The Body Of Christ

[Christopher Brandon]

but I don't understand how so many people and churches can claim to answer directly to God, and yet you have so much seporation in the church? is God telling different churches different things? or are churches telling [i]you[/i] differen't things? more importantly, why? if the Bible is the written word of God how could you let there be different versions?

When my God talks his word is law, no one can edit it but himself. I found I get lost less often when I follow the sheapord, not the other sheep.

[sacredheartandbloodofjesus]

Christopher Brandon,

-The answer to your first question is easy. Christ taught his disciples the true faith. Now history shows that St. John the Apostle had disciples after Jesus's ascension. A couple of these disciples were Polycarp and Ignatious of Antioch both martyred in the colloseum. St. John and even St. Peter instructed these guys about Jesus and the faith and what he was teaching us. Now today we have these guys writings to the people of the beggining Church(The Church officially began on Pentacost when the apostles and disciples recieved the Holy Spirit). You can read thier writings
on new advent. This church kept developing and it was St. Ignatious of Antioch himself who called the Church Catholic(in Greek Katholikos), and he was taught directly by St.John the apostle
Justin Martyr is another one. Justin was a disciple of polycarp who was a disciple of John(disciple means student). If you read their writings you will understand why the Catholic Church beleives in the things it does. Because this is the same church as the one Christ founded on rock(peter). Christ taught John, John taught Ignatious and Polycarp, Polycarp taught Justin and on and on until around 1500 when Martin Luther descided all the first Christians were wrong(including Ignatious and Polycarp and St. John and St. Peter) and that he is right. He just threw out 1,500 years of teachings and tradition. And St. Paul said to not only listen to the apostles writings but also their teachings by word of mouth. Like St John the Apostle to Ignatious and polycarp. Its in the bible and Jesus even followed traditions by the word of mouth like when he speaks about the chair of Moses, that is spoken of nowhere in the Old Testament. So thats why there are so many different churches and teaching, because they broke off from the one true church founded by Christ. Christ himself prayed for Peter and that the church would be one. So we know that there is one true church. And Jesus is not pleased with many diferent faiths. There can only be one true faith.

-The answer to your second question on why there are so many translations of the Bible is because the original writings are in Hebrew and Greek. And there will never be a perfect translation of the original writings into english. the languages are totally different. But pleased be informed that the Catholic Church is the one that put the sacred books together and discerned which ones were of the Holy Spirit or not in about the year 300-400 AD. Historians will attest to this. Then later the Jews made up their own translation of the OT and took out a number of books that proved Jesus was the Messiah. And most protestant Bibles use this OT and not the early Christians translation of the OT.


Hope some of this helps you on your life journey with Jesus.
In the Peace of Christ, Daniel

[sacredheartandbloodofjesus]

Heres the Link to the info on Ignatious of Antioch [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07644a.htm"]Ignatious[/url]

[sacredheartandbloodofjesus]

and heres a link to a list of all the early church fathers [url="http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/"]Church Fathers[/url]

[Christopher Brandon]

that was the best answer I could have hoped for, but the Greek Orthodox church did not have any trouble translating greek, whats wrong with the Greek/Eastern Orthodox church? if Orthodox was the orrigional church, why arn't we all Orthodox?

[sacredheartandbloodofjesus]

The orthodox church is the original church bacause they are catholic but they are a community in disagreement with the teachings of the Pope and church councils. So they are considered Catholic but they are not in full communion with the Catholic Church. The reason even their translations arent perfect is because Greek has certain words and meanings that we dont have in english or any other language. Hebrew is even harder to translate due to its distinct vocabulary.

Thats why the best way to go on scripture is to learn Hebrew and Greek yourself. My brother is learning Greek right now and hopes to learn Hebrew but this is not easy.
If you want some really nice answers on the Catholic faith and scripture, read Scott Hahns book [u]Rome sweet Home[/u] the story about his former years as a tough protestant until he started studying church history and converted to the Catholic Church. After you read that one read a couple others of his like The Lambs Supper. You can find these at your local library I bet.
Dr. Scott Hahn used to be a prominent protestant and is one of the best scripture scholars of our day. Please consider reading some of his work, its short reading and down to earth but very scholarly.

Christopher, thanks for listening and being open to Truth for Jesus said "I am the Truth"

[Christopher Brandon]

Well, my mother is Orthodox and I don't think she would agree with the Orthodox church being apart of Catholisism, at all. not sure why, but I'll have to give her a phonecall to better understand that. worst case scenario I learn something new.