by R. Jones
original language text © 1995 Rick Jones
The Bible claims to be the one and only true authority, while Catholicism teaches that there are three definitive authorities. The 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
"It is therefore clear that, according to the infinitely wise disposition of God, Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium of the Church are so closely linked and associated that one of them cannot exist without the others. Working together, each in his own in their own way, under the action of the Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls " (pg. 29, # 95).
According to this passage, the scriptures, church tradition (the teachings received over the centuries), and the magisterium (the task of giving an authentic interpretation of God's Word) would all be of equal importance (see also p. 25 , # 82).
According to Catholic doctrine, church tradition and the magisterium are the Word of God just like the Holy Scriptures:
"Sacred Scripture is the word of God written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And (Holy) Tradition transmits in its integrity the Word of God which was entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit" (pg. 26 , # 81).
The obvious question is: what happens when these three "ultimate authorities" disagree with each other? The Catechism gives the following answer:
"The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, both in its written form and in its form of Tradition, has been entrusted only to the living teaching office of the Church. This means that the task of interpreting has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome " (pg. 27, # 85).
It is important to note that when the Catechism explains that the task of interpreting the Word of God was the "Church", it is referring exclusively to the Roman Catholic church. And this applies to the entire Catechism. In it, "The Church" always refers to the Roman Catholic church.
The Catechism repeats the same doctrine using different words:
"For, of course, all that has been said about interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church exercising the divinely conferred office and ministry to watch over and interpret the Word of God" (pg. 34 , # 119).
Thus, the Catechism concludes that the one and only final authority is not the Bible, but the current teachings of the Catholic church, since it is the only one qualified to provide an "authentic interpretation" of the Word of God.
Does the Bible Agree?
If the Bible, the tradition, and the teachings of the Catholic church are all, in practice, the Word of God, then the Bible must agree with these teachings. Unfortunately for Catholicism, this is not the case. Indeed, the opposite is true. God declares in the Bible that His written Word has always been - and always will be - perfect:
"The sum of your word is truth; and all your righteous decrees endure forever " (Psalm 119: 160).
The Bible emphatically states that it is the only truth:
"Sanctify them in your truth, your word is truth" (John 17:17).
In the book of Revelation, God gives this fiery rebuke to anyone who tries to alter His written Word:
"I declare to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book that if anyone adds to these things , God will send upon him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away from him. its part from the book of life from the holy city and from the things described in this book " (Revelation 22: 18-19).
The apostle Paul advises Bible readers on how to deal with those who teach doctrines contrary to God's written Word:
"Now I urge you, brothers, to keep an eye on those who cause divisions and scandals in contrast with the teaching you have received . Get away from them. They, in fact, do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own womb. ; and with sweet and flattering speech they seduce the hearts of the simple " (Romans 16: 17-18).
Paul admonishes true believers to avoid anyone teaching doctrines contrary to God's written Word. He also reveals the consequences of believing such false teachings:
"But even if we or an angel from heaven preach to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be cursed " (Galatians 1: 8).
Immediately afterwards Paul repeats himself:
"As we have already said, now I say it again: If anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one you have received, let him be cursed " (Galatians 1: 9).
Therefore, when Catholic doctrine contradicts the written Word of God, those who stand against the Holy Scriptures will be "cursed".
The Proverbs writer gives the same stern warning against anyone who dares to change God's written Word:
"Every word of God is refined with fire. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Add nothing to his words , lest he reprove you and you may be found a liar" (Proverbs 30: 5).
God's Word stands forever
God declares that His Word was written once and is stable for eternity:
" Forever , Lord, your word is established in heaven" (Psalm 119: 89).
"But the word of the Lord remains forever ..." (1 Peter 1:25).
"The word of our God endures forever " (Isaiah 40: 8).
"... regenerated, not from a corruptible seed, but an incorruptible one, through the word of God that is living and enduring forever " (1 Peter 1:23).
God's Word is perfect
God's Word cannot change because it is perfect as it is:
"The law of the Lord is perfect , it restores the soul ..." (Psalm 19: 7).
Catholicism claims that only the leaders of the Catholic church can correctly interpret the written Word, but the Bible disagrees:
"... no prophecy of Scripture comes from a personal interpretation ; in fact, no prophecy ever came from the will of man, but men spoke from God, because they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).
Who does God want people to get doctrine from ... from a priest - or from the Bible?
"All Scripture is inspired of God and useful to teach, to reprove, to correct, to educate in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).
Paul is not here alluding to the magisterium or the church tradition, because in the previous verse we read:
"And that since childhood you have had knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, which can give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).
Since the Catholic church did not yet exist when Paul wrote these words, he could not be referring to the teachings of Catholicism.
Has God abdicated His authority?
As these and hundreds of other passages of Scripture make clear, God has never given anyone the authority to add or remove or modify His Word. It is perfect and complete as He prepared it.
One of the first questions you need to ask yourself is, "Did God violate all these scriptures by giving the pope and the Catholic church the right to change His Word, even though He said He would never do it?"
While Jesus was here on earth, he publicly rebuked the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day:
"In vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines which are the precepts of men. Having neglected the commandment of God you are keeping to the tradition of men" (Mark 7: 7-8).
Jesus was shocked that religious leaders had elevated their tradition above God's Word, because He knew that God's Word leads men to eternal life, while men's traditions lead to eternal destruction. Although these religious leaders obeyed all the rules of their religion, look at what fate Jesus laid out for them:
"Serpents, race of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of hell?" (Matthew 23:33).
When the Pharisees asked Jesus why His disciples transgressed the traditions of the elders, Jesus answered them by asking His question:
"And you, why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?" (Matthew 15: 3).
Jesus always raised the Scriptures above all tradition:
"But Jesus answered them, 'You are wrong, because you do not know the scriptures, nor the power of God'" (Matthew 22:29).
The immutable Word of God has always been the final and definitive authority, never the traditions of men:
"See that no one makes you his prey with philosophy and vain deceptions according to the tradition of men and the elements of the world and not according to Christ " (Colossians 2: 8).
Christians in New Testament times knew what the final authority was:
"Now these were of nobler sentiments than those of Thessalonica, for they received the Word with every eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if that were so" (Acts 17:11).
To determine if what they heard was the truth, these believers went to the final authority, the written Word of God. Jesus says of His Words:
"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word ; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and dwell with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words ..." (John 14: 23-24 ).
Consider these words of the apostle Paul:
"Also for this we do not cease to give thanks to God because, having received from us the word of God, you received it not as the word of men, but as it really is, as the word of God ..." (1 Thessalonians 2: 13).
When Paul preached the Word of God to these people, it wasn't Catholic doctrine because Catholicism didn't exist yet.
Conclusion
God does not change (cf. Malachi 3: 6) because He is perfect. His Son, Jesus, does not change (cf. Hebrews 13: 8) because He is perfect. Why, then, should God's perfect Word change all the time?
Decide which you feel is the final authority: the written Word of God, or the teachings and traditions of the Catholic church.
Your decision will become critical when you discover that the Word of God and the teachings of Catholicism are diametrically opposed on every doctrine we will examine (in the book Understanding Roman Catholicism - available online in their original language - which was made into this chapter, NDT).
Will you choose the Words of the Lord or the traditions of men?
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).
The ultimate authority of the Holy Scriptures
1. The ultimate authority. God has revealed Himself and His will to the Church in many ways. His revelation culminated in the Person, Word and work of His Son Jesus Christ, who alone was, is and remains the ultimate and determining authority of the church.
" God, having spoken in ancient times to the fathers many times and in various ways through the prophets, in these last days has spoken to us through his Son, whom he has made heir of all things, by means of whom he has also made the universe "(Heb. 1: 1,2).
"He himself [Jesus] is the head of the body, that is, of the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that he may have primacy in all things" (Cl. 1:18); "... placing all things under his feet, and giving him head over all things to the church" (Eph. 1:22).
The affirmation that Christ is the ultimate authority and the ultimate point of reference of the church is shared by all who profess to be Christians. The authority of Christ, however, is prejudiced (and in fact contradicted) when it is affirmed, as does the Roman Catholic church, that (1) it possesses the legitimate vicar of Christ, "successor of Peter", spokesman on earth for Christ , and (2) that this authority is manifested in the teaching and tradition of the historical "body of Christ" church.so in the historical continuity of a human institution that considers itself preserved from errors (and therefore infallible). The same prejudice to Christ's authority is operated, for example, by liberal Protestantism, where Christ's authority becomes an abstract principle, to which the primitive church (which expressed the New Testament) becomes only a witness. Each generation should thus "responsibly" determine how to obey this "distilled Christ", thus opening up to every sort of will and philosophical contamination (justified as actualization, or historical incarnation of the Word of God). In reality, however, the will of God and the authority of Christ are determined, specified, authoritatively specified by the Bible, which not only presents facts, but also the
2. Entrusted to the written medium. Against the potential corrupting effects of human nature and the falsifying action of the adversaries of the truth, God wanted this revelation to be entrusted entirely to the written medium, that is, to the Holy Scriptures. This was done in order to preserve and propagate the truth, as well as to firmly establish the Christian church on a sure footing. Hence the indispensable character of Sacred Scripture. God has provided for them to be handed down unaltered through the centuries, watching over their preservation.
"For truly I say to you, Until heaven and earth pass away, not a jot or a single peak of the law will pass before all is fulfilled" (Mt. 5:18).
The Christian faith is realistic about human nature, and does not presume any infallibility to the historical expressions of the church. Human reality is always subject to corruption and the possibility of falsifying the subjective data. Hence the need for an objective and external criterion of authority.
"For now we see as through a mirror, in an obscure way, but then we will see face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know just as I have been known" (1 Co. 13:12);
"He proposed another parable to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while the men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. Then when the wheat sprouted and bore fruit, the weeds also appeared.
And the servants of the master of the house came to him and said to him, "Lord, did you not sow good seed in your field? How is it, then, that there are weeds?" And he said to them, "an enemy has done this." Then the servants said to him, "Do you want us then to go and uproot it? But he said," No, for fear that by uprooting the weeds you will not uproot the wheat with them. Let them both grow together until harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: First gather the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; the grain, however, put it in my barn ».
He proposed another parable to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man takes and sows in his field. It is certainly the smallest of all seeds, but once it has grown it is the largest of all herbs and becomes a tree, so much so that the birds of the sky come to take refuge in its branches. He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman takes and kneads with three measures of flour until all the dough is leavened." Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and spoke to them only in parables, so that what was said by the prophet might be fulfilled: "I will open my mouth in parables and reveal hidden things from the foundation of the world." Then Jesus, dismissing the crowds, went home and his disciples came to him, saying: "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." And he answering said to them: «He who sows the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world, the good seed are the children of the kingdom, and the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, while the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels "(Mt. 13: 24-39);" The kingdom of heaven is also like a net cast into the sea, which gathers all sorts of things "(Mt. 13:47);
"He cried out loudly and with a loud voice, saying:" Babylon the great has fallen, and she has become a dwelling of demons, a den of every unclean spirit, a den of every unclean and abominable bird "(Rev. 18: 2).
3. A self-imposed authority. The fact of considering the Bible the ultimate authority and Word of God, does not derive from a decree of human and ecclesiastical authorities, but has imposed itself on the Church by the providence of God. The Church is only a witness to the authority of the Bible, faithful support and obedient. Every authentic child of God is persuaded in his heart of the authority of the Holy Scriptures, which feels natural consonance with it. It is not the Church that determines the Bible, but God, through the Bible, determines the Church. It does not own the Bible.
"... so that, should you be late, you may know how to behave in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, pillar and support of truth" (1 Th. 3:15); "But you are anointed by the Holy and you know everything ... But as for you, the anointing that you have received from him abides in you and you do not need anyone to teach you; but, as his anointing there is it teaches all things and it is true and it is not a lie, abide in him as it has taught you "(1 Jn. 2: 20-27); "But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth, because he will not speak of himself, but will say all the things he has heard and will tell you things to come. He will glorify me, because he will take mine and he will tell you "(Jn 16: 13,14); "" As for me, this is my covenant with them, "says the Lord:
4. Content. Sacred Scripture contains the entire counsel of God concerning all that is necessary to give him the honor and glory due to him, to know the way of salvation, the faith and conduct that God prescribes for us, the worship that It pleases him, and to instill hope and consolation, in the certainty of the fulfillment of every plan of God.
"I have not withdrawn from preaching all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). "... since childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which can make you wise to salvation, through the faith that is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is divinely inspired and useful for teaching, convincing, correcting and instructing in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete,
"But even if we or an angel from heaven preach to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let it be cursed. As we have already said, now I say it again: If anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one you have received, let it be accursed "(Ga. 1: 8,9).
"The word of Christ dwells in you copiously, in all wisdom, instructing and exhorting one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing gracefully in your hearts to the Lord" (Cl. 3:16). "For all things that were written in the past were written for our teaching, that through endurance and the consolation of the scriptures we may retain hope" (Ro. 15: 4).
5. How it is expressed. The entire counsel of God is contained in Scripture explicitly or can be rightly deduced from Scripture. In most cases, Scripture sets forth principles. It is our responsibility to apply these principles to our particular circumstances, deriving from them applications in harmony with the spirit of the Scriptures.
An example of these deductions can be questions which are not however regulated by Scripture and which depend on contingent issues, local customs and traditions. Common sense applies in this area, which must always be inspired by the general principles of Scripture.
"Judge for yourselves. Is it fitting for a woman to pray to God without being covered? Doesn't nature itself teach you that it is a disgrace for man to wear hair?" (1 Co. 11: 13.14); "So what is it to do, brothers? When you gather, each of you having a psalm, some a teaching, some words in another language, some a revelation, some an interpretation, do everything for the edification. .
But let everything be done with decorum and order "(1 Co 14: 26,40).
6. Sufficiency. Sacred Scripture is sufficient for the purposes it proposes and nothing can be added to it as if it needed supplements or additions by other authorities (ecclesiastical authorities, traditions, alleged new revelations, etc.).
"... not to let yourselves be immediately disturbed in the mind or disturbed either by spirit, or by word, or by some epistle as if it came from us, as if the day of Christ has already come" (2 Thess. 2: 2) .
7. Understandability. The essential data contained in Sacred Scripture are accessible to all and comprehensible using duly ordinary means.
"Your word is a lamp for my foot and a light on my path. (...) The revelation of your words enlightens and gives understanding to the simple" (Ps. 119: 105,130).
"Jesus began to say:" I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent, and revealed them to the little ones. Yes, Father, because you liked this " (Mt. 11: 25-26).
8. Necessity of enlightenment for the purpose of salvation. The existential understanding for the purposes of personal salvation depends on the direct action of the Holy Spirit, who alone can "convince" the individual, and open his mind and heart.
"It is written in the prophets:" And all shall be taught by God. "Every man therefore who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me" (Jn. 6:45). "But as it is written:" The things which the eye has not seen and which the ear has not heard and which have not ascended into the heart of man, are those which God has prepared for those who love him. "But God has revealed them to us through his Spirit, because the Spirit investigates everything, even the depths of God. Who among men, in fact, knows the things of man, if not the spirit of man that is in him? things of God, if not the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that comes from God, that we may know the things that have been given to us by God "(1 Co. 2: 9-12 ).
9. Scripture is the supreme judge. It is always to Sacred Scripture that it is necessary to refer as the ultimate authority in every question and controversy, and it has absolute precedence over councils, opinions of theologians, traditions, doctrines and established practices.
"But Jesus, answering, said to them:" You are wrong, not understanding either the Scriptures or the power of God. (...) As for the resurrection of the dead, you have not read what God told you when he said: "(Mt 22: 29,31). "... built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20). "Now being in disagreement with one another, they went away, but not before Paul had said these precise words:" The Holy Spirit spoke well to our fathers through the prophet Isaiah ... "(Acts 28:25) ).
"Keep to the law and the testimony! If a people does not speak in this way, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20); "The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written ..." (Acts 15:15).
10. Right to the Scriptures. The Scriptures, in addition to being a fundamental rule of our faith and conduct, are also a right of the people of God, who, through them, are safeguarded from arbitrariness, abuse, and human impositions.
"You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; and they are those that testify of me" (Jn. 5:39).
11. Function of the governing bodies of the Christian Church. To the Christian church the Lord has entrusted persons and governing bodies, who must administer the Lord's church in obedience to His Word. They are at the service of the Church and not those who dominate it with absolute power. The people of God have the right to critically verify their work.
"And God made some in the church first as apostles, second as prophets, thirdly as doctors; then he ordained the mighty operations; then the gifts of healing the gifts of assistance and governance and the diversity of tongues "(1 Co. 12:28)," And he himself gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, and others as pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the 'edification of the body of Christ, until we all come to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to the extent of the stature of the fullness of Christ "(Eph. 4: 11-13).
"Elders who exercise the presidency well should be deemed worthy of double honor, chiefly those who toil in word and teaching" (1 Th. 5:17); "Now, brothers, we ask you to have respect for those who toil among you, who are in charge of you in the Lord and who admonish you" (2 Thess. 5:12); "From Miletus he sent to Ephesus to call the elders of the church" (Acts 20:17); "Remember your leaders, who have spoken the word of God to you and, considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith" (Heb. 13: 7); "Obey your leaders and submit to them, because they watch over your souls, as someone who has to account for it, so that they do this with joy and not sighing, because this would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, because we believe we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves righteously in all things "(Heb. 13: 17-19);" And God has appointed some in the church first as apostles, second as prophets , thirdly as doctors; then he ordered the powerful operations; hence the gifts of healing the gifts of assistance and government and the diversity of tongues "(1 Co. 12:28).
"We have therefore sent Judas and Silas; they too will report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to impose any other burden on you besides these necessary things: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols. You will do well to guard yourselves against these things from blood, from choked things and from fornication. "Be well." So, taking their leave, they went down to Antioch and, assembled the assembly, delivered the letter. And, after reading it, those of Antioch rejoiced in the consolation "(Acts 15: 27-31); "If he then refuses to listen to them, tell the church; and if he also refuses to listen to the church, be it for you as the pagan and the tax collector. Truly I tell you that all the things that you will have bound on earth will be bound in heaven; and all the things that you have loosened on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I tell you that if two of you agree on earth to ask for anything, it will be granted to them by my Father who is in heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am among them "" (Mt. 18: 17-20).
"Now these were of nobler sentiments than those of Thessalonica and received the word with all promptness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so" (Acts 17.11); "that your faith might not be founded on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God" (1 Co. 2: 5); "Not that we dominate your faith, but we are co-workers of your joy, because you stand firm by faith" (2 Co. 1:24).
12. Christian freedom. The human creature can only be linked in conscience to the Word of God. It frees him from any other religious enslavement. Obedience to God takes precedence over any other precept.
"There is only one Legislator, who can save and send to perdition, but who are you, who judge another?" (James 4:12); "Who are you that judges another's servant? Whether he stands or falls, it concerns his own master, but he will be held steadfast, because God is able to keep him standing" (Ro. 14: 4); "Peter and John, answering them, said:" Judge yourselves, whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God "(Acts 4:19); "Peter and the other apostles, answering, said:" We must obey God rather than men "(Acts 5:29); "You were bought with a price, do not become slaves of men" (1 Co 7:23); "But do not let yourselves be called master, because only one is your teacher: Christ, and you are all brothers. And call no one on earth your father, for there is only one your Father, he who is in heaven. Nor let yourselves be called your guide, because only one is your guide: Christ "(Mt. 23: 8-10);" Not that we dominate your faith, but we are collaborators of your joy, because you stand firm by faith "( 2 Co. 1:24); "And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines which are commandments of men" "(Mt 15: 9);
"If, then, you died with Christ to the elements of the world, why do you submit yourself to precepts as if you lived in the world ... according to the commandments and doctrines of men? humility and harsh treatment of the body, but they are of no value; they serve only to satisfy the flesh "(Cl. 2: 20-23).
"In fact, am I now trying to take away the approval of men or that of God? Or am I trying to please men? For if I still tried to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Ga. 1:10); "... and this because of the false brothers introduced illegally, who had insinuated themselves to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to put ourselves in servitude. To them we did not surrender even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel dwell firmly among you "(Ga. 2: 4,5); "Faith therefore comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of God" (Ro. 10:17); "But he who is in doubt, if he eats he is condemned, because he does not eat with faith; now all that does not come from faith is sin" (Ro. 14:23).
"Keep to the law and the testimony! If a people does not speak in this way, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20); "Now these were of nobler sentiments than those of Thessalonica, and they received the word with all promptness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so" (Ac. 17:11); "Jesus also made this second sign when he returned from Judea to Galilee" (Jn. 4:54); "Ephraim is oppressed and shattered in judgment, because he deliberately followed human precepts" (Hos. 5:11); "The wise will be shamed, frightened and captured. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; what wisdom can they have?" (Gr. 8: 9).
No comments:
Post a Comment