Posted on 06/25/2015 7:00:52 PM PDT by Morgana
There are many reasons the Roman Catholic Church is the true Church of Jesus Christ, however, some of those reasons are necessary for discussions with those outside the Catholic Church. Jesus prayed for unity of believers and unity begins with understanding. The understanding of the Church’s beliefs is essential in working toward that unity. Here are some key reasons to keep in mind when speaking to non-Catholics:
1.) Authority- Jesus gave specific instructions regarding dealing with members of the Church who were in sin. Matthew 18:15-18 says “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” What Evangelical/Protestant Church has the authority to remove someone completely from the church? None. If an individual is removed from a ‘congregation’ then he/she can go down the street and join another ‘congregation’ of the same denomination. The congregations are individualized and have no authority outside their own denomination. That is not true with the Catholic Church. If removed from the Catholic Church, one cannot go to another city and join another Catholic Parish.
2.) History- The Roman Catholic Church is the oldest and original Christian Church, therefore, the beliefs and teachings of the Church were directly passed onto the leaders of the Catholic Church by the apostles. The Catholic Church began with the teachings of Jesus Christ, around 1st Century AD in the province of Judea of the Roman Empire. The Catholic Church is the continuation of the early Christian community established by Jesus and no modern Christian Church can make that claim. By the end of the 2nd century, bishops began congregating in regional synods and to correct doctrinal and policy issues and by the time the 3rd century came around, the Bishop of Rome (Pope) served as the decisive authority, kind of like a court of appeals, for problems and issues the bishops could not resolve. This is identical to the Bible’s teaching. In Exodus 18 we see where the children of Israel brought their disputes to Moses and Moses settled those disputes. However, it also shows where leaders appointed by Moses also worked to settle disputes.
The Catholic Church remained the only Christian Church until the East-West Schism of 1054, which caused medieval Christianity to split and become two separate branches. The greatest division, however, came during the Reformation from 1517-1648, led by Martin Luther. The East-West (Great) Schism was caused by Patriarch Michael I. According to Titus 3:9-11, the divisions led by Patriarch Michael I and Martin Luther were sin. “Avoid foolish arguments, genealogies, rivalries, and quarrels about the law, for they are useless and futile. After a first and second warning, break off contact with a heretic, realizing that such a person is perverted and sinful and stands self-condemned..”
3.) The Catholic Church gave Christians the Bible- The first official list of books contained is what is the Bible was done at the Council of Hippo in 393 and then again in Carthage in 397 and 419. However, the Council of Trent in 1556 was the first time the Church infallibly defined these books as ‘inspired’ because it was questioned by Reformers. We have to admit, the apostles did not walk around with nice leather bound Bibles in their hand. There are many parts of the Bible that are oral tradition which was written down because when early believers attended the Synagogue or church, the scripture was read. They did not have their own copy with their name engraved on the front. Oral tradition was the norm of practice long before writing and reading was a part of life. The Jews followed the Old Testament before Jesus was born and Jesus is pictured in Scripture reading from the Old Testament in the Synagogue. There were multiple writings from this time but it was only after the list of books determined to be the ‘inspired Word of God’ by the Catholic Church first with the Council of Hippo in 393 that the world had what is called “The Bible”. The Bible remained the original 73 books determined by the Catholic Church until the Reformation, when Martin Luther threw out 7 books of the Old Testament that disagreed with his personal view of theology…the same Old Testament adhered to by the Jews. He threw these 6 books out in the 16th Century. Luther also attempted to throw out New Testament books James, Hebrews, Jude and Revelation. In referring to James, he said he wanted to ‘throw Jimmy into the fire’ and the book of James was ‘an epistle of straw’ with no usefulness. After Pope Damasus I approved the 27 New Testament Books however in 382 AD, Luther agreed with the Pope and accepted the New Testament books but denied the Old Testament books …which remained out of his Bible. Non-Catholics will accept the Biblical books which are contained in the Protestant Bible but do not acknowledge they are accepting and trusting the authority of the Catholic Church because the Catholic Church was the one who proclaimed the entire list, as a whole, as ‘inspired’. The letters within the Bible are not the only letters and materials written by the Apostles so, as a result, those contained within the Bible had to be declared ‘inspired’ and it was the Catholic Church which did that duty.
4.) The Sacraments are Biblical- The Apostles were given the power to ‘forgive sins’ in John 20:23, Peter taught in I Peter 3:21 that ‘baptism now saves you’, ‘anointing the sick with oil was shown in James 5:14-15, laying on of hands in Acts 8:17 and 2 Timothy 1:6, marriage in the Lord in I Corinthians 7:39 and Jesus stated numerous times that the disciples should participate in the breaking of bread (Eucharist) by stating ‘he who eats my flesh has eternal life’.
5.) Sola Scriptura is not supported in the Bible- It is difficult to make a claim such as Sola Scriptura (The Bible Alone) when, in its very essence, the claim must be written within the Bible in order to be Biblical. The concept of “Bible Alone” says it is not truth if it is not contained in the Bible, therefore removing ‘tradition’, but the Bible refutes that principle. Jeremiah 25:3 says the “Word of the Lord” is “spoken”, not just written. Paul told us to hold to our traditions, which are taught by word and mouth or by letter, according to 2 Thess 2:15. The Bible also portrays where a Council was held to settle doctrinal disputes in Acts 15. (Who else has a Council to settle doctrine disputes and holds the authority to do such other than the Catholic Church?) The Bible also warns about ‘twisted’ interpretations of Scripture in 2 Peter 3:16 and I Timothy 3:15 says THE CHURCH is the pillar and the bulwark of the truth. The Catholic Church has one teaching…one unified teaching…as opposed to the now 43,000 evangelical (Protestant) groups currently established, with 2.3 added each day. Their views on everything from the Trinity, homosexuality, abortion, and salvation all contradict each other. Truth cannot be false at the same time and Truth cannot contradict each other.
You do great stuff on the pro-Life front.
I can’t commend you enough, Morgana, for the articles you post.
I don’t know why you want to fall in to the my denomination is better than yours trap.
In fact, early Church doctrines often contradict what the Papists, centuries later, claimed to be the "true" and inherited doctrine they claim they always believed in. In fact, even what the Catholics believed a hundred or so years ago is different from what they believe today. Just see photos of John Paul II kissing Korans, or Pope Francis and his gaggle of pro-homosexual Cardinals, and you will let go of this myth of Roman continuity.
On top of that, the authority that Catholics invest in their Pope is much more recent-- historically speaking-- than they let on. For one thing, the Church Fathers aren't even universal in their interpretation of Peter as the Rock. Many interpret the rock, as Protestants do, of Jesus Christ Himself. And in practice, men like Augustine argued that doctrinal matters was to be settled by majority opinion of the Church, with all those churches that have some Apostolic connection having the stronger "vote." But in the event that all the Apostolic churches were on one side of an issue, and the rest of the Christian world was on the other, Augustine held that the Christian was at liberty to believe as he pleased.
It is easy to sit there and make up a bunch of "reasons" why the Catholic Religion is the "true" one, but it wilts under any degree of actual analysis.
Oh please, you are not winning converts by posting stuff like this.
I heard this crap from my Catholic relatives since I was a child.
My Pentecostal Mom married a Catholic. I wasn’t raised Catholic and his relatives told me, I was a bastard who was going to hell. This began when I was 5. It made me afraid.
I’ve heard enough of this crap to last me a lifetime.
In fact, the Romanists did so in contradiction to St. Jerome-- who actually did the Latin translations and understood why the Jews rejected those books as canonical-- and much church tradition, even held by Roman Bishops, that the Apocrypha were not inspired, but only called "scripture" in the sense of being useful for edification, not doctrine. This was even noted in Biblical translations themselves for centuries, approved by Rome, distinguishing the Apocrypha from the regular canon. This is just another example of arbitrary Roman decisions which really was only decided because "they were questioned by the Reformers." Had it not been questioned, the Papists might never have made the decision.
And as for the "oral tradition" thing. I once remember a Papist telling me that even when the Church Fathers-- as early as the 1st and 2nd century-- are quoting word from word from the scripture, and even say words like "reading" or "scripture," that really they were talking about oral tradition!
The only thing that church councils did was determine what the Church was already reading. Before that time, the scripture was heavily in use. Some of my best evidence for destroying infidels who claim that the scripture was not actually written for 200 or 300 years, is by quoting Ignatius, Polycarp or Irenaeus, who quote, between themselves, the majority of the New Testament, if not all of it.
“Me thinkest thou doth protest too much!”
Luther didn’t invent anti-Semitism. There have been Catholics who have been pretty bad on that issue, even some Popes.
And now that the pope declared global warming is real, the earth will heat up.
Was Cornelius saved before or after he was baptized?
Those individuals who repented at Pentecost….saved before or after baptism?
We’ve about beat John 6 to death explaining it is not a literal meaning to “eat the bread and drink the blood”.
If so, how many blind and lame catholics do we see when Jesus gave the command to gouge out the eye and cut off the hand if they cause you to sin? Why aren’t they doing that? To date, no catholic has answered.
This is a bunch of bologna. The Catholic Church, for many years, forbid the common people from having Bibles. The true “church” does not have a name over it’s door. The true church is comprised of born-again believers in every denomination who are “born again.” In fact, any group which claims to be the “true church,” is probably a false one. Jesus commended Peter for the wisdom given him by the Holy Spirit when he made the statement, “thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God.” He then stated that upon this rock, I will build my church. Jesus didn’t mean the church was to be built upon Peter, but, upon the truth of who Christ claimed to be - and was. If you read other Scriptures, you will find numerous references to Christ being that ROCK, the Chief Cornerstone. The church isn’t built upon ANY man or mantle - it’s built upon the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
From the first century onward, Christianity spread through the Middle East from Syria to India, into Ethiopia, the British Isles, etc. Not all of these Christians were under the authority of the Bishop of Rome.
“The Catholic Church, for many years, forbid the common people from having Bibles.”
Come to think of it, I remember that! Back in the ‘50s — maybe into the ‘60s — my Catholic friends in school weren’t allowed to read the Bible; it was contraband. My dad, a Baptist pastor, was friends with Fr. George at the Catholic church. When Dad asked him why, he told Dad “they might learn too much.”
The Roman Catholic Church recognizes the co-equal claims of the eastern churches to apostolic lineage. Therefore, it is merely one of several equally old churches, each with connections to the apostles and therefore to Jesus.
The Roman Catholic Church accepts the determinations of several church councils with participants from churches not then or later part of the Roman Catholic Church. Prior to its establishment as the official church of the Roman Empire, things were, shall we say, fluid. BTW the first of the Christian churches to become the established church of a state entity was the Armenian Church.
The Roman Catholic Church severed its relation with the other Christian Churches when it was made the official church of the Roman Empire by Constantine. The original fluidity changed. At a later time, the Greek or Byzantine or Eastern Orthodox Church was split from Rome with the division of the Roman Empire into two parts. The Greek Orthodox Church is today a member of the World COuncil of Churches, and therefore in league with the many of the original eastern churches, many of the Protestant churches, and the Old Catholics.
It was not long following the first assertion of infallibility by the Roman Catholic Church that the Protestants revolted, and western Christianity was torn asunder.
It was not long following the first assertion of infallibility of the Pope that the so-called Old Catholics left.
Now, with regard to the translation of the Bible, the work of St. Jerome is truly awesome. For centuries previous, the Roman Catholic Church used other Latin translations. These were considered suspect. Jerome’s re-translated the Bible from the Greek texts into the Latin, and also made original translations from the Hebrew into the Latin. These remained definitive through the 16th century.
Since then, new translations based on original texts and better informed by our knowledge of Biblical Hebrew and Jewish idioms have been made by various Biblical scholars, including by the Roman Catholics and other Christians and Jews, often working together.
In terms of what the Bible says, it commands us to be unified in the faith and tells us, further, that when Jesus returns God’s Name will be One. The latter can be interpreted to mean that, until Jesus returns, God’s Name will not be One. I think this means we should be tolerant of each other.
If you accept Vatican 2, you think your church is alive.
If you reject Vatican 2, you accept that your church is dead.
What do I mean by this? For example, Vatican 2 peddles the lie that Allah and Yahweh are the same.
Wrong.
Therefore, Rome is bankrupt spiritually.
And the Commie Pope is speaking God’s truth.
Right.
The nuns told my mom not to read the Bible because
“it would take her away from the Catholic Church”.
My 87 yr old Christian mother has Catholic friends who are SHOCKED she reads the Bible. (or as one said “that Book”!)
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