Apologetics part 2

The major disagreements

• Sacred scripture 

• Papal Authority 

• Eucharist 

• Mary and the saints 

• Purgatory 

• Confession 

Why do we need to defend these truths?

• We need to be able to defend these Truths and help people realize that the fullness of Truth is found only in the Catholic church. Bening Catholic and living the Catholic faith means you can live a life pleasing to God and you'll be able to become the person you are meant to be-you are meant to be a saint. 

What is the communion of saints?

• Everyone in Purgatory.   

All Catholics and non-Catholic Christians agree…

• the bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is the word of God 

“Catholic bible”:

 put together in the councils of hippo and Carthage(393-397) Before that the early church quoted and conciseded inspired the 46 books of the OT we have today There was a hebrew OT and a greek OT .

What was the Greek OT

• The Greek OT was the version Jesus used  But martin Luther preferred the hebrew with only 39 books Luther also wanted to throw out the book of Esther in OT 

Why did they use different books?

• Also The Sadducees used the Hebrew because they wanted to avoid discussing afterlife topics while the Pharisees used the Greek because they did believe in the Resurrection and used the version that had books about the afterlife. Pharisees converted to Christianity sooner so this version stuck

1 Thessalonians

 believed to be the first book of NT written, in about 50AS.

When was the last book revelation was written in

The last book, Revelation, sometime between 95-100 AD.

There were 27 books total and Luther wanted to get rid of 2

James and Revelation, so some Protestant Bibles have them, some don't.

Luther added this word to Romans 3:28 in his translation of the Bible

“alone”

“For we consider that a person is justified by Faith (alone) apart from the works of the law.

• This is NOT inspired by the Holy Spirit!

• If you’re asked about the Pope or the Church focus on these points: 

• Scripture: 

• Mathew 16: 13-19 “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this Rock I will build my Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you lose on earth shall be lost in heaven.”

• Jesus knew Peter would die, so he intended the office of Peter to last until the end of time.

• Why would Jesus give this authority just to have it end, and not be passed on? 

• All the apostles were given this power to blin and lose, but only blank was given the keys

Peter

esus also tells Peter that he needs to

• strengthen his brethren” therefore making him the Chief Shepherd of the flock, leading and encouraging them. 

Remember:

•  Christ is the supreme and invisible head

•  Peter, and his successors are the visible head 

In which act do we read the  account of the First Church Council of Jerusalem

act 15

In act 15 we read the account of the First Church Council of Jerusalem where after Peter spoke, “

• “all fell silent” to listen to him.

When do we see Peters authority’s

•  We see Peter's authority in chapters 2, speech at Pentecost, 3 with the first miracle, 8 with the excommunication of the first heretic, etc. 

 What about the argument of Peter and Paul

•  It was a correction Paul was trying to make on an non-doctrinal issue, like St. Catherine of Siena correcting the People to leave Avignon and return to Rome 

Historically, we can show that

• there has always been a leader of the Church…

In the first 200 years of the Church

 every Pope but one was martyred  

Who said this?  “I would far rather receive news of a rival to the throne than of another Bishop of Rome,” (He said this after he killed Pope Fabian in 250 AD.)

Emperor Decius N

It is reasonable to have

•  a Pope, or visible head of the Church.

Jesus is the

leader and beginner

While Jesus is “away” who takes charge

• Peter and his successors 

• The Eucharist is just a symbol, so why do Catholics say it is the flesh and blood of Jesus?

• In John 4:31-34 and Matthew 16:5-12, 

Yes Jesus uses symbolic language, but here Jesus is not using symbols. Consider this: in John 6:52 the jews understand Jesus to be literal and Jesus repeats himself over and over- we must drink his blood and eat his flesh. (John 6:55 “For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink

Why would Jesus let the disciples walk away, and then turn to the Apostles and say, do you also want to leave, if this was not a hard but true teaching

•  (John 6:66-67) 

• If it were not the true flesh and blood of Jesus, why would St.Paul say in 1 Cor. 11:27-28

• “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself and so eat the bread and drink the blood”

• If it is a symbol, then why do the first followers of Christ in the early church, speak so pointedly about the real presence of Jesus?

• St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote in 110 AD. “They should abstain from the Eucharist, those who do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Chirst”

• How can Mary be the mother of God

 Since Jesus is one person with two natures, human and divine, it is logical to say that since Mary is the mother of Jesus, who is God, Mary is the Mother of God.

• How can we say Mary is Immaculately Conceived?

• Mary was preserved from sin while all of us are cleansed from sin. Mary still needed a savior and was preserved through the anticipated merits of Jesus

Plus it says in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and deprived of the glory of God”

• There are some exceptions to that quote! Jesus and Mary for she is “full of Grace” from Luke 1:37

•  What about the Assumption?

• Enoch was taken to heaven without dying, Hebrews 11:5 and Eijah was taken to heaven by a fiery chariot 2 king 2:11 so why not mary the perfect follower of God

• This is based partially in Scripture(above) but mostly by Tradition.

What about Perpetual Virginity?

• In the bible, brothers means other relatives. Plus if Jesus had a brother, Jesus would not have entrusted Mary to John at the Cross. 

Remember everything we teach and believe about Mary is based on

• what we believe about her Son. 

All of Christ's members are united,

•  “Death cannot separate Christians from Chrust or one another.” Romans 8:35-39

•  We are concerned about each other’s growth and salvation. We ask for help from one another, so why not those who have gone before us?

•  We aren’t replacing Jeus with Mary or the Saints, we always pray with and in Christ.

•  “The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.” James 5:16

•   Guilt

•  Punishment

• God forgives our sin(guilt) but still we are required to do reparation ( punishment)

Example from 2 samuel 12:13-14

•  “David said to Nathen “I have sinned against the Lord”Nathen replied 

‘The Lord has put away your sin; (guilt) you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is bornborn to you shall die.” (punishment) 

•  Mortal sin

•  Venial sin

•  Example from John 5:16-17 “if anyone sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask God, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is a sin which is mortal ; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin,but there is a sin which is not mortal.” 

•  And James 1:14-15(evil) desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full grown brings death. 

• Reasonable? Yes

• Revelation 21:27 says, “nothing unclean shall enter [heaven].” Therefore those who die with mortal sin merit hell. Those who die without sin meritHeaven. Those who die with venial sin must be cleaned.  

• Biblical? Yes! 

•  God is all holy. (Isaiah 6:3) 

• We are called to “be perfect” Matthew 5:48 

• “Strive for holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14

• Although the exact word purgatory is not in the Scripture, neither is Trinity or Incarnation   

Other quotes that support the doctrine…

 1 Cor. 3:15 “But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire”

 2. Maccabees 12:44-45

• “for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was holy and pious thought. LThus he made atonement for the dead so that they might be freed from this sin.” 

Easter Sunday,

•  the day Christ won for us Eternal LIFE Jesus breathed on something was creation, and breathing LIFE into Adam. Here Jesus gives the Apostles ability to bring new LIFE to someone who has repented of their sin. 

“ Jesus breathed on them and said to them,“Receive the holy spirit.  Whose sins you forgive them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

John 21: 19-23

Confession

Catholics confess sins to God and receive forgiveness from God, through a priest. 

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

• “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters (priests) of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.” 

•  Obviously,the priest has special BLANK” a normal Christian does not, that is to hear confession and be the instrument of God to forgive.

POWER

 Sola Fide

• - by faith alone 

How do Catholics believe we get into heaven

• Martin Luther preached that we enter heaven by faith alone. Catholics believe that we enter heaven not only by faith but by doing good works as well. The Catholic view excludes sola fide as grounds for justification (salvation) holding instead that grace, which implies good works, is also necessary for salvation (Mathew 25:31-46) 

 Sola Scriptura

•  by Scripture alone

• Gen. to rev. - Scripture never says that scripture is the sole infallible authority for God’s Word. Scripture also mandates the use of tradition. This fact alone disapproves sola scriptura. 

•  those that preached the Gospel to all creation but did not write the gospel were not less obedient to Jesus, or their teachings less important. 

Matt. 28:19: Mark 16:15

• “Observe ALL I have commanded, “but, as we see in John 20:30; 21:25, not ALL Jesus taught is in Scripture. So there must be things outside of Scripture that we must observe. This disproves “Bible alone” theology.

Matt 28:20

• There is no evidence in the Bible  or elsewhere that Jesus intended the Bible to be sole authority of the christian faith