Ignored Verses

Overview

In discussing the Catholic Church with Protestant naysayers of Catholicism I've noticed that they often have selective amnesia — They simply don't address the very biblical verses which strongly support the Catholic view. When I bring these verses to their attention they typically ignore them and present other verses instead. We should consider all verses of the Bible, not just those that support our view.

Overview | Not Saved by Faith Only | The Church is the Foundation of Truth | Tradition

Featured article: Moral Theology & Ethics

Related article: One Apostolic Church

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Not Saved by Faith Only

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (James 2:24)

How can it be more clear? Common objections ...

• James is not speaking of salvation. But notice that the verse immediateily preceding refers to Abraham's saving faith ...

  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. (James 2:23)

• The book of James is hard to understand and therefore this verse should be ignored. In fact, Martin Luther wanted to remove this book from the Bible. But the verse is actually easy to understand for those who accept Catholic teaching. Shame on those Protestants for claiming to accept the Bible as their sole authority but interpreting it with preconceived doctrines.

Additional articles: FaithAlone.html | Faith vs. Works in Romans

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The Church is the Foundation of Truth

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 3:15)

The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth, not the Bible. What can be more clear?

I should note that it is common for Protestant naysayers of Catholicism to misrepresent the Catholic view regarding the Bible. The Catholic Church teaches that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God. The dificulty arises in interpreting it truthfully.

Additional article: Sola Scriptura

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Tradition

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

What could be more clear? We are to follow the Traditions of the apostles which are passed-down to subsequent generations.

Protestant naysayers of Catholicism typically ignore this verse when they are insisting that the Catholic Church is based on the "traditions of men" which Jesus and Paul so strongly object to.

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. (Mark 7:8)

Jesus gives and example — washing pots. This kind of thing is hardly a doctrinal matter with the Catholic Church yet Jesus is objecting because the religious leaders made such things into a salvation issue.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

Paul, the writer of this verse, also wrote the passages in 2 Thessalonians in which he commands Christians to hold to the Traditions and walk in the Tradition. Surely he considers these Traditions and the "tradition of men" to be two very different things.

Article originally written March 15, 2009.

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