Are you curious about why the Roman Catholic Church has additional books in their Bible that are considered spurious or noncanonical? Delve into the history and controversies surrounding these texts and discover the reasons for their inclusion or exclusion from the canon.
THOMAS AQUINAS: Aristotle Adopted by the Church (1225–1274 C.E.)
“Medieval Catholic theologian whose synthesis of Christian theology and Aristotelian philosophy became the classical system of Catholic theology for several centuries. He is especially noted for his fivefold proof of the existence of God.”—Millard J. Erickson
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION: Are the Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church Successors of the Apostles?
“The teaching that authority in the church has been transmitted by ordination or laying on of hands from the apostles to present-day clergy.”—Millard J. Erickson
CHRISTIAN WATER BAPTISM (Mark 1:9-10; Acts 8:36, 38): By Sprinkling or By Complete Immersion?
How should persons be baptized? Some scholars would argue that it is acceptable to pour or sprinkle water on the head of the person. Yet, we need to consider more than the meaning of the Greek word (βαπτίζω baptizō). We must also consider the example set by Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, as well as the early Christians, and how they understood the meaning of baptizō.
THE RISE OF CATHOLICISM: The Great Apostasy
The argument often given by those within Catholicism is that the Catholic Church goes clear back to the apostle Peter as the first pope. Apostolic succession is the method whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is held to be derived from the apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been associated with a claim that the succession is through a series of bishops. They would also say that many early Christian writers used Catholicism. We will see that Catholicism goes back to Jesus, Christ, Peter, and Paul in the first century. However, not in the way that the Catholic Churchmen might want to accept, but it is nevertheless true. And having an understanding of what the word Catholicism means will help us understand why early Christian writers used it and why many Protestant authors have used it.
Transubstantiation—Fact or Fiction?
Transubstantiation is, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, “the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and of the whole substance of wine into the substance of the Blood of Christ.”
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION: Were There Divinely Appointed Successors of the Twelve Apostles with Authority, and Is the Pope the Successor of Peter?
Apostolic succession is the method whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is held to be derived from the apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been associated with a claim that the succession is through a series of bishops.
Why I Do Not Teach Theology on Social Media
I have 20 Facebook groups that I either own or am the main admin of, and none are on theology. Why? Three reasons really.
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY 101 What Is the Roman Catholic Doctrine Concerning the Rule of Faith?
So far as the Romish doctrine concerning the Rule of Faith differs from that of Protestants, it presents the following points for consideration: First, The doctrine of Romanists concerning the Scriptures. Second, Their doctrine concerning tradition. Third, Their doctrine concerning the office and authority of the Church as a teacher. ...
How Are We to Understand the Warning Against Teachings of Demons?
The outward life of a person flows from his or her inner spirit. Those who discipline themselves to follow after Jesus Christ, who are focused on living out the truth of God’s revelation, will develop a life of growing intimacy with Christ. They will delight God, producing goodness and godliness in what they do.
Paul described deviant doctrines, bad teaching, and useless practices that pull us away from God’s grace and truth. He focused on how to respond to falsehood and how to live righteously.