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 15^th 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.

Christ gave to the Twelve, the Apostles, the power of ruling, teaching and sanctifying.

The threefold power:

Mt 28:18-20: Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

The power of teaching:

Mt 10:7, 27: As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' ... What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
Mk 3:14: He appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach
Mk 16:15: He said to them (the eleven), "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature."

The power of sanctifying:

Jn 3:5: Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit."
Jn 6:52-53: The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you."
Lk 22:19: Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me."
1 Cor 11:24: ... and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
Jn 20:22-23: And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

The power of ruling:

Mt 18:18: Amen, I say to you (the disciples who came up with a question to Jesus in v.1), whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Mk 9:35: Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."

Christ obliges all people to submit to the power of the Apostles.

Mk 16:16: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned."
Mt 10:32: "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father."
Mt 10:40: "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."
Jn 13:20: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."
Lk 10:16: "Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

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