Catholic Verses - 95 Bibles Passages That Confound Protestants?

ORAL AND EXTRABIBLICAL TRADITION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Page 43: Matthew 2:23: "And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, 'He shall be called a Nazarene.'" Matthew 23:1-3: "Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.'" Catholics believe that the tradition found in the Bible also includes an oral component. The reference in Matthew 2:23 - "He shall be called a Nazarene" - cannot be found in the Old Testament, yet it was passed down by the prophets. Thus, a prophecy, which is considered to be God's Word was passed down orally, rather than through Scripture.

Note: This verse is actually a metaphor reference to the Messiah as Matthew did not identify a specific prophet.

The prophets used various metaphors to refer to this anticipated revival of the ideal monarchy to replace the corrupt kings of the day, including "servant" (Haggai, Isaiah), "signet ring" (Haggai), "shepherd" (Micah, Ezekiel), or simply "David" (Amos). But in all three of the above examples, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah also use the term "branch" as a metaphor to refer to the new king that God would raise up from the line of David (Isa 4:2, 11:1, Jer 23:5, Zech 3:8, 6:12). The metaphor is most clearly expressed in Isaiah 11:1: There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. In Hebrew, the word "branch" is netzer, actually only three consonantal letters: NZR. Note that the town NaZaReth contains the same three primary letters (plus an ending often attached to nouns). In the Aramaic form of Nazareth, (Aramaic was the common language spoken by most Israelites after the exile; some have suggested that the entire book of Matthew was originally written in Aramaic rather than Greek), it comes very close in sound to the Hebrew word for "branch."

 

Pages 43-44: Likewise, Matthew 23:2-3: Jesus teaches that the scribes and Pharisees have a legitimate, binding authority, based on Moses' seat, which phrase (or idea) cannot be found anywhere in the Old Testament. It is found in the (originally oral) Mishna, where a sort of teaching succession from Moses on down is taught. Thus, apostolic succession, whereby the Catholic Church, in its priests and bishops and popes, claims to be merely the custodian of an inherited apostolic Tradition, is also prefigured by Jewish oral tradition, as approved (at least partially) by Jesus himself.

Note: As we recite the Nicene Creed and say, "and is seated at the right hand of the Father" it is most likely a metaphor for Jesus Christ being in authority.

Revelation 5:6-7 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

 

Page 45: Jesus clearly distinguishes what is called the tradition of the elders (Mark 7:3, 5) from the legitimate Tradition, by saying, "You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men" (Mark 7:8; cf. 7:9).

Note: Direct commandments of God were always written down so that no confusion would exist.

Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’

 

Pages 51-52: White and all Protestants believe that any individual Christian has the right and duty to rebuke their pastors if what they are teaching is "unbiblical" (that is, according to the lone individual). This is an elegant, quaint theory indeed, on paper, but it does not quite work the same way in practice. I know this from my own experience as a former Protestant, for when I rebuked my Assemblies of God pastor in a private letter (because he had preached from the pulpit, "Keep your pastors honest"), I was publicly renounced and rebuked from the pulpit (in a most paranoid, alarmist manner) as a theologically inexperienced rabble-rouser trying to cause division.

Note: Apparently the author did not have witnesses per Scripture so he was rebuked by his former pastor.

1 Timothy 5:19-20 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.

Note: Since the author was publicly rebuked as a rabble-rouser he must have been practicing his tradition of slander.

 

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