But what did God say in 100 AD about human embryo therapies, mitochondrial transplants, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, Artificial Intelligence, robotics, psychotropic drugs, transgender surgery, or Virtual Reality??
If the doctrines of the Faith were all there, totally complete, no more able to develop than a fly embedded in amber at the time of the Resurrection, why did Jesus say He would send the Holy Spirit?
Jesus says His followers will face trials, but not to worry when having to testify, because (Luke 12:12) "the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say."
And "The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."(John 14:26)
Church doctrine does NOT reverse itself, does NOT contradict previous teachings, does NOT innovate into new "revelations," but it necessarily *develops* because of new challenges, new questions, new divisive arguments.
The Church generally doesn't define doctrines with great and urgent exactitude unless she has to in order to dispel some long-simmering or newly-flaring controversy.
As a mother, I may give the "whole counsel of God" to my children, but I expect they will outlive me by many decades, and will face situations I never dreamed of.
They'll need this organic, non-contradicting, interiorly-consistent, Spirit-sourced development of doctrine.
Not "the Whole Plus Some," but "the Whole Grows."
If the doctrines of the Faith were all there, totally complete, no more able to develop than a fly embedded in amber at the time of the Resurrection, why did Jesus say He would send the Holy Spirit?
Hi MD-o. You are conflating the complete revelation in the canon with the application of the truth in the canon to developing situations.
Except our heretic pope is trying hard. Amoris is heresy. He refuses to answer the Dubia
Rome does just this, repeatedly. It has added to Scripture to support practices that are pagan in origin.
“Not “the Whole Plus Some,” but “the Whole Grows.”
Great post.
I don't mean to be dim, but could you explain that...truly interesting comment.