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.

Divine Revelation "By Letter" (2 Thess 2:15): The Bible

For Catholic Christians, the Bible--the Old and New Testaments--is more than a document of mere historical interest. The Bible calls itself "the Word of God." In many ways God spoke to us--He revealed Himself. Yet, Jesus, the Son of God, is the perfect revelation of the Father.

The community of believers, the Church, sought to know what God authoritatively revealed to humankind.

The Bible itself does not define what it includes; nor does it claim to contain all that God revealed. Paul affirms that some of what is handed on--the way Jews passed on revelation--was "by letter," in writing.

What is the standard--the canon--of the written Word of God? The Church recorded the history of the development of the canon of the Bible under the authority of the Holy Spirit.

A primary criterion of canonicity is inspiration, the divine influence on human writers such that God is said to be the author. And God's revelation, faithfully written, aptly expressed, was expressed with infallible truth.

We discover the meaning of the Bible--hermeneutics--by the literal sense of the words first, then the fuller sense, and then the typical sense of the words of Sacred Scripture.

Starting a new section on Divine Revelation through the Bible.

1 posted on 02/24/2010 11:28:19 PM PST by Salvation

To: Religion Moderator

Could you please add this to the tile?

Sorry I forgot it.

Divine Revelation “By Letter” (2 Thess 2:15): The Bible

2 posted on 02/24/2010 11:29:12 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

3 posted on 02/24/2010 11:32:28 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

To: nickcarraway; Lady In Blue; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; Catholicguy; RobbyS; markomalley; ...

Catholic Discussion Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Catholic Discussion Ping List.

4 posted on 02/24/2010 11:34:47 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

“A primary criterion of canonicity is inspiration, the divine influence on human writers such that God is said to be the author. And God’s revelation, faithfully written, aptly expressed, was expressed with infallible truth. “ —> That may be the major criteria, but how did they know that say Leviticus was inspired and that the book of Enoch or the Acts of Paul and Thecla were not?

5 posted on 02/25/2010 3:23:24 AM PST by Cronos (Philipp2:12, 2Cor5:10, Rom2:6, Matt7:21, Matt22:14, Lu12:42-46,John15:1-10,Rev2:4-5,Rev22:19)

2 Thessalonians Chapter 2

15: Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. ⁸

and the footnote that accompanies it"

⁸ [15] Reference to an oral statement and a letter (2 Thes 2:2) and the content here, including a formula of conclusion (cf 1 Cor 16:13; Gal 5:1), suggest that 2 Thes 2:1-15 or even 2 Thes 2:1-17 are to be taken as a literary unit, notwithstanding the incidental thanksgiving formula in 2 Thes 2:13.

6 posted on 02/25/2010 8:11:15 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

To: Salvation; Quix

7 posted on 02/25/2010 8:41:44 PM PST by Cronos (Philipp2:12, 2Cor5:10, Rom2:6, Matt7:21, Matt22:14, Lu12:42-46,John15:1-10,Rev2:4-5,Rev22:19)

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794