitting under “sound doctrine” and sharing with others what “I knew in my heart” was the “truth and salvation” for 25+ years. I was willing to die for what I believed and no one could convince me otherwise. My Christian faith was the cornerstone that I built my life on. It was my worldview. I was where most of you are today. It wasn’t until I kept getting hit with things that didn’t add up in the scriptures on almost a daily basis that I said, “Self, it’s time to deal with this once and for all so you can put all questions behind you and move forward in your faith in confidence” that my whole world got rocked. My heart was softened towards those who believe differently than I do, because let’s be completely honest with each other, no one and I mean no one, knows or can prove with any shred of evidence (that such miraculous and supernatural claims demand) the claims made in the Christian scriptures and if there really is a God, it would have to be a God of such mercy, grace, compassion, and love that he/she would understand and have mercy for the conditions and lack of evidence that the naysayers, the unbelievers, and confused have to deal with, especially 2000+ years later. Who would want to serve a God that doesn’t have that kind of grace, mercy, compassion, and love? And isn’t that the heart that Christians are suppose to have anyway? I have been a part of and watched Pulpit and Pen and Protestia for many years now because I was where you (the staff writers) are right now. I get it. But please, with all sincerity, I encourage you to step out of your echo chambers, challenge yourselves, open your hearts and listen (truly listen with an open mind) to those who hold different beliefs than you, and then look into what arguments they have. If you come out even stronger in your beliefs, great! And hopefully you’ve made some more friends that will continue to challenge and grow your faith! If instead, your belief and faith in what you thought you knew wanes, then take an honest look at why and follow that and see where it leads you. We are all human and trying to navigate, make sense of, and explain the world we live in now and our beginnings. I encourage us to do so with humility and the same grace, compassion, mercy, and love that the Jesus and writers of the scriptures command. Blessings and Peace to all!
It would seem that you do have a problem with those of us who believe the scripture, given the fact that you made such a post here at a Christian website, compelling everyone to reject it.
Nobody rejects a claim, text, or message simply because they don’t understand it, and can’t answer questions about it. What’s the real reason you rejected God’s Word?
tekton,
Just a quick question of clarification (and I hope I get this asked before Lindsey answers you): What exactly do you think qualifies Protestia as a “Christian” website?
I doubt they have control over precisely which advertisements show up. They’re probably subscribed to an ad service. You should at least verify that they intentionally displayed the specific ads you mention, before declaring that they are not Christians.
Further I don’t see anything wrong in the article above. Some things need to be said, for the sake of the lost who still live. What in the article is wrong?
Obviously Josh is an apologist for Popery.
The less you respond the better….
Here Josh, more scripture,
2 Timothy 4:2-5
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Tekton,
1. Where did I say I have a problem with anyone on this site?
2. Where did I suggest anyone here “reject” what they believe in regards to the Scriptures? I simply suggested that every human should act with a spirit of grace, mercy, compassion, love, and humility with those that believe differently than them by truly listening to what they have to say and why and to do exactly what the Bereans were commended for by “testing the spirits” including the spirit of those who wrote said scriptures.
3. “What’s the real reason you rejected God’s Word?” Well, Tekton, because in my reading and studying, of the Christian scriptures and the Christian attitudes in general, along with enormous amounts of searching for the origins of the scripture’s supernatural and miraculous claims through archaeological, anthropological, and paleographical evidence, using my logic, common sense, and reasoning, I put together everything that I had read and came to the conclusion that what you and most Christians call “God’s Word”, is just man’s word about a supreme being and how the earliest men tried to explain the natural and supernatural world they lived in and wanted to relay this to future generations in the form of mythological verbal oration and later in written form. When I decided I could no longer ignore the questions I had, my confusion, and the contradictions I was seeing, I took the command of “test the spirits” seriously (because I still believed it was “God’s Word,”) but decided that I shouldn’t exclude the “spirits” of those who wrote the scriptures, which is all too often commonplace within the Christian church. Because of course, like most I stood firm in that “God’s Word” would stand up to all scrutiny. I mean, how could it not, right? Furthermore, I didn’t come to my final conclusion with great satisfaction, in fact it caused me great sorrow. There were lots of tears, prayers, anger, frustration, and hurt that I struggled and dealt with almost on a minute by minute basis and still now on a daily basis.
So at what point did I begin to question the authenticity and historicity of what I believed was “God’s Word”? I was going through my favorite book of the whole bible Exodus with my church at my suggestion and we decided for fun that as we went through it exegetically, we would compare the Masoretic Text with the Septuagint. That was the very first time I had ever been seriously confronted with questions and it continued to compound from there.
No Tekton, I do not have a problem with those who believe in the scriptures. I don’t care what you believe because what you or anyone else believes does not affect ME personally, not even in the slightest. So, you could not be more wrong. I DO however, have a major problem with the nasty and arrogant attitudes of people who believe that their flavor of the interpretations of the Christian scriptures or any religious text is the ONLY right one and then vehemently condemn people to a “fiery” hell for eternity because they don’t subscribe to the same flavor.
Tekton, I stand by every word that I said here and in my original response. At one time or another in my “Christian” walk, I too would lash out at those who challenged my belief or had a different belief altogether because I felt my cherished beliefs being threatened. But, I understand now that it was because I feared they might be right and because I was too lazy to go look for myself so I had to hurt them in some way to get them to stop saying whatever they were saying and come to “MY” side because I was “RIGHT” and they were wrong.
So now it’s my turn, Tekton. I answered your question with complete honesty. It’s your turn to answer a question. Why do YOU feel threatened by anything I said in my original response?
I’m not sure why you think I’m lashing out or feel threatened. I’m just challenging the validity of your words because your posts contain several contradictions. Isn’t that what you say we’re supposed to do? Or is that only allowable when we’re questioning scripture?
Take the use of words mercy and grace, for example. If there is no wrongdoing, in your opinion, then why use words that would imply otherwise, unless deep down you know that to which you expect us to show mercy and grace is wrong?
Sure, if you reject that our souls are eternal, and you reject that there is a Heaven and Hell, that there are eternal rewards and consequences, then your idea of what is loving and compassionate will not be the same as ours, because we are not just concerned with the immediate ramifications. But you project your own views onto us, outright telling us that we are not loving or compassionate, according to your own standards and beliefs. You believe there is not a fiery Hell, therefore you believe those of us who warn about it are being mean.
Apparently you are so convinced that you are RIGHT that you believe your own word is superior to the Bible. So convinced that you are here trying to convince us of the same, while implying that we are hateful, unloving, and incompassionate if we do not bow down and accept your word as fact.
So your rejection of the Bible is first and foremost. Your other assumptions are based upon that assumption that the Bible is not true.
I’m not threatened at all. I’ll discuss it with you as long as you want to discuss it. I’m concerned for you, and am genuinely interested in how you got to the point you are at. I grew up a Creationist, have been one all my life, and have never compromised. I’ve debated and discussed such issues with others my entire life, including professors in the classroom. I’m not afraid of it. You go on and bring it. Let’s hear it.
There are several fallacies in your posts here, including appeals to authority. Of course it is irrational to project your views onto us. But it is also irrational to say that science proved to you that the Bible is wrong. It didn’t. It can’t. And the reason is because what passes for science these days intentionally looks for explanations devoid of God. So to claim that it disproves God’s existence, would be extremely bad circular logic, since it factored out that possibility from the start. There are many examples of this, where it involves supposed evidence supporting Evolution. The evidence also supports Creation, but it is rejected because Creation is not a valid explanation according to modern science.
The next problem then, is how did it prove the Bible wrong?
You bring all you’ve got, my friend. I’ll discuss it for as long as you want.
ROFLOL!!!!!
tekton, I fully expect you to call out every post and comment that uses the phrases, “The Bible says…” and “God’s Word says…” as their source of authority for the Appeal to Authority fallacy.
You asked me what the article got wrong, how about I simply tell you what it got right as that is the shortest answer: Pope Benedict XVI dead at 95
Brevity is the soul of wit.
Josh, maybe I don’t call it out because I know that’s what the Bible says. Do you have a specific example?
So I simply suggest in my original response that we should all basically play nice and respect each other’s belief because NO ONE knows the absolute truth and then right on cue, you begin to twist and manipulate my personal journey into something you can attack? Wow, you have been trained well and it shows. Not only does it show, but it screams to the readers of these comments your true heart towards others no matter what they believe. But, by all means good “Christian boy”, continue to act like a donkey’s butt and prove my point. No sense in discussing further with you the “master” since you apparently know it ALL. Plus, I refuse to give you control of this discussion because you have twisted, manipulated, and distorted it from it’s original context, much like I am sure you do with the scriptures. You do not get to conspire with your personal beliefs to take hostage this conversation as to take attention away from the fact that “Staff Writer” (whom I am beginning to think might be you) is also being a donkey’s butt in the treatment of someone who is now dead and so has no way to engage in this conversation, which in my opinion is not only low, but cowardly, especially considering “Staff Writer” won’t reveal their real name for fear their own “keyboard warrior” hateful sentiments towards others might be returned. So I leave you with this. Tekton, may the universe repay you X 3 with the same kindness, compassion, mercy and love you have shown here tonight and with others in these discussion boards in the past. May the universe heap upon your head, good or bad the just rewards of your attitude and behavior towards others. So mote it be. There it is done.
I readily admit that I am not well gifted in the wit department 🙂
Of course, as it pertains to the subject at hand, if a dummy like me can understand the Bible, then anybody can, if they want to.
Lindsey, I haven’t said anything to you that was unkind or lacking compassion. Nor have I twisted anything you said.
Nobody has an obligation to respect the belief of others. Serial killers have beliefs. The sexually immoral have beliefs – pedophiles, homosexuals, adulterers. Thieves have beliefs. Cannibals have beliefs. Wife-beaters have beliefs. Rapists have beliefs. I could list beliefs from now to the end of days that nobody has an obligation to respect.
The problem here is not whether or not disparate beliefs are respected. There are many beliefs you do not respect, and don’t even try to lie by saying there are not. The problem here is that you expect everyone else to comply with your beliefs, and when nobody does, you pitch a hissy fit. Plain and simple.
You have a good night.
Josh, I initially missed the meaning of your post, because I thought you were a Christian. Referencing scripture is not a fallacious appeal to authority. The Bible goes into great detail to explain, to reason, and to substantiate. And it has stood the test of time. It is an authority above us all, like referencing the ultimate textbook. But when it comes to the authority of almighty, infinitely knowledgeable, infinitely powerful God, who created all that is, it cannot be fallacious to appeal to His authority, because in His case, and His alone, what He says is indeed true simply because He says it is true.
Or maybe I didn’t, Josh. I’m not exactly sure what you meant, but whichever was your intended meaning, I’ve responded to both possibilities.
This piece is flatly self-contradictory. If the Catholics say you need faith and works, but in reality you only need faith, and Benedict had faith and works… doesn’t that mean he had faith? I don’t recall sola fide meaning you have to have faith in Jesus and assent to a specific theology of atonement. By definition that’s not faith alone.
@Tekton et al …
What if you’re wrong?
Jeff, that’s the wrong question. The correct question would be, “what if the Bible is wrong?”
It is unwise of Lindsey and others to assume that those of us who believe the Bible have never looked into the veracity and accuracy of the scripture. She just assumes that because we accept it as true, that we never have. Some of us have been reading books and studying that subject for many decades. I’m not going to tell you what to believe, or to take my word for it, but I do recommend that you go to some apologetics websites, and look into it. Probably the most well-known book on the subject, is Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell. There are sermons on youtube on the subject by Voddie Bauchum. The Bible has been tested more than any other book in history, and it has withstood for two millennia, unscathed.
Oh dear Tekton, researching whether or not the “Bible is wrong” doesn’t count if you stay only within your own echo chamber to investigate it’s authenticity. I have read not only Josh McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict, but also A Case for Christ and A Case for Faith by Lee Strobel as well as Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem and numerous others that I was introduced to in my religious course classes when I attended Grand Canyon University Online and Baylor University. I have read and scoured a plethora of apologetics websites even before I began to have questions. “Unscathed”? If so why are there so many former Christian and Theology PhD’s, professors, scholars, and others like me who have renounced their traditional view of the authority of the Christian scriptures and it’s origin?
Now, since we are sharing websites, authors, and scholars to look up, let me offer you some names and book titles for you to look up as well.
1. Creating Christ: How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity by James S. Valliant and C. W. Fahy
2. Jesus Never Existed: An Introduction to the Ultimate Heresy by Kenneth Humphreys
3. Caesar’s Messiah by Joseph Atwill
4. Robert M. Price – Theologian who has a PhD in Systematic Theology and PhD in New Testament and who takes a deep look into the historicity of Jesus
5. Robert Eisenman – the influential key figure in getting ALL of the Dead Sea Scrolls published and an American biblical scholar, historian, archaeologist and is currently the professor of Middle East religions, archaeology, and Islamic law and director of the Institute for the Study of Judaeo-Christian Origins at California State University Long Beach.
6. Dorothy Milne Murdock/D.M. Murdock (Pen name Acharya Sanning) – a scholar of comparative religion and mythology and Greek Classics
All of these I am sure are WELL outside of your comfort zone, but one cannot say they have thoroughly investigated this subject without looking at and weighing ALL the arguments, not just the ones in their echo chamber. These people have also spent their lives studying this subject, some of whom turned from their traditional Christian beliefs about the Bible because the evidence did not support it. Enjoy!
Matthew 10:14
And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. (…or website)
Lindsey, good job proving my points. Much appreciated.
Just one more question of you Lindsey.
Anyone who’s ever read the New Testament knows that it has nothing good to say about Caesar or Rome. They are consistently exposed as the bad guys, from the time Mary and Joseph go into exile in Egypt to the time John of Patmos put the book of Revelation on paper while imprisoned. All throughout the NT, Caesar and Rome are shown to be wicked, persecuting, imprisoning, and putting Christians to death. They stood up to Rome, many paying the ultimate sacrifice, consistently conveying the fact that we are to obey God rather than men, and that Jesus Christ is our ONLY Lord, Savior, and Master. Christians were a pain in Rome’s side, and a threat to Rome.
Christians, who serve ONLY Jesus Christ, who place Him above any person or institution of mankind, have been a threat to governments since before Christ was conceived.
There are many more points that could be made on this subject, but it couldn’t be more clear that the Bible doesn’t approve of Rome, that Christians were at odds with Rome, and that Rome didn’t like Christians.
Why, then, would Caesar manufacture such a religion?
* since Christ was conceived, and word was spread that the King above all kings was coming.
Uh apparently you aren’t as versed in the NT scriptures as you think you are and it shows because ALL of Paul’s epistles are PRO Roman. And in the gospels Jesus says, Render to Caeser what is Caesar’s,” and pay your taxes, etc. Sounds pretty pro Roman to me. Did Rome persecute Christians? Yes and a big fat no. Why would Rome persecute the people who were abiding by their laws and paying their taxes? They wouldn’t and didn’t. They did however persecute the staunchly rebellious messianic Jews because they already had a Jewish rebellion and they (Rome) was trying to quell the rebellion. You really should go read Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews and Wars of the Jews and understand the history and context of the Bible you espouse before speaking. Tekton, open your mouth, insert your foot and then go educate yourself please.
Rome persecuted Paul and imprisoned him. As a matter of his conversion Saul rejected Rome, ceased persecuting Christians and became Paul. That’s all right in the scripture. His own testimony is a condemnation of Rome.
You, and the authors, are cherry-picking certain few scriptures that say to be subject to authority, without understanding that being subject to authority is not the same as blind obedience. The logic given in scripture, 1 Peter 2 for example, is that Christ is glorified when we are persecuted for having done nothing wrong. The scripture is admonition to the early church to not try to fight back in a manner that would be sinful, and is encouragement to them that Christ is glorified through their persecution.
History bore this out. Christ was indeed glorified. The Roman Empire is long gone. Its buildings and coliseums are crumbling ruin. But God’s Word still stands.
You cannot post one scripture that, in context, has anything good to say about the Roman Empire. There are no such scriptures.
It never ceases to amaze how rabid anti-Christians who claim superior reasoning skills can’t ever seem to make an argument without all manner of fallacy. Appeals to authority, argumentum-ad-populum, ad-hominem, motte and bailey, not to mention the inherent circular reasoning of moral relativism.
If the Bible is that pro-Roman, then why do Christians not praise the Roman Empire? Yet again, this is projection of your own views onto others, and a betrayal of a non-objective agenda. I don’t know of any Christian in 2000+ years who has ever had anything good to say about the Roman Empire. So if that was the intent, it sure seems that it badly backfired, wouldn’t you think? Who other than these “experts” you mention, here in the last few minutes of history, have ever interpreted it as such?
Jesus also said, render unto God that which is God’s. And He went to the cross not rendering to Caesar that which is God’s.
Lindsey, I believe the real reason that you rejected the Bible is because you simply don’t like what it says, and you don’t like what Christians stand for. I believe it’s that simple.
Scripture condemns sin, including that which was accepted and rampant in the Roman Empire, and practiced by the emperors. It condemns polytheism, which was a significant part of Roman culture. It condemns many things that were central to roman society, to the empire, to its objectives, and to the means it used to obtain those objectives.
Scripture tells us to obey God above all else.
The idea that it was just all made up as some sort of ruse, by the most powerful empire in the history of mankind, which notoriously gained and kept power by force, to put down an uprising, is ridiculous.
If it had all been made up during that time, with the first of the wars occurring when eye-witnesses to Jesus would’ve still been alive, and the last about one generation removed, what sort of possible sway would that have had? Of all possible ruses, why would Rome have chosen one that their enemy would’ve known wasn’t true?
The theory is absurd.
It would’ve been the biggest most sophisticated conspiracy in history. The Romans would’ve had to put together large numbers of scholars to carefully study all the Hebrew texts, all the prophecies, the genealogies, the history. They would’ve had to obtain all that information somehow. They would’ve had to have had intimate knowledge of Jerusalem and surrounding areas, as well as the daily life of those in the area, with details only they would know. So on and so forth. The conspiracy would’ve had to have involved many people. A conspiracy that was somehow kept secret until a few “experts” figured it out 2 millennia later?
It would’ve been humanly impossible to make it all up. And if they were going to make something up, it’s the last thing they would’ve made up.
It’s total hogwash, Lindsey.
For over 300 years, Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire. It was illegal encompassing the entire time of the Jewish-Roman wars, and beyond. And it didn’t truly become fully legal until Constantine converted.
If Rome had made it up, why would they have simultaneously made it illegal?
This is all recorded by historians of the time, including roman historians who were loyal to the emperor.
Your wild conspiracy theory is full of more holes than swiss cheese.
The difference is what motivates the works…
Hebrews 11:6-7
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
But Faith in what?
In Christ’s substitutionary atonement and finished work on the cross.
Romans 10:9-11
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the GIFT OF GOD, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
All the catechism of the RCC and it’s apologists can’t take from you what GOD Himself has given. Eternal life.
Contrary to the justifications many have given here, there’s only one person in the whole world who has control over every single ad that appears on this website: the webmaster. The webmaster alone is responsible for selecting companies and organizations to sell ad space to. Signing up for a service that automates this process does not absolve the webmaster from responsibility.
*Noted
Tekton, you came to your conclusions after reading the books, websites, and watching these scholars interviews and documentaries? Nope, of course you didn’t. You didn’t have enough time to cover THAT much material in between the few short hours of your responses. It would take a minimum of several weeks and months to cover all that material.
But that’s okay. You’re right. Everyone else is wrong and has ZERO idea what they are talking about. You ARE the biblical scholar and master. You win. Pat yourself on the back and scream to the mountains that you won this argument and are the master of ALL historical knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and the Abraham of this age. There has never lived a man of your mighty stature and wisdom. And thank you for blessings us all with your presence on here and in your responses. You are a marvel to behold. We should all bow down and worship you. You are a GOD worthy of not only our adoration, but your own adoration. I can see you adorned with a crown of the most precious of gems, sitting high on your well earned throne of gold and robes of the purest and richest of fabrics and colors. We have all been truly blessed by your masterful and expository reasoning of this subject.
More fallacious, childish ad-hominem attacks and false accusations, with no substantive argument.
Of course I didn’t read the material. I don’t need to. If you can’t answer just a dozen or so very simple questions, and address the major flaws and contradictions with your theory, and it cannot hold up to the simplest of inquiry, why should I waste my time and money to pursue the subject further?
Here’s another very simple, basic question: Why would Rome go to the trouble of creating an entire fake religion, complete with an entire fake New Testament, which essentially would say “if you don’t resist us, we will still persecute you, up to and including death” ??? That is what the NT says – that Christians would be and were persecuted up to and including death, for the sake of Jesus’ name, having done nothing wrong. In what possible way would such a message have benefited the roman empire?
If you were at war and you were going to create propaganda to convince the enemy to stand down, would you craft the propaganda to say that if they did stand down, you’d still persecute and kill them anyhow?
By your own standards, you should reject your theory because it contains many major flaws and contradictions, about which you cannot answer questions.
The NT account doesn’t conflict with established, known, recorded history. But your conspiracy theory is in conflict with both.
You might as well just admit it, Lindsey. You rejected the Bible simple because you do not like what it says.
Tekton, if you had read or watched any of the things I listed, the questions you asked me would be answered and you would see that it better explains gaps, contradictions, and the “wtf” scriptures. But I have neither the time or crayons to explain it to you. I am not interested in spoon feeding you information like the ones here on Protestia or in your church’s pulpit. You want answers to those questions (and I know you do because you keep asking questions even though I obviously had said my goodbye to you in my last response) get off your lazy indoctrinated horse’s ___(fill in the blank) and go do some ACTUAL research outside of your echo chamber and bible instead of regurgitating your flavor of biblical scholarship. And ask yourself, “Self, if the Bible is so unscathed, why would we need apologists to refute the naysayers and why is there so much historical, anthropological, paleographical, and archaeological evidence against my bible”? Now, again Tekton, you win and just because I wasn’t clear enough in my last response, let me spell it out for you genius.. G O O D B Y E.
Goodbye to you too, little tyrant