Jordan's statement about the early church infers the church of the early church does not currently exist. Every current tradition in Christianity is a branch of the early church. Therefore according to Jordan's view, no Christian can know what to believe from Christ in its entirety because there is no single denomination that has all correct doctrine and practice. Jordan's position collapses to an agnosticism within his own understanding of Christianity.
Jordan claims the early church did not have the same view of the Papacy the modern Catholic church has. Therefore the early church was not catholic. But the conclusion does not follow, simply because church doctrine develops over time through the assistance of the holy spirit. There is a large witness to the prominence of the chair of St Peter in Rome in church history which is a very strong witness against any denomination of the reformation, like Lutheranism.
Jordan claims we are all from that early church, but he never demonstrates his claim other than to reference a unity in creeds from the early church. The only true church has apostolic succession from Christ and the apostles. No reformed tradition can establish any succession from Christ and the apostles, so all reformed denominations have their origin in men such as Luther, or Calvin.
The 1054 split over the filioque and the Papacy involved both sides having apostolic succession and thereby maintaining holy orders for the Eucharist. The split does not compare to the reformation where apostolic succession was ignored and denominations were invented by men such as Luther.
A reformation split within the church infers the church is unknowable, for the Catholics do not believe what the Lutherans believe and so on. Jordan's version of the church implies an agnosticism concerning the content of divine revelation.
Luther did break from Rome and was excommunicated for his many heresies. The claim of doctrinal error within the church is against the nature of the church which is the spotless bride of Christ (Eph 5:27), the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim 3:15) and has the power to bind and loose (Matt 16:18-19).
The Lutheran church does not have any authority to bind and loose simply because no reformed denomination has apostolic succession from Christ and the apostles through ordination to bishop or priest.
There are very good reasons not to be a reformed Christian, such as the following.
1) Luther had no authority to challenge Rome with her doctrines on faith and morals.
2) Lutheranism and Calvinism are only formative of denominations which are against the nature of divine revelation. The scriptures condemn denominationalism (1 Cor 1:13-15) and promote the one church (John 17:11).
3) The reformation is fundamentally an agnostic movement which tends towards a secular state. No denomination has the truth, so Jesus has failed to deliver the fullness of divine revelation.
4) The five solas are all human inventions not found in scripture and all of which are mutually exclusive of each other. The five solas are all false.
5) Sola scriptora cannot establish the cannot of scripture without an infallible authority in the church. Yet the scriptures are the only infallible rule of faith within sola scriptora. Therefore sola scriptora is false.
6) Sola scriptora assumes the scriptures are the only infallible rule of faith and therefore the canon is only a fallible collection of infallible texts. As the fallible collection may be in error there is no way to establish the content of the canon is infallible.
7) Sola scriptora nullifies the claim of Sola scriptora, concerning the scriptures are the only infallible rule of faith. For Sola scriptora requires fallible, private interpretations of the texts which are prone to error. Therefore Sola scriptora always infers denominationalism, with its tendency towards agnosticism and secularism. Sola scriptora is a faith based statement that always tends towards unbelief.
8) Faith alone is contradicted by many passages such as St Paul's sin list which exclude one from the kingdom (Gal 5:19-21), indicating many virtues are required to enter heaven. Mark 16:16 require belief and baptism to be saved, contrary to faith alone.
9) Denominations come and go, indicating denominations are not from God and the reformation is a human invention.
10) Denominations do not have the four marks of the church as one, holy, catholic and apostolic, so they are all only human inventions.
11) Lutherans cannot give any compelling account for the meaning of the keys given to St Peter, which fulfill the role of prime minister in Davids kingdom (Isa 22:22).
12) Private interpretation of the scriptures is contrary to the nature of divine revelation as public. Public revelation requires the church have the authority to bind and loose and protect the sacred deposit from false doctrines. Denominations only ever refer to private interpretation of the text to support their doctrines, which always infers a false understanding concerning the nature of divine revelation. Denominations claim to refer to creeds and council's but also ignore evidence for councils that are ignored. Denominations must therefore place all authority in private interpretation of a text, against the nature of divine revelation, as public.
13) Lutheran ministers are not ordained, for the Lutheran denomination does not have apostolic succession from Christ and the apostles.
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