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The Protestant reformers had no legitimate mission from God---or from someone given power by God---to reform the Church:
Jesus Christ instructed His Apostles to preach the Gospel to the whole world (Mt. 28:18-20; cf. 1 Tim. 3:15), therefore they had an "immediate" mission from God. St. Paul sent Timothy of Ephesus and Titus of Crete as Bishops to help him on his first mission, therefore they had a "mediate" mission from someone given the power by God to send them.
On the other hand, never have we seen any of the Protestant reformers show any mission from God or from anyone else to reform the Church. Rather it is readily apparent they wrongfully took it upon themselves to make reforms. "How shall they preach unless they be sent" (Rom. 10:15)?
No individual has the right to associate himself with the Apostles or attempt to act under their authority; the individual must be sent or commissioned with divine authority. "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber" (Jn. 10:1). Here we see Martin Luther openly agreeing with this.
Consider verses such as "As the Father hath sent me, I also send you" John 20:21 and "He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me" (Jn. 13:20; cf. Lk. 10:16).
How can people without any authority attempt to make such drastic decisions affecting a divinely founded, global Church? Laity or princes do not have authority or power to start such a mission, rather someone must be sent legitimately, in Apostolic fashion, such as from a Bishop, or their mission is null. "Neither doth any man take the honor to himself but he that is called by God, as Aaron was" (Heb. 5:4).
If you say the reformers were given appropriate mission to reform the Catholic Church, then we ask who is the authority that sent them? We know it was not the Catholic Church for the ideas of the Reformation are against Catholic teaching, and it was not the Lutheran and other Protestant churches for they were not yet formed when the Reformation was being organized. So on whose authority was the mission of the Reformation?
If the Church from which the Protestant reformers came were true, they can only be labeled heretics for having left it. And if the Church from which the reformers came were NOT true, then that church could not have given the reformers a true mission to reform the Catholic Church.
~ Saju Davis, via FACEBOOK (3-14-2015)
Jesus Christ instructed His Apostles to preach the Gospel to the whole world (Mt. 28:18-20; cf. 1 Tim. 3:15), therefore they had an "immediate" mission from God. St. Paul sent Timothy of Ephesus and Titus of Crete as Bishops to help him on his first mission, therefore they had a "mediate" mission from someone given the power by God to send them.
On the other hand, never have we seen any of the Protestant reformers show any mission from God or from anyone else to reform the Church. Rather it is readily apparent they wrongfully took it upon themselves to make reforms. "How shall they preach unless they be sent" (Rom. 10:15)?
No individual has the right to associate himself with the Apostles or attempt to act under their authority; the individual must be sent or commissioned with divine authority. "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber" (Jn. 10:1). Here we see Martin Luther openly agreeing with this.
Consider verses such as "As the Father hath sent me, I also send you" John 20:21 and "He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me" (Jn. 13:20; cf. Lk. 10:16).
How can people without any authority attempt to make such drastic decisions affecting a divinely founded, global Church? Laity or princes do not have authority or power to start such a mission, rather someone must be sent legitimately, in Apostolic fashion, such as from a Bishop, or their mission is null. "Neither doth any man take the honor to himself but he that is called by God, as Aaron was" (Heb. 5:4).
If you say the reformers were given appropriate mission to reform the Catholic Church, then we ask who is the authority that sent them? We know it was not the Catholic Church for the ideas of the Reformation are against Catholic teaching, and it was not the Lutheran and other Protestant churches for they were not yet formed when the Reformation was being organized. So on whose authority was the mission of the Reformation?
If the Church from which the Protestant reformers came were true, they can only be labeled heretics for having left it. And if the Church from which the reformers came were NOT true, then that church could not have given the reformers a true mission to reform the Catholic Church.
~ Saju Davis, via FACEBOOK (3-14-2015)
