Ecclesiats 9:5-6
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward,
and even their name is forgotten.
6 Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
NEVER AGAIN WILL THAY HAVE PART IN ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS UNDER THE SUN.

Be sure you’re talking to something else when you ask for intercession. The veil was removed so you can have access to God DIRECTLY. Why why needing dead to intercede then?

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“diference between the Hebrew Canon and the Christian Canon. If he wishes to go by the Hebrew canon then he would be a Jew and not a Christian.”

I am sorry but you do not understand the argument I was making. If you read the complete discussion you will see I was referring simply to the fact that the Jews at the time did not consider Apocrypha scripture nor did the main Christian Church Body at the time. The term itself Deuterocanonical books (or as I say Aphocrypha) has been used since the sixteenth century in the Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages of the Christian Old Testament that are not part of the Hebrew Bible.

There were however people that did question, as Trip mentioned, and people that choose to believe different things. There always are but that in and of itself means nothing.
You have to understand the Hebrew Canon if you are to understand where a large part of the Christian one comes from. The Hebrew Canon is our OT, it is grouped different than it is in the Jewish Bible but that’s where the books come from. It wasn’t until the counsel of Trent from 1545-1563 that the Catholic Church officially recognized the Apocrypha as Scripture. The Apocrypha were books that were considered good or that had wisdom and were great to read and reference but they were not equal to scripture based on the records I have seen of the early church counsels.

“ Also tnere are several scripture references You from the so called “Apochrypha”. I dont understand why people dont do their homework before making judgements.”

No there are not and if you have some that you would like to put up for discussion then do so.

“Now I have learned things the average person in the denominations will never know, its sad how many the masses that are being kept in the dark by these so called “churces”.”

That statement actually sounds close to “Gnosticism”
What I find hard about this is that it was the Catholic Churches that at one time kept people in what you say is darkness by not allowing the Bible to be translated into any common language and you could be put to death for even translating it for the commoner.

I am glad God has guided you in your faith but I must be clear, it is faith in God not a person or in a church lead by a man no matter how great.
I would seriously question your statement “that the average person in denominations will never know something”
Some of the most prolific studiers, researchers and seekers are in the different denominations and in my personal experience, with the Catholics that I know, is that they typically know the least. I feel this is due to not being prodded to ask God and question scripture but rather just accept what is told to them. Scripture tells us to seek and ask for ourselves that we may grow in relationship with God. I am not saying there are not educated people within the Catholic Church, Trip alone would prove that statement incorrect; it’s just that in my experience I see such a lack of passion to personally study scripture from people within the Catholic Church

God Bless,

Jim

You are right and there was a need, that’s not in question. I believe the church leaders under God’s guidance did what they needed to which was to state their doctrine (this is what we believe) so all would know. You still have people questioning, creating or supposedly finding all sorts of different material today and it will never change.

“(Acts 1:20 “let his bishopric another take”). Their office and authority did not die with them.”

I believe the proper translation is office or authority, but I do believe the role of Apostle is gone and so is that particular authority. I would say that this particular replacement was due to Judas’ vacating his position referred to in Mth 19:28. We also have no record of any other replacement when the Apostles died as James did in Acts 12:2.

“But you must admit that God did this by working through the visible structure of the Catholic Church which He established. The Catholic Church is not a manmade institution: Jesus established it (Matthew 16:18 – “…I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it”).”

There is a difference in a body (structure, group etc.) that God decides to use and the meaning of Matthew 16:18! The dark ages themselves should teach us never to blindly accept an institution, church that is run by man no matter how good their intentions or how strong the belief is in what they are doing for “God”. Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” This is God’s Church; we are God’s church, His branches; direct from Him. God’s Church through Christ is not man made but any organization or group here on earth that claims to solely represent Him is.

Yes, I actually downloaded the iCATHOLICfm iPhone app last weekend and have been testing it. It works great. Lately, I haven’t been able to get the EWTN station on Time Shift Radio, so this new app has been a blessing. Thanks for the post comment!

Trip