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| 3rd Century AD Codex Vaticanus Extant Bible |
Which came first - The Church or the Bible?
The church is the biblical word for an assembly of people of the same faith, beliefs, tradition, customs, and worship of the same God. Scripture is the sacred writing of the stories of people and individuals orally transmitted from generation to generation and at some point in time were written down by scribes of organized religion or church for purposes of teaching, preaching, instruction, and guidance of followers of the church sharing the same faith. In the Catholic Church, these sacred writings were canonically selected and compiled together in one book called the Bible or Biblia which means books (plural) in Greek and book (singular) in Latin. A study of these sacred writings or scriptures of the Catholic Church shows they are written stories of God revealing himself to mankind and actively participating in the affairs of man. He is, therefore, a living God that participates in the history of mankind. Both the Church and scripture have historical beginnings and origins.
While Judaism which is the religion of the Jews started out with the covenant entered into by God and Abraham, the organized church of the nomadic Hebrew tribes of the Jews did not start until the arrival of Moses who was chosen by God to lead his people to the promised land. It was at this time around 1200 BC that according to the "oral tradition" of the Jews Moses wrote down the Torah over several years which contains the scriptures of the Old Testament used in the Bible of the Catholic Church also called the Pentateuch composed of 5 books of scriptures. Thus the scriptures in the Old Testament came after the church and it came from the oral traditions of the wandering Jews handed down to them from generation to generation. To preserve the stories and make them alive, the nomadic and wondering Jews have devised ways in their rites and worship by singing the orally transmitted traditions and the story of God until they were written down and copied in scrolls when they settled down in Israel at the time of King David. And so by historical accounts, the Church of the Jews came first before the Old Testament was written down.
On the other hand, the New Testament scriptures were written down long after the church founded by Jesus Christ initially called "The Way" then "Church of God" and then as the "Catholic Church". The Roman Church which was already existing in Rome as evidence by the Letter to the Romans by St. Paul has adopted the use of the word Catholic and thus became known as the "Roman Catholic Church" to differentiate it as the TRUE CHURCH from the false churches that separated from the Catholic Church as a result of heretical teachings by their human founders.
The same Catholic Church of Christians has produced the Gospels and scriptures titled Letters or Epistles of the Apostles and various books, apocryphal and the Didache used by the church to teach, preach, instruct, and guide the members. In fact, the oldest bible known from history is called Codex Vaticanus and it was used by the Catholic Church. The church is also responsible for the rendering of the bible into different languages from Hebrew and Greek to Latin, English, and many other languages in the world. Thus the Church indeed came first before the scripture. The scripture tells the stories of the interaction of the Church and God.
On record, the first Gospel of Matthew was written down sometime between 42 AD to 65 AD. All the other Gospels, Acts, Letters, and Epistles except the Gospel of John were written down on or before 70 AD while the Gospel of John and the Revelation book were written down between 80 AD to 90 AD by the last Apostle standing at that time, St. John. Thus the New Testament scriptures came dozens of years after the Church was founded in the year 33 AD. The scriptures, in fact, is also a recollection of the earliest life of the church from its founding and through its early years of preaching, teaching, and building of the church as the Lord has commanded. What does this truth in the history of the church tell us? It tells us that for centuries until the Bible came about sometime in around 300-400 AD, the Christians who are in fact Catholics being members of the Catholic Church have no bible.
The Catholic Church from the time of the Apostles to their successors from the Popes and the Bishops continue their customs, practice, and traditions the writing of epistles, letters, and decrees under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The scripture is read in the Church services for the members and has always been part of the Lord's Day or Sunday celebration of the Holy Mass. It proves what the scripture says that the Church is the Pillar and Foundation of the Truth. This means the Catholic Church alone holds the keys to the Kingdom of God. It's the depository of the true faith and to be a true Christian one must be a Catholic.
On record, the first Gospel of Matthew was written down sometime between 42 AD to 65 AD. All the other Gospels, Acts, Letters, and Epistles except the Gospel of John were written down on or before 70 AD while the Gospel of John and the Revelation book were written down between 80 AD to 90 AD by the last Apostle standing at that time, St. John. Thus the New Testament scriptures came dozens of years after the Church was founded in the year 33 AD. The scriptures, in fact, is also a recollection of the earliest life of the church from its founding and through its early years of preaching, teaching, and building of the church as the Lord has commanded. What does this truth in the history of the church tell us? It tells us that for centuries until the Bible came about sometime in around 300-400 AD, the Christians who are in fact Catholics being members of the Catholic Church have no bible.
The Catholic Church from the time of the Apostles to their successors from the Popes and the Bishops continue their customs, practice, and traditions the writing of epistles, letters, and decrees under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The scripture is read in the Church services for the members and has always been part of the Lord's Day or Sunday celebration of the Holy Mass. It proves what the scripture says that the Church is the Pillar and Foundation of the Truth. This means the Catholic Church alone holds the keys to the Kingdom of God. It's the depository of the true faith and to be a true Christian one must be a Catholic.
If then the Catholic Church produced the Bible, how can the bible be against the Catholic Church? Or how can the Catholic Church go against the Bible that is read and preached every Sunday during the Holy Mass? The same scriptures are read and taught over and over again during the Sunday service. The same scriptures are the basis of the doctrines of the Catholic Church. But there are more doctrines based on holy customs and sacred traditions handed down to the church after the last Gospel has been written down in about 90 AD. They were not included in scriptures compiled in the Bible but were written down in other books. Now the same sacred traditions are part of the depository of faith and history of the church. These are the same deposit of faith that the Martyrs embraced and died for so that through their blood and sacrifices as foretold by the Lord himself his true church was built.
Therefore on matters of dispute with regard to the correct understanding of the holy scriptures in the Bible who then has the authority, the Catholic Church from which the Bible came to be or from those that only read it and without having been a member of the church and a Catholic would come preaching doctrines that are alien to the spirit of the words written in the scriptures?
If we are then to believe what the preachers of the non-Catholic religions and churches say now against the Church then all the members of the church from the time it was founded are in hell. If they were wrong then, then we are wrong now because the same unchanging doctrines have been handed down by the true Church. If they were right then, how can we be wrong now? And if they were right and we are still in the right now it's because we are standing on a strong foundation of the Lord's his one and only true Church. And if you are a follower of your preacher and a new church built by your man-made doctrines based upon the interpretations of your pastors of the bible and not from the foundation of an unbroken succession of Jesus Christ to the Apostles down to the Popes, bishops, and priests where do you stand? Don't you still get it? The word of God is alive it's not dependent on the written scriptures which can be destroyed by fire and elements but it is written in the hearts and minds of the faithful and deposited in the life of the true Church.
The word of God is alive in the Catholic Church. It is practiced, it is lived, it is acted, and it is obeyed. If all the books in the world are burned and lost, the written word of God is lost. But even if you burn the church buildings and everything in it, the body of the church which is faithful, the assembly of the Lord's followers which is his body will continue to live every word of God and they will write it down again and again and again. And even if only a handful of the Catholics remain because the others have gone out or apostatized from the true church unchanging doctrines the Catholic Church will remain standing because the true church cannot be destroyed until the Lord comes again.
It's like in marriage you may lose a written marriage contract and you may disagree on many things but the marriage remains, it is indivisible and indestructible for what God has joined together as one, no man can separate. That is why it is upon the hearts of the married couple to keep the marriage whole until death do you part. But the devil is cunning and tricky, he introduced divorced which is what? A man-made doctrine practiced by who? The non-Catholics. So marriage is not dependent on the written marriage contract but on the spiritual contract with God which is written in the hearts of the couple.
Likewise the Church and Scripture. The Church is the bride of Jesus Christ and its married to him and they became one body upon its foundation. Therefore the Church is the body of Christ. The Scripture is the written word of God and yet the scripture can be lost and destroyed but the word of God is alive as it is eternal. It is therefore not confined in the ink written on paper which can be lost and destroyed. So where then is the word of God? IT IS IN THE LIFE OF THE TRUE CHURCH NOT IN WRITTEN SCRIPTURES.
The scriptures as shown came out of the life of the Church from the time of Moses when the Old Testament was written down to the time of the Apostles when the New Testament was written down. Yet in both instances, the word of God we're alive and touched the hearts and minds of his people. There are more people who go through life and died without reading the Bible yet they died with true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ in their hearts. Many Christians died for their faith choosing death than compromise their beliefs holding to the teachings given to them by the true Church and they have not read a single word of the bible. They were taught by the Catholic Church and by the examples of the leaders of the church. They lived a holy life without reading a single word in the bible.
Let's hear what 2 Timothy Chapter 3:1-17 says:
But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you learned them. From infancy, you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work."
In the above excerpt from the 2nd Letter of St. Paul to Timothy, he came up with a prophecy over the scripture which will be used by men who have the form of godliness (preachers and pastors) but deny its power. He urged us to turn away from such as these people. They are outside the true Church who worm their way into the households (the churches). They are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. This means they love to read the scriptures and try to learn from them but yet they oppose the truth with their depraved minds and so they are disqualified from the faith. Therefore we should turn away from them. Instead, we should look at the examples of the assembly of true followers of Jesus Christ, the members of the true Church and their lives, teaching, conduct, faith, patience love, and endurance as they live the word of God. And so St. Paul said it very clearly - continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed since you know from whom you learned them. Notice it is from whom you learned them, not from the bible alone but from those sent by the church to preach and teach.
Now evil men try to distort the prophecy and teaching of St. Paul by stating out of context what he meant by "All scripture is God-breath". It means the words in the scripture are taught through the life of the Church and not just read for how can an infant who does not know how to read and write yet would have known the scripture if it's not taught and exemplified by the parents of the infant who are members of the true Church. To know the Holy Scripture from infancy means Traditions passed on. From infant baptism practiced by the true church to his attendance in church services guided by the parents to his first communion until he either choose to serve fully in the Church as a priest or get Married in fulfillment of the Sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ until the last unction for the dying, it's all traditions passed and learned by the faithful from the life of the true Church. God's word in the scripture is lived, practiced, and obeyed for righteousness and good work.
This is how scripture should be understood and not from endless argumentation of those who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth because scripture is a product of the action of the Church in living the word of God.
By Bro. Manny OTFS Chief Apologist
Therefore on matters of dispute with regard to the correct understanding of the holy scriptures in the Bible who then has the authority, the Catholic Church from which the Bible came to be or from those that only read it and without having been a member of the church and a Catholic would come preaching doctrines that are alien to the spirit of the words written in the scriptures?
If we are then to believe what the preachers of the non-Catholic religions and churches say now against the Church then all the members of the church from the time it was founded are in hell. If they were wrong then, then we are wrong now because the same unchanging doctrines have been handed down by the true Church. If they were right then, how can we be wrong now? And if they were right and we are still in the right now it's because we are standing on a strong foundation of the Lord's his one and only true Church. And if you are a follower of your preacher and a new church built by your man-made doctrines based upon the interpretations of your pastors of the bible and not from the foundation of an unbroken succession of Jesus Christ to the Apostles down to the Popes, bishops, and priests where do you stand? Don't you still get it? The word of God is alive it's not dependent on the written scriptures which can be destroyed by fire and elements but it is written in the hearts and minds of the faithful and deposited in the life of the true Church.
The word of God is alive in the Catholic Church. It is practiced, it is lived, it is acted, and it is obeyed. If all the books in the world are burned and lost, the written word of God is lost. But even if you burn the church buildings and everything in it, the body of the church which is faithful, the assembly of the Lord's followers which is his body will continue to live every word of God and they will write it down again and again and again. And even if only a handful of the Catholics remain because the others have gone out or apostatized from the true church unchanging doctrines the Catholic Church will remain standing because the true church cannot be destroyed until the Lord comes again.
It's like in marriage you may lose a written marriage contract and you may disagree on many things but the marriage remains, it is indivisible and indestructible for what God has joined together as one, no man can separate. That is why it is upon the hearts of the married couple to keep the marriage whole until death do you part. But the devil is cunning and tricky, he introduced divorced which is what? A man-made doctrine practiced by who? The non-Catholics. So marriage is not dependent on the written marriage contract but on the spiritual contract with God which is written in the hearts of the couple.
Likewise the Church and Scripture. The Church is the bride of Jesus Christ and its married to him and they became one body upon its foundation. Therefore the Church is the body of Christ. The Scripture is the written word of God and yet the scripture can be lost and destroyed but the word of God is alive as it is eternal. It is therefore not confined in the ink written on paper which can be lost and destroyed. So where then is the word of God? IT IS IN THE LIFE OF THE TRUE CHURCH NOT IN WRITTEN SCRIPTURES.
The scriptures as shown came out of the life of the Church from the time of Moses when the Old Testament was written down to the time of the Apostles when the New Testament was written down. Yet in both instances, the word of God we're alive and touched the hearts and minds of his people. There are more people who go through life and died without reading the Bible yet they died with true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ in their hearts. Many Christians died for their faith choosing death than compromise their beliefs holding to the teachings given to them by the true Church and they have not read a single word of the bible. They were taught by the Catholic Church and by the examples of the leaders of the church. They lived a holy life without reading a single word in the bible.
Let's hear what 2 Timothy Chapter 3:1-17 says:
1 But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. For men will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to
their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without the love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!
They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed
Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are deprived in minds and disqualified from the faith. But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.
You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance,
11 my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
In the above excerpt from the 2nd Letter of St. Paul to Timothy, he came up with a prophecy over the scripture which will be used by men who have the form of godliness (preachers and pastors) but deny its power. He urged us to turn away from such as these people. They are outside the true Church who worm their way into the households (the churches). They are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. This means they love to read the scriptures and try to learn from them but yet they oppose the truth with their depraved minds and so they are disqualified from the faith. Therefore we should turn away from them. Instead, we should look at the examples of the assembly of true followers of Jesus Christ, the members of the true Church and their lives, teaching, conduct, faith, patience love, and endurance as they live the word of God. And so St. Paul said it very clearly - continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed since you know from whom you learned them. Notice it is from whom you learned them, not from the bible alone but from those sent by the church to preach and teach.
Now evil men try to distort the prophecy and teaching of St. Paul by stating out of context what he meant by "All scripture is God-breath". It means the words in the scripture are taught through the life of the Church and not just read for how can an infant who does not know how to read and write yet would have known the scripture if it's not taught and exemplified by the parents of the infant who are members of the true Church. To know the Holy Scripture from infancy means Traditions passed on. From infant baptism practiced by the true church to his attendance in church services guided by the parents to his first communion until he either choose to serve fully in the Church as a priest or get Married in fulfillment of the Sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ until the last unction for the dying, it's all traditions passed and learned by the faithful from the life of the true Church. God's word in the scripture is lived, practiced, and obeyed for righteousness and good work.
This is how scripture should be understood and not from endless argumentation of those who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth because scripture is a product of the action of the Church in living the word of God.
By Bro. Manny OTFS Chief Apologist
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