Clarification about Church authority and God

[theCardinalbird]

This may sound like some silly question but here it goes:

Considering the Church is under God’s command, doesn’t that mean whatever he says about a certain subject (i.e gay “marriage” is wrong and can’t be allowed) the Church must adhere to it and cannot contradict it?

If so, then does that mean nothing the church teaches can contradict scripture?

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

Church teachings are created FROM scripture…so can’t conflict itself.

That said, they are created from the purest of scripture and formulated, often, by those who know the original Greek, or in the very least Latin.

However, we have many translations (especially protestant ones) that are so incredibly poor that they appear to contradict or do outright conflict with what the Catholic Church proclaims. This can be a huge stumbling block for many, but one that we have little recourse to except to guide people to accurate translations of the Bible.

 

[R_H_Benson]

Considering the Church is under God’s command, doesn’t that mean whatever he says about a certain subject (i.e gay “marriage” is wrong and can’t be allowed) the Church must adhere to it and cannot contradict it?

Yes.

If so, then does that mean nothing the church teaches can contradict scripture?

Yes. By the infallible guidance of the Holy Ghost the Church upholds and interprets all that has been Divinely Revealed in the Holy Scriptures and Sacred Tradition.

 

[Gorgias]

does that mean nothing the church teaches can contradict scripture?

On the face of it, the answer to your question is simple: all Church teaching must align with Scripture.

However, the question is more subtle than perhaps you’re giving it credit for being: Scripture isn’t “self-interpreting.” Some Christian groups will claim that the “Bible speaks plainly”, or that “the Bible says what it means” and doesn’t require interpretation. Those claims are funny… 'cause then, those groups go and create conflicting interpretations among themselves!

So, the question comes down to the following critical consideration: who has the wisdom and the authority to interpret the Bible?

As Catholics, we believe that Jesus gave that authority to the Church (in particular, to Peter, in Mt 16), and so, the “teaching authority” of the Church (i.e., the “magisterium”) resides in the Pope and the College of Bishops in union with him. In addition, we believe that, per Jesus’ promise (that the “gates of hell will not prevail” against the Church), that the Holy Spirit protects the Church from teaching error in the area of “faith and morals”.

Therefore, we believe that interpretation of Scripture and valid, authoritative teaching in faith and morals belongs to the magisterium of the Church. Because of this, it follows that “nothing the Church teaches can contradict Scripture”.

 

[steve-b]

This may sound like some silly question but here it goes:

Considering the Church is under God’s command, doesn’t that mean whatever he says about a certain subject (i.e gay “marriage” is wrong and can’t be allowed) the Church must adhere to it and cannot contradict it?

True
Joe1:

If so, then does that mean nothing the church teaches can contradict scripture?

Since the Church Jesus established on Peter and those in unity with him is (the pillar and foundation of truth, 1 Timothy 3:15 ) that wrote the NT, the Church then, won’t contradict scripture. However, since everything isn’t written down in scripture, and what is written down needs to be properly interpreted, that’s why Jesus said, if there is a question, and one won’t listen even to the Church, then treat that person like a heathen (Mt 18:17)