Catholic Bible Verses & Early Church Writings

Since the so called ‘Protestant Reformation’ in the 16th century, many Catholic teachings and practices have been rejected by protestants/evangelicals with the accusation that they are mere ‘traditions of men’ that are contrary to Biblical teaching and the practice of the early Christians. This page provides textual evidence to the contrary.

As a Catholic, I prefer to approach the Sacred Scriptures slowly in a prayerful way (as in ‘lectio divina’), so it is with reservations that I often offer many individual ‘catholic verses’ in the apparent form of ‘proof texts.’  In truth, most of these verses do not prove the doctrines under consideration in the strictest sense (private interpretation can twist all meaning if it wishes), rather they allow one to read the scriptures through the eyes of the early Church and see the perfect harmony between the sources of Catholic doctrine (Scripture, Tradition, & the authotitative apostolic teaching office known as the Magisterium).  I encourage the reader to recall that Scripture itself never promises to provide ‘proof texts’ for all authentic Apostolic doctrine (actually quite the opposite), and that all verses are ‘Catholic Verses’ in so far as the scriptures were written, preserved, and authoritatively canonized within the Catholic Church.

[Bible verses are taken from the NRSV-CE  and quotes from the Early Church are taken from William A. Jurgens’ four-volume ‘Faith of the Early Fathers’ and/or Catholic Answers ‘Fathers Know Best’ apologetic tracts.  The full context of most early Church passages can be found here.]

I no longer update this content, but am seeking to slowly expand upon it at my new blog: www.captivatedcatholic.com

Click on the links to view the following topics (some links lead to external sites):

The Church

• ‘One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church’ in the Bible
• Early Church Use of the Term ‘Catholic’
• Link: Did the Early Church Fathers Acknowledge One Visible, Identifiable Church?
• Link: Did the Early Church Fathers Acknowledge an Infallible Church?
• Apostolic Succession in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• Primacy of the Apostle Peter in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• Link: How Do We Know St. Peter Was Ever in Rome?
• Early Church Writings on the Apostle Peter’s Successors (the Popes)
• Early Church Testimony Regarding the Primacy of the Pope / Church of Rome
• Link: Did the Eastern Church Fathers Also Acknowledge the Primacy of Peter and the Petrine Ministry in Rome?
• Link: Do Respected Eastern Orthodox Scholars Acknowledge Any Form of Universal Papal Primacy in the Early Church?
• Ecumenical Councils in the Bible
• Link: Early Church Fathers on the Importance of Ecumenical Councils
• Link: Office of Bishop, Priest, and Deacon in the Bible & Early Church Writings

Scripture & Tradition

• ‘Sola Scriptura’ (Scripture Alone) is not Scriptural
• Sacred Tradition (Apostolic Tradition) in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• Link: The 7 Deuterocanonical Books (or so called ‘Apocrypha’) Belong in the Old Testament Canon According to the Early Church
• Link: Common Myths About the Deuterocanonicals (or so called ‘Apocrypha’)
• Link: New Testament References to the 7 Deuterocanonical Books (or so called ‘Apocrypha’)
• Link: New Testament Quotes from the Septuagint (a Greek Old Testament that included the 7 Deuterocanonical Books)

The Mass

• St. Justin Martyr Describes the Mass in 155 A.D.
• Link: Worship on Sunday in the Bible & Early Church

The Sacraments

• The Sacrament of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• Link: the Sacrifice of the Mass in Early Church Writings
• Link: Early Church Fathers on ‘Transubstantiation’
• The Sacrament of Baptism in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• Link: Unanimous Consent of the Early Church Fathers on Baptismal Regeneration
• Infant Baptism in the Bible and Writings of the Early Church
• The Sacrament of Confirmation in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• The Sacrament of Anointing the Sick in the Bible
• The Sacrament of Marriage in the Bible
• Link: the Permanence of Sacramental Marriage (Prohibition of Divorce & Remarriage) in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• The Sacrament of Holy Orders (Ordination) in the Bible
• Link: Celibacy ‘for the sake of the Kingdom’ in the Bible

Salvation

• Justification by ‘Faith Formed in Love’ (Not by ‘Faith Alone’) in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• Salvation is a Process (Not a One Time Event) According to the Bible
• Salvation Can Be Lost (Forfeited) According to the Bible & Early Church Writings (Not ‘Once Saved, Always Saved’)
• Mortal Sin in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• Purgatory & Prayer for the Dead in the Bible & Early Church Writings

The Communion of Saints & the Blessed Virgin Mary

• The Communion of Saints / Intercession of Saints and Angels in the Bible & Early Church Writings
• Veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the Bible
• Link: Early Church Writings on Mary’s Sanctity
• Link: Early Church Writings on the Perpetual Virginity of Mary
• Link: Early Church Writings Referring to Mary as ‘Mother of God’

Morality

• Opposition to contraception/sterilization in the Bible and Early Church Writings

See Other Protestant Concerns–>