If the Catholic Church presents a distortion of Scripture, why are Catholic and Protestant Bibles identical?
Except for the apocrypha/deuterocanonicals, if you take a Catholic and a Protestant version of the same translation (NIV, NKJV, NAB, NASB, RSV, etc), they are identical word-for-word.
There is no difference between Catholic and Protestant New Testaments.
How is it, then, that Catholicism distorts Scripture without changing Scripture itself?
Why do thsoe Protestants who argue that Catholicism is a distortion embrace the same Bible as Catholics?
I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. (John 16:12-13)
Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
We instruct you, brothers, in the name of (our) Lord Jesus Christ,to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us. (2 Thessalonians 3:6)
I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you. (1 Corinthians 11:2)
The Catholic Church does not use Holy Scripture as the only basis of doctrine. It could not. The early Catholic church existed before and during the time that the New Testament was written.
There were hundreds of Christian writings during the first and second centuries. Which New Testament writings would become official was not fully decided until about 400 C.E.
Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church (and is guiding the church today) to make the correct choices about things like:
• The Holy Trinity (which is also only hinted at in the Bible)
• Going to church on Sunday instead of Saturday (which is actually directly against one of the Ten Commandments)
• The Communion of Saints
• Which writings include in the New Testament?
Things that are even more modern like
• Slavery is bad. Slavery is never declared evil in the Bible. This was one of the justifications for slavery in the Confederate States.
• Democracy is good. The Bible states that either God should be the leader of the nation like Israel before the kings or kings should be the leader, "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s." This was talked about a lot during the American Revolution.
This second source of doctrine is called Apostolic Tradition.
Do Christians who do not allow the continuing guiding force of the Holy Spirit to make their beliefs more and more perfect, still endorse slavery as Colossians 3:22 commands, "Slaves, obey your human masters in everything"?
For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 80 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect1chpt2.shtml#80
With love in Christ.
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January 14 2010 08:57 am | Protestant
Kirby on 14 Jan 2010 at 2:27 pm #
It is because scripture is interpreted. That is why there are ten thousand different Christian religions.
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Fireball on 14 Jan 2010 at 2:37 pm #
they have their own catechism and other beliefs also….Jesus commanded 2 sacraments…that is what Protestants are doing. Not five or seven or whatever..
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TattoomomKC on 14 Jan 2010 at 3:02 pm #
The bible is a CATHOLIC book. Boy do they despise it when we point that out.
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Catholic
*Excuse Me Miss* on 14 Jan 2010 at 3:49 pm #
The New testament remains the same throughout all of Christianity. It cannot be changed. However, the reason catholicism is distorted is not the scripture as it is the pagan beliefs, ceremonies and traditions that were mixed into it by the Romans in ancient times, most of them not mentioned once in the Bible. Also, it is not whether you completely change the text of the new testament, it is how you INTERPRET it.
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@tattomo… The Bible is not a Catholic book! It was written over many years by prophets and disciples. catholics cant claim ownership to it or say they were the originators. please get your facts straight.
Brent on 14 Jan 2010 at 4:24 pm #
Numerous complex theologies and interpretations can be built upon the same scriptural texts. Different people bring different experiences to a text which influences how they read it.
Various groups may unintentionally distort portions of scripture, while holding an accurate interpretation of other portions.
It is all a process that theologians must work together on to come to a better understanding.
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Joe P on 14 Jan 2010 at 4:36 pm #
Just as you say, because of the apocrypha.
Revelation 22:18-19
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Bible
lawrenceba549 on 14 Jan 2010 at 4:49 pm #
Certain Protestant denominations focus only on a few words of scripture to make their anti-Catholic points.
Sacraments come to mind. Many Protestant denominations refuse to baptize infants, saying there is no evidence that Jesus baptized infants. While there is truth in that statement, they also overlook passages in the Letters that mention the baptism of Families, and no one seems to mention Luke 18:15-17, where believers brought their infants to Jesus, and when His disciples protested, Jesus corrected them and told them that those who do not accept the Kingdom like a child shall not enter it.
Also, there is a dispute about HOW to baptize; some Protestants refuse to baptize in the Trinity, whereas Matthew 28:19 gave specific instructions on doing just that.
Some also point to scriptures that say only Jesus can forgive sin. While they have a point, they also overlook Jesus giving the Apostles the authority to forgive sin upon His leaving them in John 20:21-23.
This is why Catholics reject what is called "Solo Scriptura", which basically says that the individual is the arbiter of what is written in scripture. You see today the division it has caused.
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Sim - plicimus on 14 Jan 2010 at 4:59 pm #
Because the bone of contention is actually about tradition; ie. the interpretation of scripture.
The Catholics have their Canon, the (conservative, at least) Lutherans their Confessions. Most of the rest of protestant Christianity have their tradition as well, but do not understand it as such.
As for the Deutero-Canonical books (Apocrypha to protestants), almost none of them realize that Luther; father of the Reformation, and hardly a friend to the RC, had no real beef with them. He acknowledged that they were profitable to be read out loud in the church from time to time.
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Daver on 14 Jan 2010 at 5:04 pm #
<<If the Catholic Church presents a distortion of Scripture, why are Catholic and Protestant Bibles identical?>>
The Catholic Church does not distort Scripture.
The Catholic Church is, in fact, the ONLY Church with the Authority to Properly Interpret Scripture.
<<Except for the apocrypha/deuterocanonicals, if you take a Catholic and a Protestant version of the same translation (NIV, NKJV, NAB, NASB, RSV, etc), they are identical word-for-word. There is no difference between Catholic and Protestant New Testaments.>>
Yes BUT ther IS a difference in the Way Catholics and Protestants Interpret Scripture.
<<How is it, then, that Catholicism distorts Scripture without changing Scripture itself?>>
It’s well to note that ALL Catholics believe in the same Interpretation while Protestantism can’t seem to agree, which is why there is only ONE Catholic Church but tens of thousands of denominations as there are tens of thousands of difference biblical interpretations.
Doesn’t that seem to suggest that the Catholic Church is NOT distorting Scripture?
<<Why do thsoe Protestants who argue that Catholicism is a distortion embrace the same Bible as Catholics?>>
Catholics and Protestants – we’re all Christians. . . a Christian, Catholic or non-Catholic WITHOUT a Bible? No such thing.
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Jehoel disciple of Jesus on 14 Jan 2010 at 5:23 pm #
Catholics believe they do not need the Word of God. They put more faith in the traditions of the catholic church. The catholics have no need of sound doctrine from God, instead they prefer the false doctrines of the catholic church.
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LadyMoore on 14 Jan 2010 at 6:05 pm #
As you said the Apocyrpha. The Catholic Church can distort the bible because the priests and popes are the only ones that are to interpret the Bible. If people read the Bible from themselves, they would realize that Catholism is the biggest deception from Satan and that the Vatican is the woman on the beast in Revelation. (Revelation 17) Also if you look at the Roman Catholic 10 commandments, they have changed them and take out that you shouldn’t bow/worship idols, sculptures, relics, etc.
The Bible also says that you should call no man father because you only have One Father in Heaven. Yet, there’s the pope? Meaning papa.
Catholism is rooted in the mystery Babylonian religion where the "mother of god" is worshipped as the "queen of heaven". Scripture is easily distorted when the people you teach don’t read it.
Also did you mean to leave out the King James Version? That is really the only authorized version.
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imacatholic2 on 14 Jan 2010 at 6:21 pm #
I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. (John 16:12-13)
Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
We instruct you, brothers, in the name of (our) Lord Jesus Christ,to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us. (2 Thessalonians 3:6)
I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you. (1 Corinthians 11:2)
The Catholic Church does not use Holy Scripture as the only basis of doctrine. It could not. The early Catholic church existed before and during the time that the New Testament was written.
There were hundreds of Christian writings during the first and second centuries. Which New Testament writings would become official was not fully decided until about 400 C.E.
Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church (and is guiding the church today) to make the correct choices about things like:
• The Holy Trinity (which is also only hinted at in the Bible)
• Going to church on Sunday instead of Saturday (which is actually directly against one of the Ten Commandments)
• The Communion of Saints
• Which writings include in the New Testament?
Things that are even more modern like
• Slavery is bad. Slavery is never declared evil in the Bible. This was one of the justifications for slavery in the Confederate States.
• Democracy is good. The Bible states that either God should be the leader of the nation like Israel before the kings or kings should be the leader, "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s." This was talked about a lot during the American Revolution.
This second source of doctrine is called Apostolic Tradition.
Do Christians who do not allow the continuing guiding force of the Holy Spirit to make their beliefs more and more perfect, still endorse slavery as Colossians 3:22 commands, "Slaves, obey your human masters in everything"?
For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 80 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect1chpt2.shtml#80
With love in Christ.
References :