From Skeptic to Seeker: Tom's Journey of Faith (Special Podcast Highlight)

In this episode of The Patrick Madrid Show, Patrick chats with Tom from Cookville, Tennessee, diving into the nitty-gritty of biblical interpretation and how Jesus gave his apostles the authority to teach. 

 

Tom's Question: Tom wants to know where Jesus gave specific authority to interpret the Bible to someone or a group. 

 

Patrick's Insightful Response

 

Matthew 28:19-20: Jesus, with all authority in heaven and earth, tells His apostles to make disciples of all nations. This includes baptizing and teaching them everything He commanded, sharing His divine authority with them. 

 

Luke 10:16: Jesus tells His apostles, "He who listens to you, listens to me; he who rejects you, rejects me." Patrick says this shows Jesus giving His apostles the authority to teach and interpret Scriptures. 

 

St. Paul's Example: Paul, even though not one of the original twelve apostles, often debated Jewish leaders on the correct interpretation of Scriptures, reinforcing the idea of apostolic authority. 

 

Acts 17: The Bereans are praised for verifying Paul's teachings with the Scriptures, showing the importance of checking interpretations. 

 

Acts 8: The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch is another example where an apostle helps someone understand Scripture's true meaning. 

 

Tom's Reflections: Tom, a Protestant, talks about how he seeks God's guidance in understanding the Bible and understanding divine truth. He feels like he doesn't completely fit into the mold of Protestant belief and doesn't know where to go. That's a hard place to be. 

 

Patrick's Encouragement: Patrick offers Tom a book to dig deeper into these ideas, stressing that authoritative interpretation helps prevent misunderstandings. 

 

A Friendly Challenge: While Tom claims that he'll never join the Catholic Church, Patrick teases him that many who once said they'd never become Catholic ended up joining the Church. He encourages Tom to stay open-minded and keep engaging with Catholic teachings. 

 

Let's pray for Tom on his journey of seeking truth, that he will enter the fullness of the Catholic faith one day! Keep seeking truth, Tom!