A Biblical Defense of Catholicism
Bible literalists, fundamentalists, and protestant in general, hold the view that the Holy Bible is the one source of Truth about God and salvation. Sola Scriptura has been the rallying cry of these Christians since the Reformation. Some have a tendency to attack the Catholic Church on the grounds that its teachings are unbiblical, due to the fact that certain doctrines declared by the Church are not explicitly stated in the scriptures. Since it isn't obvious to them where these doctrines originate in the Bible, they conclude that the Church has corrupted the basic beliefs of the Christian faithful over the centuries.
Since the earliest times, before there were even any protestants, Christians believed that there were two sources of religious truth, which is the viewpoint still held by Catholics to this day. The first source is Sacred Scripture and the second is Sacred Tradition. In fact, there wasn't even a Bible available for centuries until the Catholic Church, using its authority given to it by Jesus Christ, decided what was valid scripture and compiled the Bible in the third century. The beliefs of the early Church have been passed down through the Church via various writings and oral traditions, and are not always explicitly stated in the Holy Scriptures. Occasionally, official doctrine has been declared based on these traditional beliefs, such as the Trinity and the Immaculate Conception, for example. It is this sort of declaration by the Church which seems to bother the protestant Christians the most. Without the belief that Jesus Christ set up the Catholic Church as the guardian of scripture and authority on doctrine through His original Deposit of Faith, it is understandable why they would take issue with the "non-biblical" teachings.
However, beliefs of authority aside, we all agree that the Holy Scriptures are to be used for correction, so let's apply this same standard of measure to the protestant beliefs and see if the Bible upholds or refutes their stance.
1. Sola Scriptura is self-contradictory.
The protestant belief that the Christian faith is to be found only in the Bible is actually refuted by the Bible itself. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we are to go by the scriptures alone. But even if we did go by the scriptures alone, the scriptures tell us not to do so, thus, the idea that we should go by the scriptures alone is self-contradictory.
The following scripture is a favorite employed by protestants seeking to attack the authority of the Church:
"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)
What these critics fail to realize is that this scripture does not say ONLY scripture, rather, it says that ALL scripture is to be used for correction. In fact, when we do use all of the scripture, the Catholic doctrines that are not obvious in individual scriptures themselves, can easily be defended. So, as the Bible instructs us, I shall use scripture to correct the protestant errors, and also to show that the Catholic doctrines are Biblically sound.
2. The Bible says Apostalic Tradition and Scripture are valid.
Not only does the Bible not say to only use the Bible, it clearly states that oral tradition and scriptures are to be used in teaching the Christian faithful.
"Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
Further, the Bible itself tells us that the complete teachings of Christ are not recorded in the scriptures.
"There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written." (John 21:25)
Jesus Himself wrote nothing, except some scribbles in the dust which were later rubbed out. The Bible tells us that Jesus directed none of the Apostles to write a single word. His instruction to them was simply, "Go and teach."
In Mark 3:14 and 16:15, Jesus commands the apostles to preach the gospel to the world, not to write it to the world.
Even in the ancient times, Moses had the law read only every seven years. The Word of God has always been taught orally. (Deut. 31:9-12)
Other examples of Jesus and the Apostles relying on Oral Tradition:
Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15, Matt. 28:20, Luke 1:1-4, John 20:30, 21:25, Acts 8:30-31, Heb. 5:12, 1 Cor. 5:9-11, 1 Cor. 11:2, Phil. 4:9, Col. 4:16, 1 Thess 3:10, 2 Thess 2:14, 2 Thess 2:15, 2 Thess 3:6, 1 Tim. 3:14-15, 2 Tim. 2:2, 2 Tim. 3:14, James 4:5, 2 Peter 1:20, 2 Peter 3:15-16, 1 John 4:1, 1 Sam. 3:1-9, 1 Kings 13:1-32, Matt. 15:3, Mark 7:9, Acts 2:42, Acts 20:7, John 17:20, 1 Cor. 11:2, Phil. 4:9, 2 Thess. 2:15, 2 Thess. 3:6, 2 Thess. 3:7, 1 Tim. 6:20, 2 Tim. 2:2, 2 Tim. 3:14, Matt. 2:23, Matt 23:2, John 19:26, Acts 20:35, 1 Cor. 7:10, 1 Cor. 10:4, Eph 5:14, Heb. 11:37, Jude 9, Jude 14-15, 2 Thess 3:6
3. Scripture says not to interpret scripture privately.
2 Peter 1:20 - Peter says that interpreting Scripture is not a matter of one's own private interpretation.
Therefore, it must be a matter of "public" interpretation of the Church. The Divine Word needs a Divine Interpreter, which Jesus promised He would send in the form of the Holy Spirit, to keep the teachings of the Church correct. Private judgement leads to divisions, and the devil understands the tactic of divide and conquer.
2 Peter 3:16 - Peter explains that the Scriptures are difficult to understand and can be distorted by the ignorant to their destruction. God did not guarantee the Holy Spirit would lead each of us to infallibly interpret the Scriptures, only the Apostles. The leaders of the Catholic Church are the successors of the original apostles, and thus, are the ones guided by the Holy Spirit.
If we are not to use scripture alone, and if we are not to interpret it for ourselves, then the only option is to have an official interpretor of scripture, which is the Catholic Church.
4. Scripture says that the Church is the pillar of truth, not the scripture itself.
Jesus set up His Church as the official guardian of the Word and said that the Gates of Hell would not prevail against it. He put Peter, the first Pope, in the position of authority over the other apostles and told him that whatever they bind on earth, will be bound in Heaven. The Catholic Church has an unbroken line of succession from Peter as the head of the Church, and thus, the authority given by Jesus to define religious truth.
"I am writing you about these matters, although I hope to visit you soon. But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth." (1 Timothy 3:14)
"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:18)
Further support for the Primacy of Peter is found:
Matt 10:2; Mark 1:36; 3:16; Lk 6:14-16; Act 1:3; 2:37; 5:29, Matt. 14:28-29, Matt. 16:16, Mark 8:29; John 6:69, Matt. 16:17, Matt. 16:18, Matt. 16:19, Matt. 17:24-25, Matt. 17:26-27, Matt. 18:21, Matt. 19:27, Mark 10:28, Mark 11:21, Mark 14:37, Mark 16:7, Luke 5:4,10, Luke 7:40-50, Luke 8:45, Luke 8:51; 9:28; 22:8; Acts 1:13; 3:1,3,11; 4:13,19; 8:14, Luke 9:28;33, Luke 12:41, Luke 22:31-32, Luke 24:12, John 20:4-6, Luke 24:34, John 6:68, John 13:6-9, John 13:36; 21:18, John 21:2-3,11, John 21:7, John 21:15, John 21:15-17, Acts 1:13, Acts 1:15, Acts 2:14, Acts 2:38, Acts 3:1,3,4, Acts 3:6-7, Acts 3:12-26, 4:8-12, Acts 5:3, Acts 5:15, Acts 8:14, Acts 8:20-23, Acts 9:32-34, Acts 9:38-40, Acts 10:5, Acts 10:34-48, 11:1-18, Acts 12:5, Acts 12:6-11, Acts 15:7-12, Acts 15:12, Acts 15:13-14, Rom. 15:20, 1 Cor. 15:4-8, Gal.1:18, 1 Peter 5:1, 1 Peter 5:13, 2 Peter 1:14, 2 Peter 3:16, Rev. 14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2,10,21, Matt. 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:44
Copyright, 2002, s0uljah
Bible literalists, fundamentalists, and protestant in general, hold the view that the Holy Bible is the one source of Truth about God and salvation. Sola Scriptura has been the rallying cry of these Christians since the Reformation. Some have a tendency to attack the Catholic Church on the grounds that its teachings are unbiblical, due to the fact that certain doctrines declared by the Church are not explicitly stated in the scriptures. Since it isn't obvious to them where these doctrines originate in the Bible, they conclude that the Church has corrupted the basic beliefs of the Christian faithful over the centuries.
Since the earliest times, before there were even any protestants, Christians believed that there were two sources of religious truth, which is the viewpoint still held by Catholics to this day. The first source is Sacred Scripture and the second is Sacred Tradition. In fact, there wasn't even a Bible available for centuries until the Catholic Church, using its authority given to it by Jesus Christ, decided what was valid scripture and compiled the Bible in the third century. The beliefs of the early Church have been passed down through the Church via various writings and oral traditions, and are not always explicitly stated in the Holy Scriptures. Occasionally, official doctrine has been declared based on these traditional beliefs, such as the Trinity and the Immaculate Conception, for example. It is this sort of declaration by the Church which seems to bother the protestant Christians the most. Without the belief that Jesus Christ set up the Catholic Church as the guardian of scripture and authority on doctrine through His original Deposit of Faith, it is understandable why they would take issue with the "non-biblical" teachings.
However, beliefs of authority aside, we all agree that the Holy Scriptures are to be used for correction, so let's apply this same standard of measure to the protestant beliefs and see if the Bible upholds or refutes their stance.
1. Sola Scriptura is self-contradictory.
The protestant belief that the Christian faith is to be found only in the Bible is actually refuted by the Bible itself. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we are to go by the scriptures alone. But even if we did go by the scriptures alone, the scriptures tell us not to do so, thus, the idea that we should go by the scriptures alone is self-contradictory.
The following scripture is a favorite employed by protestants seeking to attack the authority of the Church:
"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)
What these critics fail to realize is that this scripture does not say ONLY scripture, rather, it says that ALL scripture is to be used for correction. In fact, when we do use all of the scripture, the Catholic doctrines that are not obvious in individual scriptures themselves, can easily be defended. So, as the Bible instructs us, I shall use scripture to correct the protestant errors, and also to show that the Catholic doctrines are Biblically sound.
2. The Bible says Apostalic Tradition and Scripture are valid.
Not only does the Bible not say to only use the Bible, it clearly states that oral tradition and scriptures are to be used in teaching the Christian faithful.
"Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
Further, the Bible itself tells us that the complete teachings of Christ are not recorded in the scriptures.
"There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written." (John 21:25)
Jesus Himself wrote nothing, except some scribbles in the dust which were later rubbed out. The Bible tells us that Jesus directed none of the Apostles to write a single word. His instruction to them was simply, "Go and teach."
In Mark 3:14 and 16:15, Jesus commands the apostles to preach the gospel to the world, not to write it to the world.
Even in the ancient times, Moses had the law read only every seven years. The Word of God has always been taught orally. (Deut. 31:9-12)
Other examples of Jesus and the Apostles relying on Oral Tradition:
Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15, Matt. 28:20, Luke 1:1-4, John 20:30, 21:25, Acts 8:30-31, Heb. 5:12, 1 Cor. 5:9-11, 1 Cor. 11:2, Phil. 4:9, Col. 4:16, 1 Thess 3:10, 2 Thess 2:14, 2 Thess 2:15, 2 Thess 3:6, 1 Tim. 3:14-15, 2 Tim. 2:2, 2 Tim. 3:14, James 4:5, 2 Peter 1:20, 2 Peter 3:15-16, 1 John 4:1, 1 Sam. 3:1-9, 1 Kings 13:1-32, Matt. 15:3, Mark 7:9, Acts 2:42, Acts 20:7, John 17:20, 1 Cor. 11:2, Phil. 4:9, 2 Thess. 2:15, 2 Thess. 3:6, 2 Thess. 3:7, 1 Tim. 6:20, 2 Tim. 2:2, 2 Tim. 3:14, Matt. 2:23, Matt 23:2, John 19:26, Acts 20:35, 1 Cor. 7:10, 1 Cor. 10:4, Eph 5:14, Heb. 11:37, Jude 9, Jude 14-15, 2 Thess 3:6
3. Scripture says not to interpret scripture privately.
2 Peter 1:20 - Peter says that interpreting Scripture is not a matter of one's own private interpretation.
Therefore, it must be a matter of "public" interpretation of the Church. The Divine Word needs a Divine Interpreter, which Jesus promised He would send in the form of the Holy Spirit, to keep the teachings of the Church correct. Private judgement leads to divisions, and the devil understands the tactic of divide and conquer.
2 Peter 3:16 - Peter explains that the Scriptures are difficult to understand and can be distorted by the ignorant to their destruction. God did not guarantee the Holy Spirit would lead each of us to infallibly interpret the Scriptures, only the Apostles. The leaders of the Catholic Church are the successors of the original apostles, and thus, are the ones guided by the Holy Spirit.
If we are not to use scripture alone, and if we are not to interpret it for ourselves, then the only option is to have an official interpretor of scripture, which is the Catholic Church.
4. Scripture says that the Church is the pillar of truth, not the scripture itself.
Jesus set up His Church as the official guardian of the Word and said that the Gates of Hell would not prevail against it. He put Peter, the first Pope, in the position of authority over the other apostles and told him that whatever they bind on earth, will be bound in Heaven. The Catholic Church has an unbroken line of succession from Peter as the head of the Church, and thus, the authority given by Jesus to define religious truth.
"I am writing you about these matters, although I hope to visit you soon. But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth." (1 Timothy 3:14)
"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:18)
Further support for the Primacy of Peter is found:
Matt 10:2; Mark 1:36; 3:16; Lk 6:14-16; Act 1:3; 2:37; 5:29, Matt. 14:28-29, Matt. 16:16, Mark 8:29; John 6:69, Matt. 16:17, Matt. 16:18, Matt. 16:19, Matt. 17:24-25, Matt. 17:26-27, Matt. 18:21, Matt. 19:27, Mark 10:28, Mark 11:21, Mark 14:37, Mark 16:7, Luke 5:4,10, Luke 7:40-50, Luke 8:45, Luke 8:51; 9:28; 22:8; Acts 1:13; 3:1,3,11; 4:13,19; 8:14, Luke 9:28;33, Luke 12:41, Luke 22:31-32, Luke 24:12, John 20:4-6, Luke 24:34, John 6:68, John 13:6-9, John 13:36; 21:18, John 21:2-3,11, John 21:7, John 21:15, John 21:15-17, Acts 1:13, Acts 1:15, Acts 2:14, Acts 2:38, Acts 3:1,3,4, Acts 3:6-7, Acts 3:12-26, 4:8-12, Acts 5:3, Acts 5:15, Acts 8:14, Acts 8:20-23, Acts 9:32-34, Acts 9:38-40, Acts 10:5, Acts 10:34-48, 11:1-18, Acts 12:5, Acts 12:6-11, Acts 15:7-12, Acts 15:12, Acts 15:13-14, Rom. 15:20, 1 Cor. 15:4-8, Gal.1:18, 1 Peter 5:1, 1 Peter 5:13, 2 Peter 1:14, 2 Peter 3:16, Rev. 14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2,10,21, Matt. 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:44
Copyright, 2002, s0uljah