Which to Follow, the Word or the Church?

Jon Burnett

The most fundamental disagreement between Catholics and Christians is on the matter of authority.  Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, most Catholics view the authority of the church as superior to that of the written word.  Their argument usually sounds something like this:

But, in order that…no gross illusion or general misrepresentation may occur [in the revelation of Scripture]…the Divine Spirit…becomes…a peculiarly Christian tact…which…leads also into all truth.  By a confiding attachment to the perpetuated apostleship [and] by education in the Church…a deep interior sense is formed that alone is fitted for the perception and acceptance of the written word, because it entirely coincides with the sense in which the Sacred Scriptures themselves were composed. (Mohler via Peter C. Hodgson and Robert H. King, Readings in Christian Theology [Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Fortress Press, 1985], p. 38)

In other words, the Catholic Church with its illuminated clergy is the only one equipped to know and accept the written word of God.  No one else has the ability or authority to decide what is Scriptural and what is not.  A number of points are needed here to refute these preposterous claims.

1. The Scriptures were provided to prevent error in the church, not the other way around.  Heresy was a very real problem in the church of the New Testament.  False teachers ran rampant throughout early congregations and even secured a strong enough influence in some that they were able to drive out those who disagreed with their divisive doctrines (cf. Galatians 1:6-10; 3 John 1:9-10).  It was to remedy this situation that the written word was introduced in the first place.

And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:  till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God...that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-15, emphasis added)

2. The Scriptures contain the full written revelation of God to man.  The word of God is in no need of being supplemented.  “I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18).  Through God's word we are "furnished completely unto every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and have been granted "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3) since such was written "that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name" (John 20:31).  If the word prepares us completely to serve, live and be saved, what more can the church have to offer that to simply teach what has already been revealed?
3. The Spirit's revelatory role ceased with the completion of the New Testament.  Though often disputed among Christians today, the role of the Holy Spirit in the process of revelation was in fact a limited one.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth...he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you. (John 14:16-17, 26, emphasis added).

Accompanying this revelation were spiritual gifts (i.e. "signs") carried out in order to confirm the word as it was preached (Mark 16:20).  All of these roles, however, would cease with the completion of the New Testament.

Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away.  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect [i.e. complete in knowledge, prophecy and oral revelation] is come, that which is in part shall be done away. (1 Corinthians 13:8-10, emphasis added)

This completion was achieved by the close of the first century (Jude 3).

4. The apostleship of the church is not perpetual.  Though almost universally claimed by Catholics throughout history, the New Testament gives no indication to the contrary.  This is simply a matter of purpose and qualifications.  As addressed above the purpose of the spiritually gifted (including the apostles) was to reveal and confirm the written word.  Once this was accomplished, such offices ended.  Secondly, should these responsibilities have been required in perpetuity the qualifications for such an office would be somewhat different than those revealed in the New Testament.

Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us [i.e. the first century disciples], beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us, of these must one become a witness with us of his resurrection [i.e. an apostle]. (Acts 1:16-22)

It is an impossibility to claim that any man possesses these qualifications today.

5. Public teaching does not remove the primacy of private study.  The example of the Bereans more than adequately illustrates this point.  "Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).

The word of God is constantly under assault from those outside of the body of Christ.  As important as our defense in this direction is, though, we often practice the very thing we preach against.  How often do we listen to the preacher’s stories more than the word itself (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)?  How often do the opinions of other leaders (elders, deacons, teachers, song leaders and perhaps even denominationalists) matter more to us than the simplicity of the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:37)?

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