Authority of the Pope and Magisterium

[SHW]

Authority of the Pope and the Magisterium of the Church

Scripture does indeed support the Catholic Church’s claim that the Church has a hierarchy of authority and that this hierarchy was put in place by Jesus. Even the angels in heaven are in a hierarchy (principalities, powers, etc.) Scholars believe that there are 9 choirs of angels, each choir with different attributes and duties. So heaven has a hierarchy with God above all. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_angelic_hierarchy

Perfect “order” is hierarchical.

2 Corinthians 13:10 “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.”

Titus 2:15 “Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.”

Hebrews 13:7 " Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”

Jesus founded a Church and appointed its leaders. These leaders appointed other leaders to carry on the faith, and this has continued for two thousand years in the Catholic Church.

2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

If you want to know if you are truly walking according to God’s will in matters of faith and morals, worship practices, and Scripture interpretation; then listen to His Church, the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church which will continue until He returns at His Second Coming. (Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew 16:17-19, John 16:12-14, Acts 9:31)

The Lord said to the Apostles and the seventy disciples whom He appointed: "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” Luke 10:2-16 Jesus appointed the first hierarchy and sent them out to teach and to rule over His Church on earth with His authority. But only Peter received the “keys of the kingdom” (Matthew 16:18-19) Only one person at a time can have the keys.

These “keys of the kingdom” signify an office and this office passes to another when it becomes vacant. When an earthly steward can no longer serve the king, the “actual” keys to a kingdom’s treasury storeroom are passed down to another so that the newly appointed steward can now guard the kingdom’s treasury. The treasury storeroom will always need guarding.

The Church’s deposit of the faith (Sacred Tradition) will always need guarding in order to prevent heresy. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would prevent this one Church’s hierarchy from teaching error because both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are with this Church always until Jesus returns. (Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew 16:17-19, John 16:12-14, Acts 9:31)

The Church’s hierarchy consists of a sacerdotal priesthood: the “office of Peter” or Pope as we now call him (papa means father in Latin) since he is our spiritual father and our head bishop; all other bishops who are the overseers of dioceses, etc.; elders or priests who are over individual churches, etc.; and deacons who help administer some of the Sacraments, etc. in the Church. (2 Timothy 2:2, Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 5:17)

Examples of Excommunication:
1 Timothy 1:18-20 “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.”

Matthew 18:15-19 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”

to be continued:

 

[SHW]

Continued:

First record of Apostolic Succession:
Acts 1:15-26 "And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry…”

20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
‘Let his dwelling place be desolate,
And let no one live in it’; and,
‘Let another take his office…’

23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles."

If you desire to do the will of God in spiritual matters, then listen to His Church and obey. He put the hierarchy in place to rule and to teach with His authority on earth.

SHW

 

[JRKH]

When the NT was written there was One Christian Church, All other “churches” were either pagan or heretic. Christ established One Church on Earth and that Church is Catholic (Universal), Authoritative, and Visible.

The passages below seem to me to be a clear demonstration of Christ’s authority and how He passed it on to the Church.

Christ’s instruction of what to do about a brother who “sins” against us:

Matthew 18: 15-18
15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church (Singular); and if he refuses to listen even to the church let him be as a tax collector. 18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

Some of our Protestant brothers will want to tell us that the “Church” not an “institution” but the entire body of believers. If this were so then “Taking it to the Church” would be completed in step two where “Two or three witnesses” are called upon and no third step would be required. But Christ did establish a third step, telling His disciples to submit such obstinate disputes to “The Church’ for resolution and that they must accept The Church’s judgment as final.
So how does Christ define His Church?

Matthew 16: 18-19
18 "I also say to you that you are Kepha (Rock), and upon this Kepha I will build My church (Singular); and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Even a casual reading of this passage shows that Simon (Peter) is named Rock and upon this Rock Jesus institutes His Church with Authority to Bind and loose. Bind and Loose What? Bind and Loose “Whatever”. This is a Pretty Broad latitude.
But then this begs the question, of Jesus Authority to grant this power.

Matthew 28: 18-20
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Since this passage is given after Jesus Resurrection, it’s safe to say that Jesus Had “The Father’s” ear. In other words His Resurrection was certainly sufficient to Prove His divinity. So Now He has been given Authority in Heaven and Earth. He in turn gave authority to His Church, soon to be founded upon the Rock of Peter (Kepha). This Authority is to Bind, Loose, hold and teach the Truth of the Gospel.

Finally as to the issue of obeying the Church, I will again point to the Masters own words. When Jesus was teaching in Matthew about the Jewish Law and the interpretations thereof, He sternly reprimanded the Jewish leadership and He did so publicly, but what did He tell the Faithful Jewish “laymen”? He told them:

“all that they tell you, do and observe” because “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat”. (Matthew 23:2-3)

Jesus is saying that the teaching of the Jewish leaders remains binding and valid even though the leaders themselves are sinful men. Jesus thus establishes that, under the Old Covenant, those who “Sit on the seat of Moses” have the power to bind and loose. Under the New covenant, that Power resides in those who sit on the “Chair of Peter”, who was selected by Christ to Lead His Church. So when Jesus respected the Office and Authority of the Jewish leadership, He was in effect respecting the Teaching Authority of the Church.
Even if the Church were to teach something in error, it is still up to us to obey her as the rightful steward of Christ the King. The King will deal harshly with the offenders, and mercifully with His faithful servants. I shudder to think what He will do to those who not only reject but also vilify the Authority He established and has maintained for so long.

This Church is not simply a mystical – ethereal collection of believers, though certainly that is what makes up the Church, it is an institution of God given to us for Guidance. No different than the system set –up in the OT of Priests and Elders teaching and enforcing the Law from the temple.

The great example in the Bible of the idea of Authority and taking it to the Church is the Council of Jerusalem in Acts. If the Church was a “body of believers” and not an “institution” then why did Paul feel the need to bring the issue of circumcision to the Apostles (Church Leadership). It was because Jesus told them to “Tell it to the Church”.

Once at the Council, things did not run all that smoothly, there was much debate until Peter Spoke and quieted it. Even once the decision had been made in Council it is logical to assume that there were varying degrees of “acceptance” among the individuals who debated so forcefully earlier. This would only be human nature. However All of them accepted the decision of the Council and submitted their own misgivings to the authority of the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

To me, these GOSPEL passages are powerful and conclusive evidence of the Authority of The Catholic Church since it is the Catholic Church that is the oldest and is traceable to the Apostles.

Peace
James

 

[SHW]

Jesus is saying that the teaching of the Jewish leaders remains binding and valid even though the leaders themselves are sinful men. Jesus thus establishes that, under the Old Covenant, those who “Sit on the seat of Moses” have the power to bind and loose. Under the New covenant, that Power resides in those who sit on the “Chair of Peter”, who was selected by Christ to Lead His Church. So when Jesus respected the Office and Authority of the Jewish leadership, He was in effect respecting the Teaching Authority of the Church.

Even if the Church were to teach something in error, it is still up to us to obey her as the rightful steward of Christ the King. The King will deal harshly with the offenders, and mercifully with His faithful servants. I shudder to think what He will do to those who not only reject but also vilify the Authority He established and has maintained for so long.

Peace
James

Legend indicates that Aquila and Priscilla actually gifted Peter with the first chair of Peter. A later “chair of Peter” is still displayed in the Vatican today.

newadvent.org/cathen/03551e.htm

1 Corinthians 16:19 “The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.”

The Church (Pope ex cathedra or Pope with Magisterium) cannot teach error. They are protected by the Holy Spirit and He prevents the Church from teaching error. Members of the Church can and do teach error but when they do, they become heretics. They do not have to “know” that they are heretics in order to be “heretics.”

Martin Luther et al did not think that they were heretics.

Moses did not have a command from God prohibiting divorce so God honored his decision about divorce. The Apostles did have a command prohibiting divorce so this gospel teaching of Christ cannot be changed by the Church.

The Church’s power to “bind and loose” pertains to the changeable portions of the Mass, rules for fasting and abstinence, celibacy rules for priests, etc. The Church is not allowed to change the “gospel of Christ.”

SHW

 

[SHW]

I found more Scripture pertaining to authority:

Acts 20:28-32 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. 32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

1 Peter 5:1-3 “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”