Catholic Biblical Apologetics

Apologetics without apology!

What does the Roman Catholic Church teach about ...? ... and why?

This website surveys the origin and development of Roman Catholic Christianity from the period of the apostolic church, through the post-apostolic church and into the conciliar movement. Principal attention is paid to the biblical basis of both doctrine and dogma as well as the role of paradosis (i.e. handing on the truth) in the history of the Church. Particular attention is also paid to the hierarchical founding and succession of leadership throughout the centuries.

This is a set of lecture notes used since 1985 to teach the basis for key doctrines and dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church. The objectives of the course were, and are:

To present the biblical basis for the origin and development of the Roman Catholic Church.
To present the development of the canon of Scripture and evolution of biblical teaching in the Church.
To understand the role of paradosis/tradition in the oral transmission of revelation.
To study the Council of Jerusalem, described in the 15^th chapter of The Acts of the Apostles and its role in the development of doctrine in the conciliar movement in the Church.
To understand the revelation, doctrinal development and practice of the sacramental life in the history of the Church.
To study the role of the Holy Spirit as teaching authority in the Church.
To study the revelation and development of hierarchical authority in the Church.
To understand the hierarchy of truths in the Church as well as the role of private devotion and personal growth in holiness.

The course grew out of the need for the authors to continually answer questions about their faith tradition and their work. (Both authors are active members of Catholic parish communities in the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Robert Schihl was a Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts at Regent University. Paul Flanagan is a consultant specializing in preparing people for technology based changes.) At the time these notes were first prepared, the authors were spending time in their faith community answering questions about their Protestant Evangelical workplaces (Mr. Flanagan was then a senior executive at the Christian Broadcasting Network), and time in their workplaces answering similar questions about their Roman Catholic faith community. These notes are the result of more than a decade of facilitating dialogue among those who wish to learn more about what the Roman Catholic Church teaches and why.

Christ called and founded an exclusive, inner core group of twelve men called the "apostles."

The "Apostles, apostell" means "those sent." The term is used for the that chosen core group of Christ 170 times in the Gospels.

The lists of apostles occur throughout the New Testament:

Mt 10:1ff	Mk 3:16ff	Lk 6:14ff	Act 1:13ff
Simon Peter	Simon Peter	Simon Peter	Peter
Andrew	James	Andrew	John
James	John	James	James
John	Andrew	John	Andrew
Philip	Philip	Philip	Philip
Bartholomew	Bartholomew	Bartholomew	Thomas
Thomas	Matthew	Matthew	Bartholomew
Matthew	Thomas	Thomas	Matthew
James Alphaeus	James Alphaeus	James Alphaeus	James Alphaeus
Thaddeus	Thaddeus	Simon Zealot	Simon Zealot
Simon Zealot	Simon Zealot	Jude	Jude
Judas Iscariot	Judas Iscariot	Judas Iscariot

The apostles were solely and specially instructed:

Mt 10:1-11: on the reason for exercising the task of preaching;
Mt 13:10-36 (Mk 4:10): on the parables of the kingdom which were only explained to the Apostles;
Mt 18:1-35 (Mk 9:35): on the manner of ruling and correcting the faithful in the Church;
Mt 24-25: on the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, the end of the world and judgment, and on the permanency of the kingdom of God in the face of the persecution of its enemies.
Jn 13-17 (Mk 14:17): on the mysteries of the divine life and on charity;
Mt 16:21; 17:22; 20:17; 26:2: on the death and resurrection of Jesus;
Mt 26:20; Mk 14:17; Lk 22:14; 1 Cor 11:23-26: on the new covenant founded on the blood of Jesus;
Act 1:3; Lk 24:25: on the immediacy of exercising the apostolate of theirs.

Rebus divinis rite perpetratis vocataque ad concilium multitudine quae coalescere in populi unius corpus nulla re praeterquam legibus poterat, iura dedit; quae ita sancta generi hominum agresti fore ratus, si se ipse venerabilem insignibus imperii fecisset, cum cetero habitu se augustiorem, tum maxime lictoribus duodecim sumptis fecit. Alii ab numero auium quae augurio regnum portenderant eum secutum numerum putant. me haud paenitet eorum sententiae esse quibus et apparitores hoc genus ab Etruscis finitimis, unde sella curulis, unde toga praetexta sumpta est, et numerum quoque ipsum ductum placet, et ita habuisse Etruscos quod ex duodecim populis communiter creato rege singulos singuli populi lictores dederint.

Livy Ab Urbe Condita 1 8

After the claims of religion had been duly acknowledged, Romulus called his people to a council. As nothing could unite them into one political body but the observance of common laws and customs, he gave them a body of laws, which he thought would only be respected by a rude and uncivilised race of men if he inspired them with awe by assuming the outward symbols of power. He surrounded himself with greater state, and in particular he called into his service twelve lictors. Some think that he fixed upon this number from the number of the birds who foretold his sovereignty; but I am inclined to agree with those who think that as this class of public officers was borrowed from the same people from whom the "sella curulis" and the "toga praetexta" were adopted- their neighbours, the Etruscans-so the number itself also was taken from them. Its use amongst the Etruscans is traced to the custom of the twelve sovereign cities of Etruria, when jointly electing a king, furnishing him each with one lictor
translated

And?

Well, its that “duodecim” which is bound to capture the attention of the naive reader. And then see 1.16, “The Strange Death of Romulus”, which corresponds in several points to the book of Matthew, which it anticipated by some years. I stumbled upon this in my own reading some years ago, and I remain perplexed as to why these remarkable parallels do not receive popular recognition, even though, or I should say especially since, they could hardly have escaped the attention of scholars throughout the Christian Age.

The numer twelve in the selection of the Apostles is certainly a reflection of the number of the tribes of Israel. This is the connotation that would be clear to any Jew, not some obscure to them legend of Romulus.

There is a numerological significance of 12, seen as in some sense a perfect number. These are its mathematical properties that allow 12 people to be arranged in 3 x 4 or 6 x 2 formations, or 6 at each side of the leader, all convenient militarily and ceremonially and suggesting completeness. It should not suprise us when we see that number appearing in various structures independently.

What, specifically in the Book of Matthew attracts your attention? The legendary snatching of Romulus by thunderstorm indeed is somewhat similar to how ascension of Jesus is described, but that is in Luke. All accounts of the Resurrection, however, point to Jesus appearing to a group (or groups) of disciples rather than to a single individual who then has to convince the others, and the Resurrection precedes the Ascension. The match is scant, and note that Livy does not seem to believe Proculus Julius’ tale.

On the other hand, not unlike with the number 12, the belief that the beloved leader reached eternal life is a belief that rises naturally.

Eusebius and St. Jerome wrote about Livy and his book. I am not sure if they had a specific comment on these two episodes, but neither one is so striking a similarity with the gospels that they would have felt compelled to.

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