A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness will utter
lies.
Proverbs 14:5
Faith being preceded by knowledge predicates that the knowledge received be not concealed or preached in partial truth. Ignorance does not produce true faith. Unfortunately this teaching is one distinction that can be found in such churches as the Roman Catholic Church. They divide faith into two parts. (1) explicit: this is meant faith in a known truth; (2) implicit; faith in truths not known. It is that this Church teaches that all a person needs to know are the primary truths of religion and that to have faith without knowledge is genuine and sufficient. All that is required is have an intention to believe what the Roman Catholic Church teaches and believes. One of the differences between the Protestant Churches and the Roman Catholic Church can be found in the sacraments. Protestants hold to two sacraments; the Lord's Supper and baptism. Roman Catholics hold to seven sacraments: Baptism that cleanses one from original sin; reconciliation or confession and penance which a person must accept and that sins must be confessed to a priest; holy communion by which the bread and wine contain the blood, the body, the soul and the divinity of Jesus Christ; Confirmation; matrimony, Holy orders, anointing of the sick known as last rites. These seven sacraments, only given in small substance here but carries the main points, at the Council of Trent (1563-1564 A.D.) The seven sacraments are given in this blog for one to understand the importance of knowledge because if a person does not understand what the word sacrament means, or what rites are regarded by the Roman Catholic Church then is held to believe in those sacraments and other doctrines of the Church and to believe them as truth. True faith then under those conditions is that faith is consistent with absolute ignorance. According to this teaching or doctrine a man may be a true Christian if he submits to the Church even though his inward convictions, modes, and thoughts are pantheist or pagan. It doesn't matter what else you believe so long as you believe in the Church.
It is a historical fact that the Bible was withheld from people by the Roman Catholic Church because knowledge is not necessary for faith, why know what is in the Bible, just put your faith in the Church. For years Church services were performed in the Latin Language, a language that the common people did not understand. This has changed in my lifetime as many if not most are held in the language of the people, but this did not come without protest by the common people demanding that Church services be held in the common language. As for the symbols, and symbolism, there is no need to understand for it is enough that they affect the imagination. The practice that is predicated upon such doctrine is that of keeping back or concealing in preaching. The cross is held up before the people but it is not necessary that the doctrine of the sacrifice for sin be taught. It is only enough that the people are impressed, it matters little whether or not they believe that the symbol of the cross supposes that secures salvation. It is better that the mind remain in darkness, be more vague and mysterious, therefore by such the feelings are excited and the more blind the faith and the submission required, the more genuine is the exercise of faith.
This is the principle by which Roman Catholic missionaries operate. People are converted by baptism, and not by the truth or course of instruction other than Roman Catholic catechism. Many are made into "Christians" by not be the intelligent assimilation of Christianity as a system of Doctrine, simply by submission to the Church. It is interesting to note that when the missionaries are no longer in their missions that the missions, at least in some instances, lose hold on the people and die out.
Some may take this blog as a diatribe against the Roman Catholic Church and in some ways it is. The main purpose of this discussion is to point out that knowledge proceeds faith. Also, you may notice some similarities within the so-called Protestant Churches that have the same teaching and preaching along with the people putting faith in the leaders, the Church, etc. rather than the Word of God. It is correct doctrine that is to be taught, and that from the Bible with good exegesis, not isogesis which many pastors use in their development of sermons. It is feeling, that is most important to one's faith, so those false teachers affirm. Is that true? That will be the next discussion.
Let us hear the conclusion of
the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Praise the Lord
Richard L. Crumb
It is a historical fact that the Bible was withheld from people by the Roman Catholic Church because knowledge is not necessary for faith, why know what is in the Bible, just put your faith in the Church. For years Church services were performed in the Latin Language, a language that the common people did not understand. This has changed in my lifetime as many if not most are held in the language of the people, but this did not come without protest by the common people demanding that Church services be held in the common language. As for the symbols, and symbolism, there is no need to understand for it is enough that they affect the imagination. The practice that is predicated upon such doctrine is that of keeping back or concealing in preaching. The cross is held up before the people but it is not necessary that the doctrine of the sacrifice for sin be taught. It is only enough that the people are impressed, it matters little whether or not they believe that the symbol of the cross supposes that secures salvation. It is better that the mind remain in darkness, be more vague and mysterious, therefore by such the feelings are excited and the more blind the faith and the submission required, the more genuine is the exercise of faith.
This is the principle by which Roman Catholic missionaries operate. People are converted by baptism, and not by the truth or course of instruction other than Roman Catholic catechism. Many are made into "Christians" by not be the intelligent assimilation of Christianity as a system of Doctrine, simply by submission to the Church. It is interesting to note that when the missionaries are no longer in their missions that the missions, at least in some instances, lose hold on the people and die out.
Some may take this blog as a diatribe against the Roman Catholic Church and in some ways it is. The main purpose of this discussion is to point out that knowledge proceeds faith. Also, you may notice some similarities within the so-called Protestant Churches that have the same teaching and preaching along with the people putting faith in the leaders, the Church, etc. rather than the Word of God. It is correct doctrine that is to be taught, and that from the Bible with good exegesis, not isogesis which many pastors use in their development of sermons. It is feeling, that is most important to one's faith, so those false teachers affirm. Is that true? That will be the next discussion.
Let us hear the conclusion of
the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Praise the Lord
Richard L. Crumb
