Authority: Scripture or Magisterium?

Have you had disagreements on faith? Have you ever been challenged with, “What does the Bible say?” My first thought is, “It says a lot of things.” The question opens several doors, and can lead down many paths of discussion. Instead of stating the comment in my mind out loud, I try to get clarity on the question, and so reply, “In what context?” Why should I keep myself on the defensive? I like Jesus’ approach whenever He was challenged, by answering questions with questions.

Normally, the people that pose the question about what the Bible states consider Scripture to be the entire rule of faith and authority (Sola Scriptura). A great piece of advice I received a few years ago is to try to get these individuals out of the Bible as soon as possible, to think in a logical manner. At that time, I was having a discussion with a Fundamentalist that insisted I study the book of Revelation, and was curious what the Catholic teachings were on the final book of the Bible. I handed her Scott Hahn’s book, The Lamb’s Supper. My advisor informed me that it was the best approach. Unfortunately, it wasn’t read beyond the first couple pages, as the discussion transferred to the Eucharist when Dr. Hahn brought up, “powerful supernatural drama.” My friend wasn’t ready to discuss the Eucharist at that point, so the discussion went on hold. Despite the failed attempt (for the time being), conversations are still ongoing a few years later. If nothing else, I’m kept in practice for when others ask the same difficult questions.

If the conversation remains vague, and I’m the one pushed to answer “what the Bible says,” there’s always the fallback answer, “It says to listen to the Church.” So, the comeback question then becomes, “What does the Church say?” There are key points throughout the New Testament that demonstrate this concept, but only twice is “Church” mentioned in the Gospels, so let’s start there. Notice the formula concerning the usage of “Church” followed by the authority to bind and loose.

To Peter, Jesus states:

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”—Mt 16:18-19

Then again to His disciples:

“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the Church; and if he refuses to listen even to the Church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”—Mt 18:17-18

These two passages can be studied in depth, and explained to satisfaction by themselves. But, we will find the stubborn individuals that talk these away. Sometimes quantity of references outweighs the quality to some individuals. That’s normally what happens when we try to answer questions concerning the Catholic faith to others; we get overloaded with references, and are not able to focus on one at a time.

To disregard the authority of the Church, those that have been sent, is to disregard the authority of Jesus Christ, Himself. Furthermore, if one rejects Christ, that person is rejecting the Father. For Jesus informed His Disciples:

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”—Jn 20:21

“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.”—Mt 10:40

“He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”—Lk 10:16

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me.”—Jn 13:20

Jesus had prayed for the Church in John 17, those whom he sent, and their successors. My inquiry to skeptics would be, “Do you really think that the Father would ignore the prayers of His Son? Is God’s power that limited?” For, in that account, Jesus prayed:

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth. I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”—Jn 17:17-21

We show the authority of the Church and those who are sent. New Testament writings beyond the Gospels show that there are those that have been sent by the Church. Since sending is performed after the death and resurrection of Christ, it would be a logical conclusion that sending continued after the death of John, the last Apostle. Some examples of the Church sending others:

“Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsab′bas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,”—Acts 15:22

“Therefore I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.”—1 Cor 4:17

“I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.”—Rev 22:16

So, what does the Bible say? It says to listen to the Church, to whom Christ has sent, and those that they have sent. If the Apostles had all the authority of Christ, then they had the authority to pass on that authority. Who has the truth? Who has the authority to preach the truth? Those that are sent. For:

“But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!’”—Rom 10:15-16