As a nonDenominational I believe that the present Roman Catholic Church does not resmble the congregation that Jesus established. Throughout the centuries this institution has morphized to were it is today. Many of the teachings are unbiblical ie purgatory, celibate prieshood, tradition over scripture, Marian doctrines, etc etc
Laudatur Iesus Christus.
This is the sort of disagreement that my previous post described. I would like to offer an alternate view, from the Church’s perspective:
Moses left Egypt with some “600,000” families to establish the “Church of Israel,” on Pentecost at Mount Sinai. Descendants of these attacked and conquered the Holy Land. Eventually the Davidic Kingdom was established, reaching its peak under Solomon, who was so powerful that none of his neighbors dared attack him. (This allowed him to build the Temple in Jerusalem.) This kingdom collapsed and civil war divided it into two kingdoms, Israel and Judea. The latter containing Jerusalem and associated with the line of David. These upheavals eventually dispersed the “Church of Israel” to the four corners of the Mediterranean world.
Throughout this long history, the religious priesthood established under Moses continued and grew. The Temple worship was established in Jerusalem as prescribed and foreseen by Moses. At the time of Christ, some two to three million Jewish worshipers converged on Jerusalem three times each year, for the major feasts. These millions came from all corners of the Empire and beyond. A major Jewish center in Alexandria, Egypt, rivaled the population of Jews in Palestine.
This massive, international religion was orchestrated and managed by the High Priest, priests, and Levites who conducted the affairs of the Temple at Jerusalem, the only place of true sacrifice. These priests also had a strong role in the civil government of the people of Israel.
Those whom Christ instituted through His ministry were the new rulers, the new “management team,” intended not only to take over and perfect this multi-million-member religion but to expand it without limit. Jesus came to complete the Law and to extend the “Church of Israel” to include all of the peoples of the world. Quite naturally the name for this “New Israel,” came to be the “Catholic Church” (Greek for “Church of the Whole).
When one considers what Jesus intended His Church to do, it is logical and satisfying to see how the same hierarchy and mode of government continues to function world-wide as it did in the Acts of the Apostles. To appreciate this continuity, one has only to imagine what the Apostolic Church of Acts, quite necessarily, would look like, now that the 120 of the Upper Room are not 3,120, as on evening of Pentecost, but 1.2 Billion spread everywhere on the earth.
I submit that the Catholic Church looks as one would reasonably expect it to look.*
As to the “doctrinal” issues mentioned, this too seems contiguous between the beginning and the present. The Apostle John included the following reminder in his Gospel:
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. (John (NAB) 20:30.)
Reading this comment, one should not be surprised that not everything taught in the Church was written down. It is also good to note that, as the “Messiah,” Jesus’ role as the Davidic King and successor to Moses is implied in John’s text itself. Christ’s “management team” had a big job, worldwide governance and evangelization.
St. Paul also forestalls any surprise at the need for teachings which were not all written in the Scriptures:
To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. (2Thessalonians (RSV) 2:14-15.)
The “gospel,” as Paul makes clear, is intended to save, but it is not contained entirely in the writings. This was true in the beginning as it is now.
Finally, as to doctrines that surprise some because they are not explicitly taught in the Scriptures, one should not be surprised by this either: there is more to learn than the Bible can tell:
I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (John (RSV) 16:12.)
Again, this doctrinal state of affairs looks about as one would reasonably expect. The successors of the Apostles still need to remind the faithful that not everything needed to live the gospel is written in the texts.
Spiritus Sapientiae nobiscum.
John Hiner
*If one wants a charming image of St. Peter using the most advanced technology available to approve and publish the Gospels, read Mr. Dennis Barton’s account: The Authors of the Gospels (According to the Clementine Tradition),
churchinhistory.org/pages/booklets/authors-gospels.pdf.
Just a thought…
Those who wish to follow Christ know who their brothers and sisters are.
**