[quote:2esblcb4]How can you honestly say that we must trust the truth passed down through tradition when you openly admit that the Popes have them selves been corrupted by sin.
We all have which is why we as corrupted humans need something that is not corrupted; we have it THE BIBLE![/quote:2esblcb4]
The question you pose is one that really boils down to where to you place your faith?
As Catholics we place our faith in God Himself. In the second person of the Trinity, Jesus commanded that a man, one who we all know sinned and denied Him three times after the cock crowed to “feed my sheep” and to “feed my lambs” Sheep adult animals akin to those more advanced in faith, lambs the new born in the faith.
When Jesus also told that sinful man Peter, “Blessed are you Simon Bar Jonah, thou art Kephas, which is Peter, (the rock) upon this rock I will build my Church.” Now I know a little over a hundred years ago an Evangelical Minister thought he would be able to deny that Jesus was speaking of building His Church on Peter, but was referring rather to Himself. Aside from being a novel doctrine, disconnected and divorced from anything Christianity had taught in the first fifteen hundred years since it was founded by Christ, it just does not make sense that Jesus would be talking to Simon, changing his name as He did Abram to Abraham when he made him the Patriarch and Father of Israel, and without any explanation make the Rock Himself. While Jesus is in some places referred to as the Rock, and is also referred to as the foundation stone, so too the Apostles are referred to as the foundation.
What Protestants miss is that Jesus, the foundation, Jesus who is true God, can and as is evidenced by scripture did by His authority choose Peter as His Vicar. He gave Peter the Keys, something that a King would give to his vicar, giving him the king’s own authority. Peter does not teach by his own authority, as a sinful man he cannot. He teaches by the authority given him by Jesus. The Popes, (successors of Peter) like Peter capable of sinning do not hold authority based on their sinful humanity, but rather they have the authority given them by Christ Jesus. It is the authority and guarantee of Jesus that makes a Pope when teaching in the capacity given him by Jesus that we assent to the teachings. When he speaks guided by the Holy Ghost, and with the promises of Jesus, that charism exists. When he speaks as an individual sinful man, he is that, (possibly holy and well educated, or possibly a simple sinful man at any given time.) But we don’t place our hope in that sinful man, but in the promise of Christ to remain with the Church, and the Holy Spirit to guide that same Church.
As to [quote:2esblcb4]”we as corrupted humans need something that is not corrupted; we have it THE BIBLE”[/quote:2esblcb4]
While I do not deny the importance and the place of the Written Word of God in our spiritual lives, it begs the question….. What version? and on who’s authority do we choose that version? For the King James only (don’t forget the first “Authorized Version” contained the deuterocanonical books) By what authority did King James “authorize” a translation? Many versions among the Protestants or if you don’t like the term, the misnomer, “Bible Christians” contradict each other, as do the interpretations of those who use the same translations. Like Babble of old they speak different things when they try and communicate.