Catholic Doctrine Bible Study

Compare 14:12 with 14:19....notice how fickle humans can be, how human approval is short-lived!  Seek the eternal approval of God! v22  “Persevere”, and,  “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”  (No “Prosperity Gospel” here!!  But, it is worth the hardships if you adopt an eternal perspective! 15:1-2  Paul recognized that there was ONE Church....he was 300 miles from Jerusalem at Antioch, but when a doctrinal issue came up, he didn’t make a unilateral determination; didn’t start another denomination.  He went to the Council called by the One Church, where the decision on the matter was ratified by the Apostles, after Peter gave his answer. Map - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FyYNoAr5Mtf92mEtSJrsLiX9h-vATy7O/view?usp=sharing

9:26 Paul did not attempt to start a different church; he realized he needed the legitimacy and Authority that only the Apostolic Church could give, so he visited them in Jerusalem.  (See also Galatians 1:18.) 10:9-11:18 The Holy Spirit taught Peter that the Church was for all who would believe (again, remember what “belief” entails!!) in Jesus.  (The Holy Spirit continues today to guide the Church on matters of doctrine and morals, preventing it from teaching error in these two areas.) 11:27-30  The church  at Antioch recognized that they were not independent;  that they were a part of the Church Universal.....they provided relief to the church in Judea

8:1 The scattering of believers actually benefitted the growth of the Church.  (Again, we see how a seemingly bad event works for ultimate good, if we follow the Word of God.) v.16 The need for a Trinitarian baptism. v.18-25 It’s true that our Church has been guilty of “Simony” many times, because our Church (and all others!!) is made up of sinners. (All of us!) But the Doctrines of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, are kept from error. v31  As with the eunuch, we need the Church to guide us in the meaning if Scripture. (See also 2Peter 1:20.) 9:4 To persecute Christ’s Church is to persecute Christ Himself! As with Philip and Ananias, God’s plan may be contrary to our plan for spreading the word, but we listen and obey the Spirit rather than our own plan, when there is a conflict.

The punishment of Ananias and Sapphira was harsh, (Death!) but: a)Scripture doesn’t say they went to Hell, so maybe their eternal destiny was positive. b) The Church had just begun, and the discipline needed to be more firm at the beginning.  (Think: Boot Camp in the military, or the 1st day of class in school.) c) Their death was not because they didn’t give every penny to the Church, but because they LIED about it.  The “cover-up” was worse! 5:29  “We must obey God rather than men.”  We all have to make these choices daily! 5:41 “Rejoice” when you suffer for the sake of Jesus, as the Apostles did. (If you never suffer in some way for your Christian beliefs, you’re probably not doing much for the Kingdom!”) 6:5 The deacons were chosen because of something they had  in common (nationality) with the people they were serving.  (Who do you have something in common with that you can serve, especially in guiding them toward Christ?) 6:6 Another example of Apostolic Succession.  6:8 Stephen was “filled with grace”, but not in the same sense that Mary was...different Greek words used for Stephen ( “pleres charitos”) vs., for Mary,   (“kecharitomene“ -has been, is now, and always will be graced.)  Protestants overlook this distinction. 7:58 “Saul”, later named Paul, was responsible for the murder of Stephen and other Christians, yet God used him to author more books of the Bible than anybody.  (So, if you think you are too “bad” for God to redeem you or use you, remember how He changed Paul’s life.)

Peter (just as our priests in Reconciliation) heals not in his own name, but in the name of Jesus. 3v.19 “Repent” and “be converted” are two separate things.  Both are necessary; otherwise the void will be filled with something else. 4:12 (See Session 61-Jn. 14:6) 4:19-20 We obey God rather than man’s rules where there is a conflict between the two.  (What conflicts like this do you have in your life?  What are you going to do about it?)

Key Points: The new Apostle had to be APPROVED by the other Apostles;  someone couldn’t just claim Apostleship based on a perceived personal “call.”  (Though a “call” was certainly necessary!)  (Again we see Apostolic Succession!) The Holy Spirit made Peter and the Other Apostles bold about sharing their faith; may the H.S make us bold as well!! (Who will you share your faith with today?) v.42-44 Not Communism!  (The sharing was voluntary.) (With whom will you share your possessions?)

Key Points: Peter’s failures  and recovery made him a better Pope.  (Don’t despair over your sins; repent and learn from them!) Acts attributed to Luke, a “sequel” to Luke’s Gospel, could perhaps be called “the Acts of the Holy Spirit.” v.18 See Session 33 (Mt. 27) for an explanation that should help to solve the discrepancy of these two accounts of Judas’ death. v.21-25  Peter called for the new Apostle, and the way Matthias was chosen (casting of lots!) was based not on Scripture, but based on the new Church’s authority alone, as the keeper of the keys of the kingdom. (Mt. 16:17-20.)  This rather strange method of choice was because the Holy Spirit had not yet descended on the Church, as will happen in Acts Chapter 2.

 Key Points: 20:24-29  All of us, like Thomas, want “proof” that Jesus is who he says he is, though the proof is all around us each day.  Also, all of us experience spiritual highs and lows, but don’t despair;  Thomas( and Peter!) recovered to be a Church pillar, and you can recover, too, with prayer! 20v30-31 and 21v25 refutes the Protestant idea of “Sola Scriptura”, the idea that all we can know about our faith and life in Christ is found explicitly in the bible.  There was also Oral Tradition passed down long before the books of the New Testament were written or agreed on.  The Church existed for decades BEFORE ANY of the books of the New Testament were even written. Jesus’ (“The Good Shepherd”) “Feed My Sheep” statement, specifically to Peter, shows that Jesus intended to start an actual, visible, organized Church, with Peter at the helm.  Since His Church was meant not just for Jesus’ time on earth, but for all-time, Jesus provided a mechanism (Ordination by previous Apostles and their successors) by which the faith would be passed down.

Key Points: 19v17 When Jesus died, the Holy Spirit could then come to the Church, to guide it into all truth. 19v33 Jesus’ legs were not broken; per Passover regulations (Exodus 12:46), Jesus was truly the unblemished lamb worthy of sacrifice for the people. 20v21-23 These verses are the basis for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (and a basis of Apostolic Succession.) This is only the 2nd and last time that God “breathes” on anybody, so it’s important!  (The 1st was in Genesis 2:7 where God “breathes” life into Adam; here God “breathes” the Holy Spirit into the Apostles, and gives them, and their successors, the authority to forgive or retain sins.) What sins are retained?  The ones you refuse to confess!!  (To the Protestant, verses 21-23, taken together, make no sense, (Confession to a representative of the Apostles, a priest)  but there they are!

Key Points: (See attached for differences between John’s and the Synoptic Gospels’ accounts.) These verses are rich in symbolism and Old Testament fulfillment. (“Four shares”, “seamless”, no tearing of garment, “cast lots”, “I thirst”, “hyssop”) Mary is given as Mother of the Church, and, by extension, to us! (We all have 2 mothers.) Jesus’ work on the cross is “finished”, but we must cooperate with this work. We must eat the Passover Lamb (Jesus), internalizing Him spiritually and physically. (Eucharist!!) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dRMp_4NOb7RA4tXHGZBMVnLQfDEK2RC1/view?usp=sharing