Posted on 11/21/2009 4:02:44 PM PST by NYer
One of the more commonly shared experiences of Protestant converts to the Catholic Church is the discovery of verses “we never saw.” Even after years of studying, preaching, and teaching the Bible, sometimes from cover to cover, all of a sudden a verse “we never saw” appears as if by magic and becomes an “Aha!” mind-opening, life-altering messenger of spiritual “doom”! Sometimes it’s just recognizing an alternate, clearer meaning of a familiar verse, but often, as with some of the verses mentioned below, it literally seems as if some Catholic had snuck in during the night and somehow put that verse there in the text!
The list of these surprise verses is endless, depending especially on a convert’s former religious tradition, but the following are a few key verses that turned my heart toward home. This article is a reprint from the topic I covered on the July 31, 2006 broadcast of The Journey Home on EWTN.
1. Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Ever since my adult re-awakening (read “born-again experience”) at age 21, this Proverb has been my “life verse.” It rang true as a guide for all aspects of my life and ministry, but then during my nine years as a Presbyterian minister, I became desperately frustrated by the confusion of Protestantism. I loved Jesus and believed that the Word of God was the one trustworthy, infallible rule of faith. But so did lots of the non-Presbyterian ministers and laymen I knew: Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Congregationalists, etc., etc., etc . . . The problem was that we all came up with different conclusions, sometimes radically different, from the same verses. How does one “trust in the Lord with all your heart”? How can you make sure your not “leaning on your own understanding”? We all had different opinions and lists of requirements. A verse I had always trusted suddenly became nebulous, immeasurable, and unreachable.
2. 1 Timothy 3: 14-15
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.
Scott Hahn pulled this one on me. “So, Marc, what is the pillar and foundation of truth?” I answered, “The Bible, of course.” “Oh yeah? But what does the Bible say?” “What do you mean?” When he told me to look up this verse, I suspected nothing. I had taught and preached through First Timothy many times. But when I read this verse, it was as if it had suddenly appeared from nowhere, and my jaw dropped. The Church!? Not the Bible? This alone sent my mind and essentially my whole life reeling; the question of which Church was one I was not ready to broach.
3. 2 Timothy 3:14-17
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Verses 16-17 were the texts I and others had always turned to buttress our belief in sola Scriptura, so to this I quickly turned my attention. Among many things, three important things became very clear, for the first time: (1) when Paul used the term “scripture” in this verse, he could only have meant when we call the Old Testament. The New Testament canon would not be established for another 300 years! (2) “All” scripture does not mean “only” scripture nor specifically what we have in our modern bibles. And (3), the emphasis in the context of this verse (vereses 14-15) is the trustworthiness of the oral tradition Timothy had received from his mother and others—not sola Scriptura!
4. 2 Thessalonians 2:15
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.
This was another “too-hot-to-handle” verse Scott threw in my lap. The traditions (Dare I say, traditions) that these early Christian were to hold fast to were not just the written letters and Gospels that would eventually make up the New Testament, but the oral tradition. And even more significant, the context of Paul’s letters indicates that his normal, preferred way of passing along “what he had received” was orally; his written letters were an accidental, sometimes unplanned add-on, dealing with immediate problems—leaving unsaid so much of what they had learned through oral teaching.
5. Matthew 16:13-19
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare’a Philip’pi, he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli’jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
There is so much to discuss in this verse, so much I never saw. I always knew that Catholics used this to argue Petrine authority but I wasn’t convinced. To the naively ignorant, the English words “Peter” and “rock” are so different that it’s obvious that Jesus was referring to the faith Simon Peter received as a gift from the Father. For the more informed seminary educated Bible students, like myself, I knew that behind the English was the Greek, where one discovered that Peter is the translation of petros, meaning little pebble, and rock is the translation of petra, large boulder. Again an obvious disconnect, so so for years I believed and taught specifically against Petrine authority. Then, through the reading of Karl Keating’s wonderful book, Catholicism and Fundamentalism, I realized the implications of something I knew all along: behind the Greek was the Aramaic which Jesus originally spoke, in which the word for Peter and rock are identical—kepha. Once I saw that Jesus had said essentially “You are kepha and on this kepha I will build my Church,” I knew I was in trouble.
6. Revelation 14:13
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"
For years, as a Calvinist preacher, I recited this verse in every funeral graveside service. I believed and taught sola fide and discounting any place for works in the process of our salvation. But then, after my last funeral service as a minister, a family member of the deceased cornered me. He asked, with a tremble in his voice, “What did you mean that Bill’s deeds follow him?” I don’t remember my response, but this was the first time I became aware of what I had been saying. This began a long study on what the New Testament and then the Early Church Fathers taught about the mysterious but necessary synergistic connection between our faith and our works.
7. Romans 10:14-15
But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent?
I had always used these verses to defend the central importance of preaching and why I, therefore, had given up my engineering career for seminary and the great privilege of becoming a preacher of the Gospel! And I was never bothered by the last phrase about the need of being “sent,” because I could point to my ordination where a cackle of local ministers, elders, deacons, and laymen laid their hands on my sweaty head to send me forth in the Name of Jesus. But then, first through my reading of the history and writings of the Early Church Fathers and second through my re-reading of the scriptural context of Paul’s letters, I realized that Paul emphasized the necessity of being “sent” because the occasion of his letters was to combat the negative, heretical influences of self-appointed false teachers. I had never thought of myself as a false teacher, but by what authority did those people send me forth? Who sent them? In this I realized the importance of Apostolic [those who have been sent] succession.
8. John 15:4 and 6:56
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
The book of the Bible I most preached on was the Gospel of John and my most preached on section John 15, the analogy of the vine and the branches. I bombarded my congregations with the need to “abide” or “remain” in Christ. But what does this mean? I always had an answer, but when I saw “for the first time” the only verse where Jesus himself defines clearly what we must do to abide in Him, I was floored. “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.” This led me to study a boatload of verses in John 6 “I had never seen before,” and in the end, when it came accepting Jesus at His word on the Eucharist, I had only one answer: “Where else can we go? Only you have the words of life.”
9. Colossians 1:24
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.
I don’t know if I purposely avoided this or just blindly missed it, but for the first 40-years of my life I never saw this verse. And to be honest, when I finally saw it, I still didn’t know what to do with it. Nothing in my Lutheran, Congregationalist, or Presbyterian backgrounds helped me understand how I or anyone could rejoice in suffering, and especially why anything was needed to complete the suffering of Christ: nothing was lacking! Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection were sufficient and complete! To say anything less was to attack the omnipotent completeness of God’s sovereign grace. But then again, this was the apostle Paul speaking in inerrant, infallible Scripture. And we were to imitate him as he imitated Jesus. It took a reading of Pope John Paul II’s encyclical on the meaning of suffering to open my eyes to the beautiful mystery of redemptive suffering.
10. Luke 1:46-49
“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.’”
Finally the hardest hurdle for so many Protestant converts to get over: our Blessed Mother Mary. For most of my life, the only place Mary came into the picture was at Christmas—and dare I say, as a statue! But I never referred to her as “blessed.” Yet Scripture says all generations will call her blessed. Why wasn’t I? This led me to see other verses for the first time, including John 17 where from the cross Jesus giave his mother into the keeping of John, rather than any supposed siblings, and by grace I began, in imitation of my Lord and Savior and eternal brother Jesus, to recognize her, too, as my loving Mother.
A ‘Wow’ Post!
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You wrote:
“I specifically stated it was my personal belief, for there aren’t any Scriptures that say otherwise. Can you point to the Scriptures that say the unborn will be saved?”
I already answered your question. Unlike you I answered it in the first post after it was asked. I don’t evade questions like anti-Catholics always seem to.
Just to answer that question.
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
It is so sad. Really.
I was healed in a Baptist Church of crippling arthritus. It wasn’t a Catholic church. I know for a fact that Father Gerigos laid hands on a friends daughter and she regained her sight...her brain stem actually regenerated. The catholic church wouldn’t let him hold the healing service so it was done in a full gospel baptist church.
SO, is it faith, Baptist churches, Catholic priest, etc. What was working for these incidents to occur?
So I guess my healing is a false one and the other is a real one.
I feel so very sorry for all of you that fight for your belief in Pepsi over Coke and are no further along than those that started the hundred years war.
Led astray? To say that you have to assume that 1. I was in the truth, and 2. I was duped or chose to betray my Messiah?
You don’t know me or my motives or my history.
Before you condemn me to whatever fate you think I deserve, why don’t you get to know me first before you pass judgement.
sad, so very immature.
Christ isn’t waiting because I haven’t left Him.
God Bless and good bye
I am sure he did. For every hyper-Catholic verse in the scripture there is a Protestant commentary that explains it away. Still, these are verses the direct reading of which is Catholic. You have to strain to arrive at a non-Catholic meaning.
The author of this article is a former Presbyterian minister. He has a radio show that I listen often and he likes to repeat these "aha!" verses. Surely he does not mean that no Protestant ever saw these verses at all. The one from Matthew 16 is of course everyone has an opinion about. The 2 Timothy 3:14f is one of the Protestants favorite verses to justify Sola Scriptura, so it is impossible to claim that they are little known. Rather, what Marcus is saying that they are never read by the Protestant partizans at their face meaning, but at some presumed meaning.
There are many others like that. I have my own collection.
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
Bump for later Sunday reading.
No problem. I guess it’s OK for others to call me a pro-abortionist, with zero comments in this (or any other) thread about abortion, though... Thanks!
You did? I must have missed it... Where does the Scripture say that Jesus saves the unborn?
I don’t evade questions like anti-Catholics always seem to.
On the contrary, Christians look to the Bible and the Words of Christ and answer directly, rather than the Cliff Notes edition called the Catechism and hide behind the robes of men hidden in edifices.
Now THAT is funny! Thanks for the link!
What we really need is a theologian with the “bent” of a Steven Wright... That’ll make everyone think!
On which post(s) did another Freeper accuse you, individually/personally, of being pro-abortion?
66, in a discussion about post 65 which was directed at me. Apparently I’m a Calvinist meaning I believe God sent abortionists to kill babies.
Post 66 is not attacking you personally but Calvinists, generally. And it is not calling you a Calvinist.
Well, it was referencing “he”, which clearly was me since it was a response to post 65. I don’t think it’s in question that the “he” referred to in post 66 is me, personally (see Petronski’s posts in this thread, as well as the short exchange between Vlad and myself which brought about Petronski’s post).
But it’s your call...
Um, a quadriplegic could still do good works by prayer for others, charitable donations, counseling the depressed, visiting the imprisoned, donating to help bury the dead, etc. I am not sure what being paralyzed has to do with it.
St. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 13 that “if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing” and that is why Catholics feel works are a NECESSARY outward sign of faith. Of course, faith comes first and the action is based on living the faith.
The good thief hanging beside Christ had faith and works and that is what saved him. He believed— but then he acted by asking Christ to help him and defending Him to the other thief. Had he remained a silent believer, it may have been a whole different story for him.
I challenge you to examine the Gospels and write the work “ACTION” in the margin wherever faith in action appears. The parables and Christ’s advice to the Apostles, the Sermon on the Mount, etc. You will be surprised at how often you are writing it. What is the Spirit trying to tell us? Action is required. Look at the exhortations of the Apostles in the Acts and the Epistles. Write “ACTION” everywhere they talk about doing something faith related. You will see it on almost every page! They did not tell the new converts to sit at home and scrutinize Scripture and argue over minute interpretations. They said to do good works for each other. For them, faith was not enough; they expected the new Christians to go out and evangelize and help each other and live the Gospel.
The Pharisees thought they were full of faith, and they were. They loved God, as they interpreted Him, very much. But Christ was clear that their misguided and strident faith was meaningless to God because they ACTED in unloving ways. They were proud and condescending and judgmental. Christ told us that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter heaven. Clearly there is something beside faith required.
If you examine the New Testament with an open mind you will see that the Catholic interpretation of the importance of faith based ACTION is the best explanation of the Gospel and Christ’s intentions.
So, the good deeds that Bill Gates has done will earn him entry to Heaven?
“St. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 13 that “if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing” and that is why Catholics feel works are a NECESSARY outward sign of faith. Of course, faith comes first and the action is based on living the faith.”
IF that was Catholic teaching, then I would agree with it, as would most of the Reformers - certainly Calvin & Luther & folks like William Tyndale.
The Council of Trent said, “Canon 24: “If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema.” They are not, in Catholic teaching, the result of faith, but the means of it, and justification increases (as though it were a ledger of debt, not a rebirth!) by good works.
It also said, Canon 30: “If any one saith, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema.”
Faith - true, believing faith that changes lives - does not leave us with punishment from God to be paid in this world, or in some invention called Purgatory.
But I agree with you. “Saving repentance is a gospel grace by which we are made aware of the many evils of our sin by the Holy Spirit. By faith in Christ we humble ourselves over our sin with godly sorrow, hatred of it, and self-loathing. We pray for pardon and strength of grace, and determine and endeavour, by [the power] supplied by the Spirit, to walk before God and to please him in all things.”
From the 1689 Baptist Confession of FAith, http://www.grbc.net/about_us/1689.php?chapter=15
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