ECT HOW GOD SPEAKS TO US: The Catholic Teaching

Cruciform

New member
HOW GOD SPEAKS TO US

As from the first, God speaks to his Church through the Bible and through sacred Tradition. To make sure we understand him, he guides the Church’s teaching authority—the Magisterium—so it always interprets the Bible and Tradition accurately. This is the gift of infallibility.

Like the three legs on a stool, the Bible, Tradition, and the Magisterium, are all necessary for the stability of the Church and to guarantee sound doctrine.

Sacred Tradition (CCC* 75–83)

Sacred Tradition should not be confused with mere traditions of men, which are more commonly called customs or disciplines. Jesus sometimes condemned customs or disciplines, but only if they were contrary to God’s commands (Mark 7:8). He never condemned sacred Tradition, and he didn’t even condemn all human tradition.

Sacred Tradition and the Bible are not different or competing revelations. They are two ways that the Church hands on the gospel. Apostolic teachings such as the Trinity, infant baptism, the inerrancy of the Bible, purgatory, and Mary’s perpetual virginity have been most clearly taught through Tradition, although they are also implicitly present in (and not contrary to) the Bible. The Bible itself tells us to hold fast to Tradition, whether it comes to us in written or oral form (2 Thess. 2:15, 1 Cor. 11:2).

Sacred Tradition should not be confused with customs and disciplines, such as the rosary, priestly celibacy, and not eating meat on Fridays in Lent. These are good and helpful things, but they are not doctrines. Sacred Tradition preserves doctrines first taught by Jesus to the apostles and later passed down to us through the apostles’ successors, the bishops.

Scripture (CCC 101–141)

Scripture, by which we mean the Old and New Testaments, was inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16). The Holy Spirit guided the biblical authors to write what he wanted them to write. Since God is the principal author of the Bible, and since God is truth itself (John 14:6) and cannot teach anything untrue, the Bible is free from all error in everything it asserts to be true.

Some Christians claim, "The Bible is all I need," but this notion is not taught in the Bible itself. In fact, the Bible teaches the contrary idea (2 Pet. 1:20–21, 3:15–16). The "Bible alone" theory was not believed by anyone in the early Church.

It is new, having arisen only in the 1500s during the Protestant Reformation. The theory is a "tradition of men" that nullifies the Word of God, distorts the true role of the Bible, and undermines the authority of the Church Jesus established (Mark 7:1–8).

Although popular with many "Bible Christian" churches, the "Bible alone" theory simply does not work in practice. Historical experience disproves it. Each year we see additional splintering among "Bible-believing" religions.

Today there are tens of thousands of competing denominations, each insisting its interpretation of the Bible is the correct one. The resulting divisions have caused untold confusion among millions of sincere but misled Christians.

Just open up the Yellow Pages of your telephone book and see how many different denominations are listed, each claiming to go by the "Bible alone," but no two of them agreeing on exactly what the Bible means.

We know this for sure: The Holy Spirit cannot be the author of this confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). God cannot lead people to contradictory beliefs because his truth is one. The conclusion? The "Bible alone" theory must be false.

The Magisterium (CCC 85–87, 888–892)

Together the pope and the bishops form the teaching authority of the Church, which is called the Magisterium (from the Latin for "teacher"). The Magisterium, guided and protected from error by the Holy Spirit, gives us certainty in matters of doctrine. The Church is the custodian of the Bible and faithfully and accurately proclaims its message, a task which God has empowered it to do.

Keep in mind that the Church came before the New Testament, not the New Testament before the Church. Divinely-inspired members of the Church wrote the books of the New Testament, just as divinely-inspired writers had written the Old Testament, and the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit to guard and interpret the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments.

Such an official interpreter is absolutely necessary if we are to understand the Bible properly. (We all know what the Constitution says, but we still need a Supreme Court to interpret what it means.)

The Magisterium is infallible when it teaches officially because Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles and their successors "into all truth" (John 16:12–13).


http://www.catholic.com/documents/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth


__________
*Catechism of the Catholic Church.
 

andyc

New member
Today there are tens of thousands of competing denominations, each insisting its interpretation of the Bible is the correct one. The resulting divisions have caused untold confusion among millions of sincere but misled Christians.

Just open up the Yellow Pages of your telephone book and see how many different denominations are listed, each claiming to go by the "Bible alone," but no two of them agreeing on exactly what the Bible means.

Thanks to people like William Tyndale (burned by the catholics) we are able to read the bible for ourselves and compare the doctrines and traditions of the Catholic Church with scripture. Then look in the yellow pages for a better alternative.
 

Cruciform

New member
Thanks to people like William Tindale (burned by the Catholics) we are able to read the bible for ourselves...
In fact, the Catholic Church during the Renaissance Period never forbade the common people from reading the Bible for themselves---the very few who were literate, anyway. Bibles were made available in local Catholic churches for just such a purpose.

Regarding Tyndale, see this.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+
 

oatmeal

Well-known member
What do I have to do to start a new tradition in the RCC?

I think their present traditions are out of date.

They need some new ones
 

Lazy afternoon

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
The Bible is the believers handbook, but it is not the living God who speaks to His own, on a minute to minute basis.
 

Cruciform

New member
What do I have to do to start a new tradition in the RCC?
No one can "start a new tradition" in the Catholic Church.

I think their present traditions are out of date. They need some new ones
The apostolic teachings of Christ's one historic Church cannot go "out of date." Sorry for your confusion.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+
 

andyc

New member
In fact, the Catholic Church during the Renaissance Period never forbade the common people from reading the Bible for themselves---the very few who were literate, anyway. Bibles were made available in local Catholic churches for just such a purpose.

Regarding Tyndale, see this.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

William Tyndale was executed for the charge of "heresy" by order of the Protestant King of England Henry VIII in October 1536.

Henry wasn't the governor in charge. He had no authority in the case.
 

Cruciform

New member
Henry wasn't the governor in charge. He had no authority in the case.
It may be a reference to Henry's anger with Tyndale regarding his (Tyndale's) public opposition to Henry's attempted divorce:


In 1530, he wrote The Practyse of Prelates, opposing Henry VIII's planned divorce from Catherine of Aragon, in favour of Anne Boleyn, on the grounds that it was unscriptural and was a plot by Cardinal Wolsey to get Henry entangled in the papal courts of Pope Clement VII.[25] The king's wrath was aimed at Tyndale: Henry asked the Emperor Charles V to have the writer apprehended and returned to England under the terms of the Treaty of Cambrai; however, the Emperor responded that formal evidence was required before extradition.[26] Tyndale developed his case in An Answer unto Sir Thomas More's Dialogue.
 

Cross Reference

New member
"One historic church", the man says and the Bible reveals the many, if not all of the many churches were started by Paul to be the "One True Church", the Body of Christ, the ones Christ Jesus references in the book of Revelations. What is the point in dismissing all those facts. What does that RCC hope to gain by doing so except power heaped on itself by the big lie of Apostolic succession?
Peter preached to the "circumcision". There is no Biblical evidence he ever even went to Rome given it was Paul's territory.. Which makes sense, given his letter to them. Anyone would think Paul would have at least mentioned Peter's name in it__just once.
 

Jedidiah

New member
...Peter preached to the "circumcision". There is no Biblical evidence he ever even went to Rome given it was Paul's territory.. Which makes sense, given his letter to them. Anyone would think Paul would have at least mentioned Peter's name in it__just once.
I guess it depends upon when it was written...if Peter did go to Rome at all, that is.
 

Jedidiah

New member
If you place your cursor on one of the blue links and left-click, you'll be taken to a source that addresses your posted comments.
I agree with CR's point. If Peter had been there, then I think Paul would have mentioned him, in Romans. :idunno:
 

keypurr

Well-known member
HOW GOD SPEAKS TO US

As from the first, God speaks to his Church through the Bible and through sacred Tradition. To make sure we understand him, he guides the Church’s teaching authority—the Magisterium—so it always interprets the Bible and Tradition accurately. This is the gift of infallibility.

Like the three legs on a stool, the Bible, Tradition, and the Magisterium, are all necessary for the stability of the Church and to guarantee sound doctrine.

Sacred Tradition (CCC* 75–83)

Sacred Tradition should not be confused with mere traditions of men, which are more commonly called customs or disciplines. Jesus sometimes condemned customs or disciplines, but only if they were contrary to God’s commands (Mark 7:8). He never condemned sacred Tradition, and he didn’t even condemn all human tradition.

Sacred Tradition and the Bible are not different or competing revelations. They are two ways that the Church hands on the gospel. Apostolic teachings such as the Trinity, infant baptism, the inerrancy of the Bible, purgatory, and Mary’s perpetual virginity have been most clearly taught through Tradition, although they are also implicitly present in (and not contrary to) the Bible. The Bible itself tells us to hold fast to Tradition, whether it comes to us in written or oral form (2 Thess. 2:15, 1 Cor. 11:2).

Sacred Tradition should not be confused with customs and disciplines, such as the rosary, priestly celibacy, and not eating meat on Fridays in Lent. These are good and helpful things, but they are not doctrines. Sacred Tradition preserves doctrines first taught by Jesus to the apostles and later passed down to us through the apostles’ successors, the bishops.

Scripture (CCC 101–141)

Scripture, by which we mean the Old and New Testaments, was inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16). The Holy Spirit guided the biblical authors to write what he wanted them to write. Since God is the principal author of the Bible, and since God is truth itself (John 14:6) and cannot teach anything untrue, the Bible is free from all error in everything it asserts to be true.

Some Christians claim, "The Bible is all I need," but this notion is not taught in the Bible itself. In fact, the Bible teaches the contrary idea (2 Pet. 1:20–21, 3:15–16). The "Bible alone" theory was not believed by anyone in the early Church.

It is new, having arisen only in the 1500s during the Protestant Reformation. The theory is a "tradition of men" that nullifies the Word of God, distorts the true role of the Bible, and undermines the authority of the Church Jesus established (Mark 7:1–8).

Although popular with many "Bible Christian" churches, the "Bible alone" theory simply does not work in practice. Historical experience disproves it. Each year we see additional splintering among "Bible-believing" religions.

Today there are tens of thousands of competing denominations, each insisting its interpretation of the Bible is the correct one. The resulting divisions have caused untold confusion among millions of sincere but misled Christians.

Just open up the Yellow Pages of your telephone book and see how many different denominations are listed, each claiming to go by the "Bible alone," but no two of them agreeing on exactly what the Bible means.

We know this for sure: The Holy Spirit cannot be the author of this confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). God cannot lead people to contradictory beliefs because his truth is one. The conclusion? The "Bible alone" theory must be false.

The Magisterium (CCC 85–87, 888–892)

Together the pope and the bishops form the teaching authority of the Church, which is called the Magisterium (from the Latin for "teacher"). The Magisterium, guided and protected from error by the Holy Spirit, gives us certainty in matters of doctrine. The Church is the custodian of the Bible and faithfully and accurately proclaims its message, a task which God has empowered it to do.

Keep in mind that the Church came before the New Testament, not the New Testament before the Church. Divinely-inspired members of the Church wrote the books of the New Testament, just as divinely-inspired writers had written the Old Testament, and the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit to guard and interpret the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments.

Such an official interpreter is absolutely necessary if we are to understand the Bible properly. (We all know what the Constitution says, but we still need a Supreme Court to interpret what it means.)

The Magisterium is infallible when it teaches officially because Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles and their successors "into all truth" (John 16:12–13).


http://www.catholic.com/documents/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth


__________
*Catechism of the Catholic Church.

I like you as a person but you have been brainwashed.
 

Cruciform

New member
I like you as a person but you have been brainwashed.
No more than you have, friend. We both choose to follow our particular doctrinal traditions. I follow the ancient teaching Tradition of Christ's one historic Catholic Church, while you follow the assumptions and opinions of your chosen recently-invented, man-made non-Christian sect. Either way, each of us promotes his favored theological tradition.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+
 
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