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What? Acts 2:38 does NOT say..."Repent FOR the remission of sins"...It's says: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit..."In Acts 2:38 the baptism is in response to the remission of sins gained by repentance. The key word is for. If you "jump for joy", are you jumping in order to become joyful or because you already have joy? The grammar in the verse is the same. (Sorry if this point has already been brought up - have been skimming quickly here..)
So you want to use Webster's dictionary for your authority for faith and practice instead of the Bible. I have already been through this before.Which exactly is my Point. Catholics claim that their prayer to Mary is the lesser form of communication than their prayer to God.
"Jump for joy" is a euphemism and does not convey the meaning of "for". A proper example would be: "I work for money." This means I work so I can get money. IT DOES NOT MEAN "I work because I have money."In Acts 2:38 the baptism is in response to the remission of sins gained by repentance. The key word is for. If you "jump for joy", are you jumping in order to become joyful or because you already have joy? The grammar in the verse is the same. (Sorry if this point has already been brought up - have been skimming quickly here..)
John 6:28-29 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?...and where does the bible explicitly state that baptism is a "work"?
No enough has not been said since you have a complete misunderstanding of this verse. Let's look at it.the bible however is quite clear that baptism is for the remission of sins...see Acts 2:38, when St. Peter answered the question how they can be saved, after St. Peter's sermon...his answer...
"Repent, and let every one of you be bap*tized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit"...nuff said...-
No, I want to use Webster dictionary for defining english words that I use in the context of what I am speaking about. It has nothing to do with the bible. If I want to discuss faith and morals I will use the bible.So you want to use Webster's dictionary for your authority for faith and practice instead of the Bible.
No, we are not speaking of biblcial doctrine. Doctrine is defined asWe are speaking of Biblical doctrine
Under this definition Scriptures are separate from doctrine. Principles are presented in scripture for belief and they are a teaching. Dogma is defined by a "religious, political, scientific, or philosophic group. So the proper way to look at it is this way. The Catholic Church has presented a dogma. 1) what is it? 2) is it in accordance with scriptures.1. A principle or body of principles presented for acceptance or belief, as by a religious, political, scientific, or philosophic group; dogma.
2. A rule or principle of law, especially when established by precedent.
3. A statement of official government policy, especially in foreign affairs and military strategy.
4. Archaic Something taught; a teaching.
This is an all inclusive statement that ignores the first step of definition. Prayer can be to God as worship or it can be to a person as communication. Already I've shown you the hebrew word that is like its english counterpart and taken both ways. Catholic reply to you is that no prayer to Mary is a supplication not worship. I may make a supplication to you and not worship you. So you fail again at the definition of what the dogma you are arguing against.2. All prayer TO Mary is worship. Worship of another is idolatry
This is true but you have to prove that Mary is indeed dead which you have not sufficiently proved, to show the communicators are communicating to the dead. Scriptures are silent on whether Mary is dead or not.3. Communication to the dead is necromancy--strongly condemned in the Bible
Failing to prove that Mary is indeed dead you also make this statement which again you must then be embarrassed by this passage4. There are many Scriptures which plainly tell us that there is one mediator between God and man; the man Christ Jesus--He is the only intercessor. Mary cannot intercede for anyone.
It is obvious that James is indicating that we pray for each other and that we intercede for each other. If there is only one intercessor between God and Man; the man Jesus Christ then James must be teaching a falsehood and it should not be in scriptures. I should not pray for you. I cannot intercede for you because only Jesus Christ can do that. Therefore you've proven agains scriptures to lie. Unless again you are mistaken by context. Which seems more reasonable that I can intercede and pray for you because James says for me to do so that you might be healed and forgiven. The Catholic will say it is in this same capasity that they request Mary to pray for them. You still haven't proven she died.14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Again you've instituted what it is you think they are saying and answering it making a leap from 1) to 2). Instead the Catholic will say Mary does not have these attributes. It is God who brings to her knowledge those for her to pray much like I may feel a need in the middle of the night to pray for your safety in which case I am not hearing you nor am I aware of your circumstance I trust that the lord has given me awareness of your need. It is in this sence Catholics say Mary prays.5. For Catholics everywhere to pray to Mary is to confer on Mary the attributes of omniscience and omnipresence, attributes that belong only to God
Again you skip 1) and disregard the actual dogma that only divine worship belongs to God and to mary goes the communication."Our God is jealous God; He will not give His glory to another."
The question is not one of worship. It is wrong to worship Mary for worship belongs to God. The question is one of communication. Is it wrong to communicate to Mary.Is this enough to show to you that prayer and worship of Mary is wrong?
Once again, I will offer a difference between prayer to God and "pray" to a person here. In both of these cases, the person to whom we are speaking can hear us. God because of His omnipotence and omniscience and a person who is standing next to us or on the phone or on the computer because they have ears and eyes to hear and see us.
However, those who are in heaven do not have ears or eyes here on earth. They then must be omnipotent and omniscient in order to hear prayers - and both of those qualities belong to God only.
So how is "praying" to a person in heaven other than God anything but ascribing to them divine attributes - thus decaring them a god?
Jesus and all the writers of the Bible used Hebrew and Greek, not English. Therefore we must do the same. Find out what the words meant in the original languages and define them accordingly. We do not define words according to the RCC or even according to Webster. The Bible is our final authority in all matters pertaining to faith and doctrine. I don't know how strongly I must stress that. Prayer is doctrine. The doctrine of prayer, as defined in the Bible, is communication to God alone. Prayer is never to a person, but always to God. I can offer you many definitions from Bible Dictionaries, here is the first one that I had available:No, I want to use Webster dictionary for defining english words that I use in the context of what I am speaking about. It has nothing to do with the bible. If I want to discuss faith and morals I will use the bible.
This was taken from the American Tract Society Dictionary. Similar Bible Dictionaries say the same thing. It is always between the believe and God. It is never between a person and any other but God. Theological terms have theological definitions, and you don't get them from Webster!!Is the offering of the emotions and desires of the soul to God, in the name and through the mediation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the communion of the heart with God through the aid of the Holy Spirit, and is to the Christian the very life of the soul. Without this filial spirit, no one can be a Christian, Job 21:15; Ps 10:4.
Yes we are speaking of doctrine. The word doctrine simply means teaching. Look here, at the Scriptures.No, we are not speaking of biblcial doctrine. Doctrine is defined as
4. Archaic Something taught; a teaching.Under this definition
I don't see that. The Bible had archaic language, remember; the KJV is 400 years old,Scriptures are separate from doctrine.
Show me that from the Bible. It is my authority.Principles are presented in scripture for belief and they are a teaching. Dogma is defined by a "religious, political, scientific, or philosophic group.
Sorry, the RCC is not my authority. Prayer is a doctrine. According to the Bible what is prayer. I start with my authority. Not the other way around.So the proper way to look at it is this way. The Catholic Church has presented a dogma. 1) what is it? 2) is it in accordance with scriptures.
I have defined it. I am sorry if I only assumed you would know what prayer was. But now I have provided a definition for you.You fail the first part. You fail to define what it is. You already equate it to a biblical principle before you properly define it.
Now you have a proper definition.You instead impose your belief as to what it is then you jump to number two. Its a faulted premise and thus whether your conclusion is accurate or not its inconsistent with the subject or irrelevant. Until your on the same page as to what the doctrine is you can not compare it to scripture. So first define it properly.
And they are dead wrong. Prayer is between man and God alone. Anything else is idolatry.The Dogma of the Catholic Church is that we should pray to Mary.
No it isn't. It is to God alone. The definition of prayer excludes any person. One cannot pray to a person. That falls outside the definition of prayer and into the definition of idolatry. That is why the Bible is so important to use as our authority.To define it properly we must ask. What is the context of "pray to Mary" Prayer is a vehicle of communication to God, or to a person (dead or alive).
And that is wrong. That is idolatry. Prayer to a person is idolatry.In which context does the Catholic Dogma support. A Catholic answer is that the vehicle of communication (prayer) is as one communciates to a person.
As prayer, yes. It becomes idolatry. The "Hail Mary" is a prayer and it is idolatrous. You wouldn't address me in such a manner would you? It is worshipful. It is idolatry.Therefore its not defined as one given to God. OK. From this perspective you can move to the next question regarding how does it realate to scripture.
1) does scripture prevent us from communicating to other people?
I can't see you. So that depends. I know that you are alive because of technology.2) does scripture say we must communicate to people we do not see?
The Scripture is very clear about communicating to the "dead," whether you consider them saved or unsaved. She is dead because the resurrection has not yet taken place. I did mention that already.3) what does scripture say about it? etc...
The resurrection has not yet taken place. The one that is alive is Jesus Christ.Your contention is that Mary is dead. The obvious catholic reply is that; No, Mary is not dead.1. Mary is dead. The resurrection has not yet occurred]
What is your evidence that Mary is dead.
Walk through a cemetary. Is there any indication that those in the graves are alive? They are dead. Mary is no different than any one else. The resurrection has not yet taken place. The rapture has not yet taken place. Concerning that event, Paul said:If scripture is your sole authority you will be frustrated because there is no indication in scripture that Mary has died.
Are you limiting God in what He can do? When Scripture tells us that He took Enoch, then He took Enoch. But He did not say that concerning Mary.You can pull up verses like "it is appointed once for a man to die" but you must be embarrassed by Enoch and Elijah since neither has died and thus scripture lies.
I don't make God a liar. You argue out of silence which is no argument at all.Making a future referrence is of no use because it hasn't happened yet and you still make the scriptures a liar.
I have the Bible to tell me that Enoch and Elijah are alive. I don't have the Bible to tell me that Mary is alive. You are depending on RCC tradition. Why would you believe that? it is heresy.You may say that it is logical that Mary is dead because it has been 2,000 years since and men generally don't live that long. Yet you have no real evidence to support that Mary did indeed die save logic that is faulted if you believe Enoch and Elijah are both still alive.
Prayer is only to God and God alone. To any other thing or person it is idolatry. See definition above.This is an all inclusive statement that ignores the first step of definition.
If to a person it is idolatry.Prayer can be to God as worship or it can be to a person as communication.
That supplication TO Mary is what makes it idolatry.Already I've shown you the hebrew word that is like its english counterpart and taken both ways. Catholic reply to you is that no prayer to Mary is a supplication not worship.
If it is directly TO me, it may be idolatry. Generally people ask of me.I may make a supplication to you and not worship you. So you fail again at the definition of what the dogma you are arguing against.
The essence of our faith is the resurrection. The ONLY one to have risen from the dead is Jesus Christ. No other person is alive. All others are dead and in the grave--Mary included. She is dead.This is true but you have to prove that Mary is indeed dead which you have not sufficiently proved, to show the communicators are communicating to the dead. Scriptures are silent on whether Mary is dead or not.
I will pray FOR you; but never TO you. There is a big difference. Praying TO you is idolatry. Catholics pray TO Mary which is idolatry.Failing to prove that Mary is indeed dead you also make this statement which again you must then be embarrassed by this passage It is obvious that James is indicating that we pray for each other and that we intercede for each other.
Note the pronouns used. In every instance you have used the pronoun for and not once the pronoun TO. You may not pray TO me, otherwise it is idolatry. But I welcome your prayers FOR me.If there is only one intercessor between God and Man; the man Jesus Christ then James must be teaching a falsehood and it should not be in scriptures. I should not pray for you. I cannot intercede for you because only Jesus Christ can do that. Therefore you've proven agains scriptures to lie. Unless again you are mistaken by context. Which seems more reasonable that I can intercede and pray for you because James says for me to do so that you might be healed and forgiven.
And that is idolatry because they pray TO Mary.The Catholic will say it is in this same capasity that they request Mary to pray for them. You still haven't proven she died.
It is the only way that she could possibly hear and know what all Catholics pray the world over.Again you've instituted what it is you think they are saying and answering it making a leap from 1) to 2). Instead the Catholic will say Mary does not have these attributes.
I have never heard that. I was never taught that as a Catholic. I don't believe that the Catechism teaches that either. You will have to demonstrate that through the Catechism. The RCC doesn't teach that the Lord is a mediator for Mary but that Mary is a mediator and redemptrix for the Lord. I know you have this wrong.It is God who brings to her knowledge those for her to pray much like I may feel a need in the middle of the night to pray for your safety in which case I am not hearing you nor am I aware of your circumstance I trust that the lord has given me awareness of your need. It is in this sence Catholics say Mary prays.
I am not skipping anything. Have you not read some of the prayers devoted to Mary alone?Again you skip 1) and disregard the actual dogma that only divine worship belongs to God and to mary goes the communication.
The communication that is given TO Mary is that of worship, prayer, praise and adoration which is due only to God. That is idolatry.The question is not one of worship. It is wrong to worship Mary for worship belongs to God. The question is one of communication. Is it wrong to communicate to Mary.
I think I have.My personal opinion is yes. However, You have not suffeciently proved your point.
No, faith is never a work per Scripture.Is faith a work?
And yet no English translation that I am aware of translates it like your source suggests. Not even the HCSB which is sponsored by a Baptist group.In conclusion, Acts 2:38 does not teach that baptism is required for salvation.
All 3 parts from article at
http://www.gotquestions.org/baptism-acts-2-38.html
And that is why we are not KJVO or any-translation-OAnd yet no English translation that I am aware of translates it like your source suggests. Not even the HCSB which is sponsored by a Baptist group.
And yet no English translation that I am aware of translates it like your source suggests. Not even the HCSB which is sponsored by a Baptist group.
Jesus and all the writers of the Bible used Hebrew and Greek, not English
It's a grace. If anything re God is a work, I'm well and truly stuffed...Baptism is a work. It is a response to faith...obedience. Still a work nonetheless.