Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Mary the Mother of Jesus: Saint

CatholicApologetics.org ^ | 1985-1991 | Dr. Robert Schihl and Paul Flanagan

[Salvation]

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.

Mary the Mother of Jesus: Saint

Mary the Mother of Jesus: Saint

Catholic Christians look to the development over time of Biblical faith. This follows from Jesus' promise to send the Holy Spirit to reveal more things than He would tell His Apostles. This deepening of understanding God's Truth is evidenced in the definitions of the truth about the Trinity and the natures of Christ in the early Church councils.

Catholics also believe that the Bible does not record all the revealed Word of God. The Word of God in paradosis or tradition under the guidance of the Holy Spirit cannot contradict anything in the Bible, nor be absent from the constant faith of the believing Church.

Some understanding of the truth of God passed on by the believing Church (paradosis, tradition) later defined as revealed truth concerns Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Catholics believe, as did the Protestant Reformers, that Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus. Catholics believe the truth of the Bible that the Redemption of Jesus freed all believers from the original sin of Adam and its consequence, death.

On the basis of Bible truths from Genesis to Revelation, Catholics believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was the first to believe, and the first to reap both benefits from her Son's Redemption.

Mary's freedom from original sin is called her Immaculate Conception; her immediate entrance into Heaven at the completion of her life is called her Assumption.

[DungeonMaster]

Do you honor your mother on Mother's Day?

Does the bible proclaim it a holiday for that?

On other days during the year?

Jesus says to hate your family, do you do that?

[TheStickman]

“Outside the Church there is no salvation”

Love it when folks pull pieces of the Catechism out and try to present it as “proof” of something nefarious.

[Quix]

. . . as though

metmom;

is 98% of the source of Quix’s understanding about Roman Catholocism etc.

instead of the more accurate less than 1% or so.

It is nice that MetMom’s reality is sooooooooooo congruent with 90-95% or so of the rest of my sources . . .

and with my own direct observations and discussions with a wide range of Roman Catholics of varying degrees of practice and knowledge of their own faith and institution.

I find the inference drawn exceedingly inaccurate and insulting to both MetMom and I, if not brazenly so.

[Quix]

There ya go again.

You know they can’t handle nasty old facts.

They’ll have to go to their closet and drag out a whole big box of ‘sanctified’ white hankies to cope.

[Quix]

Given the convolutions, permutations, etc.

it is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel.

[mlizzy]

I grew up in a highly Catholic city. If so many of the Catholics were that deficient in their faith, then the blame rests solely on the leadership of the Catholic church, no one else. Otherwise, there is no possible way so many unrelated Catholics from so many different parishes would be believing the exact same errors.

The Catechism takes care of explaining the Catholic Faith quite well, however, in addition, there are encyclicals/books from the popes, etc. to guide one in living a Faith-filled life. If one is a Catholic going *only* to Mass on Sundays and feast days (which is all that is *required* but it doesn't give the spiritual strength necessary to many who need an extra dose or two), not participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (very many Catholics do not!), not following Catholic Church doctrine (artificial birth control is used by way more Catholics than not), and so on, they cannot be strong Catholics, and they become failures as a solid Faith influence to others. Certainly, the higher ups in the Church should be explaining the Faith well to their students, parishioners, etc., but many are lukewarm themselves. As a Catholic (my brother-in-law had to do this when he was in the Seminary), they must go to those who teach and "Live" the Faith well (solid orthodox spiritual advisers), so that they, too, can turn around and be a good example, and teach others well themselves in their day-to-day living. The Catholic Faith is perfect, without flaw. Those within the Catholic Church (the humans!) are not, and cannot really be expected to espouse strong Catholic beliefs if, #1-no one is praying for them, and #2-because of it (or because of their own pile-up of sins; not going to frequent Confession, etc.), they themselves are weak.

[mlizzy]

. . . as though metmom; is 98% of the source of Quix’s understanding about Roman Catholocism etc. instead of the more accurate less than 1% or so. It is nice that MetMom’s reality is sooooooooooo congruent with 90-95% or so of the rest of my sources . . . and with my own direct observations and discussions with a wide range of Roman Catholics of varying degrees of practice and knowledge of their own faith and institution. I find the inference drawn exceedingly inaccurate and insulting to both MetMom and I, if not brazenly so.

I'm sorry, I do not know what you are talking about. Here's my original comment. It doesn't appear brazen OR insulting to me.

My husband read a couple of your posts metmom (he responded to you under fightingirishthomas), and he said that many Catholics do not know their faith because there are no strong Catholics to teach them. You have lots of half-truths in your comments. I hope you realize that. So anything Quix has learned from you, could very well not be the full Truth.

"All the evil in the world can be attributed to lukewarm Catholics" --Pope St. Pius V.

[TheStickman]

It’s your delusion. Enjoy :)

[Manic_Episode]

"What did you call YOUR father? "

==================================================

Dad.

Still do, he seems okay with it.

My kids call me Dad too.

Not too theologically complicated.

[mlizzy]

So all those printed forms kids fill out in school, at the doctors’ offices, later on for jobs, etc., where they ask for mother’s name and father’s name are all going against the Word of the Lord?

[Manic_Episode]

If they are it's certainly not my problem, I don't print those forms out.

At least the school and Doctors don't try to make me call THEM Father and try to make ME go against scripture.

You guys got that part wrapped up pretty well.

Institutionalized failure.

[Manic_Episode]

Instead of trying to justify failure by pointing out others failing with you how about you explain how doing opposite of what scripture says is theologically correct?

[mlizzy]

The Church instructs me on Scripture interpretation. Either they are correct, or one of the 20,000 or so Protestant denominations/non-denoms is correct. We can't ALL be correct, as Michael Voris points out ... Link.

[Manic_Episode]

So you really don't have a theological explanation for doing opposite of what scripture says? Just that someone else told you it was okay because they are more important than you?

It is really a straightforward scripture. I can understand it quite easily on my own. Jesus said not to do it so I don't do it.

There is no higher authority than that!

I don't need permission to believe what Jesus says and neither do you.

He was/is very clear on the matter.

Please believe what Jesus says!

[Manic_Episode]

Mark 9:7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

[mlizzy]

Look to comment #35 from Dr. Brian Kopp at this thread:

Link. His words were very inspiring to me and would answer your question better than I ever could ...

[Salvation]

So are you a baptized Catholic?

[Salvation]

**Jesus says to hate your family, do you do that? **

Not exactly. He said that family members would hate you because of your standing up for the truth in Christ.

[TheStickman]

Ephesians Chapter 6

1
Children, obey your parents (in the Lord), for this is right.
2
“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise,
3
“that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on earth.”

Guess Ephesians is not a part of your bible?

[Manic_Episode]

Are you calling Jesus words an "erroneous belief" and "protestant heresies"???

Matthew 23:9

And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

=========================================

Please explain.