RE>>What I'm saying is that to make a doctrine that firmly declares the pope to be the anti-christ is very debatable and not something I would ever take a pledge to.<<
Oh I should explain something...
The Bible teaches that there is "ONE FAITH"
Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
So then the fact that we have many different denominations proves that men are still "seeing through a cloud darkly"..
If all Christians suddenly awoke understanding the Scriptures properly then they would be completely unified and not divided... It is "heresy" that is causing all these denominations.
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
We can see it easily on these threads.
All of us professing to believe God's Word but none of us agreeing 100%. Yet we do know that the Bible only teaches ONE TRUE FAITH.. it is our flesh, pride, and blindness that causes us to differ and to be divided.
Now all Churches have Creeds or Doctrine.
Some will say "Oh NO' Doctrine divides so we will have no doctrine...
OK THEN:
They have the Doctrine of NO DOCTRINE !!!
They have taken a stand against taking a stand :-}
They will not tolerate intolerance..well I've made my point move on man....
As we grow in Grace and Faith and come into Knowledge we need to support the most pure church we can find. We know we will not find on earth A TOTALLY PURE CHURCH...
Statements of faith become more pertinent when trying to keep the Peace of a Church.
The scriptures tell us plainly we can not tolerate heretics trying to pollute the church with less pure understandings or outright lies:
Titus 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
The Church must put unteachable men who will not be guided into truth out until they repent!
Now I am sure that Jesus was deemed a HERETICK by the established church of the day...
That church was utterly impure and Jesus Rebuked it.
As far as swearing to that confession I showed you there has been various "applications" by various denominations.
1. Strict Subscription by Elders Only.
That is that to be become an Elder in that Church you had to verify that you believed every word as being Biblically true.
2. Strict Subscription by Elders with Exception.
Same as above but you needed to present where you differed. In your case that would be the Pope being "the" anti-christ. They would review your 'exceptions' and take what is know as more of a "fundamentalist" approach at that point and decide if that area was Critical or fundamental to the faith and ask you to swear not to Teach contrary to it as an officer of the church.
3. Subscription only... You promise not to promote views contrary to the confession but are allowed to believe contrary and agree to being disciplined if members complain and report you troubling them contrary to the confession...
Usually the biggest complaints come from the section on Marriage and Divorce.
I never did swear that I believed the Pope was THE antichrist but I do even now swear that the Pope is an Anti-christ and all whom God saves must stand against her as an idolatrous woman...
This verse fits Rome to a Tee...
Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Rome has always considered the Saints of God as Lion's Food and Fire Wood! She and her idols will be rewarded according to their works.
I am currently joining a Church that does not require "Strict Subscription"
Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Lots of work to be done. |
