'A Catholic Replies to Protestant Questions'
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‘A Catholic replies to Protestant questions’ Catholic Intellectual Self-Defense By Jesse Romero M.A. © 2020 (Catholic Evangelist & Apologist) 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Why Study Catholic Apologetics? – p.3-4 The Saints & Holy Men on Apologetics – p.5-6 Goal of Apologetics – p.6 Apologetics is the art of speaking the TRUTH – p.7 Chapter 01 - The Holy Trinity – p.8-16 Chapter 02 - Four Marks of the Church – p.17-18 Chapter 03 - Peter, Papacy & Authority – p.19-33 Chapter 04 - Church Authority is from Heaven – p.34-42 Chapter 05 - Tradition & the Bible – p.43-53 Chapter 06 - Word of God - Logos, Rhema, Graphe – p.54-56 Chapter 07 - Mary & the Saints – p.57-79 Chapter 08 - Statues Images & Relics – p.80-83 Chapter 09 – Purgatory – p.84-86 Chapter 10 - Faith Works & Salvation – p.87- 94 Chapter 11 – Baptism – p.95-101 Chapter 12 – Confession – p.102-105 Chapter 13 – Holy Eucharist – p.106-112 Chapter 14 – Confirmation – p.113-114 Chapter 15 - Marriage & Divorce – p.115-117 Chapter 16 - Priesthood & Celibacy – p.118-124 Chapter 17 - Anointing of the Sick – p.125 Chapter 18 - Sign of the Cross – p.126-128 Endnotes - 129-132 2 WHY STUDY CATHOLIC APOLOGETICS? Here is what the Holy Bible says… 1. Proverbs 18:17 (RSV) "He who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him." Don’t allow the person from another religion to control the conversation. It should be a dialogue, not a monologue. 2. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) “Where there is no vision, people perish.” When the gospel is NOT clearly proclaimed, the people live lives of despair, despondency & hopelessness. The meaning and purpose of life can only be discovered in a relationship with God & believing in His promises. God is a Father who keeps his promises (that’s clearly demonstrated throughout salvation history). 3. Ezekiel 3:18-19 (RSV) “If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand . .But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.” Sharing your Christ centered faith with a lost soul is a matter of life and death. Don’t make the mistake of murderous lying Cain, when the Lord asked him “where is Abel your brother?” He responded to the Lord, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" Wrong answer Cain, wrong answer. YES! You are your brother’s keeper. That’s what Ezekiel the prophet is teaching us. 4. Hosea 4:6 (RSV) “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” What happened to the Israelites is happening to Catholics in the west. Lack of Catechesis has led to a society of low information Catholics that vote for politicians who promote a ‘culture of death.’ 5. Matthew 22:29 (RSV) ‘But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.’ This verse reminds me of those who deny the ‘real presence’ of Jesus in the Eucharist. These naysayers declare: “How can God change bread and wine into the body, blood, soul & divinity of Jesus Christ. 6. John 8:32 (RSV) “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” This is what Our Lord Jesus Christ wants for everyone, the fullness of truth which comes from Him, through His Bride, the One Holy Catholic & Apostolic Church. 7. Acts 17:1-3 (RSV) “…there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks he argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ." St. Paul engaged in apologetics as part of his preaching ministry. He is arguing against the Jews from typology and O.T. messianic prophecies to prove Jesus’ credentials as the ‘Messiah.’ 8. Acts 18:27-28 (RSV) “When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully confuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.” A disciple of Jesus who was a Jew by the name of Apollos engaged in apologetics against the Jews as part of his preaching ministry. 9. 1 Corinthians 13:6 (NAB) “it (Love) does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.” Truth and love go together. Their opposite sides of the same coin. 10. Ephesians 4:12-15 (RSV) “for the equipment of the saints, for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the 3 knowledge of the son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. Rather, speaking the truth in love…” People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Our apologetic conversations should shed more light than heat, but always grounded in truth. 11. Colossians 4:6 (RSV) “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.” Be gracious in your dialogue, you want to attract people to the truth rather than repel them. St Francis de Sales said: “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar.”i 12. 1 Timothy 4:16 (RSV) “Take heed to yourself and to your teaching: hold to that, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” It is important to be properly catechized, because if you lead someone astray through incorrect doctrine, your salvation is now in jeopardy 13. 1 Timothy 6:3-5 (RSV) “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing; he has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions and wrangling among men who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” There are some people who simply don’t want to be confused with the facts, move on, you can’t tug on green fruit. Speak the truth, say a prayer for them, move on and leave the rest to the Lord. 14. 2 Timothy 2:15 (Douay Rheims) “Carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Make time to study your faith. How? Watch less T.V. that’s pretty simple. T.V. for the most part is the devils tabernacle. We are called to ‘rightly handle the word of truth’ which means the opposite can be true if we don’t study, we will ‘wrongly handle the word of truth.’ 15. 2 Timothy 4:2-5 (RSV) “Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own liking to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” St Mother Teresa was fond of saying, ‘were called to be faithful not successful’ii 16. Titus 1:13 (RSV) “…rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the Faith.” Apologetics may require that you go on the offense. ‘Charity’ must be our motive when we rebuke someone. 17. Hebrews 4:14 (RSV) “…let us hold fast to our confession.” Our confession is JESUS & the Catholic faith. Hold on to it like someone who is shipwrecked hangs on to his lifejacket. 18. James 5:19 (RSV) “My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” If you want one verse that motivates you to share your faith, here it is! Evangelizing someone can lead to your eternal salvation as well as the person you evangelized. 19. 1 Peter 3:15 (RSV) “…but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a ‘defense’ (Greek ‘apologia’) to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is 4 in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence. .” This verse describes the rhetoric of a lawyer in court. We are called to give the same well-reasoned logical arguments when we explain our faith to others. 20. Jude 3 (RSV) “Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” The apostle wrote this letter around 70AD.