The True Church SHARE Article Share App by Email Share App by Facebook 1. Did God establish a Church that would not be overcome by any other earthly kingdom? Yes. God has intended to establish His Church and has established it through His Son Jesus Christ. “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, nor will its sovereignty be left to another people; but it will break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever. Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what will happen hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.” – Daniel 2:44-45, WEB-BE 2. Has Jesus given this Church His authority? How can we determine which Church has received the authority of Jesus? Jesus gave the Church His authority when He authorized Peter. Such a Church must never be overcome even by the gates of Hell, as promised by Jesus Himself. We can know whether a Church has the authority of Jesus by tracing its apostolic succession to Peter. In the case of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, there is an unbroken succession of Popes, leaders of the Church since the time of Peter whom Jesus Himself authorized by giving him the KEYS of the Kingdom of Heaven. These keys symbolize such an authority, as can be seen from the Old Testament. (Peter was also the one instructed by Jesus to feed His lambs.) He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades‡ will not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” -Matthew 16:15-19, WEB-BE And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. – Matthew 18:17-18, KJV It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will lay the key of David’s house on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open. I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father’s house. They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers. “In that day,” says the LORD of Armies, “the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down, and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken it.” – Isaiah 22:20-25, WEB-BE Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” – Luke 10:16, WEB-BE He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. -Matthew 10:1-4, WEB-BE Then Jesus came and took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples, after he had risen from the dead. So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?”He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.”He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” – John 21:13-15, WEB-BE The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.” – Luke 22:31-32, WEB-BE 3. Has Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide His Church into all Truth? Yes. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit and sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit will guide the Church in Truth. This will prevent errors in teachings and in doctrine. Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are vulnerable to misinterpreting the Scriptures. “…no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation.” – 2 Peter 1, WEB-BE We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the morning star arises in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit. – 2 Peter 1:19-21, WEB-BE This is where the infallibility of the Pope comes in. Infallibility doesn’t mean the Pope will already be perfect. It doesn’t mean that he will never make personal errors. What is ensured is infallibility in matters “pertaining to faith or morals”. This means that we are not left without a voice guided by the Spirit of Truth who will interpret Scriptures and doctrine in matters of faith or morals. 891 The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful - who confirms his brethren in the faith he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals. . . . Catechism of the Church Without the guidance of the Spirit of Truth, the Church will be vulnerable against men who misinterpret Scriptures. Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you; as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. – 2 Peter 3:15-18, WEB-BE These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. – 1 Timothy 3:14-15, KJV “I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you. All things whatever the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes† of mine, and will declare it to you. – John 16:12-15, WEB-BE He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” – Acts 1:7-8, WEB-BE Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. – Acts 2:1-4 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20, WEB-BE 4. Is the guidance given to the Church only in written word through the Bible? No. It is very clear, even from the Bible itself that not all teachings come from the written word. There are traditions that are transmitted verbally. What is important is that these verbal and written traditions have been passed on and kept intact by those who are duly authorized in the Church. We find comfort when we know from whom such traditions have been conveyed as when we know from the Catholic Church that they have been transferred through an unbroken apostolic succession since the time of Peter himself. So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word, or by letter. -2 Thessalonians 2:15, WEB-BE Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you. – 1 Corinthians 11:2, WEB-BE For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. – 1 Thessalonians 2:13, KJV 5. What if sinful and imperfect men enter the Church? The sinfulness of the members of the Church do not nullify the authority of the Church. What has been promised us is that the Church will be guided as to its teachings, that errors will be prevented, and Truth will be protected. We are not promised that everyone who joins the Church will immediately become perfect. Let us remember that the Church is made up of people, people who are often weak and tempted, people who sin. If they do sin, they are acting “in contradiction” to the teachings of the Church. Let us also remember that even within Jesus’ twelve apostles, one has become the traitor in the person of Judas. His sin however does not nullify the authority of Jesus. It is because of his own will that he betrayed Jesus, and not because of the teachings, works and miracles of Jesus Himself. Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve. – John 6:70-71, WEB-BE In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred and twenty), and said, “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus. For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry. Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out. It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’ For it is written in the book of Psalms,‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell therein;’ and,‘Let another take his office.’ – Acts 1:15-20, WEB-BE
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 07:05:59 +0000
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