11-20/25
ELEVEN
Who finally did decide which books were inspired and therefore belonged to the New Testament?
Shortly before 400 A. D. a General Council of the Catholic Church,
using the infallible authority which Christ had given to His own divine institution,
finally decided which books really belonged to the New Testament and which did not.
Either the Church at this General Council was infallible,
or it was not.
If the Church was infallible then,
why is it not infallible now?
If the Church was not infallible then,
in that case the New Testament is not worth the paper it is written on,
because internal evidences of authenticity and inspiration are inconclusive and because the work of this Council cannot now be rechecked;
this is obvious from reply to next question.
COMMENT:
In view of these historical facts,
it is difficult to see how non-Catholics can deny that it was from the (Roman) Catholic Church that they received the New Testament.
TWELVE
Why is it impossible for modern non-Catholics to check over the work done by the Church previous to 400. A. D.?
The original writings were on frail material called papyrus,
which had but temporary enduring qualities.
While the books judged to be inspired by the Catholic Church were carefully copied by her monks,
those rejected at that time were allowed to disintegrate,
for lack of further interest in them.
COMMENT.
What then is left for non-Catholics,
except to trust the Catholic Church to have acted under divine inspiration;
if at that time, why not now?
THIRTEEN
Would the theory of private interpretation of the New Testament have been possible for the year 400 A. D.?
No, because, as already stated,
no New Testament as such was in existence.
COMMENT:
If our non-Catholic brethren today had no Bibles,
how could they even imagine following the "Bible-only privately interpreted" theory;
but before 400 A. D.,
New Testaments were altogether unavailable.
FOURTEEN
Would the private interpretation theory have been possible between 400 A. D. and 1440 A. D.,
when printing was invented?
No, the cost of individual Bibles written by hand was prohibitive;
moreover,
due to the scarcity of books,
and other reasons,
the ability to read was limited to a small minority.
The Church used art,
drama and other means to convey Biblical messages.
COMMENT:
To have proposed the "Bible-only" theory during the above period would obviously have been impracticable and irrational.
FIFTEEN
Who copied and conserved the Bible during the interval between 400 A. D. and 1440 A. D.?
The Catholic monks;
in many cases these spent their entire lives to give the world personally-penned copies of the Scriptures,
before printing was invented.
COMMENT:
In spite of this,
the Catholic Church is accused of having tried to destroy the Bible;
had she desired to do this,
she had 1500 years within which to do so.
SIXTEEN
Who gave the Reformers the authority to change over from the one Faith,
one Fold and one Shepherd program,
to that of the "Bible-only theory"?
St. Paul seems to answer the above when he said:
"But though we,
or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed."
(Galations 1-8 - Protestant version ).
COMMENT:
If in 300 years, one-third of Christianity was split into at least 300 sects,
how many sects would three-thirds of Christianity have produced in 1900 years?
(Answer is 5700).
SEVENTEEN
Since Luther,
what consequences have followed from the use of the "Bible-only" theory and its personal interpretation?
Just what St. Paul foretold when he said:
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears."
2 Timothy 4-3 (Protestant edition).
According to the World Christian Encyclopedia and other sources,
there are 73 different organizations of Methodists,
55 kinds of Baptists,
10 branches of Presbyterians,
17 organizations of Mennonites,
128 of Lutherans and thousands of other denominations.
COMMENT:
The "Bible-only" theory may indeed cater to the self-exaltation of the individual,
but it certainly does not conduce to the acquisition of Divine truth.
EIGHTEEN
In Christ's system, what important part has the Bible?
The Bible is one precious source of religious truth;
other sources are historical records (Tradition) and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.
COMMENT:
Elimination of any one of the three elements in the equation of Christ's true Church would be fatal to its claims to be such.
NINETEEN
Now that the New Testament is complete and available,
what insolvable problem remains?
The impossibility of the Bible to explain itself and the consequent multiplicity of errors which individuals make by their theory of private interpretation.
Hence it is indisputable that the Bible must have an authorized interpreter.
2 Peter 1-20:
Knowing this first,
that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2 Peter 3-16:
As also in all his epistles,
speaking in them of these things;
in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Acts 8-30:
And Philip ran thither to him,
and heard him read the prophet Isaias, and said,
understandest thou what thou readest? 31.
And he said,
How can I except some men should guide me?
And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
COMMENT:
Only by going on the supposition that falsehood is as acceptable to God as is truth,
can the "Bible-only" theory be defended.
TWENTY
Who is the official expounder of the Scriptures?
The Holy Spirit,
acting through and within the Church which Christ founded nineteen centuries ago;
the Bible teaches through whom in the Church come the official interpretations of;
God's law and God's word.
Luke 10-16:
He that heareth you heareth me;
and he that despiseth you despiseth me;
and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Matt. 16-18:
And I say also unto thee,
That thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mal. 2-7:
For the priest's lips should keep knowledge,
and they should seek the law at his mouth:
for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
COMMENT:
Formerly at least,
it was commonly held that when individuals read their Bibles carefully and prayerfully,
the Holy Spirit would guide each individual to a knowledge of the truth.
This is much more than the Catholic Church claims for even the Pope himself.
Only after extended consultation and study,
with much fervent prayer,
does he rarely and solemnly make such a decision.
Who finally did decide which books were inspired and therefore belonged to the New Testament?
Shortly before 400 A. D. a General Council of the Catholic Church,
using the infallible authority which Christ had given to His own divine institution,
finally decided which books really belonged to the New Testament and which did not.
Either the Church at this General Council was infallible,
or it was not.
If the Church was infallible then,
why is it not infallible now?
If the Church was not infallible then,
in that case the New Testament is not worth the paper it is written on,
because internal evidences of authenticity and inspiration are inconclusive and because the work of this Council cannot now be rechecked;
this is obvious from reply to next question.
COMMENT:
In view of these historical facts,
it is difficult to see how non-Catholics can deny that it was from the (Roman) Catholic Church that they received the New Testament.