tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post7858394793624069440..comments2024-03-27T17:15:37.606-04:00Comments on Triablogue: How Visible Should Christian Unity Be?Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17809283662428917799noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-75844626903112766382013-01-09T10:28:15.178-05:002013-01-09T10:28:15.178-05:00Hi Michael -- Yes, I just intended to say that the...Hi Michael -- Yes, I just intended to say that these were not a part of the New Testament church. Many Roman Catholics want to look at this in an all-or-nothing kind of way (and arguably, that may stem from the language about the church "stands or falls"), but from a historical perspective, I don't think that's correct. (That seems to be "stands or falls from a hierarchical perspective"). But I think it's more complicated than that. The Lord didn't abandon "the church" during the dark ages or the middle ages. He kept a remnant. <br /><br />I like that Spurgeon quote, and we should always strive to understand rightly. But I think there are many, many whom He has called to Himself over the centuries who may only have understood things "almost rightly" or even "through a glass darkly". He is always faithful, even when we are not. John Bugayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17728044301053738095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-71056422861690632532013-01-09T10:05:08.644-05:002013-01-09T10:05:08.644-05:00John,
above, "...I’ve argued that Roman hier...John,<br /><br />above, "...<i>I’ve argued that Roman hierarchy and sacraments are later accretions to the structure and practice of the New Testament church</i>"...<br /><br />These are your words, yes?<br /><br />Clarify that for me if you would? <br /><br />In any event, yours words or not, that is very powerful in understanding one of the schemes of the devil is it not? His approach, allowed and permitted, is to subtly add a little bit here and there so that after a while there is no clear discernment just that that accretion is accepted as "truth" when in fact it isn't!<br /><br />I read this quote by Spurgeon the other day that seems somewhat apropos to what you are revealing here in this post:<br /><br /><b><i>"Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the differrence between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right"</i></b>michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01744678277860175675noreply@blogger.com