Is There Salvation Outside the Church?

The quick answer is, “No.”  The longer answer might begin with, “Well, that all depends.” 

In John 14:6, we read, “Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  In Acts 4:12, St. Peter echoes this teaching, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” This is a fact that has always been taught by the Church.

It is important to remember that Jesus identified the Church with his very self inActs 9:4-5 when he told Saul, who had been persecuting the early Church, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He (Saul) said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”  In 1 Tim. 3:15, St. Paul tells us that the Church is “the pillar and foundation of truth.”  From St. Cyprian in the 3^rd Century AD, we read his firm declaration: “Outside the Church there is no salvation.”  This teaching was repeated by many of the Early Church Fathers, the 4^th Lateran Council in 1215, the Council of Florence in 1442, the Council of Trent a century later, and by the Second Vatican Council.  To deny that Salvation comes through the Church is to deny Christ himself.

However, the Catechism states that, “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation” (CCC 847).  This is what is known as invincible ignorance.

Just as Jesus told the Pharisees in John 9:41, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, 'We see,' so your sin remains”, a person who is invincibly ignorant of the truth through no fault of their own may be saved even though they may not be a member of the Church.  It must be noted that this is not tantamount to a guarantee of salvation but a teaching based on the grace and mercy of God.

Conversely, a person who knows the Church to be the truth and rejects it anyway, cannot obtain salvation.  This sentiment is affirmed in Luke 12:48, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”   We must remember that our ability to reason does not dictate our faith but our humility before the truth that is passed onto to us by those to whom Christ entrusted the task - and our acceptance or rejection of that truth.

Peter, The Rock

There seems to be a rift between Protestants and Catholics when it comes to the primacy of St. Peter as Chief Apostle and first Pope.  The Catholic belief is that St. Peter was appointed by Jesus to lead the Apostles and the Church in his absence (Matt. 16:15-19, Luke 22:31-32, John 21:15-19).  The classic Protestant position is that and that our only authority is the written word of God - the Bible.

As you know, the Lord said to Peter, “And so I say to you, you are Peter (Petros), and upon this rock (Petra) I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”  Many non-Catholics believe Peter is not the Rock because confession of faith.  It couldn’t be Peter because the Greek words used here are Petros, meaning, small stone and Petra, meaning, large mass of rock.  They say that the Rock is Jesus because he is referred to as Rock elsewhere, including, Matt. 21:42 and 1 Pet. 2:3-8.  The problem with this is that Jesus didn’t speak Greek to his Apostles - he spoke Aramaic.

What Jesus actually said was, “And so I say to you, you are Kepha, and upon this rock Kepha I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”  This is why St. Peter is referred to as Cephas in many of St. Paul’s letters, because Cephas is the closest Greek transliteration of the Aramaic, Kepha.

There is another problem for the non-Catholic.  Petra is a feminine Greek noun and could hardly be used to describe a man, so the word was translated as Petros in Scripture because it was being used in reference to a man.  Jesus clearly appointed St. Peter as earthly head of the Church and Chief Apostle here in Matthew’s Gospel as well as Luke 22:31-32, where he told Peter that he prayed for him to strengthen the other Apostles in his absence and in John 21:15-19, where he told Peter 3 times to feed his sheep.

Charity

Many things can be said of the virtue of Charity.  The word itself conjures up thoughts of anything from the loving example of Mother Teresa to plunking a coin into the Salvation Army’s black pot.  Whereas, charitable acts include giving alms to the poor, visiting the sick and helping those less fortunate – it also includes treating others with the love, respect and dignity that God expects from us.

St. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 13:13 about the three great virtues of Faith, Hope and Love (charity).  He goes on to say that the greatest of these is love.  Are we truly charitable in all aspects of our life or do we understand charity as being simply a monetary donation?  Do we conduct ourselves with others in a respectful manner – or do we indulge in gossip and harbor ill-will towards one another?

In John 13:34, Jesus tells us to love one another, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” This was not a mere suggestion but a command. This same command is echoed in Mark 12:30-31.  In this passage, Jesus tells us about our love for God and each other and goes so far as to say, “There is no other commandment greater than these.  This is very strong language indeed.

Finally, in the 10 Commandments the first three are dedicated to God alone – but the next seven pertain to how we treat others.

One area we might want to consider is in the way we conduct ourselves as we leave the church grounds after mass.  As we drive away after mass – many times it seems that the charity and unity we all shared during the mass is all but gone.  As we jockey for position to be among the first to leave the Church property, we often times forget the car in front of us or off to one side as we careen by, making sure that nobody gets in our way.  As the Little Flower, St. Terese of Liseaux observed, it is not necessary to perform great deeds or heroic acts to express her love for God.  She practiced what became known as The Little Way:

"Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love."

Wine or Grape Juice?

The Fundamentalist charge that Jesus drank non-alcoholic grape juice and not wine is one that simply cannot stand up to Biblical or scientific evidence.  Many times we hear that all drinking is sinful and certain Biblical verses are furnished as proof for this claim, such as, Prov. 23:20, Ephesians 5:18, I Tim. 3:8; Tit.2:3. These verses speak to the sin of drunkenness, not of drinking in general.

First of all, the first miracle performed by our Lord recorded in the Bible is at the Wedding at Cana, when he turned water into wine at the request of his Mother. Let’s examine what the Bible has to say about this miracle, as well as other references to wine and drinking:

John 2:10 states,  “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men havedrunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”.  Ps. 104:14-15 says, “You bring bread from the earth, and wine to gladden our hearts, Oil to make our faces gleam, food to build our strength”. 

In Luke 7:34, Jesus says, "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard’”  In 1 Tim. 5:23, St. Paul tells timothy, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” Whereas these verses do not condemn drinking in moderation, neither do they condone drunkenness.

The fact is that crushed grapes begin to ferment immediately the grapes are crushed.  Interestingly, the chemical process that halts fermentation was only invented in the 19th century by the Welch's Company. This means that grape juice as a product has only been around for less than 200 years.  Consequently, when wine is spoken of in Scripture – it is truly wine and not grape juice.

While the Scriptures do condemn drunkenness, drinking in moderation is not necessarily evil unless, of course, this is a source of sin for the individual, such as alcoholism, or losing one’s inhibitions or self- control.

Matrimony

At times we hear that Catholics should “get off their high horse” regarding marriage because we place too much importance on things that are not a matter of salvation.  After all, people make mistakes.

When Jesus was teaching the crowds about marriage, he once again elevated it to the level of a Sacrament – just as God had done in Genesis between Adam and Eve.  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "by its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring, and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory" (CCC 1652).  Whereas others may see marriage as a mere romantic union or contract – a Catholic marriage is a covenant.

In Malachi 2:16, God says “I hate divorce.”  This sounds rather harsh, but it emphasizes the fact that matrimony is ordained by of God.  The Scriptures tell us that Jesus, the Bridegroom and his Church, his Bride, are inseparable.  Similarly, a husband and wife are inseparable because this was God’s divine plan from the beginning.

In Matt 19:3-10, the Pharisees, who were always looking for an opportunity to trick Jesus, asked him if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause because of the Mosaic Law allowing it.  Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”

He went on to say, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.”

Unlike a civil divorce, which is the dissolution of a civil contract, a marriage in the eyes of God is indissoluble.  Contrary to what some may think, anannulment is not a “Catholic divorce.”  And, unlike a civil divorce, an annulment or Declaration of Nullity, is a decree stating that a sacramental marriage never took place.  It is not the ending of a marriage but an acknowledgement that there was no Sacrament of Matrimony from the very beginning of the union.

Apostolic Succession

Apostolic Succession is one of the Four Marks of the true Church that we pledge belief in when we recite the Nicene Creed every Sunday.  For the Church to be Apostolic, it must be the one Church that was established by Jesus Christ 2000 years ago and the very same Church that the Apostles continued to build and grow during the 1^st century and beyond.

You might hear non-Catholics claim that before the Reformation, the Church was so corrupt and had so perverted Biblical teachings that it ceased to exist as the Body of Christ and therefore, had to be rebuilt or revived.  They speak of the“invisible Church” having been around from the beginning that had its rebirth during the Reformation.  This goes completely against the Word of God.

First of all – the idea of an invisible Church is not supported by Scripture.  InMatt. 5:14, Jesus tells the Apostles that the Church was “the light of the world”and that, “A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”  Furthermore, Jesus tells the Apostles that “the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18)despite what non-Catholics might claim.  After the Reformation, many different“denominations” splintered off from the Church and continue to splinter today to the tune of about 35,000 divided, sects.

Another charge is that after the death of Apostles, there was to be no succession.  This makes no sense, as God would never leave his Church an orphan (John 14:18)and in total chaos, teaching different doctrines from sect to sect. Acts 1:16-26 tells us that the Apostles chose another to take the office of Judas, which was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalms 109:8.  In Acts 15:15 we see that the Apostles told the people not to listen to anybody that they hadn’t mandated and sent out to them.

We have the writings of the Early Church Fathers who taught about Apostolic Succession from the 1^st Century on – while some of the Apostles were still alive.  One example is a letter from St. Peter’s successor, Pope Clement I in the year A.D. 80:

"Our Apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife for the office of bishop. For this reason, therefore, having received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed those who have already been mentioned and afterwards added the further provision that, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry" (Letter to the Corinthians 42:4–5, 44:1–3 [A.D. 80]).

Purgatory

The doctrine of Purgatory is one of the most misunderstood teachings of the Catholic faith.

First of all, Purgatory isn’t necessarily a place, but a state.  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it’s a “final purification of the elect” (1030-1032). Another misconception is that Purgatory is a “second chance”.  This is not the case, as those Christians who die in a state of mortal sin are not eligible because mortal sin severs our relationship with God.

Since Revelation 21:27 tells us that nothing unclean can enter heaven, a final purification or purgation is necessary for some before entering heaven.  Those in Purgatory will indeed make it into heaven.  As the great Protestant author, C.S. Lewis once stated, “The mercy of God demands purgatory.”

Regardless of what some may say, the belief in Purgatory is scripturally-based.  In 2 Macc. 42-46, we see that Judas Maccabeus prays for the men of his army, killed in battle. Verse 44 says, “… for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death.” Matt. 5:25-26 tells us that unless we have settled our matters, we will be “handed over to the prison guard and will not be released until we have paid the last penny.”

We are told in 1 Cor. 3:12-15 that the day (judgment) will disclose the foundation that a person builds upon and how it will be revealed: “If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire.”

Additionally, Matt. 12:32 states, “whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come”, which indicates that there is purification after death for some. Matt. 18:32-35 and Luke 12:58-59 are additional verses that support this doctrine.

All of these verses point to the fact that those in Purgatory will suffer loss but will eventually be released (purified, purged from iniquity, saved). Purgatory is for the believer who dies in God’s favor (without the stain of mortal sin) but is in need of final purification before entering heaven.

Communion of Saints

The Communion of Saints is the doctrine that speaks to the unity of the Body of Christ.

In 1 Cor. 12:18-20, 24-26, St. Paul explains that though we are many individual parts, we make up one Body – that is, the Body of Christ.  In John 17, our Lord Jesus prayed at the Last Supper for the unity of this Body (which is the Church), comparing it to the unity of the Father and the Son.

The Church is comprised of 3 parts: The Church Militant (those on earth), the Church Suffering (those in Purgatory) and the Church Triumphant (those in Heaven). None of these parts is more important than the other.  This is why we not only ask each other on earth for prayers, but of those in Heaven as well because we are all part of the same Body.  Non-Catholics who believe that those who have passed from this world are simply “dead and cannot hear us” deny the very Scriptures they claim to be the truth. Hebrews 12:1 tells us that we should “rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us” because we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”.

There are numerous New Testament passages that speak about interceding for one another. 1 Cor. 12:21-22 emphatically says that, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I do not need you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I do not need you.’  This passage speaks to the importance of all of the parts of the Body.

Revelation 5:8 shows the Elders in heaven bringing our prayers before God and Rev. 8:3-4 speaks of the Angels in heaven doing the same thing.

The doctrine of the Communion of Saints is also supported by the Early Church Fathers from the 1^st century to St. Augustine and beyond.  In fact, this belief was so ingrained in the Early Church that it was included in many of the creeds, including the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed which we recite each week at mass.

Scripture and Oral Tradition

Have you ever been told that Scripture is more binding than Tradition?  Most non-Catholics are under the misconception that Catholics put too much stock in Tradition and that Tradition is not binding as the written word.  They point to the“human precepts” and “traditions of men” that Jesus warned against (Matt. 15:9, Mark 7:5-9). They couldn’t be more wrong.  Jesus was speaking of the Pharisees and scribes who were living hypocritical lives and placing their traditions above the word of God and the spirit of the Law.

Whereas, we know that the Scriptures are the written word of God, they do not explicitly encompass all of God’s truth.  This is the false doctrine of Sola Scriptura, which is not even supported by Scripture itself.  In fact, the Bible explicitly teaches the Catholic Church's position that the Word of God is contained in both Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

St. Paul tells us that we are to hold fast to the traditions taught by the Apostles – either by an “oral statement or written letter” (2 Thess. 2:15, 2 Thess. 3:6, 1 Cor. 11:2).  He goes on to say in 1 Tim. 3:15, that the Church is the “pillar and foundation of truth.”  He doesn’t say that the bible is the pillar and foundation of truth because it hadn’t been compiled yet and much of it hadn’t yet been written.

In one of the many passages where Jesus relayed his authority to the Apostles, he promised them that there were many things they needed to know but could not hear at that time.  He also promised them that the Holy Spirit would guide his Church to ALL truth about the things that were coming (John 16:13-15).

As we have seen, the importance of Sacred or Apostolic Tradition – even when compared to the Scriptures - is confirmed by the Scriptures themselves. There are traditions, however, that may be disciplinary and others that are cultural and not necessarily binding to the faith. Some of these might include wearing head-coverings during mass, feast days, advent wreaths, or other customs.

Sola Scriptura

The second pillar of the Protestant Reformation is the doctrine of Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone).  Adherents to this doctrine believe that the Bible alone is our sole authority – the final court of arbitration.  The problem is that the Bible itself rejects this notion.  Nowhere in scripture does it say that scripture alone is the final authority.

Scripture tells us that the Church is the final authority.  In Matt. 16:18-19, Jesus tells St. Peter that the gates of hell wouldn’t prevail against his Church and that he was giving him (Peter) the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  Later, in Matt. 18:15-18, he tells the Apostles that the Church was to decide all matters that couldn’t be resolved.  He gave the Church the authority to make the final decision and judgment.  In these passages, along with John 20:21-23, Jesus gives them the power to bind and loose.

Not long before his Crucifixion, Jesus told the Apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them to all truth – that he would take from what was his (Jesus) and declare it to them (the Church).  The main verse that non-Catholics use to support Sola Scriptura is 2 Tim. 3:16, where it says that “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness”. Notice that it says scripture is “useful” – it doesn’t say that it is “sufficient”.

Finally, St. Paul tells us that sacred tradition (written and oral) is also binding and authoritative (2 Thes 2:15, 1 Cor 11:2, 2 Tim 2:2, 1 Thes 2:13).

We must remember that the bible was born from the Church – not the Church from the Bible

Sola Fide

The Protestant Reformation was born of 2 major beliefs: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) and Sola Fide (Faith Alone).  Sola fide is the belief that we are saved by faith alone – apart from anything else.  The only place in all of scripture where the words “faith alone” are found is in James 2:24 where it says we are not saved by faith alone.

You may have been told that all you have to do is to “believe in the Lord Jesus Christ” in order to be saved.  Or that if “you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior”, your eternity is secure.

On the contrary, simply believing is not enough.  We must be obedient and do what the Lord wills.  In the St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Rom. 1:5, 16:26), he speaks of the “obedience of faith” and “faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6).  He also says that says that love is greater than faith or hope (1 Cor. 13:13).  It is the greatest of all virtues.  James 2:14-26 speaks of the necessity of works and that “faith without works is dead.”  

In Mark 1:24, a demon cried out to Jesus, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? We know who you are--the Holy One of God!"  James 2:19 tells us, “You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. If “even the demons believe” – how do we differentiate ourselves from them?  We remain obedient to the will of God, and not our own will.

In Matt. 31-46, Jesus said that the reward of his faithful ones were rewarded with eternal joy in heaven.  Those who didn‘t were banished to eternal suffering.

Are we doing what the Lord wills of his faithful?  Or are we secure in the false notion that all we have to do is believe?

Once Saved Always Saved?

Not according to the Scriptures. As a mater of fact, according to the Bible, just the opposite is true.

When read in context, the Scriptures teach us that we have a moral assurance- a moral certitude of heaven – if we do God’s will and endure to the end.

In Matt. 7:21, Jesus tells us, “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

Later, in that same Gospel (Matt. 24:13), Jesus reminds us that "He who endures to the end will be saved"  There are many places in Scripture where we are admonished to continue to do the will of God and persevere (2 Chronicles 15:2, Matthew 10:22, 2 Timothy 2:12, 1 Corinthians 10:12, 2 Peter 2:20-21, 1 Cor. 9:27, 1 Timothy 4:16, Hebrews 10:26-27, Hebrews 10:29, 1 John 5:13).

In 2 Tim. 4:7, St. Paul likens this journey to a race when he says, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”

There are those who believe that once we accept Jesus, there is nothing we can do to lose our faith – our guarantee, yet Jesus himself says differently.  In the parable of the sower, we see that not all of the seed that fell on the ground grew and yielded fruit - only the seed that fell on the rich soil which are those who remain faithful in the Church (Mark 4:1-20, Matthew 13:1-23, Luke 8:1-15). These are the faithful who endure to the end.

We must remember that the Bible is not filled with absolute guarantees for those who believe – it is filled with God’s wonderful promises for those who remain faithful.

Praying to Mary and the Saints

The ancient Church practice of petitioning those in Heaven to pray for us is one that doesn’t sit well with many Protestants.  They charge that “if it isn’t explicitly taught in the Bible, we are forbidden to do it.”  What they don’t understand is that many of the truths of God are taught implicitly.

For example, the word, “Bible” isn’t in the Bible and neither is a list of books that are supposed to comprise the Bible. The Holy Trinity isn’t even explicitly named in the Bible.  These terminologies came from the Church – not the Bible.  Using the Protestant rule, they have no business believing in these doctrines because they’re not explicitly named.  Even the Bereans, who studied the Scriptures to insure that Paul’s oral teaching (Tradition) was in line with what was written, ultimately believed a truth that was not explicitly there: The fact that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Messiah.

In fact, we first find the word Trinity in the writings of Tertullian (c.155-230).  The doctrine was decreed by the Catholic Church at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD because of the Arian Heresy, which claimed that saying that Jesus was not of one substance with the Father and that he had not existed in Eternity with the Father. 

To prove that we are not to ask those in Heaven for help, Protestants will quote 1 Tim. 2:5, where Paul writes, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 

The Catholic Church agrees with this verse.  Jesus IS our only mediator before God in that only his sacrifice could atone for our sins and bring peace between us and the Father.  However, to say that there are not other intercessors goes against Scripture.  We are ALL called upon to intercede for one another with prayer and supplications – 2 Cor. 1:10-11, Eph. 6:18-20, 1 Tim. 2:1-4, James 5:16.

Protestants often say that to “pray” to somebody in heaven to ask them to for pray for us is idolatry because prayer is reserved for God alone.  This is a complete failure to understand the word.  To pray, in the most rudimentary definition of the word, is to petition – to ask something of someone.  We pray to each other daily. Whereas prayers of adoration, worship, confession are reserved for God alone, asking a saint in Heaven to pray for us is no different than asking a saint on earth to do the same.  To deny this is to deny the reality that is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-31).  We are all parts of the Body of Christ and are more radically joined together than the finger is to the hand because we are joined in Christ – and not by mere flesh.

Heb. 12:1 tells us that “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” and that we are to live accordingly.  A witness is somebody who sees and hears things (Acts 1:8, 2:32) – otherwise they are not witnesses. Revelation 5:8 shows the Elders in heaven bringing our prayers before God and Rev. 8:3-4 speaks of the Angels in heaven doing the same thing.

Lev. 20:6 – “Should anyone turn to mediums and fortune-tellers and follow their wanton ways, I will turn against such a one and cut him off from his people.”

Deut. 18:10-12 “Let there not be found among you anyone who immolates his son or daughter in the fire, nor a fortune-teller, soothsayer, charmer, diviner, or caster of spells, nor one who consults ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the dead.

Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the LORD, and because of such abominations the LORD, your God, is driving these nations out of your way.”

Lev. 20:6 and Deut. 18:10-12 strictly prohibit the practice of fortune-telling, necromancy and seeking oracles from the dead.  However – this is not what Catholics do by asking for prayers and intercession.  The anti-Catholic misrepresents the Catholic position by saying that this is the case.

The charge that Mary or others in Heaven would have to be omnipresent and omniscient to hear the petitions of many people at once is to fail to understand the reality of Heaven.  2 Pet. 3:8 tells us that “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day.”  Heaven is outside of time.  There is not yesterday, today and tomorrow – it’s all eternal.  To indicate that Mary or another saint must be omnipresent and omniscient to hear the petitions of many people at once is to fail to understand this fact.

Again, intercessory prayer is supported by the writings of the Early Church Fathers:

 Origen – But not the high priest [Christ] alone prays for those who pray sincerely, but also the angels… as also the souls of the saints who have already fallen asleep (On Prayer II [A.D. 233]).  

Pectorius  - Aschandius, my father, dearly beloved of my heart, with my sweet mother and my brethren, remember your Pectorius in the peace of the Fish [Christ] (Epitaph [A.D. 250]).  

Cyprian – Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity. Let us on both sides always pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence the first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father’s mercy (Letters 56[60]:5 [A.D. 252]).

Cyril of Jerusalem - Then [during the Eucharistic prayer] we make mention also of those who have already fallen asleep: first, the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that through their prayers and supplications God would receive our petition… (Catechetical Lectures 23:9 [A.D. 350]).

Hilary of Poitiers - To those who would fain to stand, neither the guardianship of saints nor the defenses of angels are wanting (Commentary on the Psalms 124:5:6 [A.D. 365]).

Ephraem of Syria - Remember me, you heirs of God, you brethren of Christ; supplicate the Savior earnestly for me, that I may be freed through Christ from him that fights against me day by day (De Timore, Anim. in fin. [A.D. 370]).

Liturgy of St. Basil - By the command of your only-begotten Son we communicate with the memory of your saints . . . by whose prayers and supplications have mercy upon us all, and deliver us for the sake of your holy name (Liturgy of St. Basil [A.D. 373]).

Gregory Nazianzen - Yes, I am well assured that [my father's] intercession is of more avail now than was his instruction in former days, since he is closer to God, now that he has shaken off his bodily fetters, and freed his mind from the clay that obscured it, and holds conversation naked with the nakedness of the prime and purest mind . . . (Orations 18:4 [A.D. 374]).

May you [Cyprian] look down from above propitiously upon us, and guide our word and life; and shepherd this sacred flock . . . gladden the Holy Trinity, before which you stand (Orations 17 [24] [A.D. 376]).

Gregory of Nyssa - Do you, [Ephraem] that art standing at the divine altar . . . bear us all in remembrance, petitioning for us the remission of sins, and the fruition of an everlasting kingdom (Sermon on Ephraem the Syrian [A.D. 380]).

Ambrose of Milan - May Peter, who wept so efficaciously for himself, weep for us and turn towards us Christ’s benign countenance (Hexameron 5:25:90 [A.D. 388]).

John Chrysostom - He that wears the purple . . . stands begging of the saints to be his patrons with God, and he that wears a diadem begs the tent-maker [Paul] and the fisherman [Peter] as patrons, even though they be dead” (Homilies on 2 Corinthians 26 [A.D. 392]).

When you perceive that God is chastening you, fly not to his enemies . . . but to his friends, the martyrs, the saints, and those who were pleasing to him, and who have great power[in God] (Orations 8:6 [A.D. 396]).

Augustine - A Christian people celebrate together in religious solemnity the memorials of the martyrs, both to encourage their being imitated and so that it can share in their merits and be aided by their prayers (Against Faustus the Manichean)

Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant

Whereas the symbols of God’s word were contained in the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament, Mary actually carried God himself – the Word – in her womb in the New Testament.  And, whereas the Old Testament Ark had to be made of pure materials and blessed and undefiled, how much more pure and undefiled would the vessel that actually carried God have to be? 

Non-Catholics say that Mary didn’t have to be sinless to give birth to the Messiah – that Jesus could have been born from anybody, even a harlot. Yes, Jesus could have been born of a harlot – but in order to fulfill all righteousness, his coming had to be more glorious than the Old Testament type.  He chose Mary out of all of the women in history to be his mother.

Without exception, New Testament fulfillments of Old Testament Old Testament are always more perfect and glorious than the type itself: Adam & Jesus, Moses & Jesus, Jonah &Jesus, Manna & Jesus (the Bread of Life), Eve & Mary, Ark of the Covenant & Mary, Joseph & Jesus, Melchizedek & Jesus.

The following Scriptural comparisons show that the Ark was a type of Mary:
The Ark traveled to the house of Obed-Edom in the hill country of Judea (2 Sam 6:1-11). 

Likewise, Mary traveled to the house of Elizabeth and Zachariah in the hill country of Judea(Lk 1:39)

David, dressed as a priest danced and leaped in front of the ark. (2 Sam 6:14) similarly, John the Baptist (of priestly lineage) leaped in his mother’s womb before Mary (Lk 1:41)

David asks, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?“ (2 Sam 6:9) whereas, Elizabeth asks, “Who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk 1:43)

The ark remained in the house of Obed-Edom three months (2 Sam 6:11) likewise, Mary remained in the house of Elizabeth three months (Lk 1:56)

The ark contained the urn of manna, the bread from heaven. Similarly, Mary’s womb carried Jesus, the Bread of Life.

Mary - Theotokos

In the 5th century, the Patriarch of Constantinople, Nestorius, held that there were two persons in Christ. He held that Jesus was not divine, but merely human and that God only dwelt in Him as in a temple. This is what became known as the Nestorian Heresy.

It has been said that virtually every heresy begins with the misconception of the nature of God.  This heresy was no different.  To combat this heresy, the Council of Ephesus was convened in 431.  St. Cyril, who was the patriarch of Alexandria, charged Nestorius with heresy and appealed to Pope Celestine I, who agreed with him.

Verdana, sans-serif;">In order to convey the reality of Jesus’ human and divine nature – the doctrine of theHypostatic Union was declared.  This doctrine states that Jesus is both fully God and fully man – and these two natures cannot be separated.

It was also at this Council that the Blessed Mother Mary was declared Theotokos, literally,God-bearer, because she gave birth to Jesus who was God incarnate.

The Nestorian heresy held that Mary was Christotokos (Mother of Christ), instead ofTheotokos (Mother of God).  As the Council clearly defined, Mary gave birth not simply to a human being but to a divine person who united to himself a human and divine nature.

For the Christian of today, to deny the doctrines of the Hypostatic Union and Theotokos is to fall back into the Nestorian heresy.

Early Church Fathers on Mary’s Perpetual Virginity. . .

As we continue our study of the Early Church Fathers (ECFs), we see that, regardless of what many non-Catholics believe, the Church has always taught that Mary had no other children besides Jesus:

Hilary of Poitiers:  If they [the brethren of the Lord] had been Mary's sons... she would never have been given over in the moment of the passion [crucifixion] to the apostle John as his mother, the Lord saying to each, "Woman, behold your son," and to John, "Behold your mother" (John 19:26-27) [A.D. 354]).

Athanasius: Let those, therefore, who deny that the Son is by nature from the Father and proper to his essence deny also that He took true human flesh from the ever-virgin Mary. [A.D. 360]).

Epiphanius: We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of all things, both visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God . . . who for us men and for our salvation came down and took flesh, that is, was born perfectly of the holy ever-virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. [A.D. 374]).

Jerome: But as regards Victorinus, I assert what has already been proven from the gospel—that he [Victorinus] spoke of the brethren of the Lord not as being sons of Mary but brethren in the sense I have explained, that is to say, brethren in point of kinship, not by nature. [A.D. 383]).


It’s also interesting to note that the Protestant Reformers believed in Mary’s perpetual virginity:

Luther: "It is an article of faith that Mary is Mother of the Lord and still a virgin...Christ, we believe, came forth from a womb left perfectly intact."

Calvin: "There have been certain folks who wish to suggest from this passage (Matt 1:25) that the Virgin Mary had other children than the Son of God, and that Joseph had dwelt with her later; but what folly is this!”

Zwingli: "I firmly believe that Mary, according to the words of the gospel, as a pure Virign brought forth for us the Son of God and in childbirth and after childbirth forever remained a pure, intact Virgin."

All have Sinned – including Mary?

When we speak of the sinlessness and Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother, we sometimes hear the charge that nobody is sinless. After all, we’re told that Romans 3:10, 23 explicitly states: “There is no one righteous, not even one; For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.”  Is that so?  How about babies or toddlers below the age of reason? What about those who are mentally challenged and may not have full use of their intellect and will?  What about Jesus?  St. Paul is speaking about those who trust in the Mosaic Law for their salvation.

In this passage, St. Paul is actually quoting Psalm 14, where it says, "The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God. They are corrupt...there is none that does good.’”  Later in the same Psalm, we hear that “God is present in the company of the “righteous.”

St. Paul was using inclusive language.  This would be similar to somebody saying that “everybody in town” came to the carnival last year. He is referring to the mass of mankind but God can and does make exceptions for anybody he wishes. 

In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was the vessel that carried symbols of the word of God. The Ark prefigured Mary, who was the Ark of the New Covenant and actually carried God in her womb.  The first Ark was lined with pure gold and other pure materials and was blessed so as not to be defiled.  It was not even to be touched for penalty of death.  How much more pure and undefiled would Our Blessed Mother have to be to carry God incarnate within her? 

In the Old Testament, Eve (a type of Mary) was created without sin.  Mary is the New Eve and cannot be inferior to her Old Testament types because the New Creation in Christ begins with her.

The New Testament fulfillment is always more glorious than the Old Testament type.