Catholic Verses - 95 Bibles Passages That Confound Protestants?
CARRYING CHRIST'S AFFLICTIONS IN OUR BODIES
Pages 129-130: 2 Corinthians 4:10. Colossians 1:24. God allows us to take part in the great drama of redemption by allowing us to share the sufferings of Christ that brought it about. That does not mean that the cause of redemption does not completely lie with Jesus Christ, but that we can be part of it in some mysterious way (in his will and by his design and providence), just as our prayers are part of his redemption and our works are part of salvation (1 Cor. 3:8-9, 15:10; Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 2:12-13) - although everything, of course, goes back to God as Sovereign and First Cause.
Note: One Christian focus will be the preaching of Jesus Christ not our sufferings caused by a sin-sick world.
Colossians 1:24-29 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
Page 131: Catholics believe that such sufferings truly aid others, just as prayer does (Paul refers to "my sufferings for your sake"). No Protestant denies that prayer helps others. Why should not suffering and good works and self-sacrifices undertaken on behalf of others do the same? For prayer is just as much a work as any of these other things. It involves the effort of concentration, mental energy, sometimes moving the lips or raising the hands, and so forth. It is man doing something. We are not robots that do whatever God wants us to do at any given moment. We freely cooperate with God, by his grace.
Note: Reconciliation with God was accomplished 100% by Jesus Christ on the cross not our sufferings caused by a sin-sick world.
Colossians 1:19-20 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Note: Christian prayers and sufferings will only indicate that we have been reconciled back to the Father by the Son.
Page 131: Protestants, therefore, often profoundly misunderstand the Catholic position with regard to these passages and penance in general, and do not sufficiently incorporate all the biblical data to attain a truly biblical doctrine of penance and suffering. Catholic theology, on the other hand, allows for the biblical notion of what St. Alphonsus de Liguori calls "subjective redemption."
Note: Unfortunately, Catholics seek recovery from sin on recommendations from a priest through their actions which is called penance.
The act of penance or satisfaction that the priest imposes helps the penitent to overcome selfishness, to desire more strongly to live a holy life, to be closer to Jesus, and to show to others the love and compassion of Jesus. It is part of the healing that the sacrament brings. "Sin injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relations with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must 'make satisfaction for' or 'expiate' his sins." This is done by prayer, charity, or an act of Christian asceticism. The rite of the sacrament requires that "the kind and extent of the satisfaction should be suited to the personal condition of each penitent so that each one may restore the order which he disturbed and through the corresponding remedy be cured of the sickness from which he suffered." Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Note: Christians will seek recovery from sin by going directly to our great High Priest, Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.