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Does it matter to be Catholic?

 

Written by Dr Jacobus de Bruyn

 

We live in a world with so many opinions, ideas, and half-truths – the philosophy of relativism – that there are no absolute truths. It even echoes in the synod halls of various faith communities – you have your truth and I have my truth, therefore we must create space for each other. Even God and His Word have become mere conversational partners who can be overridden by a majority vote in a synod.

 

So again – does it matter to be Catholic? Or can I just be a Baptist too? Or a Methodist? Or can I just be a member of the Dutch Reformed Church?

 

Well, as Catholics – as Christians, we are supposed to believe in the truth, because we indeed believe in the Truth. In John 14:6, Jesus says: "I am the way and the truth." And what about Jesus’ promises in John 14:5 that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will guide us in all truth? It indeed seems that the Bible, unlike the philosophers, assumes that there is such a thing as absolute truth. According to Tradition, the Church has always taught that the highest form of truth is the Trinity. (CCC par. 234). All truth flows from this highest truth of the Trinity. God Himself is therefore the objective source of truth. Truth is therefore something that comes from outside of us.

 

But what if synod attendees and theologians, under the influence of relativism, believe that God can be overruled by a vote? Does it matter then not to be a Dutch Reformed congregant or an Anglican?

 

 

Therefore again - does it matter to be Catholic? Or can I belong to any faith community or denomination – as long as I believe that Jesus died on the cross and we love each other? How often have I not heard: "...you just need to have Jesus in your heart, that's all that matters..."

Can I then "with Jesus in my heart" believe that baptizing children is a sin while my neighbour, also "with Jesus in his heart," believes exactly the opposite? Or with "Jesus in the heart”, I believe women may serve in church offices; same-sex relationships are good and right—while the pastor at the tent around the corner believes exactly the opposite? Is Jesus not in his heart also? Or do Jesus and the Spirit who leads in truth perhaps have a split personality? Is this the reason why the Methodist Church has its own truth, and the Reformed Church has its own truth? Or is the Spirit really just a conversational partner who allows democratic voting processes from synod to synod to determine different truths?

But is it not the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther who quite decisively said: "In matters of faith, every Christian is his own pope and council" – the Protestant right of "private judgment"? So how do we know what is true and right if each person has the inherent right to decide for themselves what the Bible teaches and means? No wonder there are hundreds of Protestant faith communities, sects, and heresies – and I thought Protestants said the Bible is clear and straightforward, everyone can read it and know what is true and right… …but apparently not…

 

So again - does it matter to be Catholic? The irony of this question becomes clear when Paul writes in his first letter to Timothy that it is precisely not democratic processes and human opinions, or pastors with relativistic exegetical models, that are the foundation of truth – but rather that it is the Church itself that is the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Tim 3:15)! The Bible thus teaches - truth has a physical manifestation, namely the Church.

 

But which Church is Paul talking about then? Is he talking about the denomination that believes baptism saves? Or the one that believes baptism has no saving power? Or is Paul writing here about an invisible institution of which no one knows who really belongs to it, as many Calvinists believe? But where does that leave me with the truth? Can the minister and pastor who teach different things about Baptism really both be led by the Spirit of Truth? Can the pastor and priest therefore both belong to the true invisible church? Or did Jesus, when He promised that the Spirit would guide His Church into all truth, not really mean it? Or was it only for the first 100 years that the Spirit led the Church? Which Church is Paul talking about in 1 Timothy 3:15 as a pillar and foundation of the truth?

 

Does it matter to be Catholic? Or should we perhaps ask – does the truth matter? If Paul describes the Church as a pillar and foundation of the truth, does he mean it merely metaphorically? Or is it possible that He might be referring to something visible and even tangible? In other words, is it possible that the Church Paul refers to is indeed the visible Body of Jesus Christ as referred to in Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12? Or how will the world know that God the Father sent His Son if the unity for which Jesus prays in John 17:20-21 never needs to be visible?

 

The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed then teaches that the Church has four marks, namely, it is One – it is Holy – it is Catholic – it is Apostolic. The Church Fathers were all in complete agreement about what these four marks mean and how they identify the Church.

 

For the Church Fathers, church unity is not just an invisible or metaphorical pursuit – it is a necessity. The Church's holiness flows directly from God's holiness, while its universal outreach is precisely intertwined in its unity. No local congregation has the right to separate itself from other congregations. Who tears the Church, tears the Body of Christ.

 

"Does it matter to be Catholic?" and: "Does the truth matter?" are therefore actually questions based on history.

 

In this regard Ignatius of Antioch writes – the Church is where the bishop is, for the bishop represents Christ. Furthermore, he writes about how important it is for the Church to have one preaching and one truth.

 

Clement of Rome writes to the congregation in Corinth to preserve unity in the congregation through submission to the bishop.

 

Cyprian of Carthage – God has made the Church one and no man may divide it.

 

Jerome of Jerusalem – do not ask where the church is, for the heretics also call their gatherings "church," rather ask where the bishop is and there you will find the true Church.

 

Irenaeus – the test for the true Church is unity with Rome.

 

Clement of Alexandria and Origen – outside the visible Church, there is no salvation.

 

Tertullian – the Church is like an ark outside of which no one can be saved.

 

So too for the Council Fathers of Nicaea (325) and the later Constantinople (398), the 4 marks of the Church were a practical way to determine who the heretics were and who were "outside" the true Church.

 

These are just a few Church Fathers. Furthermore, all the Church Fathers were also united and unanimous on the following three important points:

 

1) How do I become part of the Church? I become part of the Church through the Sacrament of Baptism, which brings about rebirth and inner renewal;

 

2) How is the Church governed? Through the bishops as the successors of the Apostles;

 

3) How do we worship? We worship through our participation in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist. Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist - body and soul, body and blood, human and divine nature.

 

It is then striking that no Protestant denomination agrees with all three of these mentioned points.

 

No wonder John Henry Newman then argues the following: "To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant." Often, I hear that we just need to go back to how the early Christian Church did and taught. Well, let's honestly look at what the Christians who were there did and said, and you will be surprised by what they did and taught.

 

Does it then matter to be Catholic?

Or does the truth not matter?

 

SOME SOURCES:

 

Die Die Institusie van die Christelike godsdiens, by Johannes Calvyn.

The Fathers know best, by Jimmy Akin.

Biblical Catholic Answers for John Calvin, by Dave Armstrong.

A Biblical Critique of Calvinism, by Dave Armstrong.

The Early Church, by George Hodges.

The Seven Ecumenical Councils, by Henry R Percival.

The Roots of the Reformation, by Karl Adam.

The Protestant’s Dilemma, by Devin Rose.

An Essay in the Development of Christian Doctrine, by John Henry Newman.