Catholic Answers to the church of Christ

The Catholic Church forbade people to marry and eat meat, just as was prophesied in 1 Timothy 4:1-3

"Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the last times some will turn away from the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and demonic instructions through the hypocrisy of liars with branded consciences. They forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected when received with thanks giving, for it is made holy by the invocation of God in prayer." (1 Timothy 4:1-5). What does it mean to forbid marriage? It means that a person is not allowed to marry, even if they feel it is their vocation to marry. Does the Catholic Church do this? No. In the rites of the Church that require celibacy among the clergy, these individuals are not forbidden to marry, but must make the discussion whether their vocation is to be a celibate cleric, or a married laymen. If this person makes a mistake, and later determines that their vocation is not as a celibate cleric, but as a married laymen, the Church will grant a dispensation, and this individual is allowed to leave the clergy and become married. This does not work the other way around; the Church does not forbid marriage, but it does forbid divorce. What does it mean to require abstinence from foods? It means that a person is not allowed to eat these foods. Does the Catholic Church do this? No. To forbid the consumption of particular foods is different than fasting from particular foods. Christ said there would be a time for fasting, "But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day." (Mark 2:20, Luke 5:33). And, in Acts, fasting is practiced with prayer: "Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off." (Acts 13:3); "with prayer and fasting" (Acts 14:23). Unlike many heretic churches, the Catholic Church, follows the words of Christ and the example of the apostles, and prescribes certain days of fasting, such as Friday, in remembrance of the crucifixion of Christ.

What is the prophecy in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 referring to? At a very early date, heretics appeared in the Church that introduced new ideas that were contrary to Catholic teachings. Among the many heresies was the idea that everything of the body is evil; these heretics condemned marriage, and forbid eating meat and drinking wine at meals. Their scorn for the body and the good things created by God is totally unchristian, and the Church fought against it: "While they have a semblance of wisdom in rigor of devotion and self-abasement and severity to the body, they are of no value against gratification of the flesh." (Colossians 2:23). Part of this heresy is still very popular among some of the heretic churches today, including the church of Christ; they "require abstinence" from wine and strong drink "that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth." Christ himself drank wine (Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:34), and even gave it to others (John 2:1-11); and it was wine that Christ used in the Last Supper (Matthew 26:27-29, Mark 14:23-26, Luke 22:17-18, 1 Corinthians 11:21), and commanded the Apostles to "do this in memory of me." (Luke 22:19). By requiring abstinence from wine and strong drink, these heretics fulfill the prophecy in 1 Timothy 4:1-5.

There was no monasticism (monks & nuns) in the New Testament

Monasticism was rendered impossible by the circumstances that the early Christian Church was placed. For the first century of the Church's existence, the idea of living apart from the congregation of the faithful, or of forming within it associations to practice special renunciations, were impossible. The forerunners of monasticism renounced property and marriage, proclaimed the Gospel, and devoted their lives to the poor and needy. These Christians were not really nuns and monks, but when true monasticism took definite shape in the fourth century, these forerunners were looked upon as the first who practiced monasticism. The Christian ideal is an ascetic one, and monasticism is simply the endeavour to accomplish a material realization of that ideal, by creating organizations in accordance with this ideal. It is passages such as 1 John 2:15-17 that inspired the monastic life. The reason Christian monasticism developed, was simply the desire to fulfill Christ's law literally, to imitate him in all simplicity, and following in his footsteps. This is accomplished with the three evangelical counsels of poverty (Matthew 5:3, Matthew 13:22, Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:23, Luke 6:20, Luke 18:24), chastity (Matthew 19:12, Mark 12:25), and obedience (Matthew 16:24). Although Christian monasticism did not truly begin until the beginning of the forth century, it is a natural extension of Christian life of the first century.

The Catholic Church follows the traditions of men, which is forbidden in Matthew 15:1-9, Mark 7:1-16, and Colossians 2:8

Many heretics quote Matthew 15:1-9, Mark 7:1-16, and Colossians 2:8 against the Catholic belief that Sacred Tradition is a part of the Word of God; this only demonstrates the ignorance these heretics have of Sacred Tradition and the history of Sacred Scripture. Much of what is now Sacred Scripture was at one time written or oral Sacred Tradition, including the entire New Testament. The very Sacred Scripture these heretics quote against Sacred Tradition, were for almost three centuries themselves Sacred Tradition.

The belief that Sacred Tradition is the Word of God was not invented by the Catholic Church, but was also believed by the Jews, including the writers of the New Testament. Matthew 2:23 says, "so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, 'He shall be called a Nazarene.'"; however, there is no prophecy in Sacred Scripture that says the Messiah would be called a Nazarene, this prophecy came completely from Sacred Tradition. Even though this prophecy came from Sacred Tradition, and not Sacred Scripture, Matthew still regarded it as the holy Word of God. Sacred Scripture says that Egyptian sorcerers opposed Mosses, but it does not give their names; through Scared Tradition, St. Paul knew their names, Jannes and Jambres, and he mentions this in 2 Timothy 3:8. St. Paul also knew from Scared Tradition that Isaiah was "sawed in two", and makes reference to it in Hebrews 11:37. St. Jude also mentions an account from Scared Tradition in Jude 9, about a dispute over the body of Moses between Michael the Archangel and the devil. St. Jude also mentions a prophesy from "Enoch, of the seventh generation from Adam" (Jude 14), which is not from Sacred Scripture, but from Sacred Tradition. Sacred Tradition has always been held as the holy Word of God, and those who do not recognized it as so, refuse to acknowledge the Word of God.

The use of musical instruments is forbidden in the New Testament, the Catholic Church was the first church to break this commandment

Since the church of Christ believes the unscriptural heresy that the Bible alone is the Word of God, and that the Sacred Tradition and Sacred Magisterium of the Catholic Church are only the word of men, they forbid some things that are not found in the New Testament. Unlike some heretic groups, the church of Christ does not forbid everything that is not found in the Bible, but only the things which they feel they can do without. In an attempt to make this heresy legitimate, they pervert Sacred Scripture to prove that what is not found in the Bible is forbidden. Here are some examples: In Genesis 6:14, God did not tell Noah not to use cedar, pine, oak, or any other kind of wood to build the ark, but God's silence on the matter did not authorize it. In Numbers 20:7-13, God told Moses to "order the rock to yield its waters." Instead, Moses struck the rock twice with his rod; God did not say not to do this, but his silence did not authorize it. In Matthew 1:21, the angel told Joseph to name the child Jesus; he did not list every name not to name the child, but his silence did not authorize other names. With these and other examples, the church of Christ then gives this teaching: Ephesians 5:19 commands us to sing, Colossians 3:16 commands us to sing, and Hebrews 13:15 commands us to praise God with our lips; they do not command us not to use musical instruments when we sing, but this silence does not authorize it. When the first examples are compared to the resulting teaching, the perversion of Sacred Scripture is obvious, and there are some in the church of Christ that do not agree with this teaching.

The actual reason the New Testament is silent about the use of musical instrument in worship, is not to forbid it, but because it was not an issue. It was not an issue until a number of centuries later, at which time, it would have been a misuse of Sacred Scripture to create Biblical arguments either for or against the use of musical instruments. It was through the Sacred Magisterium that the Word of God was revealed concerning this matter. To invent answers from Scripture that do not exist is an abuse of Sacred Scripture.

More information regarding the Silence of the Scriptures doctrine can be found in the article Silence is Consent.

The Catholic Church is the great apostasy described in 1 Timothy 4:1

Even when looking at the Catholic Church through a church of Christ point of view, the Catholic Church is not the great apostasy described in 1 Timothy 4:1. The word apostasy actually has three distinct and different definitions. The two not referred to in 1 Timothy 4:1 are: apostasy ab ordine, which is when a bishop, priest, or deacon abandons their office of their own will; and apostasy a religione, or monachatus, which is when a monk or nun leaves the monastic life of their own will. With these last two definitions it should be noted that those under religious orders can abandon their orders with the permission of the Church, but if they do so without the permission of the Church, they become apostates. The definition that is referred to in 1 Timothy 4:1 is apostasy a Fide, or perfidiae, which is the complete and voluntary abandonment of the Christian religion. This would be the result of a Christian embracing another religion such as Judaism, Islamism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism, or any other religion that is not centred on Christ. It would also be the result of a Christian abandoning all religion and professing Naturalism, Rationalism, or simply just professing nothing. Apostasy a Fide is committed only if one abandons Christianity, those that have never been Christians are not apostates, but infidels. A heretic differs from an apostate in that a heretic denies one or more teachings of a religion, where as an apostate denies the religion itself. Heretics, therefore, remain Christians; however, they restrict their beliefs to certain points of Christian doctrine. Since heretics remain loyal to Christ, they are still within reach of redemption. As Matthew 5:19 says, "Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven." Note that by denying one or more Christian doctrines (breaking one or more of Christ's commandments), the heretic can still enter the kingdom of heaven, although they will be called least in that kingdom. Since the Catholic Church, and all other churches that call themselves Christian, affirm Christ as their head, and follow what they believe to be Christ's doctrine, they cannot be called apostate churches.

For the sake of argument, suppose the church of Christ did not descend from the Catholic Church, but was the one holy universal and apostolic Church. This would mean that the Catholic Church, and all churches that have descended from it, are heretic churches, and those that have abandoned the church of Christ and all of the heretic churches are apostates. The apostates are not Christians, but the heretics are, and would therefore be members of the church of Christ, though not in full communion with it. The church of Christ would have to recognize that it has a common belief between itself and all the heretic churches, which is the headship of Christ. As well, a number of heretic churches follow many doctrines that the church of Christ does, and these similar doctrines must be recognized as valid. The other churches that developed out of the American restoration movement have very similar doctrines to the church of Christ, and would have to be accepted as having very few heretical doctrines. The church of Christ would also have to decide, as the Catholic Church did in the third and fourth centuries, whether or not heretic baptisms, that follow the same baptismal doctrines as the church of Christ, are valid. The church of Christ should also take the initiative to enter into official talks with the heretic church, to increase Christian unity. It would be logical to start with the churches that have the fewest heretical doctrines, such as the other churches that developed out of the American restoration movement. If the church of Christ were the true Church of Christ, it would have to recognize all other churches that affirm the headship of Christ as heretic churches, and therefore in partial communion with the church of Christ.

If this article does nothing else, I pray that this one point be accepted by the church of Christ. The Catholic Church, along with all churches that affirm the headship of Christ, should not be viewed as apostate churches, but should be viewed as heretic churches. By doing this, the church of Christ can help heal the divisions within Christianity, and would return to Barton Stone's original belief that Christians could unite in one faith. A correct view of apostasy and heresy could also lead the church of Christ to follow there close relative, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and engaged in an international theological dialogue with the Catholic Church's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. In all, the church of Christ has nothing to loose, and much to gain, by acknowledging all that follow Christ as Christian.