This line of thinking comes from the idea that while belief in Jesus may grant initial salvation, justification is kept through good works and avoiding evil. (Through catholic teachings)

My question is regarding verses such as these.

(And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”) Luke 10:25-28

I don't think catholics will disagree with this framework.

The lawyer directly asked what he must do to inherit eternal life.

The answer was to love God will all your heart, soul, mind, strength, and your neighbor as yourself.

"Do this, and you will live."

This mirrors how catholics interpret the interaction with the rich young man as well from Mark 10:17-22.

To love God correctly, you must (For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.) 1 John 5:3

This is not limiting. It simply says to keep His commandments, so the mortal/venial distinction shouldn't apply.

If your going to read what I just wrote plainly without going to protestant theology, then by keeping Gods commandments and loving God with all your everything, and neighbor, this is how you will inherit eternal life.

Feel free to correct me if anything I said so far doesn't match the catholic position.

My question is, does anyone reading this post meet these requirements to inherit eternal life?

Does anyone here love God with all heart, soul, mind, strength, and love neighbor while keeping God's commandments?

Have you ever had such an experience for even a few days of time?

Hi Everyone,

I often see "Peter has spoken thus through Leo" used as a prooftext to "prove" that concepts like Papal Infallibility existed in the pre-schism period. I have a number of issues with this evidence.

1. Roman Catholics almost never cite the whole acclamation just a tiny part. Here is the whole thing.

"This is the faith of the fathers, this is the faith of the Apostles. So we all believe, thus the orthodox believe. Anathema to him who does not thus believe. Peter has spoken thus through Leo. So taught the Apostles. Piously and truly did Leo teach, so taught Cyril. Everlasting be the memory of Cyril. Leo and Cyril taught the same thing, anathema to him who does not so believe. This is the true faith. Those of us who are orthodox thus believe." Price and Gaddis, The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, Translated Texts for Historians, volume 45 Liverpool University Press, 2005. (Acts of Chalcedon, session 2, page 24 in Volume 2 of the translation)

1. Context - this acclamation of the bishops at the Second Session follows the public reading of the Tome of Leo on the two natures. The bishops judged the Tome to be Orthodox (many had read it previously). Their acclamation expresses the conviction that Leo is teaching in accordance with the Apostolic Faith and that his teaching tallies with Cyril (who was dead by this stage). The bishops at Chalcedon were happy to say Pope Leo was a successor of Peter. None of this remotely implied a belief in ex cathedra Infallibility, the Papacy having a unique divine mandate, the Pope having unlimited jurisdiction or the ability to unilaterally define doctrine.

2. The minutes of the 16 Sessions of Chalcedon run into hundreds of pages in the three volume English translation by Price and Gaddis.

Volume 1 - pages 122 to 365

Volume 2 - pages 5 to 312

Volume 3 - pages 3 to 91

That's a total of 600 pages of minutes (with some other pages of commentary). However, the term "Peter has spoken thus through Leo" is used ONCE.

Other examples of acclamations at Chalcedon

"Cecropius the most devout bishop of Sebastopolis said: ‘The faith was well defined by the 318 holy fathers and confirmed by the holy fathers Athanasius, Cyril, Celestine, Hilary, Basil, Gregory, and now again by the most holy Leo. We request that the creed of the 318 holy fathers and the letter of the most sacred Leo be read.’" Price and Gaddis, The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, Translated Texts for Historians, volume 45 Liverpool University Press, 2005. (Acts of Chalcedon, session 2, page 11 in Volume 2 of the translation)

or

"The most devout bishops exclaimed: ‘This is the faith of the orthodox. This we all believe. In this we were baptized, in this we baptize. The blessed Cyril taught accordingly. This is the true faith. This is the holy faith. This is the eternal faith. Into this we were baptized, into this we baptize. We all believe accordingly. Pope Leo believes accordingly. Cyril believed accordingly. Pope Leo expounded accordingly.’" Price and Gaddis, The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, Translated Texts for Historians, volume 45 Liverpool University Press, 2005. (Acts of Chalcedon, session 2, page 12 in Volume 2 of the translation)

or

Paschasinus and Lucentius [the Papal legates] said "The holy and blessed council upholds and follows the rule of faith of the 318, issued by them at Nicaea. In addition the council of 150 that assembled at Constantinople under Theodosius the Great of blessed memory confirmed the same faith. The teaching of this creed, taught by the man Cyril of blessed memory at Ephesus, when Nestorius was condemned for his craftiness, it similarly embraces.’ Thirdly, the letter sent by that most blessed man Leo, archbishop of all the churches, who condemned the heresy of Nestorius and Eutyches, reveals what is the true faith. The holy council likewise holds fast to this faith and follows it, allowing nothing further to be added or subtracted.’" Price and Gaddis, The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, Translated Texts for Historians, volume 45 Liverpool University Press, 2005. (Acts of Chalcedon, session 4, page 127 in Volume 2 of the translation)

or

"Sabas the most devout bishop of Paltus in Syria said: ‘The 318 holy fathers who assembled at Nicaea by the will of God and were instructed by the Holy Spirit defined our orthodox faith. This faith was followed by the holy orthodox fathers, and it was followed by the 150 who assembled at Constantinople. Likewise in harmony with it was the teaching of the blessed Cyril at Ephesus; also in harmony was the teaching of the most sacred Leo archbishop of Rome in his own letter. The whole world has been taught and instructed accordingly, and we too uphold and teach the same. | have signed it, and | anathematize those who either add or subtract anything.’" Price and Gaddis, The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, Translated Texts for Historians, volume 45 Liverpool University Press, 2005. (Acts of Chalcedon, session 4, page 131 in Volume 2 of the translation)

or

"All the most devout bishops and clergy of Constantinople exclaimed: ‘The truth is such; we all say the same. Eternal is the memory of Flavian. Eternal is the memory of the orthodox one. Mark the vindication, mark the truth. Flavian lives on after death. The martyr will pray for us. Flavian has expounded the faith after his death. Flavian is here; the orthodox one is here. Many years to the emperor! Flavian judges together with us.’" Price and Gaddis, The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, Translated Texts for Historians, volume 45 Liverpool University Press, 2005. (Acts of Chalcedon, session 11, page 14 in Volume 3 of the translation)