As we prepare to celebrate the birthday of the Church on Pentecost Sunday, there is no better time to address some of the differences that Catholics (and Orthodox, for that matter) have with Protestants over the understanding of the nature of the Church and the relationship between the Bible, Tradition, and authority. The account of the descent of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 seems clear: The Church predates the New Testament and creates it. Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture grow together, reinforcing each other.
In the Catholicism forum this week, longtime forum member (and Protestant) "Scripture Follower" makes the Protestant case, while our forum moderator, Steven Hepburn, responds with the Catholic one. Check out this discussion, which flows directly out of the events of Acts 2.
Further Reading on the Nature of the Church:
- What Is the Church? A Restatement of Catholic Tradition
- What Is the Church? The Role of Vatican II
- What Is the Church? The Church of Christ "Subsists" in the Catholic Church
- What Is the Church? Orthodox, Protestants, and the Mystery of Salvation
- What Is the Church? The Orthodox Churches and Union
- What Is the Church? Protestant "Communities," Not Churches
- Reader Question: What Is the Church?