tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post3684543642248266889..comments2023-10-05T08:25:13.232-04:00Comments on Biblical Evidence for Catholicism: "There is One Mediator" (1 Timothy 2:5): Does This Rule Out "Mini-Mediators"?Dave Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-34521790576018924332014-02-20T18:51:32.493-05:002014-02-20T18:51:32.493-05:00Satan will do ANYTHING to keep us from God. Even i...Satan will do ANYTHING to keep us from God. Even if that means giving us a little bit of God while keep us from the whole truth. In the Eucharist we have the most intimate reception and expression of Christ's love for us "Give us this day our daily bread" The devil has used Protestantism to keep us from the whole of Jesus. <br /><br />I too used to follow a non denominational Christian church and while I thank them for opening my heart to Jesus again, they do not participate in the fullness of Gods truth. <br /><br /><br />God Bless for the work you do<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15883734493116080265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-25581238601172758222011-08-19T10:14:20.898-04:002011-08-19T10:14:20.898-04:00In closing I would ask the simple question, why pr...<i>In closing I would ask the simple question, why pray to a dead saint when you can pray to the lord of lords?</i><br /><br />They're not dead; they are alive: far more than we are. Dead saints are with God and conscious of what goes on, on the earth (Hebrews 12:1, Rev 5). The souls in heaven pray for those on earth. The angel presents the "prayers of the saints" to God in heaven (in Revelation).<br /><br />Thus, we ask for their assistance in prayer, because they love us. In James we are told that the prayer of a righteous man has great power. saints in heaven are sinless; therefore, their intercession have the most (almost unimaginable) power. So we ask them to pray for us: a perfectly biblical principle.<br /><br />Nothing you say is new. I know all this; used to believe it myself, and have written about every aspect of what you bring up, somewhere on my site (2600+ papers) or in my books.<br /><br />All salvation is through God's grace. We cannot save ourselves; we can't be saved by works. That is heresy. But God uses His creatures to spread the grace and act as mini-mediators. I gave the biblical proofs. You can either accept them or choose to follow the Protestant traditions of men, invented out of thin air in the 16th century. <br /><br />For my part, I will follow the Bible and the apostles and early Church and the ongoing apostolic tradition, rather than what a few men came up with in their heads 16 centuries after Christ. Protestantism has much truth, but it has also discarded much spiritual truth: and it is all important.Dave Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-2870519021446070912011-08-19T05:34:14.013-04:002011-08-19T05:34:14.013-04:00Luckily God is more interested in faith In Christ ...Luckily God is more interested in faith In Christ than perfect doctrine.<br /><br />:)<br /><br />Salvation is found in Christ not denominationsUniteTheChurchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10594075169000720803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-5852327493141249982011-08-19T05:14:51.724-04:002011-08-19T05:14:51.724-04:00Indeed, we are in a very real way co-labourers wit...Indeed, we are in a very real way co-labourers with Christ. Scripture seems unanimous in presenting this reality and I gladly accept it. We are blessed to be stewards of the ministry of reconciliation. However There is a tension between what we do and what God does that can only be negated in realising that our part to play is in sumbitting and listening to what God wants us to do. We must submit to the direction of the Holy spirit. There is no doubt that we are completely saved by the Grace of God. Paul saved nobody, he did however exhort people to submit to God so that his work would be done through them. Paul was obedient to the call and direction of the holy spirit. He also lived an obedient righteous life and he exhorts others to do so. This idea of "let your light shine before others" is in accordance with the teaching of Christ. So that others would know the truth by the way they lived their lives.<br /><br />It is Christs saving death that has saved us, not our own works (allthough we do good works as a result of the work of the holy spirit in our hearts). <br /><br />Ephesians 2<br />8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. <br /><br />Grace is clearly the Gift of God. We are indeed priests as Christ is the high priest or in the sense you have used mini-mediators as Christ is the prime mediator. This is because all Christians or saints (and yes all Christians are saints according to the bible) are to live out their faith in obedience (Infact true faith is alwas lived out in obedience) doing the will of God and spreading the Gospel. <br /><br /> I think you misunderstand the part that humans have to play in salvation. In an attempt to justify the Catholic belief in the mediation of dead saints you have clearly made an amazing leap of logic and given these texts a hidden meaning which was never meant for them. <br /><br />Mary no longer takes part in the ministry of reconciliation as she is dead. Her part to play was in spreading the word and living a righteous life in submission to Christ. It is absurd to pray to her for a dispensation of Grace as she is dead. There is no place in the new testament where we are told to pray to "Saints". But many many where we are exhorted to place all our requests and praise in prayer to our Lord and saviour Christ.<br /><br />If you can find something to the contrary I would be happy to hear it.<br /><br />In closing I would ask the simple question, why pray to a dead saint when you can pray to the lord of lords?<br /><br />Beyond the lack of biblical evidence it seems pointless as what could they possibly give you that the great mediator Christ cannot.<br /><br />Regards,<br />Joshua HoffmannUniteTheChurchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10594075169000720803noreply@blogger.com