People avoid The Catholic Church by saying, “Jesus never mentioned the word ‘Pope’. And, The Bible never mentions the word ‘Pope’. Therefore, The Catholic Church cannot be taken seriously. In fact, I think it is a fraud!”
Catholics gently reply, quoting Matthew 16: 18-20 where Jesus very clearly did tell us: “I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you The Keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”
Many Pastor Bobs demean Jesus by responding, “I am aware that Jesus said ‘I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ And, I know that He said He gave Peter ‘the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.’ That’s all true. But, Jesus never said the word ‘Pope’. And, He never said the word “Catholic.” If only He had said the word ‘Pope’, and the word “Catholic”, then I would be Catholic! But, Jesus didn’t say the word ‘Pope’. And, He didn’t say “Catholic”. And, neither word appears in The Bible. That’s why I cannot be Catholic but I can be a Reformed Lutheran.”
A Catholic may be excused for asking “Did Jesus or The Bible ever mention ‘Reformed Lutheran’?”
That demand for non-existent specifics is common among those who prefer the 43,000 man-invented schisms to The Only Church Jesus Founded. Jesus brilliantly left openings through which the vain could escape The Only Church He Founded with the insane excuse that Jesus failed to provide the specifics they say they need. In this case, they insist that Jesus should have used the Latin words “Pope” and “Catholic” when speaking Aramaic to Aramaic speakers.
When Pastor Bobs demean Jesus by denying His clear truths because they don’t meet their standards, we see the door to Heaven is so narrow that heads swollen with such vanity cannot get through. Their lunacy is compounded when we ask if Jesus mentioned the name of any of the denominations they do accept. “Did Jesus ever say the words ‘Non-Denominational Family Bible Church'”?
Grateful Catholics see how Jesus has helped The Only Church He Founded! Rather than having 43,000 pompous Pastor Bobs polluting our parishes by insisting their bizarre views of Biblical passages should influence Catholic Theology, Jesus just shunted whole generations of prideful know-it-alls off into the Protestant wilderness.
They like it there.
We like them there, too. They are still close enough that the humbler ones may more easily accept the greater truth of Jesus and do what is necessary to obey “If you do not eat My Body and drink My Blood you do not have life in you.” The others can continue strutting around, saying what they always say as Pastor Bobs demean Jesus.
