Posted by blue on July 14, 1998 at 23:27:43:
In Reply to: his bible studies are BORING... posted by David Stephens on July 14, 1998 at 13:06:03:
: I've tried to follow his bible studies before, but they bore me to tears. I really don't care about his endless examinations of a few chosen verses about biblical irrelevancies.
He doesn't just choose a few verses, he goes through entire books, which is what you need to do. Since you get Family Radio, try Dr. Boice on Sunday mornings (9:00 here). He is less into minutia, but has a deep understanding himself.
: His call in shows are more amusing. The other day he was explaining to an ex-catholic why most the catholic rituals were wrong. His argument was basically that the bible is the source of true religion. He explained that even though the catholics were the ones to choose the books to assemble and canonize into the bible, their other rituals couldn't be trusted because they didn't include them in the bible they assembled. I was on the floor laughing as he basically explained how its possible for a hairball (Catholicism) to barf up a cat ('true' Christianity).
Then you misunderstood. While there is considerable debate as to the details of the canonization, the Catholic rituals that had so obscured the Gospel by the time of the Reformation developed well after canonization, and most assuredly well after the composition of the individual N.T. books.
The problem with Catholicism is in large part due to the imposition of Christianity upon the Roman Empire by Constantine. What effectively happened is that the various offices in Roman government became the offices in the Roman Catholic church. Same people, same positions, different titles. From the start the Catholic Church contained a vast minority of true Christians. Saying you're a Christian to keep your job doesn't make you a believer. The somewhat bizarre actions of the "church" through the dark ages is much easier to understand when you see its checkered start, and that it probably never has contained a majority of true believers in its history.
I guess I'm just not "Chosen to be saved by God" like you Blue.
At least you have yet to see any evidence of it.