Watertown, NY
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The following report is a continuation of yesterday’s story, which comes to us from team leader Scott with our team in Watertown, NY:
A man by the name of Roger approached our table and was asking questions about the book of Tobit and what our views on it were. He also had some questions about the Nephilim in Genesis 6, and whether or not we believed that giants existed. He also wanted to talk to us about the apocrypha such as the book of Enoch and other texts that are not widely used in the Church. Roger is also a Lutheran and believes that the Pope shows signs of the Antichrist. After some discussion about scripture, we explained to Roger how the Church doesn’t talk much about these matters because it prefers to keep the focus on Christ and the things that are helpful for building up the body. Although we accept these things in the literal sense, we try not to focus on it a lot because it can lead people astray or frighten them. These kinds of discussions are more appropriate in more advanced Bible studies.
I began to ask Roger why he became a Lutheran. Roger told me that he was born into it. From there, I explained to Roger who I was through personal testimony and what I was born into (a Jew and an atheist my entire life until the Lord converted me Himself in 2020.) Once this happened, I too was probably a Protestant at that point because I did not know which Church to go to. After much study, reasoning, and praying, the Holy Spirit brought me to the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church – the Church of the Apostles and the gold standard of worship through the sacraments. To really emphasize this point, I mentioned the old testament regarding King Jeroboam, the King of Northern Israel. I explained to him what the sins of Jeroboam were, in that King Jeroboam did not want his people conducting pilgrimages to Jerusalem for worship in the temple where the Levitical Priesthood (ordained by the Lord at the time) offered sacrifice in the temple because of fear of losing power. So, as an abomination to the Lord, he created his own priestly class, thus commissioning false ministers and turning from the legitimacy of the Levitical Priesthood, as this was known as “the sins of Jeroboam.” From there, I emphasized the last book of the old testament, Malachi, in which the Lord cursed the false minister’s blessing, and reminded Roger about how only the Levites could hold the ark with their own hands, and anyone else who did this would die – thus reminding him that just not anybody can make themselves a Priest, because the Lord alone does this.
Going even further, I led into apostolic succession into the new testament, where John the Baptist, who was from the Levitical Priesthood of Zechariah, baptized our Lord in the river Jordan in water, thus transferring the Priesthood to Him ceremonially. This same Christ Jesus called Apostles, who in turn called Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and this laying on of the hands has transferred through apostolic succession for 2,000 years today, where the sacrifice of the Mass is offered in many countries in the world everyday for two millennia. Roger did not like this and countered that “any priest in Israel was anointed with oil.” Dave and I countered that this new covenant was with water, as the Lord told us plainly. We also handed Roger a pamphlet on “Bible alone” and points on Sola Scriptura from a Catholic perspective.
After some more discussion, Roger began to explain his Lutheran faith and precepts. I then asked him, “When was Martin Luther born?” Roger seemed caught off guard. We concluded together that it was about 500 years ago. I then pointed out to him that the church is 2,000 years old, and is why I went to them and not Luther, in my own experience, because I wanted what was directly given by Christ and the apostles. I also explained to him how I understand why some left the Church because of corruption and misdeeds, but the sins of men and people who fall short should not intervene in our supernatural relationship with Christ through the Church he established. Roger got a little frightened and wished Dave and I a good day and took off. We promised that we would pray for him, and we also ask that you pray for his conversion as well, because I definitely feel that he is almost there in the fullness of truth and worship!
Praised be Jesus Christ!