Apologetics 1

Explaining And Defending The Catholic Faith:

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you. yet with gentleness and reverence.

By: David Hipple

We need to be Saved

You made us for Yourself, Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You St Augustine.
the need to turn to God in an ever more mature way and with a constant, ever more profound, conversion. (Pope John Paul II :The Redeemer of Man 50)
Only when we meet Jesus can we find release for all that anxiety that is more profoundly human: the search for truth, the relentless demand for what is good, the hunger for freedom, the yearning for beauty, the voice of conscience. He alone is the solution for every problem: He alone is the true salvation of the world. (Pope John Paul II)
Rom3: For there is no distinction; 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

We must not forget that Jesus is the One who does the Saving!
We do not save ourselves.

Eph 2: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God -- 9 not because of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Jn 3: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Col 2:13 - 15 and even when we were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliberating the bond against us with its legal claim, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross; despoiling the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it.

The Blood of Jesus does the Saving

Col1: 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Hebrews 9:14 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.
I Peter 1:18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
I John 1: 7  the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Rev 5: 9 for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

We must come to Him.

John 14: 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
(Peter speaking) Acts 4: 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Baptism is the Normal way of entering Salvation

CCC 1213 Holy baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made shareers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and in the word.
CCC 1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to be baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The church does not know of any means other than baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the spirit". God has bound salvation to the sacrament of baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.
Jn 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Matthew 28:19 :20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.
Acts 2: 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
I Peter 3: 20 who formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you

For those who have decided to be baptized, but die before being baptized:
CCC 1259 For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.

For those who don't know the necessity of Baptism:
CCC 1260 "Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery."(Lumen Gentium 16) Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.

In the NT, a parallel is drawn between baptism and OT circumcision. Both were the way to become a part of Gods people, both were administered to infants.
Col 2: 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead..

Baptism is a really good beginning, but: More is required.

Paul VI, On Evangelization in the Modern World: from Paragraph 56, pg34 (see also Para 54). He is describing different groups of people who need to be evangelized.
Today there is a very large number of baptized people who for the most part have not formally renounced their Baptism but who are entirely indifferent to it and not living in accordance with it.
Thus we have atheists and unbelievers on the one side and those who do not practice on the other, and both groups put up a considerable resistance to evangelization. The resistance of the former takes the form of a certain refusal and an inability to grasp the new order of things, the new meaning of the world, of life and of history; such is not possible if one does not start from a divine absolute. The resistance of the second group takes the form of inertia and the slightly hostile attitude of the person who feels that he is one of the family, who claims to know it all and to have tried it all and who no longer believes it.

From Catholic and Christian, by Alan Schreck

Many Christians today equate faith with a decision for Christ a conscious, personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as the lord and Savior of your life.  This terminology is used mostly be evangelical Protestants, but Catholics agree that all mature Christians must make a conscious choice to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and to commit themselves to follow Him.  Catholics make such a public recommitment every year when they renew their baptismal promises during the Easter liturgy.  The practice of regular, even daily, personal acts of faith in Jesus Christ is a part of Catholic tradition. 

Unfortunately, some Catholics have neglected the importance of this conscious, personal commitment to Jesus Christ.  Catholics sometimes assume that persons who are baptized, attend Mass, and receive the sacraments regularly have obviously accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of their lives.  Pastoral experience with U.S. Catholics shows that this is often not the case:  many Catholics have not yet made a deliberate, adult decision to believe in Jesus Christ and give their lives fully to him.


In Romans 2:26-29, it is illuminating to substitute the word Baptism in place of circumcision? and a Christian in place of a Jew?   The following is from the RSV, with these substitutions made: 

So, if a man who is un-baptized keeps the precepts of the law, will not his un-baptism be regarded as baptism? Then those who are physically un-baptized but keep the law will condemn you who have the written code and baptism but break the law. For he is not a real Christian who is one outwardly, nor is true baptism something external and physical. He is a Christian who is one inwardly, and real baptism is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal. His praise is not from men but from God.

Belief is required.

Jesus first command: Mark 1: 15 "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Jn 5: 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Jn 3: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God..
Ro 10: 9 if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved.

What is faith?

Does faith equal making a decision for Christ?. Does faith equal belief?
James 2: 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder.
Faith is a way of life. We are saved by love working thru faith
Gal 5:6 for in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

How I live will affect where I end up, not just what I believe:
Mat 24:13 those who persevere to the end will be saved.
Mat 10:22 You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved
Ro 11: 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.
Matt 7: 21 "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven
James 2: 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?  17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.
James 1: 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Faith cannot save us if we deny it by the way we live.


Assurance of Salvation?

Schreck p 32 bottom thru 33
I have a firm confidence and hope that God In his mercy will preserve me from serious sin and rebellion and will finally bring me to eternal life with Him.

Note: The Catholic Church does not teach that you can know with absolute certainty in this life that you are saved.

I Cor 9: 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25* Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; 27 but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Hebrews 6:11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Phil3:10-16 to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharings of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. It is not that I have attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing; forgetting what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus. Let us, then, who are perfectly mature adopt this attitude, and if you have a different attitute, this too God will reveal to you. Only, with regard to what we have attained, continue on the same course.

Moral Assurance of Salvation - YES

We each have the free will to turn away. However, we know that God will receive us if we turn back to Him and repent.

I John 1: 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
James 5: 14 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The presbyters (priests) must be called: the sins of the sick are forgiven in this sacrament of anointing.
Luke 15 (the prodigal son)
If we choose Jesus, no other power can take us away from Him and He will not reject us.
John 10: 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
Roman 8:35-38 What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: "for your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor deapth, and any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reference:

Schreck, Alan:  Catholic and Christian  Servant Books

 "Only Scripture" (Sola Scriptura) vs Scripture plus Tradition  - The Canon of the Bible:

First, lets understand the issue.
1. Fundamentalists and Evangelicals claim the Bible is the only rule of faith. It is the sufficient source for infallible truth and contains everything one needs to believe necessary for salvation. Furthermore, nothing needs to be added to the Bible to form our theology. The whole of Christian truth is found within its pages. Anything extraneous to the Bible is simply wrong or unnecessary, and may even hinder one in coming to God.
Some Fundamentalists extend this to say the Bible alone is the authority in matters of science and history, also.
2. Catholics, on the other hand, say the Bible is not sufficient as the sole rule of faith for Christians and that nothing in the Bible suggests it was meant to be. In fact, the Bible indicates it is not sufficient and is not to be taken by itself. The true rule of faith is Scripture plus Apostolic Tradition, as manifested in the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church, to which were entrusted the oral teachings of Jesus and the apostles, along with the authority to interpret Scripture correctly.

Here are some Bible passages often used to defend the Sola Scriptura position:
(my comments are in italics)
Col 2: 8 See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. This verse (and the passage below) are used to condemn all kinds of tradition, especially non-Protestant tradition. But who gets to decide what a "human tradition" is? This verse does provide a standard: is the tradition in line with the "elemental spirits of the universe" or is it in line with Christ? Are there traditions that are in line with Christ that should be kept?

Mark 7: 6 And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' 8 You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men."
9 And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die'; 11 but you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God) -- 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do."
Matt 15:3 He said to them in reply, "and why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?" Same question applies here: how do we judge whether something is a "precept of men"? Again, this passage does help answer that: is the tradition in accord with the 10 commandments? In other words, is it in accord with Scripture? The early church extended that question to ask: is it in accord with the apostle's teaching? If so, it should not be rejected.

I John 2: 27 but the anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him.
John 14: 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
These two verses are used to say that any believer can read the Bible, and the Holy Spirit will tell him what it means. The believer needs no Church to help him. The Holy Spirit will unerringly guide him to the truth. This is, in short, a claim of infallibility, not for the Pope, but for every single individual. In practice, even those who make this claim DO depend on the "tradition" of their faith tradition in the form of sermons and commentaries by learned teachers. But again, who can judge the correctness of the commentator? Only the individual believer, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Rev 22: 18 I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. This passage, which John no doubt wrote to include the book of Revelation (the only book in his hands at the time) is extended to include the entire Protestant Bible.

Catholic teaching, from Catholic sources. From Vatican II Constitution on Divine Revelation, Chpt II, paragraphs 9 and 10 (emphasis mine)
Hence there exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. For Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known. Consequently it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence.
Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church. Holding fast to this deposit the entire holy people united with their shepherds remain always steadfast in the teaching of the Apostles, in the common life, in the breaking of the bread and in prayers so that holding to, practicing and professing the heritage of the faith, it becomes on the part of the bishops and faithful a single common effort.
It is clear, therefore, that sacred tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church, in accord with God's most wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others, and that all together and each in its own way under the action of the one Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.

Acts 2:42, and they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to breaking of bread and to prayer.

The classic Catholic position on the validity of scripture is stated in Vatican II, Constitution on Divine Revelation, Chpt III paragraph 11 (emphasis mine)
Those divinely revealed realities which are contained and presented in Sacred Scripture have been committed to writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. For holy mother Church, relying on the belief of the Apostles, holds that the books of both the Old and New Testaments in their entirety, with all their parts, are sacred and canonical because written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author and have been handed on as such to the Church herself. In composing the sacred books, God chose men and while employed by Him they made use of their powers and abilities, so that with Him acting in them and through them, they, as true authors, consigned to writing everything and only those things which He wanted.
Therefore, since everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit, it follows that the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation. Therefore "all Scripture is divinely inspired and has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, for reformation of manners and discipline in right living, so that the man who belongs to God may be efficient and equipped for good work of every kind"

John 20:31 But these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

2 Peter 1:19-20 and so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation,

2 Peter 3:15-16 and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, accordig to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the scriptures, to their own destruction.

2 Tim. 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Here are some scriptural defenses of the catholic position. (Emphasis is mine)

Paul speaking I Cor 11: 1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 2 I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you. There are traditions we should maintain. Not all traditions are to be discarded.

2 Thess 2:15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. (here is one of many references to the authoritative place of ORAL traditions. Some Traditions are vital to hold on to. )

2 Thess 3: 6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us;

An illustration of Apostolic Succession: how the truth was handed on:

2Tim 2:1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also

Paul speaking: Paul held nothing back, he passed on all that God had told him. Acts 20: 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

John believes in declaring the whole counsel of God, and some of it is done orally. Not all is in written form.
2 John 12 Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
3 John 13 I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face.
John: The scriptures do NOT contain everything that Jesus did: Jn 21: 24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. 25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Here is why John wrote: John 20: 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

I Tim 3:14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, 15 if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.

If the scripture alone is the pillar and bulwark of the faith, why did Paul say that the Church is?

If the Bible alone is sufficient, Paul would have said so: Why did he not say that through the scriptures the manifold wisdom of God is made known? Because scriptures alone are not sufficient. It is through the CHURCH that the wisdom of God is made known.

Eph 3: 7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make) all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; 10 that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

below are often used to defend "Scripture alone". This says that scripture is necessary. There is no argument with that. This passage does not say that scripture is all one needs.

2 Tim 3: 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Does this say, as some protestants insist, that the Scripture alone will make "the man of God" complete? Lets look at other verses to see if this method of interpretation works. Elsewhere, we see the word "Complete" used to indicate things that are necessary, not things that alone are sufficient:
James 1: 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
I John 4: 12 No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
(no fundamentalist or evangelical argues that Love alone or Steadfastness alone are sufficient to make "the man of God" complete)

We need the scripture, (and steadfastness and love) and we need the offices of the church in order to achieve complete-ness, to be equipped, to be perfect. The scripture alone is not enough.
Eph 4: 7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift's. 11 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 so that we may no longer be children,

Recommended reading:
Catholic Doctrine in Scripture Gregory Oatis, (Coming Home Resources, Zanesville, Ohio 2003)
Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic, David B Currie (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1996)
Vatican II Constitution on Divine Revelation

 The Pope:

Where is that in the bible?

Outline:
Tradition and scripture
The church has authority
The apostles have authority
Peter was the leader of the apostles
Definition of infallibility

Scripture plus Tradition?

Above, we showed that the Bible is not sufficient as the sole rule of faith for Christians and that nothing in the Bible suggests it was meant to be. In fact, the Bible indicates it is not to be taken by itself.  But Catholics go on to claim that  "the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church,  whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. "  (From Vatican  II, Dei Verbum, Divine Revelation, paragraph10)    But does scripture support this?  Does scripture support the existence of a living, teaching, authoritative Church?  

Is there any precedent for this in the Old Testament?   There, we find that the Levitical priests were to be the judges and source of wisdom and decision in difficult cases.  
Malachi 2: 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
Deuteronomy  17: 8  "If any case arises requiring decision  any case within your towns which is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God will choose, 9 and coming to the Levitical priests, and to the judge who is in office in those days, you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision.

Is the Bible our pillar of truth?  No, the Church is.   The New Testament church continues the precedent of the Old Testament with the Christian Church.

I Tim 3:14   I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, 15 if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.

How is the wisdom of God made known?  Through the Church!
Eph 3: 7  Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace 8 To me, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9  and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in  God who created all things; 10 that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

The next passage points out that we need the offices of the church in order to achieve completeness, to be equipped, to be perfect.  Other scriptures point out that we need the scriptures 2 Tim 3: 15-17"and that from infancy you have made known the sacred scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work." and we need Love I John 4:12 "noone has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us." and I Cor 13  and following points out that we need the offices of the church:
Eph 4: 7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift's.   11 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine

The apostles are the first listed office in the church in Eph 4:11 above.  The apostles and prophets are our foundation.   
Eph 2: 19 you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Jesus is talking to the apostles here in Matthew Chapter 18 (see verse1).  Starting in verse 15, Jesus is describing a church with the authority to discipline Christians (to discipline those who are "brothers").  Recall that Jesus is talking to the apostles, so the you that Jesus refers to here are the apostles.
Matt 18: 15   If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ¨20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
If, as some teach, the church is completely present when two or three gather in my name verse 20 then why are v 17, 18, and 19 necessary above?  V18, here addressed to all the apostles, is an echo of the second part of Matt 16, verse 19 (more on this later), which speaks of the authority to bind and loose, and that authority of the church is only present when the apostles (or their successors) are present and make a ruling.  More on this next.   

Now we know we need the church:  who is the Church?  Lets make it personal;  He appointed the Apostles to have Authority

Jesus spoke this to all of us and He promised to be with all of us:  but He also spoke this to the apostles in a special way:  
John 13: 20  speaking to the twelve  " Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me." (see also Matt 10: 40 "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives  me receives the one who sent me." , Luke 10: 16 "whoever listens to you listens to me.  Who ever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."  

Eph 3: 5 Paul says that "the mystery of Christ" has been " revealed to his holy apostles"

In John chapter 20, Jesus is speaking to the disciples:  Jesus gives power to the apostles
John 20:21  Jesus said to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." 22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

This is what the Apostles are supposed to do:
Matt 28: 18  And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
    
Some  argue that there are no Apostles any more:  that they died out with the writing of the new Testament.  But in the New Testament, we see that Apostolic authority resides in the Office, not the person filling the office, and the office is to be passed on.
In Acts chapter 1, Peter leads the remaining apostles to appoint a successor to Judas, the apostle who fell away.  There was no debate about whether this should be done, only about who should fill the office.  The fact that Judas fell away does not mean that the office fell away.  The office continues, and needs to be filled by a man who knows Jesus.
Similarly, in 2 Tim 2:2 Paul tells Timothy to appoint others to carry on after him. "and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well."

In Acts 15 we see the first council of the Church, called as described in Matthew 18 to address disagreements between brothers.
The issue is stated in Acts 15:1 "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
The issue was decided on the basis of the council's own authority.  Only after the question had been discussed and decided did James add that Scripture was in harmony with the decision (as we should expect).
Note that it was Peter who spoke the answer (Acts 15 Vs 7-11) "we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus".  After Peter spoke, they all fell silent (v12) and listened to others describe how the doctrine pronounced by Peter was already at work. The only thing remaining for the council to do was to work out all the administrative details, which fell to James's capable hands.

OK now lets make it really personal:  The Primacy of Peter, The First Pope.

First, a little about Peter.  Take note of "Peters firsts" (from Schreck p84)

Peter's Firsts:
Acts 1  Peter leads the effort to fill the vacant office of an apostle (Peter appoints the first bishop).
Acts 2  Peter preaches the first sermon
Acts 3  Peter works the first miracle of healing
Acts 4  Peter and John are the first to be arrested for the gospel, Peter gives the first defense of the Gospel
Acts 5 Annias and Sapphira.  Peter performs the first church discipline (?!)
Acts 5:15  Peter's shadow healed them
Acts 5:29  Peter speaks for the apostles
Acts 8 Peter sent to confirm the Samaritans (the first gift of the Holy Spirit to the Samaritian half breeds is thru Peter)
Acts 9  Peter the first to raise the dead.  Peter heals Aeneas.  
Acts 10  Peter is the first to preach the gospel to the gentiles and the first to baptize them
Acts 11  Peter defends the baptism of the gentiles
Acts 15 the first church council:  Peter stands up and declares the dogma.
Gal 1:18 Paul consulted with Peter (only) for 15 days before beginning his ministry.

Peter is mentioned 191 times in the New Testament.  All the other apostles combined are mentioned by name just 130 times.  The next most commonly referenced apostle is John, whose name appears 48 times in the New Testament.
Peter's name appears first in virtually every listing of the apostles, just as Judas name always appears last.  If there is a reason for the latter (which there obviously is) there must be a reason for the former.  

The Catechism (CCC) explains this as follows: (citations to LG are to the Vatican II document Lumen  Gentium, The Mystery of the Church)
880 When Christ instituted the Twelve, "he constituted [them] in the form of a college or permanent assembly, at the head of which he placed Peter, chosen from among them." (LG19) Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter and the rest of the apostles constitute a single apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are related with and united to one another." (LG22)
(CCC)881 The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. (Mt 16:18-19, Jn 21:15-17) "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head. (LG 22) This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope
(CCC)936 The Lord made St. Peter the visible foundation of his Church. He entrusted the keys of the Church to him. The bishop of the Church of Rome, successor to St. Peter, is "head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and Pastor of the universal Church on earth" (CIC, can. 331).
(CCC)937 The Pope enjoys, by divine institution, "supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls" (CD 2).

This Issue of Authority, particularly Authority that can be identified with one man (the Pope) or a group of men (a Council) is one of the top reasons people leave the Catholic Church (or stay away) due perhaps to a rebellion against Authority or a reaction to the failure of authority in their lives.  This issue of Authority is also one of the top reasons people convert to the Catholic Church:  the Holy Spirit makes it clear to them their need of Authority.

In Matthew 16, the promise is made to Peter:  
Simon = Reed
 Kapha  (Peter) = Rock.  
 Peter has the keys.
Matt 16: 13    Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" 14  And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16  Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17  And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18  And I tell you, you are Peter (Petros),  and on this rock (Petra)   I will build my church, and the powers of death  shall not prevail against it. 19  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Rabbinic terms:  bind = forbid ,  loose = permit  
the keys:  these are given to Peter only,
 binding and loosing:  we see in other scripture that Jesus gives this power to all the disciples (Matt 18:18 for example)

(Side issue:  in the Greek, the words Petros and Petra are different.  Petros, the word assigned to Peter, is the male form of the word for rock, and when referring to stones, meant a small one.  Petra is the feminine form, and when referring to stones, meant a large one.  Naturally, Peter, being a male, would receive the male form of the word.  But this is a side issue, since Jesus most likely did not speak this in Greek, but in Aramaic. )
Cephas:  The Aramaic equivalent of Peter, and having the same meaning, namely, rock.  As a surname of the prince of the Apostles, it is applied to Peter eight times in the New Testament.  In one place (John 1:42) it is explicitly mentioned that it is the same as Peter.
John 1: 42  He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter ).
I Cor 15: 5   he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

The keys that Matthew refers to are the symbol of the office that is passed on when the office becomes empty:  this means apostolic succession.  Here is an Old Testament example from the Davidic Kingdom.  Since Jesus fulfills the Davidic Kingdom, we will see that Jesus works the  fulfillment of this also.
Isa 22: 19 I will thrust you (Shebna) from your office, and you will be cast down from your station. 20 In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, 21 and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your girdle on him, and will commit your authority to his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22  And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house.
The office being discussed here is like the Prime Minister of the Kingdom. The key of the house of David are passed on to successors.  Note that a bad man (Shebna had to be "thrust" from the office) did not contaminate the office or make it moot.  The office was passed on.   If Jesus is the fulfillment of the Davidic Kingdom (He is) , and the Church is His Kingdom on Earth (It is), then we should expect to find the things of the Davidic Kingdom fulfilled in the Church (we do:  in this case, Peter is the Prime Minister since he has the keys, and this office is meant to be passed on to successors, the Popes).  

I already referred to Acts 1: the offices were Intended to be passed on , and the office was not made dirty by a scoundrel who held It for a time.   
Acts 1:15  In those days Peter stood up, and said  16 "Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry. 20  For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it; (Ps 69:26) and 'His office let another take.' (Ps 109:8) 21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us--one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, "Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two thou hast chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place." 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.

We saw in Matthew 16 that the office with the keys was promised to Peter:  in John 21 is where Peter is appointed or commissioned to the role we now call Pope.  
John 21: 15     When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16  A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep".
Lumen  Gentium paragraph 22 The lord made Peter alone the rock “ foundation and the holder of the keys of the Church (Mat 16:18-19) and constituted him shepherd of his whole flock (John 21:15) It is clear, however, that the office of binding and loosing, which was given to Peter,(Mt16:19) was also assigned to the college of apostles, united with its head.(Mt 18:18, 28:16-20)

Infallibility of the Pope

Here is a definition of Infallibility from Catholic Answers ( http://catholic.com )
Infallibility applies only to solemn, official teachings on faith and morals, not to disciplinary decisions or even to unofficial comments on faith and morals. A pope's private theological opinions are not infallible, only what he solemnly defines is considered to be infallible teaching. Infallibility is not a substitute for theological study on the part of the pope. What infallibility does do is prevent a pope from solemnly and formally teaching as "truth" something that is, in fact, error. It does not help him know what is true, nor does it "inspire" him to teach what is true. He has to learn the truth the way we all do through study ”though, to be sure, he has certain advantages because of his position.
Of course, infallibility does not include a guarantee that any particular pope won't "neglect" to teach the truth, or that he will be sinless, or that mere disciplinary decisions will be intelligently made. It would be nice if he were omniscient or impeccable, but his not being so will fail to bring about the destruction of the Church. But he must be able to teach rightly, since instruction for the sake of salvation is a primary function of the Church. For men to be saved, they must know what is to be believed. They must have a perfectly steady rock to build upon and to trust as the source of solemn Christian teaching. And that's why papal infallibility exists.
From the Catechism:
(CCC)891 "The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful - who confirms his brethren in the faith he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals. . . . The infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when, together with Peter's successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium," above all in an Ecumenical Council. When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine "for belief as being divinely revealed," and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions "must be adhered to with the obedience of faith."
 This is from Vatican II, Lumen Gentium Paragraph 25:
The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful who confirms his brethren in the faith (Lk 22:32) “ he proclaims in an absolute decision a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals.  

Scandals in the church

Many will deny the Authority of the Pope because there have been bad Popes, some very bad.  Just a few short thoughts on this topic:
 Consider the 12 Apostles:  one betrayed Christ, one denied Him, one refused to believe in His Resurrection, and they all abandoned Him at the Garden of Gethsemani.  Did any of this disqualify John and Peter and the others from being infallible when they wrote their books that are in the New Testament?  
Should I leave Peter on account of Judas?  Dude, Peter's got the keys.  
From Catholic Answers:
 Someone once asked him to address the situation of the scandal caused by so many of his brother priests. What Francis de Sales said is as important for us today as it was then. He did not pull any punches. He said, "While those who give scandal are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder [i.e., destroying other people's faith in God by their terrible example], those who take scandal-who allow scandals to destroy their faith-are guilty of spiritual suicide." They are guilty, he said, of cutting off their life with Christ by abandoning the source of life in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

Jesus is with us, as he promised, until the end of time. He is still in the boat. Just as out of Judas's betrayal he achieved the greatest victory in the universe-our salvation through his passion, death and resurrection-so out of this new scandal he may bring, wants to bring, a new rebirth of holiness, a new Acts of the Apostles for the twenty-first century, with each of us-and that includes you-playing a starring role. Now is the time for real men and women of the Church to stand up. Now is the time for saints. How will you
respond?
References:  
Gregory Oatis, Catholic Doctrine in Scripture , CHResources
Schreck, Alan:  Catholic and Christian   Servant Books
References to Vatican II documents include the letters of the first words in Latin, plus the paragraph number, thus Dei Verbum (Constitution on Divine Revelation) is DV.  
CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catholic Answers ( www.catholic.com )