Saturday, 20 August 2016

The Catholic Church: Teaching With The Holy Spirit

Image result for catholic church imageThe church, the community of Christ, we must accept, dates back to the very 1st century  AD, taught personally by Christ  Himself  who later commissioned His Apostles to continue His teachings. Jesus passed on  every teaching to His Apostles  orally and did not leave behind  for them any written document.
       When the lord Jesus was about to leave this world, He commissioned His Apostle to go out and teach all the nations of the earth. First, Jesus said to them,  "you are the witnesses of  these things. And 1 myself  will send upon you what my father has promised ...(Jn. 15:26)". The question is:  What did the Father promise? The Bible or the Holy Spirit?  Second, Jesus instructed  saying, "Do not  leave  Jerusalem until you have been cloth with  power from above " (Lk.24;49). Could not Jesus have said, Do not leave Jerusalem until  you have given  a copy of the   Bible ?" Third, Jesus also said, "All the authority in heaven and on earth has been given me. Go therefore, make the disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching  them to observe all the commands 1 gave you. And look, 1 am with you always; yes, to the end of time."  Now another question: was it the Bible that Jesus commissioned to go out and teach the nations of the earth? Jesus did not give a single book. Rather, He gave  His church and promised the Holy Spirit to guide the church , saying  " From now on the counselor, the Holy Spirit whom the father  will send  in my name, 1 will  teach you all things and remind you of all that 1 have told  you." (Jn.14:26). Jesus also taught saying,"I have many things to say but you cannot bear them now.When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth;for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the thing that are to come"(Jn.16:12). Another conformation comes out in the words of the Lord in Jn.17:20,"I pray not only for these but also for those who will come to believe in me through their teaching."
        Early in the life of the church,a serious disagreement occurred as to whether or not Gentiles were to under go the Jewish custom of circumcision before being admitted to Christianity. To resolve this crisis,a general council of the church was convened in the city of Jerusalem in 49/50 AD with the Apostles and the elders in attendance. It was at this council that Gentiles were freed from the burden of the circumcision. The question is: Which Bible did the Apostles and the elders open before arriving at such a decision? Who and what guided the decision of the Council Fathers at the Jerusalem Council? The Holy Spirit of course, for the Council Fathers themselves wrote as follows: "It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and ourselves not to impose on you any burden beyond these essentials.... "This is the Church teaching with the Holy Spirit. In fact, if the Council Fathers were to ask a question: Where is it in the Bible? They certainly would have quoted Gen.17:12-14 ("From now on you must circumcise every baby boy when he is 8 days old, including slaves born in your homes and slaves bought from foreigners. This will show that there is a covenant between you and me....Any male who has not been circumcised will no longer be considered one of my people because he has not kept my covenant") and on the basis on that enforced circumcision on the Gentiles.
       Also,at the Council of Nicaea in 326 AD where the original Apostles Creed was extended, we see the Council Fathers make use of doctrines that are not even found in the memoirs of the Apostles which we know today as New Testament Bible - "...of the substance of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God...We believe in the communion of the saint..." . Now from which the canonized scripture do we find this teaching particularly the one on the communion of saints? Even at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD, when the four canonical gospel had come to be generally accepted as scriptures, the Council Fathers guided by the Holy Spirit affirmed their believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son...This affirmation did not come from the Bible.  
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