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 at the same time instituted an obligatory hierarchical society for all people.

This was confirmed by the way the Apostles acted:

Acts 1 - 12: These chapters narrate the exercise of the threefold powers of the Twelve Apostles as well as the miracles through which God confirmed their apostolic powers.

The Apostles took to themselves and exercised the power of teaching:

Mk 16:19-20: So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
Act 5:12-42: Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. ... (the angel of the Lord) ... said, "Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life." When they heard this, they went to the temple early in the morning and taught. ... Then someone came in and reported to them, "The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people." ... And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus.

The Apostles took to themselves and exercised the power of sanctifying:

Act 2:14, 37-38: Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them (the Pentecost crowd), ... Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What are we to do, my brothers?" Peter (said) to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit."

The Apostles took to themselves and exercised the power of ruling:

making laws

Act 15:1- 16:5: The Council of Jerusalem

making judgments

Act 5:1-11: Ananias, Sapphira and their deception regarding the sale price of their property

The Apostles understood that their powers were hierarchically conferred:

Act 1:16-26: in designating a successor to Judas
Gal 1:1, 12, 18 and 2:2, 7-9: in establishing, understanding and confirming the apostolate of Paul
Act 14:23: in designating priests for the churches
Act 6:1-6: in ordaining deacons

The Apostles also understood that their powers were to be exercised hierarchically:

Act 2:37-43: in uniting and governing the primitive church community
Act 8:2-25: in building and confirming all the churches of Samaria
Act 11:20-26: in building and confirming the church in Antioch
Act 9:31; 15:36: in the vigilance over the newly constituted churches
Act 10:1-48: in admitting gentiles into the church
Act 15: 1-31: in deciding the grave question of judaizing

This society which Christ instituted He called the Church.

The Greek, ekklesia, and the Latin, ecclesia, translates the Hebrew, qahal, meaning principally, assembly.

In the New Testament, the word occurs 114 times, 3 times in Matthew's Gospel, 23 times in the Acts of the Apostles, 63 times in Paul's epistles, 20 times in Revelation, and 5 times within the other epistles of the Apostles. The term ekklesia, ecclesia, church was used exclusively by the authors of the New testament for the gathering of Christians while the word, synagoge, was reserved to signify the gathering of Jews.

Mt 16:18-19: "And so I say to you, you are 'Rock', and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Mt 18:17: "If he refuses to listen to them (two or three witnesses), tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector."

The Holy Spirit is omnipotent and omnipresent. He has The Truth. No man has The Truth. All men are fallible. All who make up church hierachy are men. In all church groups, denominations etc. There are NO exceptions. Jesus said, “My sheep know My voice”. I know His voice. The Holy Spirit confirms that the voice I hear is His voice. I trust the voice of my Lord and Savior. I trust the witness of the Holy Spirit. Nothing else is trustable.

What you say is true. You are probably like me and can fill stirred when we hear something that is against the teachings of Jesus, we know when something is not right. But there are many who are sheep and just follow any voice that sounds right. That is why there is a need for an authority, a place to turn for answers. 2000 years of prayer led by the Holy Spirit has guided the Church and its teachings, the doctrines are sound truth, not just me with my bible trying to make sense of it all.

So many Catholics are lost today, look at the election of Barack Obama. This should not have ever happened with Catholics following the true teachings of Jesus Christ. This is what I mean by some thinking they are following the spirit of Christ, but we know that spirit is a false one. The devil is doing a excellent job of pulling people away from the truth with his false spirit, mingling false and true teachings just enough to confuse people. But after he has turned everything in to turmoil and caused all of his confusion, we need some where to go to find out what is the truth on matters of faith. To sort out what is true or not. Left to ourselves we would be lost. Sure, the Holy Spirit would help us sort it out, but I know I can turn to the authority of Christ's teachings, the doctrines of faith and find the real truth.

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