One Lord,One Body

The Church of Christ is truly present in all legitimately organized local groups of the faithful, which, in so far they are united in their pastors are also quite appropriately called the Church of the New Testament...In them the faithful are gathered together through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ and the mystery of the Lord is celebrated...In these communities,though often they are small or poor or existing in the diaspora,Christ is present through whose power and influence the One,Holy,Catholic and Apostolic Church is constituted. Catholic Catechism.

Irenaeus"The blessed apostles [Peter and Paul], having founded and built up the church [of Rome] . . . handed over the office of the episcopate to Linus" (Against Heresies 3:3:3 [A.D. 189]).

''I have given them the glory that you gave me,that they may be one as we are one". John 17:22.In this post I would like discuss the differences between Catholics and Evangelicals:"But do this with gentleness and respect.... 1 pet.3:15 ...."Love each other as I have loved you ". John.15:12.

The Mass: Let us begin with the Catholic mass and it's origins:Jesus comes to us in the image of Melchizedek ''You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek''. Heb.17:7.As Melchizedek brought bread and wine to Abraham Gen.14:18,so too does Jesus to his children . While they were eating,Jesus took the bread gave thanks and broke it and gave it to his disciples saying '' Take and eat;this is my body''.Then he took the cup,gave thanks and offered it to them,saying,''Drink from it all of you.This is my blood of the covenant,which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.''All Christians recognize this ritual as the Lord's supper or Holy Communion.But as Catholics we specifically call it the Eucharist (thanksgiving in Greek) which is equivalent to the Todah(thanksgiving in Hebrew).The Todah was a thank offering associated with the passover;it would be a sign of gratitude towards God for his deliverance.(see David's psalm of thanks in 1 chr.16:8.) It was to be practiced regularly 1 Chr.16:37,38.The Passover meal and Todah sacrifice were one in the same:the bread and wine along with the roasted flesh of the lamb were then celebrated with Psalms of thanksgiving;Ps.113-118. When they sung a hymn,they went out to the mount of olives.Mat.26:30.This is why Jesus gives thanks when he breaks the bread and offers the wine and in Luk.22:19 He says ''Do this in remembrance of me''.We are to remember regularly his love and deliverance.Now we Catholics also believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Bread when he said "take and eat;this is my body " and "drink...This is my blood" is there any reason why we shouldn't take this literaly? "Is not the Cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ?" "...is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?" 1 Cor.10:16. Jesus never said this is a 'symbol' of my body or this is a 'symbol' of my blood,he didn't even call it bread or wine instead he said ''This is my body'',''This is my blood'' and we are to ''take and eat'',and we are to ''drink''. ''If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever .This bread is my flesh,which I will give for the life of the world.'' John 6:51. Again we see him here describing his body as bread which leads to life.No reason to think it was symbolic ''How can this man give us his flesh to eat''? They said,and he didn't correct them instead he took it further ''I tell you the truth,unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you.Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,and I my self will raise him up on the last day.For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink". John 6:53-55. ''Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I in him'' (his presence). And they said ''This is a hard teaching ,who can accept it?'' They didn't believe him symbolically,but literaly.So then the Mass is a reflection of the Gospel: We are to abide in his word John.8:31 and to remember his sacrifice with thanksgiving.Luk.22:19.We then experience his grace through his Word and his Presence in the Eucharist until the day of Resurrection John.6:53-55 ''My name will be great among the nations,from the rising to the setting of the sun.In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name,because my name will be great among the nations.'' Mal.1:11

Justification by faith alone:No doctrine separates the Catholics from Protestants than justification by faith alone,the key word is alone.For Catholics and Protestants both believe we are justified by faith,Rom.5:1. "Justification is the passage from sin to the state of grace,through which the sinner becomes reconciled to God ".CCC "And We have no merit before God except as a result of God's free plan to allow us to share in his grace".CCC. Catholics believe salvation is a gift and not to be earned.However we do believe that true faith should express good works. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. Jam.2:24.Rev.2:2 ''I know your deeds,your hard work and your perseverance.'' Rev.3:21 "To him who overcomes,I will give the right to sit down on my throne...'' "but he endures to the end will be saved" Mat.24:13. On immorality Paul said (to the church) ''I warn you,as I did before those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God" And Peter said ''You ought to live holy and Godly lives...2 pet.3:11. We believe that justification leads to sanctification...but you were washed,you were sanctified,you were justified...1 Cor.6:11.Therefore justification isn't merely a legal document that says because 'I received Christ as Lord' I am justified,rather justification should sanctify us and wash us that we may live holy lives for it is by grace alone rather than faith alone in which we are saved Fo''For it is by grace you have been saved..for we are God's workmanship,created in Christ Jesus to do good works..." Eph.2:8,10

Born Again:Many evangelicals,will ask if Catholics are born again,"I tell you the truth,no can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.John.3:3.Actually Catholics are more familiar with the RSV. bible which says ''born anew'' or the NAB. bible which says ''born from above'' Catholics here believe Jesus was speaking about baptism "unless he is born of water and spirit.'' Notice in v.22 After this Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside,where he spent time with them and baptized.(the only time he baptized) In 1 pet.3:20,21 it says that in the time of Noah only ''eight people were saved through water''. ''and this water symbolizes baptism which now saves you''. "It (baptism) saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ..." In other words we are born again through baptism,you cannot receive a new birth without the sacrament of baptism see.Rom.6:4 ''We were therefore buried with him through baptism into his death in order that just as Christ was raised..we too may live a new life''. But why do Catholics baptize infants? Paul likens baptism to circumcision in Col.2:11 In him you were also circumcised..not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision by Christ,having been buried with him in baptism. Like infant Isaac who entered into a covenant with God so too do infant Catholics. But Catholics must ratify this rite as adults, "Those who belong to Christ through faith and baptism must confess their baptismal faith before men".CCC. "For this promise is for you and your children...." Acts.2:39 ''Let the children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these''.Mar.10:31 In the early Church entire households were baptized;1 cor.1:16, acts.11:13-14,acts.16:30-32,act.18:18.We then ''receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'' Acts.2:38, confirmed by the ''laying on of hands'' but we ''must be rekindle the gift'' 1 Tim.1:6. Therefore "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved...." Mar.16:16.

Bible alone: Evangelical Protestants believe the bible is the only rule of faith and believe anyone can interpret the scriptures without a teaching authority.As Catholics we don,t agree; But know this first of all,that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation... 2 pet.1:21,but Catholics recognize the authority of Scripture; ''There are different human writers of Scripture who wrote under God's inspiration.But the true author of Scripture is God himself.Thus we can be sure that these writings contain without error,the truths of Salvation.'' CCC.But the bible is not the only authority.So then, brothers,stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you,whether by word of mouth or by letter. 2 Thess.2:15 The early Christians recognized Scripture as well as oral tradition. They devoted themselves to the Apostle's teaching... Acts.2:42.Cathoilcs call this Divine Revelation ,Scripture and Tradition which make up a single deposit of God's word.On the teaching authority of the Church Jesus said ''He who hears you hears me,and he rejects you rejects me and he who rejects me,rejects him who sent me'' Luk.10:16...''I pray also for those who will believe through their message''...John.17:20.Hence there exists a close connection and communication between sacred Scripture and sacred Tradition.For both of them flow from the same divine well spring,in a certain way merge into unity and toward the same end.For sacred Scripture is the Word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine spirit,while sacred Tradition takes the Word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and hands on to their successors in it's full purity,so that led by the light of the Spirit of Truth they may in proclaiming it, preserve this Word of God faithfully.Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation.The Pope and his Bishops therefore are not superior to the Word of God rather they are guardians and are led by the light of the Spirit of Truth,they proclaim it and preserve it and pass it on to the next generation without error and confusion.This is called Apostolic succession.

Therefore the Church urges all the faithful to learn by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures

the ''excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ'' Phil.3:8 ''For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ'' St.JeromeThe Church knows she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honoured with the name Christian,but do not profess the Catholic faith in it's entirety or have not preserved the unity or communion under the successor of Peter.Those who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain although imperfect,communion with the Catholic Church.Catholic Catechism.