The Biblical Church

The Biblical Church

 

I have accepted as a challenge from a reader to present a Biblical picture of the Church and demonstrate that it is the Catholic Church which can make the claim to be precisely that Church in its entirety. I will not here be dealing with the logical or historical issues, but merely demonstrating that the Catholic Church’s conception of herself is resonant and congruent with a particular interpretation of Scripture. I say “a particular interpretation” precisely because ultimately any interpretation of Scripture is naturally prone to error and misunderstanding. It is for this reason I much more strongly believe and argue for the Catholic Church’s singularity based on logical and historical means, because logic and history cannot be “interpreted away.” This essay here should not be read apart from my historico-logical arguments, but simply as supplements to demonstrate that the Church does work in accordance with her own teaching that Holy Scripture is inspired and inerrant.

 

First, I will illumine that I do not believe the Bible is holy, inspired, and inerrant because the Bible supposedly tells me it; that would be circular, not even mentioning most books of the Bible don’t even make the claim of inspiration or inerrancy. I believe what the Bible says because the Church tells me the Bible is true in its true meaning. Christians who work their theology from Scripture may well be commendable for doing so, but to center their theology on Scripture is blatantly unChristian; we are called “Christians” for a reason. Christ is central, Scripture is supplementary.

 

I know that I go work from the Church to Scripture sounds plainly unChristian and unBiblical to Protestant Christian Sola Scripturists, but this is because I have found that “Scripture Alone” is untenable. Rather than measure the Church by Scripture, I measure Scripture by the Church. Hence, I am a Catholic. The reason for my providing this Scriptural defense of the Catholic Church’s ecclesiology is for demonstration purposes more than anything else, so that it cannot be honestly claimed the Catholic Church gives herself a view which is in contradiction with her own Scriptures.

 

I will use Scripture to demonstrate the Niceno-Constapntinopalian definition of the Church as “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic” is Scripturally rooted. Perhaps in a later post I will demonstrate the meaning of the Church being “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic” properly means as the Church Fathers who gave us that definition meant by it (and to use some definition other than they meant puts one outside of continuity with those Christians). I will also supply Scriptural evidence for several other qualifiers of the nature of the Church; that she is visible, infallible, and authoritative.

 

The Church is One

 

First and foremost, there is Jesus’ declaration that He will “build [His] church.” (Matt. 16:18) Of note here is that He declares His church in the singular, not the multiple. He does not promise churches, but just a church. Thus, the Catholic Church’s claim to be the One Church of Christ is not in any way arrogant, but is, to the Catholic Church, just a fact of Scripture. For Catholics to admit the validity of other churches to being part of the Church started at Pentecost becomes simply a matter of contradicting Scripture.

 

“There shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16) This is true of the Catholic Church and no other church; the Catholic Church is one communion under the singular leadership of the Pope. In Protestantism and Orthodoxy alike we see multiple communions under the leadership of multiple people.

 

“Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one; that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:11,21,23) Jesus’ prayer is naturally efficacious. If Jesus prays for the Church to be One, then the Church shall be undeniably One. It is certainly not out of God’s ability to protect the unity of the Church.

 

“I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” (Rom. 16:17) Paul here urges the Roman Church to maintain unity, because the Church is One.

 

“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (1 Cor. 1:10) A Church that has a varying degree of unascertainable doctrines is no Church at all.

 

“There is one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith.” (Eph. 4:4-5) Paul here adamantly claims that the Church is One.

 

Note: I’m obviously interpreting “One” differently than Protestants, as I am a Catholic. However, I believe my interpretation superior not on that account, but because it holds with fidelity to the true meaning of the words with which the Apostles and those Paul’s letters were written to would have understood them.

 

Jesus spoke to the Apostles about the Church as the “kingdom,” which in itself has political connotations of an indivisible body. In the Protestant idea of the Church, the Church comprises all those who are Christians. This is not reflected in Scripture. Rather, per the political connotations of a kingdom, just like an Israelite and Hittite are both not in the same kingdom, the kingdom, or Church, is only One if that unity is indivisible and not separated through doctrinal and organizational disagreements and differences. For the Catholic to claim “I am in the Church” is not the same as for the Protestant to claim “I am in the Church.” The Catholic understands that they are in the Church because they are connected to the historical body which claims to be started at Pentecost and that it has maintained the same unity of doctrine and organization since the beginning. The Protestant claim is, in comparison, ahistorical and non-ecclesiastical. This is not to the offense of my Protestant brethren, but it is simply the fact of reality. To take umbrage over my maintaining integrity to my belief that the Catholic Church is the Church of Christ started at Pentecost is like me taking umbrage over you having a different interpretation of Scripture. I disagree, but I will not act offended. If you think being offended makes me wrong, that simply makes you believe you can extort me into repenting my confessions of belief.

 

The Church is Holy

 

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (Rev. 21:2) I believe this verse sufficient to demonstrate that the Church is holy. The “Holy City,” “new Jerusalem,” and “bride” are all euphemisms for the Church, just like elsewhere in Scripture. Not every reference to a kingdom or city is about the Church, but you can tell by context.

 

The Church is Catholic

 

A quick note; the word “catholic” comes from Greek katholikos, which means “universal.”

 

For this precept, I like to point not so much to declarations by Jesus or the Apostles in the New Testament, but to prophecies which clearly foretell of the coming kingdom of God. In Isaiah, there is often drawn a distinction between the unrighteousness of the Jews and the sanctity of the future kingdom where God will have His temple (which is the Lamb, see Rev. 21). From “See how the faithful city has become a harlot!” (Is. 1:21) to “I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.” (Is. 1:25-26) I believe these are clear prophecies of the coming Church.

 

I like Isaiah particularly for his vivid imagery about the Church. Like I mentioned before, there are certain euphemisms for the Church used throughout Scripture. These are the house, city, kingdom, hill, mountain, Zion, Jerusalem, woman, bride, and mother. Pertaining to the Church’s catholicity, you can especially see it here; “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Is. 2:2-3) It is here clearly illustrated that the Church will 1) be composed of peoples from all nations, 2) be established above all other nations, 3) the Church teaches, and 4) God’s law and word (read: doctrines) come down from the Church. This is strengthened when cross-referenced with “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,” (Eph. 3:10) which indicates that even the angels gain their knowledge of God through the Church.

 

The Church is Apostolic

 

There is a very simple logical demonstration of this based off of a single verse. Jesus says to the Apostles “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21) Examining this, it tells us that the Father sent the Son to send. As the Son is sent by the Father, the Son sends the Apostles. Since the Son was sent to send, then the Apostles are also sent to send. Hence, Apostolic Succession. The Holy Spirit is manifested through the line of authority present from the Apostles through the bishops they ordained, and those bishops those bishops ordained, and so on. Each generation is sent to send just as the Son Himself was originally sent by the Father.

 

The Church is Visible

 

What does it mean that the Church is visible? It means that the Church is not merely some ethereal invisible connection between all Christians; in one sense, this is what the Church is. However, the Church is also not merely invisible, but very visible. This means that the Church can be found through history, and that the Church can be definitively found, that it has a communion which is real and organized, rather than being free form.

 

If the Church is visible, then the Church can speak authoritatively. An authoritative invisible Church is a contradiction in terms, because that would make it impossible for the authority of the Church to be ratified anywhere, since there wouldn’t be any visible irrefutable signs that who is speaking is truly who the Holy Spirit is resting on or working through.

 

“A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matt. 5:14)

 

“I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt. 18:18) How can an invisible body do such works of authority? The Church must necessarily be visible if it is to be able to do such things.

 

“[The Church] is Christ’s body.” (Eph. 1:23) This is telling; Paul uses the word body, which is visible, as opposed to the soul, which is invisible. If Paul meant an invisible connection between all believers, why did he use the word “body?”

 

The Church is Infallible

 

This is probably the most strongly supportable proposition in defining the Church. Scripture everywhere points to this fact.

 

“God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” (1 Tim. 3:15) This is the most definite and obvious verse on the matter of the Church’s infallibility. It very easily follows that if the Church really is the “pillar and foundation of the truth,” then the Church is infallible. Some Protestants respond to this use of the verse by claiming that Paul is speaking about the local Church; this is absurd, as his sense clearly changes from before, and it doesn’t make any sense to believe that any one local church is infallible.

 

“And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; the simple will not stray from it.” (Is. 35:8) This verse appears to indicate that not even “the simple” will err in the Way. This can only be if there is some infallible authority.

 

The Church is Authoritative

 

Never mind that the Church’s authority is logically necessary to my being able to use Scripture the way I am here, let us proceed.

 

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt. 18:15-18) Yes, I already used one part of this verse, but it helps to make clear the Church’s authority. Jesus’ progression is logical, and culminates with the Church. If the Church does not really have the authority to decide matters of doctrine, then why does Jesus recommend the Church as the “Supreme Court” to decide these matters?

 

“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” (1 Cor. 2:13) Paul here is speaking about ministers of the Church, indicating that they are led by the Holy Spirit in matters of faith. It is by being led by the Holy Spirit that authority is possible.

 

Conclusion

 

It was not my aim to prove that the Catholic Church is the Church here in this essay, but merely to demonstrate that there is a veritable Catholic interpretation to Scripture which shows how the Catholic Church’s conception of herself is in fact congruent and resonant with Scripture. You can claim I misinterpreted, but you can’t now claim I didn’t use Scripture to back up the Church’s claims about herself.

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