Soleil said:
I see a lot of people who keep repeating things that they do not understand themselves and do not make any sense. They do not feel free to even question it
All accusation against humanity as well as all
boasting of humanity before God, is swept away by the gospel, by Jesus death. "...through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;"(Hebrews 2:14) The gospel cannot be and is never lost. Its just that only God can truly give it. It is when we deny this that we cause divisions in the church, so for instance a heated discussion in order to hammer out some 'very important' doctrinal matters often actually cause a church split! This is the lesson of the tower of babel. The glory of man attempts to create unity and fails miserably; plus for good measure God confuses the effort, since it is boasting.
The martyrs were the seed of the church, but the foundation stone is the truth that only God reveals the role of Jesus. Jesus said to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona! 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 powers of death shall not prevail against it." Ok, so Peter 'is' the stone; but he obviously is not literally a stone. When is a Reed a stone? Jesus is talking about the stone 'made without hands' mentioned in
Daniel. Let us say the stone is the words "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." This stone strikes the foot of the image in Nebuchadnezzar's vision (kingdoms of men), destroying it and turning it to dust. Ergo, the judgment against the boastful 'Horn' elsewhere in Daniel is carried out.(Daniel chp 7 & 8 all)
This teaching of 'The Stone' was repeated in many forms, like the parable of the wheat and the tares, or the net that was cast and that caught all kinds of fish. It is a stone made without hands in direct contrast with a Babylonian tower. The Stone is the basic bedrock of all true Christian doctrines, hence Catholic doctrine insists that mystery must be a part of Christian practice. The church had absolutely no problem with incorporating certain pagan religions, for instance, as long as the stone remained the foundation. Ok, so I'm not Catholic; but thats what I think.
I Corinthians 1:19-20 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Isaiah 40:4-5 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,....
Zechariah 4:6-7 Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 7 What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of `Grace, grace to it!'"