CATHOLICISM AND PROTESTANTISM.

Both Catholics and Protestants believe that the bible is the word of God as ‘’all scripture is inspired by God, and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2Tim 3:16). Both acknowledge that ‘’ignorance of the scripture is the ignorance of Christ’’ (St. Jerome, one of the Early Fathers of the Church, A.D. 347-420). The difference lies on the basis that while Protestants believe that God made his revelation known through the bible alone (sola scriptura), Catholics believe that God’s revelation has been transmitted through the Bible and Oral Apostolic Tradition as taught by the Catholic Church. As earlier demonstrated, before the Catholic Church’s declaration of the books that formed our bible, there was no agree-upon canon. So, Christians who accept the canon of Scripture accept an infallible decision made by the Catholic Church. Since all Christians accept the Catholic Church’s teaching on what Scriptures are inspired, why don’t they accept her other teachings on salvation, the Eucharist, Mary, the saints and purgatory?

 Some protestants do not accept the seven Deuterocanonical books that are part of the Catholic bible for about two thousand years now, that includes, the books of Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Wisdom of Solomon, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and parts of Daniel and Esther. As it were, Catholics have 46 books in Old Testament canon of scripture while Protestants have 39. Both have 27 books in the New Testament. However, these 46 books in Old Testament have been in use by all Christians from 4th century (when the bible was codified) until 16th century when Martin Luther broke away from the Catholic Church, formed his own Church (Lutheran) and removed the 7 books from his own bible. But all Protestants accept the 27 New Testament books as determined by the Catholic Church.

 The Septuagint, which was the Greek translation of the Hebrew and Aramaic Old Testament Scriptures, included the Deuterocanonical (second canon) books. Jews also held deuterocanonical books of the bible as divinely revealed, which accounted why Jesus and the apostles used them in their preaching. Some Protestants argue that Septuagint translation was not accepted by all the Jews, an action that took place about a century after Christ’s Ascension. These same Jews did not accept Christ as Messiah neither did they accept the New Testament canon. Note that of about 350 Old Testament quotes in the New Testament; almost 300 came from the Septuagint. 

The argument by some that whatever that is not found in the bible is not authentic lacks merit. This is because without the existence of the Church, we would never know whether or not the bible is inspired. Again, if God wanted to save us through written revelation alone (sola scriptura) he would have instructed us to follow the scripture alone. We recall that neither Christ nor his apostles instructed us to use the bible alone in teaching rather in Christ’s own words: ‘’… observe all that I have commanded you’’ (Matt 28:20). John, in his gospel, makes it very clear that all that Christ did and taught were not recorded in the bible (Jn. 21:25). Christ taught for three years and do we expect everything to be recorded? Take for instance, the Nigerian civil war lasted for two and a half years and many books have been written about it. Can one honestly attest that everything that happened during the war has been written? Among those of us who witnessed the war, how many times do we use books written on the Nigerian Civil War to teach others what really happened then? What if any of our children should argue that we are not telling the truth because what we mentioned is not found in any of the books written about the war? Thus, we read about the Second World War and compliment it with live stories from those who witnessed the war to form a good picture of what happened. In the same way we learn about the gospel through the bible given by the Church and Oral Apostolic Tradition also given by the Church.

 Of the 12 apostles of Christ, only five of them wrote down something: Peter, Mathew, James, John and Jude. Does this imply that the teachings of other apostles were not authentic? Where do we place the teachings of Fathers of the Church most of whom were taught and ordained by the apostles? The Church began in A.D. 33 and the bible came from A.D. 382, how then were the message of the gospel transmitted during the interval? Of course, nemo dat quod non habet (no one gives what he/she hasn’t). You can use only the Bible to teach if you lack apostolic succession. The Catholic Church has both the bible and apostolic succession and so, can transmit the gospel through the bible and oral apostolic tradition. St. Paul advises the Thessalonians thus: ‘’So, then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter (2Thess 2:14-15).

Let us remember that the Catholic Church began in A.D. 33, with Jesus Christ as its founder (in Jerusalem). This church gave the whole world the bible in A.D. 382 and transmitted the gospel message through the scripture and oral apostolic tradition for 15 centuries before the advent Lutheran founded by Martin Luther in 1517 (Germany). Other Protestant Churches came later including Anglican by Henry VIII in 1534 (England), Presbyterian by John Knox in 1560 (Scotland), Baptist by John Smyth in 1609 (Amsterdam), Methodist by John and Charles Wesley in 1739 (England), Episcopalian by Samuel Seabury in 1789 (American colonies), Seven Day Adventist by Ellen White in 1844 (Washington, NH), Salvation Army by william Booth in 1865 (London), Jehovah’s Witnesses by Charles Taze Russell in 1874 (Pennsylvania) to mention but a few. 

Dike Patrickmary Afamefuna.