Opening Speech on Papal Infallibility
I participated in a debate two nights ago. It was on the infallibility of the pope. The podcast isn't up yet, but here is my opening speech. When the podcast is up, I'll give my thoughts on the entire thing.
1. The church cannot teach error.
1.1 The gates of Hades will not over come the church (Matthew 16:18b)
Many understand this to mean that the Church will not cease to exist. Many respectable Christian apologists such as Norm Giesler and Josh McDowell will use this text against cults like the Mormons to prove that the Church will not cease to exist contrary to what Mormon doctrine teaches. This is reasonable. A church that does not teach truth, like Mormonism or the Watchtower Society, cannot be said to be a Christian church. So, to teach false doctrine, we recognize, is to disqualify a group of people from being that Church Jesus established.
1.1.1 This is further reinforced by Paul’s statement in 1st Timothy 3:15 that the pillar and foundation of truth is the church. If truth is supported by the church, or is grounded or protected by the church, then it cannot also teach error. To also teach error would undermine the Church being a pillar or a foundation, and so the two are mutually exclusive. Hence, it can only teach truth.
1.2. He who listens to you listens to me (Luke 10:20)
Jesus makes appointments to people. These people have the duty to teach others about God. Jesus makes a statement of identity when he tells these appointed people that those who listen to them listen to him. If to listen to Jesus means listening to infallible statements, then by the law of identity, those who listen to the statements of those appointed to teach about Jesus are equally infallible.
1.3. Whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in heaven (Matthew 18:18)
Jesus gives this power to the leadership of the Church. What does this power entail? The Holman Apologetics Study Bible, not a Catholic friendly source, says this, “Jesus delegated authority to the Church and its leadership to open access to the kingdom and so forgive or retain sins, to discipline members, and to render doctrinal decisions. This authority is seen exercised in Acts 5:1-11, 13:38,46; 15:23-29; 1st Corinthians 5:3-5.” If the church gives false doctrinal decisions, then it meaningless to say they have this power since that power is not exercised. To make sense out of this it is reasonably said that their doctrinal decisions are without error.
2. The Church does teach and make declarations on faith and morals.
It does seem obvious that the Church is indeed a teaching organism. Faith and morals belong to the jurisdiction of the Church for that is what Jesus came to teach. Things like the finer details of economic issues, for example, lay outside the jurisdiction of the Church, so far as they are removed from the moral component, and so the Church cannot say much towards issues such as those. Repeatedly the church makes official declarations whereas to deny such a declaration is to be condemned. Some examples are heresies such a Arianism and Nestorianism. The Church has also composed the New Testament cannon, and we all, for the most part, accept this. These are all declarations of Ecumenical councils, which just about every orthodox Christian accepts, and so is not controversial. For further Biblical reference, I will just point you back to the list of scriptures that I quoted earlier from the Holman Apologetics Study Bible.
3. Therefore, from 1 and 2, the Church cannot err when teaching and declaring issues on faith and morals.
4. A singular person can represent the Church.
4.1 There is Biblical precedent for this
4.1.1 God appointed Abram when he changed his name from Abram to Abraham. Abram means “exalted father” and Abraham means “Chief of the multitude” (Genesis 17:5). God appointed Jacob leader when he changed his name to Israel (Genesis 32:28, 35:10). In the same way, as God changed Peters name from Simon, he too is supposed to be a monumental leader of faith.
4.1.2 There is a parallel between the charism of the High Priest, a leader, and the charism of what we call Papal infallibility. In Exodus 28:30, Numbers 27:21, 1st Samuel 14:41, Ezra 2:63, and Nehemiah 7:65, the High Priest inquires with the Urim and the Thummim in order to make a right decision. This sets a precedent for a religious leader having a special charism for discerning truth. The charism of the High Priest is seen in the New Testament in John 11:49-53 where the High Priest speaks a truth about Jesus even though he himself was plotting to kill him. Why then did he utter propositions that he personally was against? Scripture credits this to him in virtue of his office. So from this we see that there is a leader, and on top of that a leader can have the gift of speaking infallibly.
4.2. It is clear from various Biblical texts Peter is that individual.
4.2.1 Based on numbers alone, Peter’s name is mentioned 195 times. The rest of the apostles combined total 130. In a distant second is John, with 29 mentions. Others include James at 24, Judas at 23, and Philip at 6.
4.2.2. In the Gospels and Acts, when there is a list of the Apostles, almost every time Peter is named first. In the Greek, as in Matthew 10:2, he is called the protos, which is also translated as chief in Matthew 20:27 Being called first then does not mean chronological, but first as in firstborn or first in importance. It designated rank or pre-eminence. (Cross references in the Septuagint are Nehemiah 12:46, 2nd Chronicles 26:20 and elsewhere in the New Testament with Luke 15:22, 1st Timothy 1:15, and Acts 28:7)
4.2.3 Peter is the one in multiple passages where he speaks to Jesus for the other Apostles. Matthew 18:21 on forgiveness. Luke 12:41, Mark 10:28 on telling Jesus they left everything for him. In some Gospels, it accounts that the apostles in general asked Jesus something, but in parallel passages in other Gospels, it is Peter alone who asks Mark 7:17-Matthew 15:15, Matthew 21:20-Mark 11:21
4.2.4 Peter is the one hostiles went to as in Matthew 17:24. They recognized him as leader.
4.2.5 At the resurrection, Peter is specified to be delivered the news from the angel. John (or the beloved disciple) gets there first, yet lets Peter go inside first when Peter catches up. Jesus reveals himself to Peter as the first disciple as mentioned in Luke 24:34 and 1st Corinthians 15:5
4.3 Jesus appoints Peter a leadership role in Matthew 16:13-19, particularly verses 18 and 19.
4.3.1 Jesus makes some things clear in these verses. First, Jesus says that he will build his church upon Peter. So long as Peter is there, the church is there being built by Jesus. Secondly, he promised to Peter that the gates of Hades will not overcome it, and I talked about this already in my first premise. Thirdly, Jesus endowed him with the keys of the kingdom. But since Peter is gone, how can Jesus continue to build his church? And fourthly, he has the power to bind and loose, which Protestants like W.F. Albright say, “The clauses on earth, in heaven, have reference to the permanent character of the stewards work.”
4.3.2 This is because in delegating the keys to Peter, he is giving him an office. Jesus is lifting a text from Isaiah 22, and many Protestants like Craig S. Keener acknowledge this. He says, “The image of the keys (plural) perhaps suggests not so much the porter, who controls admission to the house, as the steward, who regulates its administration. The issue then is not that of admission to the church (which is not what the kingdom of heaven means…) but an authority derived from a ‘delegation of God’s sovereignty.’”
4.3.2 In Isaiah 22, hundreds of years have passed since David, yet the house of David still has a steward in place. David’s Kingdom was set up in the 11th century B.C. and Isaiah was written around the 8th century B.C. 300-400 years have passed since then. This implies succession. This is made more certain as Shebna is to be replaced with Eliakim. This position is referred to in places such as 1st Kings 18:3, further reinforcing the idea of succession.
5. Therefore, from 3 and 4, that singular person then cannot err when making declarations on faith and morals.
In summary then, the argument is as follows. The Church cannot teach error. The Church does teach and make declaration on faith and morals. Therefore, the Church cannot err when teaching and declaring issues on faith and morals. A singular person can represent the Church. Therefore, that singular person then cannot err when making declarations on faith and morals. This individual, us Catholics call Pope Francis
1. The church cannot teach error.
1.1 The gates of Hades will not over come the church (Matthew 16:18b)
Many understand this to mean that the Church will not cease to exist. Many respectable Christian apologists such as Norm Giesler and Josh McDowell will use this text against cults like the Mormons to prove that the Church will not cease to exist contrary to what Mormon doctrine teaches. This is reasonable. A church that does not teach truth, like Mormonism or the Watchtower Society, cannot be said to be a Christian church. So, to teach false doctrine, we recognize, is to disqualify a group of people from being that Church Jesus established.
1.1.1 This is further reinforced by Paul’s statement in 1st Timothy 3:15 that the pillar and foundation of truth is the church. If truth is supported by the church, or is grounded or protected by the church, then it cannot also teach error. To also teach error would undermine the Church being a pillar or a foundation, and so the two are mutually exclusive. Hence, it can only teach truth.
1.2. He who listens to you listens to me (Luke 10:20)
Jesus makes appointments to people. These people have the duty to teach others about God. Jesus makes a statement of identity when he tells these appointed people that those who listen to them listen to him. If to listen to Jesus means listening to infallible statements, then by the law of identity, those who listen to the statements of those appointed to teach about Jesus are equally infallible.
1.3. Whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in heaven (Matthew 18:18)
Jesus gives this power to the leadership of the Church. What does this power entail? The Holman Apologetics Study Bible, not a Catholic friendly source, says this, “Jesus delegated authority to the Church and its leadership to open access to the kingdom and so forgive or retain sins, to discipline members, and to render doctrinal decisions. This authority is seen exercised in Acts 5:1-11, 13:38,46; 15:23-29; 1st Corinthians 5:3-5.” If the church gives false doctrinal decisions, then it meaningless to say they have this power since that power is not exercised. To make sense out of this it is reasonably said that their doctrinal decisions are without error.
2. The Church does teach and make declarations on faith and morals.
It does seem obvious that the Church is indeed a teaching organism. Faith and morals belong to the jurisdiction of the Church for that is what Jesus came to teach. Things like the finer details of economic issues, for example, lay outside the jurisdiction of the Church, so far as they are removed from the moral component, and so the Church cannot say much towards issues such as those. Repeatedly the church makes official declarations whereas to deny such a declaration is to be condemned. Some examples are heresies such a Arianism and Nestorianism. The Church has also composed the New Testament cannon, and we all, for the most part, accept this. These are all declarations of Ecumenical councils, which just about every orthodox Christian accepts, and so is not controversial. For further Biblical reference, I will just point you back to the list of scriptures that I quoted earlier from the Holman Apologetics Study Bible.
3. Therefore, from 1 and 2, the Church cannot err when teaching and declaring issues on faith and morals.
4. A singular person can represent the Church.
4.1 There is Biblical precedent for this
4.1.1 God appointed Abram when he changed his name from Abram to Abraham. Abram means “exalted father” and Abraham means “Chief of the multitude” (Genesis 17:5). God appointed Jacob leader when he changed his name to Israel (Genesis 32:28, 35:10). In the same way, as God changed Peters name from Simon, he too is supposed to be a monumental leader of faith.
4.1.2 There is a parallel between the charism of the High Priest, a leader, and the charism of what we call Papal infallibility. In Exodus 28:30, Numbers 27:21, 1st Samuel 14:41, Ezra 2:63, and Nehemiah 7:65, the High Priest inquires with the Urim and the Thummim in order to make a right decision. This sets a precedent for a religious leader having a special charism for discerning truth. The charism of the High Priest is seen in the New Testament in John 11:49-53 where the High Priest speaks a truth about Jesus even though he himself was plotting to kill him. Why then did he utter propositions that he personally was against? Scripture credits this to him in virtue of his office. So from this we see that there is a leader, and on top of that a leader can have the gift of speaking infallibly.
4.2. It is clear from various Biblical texts Peter is that individual.
4.2.1 Based on numbers alone, Peter’s name is mentioned 195 times. The rest of the apostles combined total 130. In a distant second is John, with 29 mentions. Others include James at 24, Judas at 23, and Philip at 6.
4.2.2. In the Gospels and Acts, when there is a list of the Apostles, almost every time Peter is named first. In the Greek, as in Matthew 10:2, he is called the protos, which is also translated as chief in Matthew 20:27 Being called first then does not mean chronological, but first as in firstborn or first in importance. It designated rank or pre-eminence. (Cross references in the Septuagint are Nehemiah 12:46, 2nd Chronicles 26:20 and elsewhere in the New Testament with Luke 15:22, 1st Timothy 1:15, and Acts 28:7)
4.2.3 Peter is the one in multiple passages where he speaks to Jesus for the other Apostles. Matthew 18:21 on forgiveness. Luke 12:41, Mark 10:28 on telling Jesus they left everything for him. In some Gospels, it accounts that the apostles in general asked Jesus something, but in parallel passages in other Gospels, it is Peter alone who asks Mark 7:17-Matthew 15:15, Matthew 21:20-Mark 11:21
4.2.4 Peter is the one hostiles went to as in Matthew 17:24. They recognized him as leader.
4.2.5 At the resurrection, Peter is specified to be delivered the news from the angel. John (or the beloved disciple) gets there first, yet lets Peter go inside first when Peter catches up. Jesus reveals himself to Peter as the first disciple as mentioned in Luke 24:34 and 1st Corinthians 15:5
4.3 Jesus appoints Peter a leadership role in Matthew 16:13-19, particularly verses 18 and 19.
4.3.1 Jesus makes some things clear in these verses. First, Jesus says that he will build his church upon Peter. So long as Peter is there, the church is there being built by Jesus. Secondly, he promised to Peter that the gates of Hades will not overcome it, and I talked about this already in my first premise. Thirdly, Jesus endowed him with the keys of the kingdom. But since Peter is gone, how can Jesus continue to build his church? And fourthly, he has the power to bind and loose, which Protestants like W.F. Albright say, “The clauses on earth, in heaven, have reference to the permanent character of the stewards work.”
4.3.2 This is because in delegating the keys to Peter, he is giving him an office. Jesus is lifting a text from Isaiah 22, and many Protestants like Craig S. Keener acknowledge this. He says, “The image of the keys (plural) perhaps suggests not so much the porter, who controls admission to the house, as the steward, who regulates its administration. The issue then is not that of admission to the church (which is not what the kingdom of heaven means…) but an authority derived from a ‘delegation of God’s sovereignty.’”
4.3.2 In Isaiah 22, hundreds of years have passed since David, yet the house of David still has a steward in place. David’s Kingdom was set up in the 11th century B.C. and Isaiah was written around the 8th century B.C. 300-400 years have passed since then. This implies succession. This is made more certain as Shebna is to be replaced with Eliakim. This position is referred to in places such as 1st Kings 18:3, further reinforcing the idea of succession.
5. Therefore, from 3 and 4, that singular person then cannot err when making declarations on faith and morals.
In summary then, the argument is as follows. The Church cannot teach error. The Church does teach and make declaration on faith and morals. Therefore, the Church cannot err when teaching and declaring issues on faith and morals. A singular person can represent the Church. Therefore, that singular person then cannot err when making declarations on faith and morals. This individual, us Catholics call Pope Francis
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