Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics Online via Meetup/Zoom or In Person at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20191 https://saintjn.org/ House rules/notes… 1. Meetup is www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy Zoom Meeting Logon info is the same every week: Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081 Password: 406952 2. I will send out Meeting Recaps the same night as our sessions – these are unedited versions without pictures. An edited version with pictures will be posted on our website https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website/recaps before the next meeting. Taylor will notify everyone at that time. 3. Questions encouraged. If you have questions about anything, you can ask in the chat box, email the Meetup group, or me at ron@hallagan.net. 4. Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between religions and Christian denominations, and we agree to be respectful at all times. Specifically, Protestants are our friends and brothers in Christ; in fact, I personally owe part of my return to the faith to them! 5. No politics. It would be easy for us to self-destruct, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to learn/understand/apply the Bible and our Catholic faith. 6. Catholic Prayer & Fellowship. Are you interested in praying with other Catholics during the week? Fellow member Jason Goldberg has started “Catholic Prayer, Fellowship, and Spirituality Meetup.” Sign up at: https://www.meetup.com/online-catholic-prayer-fellowship-and-spirituality/. 7. “The Chosen” TV series. All of us seek a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is not always easy. It can help if we have seen and heard Him. The Chosen captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended. 8. RSVP Reminder: Please RSVP whether you are attending the meeting or just reading the Recaps afterwards. The more RSVPs, the more Meetup will give exposure to “Catholic Bible Study” – a good thing! Consider it your way of evangelizing! Please RSVP when you get the Meetup invite weekly. Bible Study Format: Each week of the month has a repeating topic, as noted below. Each meeting: 5 min greet, prayer, 10-15 min Catholic topic, 40-45 min main topic. Week 1: Mar 7 - Gospel Week: Sermon on the Mount, cont’d Week 2: Mar 14 – Bible Week (Gen àRev): We are in EXODUS, the 2nd book of Moses. Week 3: Mar 21 – Survey Topics Voted on by Members: We are currently beginning Christian Comparisons/World Religions.
Ö 1) Jesus’ Greatest Parables Ö 2) Hell, Purgatory, Heaven 3) Christian Comparisons/World Religions 4) Great Women in the Bible 5) World Religions 6) Book of Revelation 7) Major Heresies and Church Councils Week 4: Mar 21 – Member Questions – finishing Comparative Religions. Next questions below: 1. You said Gen 1-3 (Creation/The Fall of Man) is at least partly allegory. How do you think things actually happened? Deepest mysteries of the universe! 2. The History of the Mass going back to Cain & Abel, all leading to the sublime meaning of the Eucharist. 3. Can you review origin and meaning of the 12 statements of belief in the Creed? 4. “Who am I?” It seems we all ask this question at some point in our lives. Some ask it all the time. How do you answer this? 5. Are Charity and Love synonymous? How are they different? What are the 4 highest forms of Charity? 6. a) Why did Jesus have to die? b) Why did Jesus say, “Father, why hath thou forsaken me?” 7. How many Gospels have the story of Jesus’ calming the storm? Are they the same story? 8. Why was God full of vengeance and violence in the OT? Or was that simply an interpretation by those of that time? Catholic Catacombs Website: https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website/recaps Next major upcoming events in the Church Lent – Wed, Feb 22 – Thurs April 6 Triduum – Friday, Apr 7–Sun Apr 9 Easter – April 9 Opening Prayer We thank you, Father, for loving us into existence, and for taking us back after we turned our backs on you. Thank you for becoming one of us, for showing us the way, and opening the gates to Heaven. Thank you for leaving yourself behind in the Holy Spirit, in the Eucharist, and in your Word. Thank you for lowering yourself to come after me personally, until I came after you. And as You taught us to pray: Our Father Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily Bread; And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us all. Amen. For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. – Hosea 6:6 Lenten Reflection - a call to focus on your Sanctification journey
Q: Does everyone know the difference between the terms of Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification?
Catholics don’t talk about these theological terms much because they are kind of understood. However, Protestants make great use of them, particularly the first two, so we should be able to converse about them.
Justification happens first. As the word implies, it means being made right with God. A sinner who is justified is reconciled to God. For Catholics, this occurs in one’s Baptism by which we are transformed from being a child of the First Adam (fallen) into a child of the second Adam, Jesus Christ (saved). Our sins are wiped out and we receive grace from the HS to continue on our journey. Just so we don’t fall off the journey, Jesus instituted the sacrament of forgiveness, which keeps our Justification in our hands, by our free will. If we wander off the path, we can receive forgiveness and get right back on it.
Sanctification is the second step – it is the journey that begins at our Justification and ends at our Glorification in Heaven. This is when we build our relationship up with God, and through an ongoing dialogue (including prayer and forgiveness) we are made more Christ-like over time. This Sanctification process of becoming more like Christ is so that we may enter into the presence of God. The purpose of Lent is to call our focus back to this Sanctification journey and restart our spiritual lives for the year ahead.
Sin cannot enter Heaven because Heaven is perfect, and it would no longer be perfect if sin entered it. Since we cannot enter into Heaven with sin, many will still have a problem at the end of our lives. Fortunately, we have Purgatory (meaning: to purify), so that those with unforgiven sins can have them removed, and then our Sanctification will be complete.
Glorification is the final step. Our Glorification occurs on Judgment Day when we will receive our glorified bodies and enter into the new Heaven/new Earth for eternity.
Any questions?
Q: So, what do Protestants believe?
One reason Protestants redefine these terms is to extract them from the doctrine of Purgatory.
First, a couple of common denominators... Protestants believe that after they are first saved and their sins forgiven (Justification), God continues to work in their lives making them holy & Christ-like (Sanctification). So far, so good.
Another common belief we share is that Sanctification (perfectly becoming Christ-like) is necessary to enter into the presence of God.
Furthermore, Protestants agree with Catholics that few Christians are in this perfect state when they die.
Yet, Protestants don’t subscribe to the concept of Purgatory. So the question then becomes: how does one get from Point A (imperfect in this life) to point B (perfectly sanctified) in order for them to enter Heaven?
Answer: Some Protestants believe that the final stage of Sanctification is accomplished automatically by God after they die, period. It just happens.
Q: What questions does this raise?
No doubt this arrangement (if it were true) would be easier much more fun: God just snaps His fingers and perfects us the second we die. But just because it’s easier doesn’t make it true.
For 2000 years, Catholicism has taught that one of two things is needed for completing the complete removal of our sins: forgiveness in this life or purification in the next. If God simply wipes us clean the minute we die, then why would anyone need forgiveness or purification ever? There would be no need to do much of anything while we are on earth, because it will all be taken care of when we die. Of course, this is not rational. When a Protestant is confronted with this, their usual answer is, “If someone falls into error, depravity, or evil, then that means this person was never really saved to begin with." It’s a crafty answer that gets them out of a pickle, but it throws their fellow fallen Protestants under the bus.
This explains why many Protestants believe Justification at the start of their journey is final, period, they are saved! This would also be a reason why they don’t see the need for Confession. Their common refrain is, “Why do you insist on Confession? Don’t you believe that Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient for all our sins?” The answer is, “Of course, we do, but his saving act was the reason we now receive forgiveness for the rest of our lives at no cost.”
Q: Does this misunderstanding mean that Protestants won’t make it to Heaven?
No, it just means Purgatory will be overflowing with all the Protestants who did not seek forgiveness when they had the chance while they were here.
Test Time! Luke 18:9-14
Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Q: So, who went home justified and what does it mean?
The tax collector went home justified. To be justified means being reconciled to God. One needs to be humble and seek forgiveness to be right with God. When you are justified, you have been given the sanctifying grace to enter Heaven and to begin your journey with God – your journey of Sanctification.
Q: During Sanctification, forgiveness is foundational to the journey. How often are Catholics required to go to confession?
Catholic are obliged to confess any serious sins once a year (CCC989). During Lent is particularly appropriate.
Q: Does that mean just mortal sins?
No. A mortal sin requires: 1) it is a serious or grave matter, 2) we have full knowledge, and 3) we gave full consent. It’s called “mortal” because it’s a repeat of the Fall in that we have broken with God again and need God’s help to return our lost grace. Confession can restore that. Any one of these conditions by themselves is a lesser (venial) sin. So, as you can see, we can have a serious sin but not mortal. The church obliges us to confess our sins at least once a year if we have any sins meeting the first condition (serious).
Q: Does that mean we don’t need to confess our other venial sins?
It’s up to you, but the guideline is, “the more the better.” Why? Purgatory is brimming with people who have nothing but venial sins. Mortal sins don’t make it there. So, if you want to get rid of, or reduce time in, Purgatory, go to Confession.
The first part below was covered last month. (Tay, you can skip down to Sola Christus).
Topic Night: Comparative Religions, continued
World Population 7.9 billion · Christians—2.7 billion followers (34%) · Muslims—1.9 billion (24%) · Hindus—1.2 billion (15.0%) · Non-religious people—1.1 billion (14%) · Buddhists—500 million (6%) · Indigenous religions—400 million (5%) · Jews – 15 million (.2%)
Christianity – 2.7 billion
denominations members %
Roman Catholicism 1 1 billion 360 million 51%
Protestantism 212+* 900 million 34%
Eastern Orthodox/Byzantine 75+/- 300 million 11%
Misc 50+ 100 million 4%
* The range of estimated Protestant denominations runs from a dozen of the most major churches all the way to 46,000, because there are so many individual churches that have branched out on their own. For example, there are 1650 different megachurches now. The latest new movements that are set to expand further are the Emerging Churches and the Home Churches. The following article gives a good overview. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/just-how-many-protestant-denominations-are-there
Q: It would be useful to review what all Christians agree upon. What are our shared beliefs?
1) The high view of Scripture: it is venerated, it is inspired by the HS, and it is inerrant.
2) The same belief in the Trinity – there is one essence of God in 3 distinct persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
3) The Fall of Man due to sin.
4) God’s qualities: God is holy, just, truthful, merciful, righteous, perfect, and loving.
5) The Incarnation of Christ; and that Christ has two natures (human and divine).
6) The Virgin Birth of Christ by the HS.
7) The sinlessness of Christ.
8) That God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to save humanity, which he did through his suffering and death on the cross.
9) The church was built on Christ, the chief cornerstone.
10) The Resurrection of Christ which paid for our sins.
11) The Second Coming of Christ.
12) The Apostle’s Creed.
13) Heaven and Hell.
14) All the dead will rise again and there will be a New heaven and earth.
15) Angels are spiritual beings created by God. Satan and the devils are a fallen angels who rejected God through pride.
These 15 items of common ground sound like a lot and they are – that is why we’re all Christians. But there are also some key differences that developed in the 14th century AD, in what has become known as the “Protestant Reformation.” These difference are difficult to pin down exactly because there are so many Protestant denominations which hold varying degrees of views on a number of topics, such as whether baptism required, etc.; Catholics believe that Christ established seven sacraments, but some Protestants like Lutherans and Anglicans believe in only two (Baptism & Eucharist), and others don’t believe in any; some consider Communion symbolic, some consider it spiritual, and others don’t do communion at all.
Q: Where do Catholics and most Protestants differ primarily?
Protestants believe in what they call “Salvation through the Five Solas.” (“sola” is Latin, meaning only)
1) Sola Scriptura – Scripture Only: The Bible is inerrant, infallible, and the only source of Christian faith.
2) Sola Fide – Faith Only: Only by faith, not works, is one saved.
3) Solus Christus – Christ Only: Only Christ can reconcile us to God.
4) Sola Gratia – Grace Only: Only by God’s grace is one reconciled to Him.
5) Soli Deo Gloria – For the Glory of God Only: All salvation is for God’s glory and honor, not to man.
They sound good by themselves and there are truths within each. Compared to Catholicism, they are much easier to follow if that’s all there is. When I began making my own journey back to Christianity from atheism, I went to Protestantism first (specifically Episcopalian and Presbyterian). I loved it! However, as one studies the history of Christianity – especially the first 3-4 centuries – it shows that the Solas do not conform to the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostles, or early Christians.
There are other differences besides these, but let’s tackle the Five Solas first.
1. Sola Scriptura – The Bible is inerrant, infallible, and the only source of Christian faith. This Sola also holds the bible explains itself, so the reader doesn’t need any authority to interpret it. Everyone can interpret the Bible themselves.
Catholicism agrees with the Bible is inerrant/infallible but not the rest. “It is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore, both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence.” – Pope Paul VI, 1965. The reason for this is that “tradition” (what was passed on orally from the Apostles) was in place at the time of Christ, it is mentioned in Scripture, and there was no “Bible” until the third century, so it could not have been the sole source of faith during the first three centuries.
Catholicism from the 1st century held that Scripture needed authority first to determine first which books and how many belonged in the Bible (which Catholicism did at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325) and, second, how to interpret Scripture.
“So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.” (2 Thess. 2:15)
“No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20)
“There are many more things Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that not even the world itself would have space.” Jn 21:25 . Jesus: "Behold, I am coming soon, and I bring with me the rewards I will give to each person according to their deeds." (Rev 22:12)
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world
would not have room for the books that would be written.” – John 21:25
Finally, given the Sola Scriptura says that every matter of faith must be found in Scripture, it should be noted that Sola Scripture is not found anywhere in the Bible.
2. Sola Fide– Only by faith, not works, is one saved.
Catholicism has always held that faith is absolutely necessary and that any good works must flow out of one’s faith. In
other words, if you have no faith, good works can’t get you to Heaven. On the other hand, if you have faith in Christ, then you are expected to put that faith into action in order to give your faith meaning. Words alone are not enough. I.e., if one apologizes for one’s mistakes, what good is are the words of apology if the offensive behavior continues? None. Catholics believe that faith and works are two sides of the same coin, both required.
“While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” Jesus replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” (Luke 11:27-28)
Jesus: “… for wisdom is vindicated by her works.” (Matthew 11:19)
“Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.” (John 5:28-29)
Jesus: "I bring with me the recompense I will give to each according to their deeds." (Rev 22:12)
“Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matt 5:15-16)
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17) He goes on to say even demons believe in God.
Finally, it should be noted that the “works” that St. Paul had issues with were “works of the law”, not “works of charity,” which Jesus requires of us.
3.21.23
3. Solus Christus – “Christ Alone” – only Christ can save us, which includes forgiving us and reconciling us to God.
Catholicism: As for “Christ Alone,” of course he alone saves us. This statement raises two concerns: the process of forgiveness and the involvement of the entire Holy Trinity.
1. Forgiveness. Catholics indeed believe that only Christ forgives. In the confessional, it is Christ, not the priest, who is doing the forgiving – the priest only acts in his stead. Why do we have Confession? Because Christ authorized it. It was so important to Jesus that he made this act his very first commission to the Apostles on Easter Sunday):
“It was the first day of the week (Easter), and that very evening when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them … He said, “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” – John 20:19-23
2. The 2nd problem with “Christ Alone” is that it has a tendency to isolate us into a “Me and Jesus” scenario, where we don’t really need the Holy Spirit or the Church. Yet, it was Jesus who gave us the Church, chose the Apostles to give forgiveness in his name, and who sent us the Holy Spirit to bring us grace through all the sacraments.
Q: What reasons would Jesus have had for wanting people to confess their sins out loud to another person (the priest)?
1) People need to articulate their sins in order to truly face them, not just muse about them. If someone offends another person and just thinks in passing that they are sorry, is that good enough? Of course, not. If one can’t articulate his mistakes, show real regret, and ask to be forgiven, then there was never an apology. God gave us speech as the first stop to enacting our beliefs: we think and formulate ideas/thoughts, we put them into words, and then we make them happen. It is the human equivalent of creation. When it comes to wrongs we have committed, we need to move them out of the thought process and make them real.
Moreover, as any good therapist will tell you, giving words to your mistakes is helpful to unloading one’s guilt and extremely helpful to the process of “letting go.” Of course, trying to change one’s behavior comes next but did you know that “letting go” is also another term for accepting God’s forgiveness?
2) It takes a certain amount of humility to speak your sins out loud to someone, which is exactly what Jesus wants from us. Humility is a prized virtue, the conqueror of pride, and the beginning of spiritual excellence.
3) Lastly, it is refreshing and rehabilitating to hear the words, “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.”
Q: Some critics say that the penance given in the confessional hardly compares to our sins. This is generally true. What is our answer?
Of course our penance is less than our sins. We could never do enough to cancel our sins. But God can, and Jesus did. This isn’t about equal punishment under God’s law but rather it is about leading us into contriteness and prayer, which is our hope going forward. We should be grateful on our knees for such kindness of penance.
4. Sola Gratia – Only by God’s grace – which is a free gift from God – is one justified/reconciled to God.
Catholicism: Catholics indeed believe that we are saved by God’s grace, and that it is a free gift. Where we differ are the methods of receiving that grace. Catholicism teaches that both God and his Church (through the Sacraments that Christ gave us) regularly dispense grace to us. Protestants (generally) believe that God just gives grace whenever He wills it, sacraments or not.
To be more theologically accurate, Catholics believe that 1) we are saved by grace, 2) which is a free gift from God, and 3) that this grace increases our faith and leads us to do more good works, which are also a necessary part of being saved.
5. Soli Deo Gloria – “Only for the Glory of God” – all salvation is for God’s glory and honor, no to man.
Catholicism: For Catholics, this sounds like a winner and, on the surface of it, we don’t see any objections. However, theologically, there are a couple of issues.
Q: How do we give glory to God? In other words, is it just praise and thanks?
Of course we want to give all glory to God, but praise and thanks are just a part of it.
“Glory” is the light of God, which doesn’t mean physical light so much as spiritual, metaphysical, and intellectual light. Physical light is deserving of a mention because at times, in this world, that’s how it appears in Scripture (i.e., Exodus – the “glory of God” settled on Mt. Sinai; or the “glory of the Lord” was shown at the Transfiguration).
To glorify means to manifest God’s light in the world, which is similar to manifesting His goodness in the world. Similarly, if someone manifests or exemplifies evil in the world, then they are glorifying the devil.
Recall when Jesus said, “I am the light of the world!” When we act like Christ – when we help others, when we do good, speak honestly, and forgive others – we are glorifying God. We become the light. This is our goal – to manifest and extend God’s presence – to shine His light – everywhere we go. Therefore, glorifying God comes not from our words of praise and thanks, but by DOING good things.
Q: Do humans receive glory?
As the quote from Corinthians above seems to suggest, the 5th Sola emphasizes that all glory is given to God. This also implies that man gets no glory. Now, let’s be clear, Catholics aren’t running around seeking it – that would be wrong. However, Christ seems to have some different thoughts on this. What are we to make of this passage below that Jesus spoke the night of the Last Supper?
“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. – John 17:20-23
In this passage, Catholics clearly aren’t seeking glory, but in his perfect love and humility Christ is choosing to give us some of his own glory.
We might also note that we will receive our “glorified” bodies at Judgment Day, and in this way they will be further perfected with the light of Christ.
Once again, Catholicism never claimed to have an issue with the glory due to God. The rest is all Jesus’ doing.
Conclusion on the 5 Solas
It would not be difficult for Catholics to come up with their own Solas, if we thought it would help. For example, since the Bible says that we must eat and drink the body and blood of Jesus to have life within us (John 6), then we could say we are saved by Sola Eucharista – "The Eucharist Alone." And since Paul talks about the value of personal suffering in Colossians 1:24, we could say we are saved by "Suffering Alone." And since the Bible says that the Church is the pillar and bulwark of Truth (1 Timothy 3:15), then we could formulate the doctrine of being saved by "The Church Alone." And since we have to be forgiven for our sins before we can enter Heaven, we could come up with the doctrine of "Confession Alone." We could go on and on, but to what purpose? The Bible was meant to be taken as a whole, not be broken down into parts where one has greater difficulty seeing the forest for the trees.
To sum up, all of this ‘faith shorthand’ contained in the 5 Solas aren’t bad in and of themselves. They are simply incomplete ideas. Perhaps they needed to create a foundation after they jettisoned Catholic Tradition. The problem is that the focus of these Solas lead us away from all the other components of salvation, such as prayer, the Sacraments, helping the poor, performing good works, and praying together as part of the One Body of Christ.
Q: What are the other key differences between Catholics and Protestants, apart from the Five Solas?
Item of Faith Catholic Protestant
Apostolic Succession Pope, bishops, priests, deacons Each church decides their own. Clergy varies.
Eucharist- real presence Yes, body, blood, spirit, and divinity No. Some symbolic; some spiritual; some none.
Authority of Faith Bible + Interpretation by Tradition Bible only, individual interpretation
Books in Bible 46 OT + 27 NT = 73 books total 39 OT + 27 NT = 66 books total
Intercessory Prayer Yes, thru Mary & the Saints No, Christ-God only.
Original Sin Yes, a loss of sanctifying grace Yes, similar
Special veneration of Mary Yes No
Sacraments Seven Some two, some none
Purification after this life Yes, Purgatory No; either heaven or hell.
Justification, Sanctification A process that begins at Baptism, A one-time event when faith is proclaimed,
& Glorification continues thru one’s life and is and completed automatically upon death.
completed on Judgment Day
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for the blessing of exploring your teachings together.
We especially thank our Protestant and Orthodox brothers and sisters for their shared believe in You
For all together, including those in Purgatory and the Saints in Heaven, make up the Body of Christ.
May your love and grace follow each of us as we return to our daily lives, refreshed and blessed by You.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
ความคิดเห็น