Churchwork
08-09-2006, 04:55 PM
Matt. 18.18, as well as 16.19 may be called what is termed "borrowed forgiveness". God binds or looses through the church or Peter in these verses. "Ye" is plural in number having reference to the church as represented by the disciples. Bind and loosening when others ask to break bread or receive baptism ought to be done by the authority of the Holy Spirit (see John 20.22-23), so let us be careful and not hard-hearted for what we loose on earth is loosed in heaven and what is bound on earth is bound in heaven. Execution by personal opinion is entirely ineffective and will result in total failure. What has authority? The Roma Catholic Church? The Pope? No. The RCC and the Pope have absolutely no authority.
In the Wall Street Journal it notes today there are about 2 billion Christians, 1 billion RCC, and 1 billion Muslims for a total of 4 billion. That would leave 3 billion of other faiths.
In the Wall Street Journal it notes today there are about 2 billion Christians, 1 billion RCC, and 1 billion Muslims for a total of 4 billion. That would leave 3 billion of other faiths.