Catholicity - Apologetics For Our Time

  FROM COVENANT THEOLOGY TO LITERALISM: HOW A CHANGE IN INTERPRETATION RESHAPED CHRISTIANITY INTRODUCTION Intro One of the most overlooked questions in Christian theology is not what Christians believe, but how they read Scripture. The earliest Christians inherited from Judaism a covenantal worldview. They understood God’s actions throughout history as a unified plan unfolding through covenants, priesthood, sacrifice, temple worship, sacred authority, and typological fulfillment. The Old Testament was not viewed as a collection of disconnected texts but as a covenant story culminating in Jesus Christ. For the first centuries of Christianity, Scripture was interpreted within this covenantal framework. The Church Fathers did not merely ask what a verse meant in isolation. They asked how each text fit within God’s covenantal plan and how Christ fulfilled what came before Him. The Protestant Reformation introduced many important theological debates, but one of its most significant effe...

  Proclaim the Word in Season and Out of Season Patience, Humility, and Faithfulness in the Christian Mission “Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” — 2 Timothy 4:2     Dear brothers and sisters in Christ...      The readings of the day present a profound and challenging message for every Christian: perseverance in our mission and humility in our service.       In the second letter of Saint Paul to Timothy, Paul gives a passionate exhortation: “Proclaim the word. Be persistent in season and out of season. Convince, reprimand, and encourage with all patience and wisdom.”      Many evangelizers quote this passage when speaking about preaching the Gospel, emphasizing the call to correct, exhort, and teach. Yet, two essential words are often forgotten: patience and wisdom .      Too often, we become impatient. We ...

    Dear brothers and sisters in Christ....      Many anti-Catholics loudly claim that the Church does not use or teach the Bible. Some go further and say, “The Church teaches things that aren’t in the Bible!”      On the first point, they misunderstand what the Church actually does. That is not surprising; many simply repeat what they have heard about Catholicism from critics of the Church. As Scott Hahn observed, "...many have learned what they think they know second or third hand from the Church’s opponents...."      On the second point, they are partly right. The Church may teach things drawn from Scripture and its deeper meaning that are not always explicitly spelled out in biblical text.      The deeper issue is that many assume the Bible belongs to them alone and that “biblical authority” means Scripture stands by itself as the sole authority. Yet the Bible does not claim this for itself. Christ did not hand Hi...

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.... In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. READING 1: From the Second Letter of the Apostle Paul to Timothy “ Dear brother, always remember that Jesus Christ, descendant of David, rose from the dead according to the Gospel that I preach. For this Gospel I suffer, even to the point of wearing chains like a criminal, but the word of God is not chained. That is why I endure everything for the sake of the chosen ones, so that they too may attain salvation in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. This saying is true: If we die with Him, we shall live with Him. If we persevere, we shall reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, because He cannot deny Himself. This is what you must teach. Warn everyone before God to avoid arguments over words, which are useless and only ruin those who listen. Make every effort to present yourself before God as a worker who...

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,      Often we blame Pontious Pilate for the death of Jesus. As Scripture recounts, Pilate ordered Christ to be flogged and finally, to be crucified. It was within his power to do these things, as he was the Roman governer of the Judean territory, and he was dispassionate and efficient in meting out justice.      He also was not a Christian, of course, as that term, even that idea, had not come to be in his time. Thus, he  had none of the emotional connection to Jesus that we have.  So, its not surprsing that Christians harbor a deep contempt for Pilate.      But Pilate was motivated by a very different set of emotions than one might imagine. You see, he  was more  fearful of a Jewish revolt and keeping his head attached to his body, than he was bothered by having Jesus crucified.   P ontius Pilate was used by God. He was chosen to do what he did.     Of course, WE see...