Didn't Martin Luther decide to start his own religion and defected completely away from the Catholic Church
due to his being outraged by the sale of plenary indulgences?
I wouldn't consider him as my shepherd because from what I've heard, obedience is seen as a huge deal. Obedience to the church that Jesus founded.
That's why there is a hierarchy in the first place isn't it? Obedience to their superiors is seen as obedience to Christ himself.
"Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Mathew 10:20
Then i think of St. Padro Pio who remained absolutely obedient to his superiors even though he was being silenced and treated very unfairly.
bluecross wrote:The word resignation has a wider meaning than simply resigning or leaving a position of responsibility. It can also mean acceptance. Synonyms are: patience, forbearance, tolerance, stoicism, endurance, fortitude, sufferance, lack of protest, lack of complaint, passivity… all qualities that Jesus demonstrated on earth.
Jesus gave evil no resistance, He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
What's happening now in the Church looks also like the works of the flesh too, not just the devil.
Now the works of the flesh are evident:
sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,
enmity, strife, jealousy,
fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21
bluecross wrote:We are all called to be shepherds, that is to lead others to Christ by our example and love for each other, even those we perceive as enemies or people who challenge our way of life and beliefs.
We are, but i don't know how to be a shepherd to others unless i go through the door who is Jesus. Unless i do; i'm a lost sheep still looking for the voice of the shepherd. Jesus is the way,
the truth and the life and is our high priest forever.
Those bible quotes i posted earlier suggest that there will be those who come amongst the flock only to kill, steal and destroy. Jesus already warned us and also spoke out against false shepherds in Ezekiel 34. I rely on God's promises to rescue his sheep from their mouths. Its not my favourite pass time to dwell on corruption or the vices of others but this has been a serious problem, where a lack of action has had devastating consequences to the most vulnerable.
I know I'm supposed to be practising speaking less,
but i don't really understand what is meant here: 'Whatever is bound on earth is bound in heaven'?
Merlorrich wrote:Matthew 16:17-19 English Standard Version (ESV)
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Prodigals wrote:We instruct you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who walks in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us."
I
wrote you in the letter not to associate-with sexually-immoral ones— not at-all meaning with the sexually-immoral ones of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, because then you would have to go out of the world! But now, I wrote to you not to associate-with them if anyone being named a brother should be a sexually-immoral one, or a greedy one, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler— not even to eat with such a one. For what do I have to do with judging the ones outside? Are you not judging the ones inside? But God judges the ones outside. Remove the evil one from-among you yourselves.
1 Corinthians 5
If the unrepentant are not shunned; they become emboldened and empowered as they try to hide behind & collude with the ones who are really trying to obey & serve the will of God.
The bottom line is folk needed to be booted out and they were not. They went under the radar and even got promoted.