www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Scriptural Support for Ecumenical Councils

A Mormon teen has basically told me that there is little/no Scriptural support for Ecumenical Councils, and that Scripture also never implies that everything defined in an EC is from the Holy Spirit. How can I prove him wrong, from Scripture, or from the sayings of the early Fathers (before the "Great Apostasy", around the year 300 I believe). This is something that both Catholics and Orthodox can unite on, so if anyone has any pointers don't hesitate. Thanks.

ChristTeen287

P.S.- He seems to think that "voting" in Ecumenical Councils (such as what happened when the books of the Bible were determined) is wrong and/or flawed. Why? I don't know, but it seems to set him off.

Dear Christ Teen,

JOH 1720 "I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

JOH 17:21 That they may all be one: even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us: that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.

Steven

Dear Christ Teen:

Discussing about the Ecumenical Councils with a Mormon, is useless, and impossible, I think you might have to start with simple things. Mormons are not Christians, let me tell you something.

According to the Mormons, God the Father, our eternal God in heaven, was a guy like you and me, who live a nouble life in his world, repented from his sins, and was made God by his God. There are many different worlds and galaxies with their own Gods with limited powers. Jesus Christ was God's son, like Lucifer (actually God the Fathre had lots of sons), they both presented a plan for the salvation of the world, Jesus's one was accepted, and Satan got angry so he started a rebelion. The Holy Spirit is also similar to God, and like him and Jesus, is a man like you and me, with a physical body.

According to them, the true Church dissapeared with the Apostles, or later and didn't exist until Joe Smith, a freemasson, re-founded the true Church again. It was thought to be the religion of the New World Order. He "discovered" some Books written in gold, and some magic glasses he had found there to read them (maybe they came from a space ship, who knows?).

Then the golden books dissapeared and he wrote translated them to English, this is the Book of Mormon, with details about Jesus' life in America, and the 12th tribe of Israel which lived here. This is nothing but the re-edition of the massonic ideology called British Israelism - Manifest Destiny: the angle saxon race has been chosen by God to colonize the Promised Land, America and to rule the world.
This is why the Mormons were the principal supporters of the invasion of Mexican territories in 1847.

According to the Book of Mormon, those who followed Christ and were good and pitious people, the Nephites, were terminated by the Lemanites (the sons of Lucifer) but that one day the followers of the true church would return and kill the lemanites as a punishment for their sin. So when the Mormons arrived here, they found the Native Americans, and who did you think they thought they were? The Lemanites! Too much coincidence. What a good excuse to kill and anihilate millions of innocent people here.

So how can we discuss the Ecumenical Councils with them?

hehe

Thanks, Remie. I knew most of the unfortunate information you posted, but I thought the "dark skinned race" were blacks, not Native Americans, and I did not know about the Mexican Invasion. As much as I would like to, I suppose it's pretty much impossible to rationalize with them, which is such a shame because generally I think the Mormon way of life is great (no unhealthy foods like caffeine, etc.).

ChristTeen287

According to Mormons the great Apostacy began well before 300. They detect signs of it in the New Testament. I agree with Remie and the Church, Mormons aren't Christian.

Dan Lauffer

Thanks, Dan.

Catholic convert from Mormonism Steve Clifford has some pretty good online data disproving Mormonism.

ChristTeen287

And you could ask the Mormon where there is scriptural support for the other books that they say are equal, if not more than, the Bible.

Alex

Dear ChristTeen287

Since, no one gave you any scriptural references (at least not publically), I will take a stab at it.

Please refer to Acts chapter 15 where the Council of Jerusalem is recorded. The principle verses of interest are 6-7 "Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute..." and verses 22-29 that record the letter that was sent to Antioch. In those verses the ones that are most important are: 25 "it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord..." and 28 "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us..."

I hope this helps.

Tony

Thanks, Tony. Yes that helps, and is very considerate of you.

ChristTeen287