In Christ, my failures don’t define me.
Metro Detroit
Joined April 2021
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A question for the Roman Catholics of X. Is my wording of Rome's central claim of authority here a fair and accurate one? If not, can you specifically tell me why?
"Rome holds that Christ himself instituted the papacy, and that the church has known and believed this in every age, from the beginning of the Christian faith. By that institution, and not by any grant from the church, the Bishop of Rome possesses full, supreme, ordinary, and immediate jurisdiction over every Christian and every church on earth; submission to him is necessary for salvation; and his ex cathedra definitions on faith and morals are infallible and irreformable of themselves, not by the consent of the church. Rome pronounces anathema on anyone who denies the office’s divine institution, jurisdiction, or infallibility."
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Too many young men, in my experience and observation, take to social media for their spiritual formation instead of simply having a conversation with their pastor.
But I get it. Many young men are part of the “big box” evangelical model of congregations, where pastoral ministry is outsourced to the “small group leader” or a podcast/book recommendation.
So instead of pastoral catechesis or confession/absolution, they’re left hoisting the sail on the internet and seeing where they end up.
Pastors who don't recognize this are missing vast opportunities and men who don't take advantage of willing and wise pastors are making things so hard on themselves.
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To say I needed to hear this at this moment in my life, would be an understatement.
If I could rewind my life, and go back thirty years, I would dream small and relish the joys of an unaccomplished life.
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life,” Paul urges (1 Thess. 4:11, NIV). This is arguably one of the most un-American verses in the Bible. Those words have become almost a mantra for me. I must say them over and over to silence the lifelong indoctrination I have received from a culture that idolizes those who do big things and urges us all to do the same.
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.” In other words, make it your ambition not to let awesome define your life, dictate your relationships, weigh the importance of who you are, and guide you in discerning how and where God is found.
To lead a quiet life doesn’t mean that you lower your expectations as much as you lower your gaze. Instead of looking up to the next accomplishment, the next rung on the ladder, you look down at the daily life you live, the children God has given you, the spouse by your side, your aging parents, your dear friends, the poor and needy—all those “little things” you miss when you’re always looking up to the “next big thing” in your life.
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Mike Edwards retweeted
“In brief, Christ uses two words here: He speaks of ‘My flesh.’ He does not talk like the spirits who flit to and fro, but He chooses the word ‘My,’ asserting that it is His true flesh and blood which He shows them and holds under their noses to gladden them. He is not talking about the flesh of Adam or John the Baptist or an angel or the Virgin Mary or an animal, but He says ‘My flesh.’ The word ‘My’ is definitive and determines the distinction.”
Even on the worst, most stressful days, the reality is that I can say "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine; O what a foretaste of glory divine."
Christ died for me and shed his blood for the forgiveness of my sins, and from that day until this, no "bad day" could ever compare.
What a gift, amen?
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Really thought I was reading Babylon Bee for a second there but nope…this is a real take. au.thegospelcoalition.org/ar…
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I hold to sola scriptura and have no problem granting both premises. The Thessalonians had to hold everything Paul taught them, spoken or written. Sola Scriptura doesn't disagree with that.
Your conclusion only defeats Sola Scriptura if you add a third premise you've not included: that apostolic oral teachings absent from Scripture survive today and can be reliably identified. That premise carries your whole argument, and you never prove it. Can you name those traditions, with content and early attestation and where they are now to be held and believed with clarity and consistency?
The verse you used works against you. In 2 Thess. 2:5 Paul reminds them of what he told them in person, then puts it in writing. His oral and written teaching overlapped.
History shows why the church needs a written rule. Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, received “tradition from the elders” that Jesus lived to nearly 50. Rome rejects it. If unwritten tradition drifted that fast, Scripture has to judge it (Mark 7:8-13, Acts 17:11).
Your argument also proves too much. The Eastern Orthodox can run the same syllogism and arrive at traditions that reject the papacy and the filioque. Oral tradition can’t settle that dispute, so Rome has to appeal to its own magisterium to decide which traditions count. That’s a separate claim needing its own proof, and the magisterium can’t certify itself without arguing in a circle.
"Easily" isn't the word I'd choose when it comes to your argument proving Sola Scriptura false.
Sola Scriptura can easily be proven false:
1. Whatever the Apostles, acting with Christ's authority, commanded to be held as divine teaching must be held.
2. The Apostles commanded Christians to hold traditions communicated both orally and in writing.
"Hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle." (2 Thess. 2:15)
Therefore, Christians must hold apostolic traditions communicated BOTH orally and in writing.
Any Protestant who dismisses this is just rejecting the truth. There is no way around it.
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Well the midterms were no surprise to me. My quick off the cuff thoughts this morning:
1. We are getting the leaders we deserve. God's wrath is long time coming upon this godless country that loves killing babies and mutilating children and tolerating Allah and other false gods.
2. "Christians" are refusing to vote and help actually be salt and light. If everyone professing to be Christian actually voted Christian values, we'd demolish these strongholds overnight. But, comfort and complacency and cowardice won the day.
3. The leadership elected in 2024 have utterly disappointed those that voted for them. With a majority they have accomplished next to nothing of tangible value to fickle voters. Running on transparency to prosecute pedophiles and then pretending you didn't was a bad (and disgusting) move. Running on no new wars and then engaging in one isn't helping. Even if tactically, everything is going exactly to plan in Iran, the way they've communicated that to people has been an absolute 1/10 failure and it shows in the results. Promising to fix the economy and then continuing printing money we don't have and promising money for votes isn't what people wanted. At this point (ok, long before this point), both sides are playing us for their own benefit and it's time we refuse to accept that as ok (but see #2 lol)
4. God is still on the throne and he's still delivering on his promises to us and so we sleep with the sounds of thunder. We seek first His kingdom and His righteousness like always. There is work to be done and we do it all to God's glory. Amen.
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Mike Edwards retweeted
"You two are living together. Tell me more about that," I said in my office.
"We already know it's not Biblical," the bride-to-be said.
"Okay. Say more."
"What do you mean? I'm saying we know cohabitation isn't Biblical."
"Yeah that's what's confusing me. When you asked to meet, you told me you wanted a pastor who shares your Biblical values to do your wedding, but now you're telling me you knowing don't live according to Biblical values? Tell me about how you decided to cohabitate."
"Well, we know what the Bible says about marriage and sex, but my lease was up and if I moved in with my parents it'd be a 45 minute drive and if I got my own place again, it'd be a waste of thousands of dollars."
"Ah. So time and money are your gods."
"No they aren't, we're Christians."
"Maybe. But it seems like you're not - a god is what tells you how to live. You chose to listen to time and money on sex and cohabitation instead of Jesus. Which is your god?"
"Does this mean you won't do our wedding?"
"I didn't say that. But, you did say you wanted a pastor. That's why we're here. I'm a pastor, not a hireling wedding officiant. Do you want a pastor or a vender for your wedding?"
"A pastor."
"Okay, great. Then here's my concern for you: you've developed a habit of hardening your hearts against the authority of Scripture and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Today, if you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as they did in the rebellion. You said your Christians, I'll take your word for it right now, but you need to repent and move out until your wedding night. Jesus will certainly forgive if you repent and he'll cleanse you from all unrighteousness."
"Okay. So, if we don't do this then you won't do our wedding?"
"You're missing the point here. You're not even close to worried enough about what God thinks or says. My job as a pastor is to help you care about what God says, not get you to care about what I say.”
“Okay.”
“Do you have anything to say?” I said to the Groom-To-Be.
“No.”
“That’s a bummer. You’re not going to lead this family if you have nothing to say.”
“Okay.”
“Alright. Well, you have a lot to think about. If you want a pastor, I’d be happy to be a part of your wedding. If you want a vendor, let me know. More important than your wedding is your relationship with Jesus. Is He your God or not? Think and pray together.”
*an email three days later*
“We’ve decided to go a different direction.”
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Some thoughts:
1. My heart breaks for those who make time and money their god. This idolatry is oppressive.
2. I’d for sure officiate the wedding of two non-Christians. As long as they’re okay with me telling the truth about what marriage is and who and what it’s for, I’m in. This is a 10/10 evangelism opportunity straight out of Eph 5:32.
3. But, two professing Christians who are sinning highhandedly? No. “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside.” 1 Co 5:12–13).
"Catholics aren't Christians"
"Catholicism is no different than any other denomination."
There are more than these two options and that seems to be largely forgotten on Christian X.
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Who is a notable Roman Catholic apologist on X that isn’t insufferable and understands logical fallacies as unhelpful? I’d prefer my algorithm feed me those kinds of papists vs what it’s rage baiting me with currently 😂
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So the Roman church could dispense plenary indulgences for more than this…they just choose not to? 🤔
Catholics, reminder:
You can free a soul from purgatory every day this week.
From Nov 1–8, the Church grants a plenary indulgence, applicable to the souls in purgatory, each day you:
1. Visit a cemetery and pray for the dead (even silently)
2. Go to confession (within about 20 days before or after)
3. Receive Holy Communion
4. Pray for the Pope's intentions (an Our Father and Hail Mary is enough)
5. Be detached from all sin, even venial
Today only (All Souls Day): you can also gain one by visiting a church and praying the Our Father and the Creed.
One confession covers the whole week. Communion and the prayer for the Pope are needed for each day's indulgence.
And if you're not fully detached from sin, you still gain a partial indulgence. So go anyway.
Repost this to spread the word. The souls in purgatory need our help.
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Tell me again how Rome solves the disunity among Protestants?
Prominent Jesuit priest James Martin just published an article on his ministry page by Ariell Watson Simon, a lesbian chaplain "married" to another woman, about an 'LGBTQ Confiteor' (a penitential prayer of repentance before taking the Eucharist) offered to 'queer saints' 🧵
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