The word 'Apologetics' is from the Greek word
'Apologetikos', which means a defense. Apologetics is referred to in several
Bible verses...
1Peter 3:15, "Be ready always with an answer to everyone
who asks a reason for the hope that is within you."
Acts 17:2, "And Paul,
as was his custom, went in to them and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them
from the Scriptures."
Acts 22:1, "Brethren and fathers, listen to what I
have to say to you in my defense."
1 Corinthians 9:3, "My defense against
those who question me is this:"
The first subject to discuss in apologetics is 'truth'.
Jesus Christ said, "I am the way, the truth and the life", John 14:6. Therefore,
whatever Jesus said must be true because He said it, right?
What is the foundation and pillar of truth? What is a pillar? A pillar
is something which is upholding something while being firmly implanted on a
solid foundation. Is the pillar of truth the Bible? If you think so, then why
does the Bible say it is the Church? See 1Tim 3:15
The Church is guided by the Holy Spirit and is therefore the
dispenser of truth.
"But when He, the Spirit of Truth has come, he will
teach you all the truth. For He will not speak on His own authority, but
whatever He will hear He will speak, and the things that are to come He will
declare to you." John 16:13
GOD is truth. GOD is one. Therefore, truth is one. There can be only one
truth.
See the other
files posted on this website regarding "Truth", for much more.
The second subject is 'Authority'. Who has the
authority to mitigate between two opposing systems of thought? Since Jesus
Christ is the 'truth', then whatever He said is true, right?
Did Jesus Christ have authority? Well, He said He did, and if He said
it, it must be true...
"I and the Father are one", John 10:30. I would
say that is about as high an authority as there is, wouldn't you agree?
"All power in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me", He said that in
Matt 28:18. See also
Matt 9:2-8. the story of the man on a pallet being
lowered through the roof to Jesus.
"And He went down to Capharnaum, a
town of Galilee. And there he was teaching them on the Sabbath. And they were
astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority." Luke
4:31-32
See the other files
posted on this website regarding "Authority".
Since Jesus Christ has all authority, He passed
authority on to the Apostles...
"As the Father has sent Me, I also send
you." John 20:21
"He who hears you, hears me; and he who rejects you,
rejects Me; and he who rejects Me, rejects Him who sent me." Luke
10:16
"If they have kept My word, they will keep yours also." John
15:20
"When He said this, He breathed upon them, and said to them,
'Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them;
and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.'"
John 20:22-23. See also
Matt 16:19 and Matt 18:18.
The authority which Jesus
Christ gave to the Apostles is passed on to their successors in a process called
'Apostolic Succession'. When the office holder dies, the office does not die,
but becomes vacant and is filled by someone else. The earliest example of
'Apostolic Succession' is the first thing the Apostles did after Jesus ascended
into heaven. Judas was dead by his own hand and the eleven remaining Apostles
voted to replace his empty office with another office holder, Matthias.
Read
Acts 1:15-26.
"And his ministry let another take." Psalms 109:8, Acts
1:20
Read "The Catholic Church in the New Testament",
or "Apostolic Succession", both found
elsewhere on this website for an in depth look at this subject.
Did Jesus Christ say that the Bible is the final
authority on earth? No, He did not. Jesus Christ said the final authority is the
Church. See Matt 18:15-18. The Church has the final authority to
mitigate disputes, and to dispense the truth.
See the many other files on this website regarding
the Catholic Church.
The next subject we will
discuss is Holy Scripture. Is the Bible a product of the Church or is the Church a product of the Bible? The
Church was founded by
Jesus Christ at about 30-33 A.D.. The first book of the New Testament was not
written for several decades after this. How then could the Church be a product of the
Bible?
Read, "Is the
Catholic Church the Mother
of the Bible or the Daughter?", found elsewhere on
this website, for an in depth study of this topic. You will find it was the
Catholic Church which gave
the Bible to the world.
Is the Papacy an invention of
the Catholic Church?
No Way. It is very Scriptural.
Read "The Papacy is Scriptural", on this website,
for verses and much more on this subject.
When discussing Apologetics with
non-Catholics, you must do it right from Holy Scripture. When Protestantism was
first formed in the 16th century, the reformers lost all Authority which they
enjoyed in the Catholic Church. They therefore turned to the Bible as their 'sole rule of
authority'. This is called 'Sola Scriptura', or 'Bible Alone'. They also could
not claim Apostolic Tradition anymore since they could not show Apostolic
Succession. They put Apostolic Tradition in the same category as man made
tradition and in so doing condemned all tradition. Holy Scripture specifically
says to keep the traditions with which you have been taught, which are the
Apostolic traditions, and to reject man made traditions. Interestingly, the
false doctrine of 'Sola Scriptura', is a man made tradition with its origin at
the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Using the reformers very own rules,
'Sola Scriptura' should then be condemned by
themselves.
Read "For
Whom the Bell Tolls", and "The Origin of
Sola Scriptura", found elsewhere on this website for an in depth study of this
topic. In these files, I have shown that 'Sola Scriptura' is not Biblical, as
the doctrine of 'Bible Alone' is nowhere to be found in Holy Scripture. I have
shown its root beginnings by Martin Luther, and why it is impossible for it to
have worked for the first 1400 years of Christianity.
Why do Catholics worship Mary? Mary had other
children. Mary could have not been conceived without sin. Mary is not the Mother
of GOD. Mary is not ever virgin.
Our dear Blessed Virgin Mary is attacked
with these false statements over and over again. These false charges and more
are all answered with the truth in the many files found on this
website.
Go to "Blessed
Virgin Mary's Corner" on this website for a wealth of information regarding the
Mother of GOD.
"To be deep in history is to
cease to be Protestant." That statement was made by Cardinal John Newman, a
convert to Catholicism from the Anglican Church.
If anyone would take the
time to research the hundreds of years of writings of the Church Fathers, and
their successors, they would see a rich treasure of the history of the
Catholic Church from the
very beginning of its founding, and continuing on through today. So many false
charges made against the Catholic Church fall away like the pruned dead branches from the vine. Any subject
you can think of is covered in these writings. As just one example, detractors
say the Church which Jesus Christ founded, apostatized around the time of
Constantine and is not the Catholic Church
of today. This is saying that the 'Gates of Hell' did
prevail against Christ's Church. Read Matt 16:18. These same detractors cannot
produce one shred of documentation to back up what they charge. However, by
reading the Church Fathers, you will find just the opposite. The writings make
no mention of this 'great apostasy', but instead they show the Church, which
Jesus Christ founded, growing and expanding just as He said it would. Read Acts
1:8. You will see that the 'Gates of Hell' did not prevail. Sadly, Protestants
are told not to read the Church Fathers. From what Cardinal Newman said, you can
readily see why they are taught this. What a waste to disregard such a goldmine
of truth.
Go to the "What
Church Fathers Had to Say" section on this website for a whole new world, a
wealth of information on practically any subject having to do with the Church.
These writings are readily available on the internet for free. I list the URL's
in some of these pages for you to see for yourself.
"But there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed,
and
nothing hidden that will not be made known." Luke 12:2
Let us review what we have learned so
far...
01. The Church is the guardian and the dispenser of truth, because the Bible said
so.
02. Truth is one. There can be only one truth.
03. The Church is the final authority on earth,
because Jesus Christ said so.
04. Jesus Christ gave authority to His
Apostles.
05. The Apostles in return passed on this authority to their
successors through 'Apostolic Succession'.
06. The Church is the mother of the Bible, and
not the daughter.
07. The Bible is a product of the Church, therefore it is a Catholic book.
08. Catholic Bishops in Catholic Councils decided which books
were to be included in the Bible.
09. The Papacy is well represented by Holy
Scripture
10. Sola Scriptura is a man made doctrine and is therefore
condemned by Holy Scripture.
11. False charges against the Mother of GOD,
fall away like dead leaves when the truth is manifest.
12. Writings of Church
Fathers are a wealth of information about the Catholic Church.
"Be not afraid", Matt 14:27, to discuss Apologetics
with others. Every Catholic is duty bound to do so. Catholics have a truthful
answer to any question put to us. If you do not know the answer, then there are
many resources with which to turn. Make use of them.
1. Catholics have the truth and we can back up what we say with
documents.
2. Catholics have the Pope and the Magisterium, the dispensers of
truth.
3. Catholics have the Holy Spirit guiding the Church and He prevents
it from teaching error.
©
Written by Bob Stanley, December 30, 1999
"Have I then
become your enemy, because I told you the truth?"
Galatians
4:16
