- Therefore, God has given us an infallible Bible with an infallible interpreter, the successor to Peter, the bishop of Rome, the Pope. But on this particular issue, on whether the local church is governed by a single bishop or a committee of elders, theres literal unanimity. 2. But its not the whole truth. 16:17). 3. - Now, we are declared to be priests before God we dont go through Mary or any saint, we pray to the Father, by the Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ! 11:35 with 2 Maccabees 7, 12), there are no clear NT quotations from it. - While we may differ with that decision, nonetheless, an effort is being put forth to make a difference for Christ. /r/Catholicism is a place to present new developments in the world of Catholicism, discuss theological teachings of the Catholic Church, provide an avenue for reasonable dialogue amongst people of all beliefs, and grow in our own spirituality. Denominationalism and divisions are vigorously condemned. The Bible says you should not worship or make graven idol or bow down before them (Exodus 20). [Student Notes Additional responses to this issue: 3. - We share with Catholics many similar beliefs about Mary: She is the most blessed woman on the face of the earth She was a virgin when she conceived Jesus and REMAINED a virgin until after the birth of Christ! - But we disagree with the doctrine of purgatory primarily because it denies the all-sufficiency of Christ's atoning death. The phrase "It is written," is repeated ninety times in the New Testament. 3. Word in Holy Scripture often refers to a proclaimed, oral teaching of prophets or apostles. 4) The big toe of Peter in St. Peters Basilica in Rome has been completely rubbed off over the centuries because of people kissing it. 2. If theyre not true, then nobody should be a Catholic. So if Walls has a clear proof that the papacy is false, that really would be the strongest argument against Catholicism. The crux of Walls claim goes something like this: Christ establishing the papacy upon Peter is the distinctive claim that Catholicism makes relative to all other forms of Christianity; but this claim is poorly-supported by the evidence of the early Church, where (he claims) there wasnt even a Bishop of Rome until nearly 200 AD. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. "second canon but does not have secondary status among the Roman Catholics. This verse says, Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle., 3) They say, The very books of the Bible had to be determined by the Church, and that didnt happen until the late fourth century. As to whether purgatory is a place, what the precise nature of the pain is, or how long one remains there, is not part of infallible teaching. 3) Sin is committed only against God and so God alone can forgive sins. Gal. For this is how the apostolic churches record their origins. Purpose: > Our purpose is to instruct our church family on the teachings and beliefs of various world religions, in contrast to Biblical Christianity. 5:18; cf. - We believe salvation is by grace alone (sola gratia) apart from any good works. And the focus is specifically on whether or not Peter had successors as the Bishop of Rome. Updated on June 25, 2019. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.. But it is ample evidence that there was a bishop of Rome at the time that Shepherd of Hermas was written (Hermas own brother), and well before Justin Martyr wrote the First Apology in c. 160. The Roman Catholic Church, while at times using similar language, still officially holds that faith, in order to save, must be accompanied by (or "infused with") some "work" or "love" active within a Christian. 2) Revelation 5:10 says, And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Who are these? d. As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses (2 Tim. Are all of them lying, or rewriting history? Take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught; avoid them (Rom. In both his article and his conversation with Bertuzzi, Walls makes much of the fact that St. Ignatius of Antioch doesnt mention the Bishop of Rome in his letter to the Romans. The reality is often lost in the ritual. There are plenty of areas in which we see development of doctrine, or we see doctrinal fighting within the early Church. He writes: If any one refuses to obey what we say in this letter, note that man, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed (2 Thess. 6. You dont need to be an expert to realize that this is a catch-22: that whether or not Ignatius mentions bishops, this is taken as proof that there werent bishops before c. 100. That is not the case. Heed the plan that it has for mans salvation today! Puritan Board Freshman. As with the Gospel accounts, were dealing with a case in which there are multiple corroborating accounts, and who are near in time to the events to which theyre attesting. b. Perpetual virginity of Mary - The Lateran Synod of A.D. 649 was the first to stress the threefold character of Mary's virginity claiming that Mary was a Virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus Christ. Matt Slick over at the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry has some pretty amazing articles refuting Catholicism from a Scriptural standpoint. Catholics believe that in Adam all have sinned and all men must suffer the consequences of that fall. To accept any version of Walls argument, you would have to believe that (1) the original structure of the Roman church was something like a group of co-equal elders, and (2) at some point [the 180s, according to Lampe and Walls; no later than the 150s, according to Duffy], this apostolically-established structure was superseded or replaced by a single, powerful bishop who became the first pope. How to Refute Relativism | Catholic Answers The divine essence is common to the three Persons, and they are not separable. He offers three possible reasons: first, because theyre historians; second, because they represent the scholarly consensus; and third, because theyre Roman Catholics. The Bible doesnt teach that. 1 Cor. In any event, there is always a final appeal that settles the matter. If 2 Timothy 3 proves the sole sufficiency of Scripture, then, by analogy, Ephesians 4 would likewise prove the sufficiency of pastors and teachers for the attainment of Christian perfection. - But to say that a Catholic does not believe that grace is essential to salvation would be inaccurate E. Catholics do not believe in worshipping the images of saints. Speaking as a sinner, Mary said, "my spirit rejoices in God my savior" (Luke 1:46). 4. Protestants defendingsola scripturawill claim that Jesus and Paul accepted the authority of the Old Testament. Romans 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I say appears because my neighbor still believes in purgatory. Premise 2: The only church that can trace its roots back to the time of Jesus and the Apostles is the Catholic Church. Instead, he just dismisses them out of hand as later legend and pious romance, not history. This is precisely the same dismissiveness with which skeptical scholars reject the Resurrection: it doesnt matter how many people said it happened, because it just sounds too fantastical to them. They can only go to the Bible themselves and perhaps come up with another doctrinal version of some disputed doctrine to add to the list. Start typing to search all Word on Fire content. This was done immediately by the people of God to whom the prophet wrote, not centuries later by those who had no access to him nor any way to verify his prophetic credentials. Catholic Tradition | beginningCatholic.com The Church through the ages has acknowledged this status by referring to the Bible as its canon, which means that the Bible is the written standard for its faith and practice. Its contrary to all of the available evidence. Note: To call Mary "Queen of Heaven," knowing that this very phrase comes from an old pagan idolatrous cult condemned in the Bible (cf. #7. - Now, we would differ theologically with even that position but it is incorrect to say that Catholics pray to Mary in the same way a Catholic prays to God. 2) A pope can make infallible, binding pronouncements under certain conditions. - If we must live a life of works as a condition for getting to heaven, then works have nullified grace. ( Catechism, 77-78) We often write Tradition, with a capital 'T', to mean Sacred Tradition. - There are some Catholics who are truly Christians and have chosen to stay within the Catholic Church in an effort to make a difference either theological, evangelistically, etc. As St. Paul might say, such changes couldnt have escaped the notice of the rest of the worlds Christians, for this was not done in a corner (cf. But the Bible affirms that Jesus was the heir (Matthew 1:1). a. We Catholics also believe that God the Holy Spirit protects His Church and its head from error. They cite John 14:16 to support this. 4. Catholics believe in moral absolutes. There WILL be disagreements and differences. 11. Im not sure Im getting you. Duffy is convinced that there isnt an unbroken line from St. Peter, but he is a historian of the fifteenth to seventeenthcentury, not of the early Church, and his arguments are heavily reliant on that third scholar, Fr. If we compare this passage with another, written to the same church, Paul appears to regard oral teaching and the word of God as synonymous: Keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us (2 Thess. There are seven sacraments, (baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, [holy] order, and matrimony) all of which are causes of God's grace on His church. In essence, you are praying through Mary. What Is Pantheism and Why Does Christianity Refute It? - Learn Religions When the phrases word of God or word of the Lord appear in Acts and the epistles, they almost always refer to oral preaching, not to Scripture. Another problem is the problem of having more than one infallible pope at the same time a pope and an anti-pope. These issues, and other like them, do have a moral and theological foundation. Joe Heschmeyer is an instructor at the Holy Family School of Faith Institutefor the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and blogs atShameless Popery. Therefore, this prophecy, which is considered to be Gods word, was passed down orally rather than through Scripture. 5. 1. 2. The Catholic Arguments for Salvation by Sacraments. C) try to convert them? 2. Walls treats the historicity of the Resurrection as generally accepted, although he acknowledges that there are numerous scholars on the other side who are more skeptical, or who strongly deny the resurrection. But this isnt some skeptical fringe: secular historians in fact tend to treat the Resurrection as fictional, for the simple reason that it describes a supernatural event. In A.D. 1616, the Copernican theory was condemned at Rome. Further none of the great Greek manuscripts (Aleph, A, and B) contain all of the apocryphal books and the oldest manuscripts (B or Vaticanus) totally exclude the books of Maccabees. Therefore had the Lord Jesus compassion . Catholic Christianity offers the world the fullness of the Christian Faith. But no biblical passage teaches that Scripture is the formal authority or rule of faith in isolation from the Church and Tradition. Indeed, Walls (a graduate of Notre Dame) has written a book defending the idea of Purgatory from a Protestant perspective. The inherent dilemma in Catholic Mariology - On the one hand, Catholic theology admits that everything we need as believers we can get from Christ, yet they exalt the role of Mary as the dispenser of all grace. The Christian church did not begin until after Christ said, "I will build [future tense] my church" (Matthew 16:18). - Finally, Paul, John, and the author of Hebrews make it very clear that we do not need a priest to go between us and God: 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. - Catholics firmly believe that a person cannot be saved apart from the grace of God; the problem comes in what is added to grace to make salvation possible. 4:2; Prov. In my book Pope Peter, I argue that quite simply, if the Catholic Churchs claims about the papacy are true, then everyone should be a Catholic. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well. There is NO indication in this passage that Onesiphorus was dead. There have been about thirty-five anti-popes in the history of the Church. Catholic teaching about purgatory and prayer for the dead is easily misunderstood. Purgatory is necessary to pay the temporal consequences of your sins. The Church - We agree that the church was built on Christ, the chief cornerstone (1 Cor. How to Refute Arianism : r/Catholicism - Reddit - Both believe in moral absolutes rooted in the nature and will of God and revealed through God's self-disclosure to humans in both nature (general revelation) and Scripture (special revelation). . We will continue this study with a second part sometime in the future. Catholicism in Crisis, video, produced by Harvest House Publications, 5526 State Road 26 EastLafayette, IN 47905. A Quick Ten-Step Refutation of Sola Scriptura - Catholic Answers However, even if Peter is the rock referred to by Christ, he was not the only rock in the foundation of the church because Jesus gave all the apostles the same power ("keys") to "bind" and "loose" that he gave to Peter Matthew 18:18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. But you did not listen to me, declares the Lord. - But Geisler/MacKenzie in their book, Roman Catholics and Evangelicals, have provided strong evidence showing how ill-founded Augustines position was (p. 162) - On the other hand, the Jews of Palestine, including the Jewish Council of Jamnia in A.D. 90, rejected the Apocrypha. a. The reference to He shall be called a Nazarene cannot be found in the Old Testament, yet it was spoken by the prophets (Matt. - 2 Corinthians 5:8 teaches that upon death a person who know the Lord as Savior goes directly to heaven. It is not the same thing as incredulity, schism, apostasy, or other sins against faith. 3. 4) What then is the Bible speaking about when talking about the disciples forgiving sins? Hail Mary is a prayer to Mary. Not only was Mary conceived without original sin, but she was free from every personal sin during her whole life. - However, the Bible affirms her sinfulness. True, apostolic Tradition also is endorsed positively. B) hear them out? 4:6; Deut. Instead, it is supported by little more than blind appeals to authority, relying on skeptical scholars when they cast doubt on the papacy, while ignoring when those same scholars cast doubt on the Virgin Birth or physical Resurrection. The literal and physical return of Jesus to this world. Can you refute "The Egg" : r/CatholicPhilosophy - Reddit - Mary conceived the Christ-child through a supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit it was a miracle of God that had never been done, nor has it been repeated since! - Also, it is not possible to take a literal view of Jesus statements because when He said of the bread in his hand "this is my body, " no disciple present could possibly have understood Him to mean that the bread was actually His physical body since he was still with them in his physical body, the hands of which were holding that very bread! So the real question is not why the Resurrection is better attested than the papacy. 2. The Truth About Catholicism Part one of a series by Kevin Cauley, reviewing a tract explaining basic questions about Catholicism. This was the word of God even though some of it was not recorded in writing. With that said, lets look at each argument in order: There are a lot of places in the Bible in which Jesus seems to treat Peter as the head of the Apostles: the famous scene in which he seems to build the Church upon Peter in Matthew 16:17-19; the time that he says to let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves and then calls Peter to serve the other Apostles by strengthening them (Luke 22:26, 32); the multiple fishing miracles and teachings in which Jesus seems to treat Peter as the fisherman, the Church as the net, and the laity as the fish (cf. - We agree on the infallibility of the Bible, but we deny the Popes infallibility when he speaks ex cathedra. - Catholics believe you should pray to God, but you can also pray to God through Mary. But Mary is NOT the dispenser of God's grace to us. - while we have common ground with Catholics (review those), we also have great differences since Catholicism ADDS to the truth, resulting in false teaching that is contrary to the truth. Jesus and the apostles constantly appealed to the Bible as the final court of appeal. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. 12). Refute Protestants in Five Minutes Pt. 2 Tim. But the absence of evidence of (2) is itself striking. Now, I would argue, and I suspect that Walls would agree, that this rejection of the supernatural is actually irrational. Ignatius seven letters are written on his way from Antioch (the city over which he was bishop) to Rome (the city in which he was martyred), and were written somewhere around AD 107. But Aquinas, Anselm, Augustine didnt believe in the infallibility of the Pope and Immaculate Conception because they hadnt been proclaimed. 8) Matthew 3:5-6 is speaking of John the baptizer and his work. The belief is held by most Hindus and many Buddhists . To take this passage and use it to support their doctrine of confession is to wrest the scriptures to their own destruction. Walls argument, in a nutshell, works like this: the Resurrection is foundational to Christianity, and so we should expect it to be historically well-supported, and it is. To the Catholics, hell is a literal place of torment where there is fire, pain, suffering, for all eternity. Is that way of thinking consistent with what the Bible teaches? Catholic authors readily admit that the Assumption is not explicitly taught in Scripture. Answering Sedevacantism (with Michael Lofton) | Catholic Answers Walls thinks that this outweighs the biblical evidence for the papacy, saying I think they [Catholics] need more than to say, I read my Bible, and when I read my Bible, it seems to me that Jesus is making Peter the pope, and that settles it for me. At numerous points, both in his journal article and in his conversation with Bertuzzi, he compares Catholics with young-earth Creationists who hold on to their biblical interpretation at the expense of scholarly evidence to the contrary. So Walls argument from silence is actually built on two fallacies: first, that we would expect Ignatius letter to the Romans to sound like all of his other letters; and second, that the letter to the Romans never mentions bishops. VI. For his part, Bertuzzi appears to be on his way towards the Catholic Church, and seems to be genuinely trying to sort out the competing claims of Protestantism and Catholicism. But rabbinic tradition does. 1:20; 3:16). > For example, Paul rebukes Peter for hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-14). This list was in peaceful possession in the Western Church until the Reformation, and it was necessary to reaffirm it at the Council of Trent (DS 150203) and at Vatican I (DS 3029). 2) They cite John 20:23 as justification for forgiving sins on earth. Wouldnt Catholics have a vested interest in trying to show the truth of Catholic dogma? And it requires assuming that these twentieth-century skeptics had a better idea of what the Church looked like in Rome in the first and second century than did the actual Christians of the second century (including both Roman Christians and visitors to Rome, like Hegesippus).