What I should have said 2
This is how I think I would have responded to this message, which was directed to me many years ago on another blog. This is a comment which followed the “Church and Commandment” post I published earlier.
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Joe Cipriani says: November 4, 2015 at 5:29 am
Part 2 of my response:
Second Witness:
The Catholic Church claims Peter was first Pope – yet you do not believe him. So if Catholics really believe Peter was the first pope – why then do you not believe the words he wrote?
We do. You simply don’t understand his words.
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)
”Peter clearly states Christ died ONCE for sin.
Suffered once. That includes His death, but is more encompassing. Thus, he also said:
1 Pet 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
What is the Catholic Mass but offering up Christ as a sacrifice again and again?
Lol. I think you realize that you have erred in this question. First, you confused suffering with death. Then, you confused death with sacrifice. Well, let’s go through it.
First. It is true that Jesus died once for all. He died once on Calvary in order that He might be sacrificed for all time. Let’s see what Scripture says:
1 Corinthians 5:6Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast,….
Why is Christ our Passover? Because He sacrificed Himself that we might repeatedly offer Him up. The Passover was offered up once a year. We offer the New Testament Passover, everyday, several times a day.
So if you do not believe the words of Peter,
We do believe Saint Peter’s words. This is your false premise which renders your conclusions false.
why should you believe anything else that quoted from the Bible?
We believe every single thing in the Bible. It is you who don’t. For example, you don’t believe in keeping Tradition. You have boasted that you keep the Bible alone. But the Bible says:
2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions….
From ‘Dignity and Duties of the Priest’ which you can find on any number of Jesuit Priesthood websites – and is also Ex Cathedra.…
Hahaha. You’re trying to sound like a Catholic. Do you even know what that means?
Jesus has died to institute the priesthood. It was not necessary for the Redeemer to die in order to save the world; a drop of His Blood, a single tear, or prayer, was sufficient to procure salvation for all; ……Thus, by the celebration of a single Mass, in which he offers Jesus Christ in sacrifice, a priest gives greater honor to the Lord, than if all men by dying for God offered to Him the sacrifice of their lives.
…I find it a fascinating claim that it was not necessary for Christ to die for lost humanity.
It’s not a claim, it’s a fact. The logic is very simple. Jesus is God. God is self contained. God didn’t need to create humanity. Therefore, it was not necessary for God to die to save humanity. But since God did create humanity, God could have saved humanity anyway He wanted. Or He could simply have allowed humanity to die out, like the dinosaurs.
I also find it an interesting claim that Christ really died to institute the priesthood.
Lol. That’s typical Protestant either/or thinking. You say, “Christ can either die to save humanity or to institute the priesthood.” Whereas, we know that Christ died to institute the priesthood which would offer His sacrifice to save humanity.”
Though I am not sure why given the fact that God already had a priesthood.
In the Old Testament. The Levitical priesthood. But in the NT, He established the priesthood of Jesus Christ, which is like the priesthood of Melchizedek.
It makes one wonder what is the purpose of Christ being High Priest if we still have sinful men interceding for people? Hebrews 4:14 reads:“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.”
Key words, “let us hold fast our profession.” Have you not also read in Scripture:
1 Tim 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
I’d like to address this question in more detail:
It makes one wonder what is the purpose of Christ being High Priest if we still have sinful men interceding for people?
Earlier, you said,
Though I am not sure why given the fact that God already had a priesthood.
What is the Levitical priesthood, if not sinful men? But you seem to have no problem with it.
Secondly, let’s see what Scripture says about the intercession of sinful men for others:
1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
Apparently, Scripture has no qualms about sinful men interceding for people. Let’s see another:
2 Corinthians 5:20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
These men pray for us as though God did beseech us by them. And pray for us in Christ’s stead. Let’s look at another:
Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
These men give an account for our souls to God. That sounds like intercession to me.
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