tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post4603875929878416280..comments2024-03-26T16:24:34.218+00:00Comments on Meeting The Masters: Behold, I Make all Things NewWilliam Wildbloodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13231219533755925897noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-54155453040493033492022-08-09T11:53:03.604+00:002022-08-09T11:53:03.604+00:00That interpretation makes a lot more sense to me, ...That interpretation makes a lot more sense to me, and it does, as you say, chime much better with the other teachings of Jesus. Recognising Christ as the Son of God is a test of openness to truth and in that respect shows the proper orientation of the heart more than anything else. William Wildbloodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13231219533755925897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-36079745512528279412022-08-09T10:32:16.740+00:002022-08-09T10:32:16.740+00:00That comment from Anonymous is really from me, JMS...That comment from Anonymous is really from me, JMSmith.JMSmithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-91534212359231017802022-08-09T10:31:13.822+00:002022-08-09T10:31:13.822+00:00I don’t think the phrase “this rock” refers to Pet...I don’t think the phrase “this rock” refers to Peter the man. I think it refers to what Peter just did in verse 16. “(15) He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? (16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The “rock” on which Jesus founded his Church was the faith in Jesus first exhibited by Peter. I also think that the word “it” at the end of verse 18 refers to the rock (of faith) and not the Church. The standard reading may be more obvious in the original language, but my reading seems more natural in English. It also seems more congruent with the other teachings of Jesus.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-20840655129698702472022-08-07T19:28:29.242+00:002022-08-07T19:28:29.242+00:00You're rlight but I wasn't really addressi...You're rlight but I wasn't really addressing that side of things/ But, as you say, the church, collectively speaking may have reached a tipping point where from being net good it becomes actively harmful from a spiritual perspective. I don't really have enough experience to comment on that but the signs are there.William Wildbloodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13231219533755925897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-85828651623286411842022-08-07T19:10:29.177+00:002022-08-07T19:10:29.177+00:00The problem today that Dr. Charlton and Francis Be...The problem today that Dr. Charlton and Francis Berger were getting at is that traditional authorities are now actively leading people astray. As recently as the days of C.S. Lewis, one could reasonably follow the dictates of the Church of England and be saved. Sure, there were disagreements over high/broad/low church. However, the organization undoubtedly was seeking salvation. The same applied for the majority of organized churches. <br /><br />However, that is clearly not the case. Not a day goes by that I don't see conservatives/traditionalists publicly disagree w/ their church leadership. From the Protestant side, the publication Christianity Today is now openly hostile to traditional Christian values. The Vatican is undermining Catholicism. The list goes on. Discernment wasn't as necessary in the past b/c the institutions were largely good. However, blindly following one's leaders today will lead to damnation. It's unfortunate that this discussion got out of hand. However, behind all of the noise, that was the point Charlton and Berger were trying to make. <br /><br />I wonder if the rise of social media and a 24 hr news cycle has a role in how people relate to their church leadership. I highly doubt the average medieval peasant even knew who the current Pope was. He would have been focused on his local church/community. I believe that this is the path that Christians should take. Decentralization is now happening in the secular world as the system is heading into collapse. It will probably happen in the spiritual world as well. Instead of hand wringing over the next idiotic statement that comes from the church leadership, find a local community to support spiritually. It doesn't necessarily have to be a church as family or friends can become a congregation. All it takes is two or more. It's time to ignore the apostate leadership and rebuild on a local level.Lady Mermaidhttp://www.twitter.com/mermaid_2007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-31225584436376052452022-08-07T00:06:18.893+00:002022-08-07T00:06:18.893+00:00"I don't think we can build an entire spi..."I don't think we can build an entire spiritual edifice on one verse particularly when it can't be certain what Jesus meant by the word 'church'. "<br /><br />Needed saying - because this must be the single most over-worked, excessive-weight-bearing verse in the entire Bible. <br />Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-3136618445888549442022-08-06T21:27:33.608+00:002022-08-06T21:27:33.608+00:00Thank you both for your comments.Thank you both for your comments.William Wildbloodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13231219533755925897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-54353124299667766002022-08-06T20:49:30.680+00:002022-08-06T20:49:30.680+00:00> The church serves supremely as a bastion of t...> The church serves supremely as a bastion of tradition and authority but it is like a mother. The growing child cannot stay clinging to its mother or it will never grow. Naturally, it will always love and respect its mother but if it is to become a mature adult it must start taking responsibility for itself.<br /><br />Well put. For Christians who have grown up and raised in a particular church, they should at some point recognize that they are continuing to choose that system above others, and take responsibility for making that choice.<br /><br />If your parents are still your highest authority as an adult, and you feel compelled that they should remain as such despite your own convictions and intuitions, then are you not still a child? Likewise if the church remains your highest authority above all, then in some way do you not risk remaining but a spiritual infant?<br /><br />Like a loving parent (or properly oriented church primarily concerned with making disciples set on Christ), I think Jesus desires much more from us, and gives us plenty of strength and guidance to "go it alone" with Him if we genuinely choose to walk that path.David Earlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06090067437261800696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-12395337529814673432022-08-06T18:20:04.323+00:002022-08-06T18:20:04.323+00:00Thanks for this, William. It sums things up well a...Thanks for this, William. It sums things up well and helps clarify some of the misunderstandings that have been aired over the past week or so. Francis Bergerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11063224017320651978noreply@blogger.com