Little Christ Soapbox ✝️

I cannot recommend verse by verse ministry enough. Stephen Armstrong brings clear context, history, and cross references for every single verse in the bible. I started with Revelations but now am onto Matthew and the gospels. I thank God for this man and all the clarity he has provided in a world of arguing and bickering. No assumptions, no interpretations, just clear and concise biblical references, context, and history. If you are willing to make time for God/Christ, this will be highly rewarding and clear any confusion you have. God Bless. versebyverseministry.org

The word “rapture” does not appear in the Bible. We got the word “rapture” from the French. For whatever reason the churchs decided to keep this word to describe an event that Jesus said would happen. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 • 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 • John 14:1-3 • 1 Thessalonians 1:10 • Revelation 3:10 • 1 Thessalonians 5:9 • Luke 17:34-37 (also paralleled in Matthew 24:40-41) • Titus 2:13 • Philippians 3:20-21 I recommend a deep bible study on the book of Revelation for context to those with ears to hear. versebyverseministry.org/bible-studies/…

The “rapture” isn’t real.

And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ Matthew 15:6-9 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. Matthew 7:21-23

And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ Matthew 15:6-9 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. Matthew 7:21-23

There is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church.

2000 years ago, God decided to incarnate himself on earth and walk among us, don’t you want to know what he said?

@DavidFischer Jesus Christ is Lord!

Whether you believe it or not, we are in a spiritual war. There is no middle ground; you either serve Jesus or Satan. This day I ask you, whom do you serve?

@Curi_Christian Pure biblical context, no interpretation. Cost? 30 hours. versebyverseministry.org/bible-studies/…

I do wish Christians could agree on what Revelation says and means but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Jesus used symbolic language here ("this is My body" and "this is My blood"), just as He did elsewhere (e.g., "I am the door," "I am the vine"). The elements represent His body given and His blood shed on the cross. No one at the table was literally eating or drinking Jesus' physical flesh and blood— He was physically present with them. The act symbolizes believers spiritually taking in Christ by faith. Purpose of the Lord's Supper: Remembrance: "Do this in remembrance of Me" (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). It is a memorial looking back to Christ's sacrificial death. Proclamation: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). It visibly declares the Gospel to believers and observers. Fellowship and unity: It expresses participation in the body and blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16-17), our oneness in Him, and anticipation of the future marriage supper of the Lamb and the Kingdom (Matthew 26:29 - Jesus said He would not drink of the fruit of the vine again until the Kingdom). • Self-examination: Participants must examine themselves to avoid partaking in an unworthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:27-32), which includes unrepentant sin, division, selfishness, or treating it like an ordinary meal. The Corinthians abused it by turning it into a selfish feast with cliques and gluttony, leading to weakness, sickness, and even death among them as discipline from the Lord. The meal is only for believers who have placed faith in Christ. Unbelievers (like Judas, who was sent away before the new institution) or those not in fellowship with Christ should not participate. The symbolism applies only to those who share in His death and future Kingdom. The Mass is presented in Catholic teaching as a re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice that is truly propitiatory (able to obtain mercy and forgiveness of post-baptismal sins). This contrasts with Scripture: • Christ's sacrifice on the cross was once for all, perfect, and sufficient-no repetition or continuation is needed (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12, 25-28; 10:10-14). The elements remain bread and fruit of the vine (or juice). They are symbolic, not a literal or mystical transformation. John 6 (eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood) is also understood spiritually, referring to faith in Him, not a sacramental act. Requiring the Eucharist/Mass as necessary for forgiveness or ongoing salvation adds to the finished work of Christ and shifts focus from faith alone to a works-based or sacramental system.

@LCSoapbox @HoldenCCole You think God in the Eucharist is just a symbol?

Protestants think praying to Mary is worship because they don’t have true worship: the Eucharist.

Revelation is not primarily about the Mass. It is apocalyptic prophecy revealing Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1), the defeat of evil, the vindication of saints, and the coming Kingdom. The "supper of the Lamb" (Rev 19:9) is the future marriage supper after Christ's return not the present-day Eucharist/Mass. Tying Revelation so closely to the Mass risks undermining the sufficiency of Christ's once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10-14) and introduces elements (e.g., ongoing sacrificial priesthood, veneration in liturgy) that can nullify the Word (Matthew 15:3-9).

@LCSoapbox @BillArnoldTeach In case you missed it. Scott Hahn former Protestant pastor converted to Catholicism, now teaches theology etc. His book “The Lamb’s Supper” is a COMPLETE explanation about the book of Revelation. Revelation revealed so to speak…

If the Church was wrong for 1,500 years then your Bible came from a broken Church. Still trusting it?

Exactly. When people read the Bible for themselves in context, they often discover that many Roman Catholic dogmas (such as justification by works + faith, purgatory, prayers to Mary/saints, transubstantiation, papal infallibility, and required sacerdotal mediation) either contradict clear Scripture or lack any clear support. The Reformation was not people "doing things for themselves" — it was a return to Scripture alone (2 Timothy 3:16-17) as the final authority, recovering the pure Gospel of grace through faith alone in Christ's finished work (Romans 3-5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 9-10). Jesus warned against traditions that nullify the word of God (Matthew 15:3-9; Mark 7:13). The true Church is built on Christ and the apostles' teaching (Ephesians 2:20), not an unbroken visible hierarchy that drifted into serious error during the long Thyatira period of church history (Revelation 2:18-29).

Yes, when people start doing anything "for themselves" they often leave the Church.

@BillArnoldTeach Revelation is a prophetic book. Is it impossible that you might have missed something?

@BillArnoldTeach You should do a Revelation study on the 7 letters pertaining to The Church Age.

I follow scripture alone. Everything is there. Though I personally use verse by verse ministry for biblical context (more like seminary but the pastor was an amazing man who the Holy Spirit clearly dwelt in) I have personally not found it easy to find a church that is pure scripture based, but they are out there. If interested, I highly recommend all of Stephen Armstrongs bible studies. Context based in scripture alone. No wild interpretations. His Matthew study changed my life. versebyverseministry.org

@LCSoapbox @JamesDueck @VadeadIesum I have faith in God and Jesus. I have no faith in the Pope or the church and for many good reasons. I will pray and read my bible but I will not go back.

The “Reformation” protest is over. 500 years was enough. Time for everyone to come home.

@BillArnoldTeach Pride in materials directly contradicts Christ.

This isn’t a denomination. It’s a kingdom.

Praying for the dead and the doctrine of purgatory are unbiblical. • 2 Maccabees 12:44-45 is from the Apocrypha (deuterocanonical books), which the Jewish people, Jesus, and the apostles never treated as inspired Scripture. The Protestant canon follows the Hebrew Bible; these books contain historical value at best but doctrinal errors and were never quoted as authoritative in the New Testament. • 1 Corinthians 3:15 ("saved, but only as through fire") refers to the judgment of believers' works at the Bema Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10), not post-death purification of the soul. The "fire" tests the quality of a Christian's service and ministry; the person is already saved by faith in Christ alone. It has nothing to do with purgatory or ongoing atonement after death. • Hebrews 9:27 is clear: "It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." There is no intermediate state of purification between death and final judgment for believers. • 2 Timothy 1:18 is Paul expressing a wish for mercy for Onesiphorus (likely already deceased) on the Day of Judgment. This is a personal, one-time prayer rooted in hope for his final standing before Christ-not a model for ongoing prayers that "help" souls in a purgatorial process. Believers who die in Christ go immediately into the Lord's presence (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23), fully forgiven and perfected by Christ's finished work—no further purification needed (Hebrews 10:14). Furthermore: • Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, 10 "For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing... Their love, their hate, and their envy have already perished, and they have no more share in anything done under the sun... There is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol [the grave], to which you are going." The dead are cut off from earthly affairs and have no ongoing awareness or involvement in what happens here. • Psalm 146:4 "When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish." Human thoughts, plans, and awareness end at death in terms of earthly interaction. The Gospel is clear: salvation is by grace through faith in Christ's once-for-all sacrifice (Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 9:12, 28; 10:10-14). No prayers, works, or post-death process can add to it. Purgatory undermines the sufficier of the cross.

“Praying for the dead is unbiblical.” That claim falls apart fast. First, The Scripture explicitly affirms it. - In 2 Maccabees 12:44–45: “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” So the real issue is not whether it is in the Bible, it is whether you accept the books of the Bible that proves it. Now let’s go deeper. You say, “After death comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Correct. But where does it say there is no purification for those being saved? - Because Paul the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians 3:15 - “He will be saved, but only as through fire.” This means he will be saved but purified. How? Through fire. Simple So, If a soul is being purified, why would your prayers NOT help? Or do you believe your prayers stop being effective the moment someone dies? If this is what you believe, that's fair enough, but explain this; Why does Paul the Apostle pray for Onesiphorus in 2 Timothy 1:18 - “May the Lord grant him to find mercy on that Day.” Why pray for mercy on Judgment Day, if his fate is already sealed with zero room for intercession? The truth is, if you reject prayers for the dead, you are forced into a cold conclusion; - That love, intercession, and charity all end at death. But Scripture says nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38–39). Not even death. So which one is it? It is either; 1. The dead are still part of Christ’s Body, and love continues. Prayer makes sense. Or 2. Death cuts off all spiritual solidarity, which contradicts the Gospel itself You can’t have it both ways. Christians have prayed for the dead from the beginning, because they understood something modern Christianity often forgets: Love does not stop at the grave.

The keys of the kingdom given to Peter (Matthew 16:19) were not a permanent office of supreme rule passed down through a papal line. They represented a unique, temporary apostolic role for Peter in opening the Gospel to three groups: Jews (Acts 2, Pentecost), Samaritans (Acts 8), and Gentiles (Acts 10). Once those "doors" were opened, the keys had served their purpose. The typology from Isaiah 22:22 (Eliakim as steward) is noted but overextended here. Jesus' words to Peter do not establish ongoing visible "stewardship" or papal authority over the Church. The same "binding and loosing" authority appears in Matthew 18:18 for the whole church in the context of discipline—not exclusive to Peter or his supposed successors. The true foundation of the Church is Christ (the rock of Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Son of the living God) and the apostles' teaching (Ephesians 2:20). Peter himself later calls all believers a "royal priesthood" with access to God through Christ alone (1 Peter 2:9). No human steward or institution holds the keys today—the Gospel itself is the key that opens the Kingdom to all who believe.

@Truth_matters20 Literally nowhere in Scripture are the keys called the Gospel. Sola Scriptura is nothing more than a license to make up whatever you like.

If you possess the gospel, you possess the keys to the Kingdom of God. Don't listen to Catholics who say that only the Pope and the RCC have the keys!

The keys of the kingdom given to Peter (Matthew 16:19) were not a permanent office of supreme rule passed down through a papal line. They represented a unique, temporary apostolic role for Peter in opening the Gospel to three groups: Jews (Acts 2, Pentecost), Samaritans (Acts 8), and Gentiles (Acts 10). Once those "doors" were opened, the keys had served their purpose. The typology from Isaiah 22:22 (Eliakim as steward) is noted but overextended here. Jesus' words to Peter do not establish ongoing visible "stewardship" or papal authority over the Church. The same "binding and loosing" authority appears in Matthew 18:18 for the whole church in the context of discipline—not exclusive to Peter or his supposed successors. The true foundation of the Church is Christ (the rock of Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Son of the living God) and the apostles' teaching (Ephesians 2:20). Peter himself later calls all believers a "royal priesthood" with access to God through Christ alone (1 Peter 2:9). No human steward or institution holds the keys today—the Gospel itself is the key that opens the Kingdom to all who believe.

The keys of the kingdom given to Peter (Matthew 16:19) were not a permanent office of supreme rule passed down through a papal line. They represented a unique, temporary apostolic role for Peter in opening the Gospel to three groups: Jews (Acts 2, Pentecost), Samaritans (Acts 8), and Gentiles (Acts 10). Once those "doors" were opened, the keys had served their purpose. The typology from Isaiah 22:22 (Eliakim as steward) is noted but overextended here. Jesus' words to Peter do not establish ongoing visible "stewardship" or papal authority over the Church. The same "binding and loosing" authority appears in Matthew 18:18 for the whole church in the context of discipline—not exclusive to Peter or his supposed successors. The true foundation of the Church is Christ (the rock of Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Son of the living God) and the apostles' teaching (Ephesians 2:20). Peter himself later calls all believers a "royal priesthood" with access to God through Christ alone (1 Peter 2:9). No human steward or institution holds the keys today—the Gospel itself is the key that opens the Kingdom to all who believe.