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 15th 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.
Eschatology: The Last Things
CatholicCatholic Christians believe that all men and women will experience the end of this human life. The Word of God teaches us that each person will be judged immediately after death.
Catholics believe that the souls of the saved who are in need of further purification before facing God will be purged in purgatory.
Heaven awaits those souls found to be in the state of grace or perfection.
Hell or eternal damnation awaits those souls who die without repentance for their sins.
At the end of the world, Jesus will come again in power and glory--the Parousia.
At this time the bodies of all the dead will be resurrected.
Those still living will be taken up into the air to meet Jesus. General judgment of all people will then be made.
The blessed will possess heaven for all eternity; the damned will suffer hell for all eternity.
Catholic Christians are so aware of the Biblical theme of the last things of this life that they devote four weeks every year to a special time--Advent--a season for the faithful to listen again to the Word of God on the end of this life and the Second Coming of Jesus in glory and judgment.
All professed Christians look to the Bible for their acceptance and understanding of the end of human life and what follows human death. The study of last things is called eschatology from the Greek word eschatos, meaning "the last or extreme."
The stages of escatology include individual human death, particular judgment, the choices of heaven, purgatory or hell, the end of the world, the living being "taken up," the resurrection of the body, the Second Coming of Christ, general judgment, and the New Creation.
Christians accept that the first of the "last things" of human life is physical death. Natural death is the separation of the immortal soul from the physical body. Divine Revelation tells us the origin of human death--the sin of Adam and Eve. The punishment for the original sin is found in Genesis.
- Gen 3:19
- By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return.