WHY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH FOR ALL CHRISTIANS?

Transcription

1 WHY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH FOR ALL CHRISTIANS? When we need to make a very important transaction, and we need to be certain that the other party will actually carry out all his obligations, but we cannot deal directly with the other person and have to deal with his agent or representative, then we must be certain that this agent is fully authorized to make a solid contract on that person s behalf and that it will be carried out. For instance, if I want to purchase a life insurance policy, the agent for an insurance company will take my signed application, plus my check for the premium, and give me a receipt for the money I have paid. But I really want to be absolutely certain that, if I should die, the insurance I applied for will actually be paid to my family, and this will be done at a time when I m no longer alive to make the claim. If I die, the agent is not the one who will be paying the money; rather, it s the company that agent represents. It isn t enough that the agent simply know his business and be honest with my money. Authorization from the insurance company is essential so that they will issue a binding contract as a result of the agent s action, and ultimately pay the claim. Whenever we re doing business with an agent for someone else, we have to be certain the person or firm the agent represents has actually given the authority to act in his name, and that the one granting authority will actually be bound by the actions of the agent. At the end of our life it isn t some church or the leaders of any church that will be our judge; it s Jesus Christ. So what church did He authorize to speak for Him? Christ wanted His message to be given to

2 the entire world: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15) He even threatened condemnation for those who refused to believe He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16) Consequently, He will surely protect the hearers of His message from being taught falsehood. But this can be done only with a single authoritative teaching body that is on-going and identifiable. --Private interpretation cannot guarantee it Nor can a human offshoot from the Church Christ founded --Nor can an invisible Church or one supposedly hidden for centuries. It requires one single identifiable Church with an authoritative teaching body to interpret His words and apply them to new situations. * Jesus Christ continues to be the sole head of the Church He founded --He will guarantee the teaching of that Church and preserve it from teaching anything that conflicts with His revelation --Any authorization of a Church has to come from Him alone Christ gave such a unique authorization to Peter and indicated this in four different ways: 1)He changed Simon s name to Peter and connected that name with the foundation of His Church -- Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona!... 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. (Matt 16:17-18) --God had changed the names of people in the Old Testament (Abram to Abraham (Gen 17:5), Jacob to Israel

3 (Gen 32:28), each time giving a special mission --The name Peter (Aramaic Cephas ) means rock, an Old Testament symbol that refers to God (Deut 32:4, Is 26:4, Psalm 42:9, 92:15, 95:1, 144:1) --The location where He said this reinforces the meaning --Caesarea Philippi, near a huge rock (500 feet long, 200 feet high). 2)Christ promised to give Peter authority -- 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 loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matt 16:19) --Keys represent authority (Is 22:22, Rev 1:18) --For His entire public life Christ had always and everywhere been preaching the message about the kingdom Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matt 4:17) --It s to that very kingdom that Christ now promises the keys to Peter --Christ s ratification makes Peter His deputy, indicates his authorization. 3)After His resurrection, Christ actually conferred the powers He had promised -- Feed my lambs...tend my sheep... Feed my sheep (John 22: 15, ) --The image of shepherd is one Christ had used for Himself I am the good shepherd (John 10:14) 4)At the Last Supper, even after predicting Peter would deny Him, Christ gave Peter a role above that of the other apostles --the mission of strengthening their faith -- When you have turned again, strengthen your brethren (Luke 22:32) So Christ left no doubt about His intention to have Peter as the one to speak for Him. Other indicators of primacy for Peter:

4 --Peter is mentioned first in all lists of the Apostles --Peter is the only apostle whom Jesus authorized to walk on water (Matt 14:25-31) --Jesus authorized Peter to pay the temple tax for the two of them (Jesus and Peter) with the same coin (Matt 17:24-27) --After the resurrection, Peter was the first Apostle to whom Christ appeared (Luke 24:34), even though John was the only apostle who came to Calvary. Peter s authority comes, therefore: --NOT from special qualities of his own --NOT as result of competition with the other Apostles --NOT because of selection by Apostles --but directly by appointment from Christ. Peter s authority was exercised by him and transmitted through all the bishops of Rome, even to today: --Peter exercised the authority Christ conferred on him --The other Apostles acquiesced --Peter went to Rome and ruled from there --Later bishops of Rome exercised the same authority --Their contemporaries accepted this. Peter immediately began to exercise this authority and the other Apostles acknowledged this: --Peter suggested the Apostles choose a successor to Judas (Acts 1) --He was the first to proclaim the gospel publicly (Acts 2) --Peter performed the first healing miracle after Pentecost (Acts 3) --Peter was the first to raise someone from the dead (Acts 9:36-41) --Although we honor Paul as the Apostle of the Gentiles because of his missionary journeys, Peter was the first to baptize Gentile converts, after receiving specific authorization in a vision from heaven (Acts 10)

5 The Apostles began to have successors: --The first successor was Matthias, even before Pentecost (Acts 1) --Christ intended His Church to last until end of time -- I am with you always, to the close of the age. (Matt 28: 20) --The Church s continued existence required successors to the Apostles --As they moved on, the Apostles left behind overseers (Greek, episcopoi) in local churches Peter moved to Antioch, then Rome, and ruled from each place: --James became bishop in Jerusalem --Peter s successor in Antioch was Evodius, and later Ignatius --Peter continued to rule, despite moving his headquarters Peter lived in Rome, ruled in Rome, died in Rome --The First Letter of Peter was written from Rome --He refers (5:13) to Babylon, a pseudonym for Rome --Early Christian writers Irenaeus and Dionysius of Corinth attest to his ruling from Rome --Church tradition has always held Peter died in Rome --Remains under St Peter s Basilica were confirmed to be his in No other city claims Peter s tomb The bishops of Rome after Peter exercised the same authority --Year 96, Clement intervened during a dispute at Corinth --John, one of the original twelve Apostles, was still alive, but did not challenge the bishop of Rome nd --Mid 2 century, Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, traveled to Rome to get a ruling

6 by Pope Anicetus regarding the date of Easter nd --Late 2 century, Irenaeus wrote, regarding the Church of Rome, It is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its pre-eminent authority. --Irenaeus, born in Smyrna, was taught by Polycarp, who knew the Apostle John; Irenaeus spent years in Rome before becoming bishop of Lyon. The authority of the bishop of Rome was not challenged until the Eastern Orthodox did so for the first time in the 9th century --During the heresies of the fourth century, both sides sought the support of the bishop of Rome rather than a mere count of bishops. In 451, Pope Leo s letter to the Council of Chalcedon was accepted with the response, Peter has spoken through Leo. --Without traditional backing, Rome s claim would have been contested. Unchallenged for 800 years, there is no credibility to a later challenge. The surest proof that the Catholic Church is the church founded by Jesus Christ is historical evidence showing that the authorization given to Peter by Christ has been passed down to each of the successors of Peter as bishop of Rome. The Catholic Church traces its authority, not just to Peter, but through Peter to Jesus Christ. Christ, who is God, guarantees to protect all people from being taught error by His Church in matters that are necessary for salvation about Himself, our purpose in life and our relation to Him. The Church that Christ protects would be the one to which He gives authorization. The need for protection from erroneous teaching requires that Christ s Church be:

7 --an identifiable, visible Church --with visible rulers and teachers --ongoing since its inception --able to apply His teachings and moral principles to new situations. Only the Catholic Church satisfies all the requirements. This does not mean that no other religion has any claim to holiness or truth. But since there is such widespread disagreement in teaching, it is obvious that no more than one religion can possess the fullness of truth that God has revealed. It s that fullness of truth that the Catholic Church claims to have all that God feels we need for salvation, so that there is no need for any further revelation. If your church claims Christ as its head, how do you trace the authorization back to Him? WHY the CA T H OL I C CHURCH for ALL CHRISTIANS? CATHOLIC EVIDENCE GUILD NEW YORK CHAPTER OFFICE OF ADULT FAITH FORMATION ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK 1011 FIRST AVENUE, SUITE 1327 NEW YORK, NY Phone or Fax: ceg@ureach.com Web Site: Copyright 2007 Catholic Evidence Guild New York Permission granted to reproduce and distribute c819a