Many important points have been raised and made. However we've gotten away from the main question.
Is it important that what we as Christians believe is consistent with each other?
Yes. But it will never happen. Sin nature means we will always interpret things with our own self getting in the way. Study and prayer means we can get closer to God's mindset but until we are perfect we will always get in our own way.
We have the mind of Christ by having Christ in our heart thru salvation. As is obvious, different groups have different beliefs according to what Salvation requires. Because of this, some will stand before Christ and hear "Begone, I never knew you".
Who is right and who is wrong? It depends on who you ask.
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it
This is a very important verse to both the Independent Baptist and the Catholic Church because it shows where Christ started the Church and who he gave Authority to. Catholics view Peter as receiving this authority and then passing it on down thru the line of Popes. Baptist view the Church as receiving this authority and passing it down thru the Church itself. Protestants have either gotten away from the issue of Authority or have minimalized it in relation to other aspects of the church.
Obviously, someone is right, someone is wrong. But each group will tell you they are right and everyone else is wrong based upon their own interpretation of the above verse. So we continue in our relationship with Christ hoping he will either show us the error of our ways (and our pride allows us to accept that we are in error) or that closer fellowship with Him will ease the burden of our doubts.
More often than not, debating points does little more than fall into a "I"m right and you're wrong because this is what this verse says" type of conflict. The Bible tells us that the ways of a fool are right in their own eyes. This plus pride makes it very difficult to either change someone else's mind or to accept when we are wrong.
It's always good to discuss and hope for unity of the Body. But ultimately, that will only come after the corrupt flesh has been replaced.
What I mean by this is: is it or is it not important that what we as Christians, in or outside of denominations and Churches, believe is consistent with each other?
So my question in regards to all this is: how can we all say we have the mind of Christ when one man's, one church's, or one episcopacy's mind contradicts another?
Is it important that what we as Christians believe is consistent with each other?
Yes. But it will never happen. Sin nature means we will always interpret things with our own self getting in the way. Study and prayer means we can get closer to God's mindset but until we are perfect we will always get in our own way.
We have the mind of Christ by having Christ in our heart thru salvation. As is obvious, different groups have different beliefs according to what Salvation requires. Because of this, some will stand before Christ and hear "Begone, I never knew you".
Who is right and who is wrong? It depends on who you ask.
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it
This is a very important verse to both the Independent Baptist and the Catholic Church because it shows where Christ started the Church and who he gave Authority to. Catholics view Peter as receiving this authority and then passing it on down thru the line of Popes. Baptist view the Church as receiving this authority and passing it down thru the Church itself. Protestants have either gotten away from the issue of Authority or have minimalized it in relation to other aspects of the church.
Obviously, someone is right, someone is wrong. But each group will tell you they are right and everyone else is wrong based upon their own interpretation of the above verse. So we continue in our relationship with Christ hoping he will either show us the error of our ways (and our pride allows us to accept that we are in error) or that closer fellowship with Him will ease the burden of our doubts.
More often than not, debating points does little more than fall into a "I"m right and you're wrong because this is what this verse says" type of conflict. The Bible tells us that the ways of a fool are right in their own eyes. This plus pride makes it very difficult to either change someone else's mind or to accept when we are wrong.
It's always good to discuss and hope for unity of the Body. But ultimately, that will only come after the corrupt flesh has been replaced.