St. Patrick's Day

[theja]

FNB, I know the invisible and visible church concept. What I'm saying is that the Church of Christ is not owened by the RCC, and need not be called RCC.

I wish to call the Church the Church of Christ or the body of Christ. If anyone within the RCC is born-again then he/she is a true member of the Church. The same for all others.

I'm not Pentecostal, but try to figure this: South American Catholics are joining the Pentecostal Church by the thousands, literally every month. The Holy Spirit is the difference. In the Philippines too, and Cardinal Sin has voiced a strong objection in frustration.

[Fear_nam_Beanntan]

Originally posted by theja
FNB, I know the invisible and visible church concept. What I'm saying is that the Church of Christ is not owened by the RCC, and need not be called RCC.

Indeed it need not. I never call it that. I simply call it Catholic, which means universal, and is synonymous with Christian. The Roman Rite may be the largest subdivision, but it is just that; a subdivision.

Originally posted by theja
I wish to call the Church the Church of Christ or the body of Christ. If anyone within the RCC is born-again then he/she is a true member of the Church. The same for all others.

The context of John 3:5 indicates that to be born again means to be baptized. Just prior to this statement, Jesus was baptized with water, and He recieved the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove (John 1:29-34 cf. Matthew 3:13-17). So here we have the "water" and "Spirit" mentioned in John 3:5. Then immediately after this statement, Jesus and the disciples beging baptizing people with water (John 4:1-2). This is a clear indication of how we are to interpret John 3:5.

So, I agree with you that anyone who is born again is made a member of Christ's Church, since according to 1 Corinthians 12:13 baptism incorporates one into the same.

This having been said, baptism no wise gaurantees that one will attain eternal life. Between the time one is made a member of Christ's body, the Church, and the time of death, there always remains the possibility of being cut off from said Church (Romans 11:21-22, Galatians 5:4, 2 Timothy 2:12).

Now, what could cause one to be cut off from Christ's body? Among other things, rejecting Christ's lawfully established teaching authorities (Luke 10:16) and forsaking the unity of the one Church which He established and imbued with the authority to teach and discipline in His Name, that Church being the Catholic Church.

"There is only one truth, one faith (Ephesians 4:4-5). There is only one Church (Matthew 16:18). This Church teaches only truth (1 Timothy 3:15). This Church is universal (Romans 1:8, Acts 1:8, Psalm 2:8, Isaias 2:2, Daniel 2:44, Matthew 28:19). This Church is visible (Isaias 2:2, Micheas 4:1, Daniel 2:35, Matthew 18:17). Anyone who departs from this faith is an accursed heretic (Galatians 1:8, Titus 3:10, 2 John 9-10). Anyone who will not submit to this Church is a heathen, not a Christian (Matthew 18:17)."
http://www.cathinsight.com/apologetics/response.htm

Thus, anyone who is baptized becomes a member of the Catholic Church, but cuts himself off from her membership upon consciously rejecting her.

Originally posted by theja
I'm not Pentecostal, but try to figure this: South American Catholics are joining the Pentecostal Church by the thousands, literally every month. The Holy Spirit is the difference. In the Philippines too, and Cardinal Sin has voiced a strong objection in frustration.

This is not surprising. St. Paul predicted a great apostasy in the times before the Apocalypse (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 2 Timothy 4:3)