I Believe

Overview ...

This article addresses the topic of whether doctrines can be determined from scripture and the writings of the Early Church Fathers without the need to refer to an infallible teaching authority. Two categories ...

• Doctrines which have sufficient evidence (in my opinion).
• Those which require an infallible teaching authority. (But which one?)

This article is limited to non-essential doctrines; the ones that cause so much disagreement among Christians. I exclude the essential doctrines of Christianity (the ones that all Christians agree with).

I call this article "I Believe" to highlight that this topic is necessarily based on personal judgment and interpretation. Everyone comes to their own conclusions. Without an infallible teaching authority there is no unity of belief.

I wholeheartedly believe that the Catholic Church is the true church founded by Jesus and the apostles, and I am 100% loyal and faithful to her teachings and laws.

These are clear ...

These doctrines and teachings require no infallible teaching authority. They can be determined merely from scripture and the writings of the Early Church Fathers (but people disagree) ...

• Marian doctrines -- There is ample evidence in the Bible and the writings of the church fathers for all the Catholic Marian doctrines (with the possible exception of the Assumption of Mary). Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other Protestant reformers had a Marian devotion at times.
• Purgatory -- There is ample evidence in the Bible. The Orthodox communions have a similar view.
• Bishop of Rome is first among equals -- this was the view of many church fathers and is still the Orthodox view.
• Apparitions -- there are apparitions in the New Testament (Luke 24:15, Acts 12:15, Acts 5:19, Acts 10:11). There is no reason to assume they should stop happening after that.
• Celibacy -- There is an extended passage in 1 Corinthians 7 about this topic and there are plenty of references in the church fathers.
• Suffering -- The idea that we suffer with Christ. There is ample evidence for this in the New Testament.
• No divorce -- Jesus teaches that marriage is for life. I am horrified by how easily the Catholic church grants annulments.
  

  Regarding Catholic annulments: The Catholic view that marriage is a sacrament and that divorce is never acceptable is very refreshing. A consequence of these high standards of the Catholic Church implies that many non-Catholic marriages don't qualify as marriage at all. This is when annulments seem proper. I am not addressing the topic of whether or not annulments are given in cases when they perhaps should not be.

• Remarriage not allowed if former spouse is living -- Jesus calls it adultery.
• Divorce and remarriage allowed in extreme cases ...
  • One spouse converts to Christianity and the other leaves -- This is in the New Testament
  • Adultery -- Jesus allows for divorce in this case.
• Consecrated, religious life -- There are examples in the Bible of this (Mat 19:12, Mat 19:21, Acts 6:4, 1 Tim 5:5, )
• Relics -- There are examples of this in the New Testament (for example, Paul and the blessed handerkerchiefs -- Acts 19:12). There is no reason to believe that these were only for the New Testament era.
• Baptism as a sacrament. The writings of the Early Church Fathers are very clear that baptism is the means by which a person's sins are remitted. Baptism is not merely an act performed in obedience.
• Eucharist, Lord's Supper, Real Presence -- There is ample of evidence in scripture and the Early Church Fathers. The Catholic view of transubstantiation did not appear until much later. (The Orthodox church has a similar view)
• Saints -- There is evidence for this in the book of Revelation (5:8; 8:3-4).
• Clergy / Laity -- There is a distinction in roles.
• Liturgical calendar -- This appears very early.
• Fasting -- This is in the New Testament.
• Penance -- This appears very early in the writings of the Early Church Fathers.
• Excommunication -- This is referred to in the Old and New Testaments and appears very early in the writings of the Early Church Fathers. (But there must be one global church such as the Catholic Church for this to make sense, otherwise people just switch denominations and the excommunication is undone.)
• The church is an external institution, ruled by the bishops as the successors of the apostles, and in possession of true tradition -- This concept appears early.
• Local churches are subject to regional church leaders and regional churches in communion with national and global churches -- This concept appears early.
• Church membership -- People join the church by baptism and rejoin the church (if they have lapsed) by the laying on of hands after confession.
• Images, statues, icons -- The 7th ecumenical council addresses icons.
• Sacramentals -- These appear very early.
• Scripture is a key aspect -- This appears very early.
• Ecclesiastical offices (bishops, presbyters) -- The concept of strong, authoritative bishops appears very early.
• End times -- Amillennialism is the view of the Catholic Church and appears very early.
• Liturgical worship -- This appears very early.
• Doctrinal development -- Doctrines began development very early.
• Moral theology -- Nearly all the moral teachings of the Catholic Church appear very early.
• Church = the Kingdom -- The kingdom of God is not merely in the future.
• Asceticism -- This appears very early.
• The sabbath (Saturday) was replaced by the Lord's day (Sunday) -- This appears very early.
• Non-christians can be saved -- This appears very early.
• Exorcism -- In the early church, baptism was sometimes preceded by exorcism.
• Priesthood which offers sacrifice (Cyprian)
• Unity of church = unity of bishops

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These require an infallible teaching authority ...

These are doctrines which can not be determined merely from scripture and the writings of the Early Church Fathers; they require an infallible teaching authority. But which infallible teaching authority are we to believe?...

• Charismatic Movement -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers -- it is a late invention. In 1 Corinthians 12-14, Paul seems to be severely limiting their use of "charismatic" gifts, not encouraging a strong emphasis on these practices. In my opinion, modern Charismatics read these chapters very selectively.
• Speaking in tongues -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention.
• House church movement -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention. References in the New Testament to meeting in peoples homes does provide support for the house church movement.
• Papacy -- The Orthodox communities don't accept it.
• Treasury of merit -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention.
• Eucharist -- Transubstantiation as taught by the Catholic Church does not appear in the early church.
• Church membership -- The Early Church Fathers considered baptism to be the way in which a person was initiated into the church. The idea of a separate church membership is foreign to the early church. People who were excommunicated from the church could be readmitted by the laying on of hands. But at times in history there was a lengthy period of instruction required before baptism and a lengthy period of penance before being readmitted into the church.
• Holy orders -- Certainly the early church practiced a form of ordination. This practice appears in the New Testament. Often the congregations elected the church leaders and bishops from neighboring churches laid hands on them to confirm their ordination. But the Catholic and Orthodox doctrines of the sacrament of Holy Orders developed much later.
• 7 sacraments -- Certainly there was a general idea that God uses physical objects as well as rituals and cermonies as components of imparting His grace to us. But the doctrine of 7 sacraments appears late.
• Scripture only -- this was invented late (Wycliffe). I agree that scripture is a very key aspect, but we must consider the church fathers before 382 AD when they were in agreement.
• Saved by faith only -- The Bible clearly states that we are not saved by faith alone (James 2:24). Therefore, those who claim we are saved by faith alone do so based on another authority.
• Lord's supper is merely symbolic (not sacramental) -- Certainly the doctrine concerning the Eucharist developed significantly in the early centuries of the church, but the sacramental character of the Eucharist appears very early in the writings of the church fathers. Therefore, those who claim that communion is merely symbolic are basing this on another authority.
• Premillennialism, rapture, dispensationalism, preterism -- These various end-time views are not taught by the Early Church Fathers. They are modern innovations. Certainly some of the church fathers discussed a 1,000 year millennium.
• Sermon-based worship services -- Certainly there were occasions in the apostolic church in which people listened to sermons. But based on the evidence of the Early Church Fathers, the weekly meeting was liturgical -- it included scripture readings, a homily, various prayers, various liturgical recitations, and communion.
• Local flood/ Global flood
• Baptism as merely an act performed in obedience -- This idea does not appear in the early church.
• Soul-sleep -- No such thing in the church fathers. A late innovation.
• Calvinism -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention.
• Depravity of man -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention.
• Predestination -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention.
• King James only -- The was no King James bible until the 1600's.
• Word-Faith movement -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention.
• Speaking in tongues as evidence of baptism of Holy Spirit -- This idea does not appear in the early church.
• Prophecy is not for today -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention.
• Body, soul, spirit of man -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention.
• Eternal security -- There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention.
• State rules over church -- The eastern church accepted this but the western church always rejected it.
• Annihilation -- Seventh-Day Adventitsts believe it. There is no evidence for this in the writings of the church fathers. It is a late invention.

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