This booklet was compiled by a Catholic layman, to allow thinking, seeking Christians to evaluate for themselves the scriptural basis for the Catholic Church's teachings. My premise is simple: Only one Church was there to walk the stony shores of Galilee with Jesus; only one did he found upon Peter, the rock; only one was sitting at his feet as he explained his parables; only one was there to witness the feeding of the five thousand, the healing of the ten lepers and the raising of Lazarus; only one was with him as he staggered up the slopes of Golgotha; and only one, three days later, was there to find the stone rolled aside and the wrappings in a pile on the floor of the tomb; only one received his Holy Spirit in the closed room on Pentecost; only one was proclaimed by Peter through the streets of Jerusalem; only one was propagated tirelessly by Paul through the ancient cities of the empire, even to the capital, Rome itself.
Which means that if you believe the Catholic Church to be a misguided, unbiblical cult, you must say the same about the apostles and their immediate successors. Because the religion that is revealed in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is utterly and wholly and unequivocally Catholic. Over the past 2,000 years there have been 265 popes, dating back to Peter himself. Each one has exercised the same authority given by Jesus to Peter, to tend the flock.
Are you skeptical? Wonderful! Because you are holding the evidence is in your hands. Weigh it for yourself. And prove me wrong if you're able.
This project was begun as a private reference tool for use in discussion settings, since surprisingly few Catholics -- and, more understandably, even fewer Protestants -- are aware of the scripture verses which form the foundation of the most basic tenets of the Catholic faith, including the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, the authority of the Church, the prerequisites for salvation, St. Peter as the first pope, devotion to Mary, and free will. And so this booklet focuses on the passages that establish those key doctrines. It also touches on other, less central issues which have nonetheless been traditional points of debate between Protestants and Catholics -- including graven images, infant baptism, purgatory, the veneration of relics, and even guardian angels.
Because this booklet is intended only as a guide, I urge you to consult your Bible as you review these passages, so you will be able to examine the contexts in their entirety. We so often see verses torn from the page and used to support claims that are contrary to both the letter and the spirit of the Word. Indeed, if one were simply to read the contexts from which they were wrenched, most of these misconceptions would be easily resolved.
It's not likely that all of the notes and references found here will be clear to every individual. After all, this project evolved from personal notes. But don't be deterred; I am certain most interested Christians will be able to sift through the greater part without much difficulty.
It is, after all, important to consider carefully the truth of what we hear -- and not simply accept the 'traditions of men'. For, as Peter himself warns us: "...there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who ransomed them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their licentious ways..." And Paul adds: "Let no one deceive you in any way."
PREFACE
There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church -- which is, of course, quite a different thing. These millions can hardly be blamed for hating Catholics because Catholics "adore statues"; because they "put the Blessed Mother on the same level with God"; because they "say indulgence is a permission to commit sin"; because the Pope "is a Fascist"; because the Church "is the defender of Capitalism."
If the Church taught or believed any one of these things, it should be hated, but the fact is that the Church does not believe nor teach any one of them. It follows then that the hatred of the millions is directed against error and not against truth. As a matter of fact, if we Catholics believed all of the untruths and lies which were said against the Church, we probably would hate the Church a thousand times more than they do.
If I were not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hates. My reason for doing this would be, that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, He must still be hated as He was when He was on earth in the flesh. If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world. Look for the Church that is hated by the world, as Christ was hated by the world. Look for the Church which is accused of being behind the times, as Our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned. Look for the Church which men sneer at as socially inferior, as they sneered at Our Lord because He came from Nazareth. Look for the Church which is accused of having a devil, as Our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils. Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible, as Pilate rejected Christ because he called Himself the Truth. Look for the Church which amid the confusion of conflicting opinions, its members love as they love Christ, and respect its voice as the very voice of its Founder, and the suspicion will grow, that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world, then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly, it is other-worldly. Since it is other-worldly, it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ Himself... The Catholic Church is the only Church existing today which goes back to the time of Christ. History is so very clear on this point, it is curious how many miss its obviousness...
-- Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, from the Preface to
'Radio Replies,' by Rumble & Carty, published
by TAN Books, Rockford, Ill.
CHURCH AUTHORITY AND INFALLIBILITY
Lk. 10: 16 -- "Whoever listens to you listens to me..." Jesus himself says it clearly and without equivocation: The Church speaks for Christ.
1 Tim. 3: 15 -- Paul says the foundation of truth is not scripture, but the Church: "...Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth."
Heb. 13: 17 -- "Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you..." The Church hierarchy is ordained by God.
Mt. 28: 18-20 -- "'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them... teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the world.'" Jesus' authority is passed on to his Church.
Eph. 3: 10 -- Even the angels are instructed by the church: "...so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens."
John 11: 47-52 -- John states clearly that even Caiaphas was inspired by the Holy Spirit when, speaking from the chair of Moses, he declared that Jesus must die so the whole nation might not perish: "He did not say this on his own, but
since he was high priest for that year, he ophesied..." If the Holy Spirit spoke through the unchristian conniver Caiaphas, how is it he cannot speak through a faithful Christian pope?
Mt. 23: 1 -- Jesus acknowledges authority of even the Pharisees when they speak from the Chair of Moses: "...Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, 'The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.'" Again, infallibility.
1 John 4: 6 -- "We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit." Submission to apostolic authority is the hallmark of one's faithfulness.
Eph. 2: 19-20 -- The Church stands upon the solid rock of salvation history. It is the "...household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets..."
Mt. 18: 15-18 -- Take disagreements to the Church, not to scriptures: "If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector." Parallels following passage:
Dt. 17: 8-12 -- The Old Testament form of the Magisterium. It is clear here that disagreements were to be settled by priests and judges, not by dueling scriptures:
"Any man who has the insolence to refuse to listen to the priest... shall die."
Eph. 3: 4-5 -- "...mystery of Christ... has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." Revelation comes to us through the Church. Acts 15: 30-31 -- Paul and Barnabas take the Church's dogma to Antioch: "Upon their rrival in Antioch they called the assembly together and delivered the letter."
Acts 16: 4 -- Paul and Timothy take Church dogmas to world: "As they traveled from city to city, they handed to the people for observance the decisions reached by the apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem."
Eph. 5: 25-27 -- "...even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her... that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle... that she might be holy and without blemish."
Num. 12: 1-15 -- Miriam rebels: "Is it through Moses alone that the Lord speaks?
Does he not speak through us also?" Miriam is rendered leprous for her sin. Yet hers is the same objection we hear from so many Protestant brethren who are aghast at the ierarchical structure of the Mystical Body. Even though it has
always been thus, all the way back to Adam and Eve.
Num. 16: 1-35 -- An account of revolt of Korah: "They stood before Moses and held an assembly against Moses and Aaron, to whom they said, 'Enough from you! The whole community, all of them, are holy; the Lord is in their midst. Why then
should you set yourselves over the Lord's congregation?'
...They went down alive to the nether world with all belonging to them; the earth closed over them, and they perished from the community..." Again we see clearly that the community of the
faithful is hierarchical, and those who refuse to submit to it are punished.
Jude 4-11 -- Revolt of Korah is referred to: "They followed the way of Cain... and perished in the rebellion of Korah." (See passage immediately above.) Clearly the individual is not the most elemental unit of God's authority; the community is.
John 14: 16-18 -- "...I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always." Jesus' promise of infallibility is implicit in the word, 'always.'
John 14: 25 -- "...the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name -- he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you." Again, Jesus' promise of infallibility is clear in his use of the collectives, "everything" and "all." He does not equivocate.
John 16: 13 -- "...when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth."
Jesus' promise to the Church he instituted is sweeping."
1 Peter 5: 2-3 -- "Tend the flock of God in your midst... Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock." Peter is speaking with great authority here. If he were not in a special leadership role, he would not be able to command others to lead.
2 Peter 1: 20 -- "Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation..."
2 Peter 2: 1-2 -- "...there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who ransomed them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their licentious ways..." This passage is often used to defend belief in the supposed Great Apostasy.' But the passage actually proves that Church cannot have apostacized en masse, or there would not have remained a 'you' for the false teachers to be 'among.'
2 Peter 3: 16 -- "...there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures."
1 Thes. 5: 12-13 -- "We ask you, brothers, to respect those who are laboring among you and who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you, and to show esteem for them with special love on account of their work." St. Paul upholds the hierarchy of the Church.
1 Cor. 14: 37-38 -- Community discernment takes precedence over personal discernment:
"If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or a spiritual person, he should recognize that what I am writing to you is a commandment of the Lord. If anyone does not acknowledge this, he is not acknowledged."
Eph. 4: 11-16 -- "And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for
building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of
the Son of God... so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery..." The Church is our protection
against apostasy.
Gal. 1: 8 --"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed. As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed." We should not believe interpretations of the Word that are not endorsed by the apostolic authority of the Church.
PETER AS FIRST POPE
Peter is clearly depicted as the first among the apostles, both by Jesus and by the evangelists. Peter is mentioned 191 times in the New Testament. All the other apostles
combined are mentioned by name just 130 times. And the most commonly referenced apostle apart from Peter is John, whose name appears just 48 times. Peter's authority is unquestioned, even by Paul. And Peter's name appears first in virtually every listing of the apostles, just as Judas' name always 
appears last. If there is a reason for the latter -- which there obviously is -- on what basis can we deny there is a reason for the former?
Mt. 16: 15-19 -- "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah... you are Peter, 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 will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Some Protestant apologists make much of the fact that the two words for 'rock' in the original Greek text, 'petros' and 'petra', have different gender endings.
They claim that the gender ending results in different meanings -- usually, in the size of the 'rock' in question. But the different gender endings are simply due to the fact that a man's name cannot have a feminine ending, which the Greek word for 'rock' does. The error in the Protestant position becomes abundantly clear when one realizes that in the Aramaic language which Jesus spoke, there were no gender endings for nouns. So when Jesus spoke this sentence, he would have been saying,
"...you are rock, and upon this rock I will build my church..." There would have been no difference whatsoever in the endings of the words; it would have been the exact same word used twice. This is just one example of Protestant believers reading the scriptures through the lens of their tradition, and missing the clear and obvious sense of certain key passages. The fact is, these are profoundly important verses, for they contain Jesus' unequivocal promise to protect and guide the Church he is to found, through Peter who is given the keys to the kingdom (see next item).
Is. 22: 15-25 -- Eliakim is given the keys of kingdom -- he becomes the most powerful man in the realm apart from the king himself. The keys are the sign of more than just authority. Because the keys are passed on to each successive officeholder, they indicate that the office lives on even after the individual who holds it dies. Thus, Peter's authority did not die with Peter, it is passed on from one generation to the
next.
Rev. 3: 7 -- "The holy one, the true, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one shall close, who closes and no one shall open, says this..." The keys belong to Jesus. When he gives the keys to Peter, he is simply delegating the authority which is his for all eternity. Peter is his chief steward.
Is. 51: 1-2 -- "Look to the rock from which you were hewn, to the pit from which you were quarried; Look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth..."
Abraham was the patriarch of the old covenant, and his name was changed by God to underscore his status. Abraham was also, in the passage quoted here, the only man referred to in scriptures as "rock." Elsewhere, that metaphor was reserved for God exclusively (Dt. 32: 4; 1 Sa. 2: 2; Ps. 18: 2, etc.) So not only by referring to Simon as,
"Rock," but also by changing his name in the process, Jesus is making an indisputable
parallel between Simon Peter and Abraham. Peter is the patriarch of the new covenant, just as Abraham was the patriarch of the old.
Acts 2: 14 -- "Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed..."
This is the first Christian sermon detailed in cripture. Already Peter's status as leader is clear, as shown by the title, "the Eleven," which never included Peter.
Lk. 22: 31-32 -- Jesus prays for Peter alone among apostles: "'Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.'" Jesus prophesies both that Peter will receive pecial attention from Satan, who seeks to break Peter's faith, and that Peter's role will be to hold the rest of the apostles firm. This prophecy dovetails perfectly with the fact that Jesus named Peter, "Rock," and with the pope's role throughout Church history.
Acts 15 -- Paul and Barnabas struggle with the claims of the Judaisers; they travel to
Jerusalem where Peter and the apostles, sitting in the First Council of the Church, to settle the matter: "...it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and presbyters about this question... After much debate had taken place, Peter got up and said..." Peter settles the matter. James, who speaks after Peter, is simply agreeing with the decision that has been made.
Mt. 10: 2-4 -- Peter is specified as "first" among the apostles: "The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter..."
Acts 12: 5 -- "...prayer by the church was fervently being made..." for Peter when he was in prison. No other apostle was graced in this xtraordinary way, with the entire Church in prayer -- not even Paul.
John 21: 15-17 -- Three times Jesus asks Peter: "Do you love me?..." and three times he tells Peter to tend his flock.
Mt. 17: 24-27 -- Peter is supplied with supernatural means to accomplish the task Jesus gives him: "...go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open his mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that
to them for me and for you." Peter, in paying the tax for Jesus, acts as the Lord's proxy in this earthly matter.
Mt. 14: 28-31 -- Peter is the one who walks on water; when he falters, Jesus reachesfor him and saves him.
1 Cor. 15: 5 -- Peter is singled out: "...he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve."
Lk 5: 1-3 -- Peter is called; the boat and net are his. "Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon..."
Acts 1: 15-26 -- Peter supervises choice of Judas' successor. "During those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers..."
Acts 2: 14-36 -- Peter preaches the first sermon: "Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them..."
Acts 3: 1-10 -- Peter performs first miracle after Jesus' ascension: "Peter said, 'I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have, I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.' Then Peter took him by the right hand
and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong."
Acts 4: 8-12 -- Peter & John arrested; Peter speaks for them. "Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, answered them..."
Acts 5: 3-11 -- Peter condemns Ananias & Sepphira; they die. "...Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you lied to the holy Spirit...'
When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last, and great fear came upon all who heard of it." Thus, God acts upon Peter's injunctions.
Acts 5: 15 -- "Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them." This is a striking manifestation of the healing power of Peter's mere presence.
Gal. 1: 18 -- Paul travels to confer with Peter after revelation. "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas..." Paul even refers to Peter by the name Jesus gave him -- 'Rock.'
Acts 1: 13 -- Peter named first in listing of the apostles:
"When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James."
Acts 8: 9-25 -- Peter pronounces judgment on Simon the Magician: "But Peter said to him, 'May your money perish with you...'"
Acts 9: 32-35 -- Peter restores Tabitha, who was dead, to life. "Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, 'Tabitha, rise up.' She opened her eyes..."
Acts 10: 9-43 -- Peter receives vision of Gentiles' inclusion three times before he yields. The Holy Spirit simply will not let Peter remain in ignorance or error: "Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, 'In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.'"
Acts 11: 18 -- Peter himself settles the question; the community is then silent: "Peter began and explained it to them step by step..."
Mt. 23: 1-3 -- Jesus acknowledges the authority of even the Pharisees when they teach from the chair of Moses. Note that the disciples are specifically included in this teaching: "...Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, 'The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example."
Out of 265 Popes, 79 were saints, only 10 were immoral or corrupt, and not one ever taught error in areas of faith or morals.
Please note that the interpretations found above are hardly novel. Witness this Passage from Tertullian, written ca. 200 A.D.: "Was anything withheld from the knowledge of Peter, who is called, 'the rock on which the church should be built,'
who also obtained 'the keys of the kingdom of heaven,' with the power of 'loosing and binding in heaven and on earth'?"("On Prescription against Heretics ANF 3: 253). And from Origen, written just two or three decades later, we find, "Look
at that great foundation of the Church, that most solid of rocks upon whom Christ
built the Church! And what does the Lord say to him? 'O you of little faith...'"
('The Faith of the Early Fathers,' Vol. 1, Jurgens, p. 205).
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION
The bishops of the Catholic Church can trace their ordinations back to the apostles themselves. This laying on of hands in the sacrament of Holy Orders takes place as
part of an uninterrupted chain connecting us to Christ himself two thousand years ago. In every sense, today's bishops are the successors of Peter, James, John, Andrew,Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas and the rest.
Acts 6: 6 -- "They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them."
The Church's authority is thus passed from generation to generation.
Eph. 2: 19-20 -- "...household of God, built upon the oundation of the apostles and the prophets..." The Church's authority is not based on human wisdom or insight, but on the authority of God passed to and through the apostles.
1 Tim. 3: 1 -- "This saying is trustworthy: whoever aspires to the office of bishop
desires a noble task."
Acts 1: 20-21 -- "May another take his office." Peter supervises choice of Judas' successor; Judas' spot did not die with him, it had to be filled. Therefore, Jesus wasn't just calling men to follow him when he appointed the apostles, he was establishing an ongoing institution to be passed on from generation to generation.
Acts 14: 23 -- Paul and Barnabas ordain others; no one ordains himself: "They appointed presbyters for them in each church..."
2 Tim. 1: 6 -- "I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands."
2 Tim. 2: 2 -- Paul commissions Timothy to carry on the work of the apostles:
"So you, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well." Paul here gives us an excellent insight into the workings of Sacred Tradition.
2 Tim. 3: 14 -- "...remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it..." Authority is derived from apostolic succession -- not from 'scriptures alone'.
Is. 22: 15-25 -- Eliakim given keys of kingdom -- he becomes the most powerful man in the realm apart from the king himself. Likewise, in Mt. 16: 19, Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. It is in this authority that Peter's power to bind and to loose -- in heaven as well as on earth -- are founded.
Heb. 13: 7 -- "Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." Again, the hierarchy is upheld.
Gal. 1: 8 --"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed. As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the
one that you received, let that one be accursed." The truth of scriptural interpretation does not come from men, but from the Holy Spirit, through the apostles and their successors. We are not free to arrive at our own interpretations of the criptures,
apart from the apostles and the Church Jesus founded upon them.
ORDINATION AND PRIESTHOOD
Priests do not come between Jesus and us. They are in Jesus, and of Jesus, and with Jesus. The priestly function actually dates back through the New Testament,
to the earliest Old Testament times, with Melchizedek who offered sacrifice on behalf of Abraham. As St. Cyprian of Carthage wrote around the year 250 A.D.: The belief that we will be saved 'by faith alone' -- apart from our response to God's call -- is clearly unbiblical. Below, you will find dozens upon dozens of
passages that clearly refute this false teaching. Instead, we are told that we are indeed saved by faith -- but not by faith 'alone.' We will instead be judged by how we live out our faith, through obedience, through generosity, and through
love. Needless to say, any capacity to respond to God is clearly a gift from God. The Church, from its earliest days in Jerusalem, has found it necessary to define
doctrines, either to clarify teachings or to settle disputes. Not one of these doctrines in any way contradicts scripture; they only verify it and clarify it, as was true in
apostolic times: A fundamental difference between Catholic and Protestant theology is the belief in free will. Because of the doctrine of sola fide -- that faith alone is sufficient
for salvation -- Protestants teach that the individual does not participate in his or her salvation in any way; hence, many follow the teachings of Luther and Calvin and do not acknowledge free will. By contrast, Catholics believe that,
because man was created in God's image, we are free to choose either to follow God's will, or turn to sin. The choice is ours. And this is the great gift that sprang from Christ's redemptive sacrifice -- to freely participate in the building
of the kingdom. Which way we choose is of the utmost importance to creation. Rom. 1: 26 -- "...females exchanged natural relations for unnatural..." Rom. 1: 27 -- "Males did shameful things with males..." 1 Cor. 7: 10-11 -- "...a wife should not separate..." End of Volume I
"If Christ Jesus, our Lord and God, is Himself the High Priest of God the Father; and if He offered Himself as a sacrifice to the Father; and if He commanded that this be done in commemoration of Himself -- then certainly the priest, who
imitates that which Christ did, truly functions in place of Christ." ('The Faith ofThe Early Fathers,' Vol. 1, Jurgens, pp. 232-233.)
Dt. 34: 9 -- "Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, since Moses had laid his hands upon him; and so the Israelites gave him their obedience, thus carrying out the Lord's command to Moses."
Gen. 14: 18 -- "Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram..."
Heb. 5: 1 -- "Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins."
John 20: 22 -- "...he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'"
At Pentecost, Jesus ordained the apostles and commissioned them to go and preach to the world.
1 Tim. 4: 14 -- Ordination: "Do not neglect the gift you have, which was conferred on you... with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate."
2 Tim. 1: 6 -- "I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands." Ordination.
Acts 14: 23 -- Paul and Barnabas ordain others; no one ordains himself: "They appointed presbyters for them in each church..."
Acts 6: 6-7 -- "They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them... even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith."
1 Tim. 5: 17 -- "Presbyters who preside well deserve double honor, especially those who toil in preaching and teaching... Do not lay hands too readily on anyone..."
Heb. 6: 2 -- "...laying on of hands..."
Mal. 2: 7 -- "...the lips of the priest are to keep knowledge, and instruction is to be sought from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
Phil. 1: 1 -- "...to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons."
Heb. 7: 1-28 -- "You are a priest forever according the order of Melchizedek... Jesus has become the guarantee of an even better covenant... he, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away." Refers to:
Ps. 110: 4 -- "Like Melchizedek you are a priest forever..."
SALVATION NOT BY FAITH ALONE/
SALVATION NOT ASSURED
Ultimately, all comes from God. But through his grace, our participation in his plan of salvation is vital. To say otherwise is to create a false distinction between faith and works.
Rom. 2: 5-11 -- "...the just judgment of God, who will repay everyone according to his works." Paul is clear on this.
Rom. 3: 28 -- Luther himself admitted adding 'alone' to this verse in his Bible; but Rev. 22: 18-19 condemns anyone who changes even one word of Scripture.
1 Cor. 13: 2-3 -- "...if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing." Faith alone? Hmm.
2 Cor. 5: 10 -- "For we must all appear before the judgment seat... so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil." Faith 'alone' isn't enough; it's how we live our faith.
Phil. 2: 12 -- "...work out your salvation in fear and trembling..." Paul is clear: Salvation is not assured.
1 John 3: 7 -- "Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous..." The person who acts, not the person who believes.
Acts 10: 34-35 -- "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him."
James 1: 4 -- "And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." We must persevere in the struggle.
Mt. 19: 16-21 -- "Go and sell your possessions..."
Mt. 5: 19-20 -- "'Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches those commandments will be called greatest in the
kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'"
Lk. 8: 13 -- "...they believe only for a time and fall away..." Salvation not assured.
Mt. 25: 31-46 -- "...I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me." At judgment, Jesus will acknowledge those who live their faith by loving one another.
Mt. 7: 21-23 -- "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not drive out demons in your name?...' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'" Jesus is definite: judgment will be based on how we live our faith.
Mt. 18: 32-35 -- Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart." The 'work' of forgiveness is required for salvation.
John 5: 29 -- "...all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation." Judgment will depend on how
we live out our faith.
Heb. 10: 26-29 -- "If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries. Anyone who rejects
the law of Moses is put to death without pity on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Do you not think that a much worse punishment is due the one who has contempt for the Son of God...?"
2 Pet. 1: 5-11 -- "Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your call and election firm." Salvation is not guaranteed; we must do our best to preserve it.
1 Cor. 4: 4-5 -- "...I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord. Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time..."
Salvation is not assured, even for Paul.
1 Cor. 9: 27 -- "...for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." Paul himself is not certain of his salvation.
1 Cor. 10: 12 -- "...whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall." Paul is clear: Our salvation is not assured. It hangs in the balance and how we conduct our lives -- the commitment we make to our faith, which we have
received only through the grace of God -- will determine our ultimate disposition.
Gal. 5: 6 -- What counts is: "...faith working through love."
James 1: 22-25 -- "Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves."
James is clear: Our active participation in God's plan -- our positive response to God's call to live out our faith -- is required.
James 2: 14-26 -- "You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless."
James seems pretty definite that 'faith alone' is not sufficient
for salvation. This passage is a big part of the reason Martin Luther did not consider the letter of James to be scriptural, although in this case he did not press his opinion upon his followers.
2 Tim. 2: 11-12 -- "If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him." Salvation not assured; depends on how we live out our faith.
Rom. 3: 25 -- No forgiveness of sins in advance: "...because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed..."
1 John 3: 10 -- "In this way, the children of God and the children of the devil are made plain; no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother."
1 John 3: 21-24 -- "Beloved, if [our] hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him."
1 John 4: 20-21 -- "If anyone says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, he is a liar..."
1 John 5: 2-4 -- "For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments."
2 Peter 2: 20-21 -- "For if they, having escaped the defilements of the world... again become entangled and overcome by them, their last condition is worse than their first."
John 3: 5 -- "...no one can enter the kingdom... without being born of water and the Spirit..." Baptism is required for salvation, not 'faith alone'.
Lk. 18: 9-14 -- Prayers of Pharisee and tax collector; faith alone is not sufficient in this case. The Pharisee had much faith, but he committed the sin of pride. His 'faith alone' was not enough to save him.
1 Cor. 4: 4-5 -- "...do not make any judgment before the appointed time..." Salvation is not assured; at the end, we will be judged based upon the fruit our lives have borne.
Rom. 11: 22 -- "...provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off." Salvation not assured until judgment, even for those who are baptized.
Rom. 5: 2 -- "...we boast in hope of the glory of God." If salvation were assured, we would not need "hope." We would have certainty.
Rom. 8: 24-25 -- "...if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance."
Salvation is not assured. We must endure.
Lk. 13: 6-9 -- "'...it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'" We must bear fruit in this life -- i.e., we must work to further God's plan -- or we risk being cut down.
Heb. 6: 4-8 -- "For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift and shared in the holy Spirit and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to bring them to repentance again, since they are recrucifying the Son of God for themselves and holding him up to contempt." Salvation is not assured.
Gal. 6: 6-10 -- "...let us not grow tired of doing good..." Our actions do matter.
2 Cor. 9: 6 -- "Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." Paul is calling us to give generously of ourselves and our possessions.
Rom. 16: 26 -- Paul's 'obedience of faith'.
Rom. 1: 5 -- Paul's 'obedience of faith'.
Rom. 6: 16 -- Paul's 'obedience of faith'.
Rom. 7: 6 -- The Ten Commandments were never enough for salvation: "But now we are released from the law, dead to what held us captive, so that we may serve in the newness of the spirit..." We are called to do more than simply avoid evil.
We must respond positively to Jesus' call to love one another.
Rom. 8: 13 -- "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
Mk. 8: 34 -- "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me." Taking up one's cross involves much more than just faith.
Faith is of course the basis, but strength, courage, perseverance and love are also needed.
Eph. 5: 4-7 -- "Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person... has any inheritance in the kingdom..." udgment will be based on how we live out our faith.
Rev. 21: 7-8 -- "But as for cowards, the unfaithful, the depraved... their lot is in the burning pool of fire..." God judges our actions.
1 Cor. 6: 9 -- "Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters... nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards... will inherit the kingdom of God." God judges us by how we live our faith.
Mk. 14: 38 -- "Watch and pray that you not enter into temptation." Salvation not assured until judgment.
Mt. 10: 22 -- "...whoever endures to the end will be saved." Salvation not assured until judgment.
Rom. 6: 16 -- Justification is a process we await: "...you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness."
Mt. 12: 36 -- Not only our actions, but our words will determine our judgment: "I tell you, on the day of judgment, people will render an account for every careless word they speak. By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
Ezek. 18: 26-30 -- "When a virtuous man turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if a wicked man, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die... Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you." Judgment is based on our actions.
Sir. 16: 12-14 -- "Great as his mercy is his punishment; he judges men, each according to his deeds... Whoever does good has his reward, which each receives according to his deeds." Again, what could be clearer?
Gal. 5: 4-5 -- Justification is a process we await: "...we await the hope of righteousness."
Gal. 2: 17 -- Justification is not permanent, not assured: "But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? Of course not!"
Rom. 3: 24 -- Justification in present tense: "They are justified freely by his grace..."
1 Cor. 1: 18 -- Justification ongoing; Paul refers to it in the present tense: "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
John 3: 19-21 -- "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed." Evil actions separate us from the light.
Tobit 4: 21 -- "...avoid all sin, and do what is right before the Lord your God."
Gal 5: 5 -- In his letters, Paul's references to "law" pertain to Jews' efforts to justify themselves through the practices of the old law, without the saving power of Jesus:
"For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." The old law is superseded by Jesus' law of
love, which is written on our hearts, not on stone tablets. [See below:]
2 Cor. 3: 3 -- "You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, shown to be a letter of Christ administered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh."
2 Cor. 9: 10 -- "The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness."
Our good works are clearly not ours alone, but evidence of God working through us. To deny their significance is to render our lives meaningless and the lessons we learn superfluous.
From its earliest days, the Church has taught that all would be judged on the quality of their lives as well as their faith -- whether we take up our crosses, as Jesus instructed us to. Around the year 200 A.D., St. Clement of Alexandria wrote:
"When we hear, ' Your faith has saved you,' we do not understand the Lord to say simply that they will be saved who have believed in whatever manner, even if works have not
followed." ('The Faith of the Early Fathers,' Vol. 1, Jurgens, p. 184.) Our faith must result in a life-changing commitment. Are we saved by faith? Unquestionably. But
by 'faith alone'? Not according to the scriptures.
DOCTRINES
Acts 15 -- Paul and Barnabas take dogmas to Antioch.
Acts 16: 4 -- Paul and Timothy take dogmas to world.
FREE WILL
For no one else can take our place in it or accomplish what is ours to accomplish:
Dt. 30: 19-20 -- "'I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.'" Man is more than free
to choose; he is obliged to choose.
Gen. 4: 7 -- God tells Cain he can defeat sin if he wills it: "'Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his
master.'"
Rom. 7: 21 -- "...when I want to do right, evil is at hand."
Sir. 15: 11-20 -- "Say not: 'It was God's doing that I fell away': for what he hates he does not do. Say not: 'It was he who set me astray'; For he has no need of wicked men... When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice. If you choose you can keep the commandments... There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand."
1 Cor. 10: 13 -- "No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it."
James 1: 13-15 -- "No one experiencing temptation should say, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." With this passage, James seems to put the matter to rest.
Prv. 1: 24 -- "'I called and you refused, I extended my hand and no one took notice...'" God invites us, he does not compel us.
2 Pet. 3: 9 -- "The Lord... is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
John 6: 37 -- "'...I will not reject anyone who comes to me.'"
Ex. 8: 15 -- "Pharaoh remained obstinate... just as the Lord had foretold." God did not overwhelm Pharaoh's will and cause him to do evil. God just knew Pharaoh's actions ahead of time.
Ezek. 18: 23 -- "Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?"
Gal. 2: 17 -- When we sin, it is our doing, not God's: "But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? Of course not!"
Ps. 5: 5 -- "You are not a god who delights in evil..."
Heb. 6: 4-8 -- "For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift and shared in the holy Spirit and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to bring them to repentance again, since they are recrucifying the Son of God for themselves and holdinghim up to contempt."
2 Tim. 2: 11-13 -- "...if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us."
Rom. 1: 20-21 -- "Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they
did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning and their senseless minds were darkened."
The early Church fathers disposed of the error of predestination in short order.
Eusebius Pamphillus wrote in about 315 A.D.: "...foreknowledge of events is not the cause of the occurrence of those events... not because it is known does it take place; but because it is about to take place, it is known." ('The Faith of the Early
Fathers,' Vol. 1, Jurgens, p. 296.) And St. Augustine, in his uniquely clear and cogent manner, adds this thought in about 390 A.D.: "Just as you do not, by your memory of them, compel past events to have happened, neither does God, by His
foreknowledge, compel future events to take place." ('The Faith of the Early Church Fathers,' Vol. 3, Jurgens, p. 39.)
ABORTION
Ps. 139: 13 -- "You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me... My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth. Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be."
Jer. 1: 5 -- "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I dedicated you..."
Eccles. 11: 5 -- "Just as you know not how the breath of life fashions the human frame in the mother's womb, so you know not the work of God which he is accomplishing in the universe."
Job 31: 15 -- "Did not he who made me in the womb make him? Did not the same One fashion us before our birth?"
Gen. 9: 5 -- "'...from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life.'"
Is. 49: 1 -- "The Lord called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name."
Ps. 51: 7 -- "...I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me."
Lk. 1: 15 -- "He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother's womb..."
Lk. 1: 41 -- "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb..."
Lev. 20: 10-12 -- "If a man disgraces his father by lying with his father's wife, both the man and his stepmother shall be put to death; they have forfeited their
lives. If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be put to death; since they have committed an abhorrent deed, they have forfeited their lives."
Penalties for adultery and incest are death for the perpetrators, but not for the children that might come from such acts. The children are innocent.
1 Cor. 6: 19 -- A woman's right to control her body is superseded by God's claim on her, body and soul: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"
Ps. 127: 3 -- "Children too are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward."
Abortion doesn't just kill the individual. It also destroys every thought the person would have ever experienced, every action the person would have ever undertaken, every contribution to the kingdom the person would have made. In short, abortion tears a piece out of the fabric of creation by destroying God's plan for a person's life.
The earliest community of faith forbade abortion. In one of the most ancient existing non-scriptural documents of the Church, the Didache, we find this unyielding admonition: "You shall not procure abortion, nor destroy a new-born child."
('The Faith of the Early Fathers,' Vol. 1, Jurgens, p. 2).
CONTRACEPTION
Ps. 127: 3-5 -- "Children too are a gift from the Lord..."
Gen. 30: 22 -- God remembers Rachel and gives her a son.
Gen. 9: 7 -- "Be fertile, then, and multiply..."
HOMOSEXUALITY
1 Cor. 6: 9 -- "Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Tim. 1: 8-11 -- "We know that the law is good, provided that one uses it as law, with the understanding that law is meant not for a righteous person but for the lawless and unruly, the godless and sinful, the unholy and profane, those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers, the unchaste, sodomites, kidnapers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching..."
Lev. 20: 13 -- "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives."
The early Church likewise forbade homosexual acts. In the Didache, one of the earliest examples of post-apostolic writings, we find these proscriptions:
"You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not seduce boys"
('The Faith of the Early Fathers,' Vol. 1, Jurgens, p. 2).
DIVORCE
Mt. 19: 1-9 -- "...no human being must separate..."
Mk. 10: 9-12 -- "...'what God has joined together, no human being must separate... Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.'"
Return to main index
