HandstoWorkHeartstoGod

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Scripture alone. No human explanation or interpretation of God's Word should be elevated to the same authority as the text (The Holy Bible) itself.

Revelation 22:18-21. NIV I warn everyone who hears the the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen, Come, Lord Jesus
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

In the Old Testament, Moses gives a similar warning as well in Deuteronomy 4:1-4. We too must handle the Bible with care and great respect so that we do not distort its message, even unintentionally. We should be quick to put its principles into practice in our lives as followers of Christ alone. No human explanation or interpretation of God's Word should be elevated to the same authority as the Holy Bible itself.
 
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buzuxi02

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Prove it!

Pagan worship centered around a large statue found in the center space of a roman temple. Some may have housed other idols (statues of various deities) as well where incense could be burned and libations made. It was more of an art gallery, or a museum thats why Christians prefered the basillica for a Christian temple. Basillicas were for public and civic use such as a court. The main center area the people congregated and in the front an elevated area (apse) for the magistrates to conduct their business. Pagan ceremonies would take place usually on the steps of the temple as there was no room inside. So the early church did not just take over pagan practises. Also many statues found in the Latin sect regardless of one think' they are appropriate or not came about centuries after paganism died out, it was not a continuation.
 
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buzuxi02

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Scripture alone. No human explanation or interpretation of God's Word should be elevated to the same authority as the text (The Holy Bible) itself.

Revelation 22:18-21. NIV I warn everyone who hears the the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen, Come, Lord Jesus
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

In the Old Testament, Moses gives a similar warning as well in Deuteronomy 4:1-4. We too must handle the Bible with care and great respect so that we do not distort its message, even unintentionally. We should be quick to put its principles into practice in our lives as followers of Christ alone. No human explanation or interpretation of God's Word should be elevated to the same authority as the Holy Bible itself.

Thats complete nonsense. The Bible is not nor ever was nor ever will be the sole authority of Christianity. That would be bibliolatry.
There was no mass printing before the invention of the printing press and most people were illiterate. It was a rarity to have any book. A rich family could commission a scribe to have him hand write a copy, that was the extent of the availability of the
written word within christianity up until the 16th century. People went to church to listen to the gospel and a homily was offered. The fullness of the faith was passed down in Liturgy through the hymns and prayers and mysteries and experience of the community with the bishop being a safeguard of what was passed onto him.
 
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HandstoWorkHeartstoGod

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Pagan worship centered around a large statue found in the center space of a roman temple. Some may have housed other idols (statues of various deities) as well where incense could be burned and libations made. It was more of an art gallery, or a museum thats why Christians prefered the basillica for a Christian temple. Basillicas were for public and civic use such as a court. The main center area the people congregated and in the front an elevated area (apse) for the magistrates to conduct their business. Pagan ceremonies would take place usually on the steps of the temple as there was no room inside. So the early church did not just take over pagan practises. Also many statues found in the Latin sect regardless of one think' they are appropriate or not came about centuries after paganism died out, it was not a continuation.

Early Christian preachers such as the Apostle Paul brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to an empire already crammed full of deities. The citizens of the Roman empire and within certain limits, even its rulers were extremely tolerant of foreign gods. The oldest and most accepted foreign deities were the gods of ancient Greece. These gods made their home in the (Roman world) at an early time along with Greek art and literature. Some of these Greek gods shared Roman names and acquired some Roman characteristics. But many others were accepted as they were by the Romans.

Please read Acts 17:16-34 for a description of what Paul found in Athens Greece. Realize that the Greek gods also made their home in the Roman world before and during the time of the Apostle Paul's ministry in Athens Greece . . . Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
 
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buzuxi02

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I always wonder what people who insist on this think the early Christians used as their authority?

The biggest problem with their view is it means God goofed with his timing. Paul says, "When the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son... (Gal 4:4)

If the printed documentation was of utmost importance and the ability for the common man to have access to a bible then the fullness of time did not arrive until the printing press was invented.
Many of them say christianity fell when the last apostle died or when Constantine legalized christianity. How then was the fullness of time in the 1st century AD? Pretty bad timing to have him born in an era where most people were illiterate and would take 500 years later to revive a basically dead on arrival christianity.
Orthodoxy on the other hand teaches the fullness of time was becauae of the spread of the Greek language as an international language and the unifying of a broad expanse of nationalities under Augustus Caesar within the Roman Empire.
 
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HandstoWorkHeartstoGod

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Or bibleology
I worship God and accept His revealed Word only. I do not worship any learned man or woman (created being) who writes literature that is an addition to, or a subtraction from, the Holy Bible. Peace to all who read these words.
 
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buzuxi02

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Early Christian preachers such as the Apostle Paul brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to an empire already crammed full of deities. The citizens of the Roman empire and within certain limits, even its rulers were extremely tolerant of foreign gods. The oldest and most accepted foreign deities were the gods of ancient Greece. These gods made their home in the (Roman world) at an early time along with Greek art and literature. Some of these Greek gods shared Roman names and acquired some Roman characteristics. But many others were accepted as they were by the Romans.

Please read Acts 17:16-34 for a description of what Paul found in Athens Greece. Realize that the Greek gods also made their home in the Roman world before and during the time of the Apostle Paul's ministry in Athens Greece . . . Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
So that proves 'bible only' is not an authentic original viewpoint within christianity.. The Athenians embraced Christianity in about 540 Ad. Around that time they converted the Parthenon into a Church. They removed the large statue in the center to accommodate the people and made some other changes to make it conducive to Christian worship. Before that time there was a smaller Christian church in the area, the community simply moved to the new bigger Church. There was no conspiracy of paganism rebranding itself. Again it would mean Christianity arrived to early.
 
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I worship God and accept His revealed Word only. I do not worship any learned man or woman (created being) who writes literature that is an addition to, or a subtraction from, the Holy Bible. Peace to all who read these words.
Sounds good to me.
 
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HandstoWorkHeartstoGod

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The biggest problem with their view is it means God goofed with his timing. Paul says, "When the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son... (Gal 4:4)

If the printed documentation was of utmost importance and the ability for the common man to have access to a bible then the fullness of time did not arrive until the printing press was invented.
Many of them say christianity fell when the last apostle died or when Constantine legalized christianity. How then was the fullness of time in the 1st century AD? Pretty bad timing to have him born in an era where most people were illiterate and would take 500 years later to revive a basically dead on arrival christianity.
Orthodoxy on the other hand teaches the fullness of time was becauae of the spread of the Greek language as an international language and the unifying of a broad expanse of nationalities under Augustus Caesar within the Roman Empire.

God decides the "fullness of time". He did not have to make sure that there was an international language in place first. His ways are higher than our ways. God acts upon His own time-table, not mankind's. It is not humble to think otherwise. How can we forget that from the beginning of time people passed down communication by verbal means in community settings? Of course, the wonderful gospel of Christ was shared in this manner before it was written.
 
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buzuxi02

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So then what is the problem you have with us? This is how we communicated the fullness of the gospel. It came with signs and miracles and experiences. By saying " bible only" you can only mean that mass distribution of writing and a good literacy rate is imperative for a functional christianity and that did not occur till centuries later. For us the fullness of time means it was the best era for Jesus to have been born in. The Jews living abroad accepted the Greek translation of the OT (under ptolemy) as legitimate making it possible to use the OT prohecy as support for Jesus as messiah. Greek as an international language allowed the gospel to reach the gentile masses and having Augustus Caesar unite the empire under one rule allowed easier travel to spread this gospel.

To say everything became corrupted quickly and paganized until mass printing of the Bible was discovered would mean Jesus was born 500 years too early. He was before his time.
 
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ArmyMatt

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I worship God and accept His revealed Word only. I do not worship any learned man or woman (created being) who writes literature that is an addition to, or a subtraction from, the Holy Bible. Peace to all who read these words.

then you would never say God is Trinity, since that word is not found in Scripture and comes from Tertullian in the 200's.

and you probably should not identify as an anabaptist, since that is also not found in Scripture.
 
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HandstoWorkHeartstoGod

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then you would never say God is Trinity, since that word is not found in Scripture and comes from Tertullian in the 200's.

and you probably should not identify as an anabaptist, since that is also not found in Scripture.
Trinity is inferred in Scripture. I would like to humbly state that Eastern Orthodox is not found in Scripture either.
 
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HandstoWorkHeartstoGod

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So then what is the problem you have with us? This is how we communicated the fullness of the gospel. It came with signs and miracles and experiences. By saying " bible only" you can only mean that mass distribution of writing and a good literacy rate is imperative for a functional christianity and that did not occur till centuries later. For us the fullness of time means it was the best era for Jesus to have been born in. The Jews living abroad accepted the Greek translation of the OT (under ptolemy) as legitimate making it possible to use the OT prohecy as support for Jesus as messiah. Greek as an international language allowed the gospel to reach the gentile masses and having Augustus Caesar unite the empire under one rule allowed easier travel to spread this gospel.

To say everything became corrupted quickly and paganized until mass printing of the Bible was discovered would mean Jesus was born 500 years too early. He was before his time.

Some of my posts are missing. Not sure what happened. I don't have a problem with you. I am looking for clarity too. I think there is a lot of Christian lingo that we do not share in common. There are some basic understandings that are different too.
 
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HandstoWorkHeartstoGod

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So then what is the problem you have with us? This is how we communicated the fullness of the gospel. It came with signs and miracles and experiences. By saying " bible only" you can only mean that mass distribution of writing and a good literacy rate is imperative for a functional christianity and that did not occur till centuries later. For us the fullness of time means it was the best era for Jesus to have been born in. The Jews living abroad accepted the Greek translation of the OT (under ptolemy) as legitimate making it possible to use the OT prohecy as support for Jesus as messiah. Greek as an international language allowed the gospel to reach the gentile masses and having Augustus Caesar unite the empire under one rule allowed easier travel to spread this gospel.

To say everything became corrupted quickly and paganized until mass printing of the Bible was discovered would mean Jesus was born 500 years too early. He was before his time.

I believe that there were multiple branches of Christianity beginning soon after Jesus' life and death. Some of these verbal communications, about Christ, among people were accurate and true and some were not. Some of these supposed "Christian" leaders of groups of people wanted power, money and notoriety. Jesus was tempted with these Himself by Satan. These things are not new to this world.
 
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ArmyMatt

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Trinity is inferred in Scripture. I would like to humbly state that Eastern Orthodox is not found in Scripture either.

except that is not what you said earlier. you (not me) said nothing can be added to the Bible. you (not me) said nothing from an extra Biblical source. Trinity was first found in the writings of Tertullian, which is an extra Biblical source. so you are not being very consistent.

and, Marian veneration is in Scripture as well.
 
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Some of my posts are missing. Not sure what happened. I don't have a problem with you. I am looking for clarity too. I think there is a lot of Christian lingo that we do not share in common. There are some basic understandings that are different too.

I agree there are often miscommunications, and it is good for us to sit down and talk with one another and make sure we understand each other.

We can't remove your posts, btw. Only a mod can do that, and the thread would probably have a notice, or you'd probably get one. I don't notice anything missing, including one where you quoted without adding anything (which might be the logical one to remove), so maybe there's a temporary glitch or it didn't post properly at all?
 
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