Ahhh, it’s just a tactic for the Catholic church to justify control of Scripture and anyone who believes it.
The thinking being that if they can claim to be the authors of the Bible, then anyone who believes it and recognizes the authority of the Bible must of necessity believe and recognize the authority of the RCC, which allegedly gave the world the Bible.
Wishful thinking on their part but it just isn’t so. The Catholic church can’t claim that Scripture gives it its authority if it also claims that it gave the world Scripture. The only way the Catholic church could claim Scripture gives it its authority is if Scripture is outside the purview of the church, standing alone as its own authority. THEN is can impart authority to something or someone else.
But for the RCC to claim that it wrote the Bible and then claim that the Bible it wrote gives it its authority is pulling itself up by its boot straps. It’s nothing more than an exceedingly transparent attempt at a power grab.
Well, the problem is that the Catholic church did put the bible together in the form that we understand it to be now.
The New Testament was written by the Apostles and the Canon set down by Pope Damasus before the Vulgates were commissioned by the Emperor Theodosius. Over a millennium prior to Luther.
You do know, right, that the Bible existed prior to Luther? In Latin?
“The Catholic church can’t claim that Scripture gives it its authority if it also claims that it gave the world Scripture.”
True, which is why the Catholic church claims that their authority comes from Christ himself, as recorded in scripture, through St. Peter.
Christ gives the Church their authority, not scripture. This is the reason for apostolic succession, the chain of bishops all the way back to St. Peter.
“The only way the Catholic church could claim Scripture gives it its authority is if Scripture is outside the purview of the church, standing alone as its own authority.”
Or they claim something else entirely. :)
They forget that God uses some for His purposes who are in no way saved.
Ezekiel 29:4 But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales. 5 And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven. 6 And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
Ezekiel 38:4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
Many times God has used those who are not His to further His purposes in this world. Then there are those “churches” who were once true to God but have “left their first love” and will be removed Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Revelation 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. 16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Catholics claiming longevity says nothing. Even claiming that they are the ones who preserved the scriptures says nothing. God has often used evil people for His purposes.