Patrick Madrid - A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics

A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics Patrick
Madrid Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. Huntington, Indiana 46750 Unless otherwise indicated, the Scripture citations used in this work are taken from the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible (RSV), copyright 1965 and 1966 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Every reasonable effort has been made to determine copyright holders of excerpted materials and to secure permissions as needed. If any copyrighted materials have been inadvertently used in this work without proper credit being given in one form or another, please notify Our Sunday Visitor in writing so that future printings of this work may be corrected accordingly.

Copyright 2006 by Patrick Madrid 14 13 12 11 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts for critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without permission in writing from the publisher. Write: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division
Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
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Huntington, IN 46750 ISBN-13: 978-1-59276-208-8
ISBN-10: 1-59276-208-5 (Inventory No. T259)
LCCN: 2006920663 Cover design by Tyler Ottinger
Cover photo: Comstock
Interior design by Sherri L. Hoffman PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA To my children:Jonathon, Bridget, Timothy, Hillary,Maximilian, Madeline, Judith, Augustine,Theodore, Rebecca, and Stephen,with love from DadCONTENTS INTRODUCTION This little book is designed to make your life easier. Surely theres nothing much worse than being in a discussion with a Protestant, Jehovahs Witness, Mormon, or other non-Catholic and feeling flat-footed and ignorant about how Scripture supports Catholic beliefs and practices.

This is often the reason why Catholics become flustered (and less effective) when the discussion turns to biblical issues. This book can help. A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics will show you where to turn when subjects such as infant baptism, the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the Holy Eucharist, or confession to a priest come up in conversation. It will also show you the Scripture passages that will help you demonstrate the errors in some non-Catholic claims such as Protestantisms notion of sola scriptura (i.e., salvation by Scripture alone), the once saved, always saved view of salvation, or the idea that baptism is simply an external ordinance that does not actually do what it signifies. I recommend that you acquire a good, sturdy Bible that you can mark up with a highlighter pen and your own notations in the margins (The Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, is an excellent and trustworthy Bible for this purpose). Mark it up using the information in this book.

This will help you greatly in your Bible-related discussions with non-Catholics. I also recommend that you pray the prayers listed at the end of this book, devoutly and from the heart, whenever you engage in such discussions indeed, whenever you pick up the Sacred Text, whether for prayer and meditation, study, or apologetics. Invite the Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind and invigorate the grace of charity in your soul to render you better able to serve your neighbor and grow closer to the Lord. Ask, and it shall be given to you. Knock, and the door will be opened. Seek, and you will find.

And, finally, always remember that this little book about the Bible is not a substitute for reading and learning the Bible itself. Its purpose is to help you get to know the Bible better and, in the process, to encounter the Lord God Himself. I. APOLOGETICS 1. Defending the Faith1 Pet 3:15, Always be prepared to make a defense (Greek: pros apologan) to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect. Phil 1:7, [Y]ou are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense (apologa) and confirmation of the gospel. Phil 1:15-16, Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense (apologan) of the gospel. 1 Sam 12:7 Ps 119:46 Mt 10:16-22 Lk 12:8-12 Acts 5:17-42 Acts 18:9-10 Acts 22:1, 10-16 Acts 25:16 1 Cor 9:22 2 Cor 12:19 Col 4:6 2 Tim 2:23-26 Jude 3 II. 1 Sam 12:7 Ps 119:46 Mt 10:16-22 Lk 12:8-12 Acts 5:17-42 Acts 18:9-10 Acts 22:1, 10-16 Acts 25:16 1 Cor 9:22 2 Cor 12:19 Col 4:6 2 Tim 2:23-26 Jude 3 II.

AUTHORITY2. The ChurchExistence of, mission of, visible characteristics of, and authority of Mt 13:24-30 Mt 28:19-20 Mt 16:18-19 Mt 5:13-16 The Church is a light to the world, a city set on a hill Lk 10:16 Jn 16:15 It is visible in all ages, for all to see and recognize. Acts 9:34 1 Cor 12:27-30 Authority of the Church Mt 18:15-17 Lk 10:16 Christ promised the Apostles (the original Magisterium), He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you, rejects me 2 Thess 3:14-15 1 Tim 3:14-15 1 Tim 4:11-16 1 Pet 4:17 The Church: A Sign of Unity Jn 17:20-21 Jn 15:4-5 1 Cor 1:10 Phil 1:27-28, 2:2 1 Tim 6:2-3 The Church contains good and bad people (a field of wheat and weeds). Jer 32:31-35 Mt 7:15-23 Mt 10:1-4 Mt 13:1-9 Mt 13:24-30 Mt 26:69-75 Mk 3:19 Lk 22:54-62 Jn 6:70 Jn 18:2-4 2 Tim 2:13 The Church is the Body of Christ. Jn 15:1-11 Acts 9:1-6 Rom 12:4-8 1 Cor 12:12-27 Eph 1:22-23 Col 1:18 3. The PapacyThe Primacy of Peter Simon Peter is mentioned by name 195 times in the New Testament.

Next comes St. John, who is mentioned just 29 times. When all twelve Apostles are named, Peter is always listed first; Judas Iscariot is always listed last (Mt 10:2-5; Mk 3:16-19; Lk 6:14-17; and Acts 1:13). Often: Peter and the rest of the Apostles or Peter and his companions (Lk 9:32; Mk 16:7; Acts 2:37). Peter as spokesman for all the Apostles Mt 18:21 Mk 8:29 Lk 8:45, 12:41 Jn 6:69 Peters Primacy Mt 16:13-20 Mt 14:24-33 Mk 16:7 Lk 5: Christ preaches to the crowds from Peters fishing boat. Lk 22:31-32 Lk 24:33-35 Jn 20:6 Jn 21:15-19 Acts 1:15-26 Acts 3:1-9 Acts 10-11 Acts 15:6-11 Gal 1:18 4.

TraditionMk 7:1-13; Mt 15:1-9 (Ungodly traditions condemned)Lk 1:1-4 (Oral tradition came before New Testament Scriptures) Mk 16:15 Jn 20:30-31 Jn 21:25 1 Cor 11:2 1 Cor 11:23 1 Cor 15:1-2 1 Thess 2:13 2 Thess 2:15 2 Thess 3:6 2 Tim 1:13 2 Tim 2:2 1 Pet 1:25 2 Pet 1:20-21 2 Jn 12 3 Jn 13 5. Scripture vsSola scriptura (the Bible Alone)Authority of the Church Deut 17:8-13 Mt 16:18-19 Mt 28:19-20 Lk 10:16 Acts 15:28-29 1 Cor 11:2 1 Thess 2:13 2 Thess 2:15 1 Tim 3:14-15 1 Pet 3:15-17 2 Pet 1:20-21, 2:1 2 Pet 5:1-5 6. Word of God Does Not Always Mean The Bible Is 55:10-11 Lk 3:2-3 Lk 4:42-5:1 Lk 8:11-15 Jn 1:1, 14 Acts 4:31 1 Thess 2:13 Heb 4:12-13 Heb 11:3 7. Apostolic Succession Acts 1:15-26 Acts 14:23 Acts 20:28 1 Cor 12:27-31 Eph 4:11 Eph 2:19-21 1 Tim 3:1-13 1 Tim 4:13-14 1 Tim 5:17-22 2 Tim 2:1-2 Titus 1:5-9 III. DOCTRINES 8. Charity unites all the members of the Body of Christ (Rom 12:3-9). Charity unites all the members of the Body of Christ (Rom 12:3-9).

Mt 5:43-45 Mt 19:19 Mt 22:36-40 Mt 25:31-46 Mk 12:28-34 Lk 6:27-36 Jn 13:34-35 Jn 15:12-17 Rom 10:1 Rom 12:9-13 Rom 15:30-32 1 Cor 10:24 1 Cor 13 Gal 5:9-13, 6:2 1 Thess 3:12; 4:9-10, 18 1 Thess 5:11, 14-15 1 Tim 2:1-4 1 Jn 4:7-21 Jas 2:14-17 9. There is Only One God Deut 6:4-5 Is 40:25-28 Is 41:4 Is 43:10-13 Is 44:6-8 1 Chron 17:20 Mk 12:29 1 Cor 8:4-6 10. The Holy Spirit is God Jn 14:16-17 Jn 14:25-26 Acts 5:3-4 Acts 13:2-4 Acts 15:28-29 Acts 21:11 11. Jesus Christ is True God Deut 5:11 Mt 2:1-11 (The Wise Men worship the Christ Child) Mt 4:10-11, Lk 4:8, Acts 10:25-26 (Worship God alone!) Jn 1:1-18 Jn 8:23-30 Jn 8:52-59 (So they took up stones to throw at him because they understood that he claimed to be God [I AM]; Ex 20:7) Jn 10:24-42 Jn 20:26-28 (My lord and my God) Col 1:15-20 Titus 2:11-14 12. The Trinity