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Below is a list of 35 things that every Protestant and/or Evangelical Christian I have ever met would agree are true.
And, before you read the list of 35 things, please note that the following three things are true about every single one of them:
- There is not a single verse anywhere in the Bible — not one — to support any of them. If there is, I invite the reader to provide Biblical evidence in the comments.
- None of the Apostles — not a single one — ever claimed that any of these things are true. If they did, I invite the reader to provide evidence in the comments.
- Jesus never said anything — not one thing — about any of these things, and never indicated that his followers either would or should believe them. If he did, I invite the reader to provide evidence in the comments.
The List:
- There are 27 books in The New Testament.
- There are 39 (if the Protestants are right), 46 (if the Catholics are right), or 49 (if the Orthodox are right) books in the Old Testament.
- There is supposed to be a collection of books called The New Testament.
- There is supposed to be a collection of books called The Old Testament
- The Bible is a collection of these two groups of books.
- Matthew wrote the Gospel of Matthew.
- Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark.
- Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke.
- John wrote the Gospel of John.
- Matthew is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Mark is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Luke is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- John is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Acts is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament
- Romans is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Galatians is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Ephesians is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Philippians is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Colossians is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- 1 Thessalonians is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- 2 Thessalonians is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- 1 Timothy is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- 2 Timothy is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Titus is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Philemon is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Hebrews is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- James is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- 1 Peter is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- 2 Peter is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- 1 John is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- 2 John is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- 3 John is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Jude is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Revelation is inspired, infallible, sacred Scripture (just like any book in the Old Testament) and is to be included among the 27 books of the New Testament.
- Apostles are allowed, by Jesus, to write books that are Scripture, which are to be given equal authority with the Old Testament.
The Point
In almost all exchanges with Protestants and Evangelicals about theological beliefs which they reject, there is almost always a supposed silver-bullet challenge that goes something like;
Show me from the Bible. Show me even one verse! Jesus never said that. The Apostles never taught that. It is not Biblical, so I am not bound to believe it.
Ironically, this rejoinder itself cannot be shown to be the required and essential means by which Christians make truth claims (more about this in my monologue on Sola Scriptura here). If it was the only way by which Christians could say, with authority, that something is (or is not) true, then there would be no actual way to validate as “true” any of the 35 things on the list above.
So, I end this post with an irenic and open-hearted offer to any Protestant or Evangelical Christian who believes the above statement.
Show me, from the Bible, using even one verse, one statement from Jesus, one text in any of the writings of the Apostles, that any of the 35 things on my list are Biblical, and that (by virtue of this) Christians are bound to believe it.
For those who wish to know the Catholic perspective of the 35 things on this list (we believe every one of them is true, too!), I conclude with this;
Until you can admit that the Church can and does tell you, with the authority of Jesus himself, things the Bible *never* tells you, you will never ever be able to coherently and honestly answer basic questions about the nature of the Bible itself. The things on the list are true, and to be believed by all Christians because the Church of Jesus — The Catholic Church — which is the Pillar and Support of the Truth (1 Timothy 3:15), says they are, and has the authority from Jesus to know, and to say.