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YEA, HATH GOD SAID?
my reply to an audio tape called- "Catholic Religion Proved by the Protestant Bible" (which is from Keep the Faith, Inc. Narrated by Joel Blake) "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea,hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die..." -Genesis 3:1-4 Ever since the serpent in the garden the enemies of God’s truth have sought, through subtility and deception, to cause God’s people to disobey Gods word. Like common con-artists, these impostors in pretense claim to have deeper understanding into God’s word, in order to gain our trust. "... Yea,hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?..." -Genesis 3:1 But the true intentions of these impostors is in their desire to make the word of God of no effect. "...And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: ..." -Genesis 3:4 In addition to laying aside the commandments of God to hold the traditions of men, there is another note worthy characteristic of these impostors. They make promises that are not theirs to give. " For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." - Genesis 3:5 "While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: ..." - 2Peter 2:19 "...And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." - Matt. 15:14 The following was written in response to a tape called "Catholic Religion Proved by Protestant Bible" by Keep the Faith, Inc. the tape is narrated by Joel Blake, all quotes, unless otherwise noted, are his. I received this tape by a friend of mine who wanted to prove the validity of Catholicism to me. Section A- Introduction to the Roman Catholic Doctrine The tape is introduced with the claims that Roman Catholic doctrine is purportedly derived from: 1. The Bible - what is explicitly or implicitly stated. 2. Available Bible material - derived from history, tradition, catacombs. 3. The Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:16, 26). 4. The Lord's presence (Matt. 28:20). This writing will be examining these claims. The first two items will be directly responded to. Whether or not the 3rd and 4th items are accurate statements should become discernible by the time the following material has been covered. How did Jesus reply to those who taught what scripture only implied, and did not explicitly state? "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.' Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, 'It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.' Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, 'Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." -Matthew 4:1-10. What was Jesus' reply to those who would teach "traditions" rather than the expressly stated scripture? "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, 'Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." -Matthew 15:3-9. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders... He answered and said unto them, 'Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 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.' And he said unto them, 'Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition... Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." -Mark 7:6-13. But where is one verse of scripture that warns against holding God's Holy Word above tradition? There is none! But, does scripture not warn against the traditions of men? "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Wherefore laying aside all... hypocrisies... As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby..." -1 Peter 1:18-2:7. "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. "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts..." -2 Peter 3:1-5. "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." -Matt. 5:19 "...These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing... whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth... from such withdraw thyself." -1 Timothy 6:2-5 "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." -2 Timothy 4:1-4. At what point in history did tradition begin to be held as equal with scripture? "In 1545 at the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church voted to hold tradition equal to the teaching of the Bible." -Dr. Fabian S. Reinhart, in "Facts for Roman Catholics", pg 38. Section B- Written word, Tradition and Papacy
The Bible says- "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matt 15:8) and "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 Thess. 3:6). Does history and scripture prove that the traditions taught by the Catholic Church are the traditions of men, warned against in the Bible, or the traditions taught by the apostles? Did the Roman Catholic church exist as it is today from apostolic times? "Catholic structure and Catholic belief cannot be clearly perceived before the 2nd century... The emperors Decius, Valerian, and Diocletian in the 3rd century... did not foresee that Christianity would reach a compromise with the empire, that it would become 'Roman'... " -Encyclopedia Brittanica, vol. 15, pages 986-987. "Later Developments. Based upon Augustine's views... in the West, a new power was formed: the Roman church... This church understood itself as the successor of the extinct Roman Empire... The church became great and powerful as the heir to the Roman Empire. Only within this vacuum could the idea of the papacy develop in which the great popes, as bishops of Rome, stepped into the position of the vanished emperors. "On the ideological basis of the 'gift of the emperor Constantine'- the Donation of Constantine (a forged document that granted the papacy territorial rights to much of the Western world)- became possible, to which the later development of the papacy was connected. The Donation attempted to reconstruct the history of the Roman papacy in retrospect in order to make legitimate the newly gained ecclesiastical and political position of the popes after the extinction of the Western Roman imperial reign... "In this theory, the myth of Byzantium, the 'new Rome,' was reconstructed by a new myth of the Christian Rome: the Roman bishop, the new lord in the Christian Rome, had taken over all functions of the emperor himself... "The Roman popes not only based their claim to form and lead their own church state on a spiritual-secular judicial understanding but they also created a theocracy within areas that until then were part of the provinces of the Byzantine emperor. They renounced a number of former imperial rights and claimed them for themselves. They extended the secular claim of government of the church beyond the borders of the church-state and developed the so-called theory of the two swords, stating that Christ gave the pope not only spiritual power over the church but also secular power over the worldly kingdoms."- Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, 1984, Vol. 4, pages 511-512. Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, 1984, vol. 4, page 468: "Christianity... The early Christian Church... of the first three centuries turned decisively against the state religion of Rome... because their religion could not be fitted into the politically sanctioned pagan religious system... Constantine, in the early 4th century... ended the persecution of the church and made it itself the basis for the spiritual unity of the Roman Empire. The church thereby became the partner of the... state... pg 476: "Doctrinal Orientations... The Roman church was strongly Jewish-Christian in character and combined this character... with the basic orientation of the Roman view of religion... The legal character of Roman religion was expressed in the fact that the efficacy of the state cult ceremonies was dependent upon the strictest observation of a wide variety of regulations. Later developments of Roman Catholic Christianity depended largely upon the basis of this legal thinking... "The development of the Western notion... of the priesthood is also dominated by the legal concept... In the sphere of this kind of legal thinking the papacy and the doctrine of papal primacy developed. The idea of a jurisdictional primacy played a prominent role in the formation of the doctrine of the papacy... On the basis of this legal consciousness the Western church also developed its own canon law... Judicial thinking was similarly significant in the theology of the West... Tertullian (c.200) introduced a series of fundamental juridical concepts into theology... Through indulgences, requiems, and other acts, the church expanded its spiritual-judicial authority even to this realm of the departed souls of purgatory..." pg 491: "In the Roman Church the papacy evolved out of the monarchical episcopate... A leading role developed upon the leading bishop of the Roman community... This... organization followed the provincial organization of the Roman Empire. The theological underpinning of this special position was emphasized by Petrine theology, which saw in the words of Jesus, 'You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church' (Matt. 16:18), a spiritual-legal instituting of the papacy by Jesus Christ himself. In the Greek Church of the East (e.g. Origien) and also in Augustine in the West, however, these words were referred to Peter's confession of faith; (only) since the time of popes Gelasius I (reigned 492-496), Symmachus (reigned 498-514), and Gregory I (reigned 590-604), these words have served as the foundation for the claim of papal primacy over the entire Christian Church." pg 508-509: "...There evolved the concept of caesaropapism... "The Roman Church... preserved in its episcopal dioceses the Roman provincial arrangement... The church (and its leader, the pope) largely depended upon the old imperial law... The Roman popes used this power, which was in fact allotted to them by circumstances, to develop a specific ecclesiastical state and to base this state upon a new theocratic ideology- the idea that the pope was the representative of Christ and the successor of Peter... "The evolution of the Roman papacy into an ecclesiastical state was not recognized by Byzantium (but) was instead understood as a political revolt..." Let it now be established that it is a historical, and well documented fact- the Roman Catholic Church has a long history of attempting to "reconstruct the history of the Roman papacy in retrospect." What motive would the Roman Church have to attempt to rewrite history and conceal the facts? "Christianity of Constantine was but of a very doubtful kind, the pagans seeing nothing in it to hinder but that when he died, he should be enrolled among their gods.-(Eutropius,x.pp.131-133)" -The Two Babylons, By Rev. Alexander Hislop, Loizeaux Brothers, page 235. "But we have still to discover when and how the Fellow in the Cap (the pagan god Mithra, hence the mitre hat worn by Catholic priests) was incorporated into the Christian fold; why and how he disappeared as though he had never been, and above all, where he has been living and thriving since the fourth century of our era... "Those earnest Christian Fathers zealously burning and tearing up every scrap of written evidence as to the nature of the cult they wished to exterminate may, in some cases, genuinely have thought that they were saving humanity from the contamination of paganism. But these could only have been the most ignorant of Bishops. The scholars could not have failed to know of the adulteration of the original creed of Christ by Mithraism, and must surely have foreseen that their action, far from eliminating that cult, would be perpetuating and protecting it in the name of Christianity. Nothing short of this, and the resultant fear of their complicity in such adulteration being discovered, could account for the meticulous care and fanatical fervor with which they destroyed everything relating to their former rival.' -Wynne-Tyson, pages 52, 53." As quoted from Three Persons- from the Bible? Or Babylon, by Thomas Weisser, pages 25-26. Were most of the practices of the Catholic Church practiced by the early church, or were they introduced from paganism? "Temples, incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water, holydays, and seasons of devotion, processions, blessing of fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests, monks, and nuns), images, are all of pagan origin"... From Cardinal Newman's book entitled, 'The Development of the Christian Religion', page 359, per Dr. Fabian S. Reinhart, in "Facts for Roman Catholics", pg. 38
What was Jesus' attitude toward the Holy scriptures? "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." -John 7:37-38. "Jesus answered them, 'Is it not written... and the scripture cannot be broken..." -John 10:34-35. Did Jesus recommend taking the words and traditions of religious leaders for granted in matters of doctrine? Or did He teach us to beware of their hypocrisies? "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, 'Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." -Matthew 15:3-9. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders... He answered and said unto them, 'Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 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.' And he said unto them, 'Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition... Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." -Mark 7:6-13. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." -Romans 10:17. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." -James 1:22-25. "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." -2 Timothy 3:16-4:4. "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." -John 20:31 Section B.2- Number of Apostolic writers
Section B.3- Teaching or Bible writing
Did the apostle Paul commend to us the traditions of men, or God's word? "...I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." -Acts 20:27-32. Did Peter teach to place great faith in the scriptures? "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 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." 2 Peter 3:15-16. It is a fact that only certain ones were chosen by God to be inspired with His words. But, Are God's ministers required to manifest the same talents and gifts in order for their ministries to be valid? "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.... For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him." -1 Corinthians 12:4-18. "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey..." -Matthew 25:14-15. In these "different" ministries, is it Biblically acceptable to preach beyond the doctrines of scripture, to add to it's words, or teach doctrines contrary to God's word? "And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed." -2 Thessalonians 3:14. "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." -2 Timothy 4:2. "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." -Proverbs 30:5-6 Section B.4- Teaching and writing differences
Section B.5- Reference to unwritten word
Do the above quoted scriptures "expressly refer" to "doctrines" that Jesus taught (as the above quote claims they do), or "expressly" only to the many "things" (i.e. signs and miracles) that Jesus "did"? "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book" -John 20:30. "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." -John 21:25. But, did the writers of the scriptures teach that the Bible was "incomplete", and does not thoroughly furnish us with doctrines, corrections, instructions, etc. as Catholics affirm? Or does the Bible teach otherwise? "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." -2 Timothy 3:16. "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:" -Acts 1:1-2. What warning does the Word of God give for adding to the scriptures, as this Roman Catholic teacher has done in saying the Bible is incomplete in teachings of doctrine? "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." -Deuteronomy 4:2. "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." -Deuteronomy 12:32. "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." -Proverbs 30:6. "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." -Revelation 22:18. "What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." -1 Corinthians 14:36-37. Did the believers who were taught by the apostles teach that the Bible did contain all of the apostles doctrines, or that they were incomplete and needed traditions to "supplement " them? In Evidence That Demands a Verdict, (Here's Life Publishers) Josh McDowell pages 63-64, writes and quotes: "Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History III.39, preserves the writings of Papias, the bishop of Heirapolis (130 A.D.) which Papias got from the Elder (apostle John): 'The Elder used to say this also: 'Mark, having been the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately all that he (Peter) mentioned, whether sayings or doings of Christ, not, however, in order. For he was neither a hearer nor a companion of the Lord; but afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who adapted his teachings as necessity required, not as though he were making a compilation of the sayings of the Lord. So then Mark made no mistake, writing down in this way some things as he (Peter) mentioned them; for he paid attention to this one thing, not to omit anything that he heard, not to include any false statement among them.' '... "Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons (A.D. 180), who was a student of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna; martyred in 156 A.D., had been a Christian for 86 years, and was a disciple of John the Apostle. He wrote: 'So firm is the ground upon which these Gospels rest, that the very heretics themselves bear witness to them, and, starting from these, each one of them endeavors to establish his own particular doctrine...' 'Matthew published his gospel among the Hebrews in their own tongue, when (Paul was) preaching the gospel in Rome and founding the church there. After their departure (i.e. death) Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, himself handed down to us in writing the substance of Peter's preaching. Luke, the follower of Paul, set down in a book the gospel preached by his teacher. Then John, the disciple of the Lord, who also leaned on His breast (this is the reference to John 13:25 and 21:20), himself produced his Gospel, while he was living at Ephesus in Asia.' (Against Heresies III)" Section B.6- History of tradition
"Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, 'Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?... In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." -Matthew 15:3-9. "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables... which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do." -1 Timothy 1:3-4. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed... by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." -1 Peter 1:18-2:8. "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." -2 Corinthians 4:1-2. "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully..." -Jeremiah 48:10. Comment: How similar we find this Catholic authors words to be of the serpent in the garden! To subtily entice his listeners to "supplement" the word of the Almighty God! The Bible only says there were other things Jesus did. The Bible, God’s Word, does not say there were more unwritten truths that Jesus taught. What other motive would this defender of The Roman Catholic Church have to teach "other" doctrines than to add to, or take away from, God’s Word? Section B.7-Years New Testament was written
The real question is, were the words the apostles wrote different from the words of the Lord, which they preached? And why did the apostles feel the need to write, and not just leave doctrine to be passed down by traditions, if traditions were the superior, and preferred method of communicating and preserving Gods plans and doctrines for His church? "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." 1 Corinthians 14:37. "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour." -2 Peter 3:1-2. "Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." -Acts 20:31-32. "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." -Acts 2:42. "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine" -1 Timothy 1:3. "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." -1 Timothy 4:16. "...These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, He is proud, knowing nothing,." -1 Timothy 6:2-4. "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." -Jude 1:3-4. "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." -1 John 1:3-4. Ignatius, (d. 115 A.D.), wrote- "Unless I find it written in the originals, I will not believe it to be written in the Gospel. and when I said, 'It is written,' they answered what lay before them in their corrupted copies" as quoted from The Story of Christian Origins, by Martin A. Larson, New Republic Book, page 501, reprinted here from Ancient Champions of Oneness by William B. Chalfant. According to the words of the apostles, were scriptures not available to the early church?- "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people." -Acts 17:10-13. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." -Romans 15:14. Please continue with Section B.8 of "Yea Hath God Said" |