ArchEssay Clarification

ArchEssay Clarification

Why do Catholics believe in and do things not found in the Bible?

A Clarification Presentation

Revelation

• Revelation is the way God communicates knowledge about Himself to humankind. He does so through His actions and words over time – most notably through sending His Son Jesus Christ. (14)

• All that is to be Revealed has already been revealed. We can grow in our understanding of Revelation, but there will be no new public revelation until the Second Coming. 

Multiple Choice

God is still revealing things to us every day.

• True

• False

Scripture

• Sacred Scripture is the written transmission of the Church’s Gospel message found in the Church’s teaching, life and worship. It is faithfully preserved, handed down, and interpreted by the Church’s Magisterium. (20)

• BIBLE

Tradition vs. tradition

• Sacred Tradition is the living transmission of the Church’s Gospel message found in the Church’s teaching, life and worship. It is faithfully preserved, handed down, and interpreted by the Church’s Magisterium. (20)

• tradition is the “various theological, disciplinary, liturgical, or devotional traditions, born in the local churches over time. These are the particular forms, adapted to different places and times in which the great Tradition is expressed. In the light of Tradition, these traditions can be retained, modified or even abandoned…” (CCC 83)

Tradition vs. tradition

• tradition is not set in stone and we are united as a Church made up of many different traditions, but we all profess the same Tradition

• Tradition and Scripture are firmly rooted together – Scripture is heavily referenced to support Tradition - but comes from Tradition itself. Tradition makes explicit beliefs held in the Bible and introduces language to explain them that did not exist at the time the Bible was written. Tradition cannot go against Scripture. Tradition cannot invent, it merely makes clear. 

• Tradition by its nature predates the Bible but remains open unlike the Bible

Multiple Choice

Catholic Tradition cannot be divorced from Scripture.

• True

• False

Examples of things that come from Tradition

-       Jesus is true God and true Man

o  In response to heresies denying either the humanity or divinity of Christ

-       Apostles/Nicene Creed

o  Creeds are basic statements of belief, these were promulgated at early Church councils and they continue to be used by Catholics, Orthodox, and many Protestants

Examples of things that come from Tradition

-       Trinitarian Theology

o  Most of our understandings of the Trinity and the nature of God come from early Church councils (ex. Council of Chalcedon) – these understandings can be found in Scripture but are explained more concisely in Tradition

o  The word ‘Trinity’ did not exist when the Bible was written – we have introduced new words to the world in order to explain this Scriptural belief better

Multiple Choice

Only Catholics profess Tradition articulated at various Church councils.

• True

• False

Scriptural Support

The use of Apostolic Tradition to make clear what Jesus did not, is Biblical. The story of the Council of Jerusalem in Acts shows that the early Christian leaders came together to clarify an issue that needed to be addressed. While other councils are not included in Scripture due to the close of the canon, they are not unlike this original council. 

Things not defined in Scripture

• Sunday is the Christian Sabbath

• How the date of Easter is determined

• What is the Scriptural Canon

• ---Any use of Scripture is necessarily informed by Tradition

Multiple Choice

What is defined within Sacred Scripture?

• Baptismal formula

• Sabbath day

• What counts as meat during Lent

• How to choose a pope

How they come together:

God reveals Himself to us through Scripture and Tradition. Tradition informs Scripture. Together they are the Deposit of Faith that has been faithfully handed down by the Magisterium since the earliest days of the Church. These are the fullness of our beliefs and what has maintained the Christian faith. Apostolic Tradition is guided by the successors of the Apostles to continue to clarify the beliefs of the faith as necessary in every age remaining loyal to what God has Revealed to us

Catholic/Protestant Catechisms and their Biblical Citations

Multiple Choice

Catholics and Protestants often cite the same Bible verses when discussing core beliefs.

• True

• False

Why the Magisterium is important to maintaining the Deposit of Faith

Here are four different modern translations of Psalm 117

Words take on different meanings in different times and contexts - so it is important to be guided by scholars who understand the source meaning and context

Multiple Choice

All Bible translations are perfectly equal.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which Bible translation do we use for class?

• NIV

• KJV

• NRSV

• NABRE

What is a Christian?

• “one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ” – Merriam-Webster 

• “of or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ” – Cambridge Dictionary 

Christian is an umbrella term

• It refers generally to all who confess Christ as Savior and King

• It includes Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants (all of these are umbrella terms in their own right)

• All Catholics are Christian, not all Christians are Catholic

How Christianity divided to what it is today (unity is a major goal)

Multiple Choice

Christian is an umbrella term for many different groups of people who believe in Jesus.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which group would not be considered Christian?

• Eastern Catholics

• Greek Orthodox

• Presbyterians

• Hasids

Recap

• Catholics do not 'make up' core beliefs - they are rooted in Tradition where they are explicitly defined with support of Scripture

• What we believe does not change - how clearly we can express it does

• Catholics have plenty of traditions that are important to their faith but not essential to their beliefs - these are malleable

• Scripture and Tradition work together to support and maintain the Church

• Christianity includes Catholicism and is united in love for Christ

Multiple Choice

Which is not an example of tradition?

• Advent candles

• Christ's identity as true God and true man

• Language we say Mass in

• Wearing red for Pentecost

Multiple Choice

Catholic is an umbrella term for many different rites - most notably the Roman/Latin Rite

• True

• False