Q&A to a Troll in a Catholic website (Part 2): What was the means did Jesus make for the transmission of our Christian faith?

PART II 

*Months ago, I was visiting a favorite Catholic website of mine on Facebook and was reading a newly released article about our Blessed Virgin Mary. As I was reading various comments of Catholics regarding the article, I noticed one particular person who appears to be trolling under the comment box, unsolicitedly "refuting" different Catholic teachings to any one who would dare to read his comments and take the bait. As I skimmed through other articles of the site, I was baffled to see that same person trolling the comment boxes again under those respective articles, taking on anybody that challenges his varied assertions and accusations, one Catholic at a time that comes his way like in a one-man-versus-an-army martial arts fighting scene. I started to see his trend.

If I recall correctly, he said he used to be Catholic and now belong to some strain of Protestantism (among the roughly 33,000 in existence today) and the Bible alone (Sola Scriptura) is his sole authority. I told him that swapping Bible verses won't get us anywhere (to argue about Mary, Purgatory, Saints and all other Catholic beliefs that Protestants think are a bunch of hooey). Instead I politely ask him if he is willing to answer 3 fundamental questions about our Christian faith. He obliged although seemingly a bit reluctant at first, but answered it nevertheless. Here's one of the questions I raised, his reply and my response back on his reply:

Me: What was the means or provision did Jesus make for the authoritative transmission of the Christian faith?

His Reply:

Jesus gave men to teach the gospel, first apostles to write and conclude scripture (remember, the canon of scripture was closed at AD 94 with the conclusion of the book of Revelation). While those who followed the apostles did not write scripture (it was already concluded) the Holy Spirit gifts men to be table to pass on the gospel though not perfectly.

My Response:

Jesus never direct His apostles to write or read the Bible as the means to transmit the faith. The Bible did not even exist yet during the ministry of Christ. We don’t find that teaching of Jesus in any of the writings of the apostles. Even the apostles themselves never expected they are going to be writing books when they signed up to follow Christ. Moreover, only 3 out of the 12 apostles wrote scriptures, where were the paperwork of the remaining 9 if writing was such a priority? We don’t find in scriptures that says: "We only need the Bible as our sufficient rule of faith and here are its table of contents (and make sure it's 66 books only! No more nor less, OK?)" Also it is good to keep in mind that the letters Paul wrote where occasional documents meant to address problems within a specific community of believers (e.g. I, Paul am writing to you, Corinths because of this issue, Galatians here is my letter to your issue, etc.)

Instead, Jesus said in Matthew 28 to the apostles "Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations and teach them to observe all the Commands (ie., orally) I gave you. And I am with you always to the end of time." Everything He commanded was Oral. Jesus did not write everything down. Some of it were rituals: "Do this in memory of me" (ie., Eucharist)... or "Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit"... or "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (ie., Confession), etc. etc... So he commanded all these to the apostles, to be passed down (ie., tradition) to their successors and in perpetuity guaranteed by his divine authority “I will be with you until the end of age,” and “the gates of hell will never prevail.” Jesus gave us a Church, to be the pillar and foundation of our faith (1 Tim. 3:15). St Paul even affirms this Oral tradition (1 Cor. 11:23, 1 Cor. 11:2, 2 Thes. 2:15, 2 Tim. 2:2, Rom. 10:17).

So then we ask, where is this church in the 1^st century, or 2^nd, or 3^rd down to the present 21^st century that the gates of hell will never prevail as Jesus promised us? There’s only one in direct continuity tracing back to Jesus and the apostles for 2,000 yrs: The Catholic Church. (The so-called protestant “reformers”, they were 1,500 years too late). And we all know what happens when we leave it to ourselves to interpret the Bible (Sola Scriptura, a man-made doctrine by Martin Luther): 33,000 denominations and counting, all claiming the Holy Spirit is in their side of the argument and their biblical interpretation, and everyone else's got it wrong. St Paul clearly says in 1 Cor. 11:16 -- “If anyone wants to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.” Also, 1 Cor. 1:10 -- “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.”

"Denominationalism" isn’t found in the bible. The whole protestant tradition exists in all its multiplicity because of this incoherence. Every protestant theologian or pastor that pops up is going to give you his authoritative take on what is dogma and what’s opinion and the next guy gives you something different.

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