Lutheran Faith Questions

[KingAlfred]

I am a Catholic who is married to a Lutheran woman. Her stepfather is a Lutheran Pastor. We have been married for 3 years and in that time I have thoroughly rejected the option of attending the Lutheran Church or giving his ideas an ear or credence because I thought he is Lutheran and if he has a PHD in theology he should know by now that he should convert to Catholicism because the gospel of John chapter 17 says we should all be one. He has been very patient and charitable with me. He even attended Mass with me. He took communion, which horrified me, but he didn’t utterly reject my Church the way I did his. That has been a couple years back.

Recently he and I were talking about God and things and one of his comments caught me off guard. He said, “God is more forgiving than man.” I thought that was profound but didn’t tell him because he must have had a lucky epiphany being a Lutheran and all. At any rate, I have been more open to giving Lutheranism an ear recently.

I have also joined a Christian ecumenical forum where there are Christians of all denominations that talk about all kinds of good things on a regular basis. On that forum I have read many post by Lutheran’s and weighed their actual beliefs against my own.

I can find no fault in the Lutheran faith. These are some very well balanced and sincere Christians! I am very impressed with their knowledge and patience. None of them have ever tried to convert me. However, I can’t find anything that I disagree with really in their faith.

Can someone point out to me why I should not seriously consider joining the Lutheran Church?

:ehh:

These three points were the theological basis of Luther’s revolt:

1. Priesthood of all believers
2. Salvation by faith alone
3. Sole authority of scripture
   These positions were not broadly interpreted or applied. They were taken and instituted exactly as they read. If you agree with them, which you shouldn’t if you’re Catholic, convert. If you don’t, don’t. In the end, it all comes down to these postulates.

 

[ricko]

DD2007

You don’t want to go through the process (which is understandable) and you want them to take your word and bypass the process? Ever hear about the cop who pulled over a guy for 80 in a 60 zone? He told the officer “Take my word for it officer, I was only doing 60”. What you ask is not reasonable. You would not take anyones word for a lot of things. When you get a bank loan for a large sum you must go through a credit check, sign papers etc. But they will not take your word for it. Now you must ask yourself, are you demanding special treatment because you are having to go through a process that you don’t like? Is your threat to leave the Church your way of getting even? These are things you must ask yourself honestly. If you really think you have it hard, please look around you. Many people have endured much worse than what you are going through with not a peep from them. Many of our Saints have gone through trials you could not imagine. Read about them and draw strength from them. One last thing, leaving the Catholic Church is not like changing banks because they messed up your account. In the case of the latter, you may go from good to worse. In the former, you could lose your immortal soul. God Bless.

 

[DD2007]

.

Well,

1. I believe there is a certain priesthood of all believers but it is different from the priesthood of a pastor or priest.
2. I believe that salvation is by Grace through faith. Or if the person has not had the opportunity to hear the gospel then by Grace alone in a manner unknown to us.
3. I believe in the supreme authority of scripture in that I believe the Church is subject to scripture and is not allowed to contradict it. However, I believe there are truths handed down through the church that are not found in the Bible, such as the canon of scripture and possibly the Marian doctrines.

But, honestly, I don’t know if I believe in the Marian doctrines or not. I understand that this is tradition of the church but I find myself forcing it. I have reservations about Mary. I do not believe she is co-redemptrix. I hope the Church doesn’t make that official. I don’t think I believe she is co-mediatrix if it was that important it would have been in scripture. I think the assumption is possible, but if we were required to believe it it would be in scripture.

I love Mary, and I do believe that she is alive in Heaven with Christ and I understand how the saints can hear our prayers, but I don’t think it’s necessary to pray to Mary or the saints and it is better to pray to God the father or Jesus. I do pray the rosary now and then but I sometimes feel guilty about it and have to force myself to think that I shouldn’t and that it is good and that I am simply praying with Mary, but when I come to the Hail Holy Queen it just sounds too much like worship.

I’ve been reading the Bible a lot recently and many of our practices sound a lot like idolatry to me. It’s a bit unsettling.

I also don’t know if I actually believe in Transubstantiation. I believe in the real presence of the Lord in the Eucharist but I think it is spiritual not physical. I also don’t understand why the Church of Rome would have a monopoly on the Eucharist. I don’t believe they do and I think that the Orthodox Churches, The Anglican’s, the Lutheran’s, and some Methodist’s have the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

I think I just want to be Catholic that’s why I converted. I don’t know if there is a way I can actually force myself to have faith in the Church because I just don’t. I don’t trust them. I trust in Jesus Christ and in the Bible and my conscience tells me that if it’s not in the Bible I am not required to believe it in good faith.

But, I want to be Catholic, because I love the Mass and the tradition and believe that it is a direct unbroken line from the Church of Rome that the Epistle was written too. I believe that the successor of Peter holds a special place in the Church and should be considered in all decisions, but I do not believe he is infallible. I support his intentions as long as they are Christ centered and aimed at spreading the gospel.

I think when I joined the Catholic Church I was very weak in faith at the time. And though that God somehow would only respond to those who were ordained into this ancient Church that claims to be the only one founded by Christ. I thought I needed a mediator between me and the Lord. Now I think that the Lord loves me and wants me to make myself known to Him. I don’t need a mediator. Christ is fully sufficient for me. I place my faith in Him.

But, I want to be able to be Catholic. I want all of the Churches to join as one like Christ said in John 17. I don’t know if I regret my decision to become a Catholic or not. I was so happy after RCIA right before the divorce. I thought I had discovered the truth of everything in the Catholic Church. Since then I seem to become more disillusioned by the day.

Out of all of my apologetic and theological studies and my being a sponsor for a Lutheran of all things into the Catholic Church, yes, I have been through RCIA twice once as a candidate once as a sponsor, I have realized that the Catholic position is the hardest to evangelize. There is so much that gets in the way of people coming to the Church. Life gets in the way. It is so hard to look at people and know that for them to experience the peace of the sacraments it is almost impossible because of the time it takes and the details. There is too much bureaucracy standing in the way of Christ for the Catholic Church to be an effective servant of the Lord in this day and hour. Almost all of the Christian evangelizing and introduction to Lord is done by Protestants who invite people to come the same way Christ did, by just accepting Him.

So, I have a lot of issues right now. I’m going through a crisis of faith. I’m thinking the Lutheran’s are the best match that I’ve heard of to original Christianity and my personal beliefs. But do you have any idea how humiliating it would be to actually tell people I know that? They all think I am a staunch Catholic because I spew the same apologetics you guys do when confronted by any idea other than Catholic.

I want to worship God in Spirit and Truth. Who does that? If it’s the Lutherans I’m going to humbly become a Lutheran. I just want to do the right thing. Please don’t think this is just about divorce etc…I think my first marriage is null because like I said she says so through words and actions. So I believe I am free of her and I have remarried. The ridiculous ordeal of annulment and re-marriage in the Church is just another log on the fire. I have a lot of concerns. I think it may have been a mistake to convert, but then again if I hadn’t converted I probably wouldn’t believe at all.

So, why should I stay Catholic? That’s what I was hoping to hear at this site that has always been my home base for reassurance. Do you think I made a mistake in converting?

Sorry, to ramble. I just noticed how long this was.

 

[Jean_1958]

So, why should I stay Catholic? That’s what I was hoping to hear at this site that has always been my home base for reassurance. Do you think I made a mistake in converting?

I am glad you love the Mass and the tradition and believe that it is a direct unbroken line from the Church of Rome, but that is simply NOT enough.

If you cannot have a strong faith in the Catholic Church then perhaps you really should covert to Lutheranism, especially if you believe many of our practices sound a lot like idolatry to you. However, if you would purchase the NEW CATHOLIC ANSWER Bible like I suggested, then you would see that many of our practices and beliefs come straight from the Bible. It is there if you look. If you choose not to delve into this, then you will never truly understand the Catholic faith enough to stay and be happy in it.

I truly believe that the Catholic Church is the one, true Church established by Jesus while he was on this earth. And yes, I think that you would be making a mistake by leaving it. However, whether you stay or go is not my decision to make. That is yours and yours alone. You need to think and pray long and hard about this and decide for yourself WHY you should either stay Catholic or convert to Lutheranism. (Is that not what people in faith crises do?) You cannot have both. It is one or the other.

Did you make a mistake in converting? Only you can answer that one. Only you know if you did or not.

If you did convert to Lutheranism, then it would at least establish religious unity in your family. Maybe this would give you some peace of mind.

God Bless whatever you choose to do at this point and may you truly be happy in the decision you make.

Jean

 

[DD2007]

I am glad you love the Mass and the tradition and believe that it is a direct unbroken line from the Church of Rome, but that is simply NOT enough.

If you cannot have a strong faith in the Catholic Church then perhaps you really should covert to Lutheranism, especially if you believe many of our practices sound a lot like idolatry to you. However, if you would purchase the NEW CATHOLIC ANSWER Bible like I suggested, then you would see that many of our practices and beliefs come straight from the Bible. It is there if you look. If you choose not to delve into this, then you will never truly understand the Catholic faith enough to stay and be happy in it.

I truly believe that the Catholic Church is the one, true Church established by Jesus while he was on this earth. And yes, I think that you would be making a mistake by leaving it. However, whether you stay or go is not my decision to make. That is yours and yours alone. You need to think and pray long and hard about this and decide for yourself WHY you should either stay Catholic or convert to Lutheranism. (Is that not what people in faith crises do?) You cannot have both. It is one or the other.

Did you make a mistake in converting? Only you can answer that one. Only you know if you did or not.

If you did convert to Lutheranism, then it would at least establish religious unity in your family. Maybe this would give you some peace of mind.

God Bless whatever you choose to do at this point and may you truly be happy in the decision you make.

Jean

Jean,

Thank you for all of your kind words. I will look into the Catholic answer Bible I saw one in Barnes and Noble the other day.

Does it include any more information than I already have? I have an entire shelf full of some of the best titles in religion. 95% of my theology shelf at home is Catholic apologetics, theology, and early father quotes. I have the Douay Rheims, NAB Study Bible, and RSV-CE - I am currently reading the RSV-CE through and only have 22 books left (all OT) out of the 73. I’m afraid to buy something that includes information I already have in another source.

I think this problem may be one of those that can only be resolved spiritually. I have faith in God. I trust in Jesus and accept what he did on the cross for my salvation. I believe in a very orthodox Christianity really. I just don’t genuinely believe everything the Catholic Church says is required, like papal infallibility, Marian doctrines…etc, to be a Catholic. Even though I wish I did and didn’t have these issues. I think my thorough irritation at the poor way the Church addresses administration issues, evangelizes, and introduces people to the sacraments just simply adds to the negative proofs of my discernment. The Church apparently presupposes people have enough time to live through the process, when in reality each day can be a persons last so we should make the sacraments available to people while they are still here. So, those issues simply annoy me.

The reason Lutheranism is attracting me is because I have heard from them that they believe all of the things that the Catholic Church has always taught. They just don’t require us to believe the things that aren’t in scripture. So they have told me that the Lutheran faith is a reform of the actual Catholic Church and that the Church of Rome upholds the truth of the gospel but requires people to believe things that are in error.

Also, obviously the family I married into is Lutheran. My wife’s WW2 veteran grandfather just died for instance and we are going to the funeral in the Lutheran Church he attended his entire life on Friday…etc So, I have noticed that as a part of her family this issue keeps coming up. However, she and I attend Mass at the Catholic parish where we are on the register. She is open to conversion to Catholicism, but she said she was only doing it to make me happy, because she knows I “wouldn’t go to another Church”. No one I actually know has any idea I’m having these doubts. They all think that I’m a full-indoctrinated Catholic that can’t be drawn away from the Church.

So, what strange times are these?

 

[Jean_1958]

Thank you for all of your kind words. I will look into the Catholic answer Bible I saw one in Barnes and Noble the other day.

Does it include any more information than I already have?

I do not know. There’s 2 versions, one is a green/blue one printed in 2002 and the other is a red/purple one printed in 2005. You want the 2005 one (that’s the one I gave the ISBN # for) because the Bible was revised to the point they added tons more information (as far as the inserts go).

With as much information as it contains, it is possible there is stuff in there that you may not already have in the current books and materials you already have.

You may also want to oick up Amy Welborn’s book Prove It!: Church, where she tackles things like Marian Doctrins, Transubstantiation, and other things and really breaks these things down tot he point it is hard or impossible to refute them. She will, like the CATHOLIC ANSWERS Bible, tell you where to find ALL of these things in the Bible.

If you keep seeing the same thing in these sources (which you will), then why leave the Catholic Church? Does that not tell you something? (i.e. The Catholic Chuirch MUST be right? The Cathollic Church MUST the one, true Church established by Jesus while he was on this earth?)

God Bless.

Jean

 

[Jean_1958]

The reason Lutheranism is attracting me is because I have heard from them that they believe all of the things that the Catholic Church has always taught. They just don’t require us to believe the things that aren’t in scripture. So they have told me that the Lutheran faith is a reform of the actual Catholic Church and that the Church of Rome upholds the truth of the gospel but requires people to believe things that are in error.

Yes, the Lutheran Church is a reform of the Catholic Church, however, it does not believe all of the things the Catholic Church has always taught.

For example, you are not going to find our 7 sacraments in the Lutrheran Church. And while Luther continued to pray to Mary, I do not think this is omething that most Lutherans of his time did and I doubt most Lutherans today believe in praying to Mary. In addition, Luther did not believe in works (good deeds). He wanted to remove the book of James from the Bible altogether, however, other Lutherans wanted to keep it in so luckily it stayed. I think most Lutherans today are like most, if not all Protestants, in that deeds will come as a result of having been saved. So, as I said prior, there may be Catholic elements to Lutheranism, but Lutheranism is Lutheranism – NOT Catholicism! If you like and want Catholicism then you need to stay put and not convert. One can only acquire true Catholicism as a true Catholic.

Also, obviously the family I married into is Lutheran. My wife’s WW2 veteran grandfather just died for instance and we are going to the funeral in the Lutheran Church he attended his entire life on Friday…etc So, I have noticed that as a part of her family this issue keeps coming up.

I know this must be truly difficult for you, but bare in mind we are discussing YOU and what is best for YOU. Not what will make your wife or anyone else in the family happy.

When somneone marries another person, that person needs to be accepting of the other person in their entirety. This includes religion if the couple are not of the same religious beliefs. Otherwise, the marriage is almost doomed for failure.

I’m not saying your wife does not love you, perhaps she does, but if she really cared about you then she would allow you to be Catholic without bringing up certain issues to try and sway you to converting to Lutheranism or making you feel guilty you are not a Lutheran.

… she and I attend Mass at the Catholic parish where we are on the register. She is open to conversion to Catholicism, but she said she was only doing it to make me happy, because she knows I “wouldn’t go to another Church”.

If she is going to convert to make you happy, then she is going to forgo her own happyness in the long-run and things between the two of you, at least faith wise, will only be more tensious and problematic. She needs to convert because the Holy Spirit is leading her to convert, like it did you. In oter words, she needs to convert for her, not you!

God Bless.

Jean

 

[Lampo]

The reason Lutheranism is attracting me is because I have heard from them that they believe all of the things that the Catholic Church has always taught. They just don’t require us to believe the things that aren’t in scripture. So they have told me that the Lutheran faith is a reform of the actual Catholic Church and that the Church of Rome upholds the truth of the gospel but requires people to believe things that are in error.

You are in my prayers DD2007. Lutherans do not believe all the Catholic Church teaches. Do they believe the Deuterocanonical Books are the inspired, inerrant Word of God? Remember, nothing in the Catholic Church contradicts Scripture and nothing in Scripture contradicts Catholic teachings. The Bible is a Catholic Book. It was written by(under the guidance of the Holy Spirit), put together by and for Catholics. They do require you to believe many things that are not in Scripture. For instance, do they require you to believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God? Do they require you to believe that Scripture alone is sufficient? The answer to those two questions is contradictory in itself. Just in case you have never or it has been a long time since you’ve read “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth”, below is the link along with another helpful site for you. Again, you are in my prayers.

Pillar
Catholics Come Home

 

[Napoli21]

DD2007,

I was in a similar situation. My wife is Methodist. I started looking at both faiths and saw that my beliefs were more in line with her beliefs than the Catholic Church’s. She had always attended Catholic mass with me since before we were married. After attending a wedding of her cousin, I suggested we attend a Methodist service together that Sunday. She was extremely happy. Now we regularly attend Methodist services. Neither one of us had tried to convert the other. I have not formally left the Catholic Church. I am Christian.
Pray and the Lord will lead you.

 

[Lampo]

DD2007,

“Outside the Church there is no salvation” - from the CCC.

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. *Hence they could not be saved who, **knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse **either to enter it or **to remain in it.** *

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:

Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.

848 “Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men.”

CCC

 

[Steadfast]

Oh, we have an unbroken line of succession all the way back to the Apostles. Of course we do, every Christian does who heard the Gospel from another who in their turn heard it from another going all the way back.

We just didn’t bother to write down every name; we didn’t think it was that important. It seems to us that what is more significant, lasting and subject to judgement is the apostolicity of our faith.

 

[Lampo]

Oh, we have an unbroken line of succession all the way back to the Apostles. Of course we do, every Christian does who heard the Gospel from another who in their turn heard it from another going all the way back.

If that is truly the case, then you’d think that every Christian denomination would agree 100% with each other on every doctrine, dogma, discipline and interpretation of Scripture.

We just didn’t bother to write down every name; we didn’t think it was that important. It seems to us that what is more significant, lasting and subject to judgement is the apostolicity of our faith.

What Apostle believed in scripture alone?

 

[DD2007]

Oh, we have an unbroken line of succession all the way back to the Apostles. Of course we do, every Christian does who heard the Gospel from another who in their turn heard it from another going all the way back.

We just didn’t bother to write down every name; we didn’t think it was that important. It seems to us that what is more significant, lasting and subject to judgement is the apostolicity of our faith.

That’s the same kind of thought I’ve been having.

 

[jean8]

I am a Catholic who is married to a Lutheran woman. Her stepfather is a Lutheran Pastor. We have been married for 3 years and in that time I have thoroughly rejected the option of attending the Lutheran Church or giving his ideas an ear or credence because I thought he is Lutheran and if he has a PHD in theology he should know by now that he should convert to Catholicism because the gospel of John chapter 17 says we should all be one. He has been very patient and charitable with me. He even attended Mass with me. He took communion, which horrified me, but he didn’t utterly reject my Church the way I did his. That has been a couple years back.

Recently he and I were talking about God and things and one of his comments caught me off guard. He said, “God is more forgiving than man.” I thought that was profound but didn’t tell him because he must have had a lucky epiphany being a Lutheran and all. At any rate, I have been more open to giving Lutheranism an ear recently.

I have also joined a Christian ecumenical forum where there are Christians of all denominations that talk about all kinds of good things on a regular basis. On that forum I have read many post by Lutheran’s and weighed their actual beliefs against my own.

I can find no fault in the Lutheran faith. These are some very well balanced and sincere Christians! I am very impressed with their knowledge and patience. None of them have ever tried to convert me. However, I can’t find anything that I disagree with really in their faith.

Can someone point out to me why I should not seriously consider joining the Lutheran Church?

:ehh:

DD,
What Lutheran Church is it? ELCA or LCMS. It makes a hugh difference.

jean8

 

[DD2007]

I do not know. There’s 2 versions, one is a green/blue one printed in 2002 and the other is a red/purple one printed in 2005. You want the 2005 one (that’s the one I gave the ISBN # for) because the Bible was revised to the point they added tons more information (as far as the inserts go).

With as much information as it contains, it is possible there is stuff in there that you may not already have in the current books and materials you already have.

You may also want to oick up Amy Welborn’s book Prove It!: Church, where she tackles things like Marian Doctrins, Transubstantiation, and other things and really breaks these things down tot he point it is hard or impossible to refute them. She will, like the CATHOLIC ANSWERS Bible, tell you where to find ALL of these things in the Bible.

If you keep seeing the same thing in these sources (which you will), then why leave the Catholic Church? Does that not tell you something? (i.e. The Catholic Chuirch MUST be right? The Cathollic Church MUST the one, true Church established by Jesus while he was on this earth?)

God Bless.

Jean

I will certainly check that one out. That is an apologetic book I don’t have. I have already read most of Hahn, Madrid, Kreeft, Keeting, and the other guys.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[DD2007]

DD,
What Lutheran Church is it? ELCA or LCMS. It makes a hugh difference.

jean8

It’s both actually. 1/2 of her family is Missouri Synod that’s where we’ll be going to the funeral. My father in law is ELCA.

 

[DD2007]

DD2007,

“Outside the Church there is no salvation” - from the CCC.

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. *Hence they could not be saved who, **knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse ***either to enter it or **to remain in it.**

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:

Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.

848 “Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men.”

CCC

I do not agree that there is no salvation outside the Church. I believe that the Church is universal and all Christians are joined to it by right of a Trinitarian Baptism. However, I think this statement is too precise to be used. It is only true in the case that you’re not joining the Universal Christian Church is actually a rejection of Christ. It is true that if you want to follow Christ you will probably want to be part of His family, The Church Universal

It is the pillar and butress of truth. The truth is the gospel of Jesus Christ. All branches of the Universal Church uphold it, from Catholics all the way to Baptists.

By joining the Lutheran’s I don’t think I would be leaving the universal Church at all, just moving into a different room in the same house.

I believe the Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church are part of the same Universal Church, I just want to be a member of the right one. I don’t think any denomination is 100% correct.

 

[Lampo]

I do not agree that there is no salvation outside the Church. I believe that the Church is universal and all Christians are joined to it by right of a Trinitarian Baptism. However, I think this statement is too precise to be used. It is only true in the case that you’re not joining the Universal Christian Church is actually a rejection of Christ. It is true that if you want to follow Christ you will probably want to be part of His family, The Church Universal

It is the pillar and butress of truth. The truth is the gospel of Jesus Christ. All branches of the Universal Church uphold it, from Catholics all the way to Baptists.

By joining the Lutheran’s I don’t think I would be leaving the universal Church at all, just moving into a different room in the same house.

I believe the Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church are part of the same Universal Church, I just want to be a member of the right one. I don’t think any denomination is 100% correct.

I argue that the house you speak of is the Catholic Church. You don’t think the Church Jesus founded is 100% correct? The Church Is One (Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13, CCC 813–822)
Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches (Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, and so on). The Bible says the Church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23–32). Jesus can have but one spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church.

His Church also teaches just one set of doctrines, which must be the same as those taught by the apostles (Jude 3). This is the unity of belief to which Scripture calls us (Phil. 1:27, 2:2).

Although some Catholics dissent from officially-taught doctrines, the Church’s official teachers—the pope and the bishops united with him—have never changed any doctrine. Over the centuries, as doctrines are examined more fully, the Church comes to understand them more deeply (John 16:12–13), but it never understands them to mean the opposite of what they once meant.

 

[Lampo]

It is the pillar and butress of truth. The truth is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You are contradicting yourself here. The Church is the pillar and bullwark of Truth. Jesus Christ is the Truth. The Church is the Body of Christ.

 

[Steadfast]

If that is truly the case, then you’d think that every Christian denomination would agree 100% with each other on every doctrine, dogma, discipline and interpretation of Scripture.

Why is that necessary and if it is are you prepared to claim that your church has been so exhaustive in it’s proclamations as to cover “every doctrine, dogma, discipline and interpretation of Scripture”?

What Apostle believed in scripture alone?

They didn’t need to, they were Apostles, their teaching WAS Scripture.

For us, however, it’s all we have that we can be certain is theirs.