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God Agrees With The Pope
John R. Gentry
God agrees with Pope Benedict XVI, at least in part. In this article we’ll notice what God agrees with and, Lord willing, in next week’s article we’ll notice the statements, or Catholic concepts, with which God disagrees.
The document, approved by the Pope, said, “Christ ‘established here on earth’ only one church” (as quoted in an article on MSNBC.com; URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19692094). In a world overflowing with differing religions, denominations, sects, cults, and other religious entities, many are thinking, “How can anyone say that there is only one church?” It may surprise you to know that this is exactly what God said! In Ephesians 4.4, God through Paul’s pen said, “There is one body...” In the very same letter it is stated that the body is the body of Christ which is the church of Christ (Ephesians 1.22-23; cf. also 5.23; Col. 1.18). Therefore, we are forced to the conclusion, that if there is one body, and this one body is the body of Christ, and the body of Christ is the church of Christ, then there is only one church of Christ.
Most religious people who claim to be a part of so-called Christendom probably agree this is true. However, they want to believe that this one body is made up of all the different denominations; that the different “churches” are the different branches on the vine of Christ. God disagrees with such thinking. God said that we are reconciled to Christ in “one body” that is the “same body” (Ephesians 2.16; 3.6). Well, what does this mean? Suppose I took a pie pan and put in 1/4 apple pie, 1/4 peach pie, 1/4 chocolate pie, and 1/4 pecan pie. I would have one whole pie, in the sense that I had 4/4 of a pie and I, therefore, completed the pie pan. However, if I gave you a part of the apple pie and I took a part of the pecan pie, would we have the same pie? In the same way, we cannot say the “one body” of Jesus is made up of the different denominations that aren’t the same! The one body of Jesus is the one church of Jesus that does everything in harmony with his authority (Col. 3.17; Matt. 28.20; 1 Pet. 4.11) and not the authority of man found in a creed, council, or catechism (including the Catholic Catechisms). Is your church mentioned in the Bible? If not, then is it the one true church that Jesus built and of which he is the Savior? (More next week...)
originally published in the Banner-Gazette
2007.07.18