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Foundations

  1. 1 Sola Scriptura vs. Scripture & Tradition
  2. 2 Sola Fide vs. Faith & Works (Justification)
  3. 3 Mary & the Saints
  4. 4 The Eucharist (Real Presence & the Mass)
  5. 5 Papal Authority & Apostolic Succession
  6. 6 Purgatory & Indulgences
  7. 7 Church of Christ-Specific Issues
  8. 8 Calvinist-Specific Issues (TULIP vs. Grace & Free Will)
  9. 14 The Canon of Scripture (Why Catholic Bibles Have 73 Books)
  10. 22 What “Justified” Means (and Paul vs. James)

Sacraments

  1. 9 Confession & Reconciliation
  2. 15 Baptism (and Why Catholics Baptize Infants)
  3. 19 Holy Orders & Priestly Celibacy
  4. 20 Confirmation (Is It an Extra Ceremony?)

Pastoral

  1. 10 Salvation Outside the Church

Practice

  1. 11 Images & Repetition (Statues & the Rosary)

Marian Dogmas

  1. 12 Immaculate Conception & Assumption
  2. 18 Mary’s Perpetual Virginity (and “the Brothers of Jesus”)

Capstone

  1. 13 The Nicene Creed, Line by Line

Church History

  1. 16 The “Great Apostasy” Claim (Did the Church Fall Away?)
  2. 17 The Abuse Scandal (Can This Be Christ’s Church?)
  3. 21 The Church Fathers (Who They Were and How to Cite Them)

Showing reference sheets.

Reference · Teaching 19

Holy Orders & Celibacy — Cheat Sheet

Three separate questions

QuestionCatholic response
Why priests at all?Christ gave the apostles authority and they passed it on by laying on of hands (John 20:23; 2 Timothy 1:6; Titus 1:5)
Why "Father"?Jesus warned against pride; Paul calls himself a spiritual father (1 Corinthians 4:15)
Why celibacy?A discipline, not a doctrine (1 Corinthians 7:32-35; Matthew 19:12); Eastern Catholic priests may marry

Key verses

VerseUsed for
1 Peter 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5Protestant: a priesthood of all believers and one mediator.
Matthew 23:9; 1 Timothy 3:2Protestant: no "Father," and a bishop may be married.
John 20:23; Luke 22:19Catholic: authority given to the apostles.
1 Corinthians 7:32-35; Matthew 19:12Catholic: celibacy for the kingdom.

The one-line argument to remember

Start from agreement: "We agree every Christian is a priest and Christ is the one mediator. I'm asking whether he also appointed ministers, and whether celibacy is a rule the Church can change."

Nuance to hold onto