70x7 Reasons: Catholic & Protestant
You're welcome to enjoy this dialogue I had with Dr. Peter Kreeft on some of the historic healing that God is re-revealing within Christianity.
70x7 Reasons to Be Both Catholic and Protestant (YouTube)
Transcript (ebook/hardcopy)
Premier Christianity magazine summary (they requested I write this)
Note: at 2:24, the video references this link:
Pentecostal Charisms and Pope Francis
My Story
Which church is right: Catholic or Protestant?
Catholics argue they have doctrinal authority, based on their unbroken, leadership chain to the Apostles, and Protestants argue that they have authority based direct access to the Bible.
For years I was unsatisfied with these answers because I saw Christ profoundly in both of Christianity’s two largest groups. It was especially puzzling when one group excelled in the other group’s gifts! For instance, how can Catholics boldly announce they have the fullness of truth, yet Protestants are almost single-handedly debating the atheists? Or how can Protestants claim that following the Bible results in unity, yet there are over 20,000 “official” Bible authorities?
A few years ago when I was seeking God about this is prayer, I kept receiving a picture of a tree. The accompanying scripture was Jesus’ comment that the Kingdom of God would grow into the largest tree. [Luke 13:18] And the Spirit showed me—I’m convinced —that the Roman Catholics are more like the tree trunk and the Protestants are more like the tree branches. It’s the same tree!
This explains:
- Why Catholicism seems sturdy, central, structural, immovable; and why Protestantism seems decentralized, flexible, spontaneous, freedom-flowing.
- How the tree is nourished by both indirect water from the trunk, and by direct sunlight from the leaves.
- That for living organisms like the church, central things remain over time, but non-essentials might naturally drop off.
The Spirit also showed me that the charismatic experiences (e.g., gifts of visions, healing, and tongues) are God’s miracle grow for the entire tree, and this is why places receiving them produce spectacular expansion.
There are a ton of issues elegantly described by the Father's family tree.
Can we think of a better way to account for the data? When we take an overview of Christian history, we see it’s always been there—staring us in the face! I believe we lost sight of this obvious perspective when the modern West began worshiping its own mind, instead of the living Spirit.
In other words, it turns out the issue of “who is right?” is the wrong question. It follows that Catholics are right on some things; Protestants on others. And that’s OK. Because we are not first about logic, but the life of Love.
So what do we do with this?
We can start by giving God permission to release more of the unity we already have, most especially through manifesting common, meaningful, Spirit-led, supernatural prayer.
It’s always better to let the Spirit reveal who we are. [John 16:13] That’s how I got this image, which was really healing to me. The dark, divisive oppression has no nest in me anymore.
Only a Spirit Can Unite a Body
Remember, tour outward expression is a sign of your interior process (Matthew 12:34.) So release any prejudice and come to Me with a new conviction of My love for everyone.
Look to Me, not your doubts, fears, or ideas. This is not condemnation—don't take it that way. I want to free you up to love with a single, pure heart.
Your expectations are restricting your ability to do as I desire. Let go now! Check your eternal perspective. What does pettiness have to do with unity in spreading My love? There is life in unity, which I created you to enjoy.