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DOES CHURCH TRADITION CHANGE? DOES GOD’S REVELATION CONTINUE?

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“Does God's Revelation Continue in Catholicism?” - Passages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church to Consider:

  • “In light of Tradition, these traditions can be retained, modified or even abandoned under the guidance of the Church’s magisterium” (CCC 83)

  • “We believe all ‘that which is contained in the word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church proposes for belief as divinely revealed” (CCC 182)

“Does God's Revelation Continue in Catholicism?” - Scriptures to Consider:

  • Malachi 3:6 “For I the Lord do not change”

  • James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

  • Numbers 23:19 “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

  • Revelation 22:18-20 "warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life”

  • Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”

  • Deuteronomy 4:1–2 “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. [2] You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.” (ESV)

  • 2 John 9–10 “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. [10] If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting” (ESV)

  • Jude 3–4 “I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. [4] For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God”

  • Galatians 1:6–9 "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—[7] not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. [9] As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (ESV)

  • 2 Peter 1:21 “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (ESV)

“Does God's Revelation Continue in Catholicism?” - Questions to Consider:

  • Does God change with time?  How does God reveal Himself to us specifically?

  • Since the Bible is complete and purposed to describe God to us, why does it need to be added to by Tradition if God does not change?

  • If Tradition is divinely inspired, why does it change with time and church leadership when the Bible does not?  Why have parts been edited out and added in?

  • Why would it be so serious and dangerous to add words, verses, or passages to the Bible?

  • In what scenarios would it be necessary for the Catholic Church to add new revelation of Tradition?

  • How do we discern if a prophet or teacher is true or false? How do we recognize a “different gospel”?

  • Why does God give us so many warnings about false teachers?

  • Is the Bible sufficient for our studies of truth?

  • Where are the Bible and The Catechism of the Catholic Church similar?  Different?