THE CHURCH

THE CHURCH
Existence, mission, visible characteristics and its authority Catholics are often attacked by non-Catholics, especially Protestants, for their belief The Catholic Church is the only true Church founded by Christ. Catholics should never explain or defend this teaching exalted or “triumphant.” to seek to show that, despite the unworthiness of many Catholics, Christ founded his Church, to be a visible, recognizable body with his holiness, unity, apostolic ism, which transcend sinfulness and other imperfections its individual members. The nature and mission of the Church never need to be explained in the light of how good or intelligent Catholics are. On the contrary, it must always be presented in light how powerful the grace of God is – more powerful than human sin and how faithfully Christ loves your bride, the Church. The following texts are useful to prove that Christ intended to establish a particular Church, not just an indefinite association of like-minded believers. His the intention was to establish a Church that would go further into the world with a universal mission to teach, to sanctify and rule (this is the ecclesial expression of Christ’s own triple office of prophet, priest and king). Naturally, Christ could choose many methods to intervene the world with its message of forgiveness and redemption, but the fact remains that he has chosen a special one method: he used the Church as his own body, he equipped him with power, leadership (cf. Luke 10:16; John 16:12) and by its promise that this Church, which will be composed of good and bad members (Matt. 13: 24-30), will exist until the end of the world (cf. Matt. 28:20). * Matt 16, 18 – 19: “And I say unto you, Thou art Peter and on this rock I will build my Church and hell the gates shall not prevail against it. ” * Matt 18, 15 – 18: “When your brother sins against you, go and admonish him among the four eyes. If he listens to you, you’ve got your brother. If he ‘s not listening to you, take another or two, so that each statement may be confirmed by the mouths of two or three witnesses. If not for them disobey, tell the church. And if not the church he did not want to obey, let him be to you as a Gentile and a toll booth. Verily I say unto you, What shall ye bind on the earth? It shall be bound in heaven, and what ye shall lose on earth; it shall be loosed in heaven. ” In the previous verse, one can you could almost hear the tone of terror in Christ’s voice as he said, “And if the church would not to listen … “suggesting that ignoring the Church, his Church, would be the pinnacle of stupidity and folly. Unfortunately, in recent for two thousand years many have chosen this tragic one the way of ignoring the teaching authority of the Church. Note also that Christ shows the Church as the court of last instance, the place from which it flows final decision on disputes.
This clearly shows that the Church was founded with a teaching authority that transcends the individual. And Christ did not plan things that way to hinder or put the individual believer in a “jacket,” but to protect him from the dangers of delusion, disunity, and sin. By establishing the Magisterium of the Church as the “court of last instances “in the matter of learning and equipping the Magisterium with its authority to preach and teach in its name (cf. Luke 10:16), believers are protected from theological and moral misconceptions that appear when involved in the game. The principle of “private interpretation” of Scripture and Tradition (i.e., separation from the teachings of the Church). More quotes Luke 13, 20; 14.16 – 17. 26 9, 31; 15, 28 – 29 John 18:18; 20, 21 – 23 1 Corinth 27 – 30, Mark 5.13, 10.40 1 / f 2.15 In these supporting quotes it is worth special mention as follows:In Matthew 5: 1 3 – 1 6 Christ explains that every Christian is called to be “the light of the world.” However, the added meaning here is that this the characteristic of “visibility” is simultaneously the identity of the Church itself. The individual Christians together form the Church, which means that the Church itself is the city built on a hill, visible at all ages to her all they saw and knew.