Was Peter Married? Is Priestly Celibacy Biblical?

  

WAS PETER MARRIED?  
IS PRIESTLY CELIBACY BIBLICAL?

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“Was Peter married? Is priestly celibacy biblical?” - Important Passages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church to Consider:

• “All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate ‘for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.’” (CCC 1579)
• “In the Eastern Churches a different discipline has been in force for many centuries…married men can be ordained as deacons and priests.  This practice has long been considered legitimate” (CCC 1580)
• “Celibacy is a sign of this new life of the service of which the Church’s minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God.” (CCC 1579)

“Was Peter married? Is priestly celibacy biblical?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

• Matthew 19:12 “For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” (ESV)
• Matt 8:14 “when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.”
• Mark 1:30 “Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, &immediately they told him about her.” (ESV)
• Luke 4:38 “And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 9:5 “Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” (ESV)
• 1 Timothy 3:2 “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach” (ESV)
• Titus 1:6 “if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.” (ESV)
• 1 Timothy 4:3 "who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” (ESV)

“Was Peter married? Is priestly celibacy biblical?” - Important Questions to Consider:

• Does Matthew 19:12 sound like a voluntary choice among believers or a mandate for all priests?
• Is celibacy is a “sign of this new life of service”, then why wasn’t Peter single?
• Why does the encouragement of 1 Corinthians 9:5 encourage marriage in the example of Peter and Jesus’ brothers?
• In the Biblical descriptions of qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9) for overseers, bishops, elder, or pastors, are there ever any encouragements or mandates for singleness?  Why do these passages both reference the church leaders as being married?
• If the Catholic Church is reconsidering its position on this issue, was it wrong in the past?  What other issues may they have not spoken from the unchanging revelation of God?
• Does the warning of 1 Timothy 4:3 apply to the Catholic Church? For priestly celibacy? For lenten fasting?

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What Does the Bible Say About False Teachers?

 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS?

Ephesians 4:11-14 “that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (ESV)

What is a prophet? How can I recognize a true prophet from a false prophet?  A prophet is a messenger of God who carries a message directly and personally related and is held to 100% consistency with Scripture and 100% fulfillment of any predictive statements. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18: 15-22)

What is the difference between a prophet and a teacher?  Both roles include the element of teaching, but a prophet claims a direct encounter with God (dream, vision, meeting, voice, event, etc.) where God revealed or spoke a particular message to him.

How can I recognize a true teacher from a bad teacher? A bad teacher from a false teacher?  A bad teacher may misunderstand issues in Scripture or just do a poor job at instructing and exhorting people.  A false teacher teaches “a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 6:3) and goes against “sound doctrines” (Titus 1:9) specifically with an understanding towards who God is, what salvation is, and what the Scriptures say. 

Isn’t it wrong to publicly call out preachers, teachers, Christians, etc.?  The issue of “opinions” between Christian brothers is different from the issue of “false teachings.”  Paul warns “not to quarrel over opinions” (v.1) in Romans 14, pointing out the dangers of “passing judgment” on a brother in Christ and how it can “destroy the work of God” (v.20).  However, God commands us to “judge” those inside the church when their lifestyles (1 Corinthians 5:9-13) do not line up with God’s Word.  God also commands us to watch out for and confront false teachers who “teach a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Timothy 6:3).  Pastors are specifically tasked to 1) "give instruction in sound doctrine" and 2) "rebuke those who contradict it" (Titus 1:9).

Should a false teacher be called out by name? If so, when?  When a specific false teaching or teacher is affecting a body of believers (i.e. family, small group, church, denomination, region, nation), that false teaching and teacher must be named and confronted.  Paul does this with both false teachings (1 Timothy 1:3-20 ; 6:2-10, Jude 1, 2 Peter 2, & many more) and with particular names (Alexander, Hymenaeus, & Philetus in 1 Timothy 1:20 and 2 Timothy 2:17)

What are some examples of false teachings? What are some characteristics of false teachers?

There are many examples of false teachers with common descriptions (Galatians, 2 Peter, 1 & 2 Timothy, 1 & 2 John, Jude) that they may look and sound like Christians but that their teachings and lifestyle are not consistent with Scripture.

How can you call them false teachers when some of these people have doctrinal statements on their website and do many good things in getting the Bible and gospel into the hands of so many?  Christianity is not a salvation of works and although some “good fruits” may seem exist in these ministries, they only mask the lies.  The ends of a ministry (salvations, missions, good works) do not justify the means (a false gospel).

When false teachers lead people to Christ, are these converts false believers?  Not necessarily.  If these believers have understood the gospel falsely, then their trust and faith in Jesus may be out of a greater love of Jesus’ gifts rather than Jesus.  Even if they have become true followers of Jesus, they need to study the Word of God, test their teachers, and be extremely cautious before recommending a teacher to someone else. 

Is it possible for false teachers to turn to truth and become true teachers?  Yes, until we die, it is possible for anyone who is separated from God to turn to Him in salvation.  Pray for their repentence and turning to the true Gospel of Christ.

If I have been following a false teacher, should I be embarrassed or ashamed?  What does God want me to do in response to realizing that I was following a false teacher?  If you find that you have been following a bad or false teacher, repent of believing the lies that you heard/read and put on God's truths.  If you have led or encouraged others towards those teachings/teachers, guide them into the truth.

I still don’t believe ______________ is a false prophet/teacher, so how does this message matter for me?  What should I do next?  If you haven't been convinced from this outline, you need to be very concerned about your understanding of God, the Gospel, and His truths.  Invest some time in reading the Scriptures to make sure you understand the teachings of God and not be misled by the traditions of men. Even if you haven’t become convinced that he teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is false, you need to begin to listen very closely to what you hear and read in the future.  You need to make sure that who you listen to is trustworthy and is teaching the whole counsel of God accurately. 

Matthew 15:1–9 “Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, [2] “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” [3] He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? [4] For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ [5] But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” [6] he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. [7] You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: [8] “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; [9] in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (ESV)

Mark 7:1–13 “[7] in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ [8] You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” [9] And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! … [13] thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (ESV)

Galatians 1:13–16 “For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. [14] And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.” (ESV)

False Teachers: Watch Out!

(2 Peter 2, ESV)

Believers Mature At Different Paces

3^rd Level Issues: Allowable Individual Differences “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. …So then each of us will give an account to God.” (Romans 14:1-12)

Less Faithful Teachers: Believing Christians, in Error

2^nd Level Issues: Denominational Differences “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” (James 3:1)

False Teachers Misrepresent God & the Gospel

1^st Level Issues: Christian vs. Non-Christian: Essential Teachings  “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20)

• Who is God? What is the Gospel? What are the Scriptures?

1. PREPARE! Their Presence is Guaranteed but is not Obvious to All – v.1

2. WATCH!  False Teachers Are Characterized by:

False Words – v.3 ; Speaking Ignorantly – v.12 ; Endorse Sin – v.2, 13-15, 18 ; Greedy  v.3, 14 ; Proud w/no accountability – v.10, 18 (Jude 8) ; Make Empty Promises – v.19 ; Rely on Experience/Dreams (Jude 8) ; Speak Flippantly To Satan/Demons (2 Pet 2:10-13; Jude 8-10) Have Some Scriptural Knowledge, But Wander from It – v.20-22

3. CORRECT & WARN  Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 1:3) 

• Their Teachings Are Dangerous – v.1-3 – “destructive heresies”
• False Teachings  Are Characterized by: (Example, Pergamum, Revelation 2:12-17)

Positive Thinking (self-focused prayers, name it/claim it, declarations)

Partial Truths (highlight the “positive”/easy, ignore the “negative”/difficult)

Promises (worship the gifts, not the giver)

Health, Wealth, & Prosperity (worldly-focused: good things into god things)

Legalism (works based salvation, self-righteousness)

License (freedom to sin) “pervert the grace of our God into sensuality” (Jude 1:4)

False Religions “deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4)

• Their Punishment Is Guaranteed – v.1-10 (Jude)

The Lord Knows How to Rescue the Righteous

(v.7-9) The Righteous Are... “distressed  by the sensual conduct of the wicked”...”as that righteous man [Lot] lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard”

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Does Peter Call Himself a Pope or Bishop?

 

 DID PETER CALL HIMSELF A POPE OR BISHOP?

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“Did Peter call himself a Pope or Bishop?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

• 1 Peter 1:1 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ”
• 2 Peter 1:1 “Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ”
• 1 Peter 2:25 “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls”
• 1 Corinthians 1:12–17 “What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” [13] Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? [14] I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, [15] so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. [16] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) [17] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 3:4–9 “For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?” [5] What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. [6] I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. [7] So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. [8] He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. [9] For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.” (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 3:19–23 “For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” [20] and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” [21] So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, [22] whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, [23] and you are Christ's, and Christ is God’s." (ESV)
• 1 Peter 5:1–2 “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: [2] shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly” (ESV)

“Did Peter call himself a Pope or Bishop?” - Important Questions to Consider:

• Why doesn’t Peter refer to himself more than just a servant or apostle?  If he was leading the church authoritatively wouldn’t he have asserted so in his introduction?  
• Is there anywhere in the Bible where Peter asserts his authority, role, or power over the other apostles?
• Specifically as the foundation of the church, the pope, why doesn’t Peter mention apostolic succession anywhere in the Bible?
• Why are there so many repeated warnings in 1 Corinthians 1 & 3 about following people by name?  If Peter wanted the church to follow his leadership and name, why doesn’t he say so in his writings (1 & 2 Peter)?
• Why does Peter always point to Jesus instead of the church and its sacraments as the hope of salvation?  Why does 1 and 2 Peter (the writings of Peter) sound so different from The Catechism of the Catholic Church?
• Why does the Catholic Church assert the obligation or compulsion for obedience versus the description of 1 Peter 5:1-2 saying “not under compulsion, but willingly”?

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