Letter to the Catholic Church:
An Account For The Hope That Is Within Me
1 Peter 3:15
by David F. Sims
I recently received an email from a man claiming that he left the Lutheran Church to join the church of Christ in Edmonton, Canada. He then left the church of Christ, and in 1991 wrote a letter that he addressed to the church of Christ, including the congregation in Edmonton and all those who claim to be Christians. Apparently he has turned to the Catholic Church. The email I received was his second letter to the church of Christ. I visited his web site and read the first, and have prepared a reply to his second letter.
Click Here to read his first letter
Click Here to read his second letter
Click Here to read his future responses
My reply to his second letter is below.
Dear Friend,
Let me begin by saying that I respect your right to speak your mind and believe what you choose to believe. I am a member of the Lord's church, which is composed of all those in the world who come to Him in humble faith and obedience through the Gospel. This Church is the one of which Jesus said the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. I do not attempt to deny or admit any person into this church, for only the Lord Himself does this (Acts 2:47). Therefore it is possible that the Lord may admit some who have different views on things than I do. I cannot choose to not have fellowship with someone who differs with me if they are a member of this church, for I shall not consider unholy what God has made holy (Acts 10:15). Of course I hope and pray that every person will have a chance at salvation.
I am also a member of the local Lord's church in Minot, North Dakota, a group of Christians commonly referred to as the "Church of Christ." We assemble because we agree upon the authority of the Bible and the necessity of faith and obedience to Christ. We also carry out the same acts the local churches in the New Testament performed, such as partaking of the Lord's Supper, singing, worshipping, and edifying one another. As a member of this local church, I have the right to refuse fellowship with a person who disagrees with plain teachings from the Bible. Why? Because one may claim membership in a local church and easily fool man, but he cannot fool God. If a man's beliefs obviously contradict what God says, I shall not be afraid of him or accept him. I shall, however, attempt to point out his error by showing him the Scriptures. But I do not force my personal interpretation of a passage upon him as a basis of fellowship. Rather, I show him the Scriptures and allow him to draw his own conclusions based on what it says. I would be committing a sin by NOT helping him see the light.
I am not a Campbellite, though Alexander Campbell had some good ideas about obeying the Bible. I am not a member of the denomination known as the Disciples of Christ. I am not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder-Day Saints, to whom you alluded in your first letter.
(Note: all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible)
I do not believe any man has a right to tell me what to believe or how a passage should be interpreted. Hebrews 12:2 says that JESUS is the author and perfector of faith. Peter and the apostles said, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). When Jesus taught, He taught undeniable truth. Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32) I choose, therefore, to read His words and let His words be the guidance in my life, apart from the interpretations of any other man or church.
When the Apostles taught, they repeated the teachings of Jesus as the Holy Spirit guided them. Jesus said to His apostles, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (John 14:26) and "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come" (John 16:13). Since the Apostles taught what Jesus taught them, I know I can confidently follow their teachings with assurance of salvation. And I don't need any man or church to tell me what the words mean. Peter said, "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, 'This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased' - and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:16-19). See also 1 John 2:3-6.
I have studied Greek and Hebrew and am confident that the English translations of today are sufficient in most instances, and in those areas that are questionable, I am able to read the original language and understand it myself. Furthermore, I can read what other men say about the Scriptures in their commentaries, and by comparing I can come to a conclusion on things that might be difficult or questionable, but those men do not dictate what I believe; rather, they help me see different ways of understanding a passage, and upon comparison with the Bible, I can find the truth. (Perhaps they might state something in a way I had not thought of before?)
Do I need authority to read and understand the Bible? Does a church, priest, elder, or synod need to tell me how to read it? NO! In fact, only a fool would trust in another mere man when his soul is on the line! Furthermore, I would be a fool if I did NOT read the Bible and attempt to understand it, for then I would die in my sins in ignorance.
When I was a child, my parents raised me with certain principles that help me understand the Bible today. But my parents do not do the thinking for me. I understand the concepts of fairness, right/wrong, truth/error, and many other things because of my parents' devotion to obeying God. I know that truth does not contradict truth and that God is not the author of confusion. I know that everything God says makes sense and is written for a purpose that can make my life better. I know that I am not always capable of making the right decision without guidance, and divine guidance is the best. With these things in mind, I open the Bible and see what wonderful things God has in store for me. I read it, study it, treasure it, and share it with others. I am 22 years old and confident that I am on the path to heaven; not because the church tells me I am, not because other people say they are sure I am, but because I compare my life, my beliefs, and my practices to the teachings of the Bible, and I know that as long as I do what Jesus said, I will receive eternal life. I am a doer of the word, and not just a hearer that deludes myself (James 1:22).
I have never tried to convert anyone to the "church of Christ." I do not try to make anyone believe what I believe or face rejection. Rather, I only try to point people towards the light of Christ, answering their questions to the best of my ability but ever reminding them that the answers are in the Scriptures. "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).
As to your question, "Who has the authority to interpret the Bible?" I believe each man is responsible for his own soul and someday the judgement day will come in which each man will be judged according to the words of Christ. "...the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day" (John 12:48). Since each man is responsible for himself, I believe each man has the
obligation and the authority to open the Bible, read it, understand it, and interpret it for himself. However, his interpretation must be based upon truth and facts revealed in the Bible, lest he take something out of context and mis-interpret it, or read something without considering other revealed truth, which could also lead to a faulty intepretation. As an example, let us suppose that I was in college and doing a book report. The first thing I would do would be to obtain and read the book, cover to cover. I would then want to re-read the book, making notes here and there. At the end I would compare my notes and look for a theme that flowed throughout the book. I would use my notes to help me understand how the first chapter ties to the last. And based upon my reading and my notes, I would write my book report to help my instructor understand the book the way I did. I apply the same principle in my Bible study. When I am curious about a certain topic, I open the Bible and read everything it has to say on the subject. The Bible is its own best commentary, so I take notes and compare them. In the end, I see that the Bible agrees with itself. I am then capable of drawing conclusions (interpreting) from what I have read. And I am able to explain to others what I read. Of course others are not bound by my notes and interpretation, rather, my observations might spark them to read it for themselves. That is the goal!
You addressed your letter "To The Church of Christ." This means that either you are a member of the "Church of Someone Else" or I must get the impression that you view the church of Christ as another Christian denomination. I assure you that the latter is not the case. The Lord's true church is composed of all true obedient believers. It is His body and can never be divided or denominated. As you quoted, a kingdom divided against itself will fall. And the gates of Hades will never prevail over the Lord's true church. This is the church Jesus built. The Lord's church is represented by Christians every where they go.
In places where there are numerous Christians with comparable beliefs, they are able to assemble and have fellowship with one another. We see this same thing in the New Testament churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Rome, Ephesus, et al. The church in Thessalonia was praised for imitating the church in Judea (1 Thessalonians 2:14)! Paul told the Corinthians to do the same thing he had told the Galatians to do in regards to the collection (1 Corinthians 16:1-4). However, each local assembly of Christians (each local church) is autonomous, meaning self-ruling and independent from all other churches. Each member chooses to believe what he wants on matters of liberty. Of course there are certain things that we cannot deny and are obviously agreed upon, such as the necessity of baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). It is those things that we commonly agree upon that allow us to have fellowship with one another (Acts 5:32; 1 Corinthians 1:10). And because of our great love for all mankind, we respect each other's right to make his own choices in matters of liberty (Romans 14-15:7) and we try not to let our liberties offend one another (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). But one church cannot write to another church and tell it what to believe on any topic. An elder in one congregation has no authority over a different congregation.
Suppose now that someone came to me and said that baptism is not part of the gospel of salvation. Should I allow him to continue believing this, knowing from plain Scriptures that he is wrong? No! I would sit down with him as a friend and say, "Let us consider what the Bible says about baptism." Perhaps this person has never read the verses I am about to point out. Perhaps he will change his mind when he sees it for himself. So I bring him to Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:1-7; Galatians 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21; and several others. After reading all of these Scriptures that link baptism with salvation, he concludes that baptism is indeed part of the gospel. Have I dictated his belief? No! Rather as Paul said, "...when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Furthermore, I did not really do anything for him, it was the plain, undeniable truth of the gospel that opened his mind. I have simply obeyed the command given to any servant of the Lord: "And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will" (2 Timothy 2: 24-26).
Is it pointless to argue one interpretation against another? Can the Bible really be used to support any and all doctrines? I must say NO to both. Consider the noble Bereans of Acts 17:11. They examined the Scriptures daily, comparing what the apostles taught with what was prophesied in the Old Testament, to see whether they were true. "They received the word with great eagerness." Apparently it is of great value to compare various interpretations. There are numerous passages that instruct the church to reject anyone who teaches what is obviously false doctrine (Romans 16:17; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; Hebrews 13:9; 2 Peter 3:17; 2 John 7-11; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15; and others). However, if I abuse the Scriptures and purposely misinterpret them, overlooking what is obvious and taking statements out of context, perhaps I could attempt to support false doctrines. 2 Peter 3:15-17 says that the ignorant and unstable distort the Scriptures. This is why there are so many denominations...each group claims to have the one right interpretation. Paul told Timothy, "For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussions, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. But we know that the Law is good, IF ONE USES IT LAWFULLY" (emphasis mine) (1 Timothy 1:6-8) Paul said to "examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). James said, "My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20). Apparently there is some value in comparing various interpretations and doctrines with the Bible!
Why does the Bible need interpreting? Well, what kind of God would author a book that could not be understood? Paul said that "when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ" (Ephesians 3:4). Isn't that wonderful? When I open the Bible and read it, I am capable of reaching the same understanding that the Apostle Paul had! Paul told Timothy to "continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14-15). I can read the same sacred writings today, and therefore I can gain the wisdom that leads to salvation! Not only that, but those Scriptures, which are inspired by God, are "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" that I can be adequate and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I want to be adequate and equipped for every good work. Don't you? That is why I use the Scriptures.
Every person has the authority (right, freedom, ability, choice) to interpret the Bible for himself. Every person can and should read it thoroughly, think about it, pray about it, and apply it to their own lives. But no man should tell another man what to believe or what a correct "interpretation" of the Scripture is. When dealing with questions, I always tell people that I can only express my own thoughts and conclusions, and that they must search the Scriptures for themselves. My thoughts and "interpretations" do not necessarily represent the views of everyone in the church of Christ here in Minot, North Dakota, nor is everything I believe typically believed by all members of the Lord's Church throughout the world.
You are correct in stating that "it is illogical to believe that all or some of these groups have interpreted the entire Bible correctly, because they all differ in their interpretation. With each difference, one group must be correct and the rest must be wrong." As I stated above, the Lord's true church is composed of everyone who clings to Him in obedient faith and that His church can never be divided. One thing is true: Christ is the only way to salvation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). I do not put my faith in any man or local church or earthly church headquarters as a guarantee of my soul's eternal life. My faith is in the power of Jesus to save. It is possible that the individual local churches can be wrong. It is quite possible that man can interpret Scriptures incorrectly. It is possible that neither you nor I are on the path of salvation. So, rather than searching for the one true church, as you stated, I would advise you to search for the one true Christ, follow Him, and let everything else fall in place. If there are others who are truly following Him, you may find them and fellowship them. Following a church is not the way find Christ. Rather, following Christ is the path to finding the true church. If this is your goal and purpose, the Lord will be with you. And it doesn't matter what anyone else says because if God is for you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31).
You quoted 2 Peter 1:20. I urge you to re-examine the context of that Scripture, especially the next verse, which clarifies the meaning. (Note: this is my personal understanding of the passage.) Verse 21 says that "no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." We see that the subject of the verse is prophecy, and that God, through the Holy Spirit, moved men to speak the prophecies. Accordingly, it is impossible for any man to make a true prophecy unless God has inspired him to make it. Looking back at verse 20 now, it says that no prophecy in the Scripture ever came to be because of some man's interpretation (whether it was an interpretation of signs or sorcery or whatever). No prophecy was ever taught because some man drew a conclusion from his own thoughts! Rather, every prophecy of the Bible came through men inspired by God. Compare also 2 Timothy 3:16. This verse is NOT about how we today interpret the prophecies made back then. It is about how those prophecies came to be.
In regards to Matthew 18:17, I urge you again to look at the context. Verse 15 says that "if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private." First, you must define what is a sin. Matters of liberty cannot be classified as sin unless that liberty offends a brother (as stated previously). Therefore, it must be a matter of specific doctrine in which the brother has sinned, and there is no room to say there is a difference in interpretations. If it was a matter of interpretations, you would probably re-examine whether or not he sinned before proceeding. If it is a matter of interpretation, perhaps the witness that you take next will agree with him rather than condemn him; or the witness will conclude that a sin was committed, and the facts will be established. If he did truly sin and he refuses to listen when you and your partner go to him, then the church should be made aware that he sinned and refuses to repent. This is not a matter of the church deciding how to interpret the Bible. Rather, this is the church enforcing a teaching of the Bible to reject false teachers and those who continue in sin (verses given earlier).
I see in the Bible where Jesus had authority to preach. I see where it says the Apostles had authority to preach and advise upon questions of doctrine. I do NOT see anywhere that it says their successors had any authority to do anything other than repeat what they had been told (2 Timothy 2:2). If you refer to the writers of the 2nd and 3rd centuries as such successors, I must ask you to point out such a Scripture saying the authority was passed on so I can read it. Only the Apostles and Prophets were inspired by God with authority. When the full message had been revealed (the perfect came), such miraculous inspiration ceased on the earth (1 Corinthians 13:8-10), for it was no longer needed. Since such inspiration was going to end, the Apostles appointed elders in each congregation, charging them to shepherd the flock and be on watch for it (Acts 20:28-30; 1 Peter 5:1-4). These were mature, seasoned, Christian men capable of teaching the truth and refuting error (Titus 1:5-9; 1 Timothy 3:1-7); they were not necessarily inspired, and are not inspired today. (By the way, the word "presbyters" refers to elders.)
"It is the church's duty to maintain that" the Gospel is true, not to maintain that it (the church) is correct. It is the individual's duty to make sure he is doing what is right as well. It is the obligation of the elders of a congregation to make sure that the congregation is on the strait and narrow path. The Catholic church has seen divisions over the years. From the Catholic church sprang Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Also the Anglican Church. I'm not an expert on Catholic history, but I'm sure there are as many "flavors" of Catholic as there are of Protestant.
As you said, "Anyone that does not know the teaching of the apostles and their successors cannot interpret the Bible." Excluding the part about the successors, I agree. You cannot judge the Scriptures until you have read them all and made yourself familiar with them all. The Ethiopian Eunuch, who was a Jew, knew the Old Law. Otherwise he would not make that long trip to Jerusalem. And he knew that Isaiah was a prophet. But he had a question, and the Holy Spirit directed Phillip to help him. But notice in that passage that Phillip didn't preach the gospel of Phillip, rather "he preached Jesus to him."
It is more perilous to let a man or organization tell you what to believe than to believe nothing at all. As Peter said, "For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them" (2 Peter 2:20-21). I would rather trust in the grace of God than the wisdom of man. Which do you choose?
You said, "I ask you this one simple question; is your church under the authority of the successors of the apostles, or under the authority of men who fell away from the Church of Christ?" The true church can only be under the authority of Christ. Any church not following Christ is under the authority of Satan. We are not under the authority of the Apostles or their "successors" because they are not the head of the church; they were only the deliverers of the message. We follow Christ alone, and we have fellowship with anyone who happens to be doing the same.
Where does the Bible say Peter was a Pope? Where does the Bible say that Peter or any of the Apostles had the power to make policy as they saw fit? Matthew 16:19, in the original Greek, is best translated, "Whatever you bind on earth shall have already been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have already been loosed in heaven." In other words, the
Apostles would only be binding and loosing (teaching) the things God had already decreed and set forth in heaven. Jesus said, "Do not call anyone on earth your father, for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ" (Matthew 23:9-10).
Where is the word "Pope" in the Bible? And if Peter was so great, why is he only attributed two books in the Bible, while Paul has several? If Peter was so great, why do we read so much of his sins in the New Testament, such as denying he knew Christ 3 times, forbidding Jesus from being delivered to the Jews (Matthew 16:21-23), losing faith and sinking when Jesus called him to walk on the water, striking the slave with a sword in the garden, and being a hypocrite until Paul rebuked him (Galatians 2:11-21). If the Pope is infallible, why was Peter so weak and sinful? The church is not built upon Peter (Greek: Petros, a small stone), but upon the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, a fact that Jesus calls the Rock (Greek: Petra, a large rock) (Matthew 16:16-18).
On another note, the Ladder Day Saints claim that their apostleship is in direct authority from the laying on of the hands of Peter, James, and John on their Prophet Joseph Smith. They too claim authority through succession. They claim to have the keys of the kingdom.
But there is a problem with authority through succession. It places faith in man rather than in God. It makes the institution greater than God.
If the Pope is inspired, why are his writings not canonized in the Bible? The Ladder-Day Saints add new Scriptures to their books occassionally.
"Unlike any other church, the Catholic Church does not derive it's teaching from the New Testament, but the New Testament is an early record of the Catholic Church's teachings." Where did Jesus or any person in the New Testament call themselves or anyone else a Catholic? I must say that I agree that the Catholic Church does not derive its teaching from the New Testament. There is much in the Catholic Church that cannot be found in the Bible. Paul told the Corinthians to "learn not to exceed what is written" (1 Corinthians 4:6).
Finally, if you are a Catholic, then by what authority do you say the Catholic church is true? By what authority do you say the church of Christ or any Christian denomination is false? By saying that I lack the authority to interpret the Bible, you infer that you have the authority to decide that my interpretation of it is wrong.
I hope and pray that these thoughts will help you in your study.
I am quite interested in seeing future messages about the Church of Christ on your web site. Especially the Misconceptions of Catholic Doctrine.
-David F. Sims-
Written by David F. Sims, doing my part to "turn the world upside down" (Acts 17:6)
All quotes taken from the New American Standard Bible, unless otherwise stated.
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