There is no need to disprove an assertion for which you have provided no evidence.
Do protestants have a reasonable non-Roman-Catholic explanation for John 20:22-23?
- Thread starter PaulThomson
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I'll answer you in three areas.
(1)
Protestants always question Catholic saying with :"Where in bible says so?"; "any bible references?". But they sometimes just turn blind when the bible says:
Matthew 16:19
I will give you (Peter referred) the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
What's wrong with Peter's church(the keys holder)
+ changes some sort of practice?
(2)
Abstinence from meat on a Friday was disciplinary law which can be changed according to the social practice.
Like the traffic rules of a city, the spots of NO PARKING, no right turn, ONE WAY ONLY can be changed from time to time. City authority would not change drivers the need to pass a driving test to get a license.
The church never had changed any doctrines like the Real Presence in the Eucharist; Trinity, virgin birth of Jesus.
(3)
Catholics are still encouraged to substitute meat abstinence with other forms of penance. Thus, the spirit of penance remains, even if the form changes.
Interesting question. Traditions like not eating meat on Fridays made sense in their historical context — they were meant to remind believers of sacrifice and discipline. The rule itself changed, but the principle behind it didn’t vanish. As for which pope was “hearing the Holy Spirit,” that’s something only God truly knows. Every generation tries to listen, but we don’t always hear perfectly.
Grace and Peace
Acts 8 describes Philip baptised the eunuch. They were in the desert route where water is scarce, yet the Holy Spirit offered them to come to a water pool suitabe for baptism.
Philip did not say: 'Union with Christ by faith is enough, no need for water'
I do not agree with 'sola scriptura', that does not mean scriptura is not important.
That’s a good point about Acts 8. The passage really emphasizes obedience to the prompting of the Spirit rather than the convenience of the moment. Philip didn’t argue over the scarcity of water — he simply followed where the Spirit led. The focus wasn’t on the water itself, but on the response of faith that followed the Word being preached.Acts 8 describes Philip baptised the eunuch. They were in the desert route where water is scarce, yet the Holy Spirit offered them to come to a water pool suitabe for baptism.
Philip did not say: 'Union with Christ by faith is enough, no need for water'
I do not agree with 'sola scriptura', that does not mean scriptura is not important.
Grace and Peace
Eating meat on Friday was designated by popes as a mortal sin.... until suddenly it wasn't. You are the one insisting that variation in doctrine within protestant sects means the sources of doctrines cannot be the Holy Spirit. Now, when there is variation within Roman catholic sects, your rule of thumb suddenly does not apply?
The Rise of the Bishop of Rome The Bishop of Rome gradually gained prominence due to the city's political status as capital of the Western Roman Empire. However, the idea of universal supremacy was not officially asserted until Pope Leo I (Leo the Great), who served from 440 to 461 AD.
First of all, abstinence of meat on Friday is not a doctrine. It was a practice.
As I have mentioned in #525, practices can be changed from time to time.
Second, 'Eating meat on Friday was designated by popes as a mortal sin.' not because of the meat. Early Catholic Christians doing so were knowingly and deliberately and willfully disobedience to church authority.
Number 15:32-36 was a story of a man picking wood on sabbath. The sabbath-breaker was put to Death. The sin was not picking wood, it was grave disobedience.
Third, the church still teaches Friday is a day of penance. Eating meat on Friday is no longer a sin if you substitute another act of penance or devotion.
What Protestants do is a complete change of doctrines after leavng the Catholic Church.
We still ring a soul from purgatory springs, only not by putting in coins but by other good works.
For example, to gain a Jubilee indulgence for 2025, a Catholic must perform a pilgrimage to a designated Jubilee church,
The sin under the Law was breaking the Sabbath. The Church is not under the Law, and appeals to the Law on behalf of “church authority” are completely misguided.
The truth is that church leaders don’t have the authority to dictate what people eat. Jesus didn’t give them that kind of authority.
Again, the church leaders don’t have the authority to require penance. It assumes sinful behaviour where there is none.
Church leaders rightly teach people to make fasting part of their overall devotional practice, but dictating a particular day or method exceeds their authority. Therefore there is no sin to eating meat on Friday, or not substituting another kind of “penance”.
What the Protestants did was abandon unbiblical practices.
It is not a sin skipping sunday mass when you have reasonable reasons such as illness, caring for infants, unavoidable work..etc)
This biblical instruction was abandoned by Protestants in the very first place:
Jesus tells Peter, "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".
Then GOD did not have the right to instruct Adam and Eve what fruits could they eat and not could not eat.
Jesus had no authority to drive the merchants and money changers in the temple.
When John Calvin was in Geneva, he had no authority to punish people not following his church.
But Popes represent Jesus.
Popes are the Vicar of Christ
Some Americans may not like D.Trump, not agree with him at all. Yet, D.Trump is still the President of US.