Carson, first of all you won nothing, and I'm sure if you were to send this string to my congregation they would see that. The only thing you won was the blue ribbon for sloppy exegesis and dogma-centered hermeneutics.
Further, the reason I didn't respond is because it is of no use. Staunch Catholics will not listen to sound exegesis - never have, never will. You have proved yourself to be no different. For instance, I keep hearing Catholics in this string cast in doubt the meaning of
adelphos as "brother," but do you know how the word is translated in the King James: 346 times translated "brother, brethren" in the NT, 0 (count em) 0 times translated "cousin" or anything even close to that in the NT. I'm sure you'll probably assault the KJV and its translators when you read that, and rightfully so since I'm sure your understanding of the Greek language is much better than theirs was.
Also, I have not launched any tirade against the RCC - I have simply refuted one of her godless dogmas. You say that I like to play on the emotions with my posts, but it seems that you want to portray me as some big Catholic-hater so that you can sway any who may be reading this string into thinking that there is no real substance to my replies. That's what I call talking out of both sides of your mouth.
You asked, How many Catholics do you know who are personal soul-winners? How many Catholics do you know who have a zeal for spirit-filled, expository preaching? How many Catholics do you know actually sense that there is a need for them to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? How many Catholics do you know who will rejoice when they hear that you are trying to reach others for Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit in your everyday life?"
More than I can count. My roommate Robert (who was an Independant Conservative Baptist for the first 25 years of his life), my professor and employer (a former PCA Protestant seminary professor), my Haitian friend Louis, my Kansas friend Ann, my former housemate Kevin (he's as evangelistic as they come, watch out!), my friends Tomas (he's Polish) and Brian (from D.C.) who are now novitiates for the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in the Bronx, Tony from Trinidad, and I can go on and on.... All of the above are Catholics.. and I've only gotten started.
Wow, that's terrific...do us all a favor and send them to New England because it was obvious to me that there was no evangelical Catholic church in the entire state of New Hampshire (believed me - we searched for even one and found none). In fact, my buddy who is a Southern Baptist church planter there consistently hears from the Catholics of that region, "I don't want any part of that Gospel stuff - I told you, I'm Catholic." To be fair, I can't blame staunch Catholics for not being very evangelistic. With the way that purgatory has been relegated to nothing more than a "heavenly holding tank" within Catholic theology, why is there any real urgency to reach the lost for Christ...what's so bad about a brief detour in purgatory before heaven? (Purgatory...another godless Catholic dogma found NOWHERE in the Scriptures). All someone must do is make sure they stay away from those pesky mortal sins and everything will be OK, right? I found it interesting that you said nothing of your own involvment in consistent confrontational evangelism or the fact that any area in the world that is predominately Catholic is evangelistically dead. That's why the Protestant Hispanic ministry here in Morristown is booming - the majority of the Hispanics who are coming to Morristown have NEVER heard the Gospel in their RC churches. I had the chance to lead one of those young Hispanic men to Christ about 4 months ago - his family was Catholic, and they were pretty faithful to the RCC, yet he had not a clue what the Gospel was all about. As a Pastor (someone who actually participates in the
ministry of the local church), I encounter this much more often than I should have to.
Let me share one experience, then I'm through.
What? No response? This was easier than I thought it was going to be.
I win.
You make my point exactly - staunch Catholics are more concerned about winning a "dogma debate" (which you certainly didn't) than they are about reaching the world for Christ. But, that too is to be expected since they have fallen prey to the vain philosophies and traditions (there's that word again) of men - philosophies and traditions that Paul warned against (Col. 2:8). I thought it was interesting that in your earlier reply to Lady's disdain for the word "tradition" that you left out Col. 2:8. Pretty convenient.
As I said, I could continue to pick apart your faulty theology and exegesis (as I did in my reply to your first post in our discourse), but what's the use? Even if I expose everyone of your remaining arguments (could there be any left?) as completely false (which I have done thus far), you still would not denounce the false dogmas. And why? Because the god of this age has blinded your eyes and those of the RCC(cf. 2 Cor. 4:4) to the exegetically sound truth of Scripture. I have discovered this in my ministry - no one can be argued to Christ! I have backed atheists into dead-ends. I have torn apart the debased theologies of some cultists. I have even exposed the falsehood of those within Catholic circles on several occasions (including this one). Yet, the only One who can save a lost soul is the Holy Spirit of God (John 3:5). I say this with all sincerety - I can't expect you to accept the plain exegesis of Scripture if you aren't even a child of God. Anyone who believes that we must work in conjuction with some "infusion of grace" in order to earn our salvation (a salvation which can be lost and regained according to your dogmas) is in clear violation of God's Word - "For it is by grace you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, AND THIS NOT OF YOURSELVES, IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD,
NOT BY WORKS , LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST" (Eph. 2:8-9). And violation to the Word of God on this most pivotal point of soteriology can only mean one thing - those who believe Catholic soteriology are lost. A Christ that doesn't have the power to save you without your ongoing "cooperation," and then doesn't have the power to keep you after He has established His covenant with you is no Christ at all, but sounds much more like the Antichrist of 1 John 2:18 (you may also want to read 1 John 2:19 about the perseverance of the saints - those who already received the
fullness of the Holy Spirit according to 2:27 - another use of the perfect tense you like so well).
So you think you've won - my friend (and I say this in love) the only thing you've "won" is an eternity in hell (not purgatory) if you never trust Christ by faith alone - your works (and even your keen intellect) can't save you. It is my
honest prayer that you will trust Christ as your Savior by faith alone. To that end, I will be concluding my posting on this string with you, but if you would like to stay in touch through e-mail, I would be more than delighted to do so. I think you can access my e-mail from this site, but if you can't, than just post on here that you'd like me to get in touch with you and I would be happy to do so. Thank you for engaging with me on this topic for the last couple of nights as I know it has taken some of your time just as it has taken some of mine.
