The Deposit of Faith

Why We Pray For The Dead?

2011-10-31T03:38:00.000-07:00

Catholic Christians are among those who pray for and remember their dead. This action is usually highlighted during All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day when devout Catholics would flock to the cemeteries to visit the burial grounds of their departed loved ones and pray for their souls. The Christian Orthodox would also pray for their dead. According to an Orthodox Priest, Fr. David F. Abramtsov, "Just as we love and respect our living brethren, so do we love and respect those of our brethren who have departed this life. We express our love for our departed friends and relatives through prayer. Just as we pray for the living that the Grace of God may be upon them, so do we pray for the dead that they may become worthy of the vision of God. At death no man leaves the world to appear before God free of sin, perfect, holy, so that he does not need the mercy and Grace of God. The Holy Church is composed not only of the living, earthly members but also of the faithful departed. All of us, living and dead, are members of one Church and are bound together by one Faith, by common love, and are unworthy sons of the merciful God. It is therefore our duty to ask God, each of us separately, and all together are one Church, to be merciful toward the sinful soul of our departed brother." (Orthodoxy and the World)Some denominations however frown upon this practice and consider it as an invention of men rather than a Christian teaching based on Scriptures. According to non-Catholic Christians, by praying or interceding for the dead, we are actually competing with Christ's intercession, quoting Hebrews 7:25 ("Wherefore he (Jesus) is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.")Is praying for the dead a Catholic invention therefore? Is there any Biblical basis for praying for the dead?In the times of Jesus, Jews were actually praying for the dead already. El Molai Rachamim is the actual Jewish prayer for the dead, although less well known than the Mourner's Kaddish. While the Kaddish does not mention death but rather affirms the steadfast faith of the mourners in God's goodness, El Molai Rachamim is a prayer for the rest of the departed. There are various translations for the original Hebrew which vary significantly. The Book of Maccabees, though not part of the Jewish Bible (controversially due to the fact that it was probably written in Greek) actually accounted for one instance when Jews prayed for the dead and that their prayer was actually intercessory.

"But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had been slain. They all therefore praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge who brings to light the things that are hidden. Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin." 2 Maccabees 12:40-46

A passage in the New Testament which may refer to a prayer for the dead is found in 2 Timothy 1:16-18, which reads as follows:

"May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain, but when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently, and found me (the Lord grant to him to find the Lord's mercy on that day); and in how many things he served at Ephesus, you know very well."

As with the verses from 2 Maccabees, these verses refer to prayers that will help the deceased "on that day" (perhaps Judgement Day, see also end times). It is not stated that Onesiphorus, for whom Saint Paul prayed, was dead, though some scholars infer this, based on the way Paul only refers to him in the past tense, and prays for present blessings on his household, but for him only "on that day". And towards the end of the same letter, in 2 Timothy 4:19, Paul sends greetings to "Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus", distinguishing the situation of Onesiphorus from that of the still living Prisca and Aquila.Early Church Fathers, disciples of the apostles of Christ, practiced such reverence and remembering of the dead. Tertullian († 230) is the first to mention prayers for the dead, and not as a concession to natural sentiment, but as a duty: "The widow who does not pray for her dead husband has as good as divorced him."Saint Gregory Dialogus († 604) in his famous Dialogues (written in 593) teaches that, "The Holy Sacrifice (Eucharist) of Christ, our saving Victim, brings great benefits to souls even after death, provided their sins (are such as) can be pardoned in the life to come."The argument that praying for the dead contradicts Christ's sole intercessory power is actually a weak argument. If our prayer for the dead contradicts Christ's intercessory power, does that mean we should also stop praying for those who are living? Why then is the Scripture teeming with commandments and instructions from Jesus Christ Himself to pray for one another? “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).The author of the Letter of James also wrote, “The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects” (James 5:16).The Biblical basis for the New Testament believer's ministry of intercessory prayer is our calling as priests unto God. The Word of God declares that we are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:4), a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:8), and a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:5). Therefore, when we pray for somebody, whether dead or alive, we are not actually competing with Christ as what other denominations would accuse us. We are actually sharing in the priestly function of Jesus, just as he commissioned us when we were baptized. Only Jesus has the power to save, forgive, etc. but we are vehicles of His grace, despite our unworthiness. We are able to share in His function not because He needed us, but because he allows us to do so out of His love for us.Praying for the dead gives us hope that despite death, we are still connected with the Body of Christ. In fact, St. Paul refers to a state after death where one is purified before he enters into Heaven, the triumphant body of Christ. "Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer a loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire" (1Cor.3:12-15). The DAY there refers to Judgment day or the day when the soul departs from the body (death).Some denominations don't pray for the dead because of their belief that the soul does not exist. When one is dead, he is dead. Mostly all Christians believe that we have a soul but what happens with the soul after death is a debatable issue for other Christians. For Seventh-day Adventists, the soul is mortal and therefore it dies after the death of the body. If the soul does cease to exist after death, why then would Jesus tell the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man in such a way that would portray the soul still existing even after death?

"Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame."But Abraham said, "Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us."He said, "I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house; for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won't also come into this place of torment."But Abraham said to him, "They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them."He said, "No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent."He said to him, "If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead."" Luke 16:19–31

In this parable, it is very clear that both the rich man and Lazarus died and are both depicted in two different states, with Lazarus being with God in heaven (Abraham's bosom is Jewish metaphor for Heaven) and the rich man in hell. It is also clear that this is not during the "resurrection day" or the Final judgment day (note the prayer of the Rich Man).Biblical reference to the immortality of the soul can also be inferred from the Old Testament."Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay." (Psalm 16: 9-10)"But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them.Though while they live they count themselves blessed— and people praise you when you prosper— they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life." (Psalm 49:15-19)

Reconciliation

2011-10-30T00:36:00.000-07:00

Whenever we recite the Apostle's Creed, we make mention, "I believe in the holy catholic church....the forgiveness of sins..." It is important that we declare this belief for as sinners, our hope is always in the provision of Mercy of God through, according to our Catholic Faith, the forgiveness of sins. In the Catholic Church, there are three ways we can receive forgiveness through the sacraments: Baptism, during which our original sin is being washed away, Penance, during which any sins we have committed after our baptism are being forgiven, and Anointing of the Sick, during which the sins of the dying person are also forgiven. Many sects and denominations criticize however the practice of Confession or Penance, saying that "we don't need to confess our sins to a priest. Why should we confess our sins to men? We confess our sins directly to God."Before even answering this criticism, it is important to take note the flawed perception of others and even of Catholics regarding Penance. As cited in the Catholic Encyclopedia:

...penance is not a mere human invention devised by the Church to secure power over consciences or to relieve the emotional strain of troubled souls; it is the ordinary means appointed by Christ for the remission of sin. Man indeed is free to obey or disobey, but once he has sinned, he must seek pardon not on conditions of his own choosing but on those which God has determined, and these for the Christian are embodied in the Sacrament of Penance.No Catholic believes that a priest, simply as an individual man, however pious or learned, has power to forgive sins. This power belongs to God alone; but He can and does exercise it through the ministration of men. Since He has seen fit to exercise it by means of this sacrament, it cannot be said that the Church or the priest interferes between the soul and God; on the contrary, penance is the removal of the one obstacle that keeps the soul away from God.It is not true that for the Catholic the mere "telling of one's sins" suffices to obtain their forgiveness. Without sincere sorrow and purpose of amendment, confession avails nothing, the pronouncement of absolution is of no effect, and the guilt of the sinner is greater than before.While this sacrament as a dispensation of Divine mercy facilitates the pardoning of sin, it by no means renders sin less hateful or its consequences less dreadful to the Christian mind; much less does it imply permission to commit sin in the future. In paying ordinary debts, as e.g., by monthly settlements, the intention of contracting new debts with the same creditor is perfectly legitimate; a similar intention on the part of him who confesses his sins would not only be wrong in itself but would nullify the sacrament and prevent the forgiveness of sins then and there confessed.Strangely enough, the opposite charge is often heard, viz., that the confession of sin is intolerable and hard and therefore alien to the spirit of Christianity and the loving kindness of its Founder. But this view, in the first place, overlooks the fact that Christ, though merciful, is also just and exacting. Furthermore, however painful or humiliating confession may be, it is but a light penalty for the violation of God's law. Finally, those who are in earnest about their salvation count no hardship too great whereby they can win back God's friendship. (Catholic Encyclopedia)

Who instituted the sacrament of Penance? According to Scriptures, it was Jesus Christ Himself! Jesus said, " "Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." (John 20:22-23). The Council of Trent in 1551 declared that "by which action so signal and words so clear the consent of all the Fathers has ever understood that the power of forgiving and retaining sins was communicated to the Apostles and to their lawful successors, for the reconciling of the faithful who have fallen after Baptism." Critics of the Catholic Church however would insist that the sacrament of Penance was only an "invention' of the Church and no such practice even existed in the early days of the Church, before the Council of Trent which made such declaration for example. On the contrary, the early Church has been practicing the confession of sins even way before it was formally declared by the Church. St. Ambrose said c. 397 about heretics who "professed to show reverence for the Lord by reserving to Him alone the power of forgiving sins. Greater wrong could not be done than what they do in seeking to rescind His commands and fling back the office He bestowed. . . . The Church obeys Him in both respects, by binding sin and by loosing it; for the Lord willed that for both the power should be equal"St. Cyril of Alexandria also wrote, "Men filled with the spirit of God (i.e. priests) forgive sins in two ways, either by admitting to baptism those who are worthy or by pardoning the penitent children of the Church"St. John Chrysostom also wrote, "It were manifest folly to condemn so great a power without which we can neither obtain heaven nor come to the fulfillment of the promises. . . . Not only when they (the priests) regenerate us (baptism), but also after our new birth, they can forgive us our sins."And St. Agustine's warning, "Let us not listen to those who deny that the Church of God has power to forgive all sins" Let us then reiterate: Only God has the power to forgive sins. However, through Jesus Christ, He has commands His Church to 'forgive sins' not because the Church is the source of Mercy but because the Church is the way to mercy who is God Himself. The function of forgiving sins by the Church is therefore judicial.

You Are Called To Defend the Faith

2011-10-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

Yes. As a Christian Catholic faced with many differing denominations and even the lack of faith, it can be overwhelming to live in such a century. Yet we cannot say that our present times are far better than those who lived many centuries ago, when persecutions and oppression are brutal and open. We still experience these today but the only difference of today and yesterday is that there are more martyrs before than now. Many were willing to die for their faith. Nowadays, we are more comfortable being quite and even tempted to compromise our faith in order not to disturb the status quo or be misinterpreted as politically incorrect or intolerant. You are called to defend the faith. The moment you accepted Christ and His Church, you are not only obliged to live the foundations of your faith but also to defend it from those who attack it. And you don't have to be a theologian or priest or religious or learned person to be able to do so. As an ordinary person, you can defend your faith through many ways:1) You can defend your faith by learning more about it so you can rationally defend it against questions and criticisms from others. Read the Bible. Read also the Catechism of the Church. Both sources (written and traditions) are sufficient source of truth and knowledge about your faith. Read also historic documents especially those of the early Church Fathers whose wisdom helped propagated the Church instituted by Christ Jesus through the grace of the Holy Spirit.2) You can defend your faith by being an example to others. Be a living testimony to the wonderful graces you receive through the Church. Talk about your experiences as a Christian. Most importantly, express your Christian values without prejudice and judgment. Be generous. Be forgiving. Be humble. Be loving.3) You can defend your faith by challenging the secular values around you. Teach the young and challenge their minds and excite their curiosity in seeking the Truth who is Jesus himself. Tell your co-workers what is right and wrong when it comes to professional ethics. 4) You can defend your faith by living a prayerful life, a life that is Christ-centered, for He alone can give you the grace to fully understand and appreciate the beauty and harmony of Christ's Body: the Church.The Deposit of Faith is a blog site for any Catholic and Non-catholic person who wish to learn and understand. This blog is maintained by ordinary lay people.

Ten Commandments For Motorists

2007-06-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

The 36-page document warns that driving can bring out primitive behavior in motorists, including cursing, blasphemy, and loss of sense of responsibility. As cited in the document, "Cars particularly lend themselves to being used by their owners to show off, and as a means for outshining other people and arousing a feeling of envy," it said. The document's Fifth Commandment continues: "Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin".

1. You shall not kill.

2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.

3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.

4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.

5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.

7. Support the families of accident victims.

8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.

9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.

10. Feel responsible toward others.
(as listed in the Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road released from The Vatican. For related news, click here.)

Got Questions?

2007-06-12T22:50:00.001-07:00

If you have questions concerning about the Catholic Faith, we are here to help you find the answers. The Deposit of Faith is a collection of answers from various sources in the web to questions and issues that are at the very core of the Catholic Church.

Most of the times, Catholics are faced by non-catholic friends and are asked, "Are you saved?" and some times, Catholics are not so sure how to answer such kind of questions or even handle similar confrontations. The Deposit of Faith aims to provide Catholics like you simple answers to questions you may find difficult to answer or reason out with.

The Catholic Church is the TRUE church of Christ. And being the true Church, it is rich with all the knowledge concerning about her faith in her Founder.

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The Deposit of Faith

2007-06-11T19:18:00.004-07:00

Below are links to websites that are primary sources of majority of the information in this site.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Jesus
http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/articles/popelist.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope
Catholic Answers
Catholic Online
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Vatican
National Catholic Reporter
American Catholic
Catholic Comunity Forum
EWTN
Belief.net
Catholic World News
Catholic League
Catholic Digest

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Popular Catholics In History

2007-06-11T19:18:00.003-07:00

"...even the doing of what is good requires discrimination...for the good is not good unless its purpose is conformed to God's will." - St. Peter of Damaskos.

How Does One Become A True Christian?

2007-06-11T19:18:00.001-07:00

"...even the doing of what is good requires discrimination...for the good is not good unless its purpose is conformed to God's will." - St. Peter of Damaskos.

Faith or Good Works

2007-06-11T19:17:00.003-07:00

Sola Fide, or Faith Alone!, has been the battle cry of many protestants since the beginning of the reformation. By Faith alone means, you only need to believe in Jesus Christ to be saved. Your good works count for nothing. What does the Catholic Church say?

It is perhaps a question that has been bugging many Christians nowadays. How does one many justified? This question has been haunting the Christian world ever since the day the Church was founded.

What Does The Bible Tell Us about Faith?
Heb 10:38 "But my just one shall live by faith..."; Heb 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him (God)..."; It cannot be denied that you need to have faith in order to be saved. You need to believe that Jesus is Lord and that He has redeemed us from our sins. But is faith alone sufficient?

James 2:14-18, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone might say, "You have faith and I have works." Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works."

If we are therefore to exclude from the equation the redemptive grace we receive through good works, then consider how many "nonbelievers in Christ" who live in far lands away from the reach of evangelists and missionaries but nevertheless live a life filled with good deeds. They may not be aware of our Ten Commandments or Beatitudes but they live a life that is free from hate, crime, jealousy and mortal sin. Their only problem is that they have not encountered Christ either through missionaries or by any other means. If they die therefore, will they go straight to Hell? Will God be that UNJUST?

Heb 6:10 "For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones."

Scriptures Teach Us To Do Good
In fact, at the end of our lives when we will be judges, Christ the Judge will not so much ask us if we believed in him or not, but rather will ask us how we have lived our lives while on Earth. Mt 16:27 "For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct." Col 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance"

The catch here is that, the good deeds done, in order to be redemptive, are deeds done genuinely and sincerely for the Lord and not for the intent of just saving one's skin or reputation. For the Catholic Church, salvation is a GRACE from God. By grace it means, it is a gift from God. Eph 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast." 2 Tim 1:9 "He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began."

The Council Of Trent declared, "When the Apostle says that man is justified by faith and freely, these words are to be understood in that sense in which the uninterrupted unanimity of the Catholic Church has held and expressed them, namely, that we are therefore said to be justified by faith, because faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and root of all justification, "without which it is impossible to please God" and to come to the fellowship of His sons; and we are therefore said to be justified gratuitously, because none of those things that precede justification, whether faith or works, merit the grace of justification. For, "if by grace, it is not now by works, otherwise," as the Apostle says, "grace is no more grace.""

So What Then?
Faith AND Good works are redemptive. A man is justified both by his Faith and his good works. These two should not therefore be in conflict. Both are perfect expressions of our human response to God's call of invitation to his salvific grace.

James 2:26 "For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."

The Papacy

2007-06-11T19:17:00.001-07:00

"The pope is the bishop of Rome. The name derives from a Greek word pappas, meaning father, and Rome's bishop is seen as the father figure of the early church because of the link with St Peter. Jesus is believed to have appointed Peter as the rock on which the church will be built; and Peter is believed to have been martyred in Rome. As the capital of the empire, Rome is also a natural centre for the growing church.

Unlike any other Christian see, Rome can put at least a name to every bishop in an unbroken line back to the 1st century of the Christian era and to St Peter himself as the first pope. The papacy, though not recognized as such until later centuries, has impressive credentials.

Many popes in the first three centuries of the Christian era are obscure figures. Several suffer martyrdom along with members of their flock in periods of persecution. Most of them are much involved in theological argument with other bishops, as the young church flexes its doctrinal muscles.

The change to a very different role comes during the brief pontificate of Miltiades (311-314). In 313 he holds a council openly in Rome, at the behest of the emperor, in the Lateran palace. A lasting link, between the papacy and temporal power, has begun. And there are immediate signs of the change." (HistoryWorld)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states that, "The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head." This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope."

Since the institution of Christ of the office of the papacy in the person of St. Peter, the Catholic Church has created a line of successors from St. Peter down to the present day pope.

"In addition to his spiritual role as head of the Catholic Church, the Pope also has a temporal role as Head of State of the independent sovereign State of the Vatican City, a city-state and nation entirely enclaved by the city of Rome. The history of the Papacy, then, is the history of both the spiritual role and the temporal role over a timespan of almost 2000 years from the arrival of Peter in Rome to the present day.

The history of the Papacy's temporal role can be divided into three major time periods. During the period before Christianity became the official state religion of the Roman Empire, the Pope had no temporal power and served only as the spiritual head of the Christian church in Rome. Even in that spiritual role, it was contested whether the patriarchs of the other churches were subordinate to the bishop of Rome.

The second major time period in the history of the Papacy runs roughly from the time when Christianity became the official state religion of the Roman Empire until Rome and Latium were annexed by the Kingdom of Italy in 1870. During this time period, the Pope exerted varying amounts of temporal and spiritual power until the Papal states were slowly taken away from the Papacy in the 19th century. During this same period, the role of the Pope as spiritual leader of the Christian church was successfully challenged by the East-West Schism and the Protestant Reformation. It is argued by many that the focus of the Papacy on temporal power was responsible for the loss of moral authority which engendered the corruption which inspired the Protestant reformation.[citation needed]}

The third major time period runs from the end of the Pope's temporal power in the 19th century until the present day. During this period, the Papacy has asserted its spiritual role as leader of the worldwide Catholic Church." (Wikipedia)

The word Pope comes from the latin word, Papa which means father, or from the Greek word, Papas.

Catholic and non-Catholic historians agree that the institution of the papacy as it exists today developed through the centuries.

Traditionally, St. Peter is designated as the first pope. He arrived in Rome c 50. It is this tradition that gives the bishop of Rome primacy. During the first century of the Christian Church, the Roman capital became recognized as a Christian center of exceptional importance; but there are only a few 1st century references to the recognition of the authoritative primacy of the Roman See outside of Rome. The fact that Clement of Rome's letter to the Corinthians (written c. 96) adapted a pastoral tone, and also the fact that St. Ignatius of Antioch once used the word "preside" in the same sentence that he used the word "Romans" in his letter to the Romans (written c. 105)are seen by some historians to present proof of the existence of a certain early Papal primacy.

For a complete list of the popes, click here.

To Eat or Not To Eat

2007-06-11T19:16:00.001-07:00

One of the more controversial issues that also divide Christians and separate most Christians from Jews and Moslems is the practice of eating pork and other "forbidden foods" as listed in the Old Testament of the Bible. Jews and Moslems abhor the eating of pork. Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses also abhor the eating of pork. They base their practice on the Old Testament.

Jews follow a strict law on Diet, the Dietary Laws, which are also cited in the Old Testament.

"...of all the animals that live on land, (Jews) may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud." (Leviticus 11:2-3)
"Of all the creatures living in the water (Jews) may eat any that have fins and scales. But anything that does not have fins and scales (Jews) may not eat; for you it is unclean." (Deuteronomy 14:9-10)
"(Jews) may eat any clean bird." (Deuteronomy 14:11)
"All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to (Jews). There are, however, some winged creatures that walk on all fours that (Jews) may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground." (Leviticus 11: 20-21)
"...(Jews) must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people."

There are also many other rules in Leviticus 11 concerning what to do with carcasses, whether or not a certain animal is acceptable for consuming and methods of cleansing. These were methods which were strongly followed in historical times, however, over the years, people began to question some of the rules. This is why a whole code was created, which is used in the practice of Shehita, to provide answers to these problems. Some of the rules in this code include; that slaughter must be done with a smooth, sharpened knife which does not have a single notch, that the animal must be given the most painless death possible (because of this rule, when killing the animal, the shochet must make a quick forward and backward stroke in the windpipe and gullet which produces the animal to become immediately unconscious), and prayers are to be recited when the throat of the animal was cut and when the blood was covered with ashes. Also, milk and meat cannot be eaten together, so when cooking, separate utensils and dishes are often used.

According to the Jewish Tradition, "The distinction between clean and unclean animals appears first in Gen. vii. 2-3, 8, where it is said that Noah took into the ark seven and seven, male and female, of all kinds of clean beasts and fowls, and two and two, male and female, of all kinds of beasts and fowls that are not clean. Again, Gen. viii. 20 says that after the flood Noah "took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar that he had built to the Lord." It seems that in the mind of this writer the distinction between clean and unclean animals was intended for sacrifices only; for in the following chapter he makes God say: "Everything that moveth shall be food for you" (Gen. ix. 3). In Leviticus (xi. 1-47) and Deuteronomy (xiv. 1-20), however, the distinction between "clean" and "unclean" is made the foundation of a food-law: "This is the law . . . to make a difference between the clean and the unclean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten" (Lev. xi. 46-47). The permitted food is called "clean," "pure" (tahor): the forbidden food is not simply not clean, but is positively unclean, polluted, impure (tame), "an abominanation" (shekez). The terminology "clean and unclean" in the food-law has to a certain extent a different implication from that borne by the same terms as used in the sacrificial law."(Jewish Encyclopedia)

The Jewish Tradition lists down the unclean and clean animals. The Clean Animals were:
All quadrupeds that chew the cud and also divide the hoof (Lev. xi. 3; Deut. xiv. 6); for instance, the ox, the sheep, the goat (i.e., the sacrificial animals), the hart and the gazel, the roebuck, the wild goat, the pygarg, the antelope, and the chamois(Deut. xiv. 4-5)
Fish proper; i.e., "whatsoever hath fins and scales . . . in the seas and in the rivers" (Lev. xi. 9; compare Deut. xiv. 9).
Birds. Here the Law proceeds by way of elimination. From the rather lengthy list of forbidden birds (Lev. xi. 13-19; Deut. xiv. 11-18) it may be concluded that all the birds of prey and most of the water-fowl were considered unclean. The bat closes the list.
The winged creeping things "that go upon all four" which "have legs above their feet to leap withal," of which four kinds of locusts are named (Lev. xi. 21-22). All the other creeping things are most emphatically and repeatedly forbidden and held up as the greatest abomination (Lev. xi. 20, 31-38, 42-43).

The Origin of the Jewish Dietary Law
According to Grotius, on Lev. xi. 3; Spencer, "De Leg. Hebr. Rit." i. 7, 2; S. D. Michaelis, "Mosaisches Recht," iv., § 220, etc., the distinction between clean and unclean animals is based on hygiene: it is a sanitary law. According to others, the law was a national one, intended to separate Israel from the neighboring nations, Arabians, Canaanites, and Egyptians (Ewald, "Antiq. of Israel," pp. 144 et seq.), and partly a sanitary one (Rosenmüller, "Scholia in Vetus Testamentum"—Leviticus). According to Keil, "Handbuch der Biblischen Archäologie," pp. 492 et seq., the law is a religious one, intended to deter men from the vices and sins of which certain animals are the symbols, which view is a mere variation of the allegorical interpretation proposed by Philo ("De Concupiscentia," 5-10). Of these explanations the first two have been refuted by Sommer in his "Biblische Abhandlungen," i. 187-193; Keil's opinion has been opposed by Nowack, "Lehrbuch der Biblischen Archäologie," i. 117, and others. The most popular theory at the present day is perhaps that offered by the late W. Robertson Smith, in his article "Animal Worship and Animal Tribes Among the Ancient Arabs" ("Journal of Philology," 1880), according to which the unclean animals were forbidden because they were totems of the primitive clans of Israel. This theory has been accepted by Cheyne ("Isaiah," i. 99; ii. 123-124, 303) and Stade ("Gesch. Israels," i. 408), but by Dillmann is either entirely and without discussion rejected ("Genesis," p. 382), or restricted to the prehistoric times of Israel, as being a survival of the old totem-worship and totem-clan organization, resembling in historic times the case of the horse in England, which anthropologists say is not eaten because it was once sacred to Odin, and thus tabooed (Joseph Jacobs in his "Studies in Biblical Archeol." p. 89, and similarly Salomon Reinach, "Les Interdictions Alimentaires et la Loi Mosaïque," in "Rev. Etudes Juives," xli. 144).

In the Letter of Aristeas (lines 144-154) it is explained at length that "these laws have been given for justice' sake to awake pious thoughts and to form the character." It is especially emphasized that birds of prey have been forbidden, to teach that man shall practise justice; and not, depending upon his own strength, do injury to others. The marks which distinguish the clean animal are allegorically explained, as shown in the following instance: To have two feet and split hoofs signifies that all actions shall be taken with consideration of the right and wrong. The martyr Eleazar, in IV Macc. v. 25, answers the king, who ridicules the laws forbidding unclean animals, "Whatever is congenial to our soul He permits us to eat; the use of obnoxious meats He forbade us." In this is apparently expressed the same idea which is stated later on by Ẓarẓa in the words: "All these things are forbidden, because they deprave the blood and make it susceptible to many diseases; they pollute the body and the soul". (Jewish Encyclopedia)

To eat therefore this unclean food is to make oneself unclean, according to Jewish Tradition, which is closely followed by even some Christian sects like the Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA). By being unclean we do not mean hygienically unclean but according to the Jewish Tradition, it is ceremonially and spiritually unclean. Being unclean is not about being dirty such as having to take a bath. A person that was ceremonially unclean could not participate in the sanctuary service and with other members of the community till they went through the ceremonial ritual to become clean.

What Does the Bible Say?
Note this, "(Gen 9:3 - 5)Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man."

Also note in the New testament what Paul wrote, (1 Tim 4:4 - 5) "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."

This law of Moses in fact has been a stumbling block for many Gentile Converts during the days of the Early Christians. Jewish Christians demanded that all Gentile Christians must follow the Laws of Moses, that included not just the issue on circumcision but all other laws as well. The Council of Jerusalem declared, through Peter, "God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 1Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."(Acts 15:8 - 11)

The Council of Jerusalem decree stated, "You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things" (Acts 15:29)

Paul reiterated this call, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."(Col. 2:16-17)

The New Testament is very clear!
"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean" (Romans 14:13-14)

"Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience." (1 Cor 10:25 - 27)

"Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean..."(Romans 14:20)

Christ Himself declared!
"Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’ For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")(Mark 7:14-15, 18)

"But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak."(1 Cor. 8:1-12)

For the Christian, food should not be a religious issue. It may be a health issue and that is for any individual to contend. But when it comes to salvation and redemption, what we eat or drink should not be an issue. "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17)

Saturday or Sunday?

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The day of worship is important for every religion. For Catholics and Protestants, Sunday has always been observed as the day of worship. The Jews also had their days of worship. In modern times, Jews refer to the weekly Sabbath as the Shabbat; other holy days are called festivals, feasts, holy days or holidays. Sabbath Day is important to all Jews and early Christians. Sabbath Day is the day of rest and is a special day demanded by God Himself. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: (in it) thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11.

Jews have carefully kept the Saturday Sabbath for many millennia. Since the ancient Israelites defined sundown as the end of a day, the Sabbath runs from local sundown on Friday night until sundown on Saturday.

In Deuteronomy 5, Moses restates the ten commandments to the next generation of Israelites. Here, after commanding Sabbath observance in verses 12–14, Moses gives the reason the Sabbath was given to the nation Israel: "And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day" (Deuteronomy 5:15). Notice the word therefore. God's intent for giving the Sabbath to Israel was not that they would remember creation, but that they would remember their Egyptian slavery and the Lord's deliverance. Note the requirements for Sabbath-keeping: A person placed under that Sabbath law could not leave his home on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:29), he could not build a fire (Exodus 35:3), and he could not cause anyone else to work (Deuteronomy 5:14). A person breaking the Sabbath law was to be put to death (Exodus 31:15; Numbers 15:32–35). (Gotquestions.org)

The Church Council of Laodicea circa 364, ordered that religious observances were to be conducted on Sunday, not Saturday. Sunday became the new Sabbath. They ruled: "Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day."

An examination of New Testament passages shows us four important points: 1) Whenever Christ appears in His resurrected form and the day is mentioned, it is always the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1, 9, 10; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:1, 13, 15; John 20:19, 26). 2) The only time the Sabbath is mentioned from Acts through Revelation it is for evangelistic purposes to the Jews and the setting is usually in a synagogue (Acts chapters 13–18). Paul wrote, "to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews" (1 Corinthians 9:20). Paul did not go to the synagogue to fellowship with and edify the saints, but to convict and save the lost. 3) Once Paul states "from now on I will go to the Gentiles" (Acts 18:6), the Sabbath is never again mentioned. And 4) instead of suggesting adherence to the Sabbath day, the remainder of the New Testament implies the opposite (including the one exception to point 3 above, found in Colossians 2:16).

Perhaps the argument against Sunday as to Saturday come from the Seventh-Day Adventists, Christians who believe that Saturday is the true Sabbath Day and not Sunday which Catholics and other Christians practice.

"The holy Sabbath looked glorious- a halo of glory was all around it. I saw that the Sabbath commandment was not nailed to the cross. If it was, the other nine commandments were; and we are at liberty to break them all as well as to break the fourth. I saw that God had not changed the Sabbath, for he never changes. But the pope had changed it from the seventh day to the first day of the week; for he was to change times and laws," wrote Ellen White, Founder of Seventh-Day Adventism (SDA). What White forgot that even before the office of the Papacy was fully established, Christians were already meeting in worship on Sundays. "The first Christians were Jews and maintained the observance of the Jewish Sabbath rest on Saturday, but by the first half of the second century most Christians no longer observed the Sabbath, instead gathering for worship on Sunday (although for some time the Sabbath continued to be held in a special regard even among Christians who observed Sunday). Consequently, Christians would avoid secular activities to allow time for worship."(Wikipedia)

Early documents have shown proof that Sunday has been highly regarded by early Christians as the new Sabbath Day, The Day of the Lord.

AD 90-120, THE DIDACHE: "But on the Lord's own [day] assemble and break bread, and give thanks, first confessing your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned" (Didache, also called The Teaching of the Apostles, 14)

AD 150, EPISTLE OF THE APOSTLES.- I [Christ] have come into being on the eighth day which is the day of the Lord. (Epistle of the Apostles, 18)

AD 150, JUSTIN MARTYR: But Sunday is the day on which we hold our common assembly, because it is the first day of the week and Jesus our savior on the same day rose from the dead. (First Apology of Justin, Ch 68)

AD 170, DIONYSIUS, BISHOP OF CORINTH: "To-day we have passed the Lord's holy day, in which we have read your epistle. From it, whenever we read it, we shall always be able to draw advice, as also from the former epistle, which was written to us through Clement." (Quoted by Eusebius Pamphilus in Ecclesiastical History, Book 4, Chapter 23)

AD 200, TERTULLIAN: Let him who contends that the Sabbath is still to be observed as a balm of salvation, and circumcision on the eighth day because of threat of death, teach us that in earliest times righteous men kept Sabbath or practiced circumcision, and so were made friends of God. .. ...Therefore, since God originated Adam uncircumcised, and inobservant of the Sabbath, consequently his offspring also, Abel, offering Him sacrifices, uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, was by Him commended... Noah also, uncircumcised - yes, and inobservant of the Sabbath - God freed from the deluge. For Enoch, too, most righteous man, uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, He translated from this world... Melchizedek also, "the priest of most high God," uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, was chosen to the priesthood of God. (An Answer to the Jews 2:10; 4:1)

The contest of SDAs and other Sabatthists is that there is no biblical basis for the transfer of Saturday worship to Sunday.

Here are a few biblical texts to prove them wrong:

1)Since Jesus was the Son of Man, he had authority to change the sabbath if he wished. When his disciples were chastised for plucking grain on the sabbath (Mark 2:23-28), Christ pointed to an example from the life of David to justify the conclusion, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the sabbath" (v. 27-28).

2)In Colossians 2:14-16, Paul mentions the sabbath by name, stating that Christ has "canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands . . . Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath. These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." Festivals, new moons, and sabbaths were the three kinds of feast days of the Mosaic calendar (see Neh. 10:33, Lev. 23, Num. 29:6). Paul thus states that the whole Jewish festal calendar, sabbath days included, is not binding on Christians.

3) In 1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul tells his readers, "On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come." Paul exhorts his readers to get their church's contribution together ahead of time so it won't have to be put together when he arrives (see 2 Cor. 9:3-5).

4)From the very beginning the Apostles, exercising the authority given them by Christ, made determinations of the applicability of the Mosaic Law to the Church (Acts 15). Acts 15:28 "It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities. . ." The celebration of Sunday was one of those decisions, in constant use since. This was so universally known in the early Church it is not even mentioned in Scripture, though implicit in Acts 20:7 and 1 Cor 16:2. Acts 20:7 "On the first day of the week when we gathered to break bread, Paul spoke to them because he was going to leave on the next day, and he kept on speaking until midnight." 1 Cor. 16:2 "On the first day of the week each of you should set aside and save whatever one can afford, so that collections will not be going on when I come."

Holy Matrimony

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"...even the doing of what is good requires discrimination...for the good is not good unless its purpose is conformed to God's will." - St. Peter of Damaskos.

Baptism

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Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It is in fact the first of all sacraments. Through baptism, a Catholic Christian is enabled to receive the other sacraments of the Church.

According to the decree of the Council of Florence issued by then Pope Eugene IV,

"Holy Baptism holds the first place among the sacraments, because it is the door of the spiritual life; for by it we are made members of Christ and incorporated with the Church. And since through the first man death entered into all, unless we be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, we can not enter into the kingdom of Heaven, as Truth Himself has told us. The matter of this sacrament is true and natural water; and it is indifferent whether it be cold or hot. The form is: I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. We do not, however, deny that the words: Let this servant of Christ be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; or: This person is baptized by my hands in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, constitute true baptism; because since the principal cause from which baptism has its efficacy is the Holy Trinity, and the instrumental cause is the minister who confers the sacrament exteriorly, then if the act exercised by the minister be expressed, together with the invocation of the Holy Trinity, the sacrament is perfected. The minister of this sacrament is the priest, to whom it belongs to baptize, by reason of his office. In case of necessity, however, not only a priest or deacon, but even a layman or woman, nay, even a pagan or heretic can baptize, provided he observes the form used by the Church, and intends to perform what the Church performs. The effect of this sacrament is the remission of all sin, original and actual; likewise of all punishment which is due for sin. As a consequence, no satisfaction for past sins is enjoined upon those who are baptized; and if they die before they commit any sin, they attain immediately to the kingdom of heaven and the vision of God."

There have been many heresies in the history of the Church regarding the sacrament of Baptism. Below are a list of "beliefs" regarding Baptism declared by the Catholic Church as heresy:

1.The baptism of John (the Precursor) had the same efficacy as the baptism of Christ,
2.True and natural water is not necessary for baptism, and therefore the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost" are metaphorical.
3.The true doctrine of the sacrament of baptism is not taught by the Roman Church,
4.Baptism given by heretics in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost with the intention of performing what the Church performs, is not true baptism,
5.Baptism is free, that is, not necessary for salvation.
6.A baptized person, even if he wishes it, can not lose grace, no matter how much he sins, unless he refuses to believe.
7. Those who are baptized are obliged only to have faith, but not to observe the whole law of Christ.
8.Baptized persons are not obliged to observe all the precepts of the Church, written and traditional, unless of their own accord they wish to submit to them.
9.All vows made after baptism are void by reason of the promises made in baptism itself; because by these vows injury is done to the faith which has been professed in baptism and to the sacrament itself.
10.All sins committed after baptism are either forgiven or rendered venial by the sole remembrance and faith of the baptism that has been received.
11.Baptism although truly and properly administered, must be repeated in the case of a person who has denied the faith of Christ before infidels and has been brought again to repentance.
12.No one is to be baptized except at the age at which Christ was baptized or at the moment of death.
13.Infants, not being able to make an act of faith, are not to be reckoned among the faithful after their baptism, and therefore when they come to the age of discretion they are to be rebaptized; or it is better to omit their baptism entirely than to baptize them as believing on the sole faith of the Church, when they themselves can not make a proper act of faith.
14.Those baptized as infants are to be asked when they have grown up, whether they wish to ratify what their sponsors had promised for them at their baptism, and if they reply that they do not wish to do so, they are to be left to their own will in the matter and not to be forced by penalties to lead a Christian life, except to be deprived of the reception of the Eucharist and of the other sacraments, until they reform.
(Catholic Encyclopedia)

The term Baptism means to wash or to immerse, taken from the Greek Word baptizo.

The Roman Catechism (Ad parochos, De bapt., 2, 2, 5) defines baptism thus: Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration by water in the word (per aquam in verbo). St. Thomas Aquinas (III:66:1) gives this definition: "Baptism is the external ablution of the body, performed with the prescribed form of words."

Later theologians generally distinguish formally between the physical and the metaphysical defining of this sacrament. By the former they understand the formula expressing the action of ablution and the utterance of the invocation of the Trinity; by the latter, the definition: "Sacrament of regeneration" or that institution of Christ by which we are reborn to spiritual life.

The term "regeneration" distinguishes baptism from every other sacrament, for although penance revivifies men spiritually, yet this is rather a resuscitation, a bringing back from the dead, than a rebirth. Penance does not make us Christians; on the contrary, it presupposes that we have already been born of water and the Holy Ghost to the life of grace, while baptism on the other hand was instituted to confer upon men the very beginnings of the spiritual life, to transfer them from the state of enemies of God to the state of adoption, as sons of God.

The definition of the Roman Catechism combines the physical and metaphysical definitions of baptism. "The sacrament of regeneration" is the metaphysical essence of the sacrament, while the physical essence is expressed by the second part of the definition, i.e. the washing with water (matter), accompanied by the invocation of the Holy Trinity (form). Baptism is, therefore, the sacrament by which we are born again of water and the Holy Ghost, that is, by which we receive in a new and spiritual life, the dignity of adoption as sons of God and heirs of God's kingdom.
(Catholic Encyclopedia)

Fundamentalists often criticize the Catholic Church’s practice of baptizing infants. According to them, baptism is for adults and older children, because it is to be administered only after one has undergone a "born again" experience—that is, after one has "accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior." At the instant of acceptance, when he is "born again," the adult becomes a Christian, and his salvation is assured forever. Baptism follows, though it has no actual salvific value. In fact, one who dies before being baptized, but after "being saved," goes to heaven anyway.

As Fundamentalists see it, baptism is not a sacrament (in the true sense of the word), but an ordinance. It does not in any way convey the grace it symbolizes; rather, it is merely a public manifestation of the person’s conversion. Since only an adult or older child can be converted, baptism is inappropriate for infants or for children who have not yet reached the age of reason (generally considered to be age seven). Most Fundamentalists say that during the years before they reach the age of reason infants and young children are automatically saved. Only once a person reaches the age of reason does he need to "accept Jesus" in order to reach heaven.

Since the New Testament era, the Catholic Church has always understood baptism differently, teaching that it is a sacrament which accomplishes several things, the first of which is the remission of sin, both original sin and actual sin—only original sin in the case of infants and young children, since they are incapable of actual sin; and both original and actual sin in the case of older persons.

Peter explained what happens at baptism when he said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). But he did not restrict this teaching to adults. He added, "For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him" (2:39). We also read: "Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name" (Acts 22:16). These commands are universal, not restricted to adults. Further, these commands make clear the necessary connection between baptism and salvation, a
connection explicitly stated in 1 Peter 3:21: "Baptism . . . now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."(Catholic Answers)

Paul notes that baptism has replaced circumcision (Col. 2:11–12). In that passage, he refers to baptism as "the circumcision of Christ" and "the circumcision made without hands." Of course, usually only infants were circumcised under the Old Law; circumcision of adults was rare, since there were few converts to Judaism. If Paul meant to exclude infants, he would not have chosen circumcision as a parallel for baptism.

This comparison between who could receive baptism and circumcision is an appropriate one. In the Old Testament, if a man wanted to become a Jew, he had to believe in the God of Israel and be circumcised. In the New Testament, if one wants to become a Christian, one must believe in God and Jesus and be baptized. In the Old Testament, those born into Jewish households could be circumcised in anticipation of the Jewish faith in which they would be raised. Thus in the New Testament, those born in Christian households can be baptized in anticipation of the Christian faith in which they will be raised. The pattern is the same: If one is an adult, one must have faith before receiving the rite of membership; if one is a child too young to have faith, one may be given the rite of membership in the knowledge that one will be raised in the faith. This is the basis of Paul’s reference to baptism as "the circumcision of Christ"—that is, the Christian equivalent of circumcision.
(Catholic Answers)

Baptism is the Christian equivalent of circumcision, or "the circumcision of Christ": "In him you were also circumcised with . . . the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead" (Col. 2:11–12). Thus, like circumcision, baptism can be given to children as well as adults. The difference is that circumcision was powerless to save (Gal. 5:6, 6:15), but "[b]aptism . . . now saves you" (1 Pet. 3:21).

The first explicit evidence of children of believing households being baptized comes from the early Church—where infant baptism was uniformly
upheld and regarded as apostolic. In fact, the only reported controversy on the subject was a third-century debate whether or not to delay baptism until the eighth day after birth, like its Old Testament equivalent, circumcision! (See quotation from Cyprian, below; compare Leviticus 12:2–3.)

Consider, too, that Fathers raised in Christian homes (such as Irenaeus) would hardly have upheld infant baptism as apostolic if their own baptisms had been deferred until the age of reason.

"Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children" (Acts 2:38–39). Note here that Peter the Apostle included the children as recipients of this promise.

"Baptize first the children, and if they can speak for themselves let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for them," wrote Hippolytus, one of the early Church Fathers. (The Apostolic Tradition 21:16 [A.D. 215]).

(For more details on Baptism, click here)

One God, In Three Divine Persons

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The Belief in the Holy Trinity, in One God in 3 Divine Persons, is the bedrock of The Christian faith and certainly of the Catholic Church. Atheists find it hard to grasp the concept of 1 God but worshipped separately in 3 Divine Persons. Even some sects who call themselves Christian reject this Christian belief.

"In Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity states that God is one being who exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a mutual indwelling of three persons: the Father, the Son (incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth), and the Holy Spirit. Since the 4th century, in both Eastern and Western Christianity, this doctrine has been stated as "three persons in one God," all three of whom, as distinct and co-eternal persons, are of one indivisible Divine essence, a simple being. Supporting the doctrine of the Trinity is known as Trinitarianism. The majority of Christians are Trinitarian, and regard belief in the Trinity as a test of orthodoxy. Opposing, nontrinitarian positions that are held by some groups include Binitarianism (two deities/persons/aspects), Unitarianism (one deity/person/aspect), the Godhead (Latter Day Saints) (three separate beings) and Modalism (Oneness)." (Wikipedia)

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, while Trinity does not explicitly appear in the New Testament, its basis is established by the New Testament: The coming of Jesus Christ and the presumed presence and power of God among them had implications for the early Christians. "The Holy Spirit, whose coming was connected with the celebration of the Pentecost. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were associated in such New Testament passages as the Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19); and in the apostolic benediction: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2Corinthians 13:14). The Great Commission reflects the baptismal practice at Matthew's time (or later if this line is interpolated, according to The Oxford Companion of the Bible).

According to the The Oxford Companion of the Bible, 2Corinthians 13:14 is the earliest evidence for a tripartite formula. The Oxford Companion of the Bible states that it is possible that this three-part formula was later added to the text as it was copied. However, there is support for the authenticity of the passage since its phrasing "is much closer to Paul's understandings of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit than to a more fully developed concept of the Trinity. Jesus, referred to not as Son but as Lord and Christ, is mentioned first and is connected with the central Pauline theme of grace. God is referred to as a source of love, not as father, and the Spirit promotes sharing within community."

Scripture is definitely rich in the teaching about the Trinity, and perhaps this text is so far the more explicit: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." (1John 5:7–8).

" In the third century, Sabellius, a Libyan priest who was staying at Rome, invented a new one. He claimed there is only one person in the Godhead, so that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all one person with different "offices," rather than three persons who are one being in the Godhead, as the orthodox position holds.

Of course, people immediately recognized that Sabellius’s teaching contradicted the historic faith of the Church, and he was quickly excommunicated. His heresy became known as Sabellianism, Modalism, and Patripassianism. It was called Sabellianism after its founder, Modalism after the three modes or roles which it claimed the one person of the Trinity occupied, and Patripassianism after its implication that the person of the Father (Pater-) suffered (-passion) on the cross when Jesus died.

Because Modalism asserts that there is only one person in the Godhead, it makes nonsense of passages which show Jesus talking to his Father (e.g., John 17), or declaring he is going to be with the Father (John 14:12, 28, 16:10) One role of a person cannot go to be with another role of that person, or say that the two of them will send the Holy Spirit while they remain in heaven (John 14:16-17, 26, 15:26, 16:13–15; Acts 2:32–33).

Modalism quickly died out; it was too contrary to the ancient Christian faith to survive for long. Unfortunately, it was reintroduced in the early twentieth century in the new Pentecostal movement. In its new form, Modalism is often referred to as Jesus Only theology since it claims that Jesus is the only person in the Godhead and that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are merely names, modes, or roles of Jesus. Today the United Pentecostal Church, as well as numerous smaller groups which call themselves "apostolic churches," teach the Jesus Only doctrine. Through the Word Faith movement, it has begun to infect traditionally Trinitarian Pentecostalism. Ironically, Trinity Broadcasting Network, operated by Word Faith preacher Paul Crouch, has given a television voice to many of these Jesus Only preachers (who are, of course, militantly anti-Trinitarian)." (Catholic Answers)

St. Athanasius wrote in 359 A.D., "[The Trinity] is a Trinity not merely in name or in a figurative manner of speaking; rather, it is a Trinity in truth and in actual existence. Just as the Father is he that is, so also his Word is one that is and is God over all. And neither is the Holy Spirit nonexistent but actually exists and has true being. Less than these the Catholic Church does not hold, lest she sink to the level of the Jews of the present time, imitators of Caiaphas, or to the level of Sabellius."

To deny therefore the teaching of the Triune God is to deny that one is a Christian. Iglesia ni Cristo or The Church of Christ established by Felix Manalo in The Philippines is one of these cults who reject vehemently this belief to the point of even manipulating or distorting The Bible itself in order to conveniently promote their heresy. "

Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie has criticized the INC for allegedly misquoting his Ryrie Study Bible regarding John 1:1 in the May/June 1984 issue of the Pasugo. Ryrie has been quoted as saying, in a letter to Robert Elliff, the author of the book, Iglesia Ni Cristo: The Only True Church? "Anyone can look in my Study Bible and see how conveniently this author [the INC] omitted the last phrase in the note of John 1:1." (Elliff, Robert 'Iglesia Ni Cristo: The Only True Church?' (1989))"

God the Holy Spirit

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Perhaps among the Divine Persons, it is the Holy Spirit who is the most mysterious. According to Scriptures, "No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." (1 Cor 2:11). The Catechism of The Catholic Church declares, "We know him only in the movement by which he reveals the Word to us and disposes us to welcome him in faith. the Spirit of truth who "unveils" Christ to us "will not speak on his own." Such properly divine self-effacement explains why "the world cannot receive (him), because it neither sees him nor knows him," while those who believe in Christ know the Spirit because he dwells with them."

When he proclaims and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls him the "Paraclete," literally, "he who is called to one's side," advocatus. (CCC)

Besides the proper name of "Holy Spirit," which is most frequently used in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles, we also find in St. Paul the titles: the Spirit of the promise, The Spirit of adoption, The Spirit of Christ, The Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirit of God - and, in St. Peter, the Spirit of glory.

Scriptures is rich in teachings that the Holy Spirit is more than just a figurative symbol or image of God The Father. The Holy Spirit is God!

It is the Holy Spirit who gives eternal life (Ezekiel 37:14, John 6:63, Romans 8:2, 8:6, 11, 13, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Galatians 6:8), is eternal (John 14:16, Hebrews 9:14 ), is ominiscient (1 Corinthians 2:10, 11), represents the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6) and who has authority and power (Micah 3:8, Luke 1:35, 4:14, Romans 15:13, 19, Ephesians 3:16).

"The Holy Spirit is not a vague, ethereal life force. He is not impersonal or unthinking. The Holy Spirit is a “person” equal in every way with God, the Father, and God, the Son. The Bible tells us that all the characteristics of God apparent in the Father and the Son are equally apparent in the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is composed of intellect, emotions and will. In 1 Corinthians 2:11, we see an example of the Holy Spirit’s intellect and will: “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”

In Romans 15:30, we see the Holy Spirit has emotion, as represented by the capacity to love:“Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;”

Although the Holy Spirit has all the characteristics of God, He has specific roles and functions in our lives. In John 16:13, we see the Spirit of Truth as our guide: “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.”

In John 14:26, we learn that the Holy Spirit is our Counselor and teacher: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

In 1 Corinthians 3:16, we see that the Holy Spirit lives inside us: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

In Acts 1:8, we understand where our power comes from: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you."

In Romans 8:14, we understand where our direction comes from: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

In Romans 8:26, we learn that the Holy Spirit is there for us in times of weakness and prayer: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

In Hebrews 9:14, we see that the Holy Spirit is eternal. In 1 Corinthians 2:11, we see that the Holy Spirit is all-knowing. In Psalm 139, we see that the Holy Spirit is everywhere." (All About God)

Heresies on the divinity of the Holy Spirit are interlinked with main heresies against the divinity of Christ and the concept of the Divine Trinity.

Tritheism portrays Father, Son and Holy Spirit as three independent divine beings; three separate gods who are linked together in some special way - most commonly by sharing the 'same substance' or being the same sort of thing. People often make this mistake because they misunderstand the use of the word 'persons' in defining the Trinity; it does not mean that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three separate personalities. Partialism is the idea that Father, Son and Holy Spirit together make up God. This would suggest that each of the persons of the Trinity is only part God, only becoming fully God when they are together. (BBC.co.uk - Religion and Ethics)

Mary: Conceived Without Original Sin

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Pope John Paul II wrote, "Mary, "full of grace", has been recognized by the Church as "all holy and free from every stain of sin", "enriched from the first instant of her conception with the splendour of an entirely unique holiness" (Lumen gentium, n. 56). This recognition required a long process of doctrinal reflection, which finally led to the solemn proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The title "made full of grace", addressed by the angel to Mary at the Annunciation, refers to the exceptional divine favour shown to the young woman of Nazareth in view of the motherhood which was announced, but it indicates more directly the effect of divine grace in Mary; Mary was inwardly and permanently imbued with grace and thus sanctified. The title kecharitoméne has a very rich meaning and the Holy Spirit has never ceased deepening the Church's understanding of it."

In his personal website, Bob Stanley wrote, "The Blessed Virgin Mary is the "New Ark of the Covenant". GOD was very meticulous as to how the Hebrews were to construct the wooden 'Ark of the Covenant' in Exodus 25. The Ark was destined to be the most sacred object on earth by GOD because it contained GOD'S "Word", written on the stone tablets handed down by Him to Moses. It was so sacred that Uzzah, who had good intentions, died instantly just by just touching it as it was about to tip over in 2Sam 6:2-8. Since the wooden Ark of the Old Testament was but a "type" of the "New Ark" of the New Testament, and therefore inferior to it, then how much more for merely a man not to touch the "New Ark of the Covenant"? What is reserved for GOD only, is GOD's only. GOD and sin are mutually exclusive (Rev 21:27). Does not it stand to reason that when GOD created the "New Ark of the Covenant", the vessel that contained "His Word" (Jesus Christ, John 1:1) that He would be equally or more meticulous in creating it? Can GOD co-exist with original sin in the same vessel, the womb of Mary? That 'vessel', Mary, had to be worthy of the 'Treasure' she carried, Jesus The Christ, the Word Incarnate. What is the purpose of Baptism? It is to remove the stain of original sin. When we are baptized, sin goes out and GOD comes in. Baptism to remove sin and allow GOD to come in was not instituted until after Jesus had started His ministry (John 3:22-23, 4:2). So The Blessed Virgin had to have a stainless sin-free body and soul in order for GOD incarnate to dwell within her. GOD imputes the stain of original sin into the soul of each person He creates. However, He did not do so for His only Son. What makes you think He could not do so for His Son's mother as well? Who was the first person to call Mary "Blessed"? It was GOD Himself through the Angel Gabriel in Luke 1:28. If GOD said "Hail, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee", in the same verse, could Mary have been 'full of grace' or 'blessed' or have the 'Lord with her', had she been stained by original sin? If you say 'yes' to that one, then please explain your answer to me? By being "full of Grace", and being told "the Lord is with thee", is she not higher than Eve who was never told these things? If so, was Eve created with original sin? No? Then why do you think Mary, who is higher than Eve, was born with original sin? Wouldn't having original sin make Mary lower than Eve? Eve is a "type" of Mary, who is the "antitype". "Types" are always inferior to "antitypes" and always point to a much greater reality, and never to a symbol.
GOD will not join Himself with anything defiled, Wis 1:4-5, Isa 59:1-4,
Rom 1:18-32, Rev 21:27.

The Immaculate Conception is, according to Roman Catholic dogma, the conception of Mary, the mother of Jesus without any stain of original sin, in her mother's womb: the dogma thus says that, from the first moment of her existence, she was preserved by God from the lack of sanctifying grace that afflicts mankind, and that she was instead filled with divine grace. It is further believed that she lived a life completely free from sin. Her immaculate conception in the womb of her mother, by sexual intercourse, should not be confused with the doctrine of her virginal conception of her son Jesus.(Wikipedia)

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception, as solemnly defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854, teaches that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin. Protestants and other non-catholics argue, that there are no Scriptural basis for this claim.

Is there really no Biblical basis?
Genesis 3:15 - "I will put enmity between you(the serpent) and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel".

The serpent is Satan (cf. Jn. 8:44; Rev. 12:9), and the “seed of the woman” who would be sent to crush the devil is Jesus Christ. Therefore, the “woman” is Mary, His mother. It is significant that Jesus addresses His mother in the Gospels as “woman” (e.g., John 2:4; 19:26-27). Mary shares in the victory of her Son over Satan, which includes His victory over sin and death. Because she is sinless and pure, there is indeed “enmity” (Gen. 3:15) or “complete opposition” between Mary and Satan. (Catholics United For The Faith)

Luke 1:28 - "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you (Mary)"

The phrase “full of grace” is a translation of the Greek word kecharitoméne. This word conveys a sense of completion and perfection that was already present at the time of the Annunciation. Mary’s holiness was not only as complete as possible, but it extended over the whole of her life, from conception onward. (Catholics United For The Faith)

What Protestants Say About This?
Let Martin Luther, founder of Protestantism speak in behalf of them, "It is a sweet and pious belief that the infusion of Mary's soul was effected without original sin; so that in the very infusion of her soul she was also purified from original sin and adorned with God's gifts, receiving a pure soul infused by God; thus from the first moment she began to live she was free from all sin." (On the Day of the Conception of the Mother of God," 1527)

In arguing against this doctrine, many Protestants point to what they claim is a logical absurdity. According to the doctrine, Mary is made free from the taint of original sin in order that she be without sin and therefore a most perfect mother for the Christ. It is argued that God could simply have caused the same effect at Jesus' conception without needing the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Indeed Protestants argue that if this were not possible then God would need to intervene in the conception of Mary's mother, and her mother, and so on down the ages. A further argument put forward by Protestants is from Mark 10:18 and the parallel Luke 18:9. When Jesus is addressed as "Good teacher" (NIV Mk 10:17), Jesus is quoted as replying "No one is good—except God alone" (NIV). It is posited that in doing so he clearly teaches that no people are without sin whilst also leaving room for the conclusion that he is in fact God. Some Protestant groups of more recent origin, such as the Restoration Movement, do not believe in original sin. Consequently, they believe in the immaculate conception of everyone, not only of Mary. (Wikipedia)

The Response of the Church
The Church Fathers, almost from the beginning of Church History, found further Scriptural evidence by comparing the figure of Eve to the figure of Mary. St. Justin Martyr said that Mary was a kind of New Eve, "in order that the disobedience which proceeded from the serpent might receive its destruction in the same manner in which it derived its origin." (Dialogue with Trypho, 100) Tertullian argued in the same manner, saying, "As Eve had believed the serpent, so Mary believed the angel. The delinquency which the one occasioned by believing, the other by believing effaced." (On the Flesh of Christ, 17) St. Irenaeus declared that Mary became "the cause of salvation, both to herself and the whole human race," because "what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith." (Against Heresies, Book III, cap. 22, 4) St. Jerome coined the phrase, "Death came through Eve, but life has come through Mary," (Letter XXII, To Eustochium, 21. (Wikipedia)

Another explanation in defense of this dogma is illustrated in an analogy. Suppose a man falls into a deep pit, and someone reaches down to pull him out. The man has been "saved" from the pit. Now imagine a woman walking along, and she too is about to topple into the pit, but at the very moment that she is to fall in, someone holds her back and prevents her. She too has been saved from the pit, but in an even better way: She was not simply taken out of the pit, she was prevented from getting stained by the mud in the first place. This is the illustration Christians have used for a thousand years to explain how Mary was saved by Christ. By receiving Christ’s grace at her conception, she had his grace applied to her before she was able to become mired in original sin and its stain.(Catholic Answers)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that she was "redeemed in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son" (CCC 492). She has more reason to call God her Savior than we do, because he saved her in an even more glorious manner!

When non-catholics claim that the doctrine was only invented, they misunderstand both the history of dogmas and what prompts the Church to issue, from time to time, definitive pronouncements regarding faith or morals. They are under the impression that no doctrine is believed until the pope or an ecumenical council issues a formal statement about it. Actually, doctrines are defined formally only when there is a controversy that needs to be cleared up or when the magisterium (the Church in its office as teacher; cf. Matt. 28:18–20; 1 Tim. 3:15, 4:11) thinks the faithful can be helped by particular emphasis being drawn to some already-existing belief. The definition of the Immaculate Conception was prompted by the latter motive; it did not come about because there were widespread doubts about the doctrine. In fact, the Vatican was deluged with requests from people desiring the doctrine to be officially proclaimed. Pope Pius IX, who was highly devoted to the Blessed Virgin, hoped the definition would inspire others in their devotion to her. (paraphrased, Catholic Answers)

"Today humanity, in all the radiance of her immaculate nobility, receives its ancient beauty. The shame of sin had darkened the splendour and attraction of human nature; but when the Mother of the Fair One par excellence is born, this nature regains in her person its ancient privileges and is fashioned according to a perfect model truly worthy of God.... The reform of our nature begins today and the aged world, subjected to a wholly divine transformation, receives the first fruits of the second creation" (Serm. I on the Birth of Mary, Andrew of Crete 8th century)

In Islam Faith
In Islam, the prophet Muhammad is considered the sinless bearer of the kalam of Allah (speech of God), just as in definitive Catholic formulation, Mary is the sinless bearer of Christ, the Word of God. By divine favor, Muhammad remained sinless before and after his ministry. Similarly, Islam teaches that Miriam (Mary) and Isa (Jesus) were both sinless by divine favor. (Wikipedia)

In Conclusion
It is only fitting that for a sinless God to be born out of a woman, the womb that this God shall reside in, the flesh that this God will use to become man, shall also be sinless and pure. If not, then such an irony would it become. Remember that when "The word was made flesh" this flesh came from The Woman Mary. It is only fitting therefore that this Woman must not bear a single stain of sin. God and Sin can never mix.

If therefore Mary was to be spared from sin in light of her being the Mother of the sinless Jesus, she was spared so by being saved by God in anticipation of her son's sacrifice in the cross. Thus, this makes Mary the first among those saved by Jesus. She was saved not on the moment of Jesus's death, but long before. She was saved from the time she was conceived. She was conceived in the mind of God as early as the time of Adam and Eve.

The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception every December 8, 9 months prior to the feast of Mary's birth, September 8.

Mary, Ever Virgin

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Most Protestants claim that Mary bore children other than Jesus. To support their claim, these Protestants refer to the biblical passages which mention the "brethren of the Lord." As explained in the Catholic Answers tract Brethren of the Lord, neither the Gospel accounts nor the early Christians attest to the notion that Mary bore other children besides Jesus. The faithful knew, through the witness of Scripture and Tradition, that Jesus was Mary’s only child and that she remained a lifelong virgin. An important historical document which supports the teaching of Mary’s perpetual virginity is the Protoevangelium of James, which was written probably less than sixty years after the conclusion of Mary’s earthly life (around A.D. 120), when memories of her life were still vivid in the minds of many.(Catholic Answers)

"The first text, the “Gospel of Mary,” shows us Mary as an adorable little girl, and then as a teenager coping with a “crisis pregnancy” that could cause her execution as a suspected adultress. This was an extremely popular work among Eastern Christians (that is, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern) in the second century. Many of the stories here made it to Europe, but the intact text did not. A 16th-century scholar who translated it into Latin named it “the Protevangelium of James;” this is how scholars know it today, but it’s not the original title (no one title stuck, actually). In this work, Mary is steadfast under this trial, and teaches us much about courage.

The other two texts illuminate other aspects of Mary’s role. The second is a very short prayer that was found on a scrap of papyrus in Egypt in 1917, and dated 250 AD; it is the earliest prayer to Mary. It begins, “Under your compassion we take refuge…”, and it’s still in use East and West (Roman Catholics know it as “Sub Tuum Praesidium.”) This second text shows us that early Christians believed that she (like all the saints) are alive in Christ’s presence and continually in prayer, so we can call on her as a prayer partner. The third text is a beautiful and intricately complex “sung sermon”, written around 520 A.D., which explores the mystery of the Incarnation and all the ways that Mary’s role is foreshadowed in Scripture."(Frederica Mathewes-Green, The Lost Gospel of Mary: The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts)

The perpetual virginity of Mary has always been reconciled with the biblical references to Christ’s brethren through a proper understanding of the meaning of the term "brethren." The understanding that the brethren of the Lord were Jesus’ stepbrothers (children of Joseph) rather than half-brothers (children of Mary) was the most common one until the time of Jerome (fourth century). It was Jerome who introduced the possibility that Christ’s brethren were actually his cousins, since in Jewish idiom cousins were also referred to as "brethren." The Catholic Church allows the faithful to hold either view, since both are compatible with the reality of Mary’s perpetual virginity. Today most Protestants are unaware of these early beliefs regarding Mary’s virginity and the proper interpretation of "the brethren of the Lord." And yet, the Protestant Reformers themselves—Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli—honored the perpetual virginity of Mary and recognized it as the teaching of the Bible, as have other, more modern Protestants.(Catholic Answers)

St. Jerome wrote in defense of Mary's perpetual virginity in a treatise he wrote against Helvidius.

What Do Protestant founders say?
"This immaculate and perpetual virginity forms, therefore, the just theme of our eulogy. Such was the work of the Holy Ghost, who at the Conception and birth of the Son so favoured the Virgin Mother as to impart to her fecundity while preserving inviolate her perpetual virginity."
"In this work whereby she was made the Mother of God, so many and such great good things were given her that no one can grasp them. ... Not only was Mary the mother of him who is born [in Bethlehem], but of him who, before the world, was eternally born of the Father, from a Mother in time and at the same time man and God." (Weimer's The Works of Luther, English translation by Pelikan, Concordia, St. Louis, v. 7, p. 572.) - Martin Luther

"I firmly believe that Mary, according to the words of the gospel as a pure Virgin brought forth for us the Son of God and in childbirth and after childbirth forever remained a pure, intact Virgin." - Ulrich Zwingli (Zwingli Opera, Corpus Reformatorum, Berlin, 1905, v. 1, p. 424.)

Consider these: (Taken from http://www.religion-cults.com/mary/virgin.htm)
1)It is obvious that Jesus did not have any other brothers nor sisters, because at Calvary Jesus had to entrust His Mother to a friend, to John, " and from that moment the disciple took her to his own home" (Jn.19:27). It would be unthinkable for a Jewish mother to go to live with a friend after the death of her son, if she had any other child of her own!

2)The word used in the Bible for brother or sister is adelphos (adelpha) in Greek, and this is the same word used in the Bible for cousin, relative, uncle, nephew, near kinsman... because the people in Israel lived in "clans" or "tribes", in groups of may be10 or 15 families, all related, descendants of the same grandparents, but children of different father and mother, and all of them were known as "the brothers"...
... So, in the Old Testament, "brother" is used for "nephew" (Gen.12:5), "uncle" (Gen.29: 15), "husband" (Songs.4:9), a member of the same tribe (2Kgs.9:13), of the same people (Exod.2:21), an ally (Amos 1:9), a friend (2 Kgs.1:26), one of the same office (1Sam.9:13)...
... In the New Testament, "brother"is used even for people of the same nationality (Acts 3:17), for persons united by a common interest (Mt 5:47), for persons united by a common calling (Rev 22:9), for mankind (Mt 25:40), for the disciples (Mt 23:8), for believers (Mt 23:8)....
In the Bible, in fact, the term "brother" is used 350 times, mostly not in reference to a natural brother.
In view of this, we can understand the statements of Mk.6:3 and Matt.13:55.

3)Matthew 1:25: "But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus".
This word "until" in Greek is "heos", translates for "until or before", and does not imply anything about what happens after the time indicated.
Please read these brief quotations:
- "As to Michal daughter of Saul, she had no child till the day of her death" (2Sam.6:23 YLT)... does it mean that Michael had children after the day of her death?
- "I am till you grow old" (Is.46:4)... Does it mean that when they grow old God ceases to be?..`
- "The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." (Psalm 110:1)... Shall he sit no longer after his enemies are subdued?"
This verse 25, the last one of Matthew 1, is Matthews's summary, or corollary, or bottom line, of all the previous verses 18-24, on how the conception of Jesus happened, without any intervention of Joseph... to interpret it other way, and specially as that Joseph had sexual relations with Virgin Mary after the birth of Jesus, is to change the whole meaning of the chapter, it is nothing but a false interpretation of Satan.
4)Luke 2:7: "And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths"
The term "first-born" was a legal term under the Mosaic Law referring to the first male child born to Jewish parents regardless of any other children following or not... Hence when Jesus is called the "first-born" of Mary it does not mean that there were second or third-born children.
The Jewish Law required every "first-born" to be consecrated to God forty days after their birth, it was a great privilege to be the "first-born"!: "Consecrate to me all the first-born; whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." (Exodus 13:2).
Further, the Greek word "prototokos", "first-born", is used of Christ as born of Mary in Lk.2:7, and of Christ's relationship to His Father in Col 1:15... As the word does not imply other children of God the Father, neither does it imply other children of Mary... except, of course, many spiritual children of God the Father, and many spiritual children of Mother Mary, praise the Lord!

Mary: Mother of God

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This teaching of the Catholic Church is perhaps horrifying to some non-catholics. How can God have a mother? God has no end, no beginning. Certainly, He cannot have a mother.

A simple explanation is suggested by Catholic Answers, "A woman is a man’s mother either if she carried him in her womb or if she was the woman contributing half of his genetic matter or both. Mary was the mother of Jesus in both of these senses; because she not only carried Jesus in her womb but also supplied all of the genetic matter for his human body, since it was through her—not Joseph—that Jesus "was descended from David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1:3)."

Since Mary is Jesus’ mother, it must be concluded that she is also the Mother of God: If Mary is the mother of Jesus, and if Jesus is God, then Mary is the Mother of God. There is no way out of this logical syllogism, the valid form of which has been recognized by classical logicians since before the time of Christ. (Catholic Answers)

To avoid this conclusion, Fundamentalists often assert that Mary did not carry God in her womb, but only carried Christ’s human nature. This assertion reinvents a heresy from the fifth century known as Nestorianism, which runs aground on the fact that a mother does not merely carry the human nature of her child in her womb. Rather, she carries the person of her child. Women do not give birth to human natures; they give birth to persons. Mary thus carried and gave birth to the person of Jesus Christ, and the person she gave birth to was God. The Nestorian claim that Mary did not give birth to the unified person of Jesus Christ attempts to separate Christ’s human nature from his divine nature, creating two separate and distinct persons—one divine and one human—united in a loose affiliation. It is therefore a Christological heresy, which even the Protestant Reformers recognized. Both Martin Luther and John Calvin insisted on Mary’s divine maternity. In fact, it even appears that Nestorius himself may not have believed the heresy named after him. Further, the "Nestorian" church has now signed a joint declaration on Christology with the Catholic Church and recognizes Mary’s divine maternity, just as other Christians do.(Catholic Answers)

The declaration that Mary is Mother of God is actually in defense against heresies claiming that Jesus is not God but only Man. Jesus is God! And by declaring that Mary is the Mother of God, who is Jesus, it has built a mote around the castle which bears the most fundamental and essential belief of the Catholic Church: that Jesus is God!

St. Irenaeus wrote, "The Virgin Mary, being obedient to his word, received from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God" (Against Heresies, A.D. 189). St. Gregory also wrote, "If anyone does not agree that holy Mary is Mother of God, he is at odds with the Godhead" (Letter to Cledonius the Priest, A.D. 382)

And Pope John Paul II wrote, "Motherhood is a relationship of person to person: a mother is not only mother of the body or of the physical creature born of her womb, but of the person she begets. Thus having given birth, according to his human nature, to the person of Jesus, who is a divine person, Mary is the Mother of God."

The Council of Ephesus, in response to the heresy of Nestorianism, declared in 431, "We confess, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and a body, begotten before all ages from the Father in his Godhead, the same in the last days, for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the Virgin according to his humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in Godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity, for a union of two natures took place. Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from his very conception united to himself the temple he took from her."

Mary, Mother of Jesus

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Next to Jesus Christ, His Mother Mary is perhaps the most beloved and adored figure in the Catholic Church. Mary plays an important role in the Church since the time of its founding even until now. For Catholics, Mary is revered as not only the Mother of Jesus but of the entire Church.

For non-catholics, this reverent outpouring of love to Mary is sometimes misinterpreted as idolatry.

Who is Mary, the Mother of Jesus?

According to the New Testament, Mary (Judeo-Aramaic מרים, Maryām, from Hebrew Miriam) was the mother of Jesus of Nazareth; at the time of his conception she was betrothed (or engaged) to Joseph and was a virgin. The child was conceived by the agency of the Holy Spirit, and Mary was a virgin at the time of the birth, as predicted by the angel Gabriel. (Wikipedia) Christian churches teach various doctrines concerning Mary, and she is the subject of much veneration. The area of Christian theology concerning her is known as Mariology. The conception of her son Jesus is believed to have been an act of the Holy Spirit, and to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah that a virgin (or maiden) would bear a son who would be called Immanuel ("God with us").

Little is known of Mary's personal history from the New Testament. She was a relative of Elizabeth, wife of the priest Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah, who herself was of the lineage of Aaron and so of the tribe of Levi. She resided at Nazareth in Galilee, presumably with her parents, and during her betrothal – the first stage of a Jewish marriage - the angel Gabriel announced to her that she was to be the mother of the promised Messiah by conceiving him through the Holy Spirit. According to the Gospel of Luke, a decree of the Roman emperor Augustus required that Joseph and his betrothed should proceed to Bethlehem for an enrollment, see Census of Quirinius. While they were there, Mary gave birth to Jesus; but because there was no place for them in the inn, she had to use a manger as a cradle.

After eight days, the boy was circumcised and named Jesus, in accordance with the instructions that the "angel of the Lord" had given to Joseph after the Annunciation to Mary. These customary ceremonies were followed by Jesus's presentation to the Lord at the Temple in Jerusalem in accordance with the law for firstborn males, then the visit of the Magi, the family's flight into Egypt, their return after the death of King Herod the Great about 2/1 BC and taking up residence in Nazareth.

Mary apparently remained in Nazareth for some thirty years. She is involved in the only event in Jesus' adolescent life that is recorded in the New Testament: at the age of twelve, Jesus having become separated from his parents on their return journey from the Passover celebration in Jerusalem was found among the teachers in the temple. Probably some time between this event and the opening of Jesus' public ministry Mary was widowed, for Joseph is not mentioned again.

After Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist and his temptations by the devil in the desert, Mary was present when Jesus worked his first public miracle at the marriage in Cana by turning water into wine at her intercession.

The Church Father Origen wrote an apologetic work refuting the claims of Celsus, a late second-century eclectic Greek philosopher and polemic writer against Christianity. Preserved in Origen's work is the claim of Celsus that Jesus was an illegitimate child of a certain Roman soldier named Panthera from Mary, who had been turned out by her husband because she was convicted of unfaithfulness. These claims are related to the references in the Talmud to the figure of Ben-Pandera. According to the early third century Acts of Pilate, a Christian apocryphal work, the elders of the Jews stated to Pilate during the trial of Jesus that he had been conceived through fornication.

Mary in Islam
Mary, mother of Jesus, enjoys a singularly distinguished and honored position amongst women in the Qur'an: She is the only woman directly named in the Book; declared (uniquely along with Jesus) to be a Ayat Allah or Sign of The God to mankind (23:50}); as one who "guarded her chastity" (66:20); an obedient one (66:12); chosen of her mother and dedicated to Allah whilst still in the womb to the-God (3:36); uniquely (amongst women) Accepted into service by Allah (3:37); cared for by (one of the prophets as per Islam) Zakariya (Zacharias) (3:37); that in her childhood she resided in the Temple and uniquely had access to Al-Mihrab (understood to be the Holy of Holies), and was provided with heavenly 'provisions' by Allah (3:37); a Chosen One (3:42); a Purified One (3:42); a Truthful one (5:75); a fulfillment of Prophecy (66:12); a vessel for the Spirit of The-God breathed into her (66:12); her child conceived through "a Word from The-God" (3:45); and "exalted above all women of The Worlds/Universes" (3:42). The Qur'an relates detailed narrative accounts of Maryam (Mary) in two places Sura 3 and Sura 91 (3:35-47 and 91:16-34). The account given in Sura 19 (19:1) The Qur'an is nearly identical with that in the Gospel according to Luke, and it should be noted that both of these (Luke, Sura 19) begin with an account of the visitation of an angel upon Zakariya (Zecharias) and Good News of the birth of Yahya (John), followed by the account of the annunciation. The account in (Sura 3 (3:1) of the Qur'an tracks the accounts in Apocrypha, namely the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Gospel of James, regarding the use of "rods" to determine a guardian/husband after she reached the age of puberty (3:44), and, the account of the scandal caused upon the discovery of her with child (19:27), both of which are not recorded in the canonical Gospels.

In the Old Testament
The first prophecy referring to Mary is found in the very opening chapters of the Book of Genesis (3:15): "I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel."

The second prophecy referring to Mary is found in Isaias 7:1-17. Critics have endeavoured to represent this passage as a combination of occurrences and sayings from the life of the prophet written down by an unknown hand [6]. The credibility of the contents is not necessarily affected by this theory, since prophetic traditions may be recorded by any writer without losing their credibility. But even Duhm considers the theory as an apparent attempt on the part of the critics to find out what the readers are willing to bear patiently; he believes it is a real misfortune for criticism itself that it has found a mere compilation in a passage which so graphically describes the birth-hour of faith.

A third prophecy referring to Our Blessed Lady is contained in Micah 5:2-3: "And thou, Bethlehem, Ephrata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall be come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel, and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity. Therefore will he give them up till the time wherein she that travaileth shall bring forth, and the remnant of his brethren shall be converted to the children of Israel." Though the prophet (about 750-660 B.C.) was a contemporary of Isaias, his prophetic activity began a little later and ended a little earlier than that of Isaias. There can be no doubt that the Jews regarded the foregoing prediction as referring to the Messias. According to St. Matthew (2:6) the chief priests and scribes, when asked where the Messias was to be born, answered Herod in the words of the prophecy, "And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda. . ." According to St. John (7:42), the Jewish populace gathered at Jerusalem for the celebration of the feast asked the rhetorical question: "Doth not the Scripture say that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the town where David was?" The Chaldee paraphrase of Micah 5:2, confirms the same view: "Out of thee shall come forth unto me the Messias, that he may exercise dominion in Israel". The very words of the prophecy admit of hardly any other explanation; for "his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity".

But how does the prophecy refer to the Virgin Mary? Our Blessed Lady is denoted by the phrase, "till the time wherein she that travaileth shall bring forth". It is true that "she that travaileth" has been referred to the Church (St. Jerome, Theodoret), or to the collection of the Gentiles united with Christ (Ribera, Mariana), or again to Babylon (Calmet); but, on the one hand, there is hardly a sufficient connection between any of these events and the promised redeemer, on the other hand, the passage ought to read "till the time wherein she that is barren shall bring forth" if any of these events were referred to by the prophet. Nor can "she that travaileth" be referred to Sion: Sion is spoken of without figure before and after the present passage so that we cannot expect the prophet to lapse suddenly into figurative language. Moreover, the prophecy thus explained would not give a satisfactory sense. The contextual phrases "the ruler in Israel", "his going forth", which in Hebrew implies birth, and "his brethren" denote an individual, not a nation; hence we infer that the bringing forth must refer to the same person. It has been shown that the person of the ruler is the Messias; hence "she that travaileth" must denote the mother of Christ, or Our Blessed Lady. Thus explained the whole passage becomes clear: the Messias must be born in Bethlehem, an insignificant village in Juda: his family must be reduced to poverty and obscurity before the time of his birth; as this cannot happen if the theocracy remains intact, if David's house continues to flourish, "therefore will he give them up till the time wherein she that travaileth shall bring forth" the Messias.

A fourth prophecy referring to Mary is found in Jeremias 31:22; "The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: A woman shall compass a man". The text of the prophet Jeremias offers no small difficulties for the scientific interpreter; we shall follow the Vulgate version of the Hebrew original. But even this rendering has been explained in several different ways: Rosenmuller and several conservative Protestant interpreters defend the meaning, "a woman shall protect a man"; but such a motive would hardly induce the men of Israel to return to God. The explanation "a woman shall seek a man" hardly agrees with the text; besides, such an inversion of the natural order is presented in Isaias 4:1, as a sign of the greatest calamity. Ewald's rendering, "a woman shall change into a man", is hardly faithful to the original text. Other commentators see in the woman a type of the Synagogue or of the Church, in man the type of God, so that they explain the prophecy as meaning, "God will dwell again in the midst of the Synagogue (of the people of Israel)" or "the Church will protect the earth with its valiant men". But the Hebrew text hardly suggests such a meaning; besides, such an explanation renders the passage tautological: "Israel shall return to its God, for Israel will love its God". Some recent writers render the Hebrew original: "God creates a new thing upon the earth: the woman (wife) returns to the man (her husband)". According to the old law (Deuteronomy 24:1-4; Jeremiah 3:1) the husband could not take back the wife once repudiated by him; but the Lord will do something new by allowing the faithless wife, i.e. the guilty nation, to return to the friendship of God. This explanation rests upon a conjectural correction of the text; besides, it does not necessarily bear the Messianic meaning which we expect in the passage. (Catholic Encyclopedia)

In The New Testament
According to Luke 1:26, Mary lived in Nazareth, a city in Galilee, at the time of the Annunciation. A certain tradition maintains that she was conceived and born in the same house in which the Word became flesh [31]. Another tradition based on the Gospel of James regards Sephoris as the earliest home of Joachim and Anna, though they are said to have lived later on in Jerusalem, in a house called by St. Sophronius of Jerusalem. Probatica. Probatica, a name probably derived from the sanctuary's nearness to the pond called Probatica or Bethsaida in John 5:2. It was here that Mary was born. About a century later, about A.D. 750, St. John Damascene repeats the statement that Mary was born in the Probatica.

According to Luke 1:36, the angel Gabriel told Mary at the time of the annunciation, "behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her that was called barren". Without doubting the truth of the angel's words, Mary determined at once to add to the pleasure of her pious relative. [50] Hence the Evangelist continues (1:39): "And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth." Though Mary must have told Joseph of her intended visit, it is hard to determine whether he accompanied her; if the time of the journey happened to coincide with one of the festal seasons at which the Israelites had to go to the Temple, there would be little difficulty about companionship.

"And it came to pass that, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb." It was at this moment that God fulfilled the promise made by the angel to Zachary (Luke 1:15), "and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb"; in other words, the infant in Elizabeth's womb was cleansed from the stain of original sin. The fullness of the Holy Ghost in the infant overflowed, as it were, into the soul of his mother: "and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost" (Luke 1:41). Thus both child and mother were sanctified by the presence of Mary and the Word Incarnate; filled as she was with the Holy Ghost, Elizabeth "cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord" (Luke 1:42-45).

During the apostolic life of Jesus, Mary effaced herself almost completely. Not being called to aid her Son directly in His ministry, she did not wish to interfere with His work by her untimely presence. In Nazareth she was regarded as a common Jewish mother; St. Matthew (3:55-56; cf. Mark 6:3) introduces the people of the town as saying: "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude: and his sisters, are they not all with us?" Since the people wish to lower Our Lord's esteem by their language, we must infer that Mary belonged to the lower social order of townspeople. The parallel passage of St. Mark reads, "Is not this the carpenter?" instead of, "Is not this the carpenter's son?" Since both evangelists omit the name of St. Joseph, we may infer that he had died before this episode took place.

At first sight, it seems that Jesus Himself depreciated the dignity of His Blessed Mother. When He was told: "Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee", He answered: "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and my sister, and my mother" (Matthew 12:47-50; cf. Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21). On another occasion, "a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. But he said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it" (Luke 11:27-28).

In reality, Jesus in both these passages places the bond that unites the soul with God above the natural bond of parentage which unites the Mother of God with her Divine Son. The latter dignity is not belittled; as men naturally appreciate it more easily, it is employed by Our Lord as a means to make known the real value of holiness. Jesus, therefore, really, praises His mother in a most emphatic way; for she excelled the rest of men in holiness not less than in dignity. [86] Most probably, Mary was found also among the holy women who ministered to Jesus and His apostles during their ministry in Galilee (cf. Luke 8:2-3); the Evangelists do not mention any other public appearance of Mary during the time of Jesus's journeys through Galilee or Judea. But we must remember that when the sun appears, even the brightest stars become invisible. (Catholic Encyclopedia)

Jesus Is God and Man

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Perhaps the most controversial claim which the historical Jesus did was to claim that he is not only Man but also God. In fact, the divinity of Jesus Christ has been the central core of Christianity. It is this belief that separated the Christians from Jews and the polytheistic ancient Romans at that time.

Nowadays, however, there are certain sects who call themselves Christian who believe that Jesus is not God but only Man. This belief in the humanity-alone of Jesus's personhood has made them indirectly if not directly discard the belief of the Holy Trinity.

Jesus is Man
Scriptures says, "And the Word was Made Flesh and dwelt among us." The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)explains why:"The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who "loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins": "the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world", and "he was revealed to take away sins." The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." The process of becoming man is termed by the church as Incarnation. The Church calls "Incarnation" the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.

Belief in the true Incarnation of the Son of God is the distinctive sign of Christian faith: "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God."

History tells us that the first heresies denied not so much Christ's divinity as his true humanity (Gnostic Docetism). From apostolic times the Christian faith has insisted on the true incarnation of God's Son "come in the flesh". Another heresy against the humanity of Jesus is Socianism Theodotus of Byzantine of Rome 190 A.D. was the source of this theological heresy, Paul of Samosata became the promoter holding to a more advanced system. Theodotus (also known as Artemon) claimed this was the true apostolic teaching. Hippolytus challenged Artemon‘s teaching, putting it in the category of Hellenistic logic. This teaching was condemned by the Synod of Antioch in 268.

He taught Jesus was a mere man begotten of the virgin Mary by the H.Spirit. He became the Christ at his baptism and was adopted by the father after his death (adoptionism). He believed "the Logos (wisdom) was an impersonal quality of God that came together and indwelt the man Christ Jesus, but remained in essence distinct." He also promoted the teaching that "the Holy Spirit was not a distant personal entity but simply a manifestation of the grace of the Father." (Elwells Evangelical Dictionary of Theology p.727)

Paul of Samosata who was the bishop of Antioch stated, "Consubstantial with the Father, but was not a distinct person in the Godhead. He could be identified with God, because He existed in him just as human reason exists in man. He was merely an impersonal power, present in all men, but particularly operative in the man Jesus. By penetrating the humanity of Jesus progressively, as it did no other man, this divine power gradually deified it. And because the man Jesus was thus deified, He is worthy of divine honor, though he cannot be regarded as God in the strict sense of the word" (the Moody Handbook of theology p.419 Paul Enns).

Another heretical belief was that promoted by Sabellius. Noetus and Praxeus are attributed to saying the Father became his own Son, although historically it can be traced to Sabellius. And so the Modalism became connected to what was called Patripassionism- meaning the Father suffered. In this view they said it was the father who suffered on the cross. So it was the father who became incarnate through the virgin birth and suffered and died. Praxeus attempted to reconcile this unity of persons by making a distinction of Christ who is the Father and the Son who was only his humanity. By doing this it was the Father who co-suffered with the human Jesus. Whatever happened to the son also happened to the father since they were numerically one.

The Nestorian heresy regarded Christ as a human person joined to the divine person of God's Son. Opposing this heresy, St. Cyril of Alexandria and the third ecumenical council, at Ephesus in 431, confessed "that the Word, uniting to himself in his person the flesh animated by a rational soul, became man." After the Council of Chalcedon, some made of Christ's human nature a kind of personal subject. Against them, the fifth ecumenical council, at Constantinople in 553, confessed that "there is but one hypostasis [or person], which is our Lord Jesus Christ, one of the Trinity." Apollinarius of Laodicaea asserted that in Christ the divine Word had replaced the soul or spirit. Against this error the Church confessed that the eternal Son also assumed a rational, human soul.

Similarly, at the sixth ecumenical council, Constantinople III in 681, the Church confessed that Christ possesses two wills and two natural operations, divine and human. They are not opposed to each other, but co-operate in such a way that the Word made flesh willed humanly in obedience to his Father all that he had decided divinely with the Father and the Holy Spirit for our salvation. (CCC)

Since the Word became flesh in assuming a true humanity, Christ's body was finite. Therefore the human face of Jesus can be portrayed; at the seventh ecumenical council (Nicaea II in 787) the Church recognized its representation in holy images to be legitimate.

Jesus is God
Perhaps, this aspect of Jesus is the most difficult to accept, even among Christian sects. The Iglesia ni Cristo or The Church of Christ, established by Felix Manalo in The Philippines, is one "Christian" sect who believes that Jesus is not God, but only a human person.

Christ’s divinity is shown over and over again in the New Testament. For example, in John 5:18 we are told that Jesus’ opponents sought to kill him because he "called God his Father, making himself equal with God." In John 8:58, when quizzed about how he has special knowledge of Abraham, Jesus replies, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am"—invoking and applying to himself the personal name of God—"I Am" (Ex. 3:14). His audience understood exactly what he was claiming about himself. "So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple" (John 8:59). In John 20:28, Thomas falls at Jesus’ feet, exclaiming, "My Lord and my God!" (Greek: Ho Kurios mou kai ho Theos mou—literally, "The Lord of me and the God of me!")

In Philippians 2:6, Paul tells us that Christ Jesus "[w]ho, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped" (New International Version). So Jesus chose to be born in humble, human form though he could have simply remained in equal glory with the Father for he was "in very nature God."

Also significant are passages that apply the title "the First and the Last" to Jesus. This is one of the Old Testament titles of Yahweh: "Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of armies: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; besides me there is no god’" (Is. 44:6; cf. 41:4, 48:12).

This title is directly applied to Jesus three times in the book of Revelation: "When I saw him [Christ], I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the First and the Last’" (Rev. 1:17). "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the First and the Last, who died and came to life’" (Rev. 2:8). "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the beginning and the end" (Rev. 22:12–13).

This last quote is especially significant since it applies to Jesus the parallel title "the Alpha and the Omega," which Revelation earlier applied to the Lord God: "‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8). (Catholic Answers)

There can be nothing more obvious than the words written by the Apostle John with regards to the divinity of Christ, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." (John 1:1)

One of the most common errors that non-Christian cults make is not understanding the two natures of Christ. For example, the Jehovah's Witnesses focus on Jesus' humanity and ignore His divinity. They repeatedly quote verses dealing with Jesus as a man and try and set them against scripture showing that Jesus is also divine. On the other hand, the Christian Scientists do the reverse. They focus on the scriptures showing Jesus' divinity to the extent of denying His true humanity. (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry).

"For our God, Jesus Christ, was conceived by Mary in accord with God’s plan: of the seed of David, it is true, but also of the Holy Spirit" - Ignatius of Antioch, 110 A.D.

Who Is Jesus Christ?

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The Name Jesus is "the Latin form of the Greek Iesous, which in turn is the transliteration of the Hebrew Jeshua, or Joshua, or again Jehoshua, meaning "Jehovah is salvation." (Catholic Encyclopedia)

As pointed out in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), "The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer. All liturgical prayers conclude with the words "through our Lord Jesus Christ". the Hail Mary reaches its high point in the words "blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." the Eastern prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer, says: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Many Christians, such as St. Joan of Arc, have died with the one word "Jesus" on their lips."

The word Christ, Christos, the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Messias, means "anointed." According to the Old Law, priests (Exodus 29:29; Leviticus 4:3), kings (1 Samuel 10:1; 24:7), and prophets (Isaiah 61:1) were supposed to be anointed for their respective offices; now, the Christ, or the Messias, combined this threefold dignity in His Person. It is not surprising, therefore, that for centuries the Jews had referred to their expected Deliverer as "the Anointed"; perhaps this designation alludes to Isaias 61:1, and Daniel 9:24-26, or even to Psalms 2:2; 19:7; 44:8. Thus the term Christ or Messias was a title rather than a proper name: "Non proprium nomen est, sed nuncupatio potestatis et regni", says Lactantius (Inst. Div., IV, vii). The Evangelists recognize the same truth; excepting Matthew 1:1, 1:18; Mark 1:1; John 1:17; 17:3; 9:22; Mark 9:40; Luke 2:11; 22:2, the word Christ is always preceded by the article.

"Most scholars in the fields of biblical studies and history agree that Jesus was a Jewish teacher from Galilee who was regarded as a healer, was baptized by John the Baptist, was accused of sedition against the Roman Empire, and on the orders of Roman Governor Pontius Pilate was sentenced to death by crucifixion.[1] A small minority[2] argue that Jesus never existed as a historical figure, but a purely symbolic or mythical figure syncretized from various non-Abrahamic deities and heroes.[3]

The four canonical Gospels and the writings of Paul of the New Testament are among the earliest known documents relating to Jesus' life. Some scholars also hypothesize the existence of early texts such as the Signs Gospel and the Q document. There are arguments that the Gospel of Thomas is likewise an early text. Many later texts provide valuable historical information as well." (Wikipedia)

We get our idea about the person of Jesus Christ mainly from the Gospel Writings, particularly the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But "early Christian sources outside the New Testament also mention Jesus and the historical details of his life. Important texts from the Apostolic Fathers are, to name just the most significant and ancient, Clement of Rome(c. 100), Ignatius of Antioch(c. 107-110), Justin Martyr, and others.

Perhaps the most significant Patristic sources are the early references of Papias and Quadratus (d. 124), which both mention eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry and healings who were still alive in their own time (the late first century). Papias, in giving his sources for the information contained in his (largely lost) commentaries, stated:
…if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders should come my way, I inquired about the words of the elders — [that is,] what [according to the elders] Andrew or Peter said, or Philip, or Thomas or James, or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and the elder John, the Lord’s disciples, were saying.

Thus, while Papias was collecting his information (c. 90), Aristion and the elder John (who were Jesus’ disciples) were still alive and teaching in Asia minor, and Papias gathered information from people who had known them. Another Father, Quadratus, who wrote an apology to the emperor Hadrian, stated:
The words of our Savior were always present, for they were true: those who were healed, those who rose from the dead, those who were not only seen in the act of being healed or raised, but were also always present, not merely when the Savior was living on earth, but also for a considerable time after his departure, so that some of them survived even to our own times.

By “our Savior” Quadratus means Jesus, and by “our times” he presumably refers to his early life, rather than when he wrote (117-124), which would be a reference contemporary with Papias." (Wikipedia)

JESUS CHRIST, to the Catholic Christian, is the ONLY SON OF GOD, SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD, GOD THE SON and THE ANOINTED SON OF GOD.

In the CCC<, " In the Old Testament, "son of God" is a title given to the angels, the Chosen People, the children of Israel, and their kings. It signifies an adoptive sonship that establishes a relationship of particular intimacy between God and his creature. When the promised Messiah-King is called "son of God", it does not necessarily imply that he was more than human, according to the literal meaning of these texts. Those who called Jesus "son of God", as the Messiah of Israel, perhaps meant nothing more than this.

Such is not the case for Simon Peter when he confesses Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God", for Jesus responds solemnly: "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." Similarly Paul will write, regarding his conversion on the road to Damascus, "When he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles..." "and in the synagogues immediately [Paul] proclaimed Jesus, saying, 'He is the Son of God.'" From the beginning this acknowledgment of Christ's divine sonship will be the centre of the apostolic faith, first professed by Peter as the Church's foundation."

The Roman Catholic Church

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The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church is the Christian church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and spread by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter.

The Catholic Church is by far the largest Christian church and the largest organized body of any world religion.[2] According to the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, the Catholic Church's worldwide recorded membership at the end of 2005 was 1,114,966,000, approximately one-sixth of the world's population. (Wikipedia)

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), " "This is the sole Church of Christ, which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic."
These four characteristics, inseparably linked with each other, indicate essential features of the Church and her mission. the Church does not possess them of herself; it is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes his Church one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, and it is he who calls her to realize each of these qualities."

One Church
There can be only one Church established by Christ! When Christ founded His Church, he never said, "I will build my Churches". Instead, he only spoke of one Church. One Christian Religion. It is the belief of the Catholic Church that this ONE Church established by Christ is theCatholic Church!

The Church is one because, according to the CCC, "of her source: "the highest exemplar and source of this mystery is the unity, in the Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit.""

Holy Church
The Church is holy because her Founder is Holy and the source of all holiness. The Church is holy not because her members are without sin. In fact, The Church is both the church of sinners and saints. But the flaws of her members do not subtract from her infallibility and holiness. The CCC declares, "United with Christ, the Church is sanctified by him; through him and with him she becomes sanctifying. "All the activities of the Church are directed, as toward their end, to the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God"."

Catholic Church
The word Catholic is derived from the Greek word, catolikos which means Universal. According to the CCC, "the Church is catholic in a double sense: First, the Church is catholic because Christ is present in her. "Where there is Christ Jesus, there is the Catholic Church."307 In her subsists the fullness of Christ's body united with its head; this implies that she receives from him "the fullness of the means of salvation"308 which he has willed: correct and complete confession of faith, full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession. the Church was, in this fundamental sense, catholic on the day of Pentecost309 and will always be so until the day of the Parousia. Secondly, the Church is catholic because she has been sent out by Christ on a mission to the whole of the human race."

Apostolic Church
It is imperative that the evidence that a church is truly the Church founded by Jesus Christ is that, it is founded on the apostles of Christ himself. The Catholic Church prides herself to have established this link to the apostles. This unbroken bond between the modern day Catholic Church to the Apostolic Church which started in Jerusalem many centuries ago is evident in the figure of the Pope himself, who is the heir of the primacy of St. Peter. The CCC declares, "In order that the mission entrusted to them might be continued after their death, [the apostles] consigned, by will and testament, as it were, to their immediate collaborators the duty of completing and consolidating the work they had begun, urging them to tend to the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit had appointed them to shepherd the Church of God. They accordingly designated such men and then made the ruling that likewise on their death other proven men should take over their ministry".

And History books alone attest to this historical fact: That the Catholic Church is definitely the Church founded by Christ Himself. "In simple terms, the term Catholic Church as it is used in this article refers specifically to the Church founded in Jerusalem by Jesus of Nazareth (c. AD 33) and led by an unbroken apostolic succession through St. Peter the Apostle, ruled by the Bishop of Rome as successor of St. Peter, now commonly known as the Pope." (Wikipedia).

For a complete chronology of the Christian History, click here.