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The Catholic Church claims it began with the Jewish Apostles: Peter, James, John, etc. However, we believe the Christian Church, the Body of Christ, began with the Apostle Paul. Peter, James, John and the other Jewish Apostles remained in Israel to proclaim the Kingdom Gospel and wait for the Nation to accept its Messiah. Paul travelled to Gentile nations and proclaimed the Grace Gospel.
Was Paul the founder of the Catholic Church? No. Paul founded the Body of Christ. Paul wrote the Corinthians: "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:10-11) That "someone else" Paul wrote about was Apollos. Paul wrote: "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:6-9) Paul founded the Body of Christ under the command of Christ and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul founded the Corinthian Church and Apollos ministered to it. Apollos became a Christian through the ministry of two people Paul had led to Christ. Apollos was one of Paul's "spiritual grandchildren."
The Roman Catholic Church began many years after Paul's death. Catholicism had its beginnings in the mid-third century A.D. and developed until it was a world-wide force in the Middle Ages. The theology that led to the development of the Catholic Church was active at the end of the first century. It grew in influence in the second and third centuries A.D. Some of the theologians involved were Clement, Justin Martyr, Origen, Ignatius of Antioch, Cyprian of Carthage, and Augustine of Hippo.
Cyprian became bishop of Carthage in the mid-third century A.D. Cyprian had to deal with church members who had fallen into apostasy under persecution who wanted to return to the church later. This led to two groups that wanted to deal with the returning church members in different ways. One group, led by Cyprian, wanted severe treatment of the former members. He pushed for readmission only after prolonged discipline. The other group, led by bishop Fortunatus, was for more lenient treatment of the former church members. Fortunatus taught that his group was the "true church." That led Cyprian to write "On the Unity of the Catholic Church." Catholic doctrine permeated ancient churches for centuries. Wars were fought over doctrine and power and land. That's a study for another day.
What you've asked about is the part the Catholic Church played in the preserveration and publication of the Bible. Here's a basic history.
The text of the New Testament is judged by three basic criteria:
The Church has about 5,000 Greek manuscripts which contain all or part of the New Testament. Some of the oldest include the Ryland, Beatty and Bodmer manuscripts. One copy of the Gospel of John is dated to the first half of the second century A.D. Others dated to the second half of the second century and the third century A.D. Two of the oldest parchment manuscripts, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, date to the fourth century A.D. Codex Alexandrinus, Codex Ephraemi, Codex Bazae, and Codex Washingtonensis date to the fifth century A.D. Codex Claromontanus dates to the sixth century A.D.
The New Testament Greek copies were translated into the Syrian language between 150 and 250 A.D. The Coptic (Egyptian) translation was done between 200 and 300 A.D. The Latin translation was made beteen 300 and 400 A.D. Other early translations included Armenian and Georgian.
Early Church leaders (first, second and third century A.D.) quoted heavily from the New Testament in their writings. They included Clement of Rome, Irenaeus, Ignatius, Polycarp, Barnabas, Hermas, Tatian, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Justin Martyr, Origen, and Cyprian. Comparing their quotes with earlier and later copies of the Bible helps in the process of textual criticism.
The Catholic Church played a part, as did many church groups, in preserving copies of the Old and New Testaments. Codex Vaticanus has been in the Vatican Library in Rome since 1475.
The Roman Catholic Bible came from European Old Latin manuscripts. Pope Damasus asked St. Jerome to revise the Latin Bible in about 382 A.D. It's believed Jerome may have used Codex Veronensis for the revision and compared it to the Alexandrian type of Greek manuscripts. Jerome's work became known as the Latin Vulgate (meaning "popular"). It was the only version of the Bible the Catholic Church authorized for many centuries. A study of the Latin Vulgate's 8,000 manuscript copies shows a large number of textual corruptions. This was because, in part, of careless transcription by copyists. Efforts to purify Jerome's original text led to more corruption of the text.
At the same time the Roman Catholic Church was using the Latin Vulgate, other churches were using other translations of the Bible. That's important to remember when we consider how God preserved His Word. Examples are the Coptic, Gothic, Armenian, Georgian, Ethiopic, Slavonic, and Arabic versions.
A major player in the development of Bible translations was the printing press. The first major product of the Gutenberg press was Jerome's Latin Vulgate. It was published in the mid-15th century A.D. Bibles in Bohemian, French, German and Italian were in print by the end of the 15th century.
The first Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament were printed early in the 16th century A.D. This gave scholars an opportunity to compare the popular versions of the Bible with the original languages of the Bible. This led to many difficulties for the Latin Vulgate. Erasmus' famous Greek New Testament differed from Jerome's Vulgate in many respects. Many Catholic priests attacked Erasmus' text from their pulpits. The battle rages on.
The history of the Catholic Bible is long and fascinating to the student of textual criticism. However, it is not the only Bible. The world has many witnesses to the Word of God, all of which have come to you and me today.
God judged our sins "in Christ." Jesus paid the penalty for us. He saved us from God's Judgment of Wrath. We will witness Christ's future judgment of the world and angels. In fact, we will participate in that judgment! It's obvious from Paul's teaching that Christians will not suffer God's Wrath. We will not pay a penalty for our sins. We will not go to hell. We will not spend eternity in misery and apart from God. So, what about God's future judgment of believers? Is there one?
Romans 14:10-12
Yes! Every believer who has ever lived and will ever live will stand before God's judgment seat. We will give an account of ourself to God. What kind of account?
2 Corinthians 5:9-10
We will face Christ in Heaven and "receive what is due" us for the things we did while we were on earth, whether good or bad. Does the "bad" mean we will suffer loss? Yes, it does. Here's what Paul wrote the Corinthians in the context of building on the foundation Paul laid "as an expert builder."
1 Corinthians 3:12-15
Paul wrote several times about rewards for Christian service to God and others.
1 Corinthians 3:8
Ephesians 6:7-8
Colossians 3:23-24
Paul is crystal clear in his teaching that every true believer in Christ is saved and will enjoy all the joys of Heaven. He also teaches that what we do "now," on earth, in our body, will be something Christ will address personally sometime after our death or rapture into His Holy Presence. As Paul wrote, "we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it."
"You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God."
"So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
"If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."
"The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."
"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free."
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
1 Corinthians 7:1, 7-8, 25-27, 32-35, 39-40
Paul presents "singleness" as the Christian ideal. A Christian single is free to serve God fully, without concerns of this world. That makes choosing a spouse even more important. God tells us through Paul that marrying someone adds new concerns to a Christian's life and divides their interest between God and their spouse. The interest of a single Christian is not divided.
While being single is the ideal for a Christian, God understands the realities of what we face as human beings. Paul wrote about those realities and how it affects Christians.
1 Corinthians 7:9, 28, 36-38
The first question you might ask yourself is why you want to marry? Is it because you believe a Christian should be married? If so, Paul wrote that it's better for a Christian to be unmarried. Is it because you believe you can serve God better in marriage? Paul wrote that Christians who marry will face many troubles in this life and will have divided interests. Paul wrote what he did for the good of Christians, not to restrict them. He wanted them to live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. Do you want to marry because it's just something you want to do or because you have a passionate burning to marry? If so, Paul wrote that you will not sin if you do marry--that it's better to marry than to burn with passion. We are born single. Getting married is a choice. Use your choice wisely.
If you do decide to marry, who should you marry? If you are a single Christian, you should marry a single Christian of the opposite sex. (I mention that because of the current debate within churches about same-sex marriages.) Christians should not marry non-Christians. Paul wrote that a Christian widow was free to marry anyone she wished, "but he must belong to the Lord." However, sometimes a Christian does marry a non-Christian or an unsaved married person becomes a Christian and realizes they are married to a non-Christian. Should the new Christian divorce their unsaved spouse?
1 Corinthians 7:10-17
A primary goal of the Christian life is to "know Christ and please Him." That should also be the primary goal of a Christian marriage. If you want to marry and are seeking a Christian spouse, look for someone who has a passion for knowing Christ and pleasing Him. If you have that passion and marry someone who doesn't, you will struggle until you lose your passion or your spouse shares your passion. I've seen so many Christian marriages where one spouse had a passion for Christ and the other didn't. The Christian with the passion was often a sad person who suffered because of divided interests. They were going in one direction while their spouse was going in another.
Marriage is forever (at least it should be). If you are not able to remain single, then marry someone who shares your love and passion for Christ. You will be happier for it.
Taking God's Grace to the World!
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"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
Last Updated: 12/20/1999
"Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry ... I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am ... Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife ... I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife--and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided attention to the Lord ... A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is--and I think that I too have the Spirit of God."
"But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion ... But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this ... If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin--this man also does the right thing. So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better."
"To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches."