The Seat of Moses as teaching authority

Matt 23-2

Built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets

Eph. 2:20

Brothers of Jesus?

Traditional Christianity held that Jesus is Mary’s only son. The references to Jesus’ brothers refers to other family members, and in some cases to his disciples. W Mary wife of Cleophas and sister of the Virgin Mary (Jn 19:25) is the mother of James and Joseph (Mk 15:47; Mt 27:56) who are called the "brothers of Jesus" (Mk 6:3). W Acts 1:12-15 Apostles, Mary, some women and Jesus' brothers number about 120. That is a lot of brothers. W Gen 14:14 Lot, Abraham's nephew (Gen 11:26-28), described as Abraham's brother (KJV). W Gen 29:15 Laban, Jacob's uncle, calls Jacob his brother (KJV). W John 19:26-27 Jesus gives care of Mary to John, not one of his brothers.

Saints
“The saint is one so attuned to the spirit and heart of Christ that he is compelled to answer the demands of love by a love that matches that of Christ.” Thomas Merton

Not God of the dead, but of the living

Mk 12:26-27

Body of Christ

1 Cor 12:25-27; Rom 12:4-5

Intercessory prayer

Eph 6:18; Rom 15:30; Col 4:3; 2 Thess 1:11

Veneration of angels united with God
Mt 18:10; Jos 5:14; Dan 8:17; Tobit 12:16

Saints also united with God
1 Cor 13:12; 1 John 3:2

Deceased Onias and Jeremiah interceded for Jews

2 Mac 15:11-16

Moses and Samuel's intercession
Jer 15:1

The Saints rose at the Resurrection and wandered around Jerusalem

Eph 2:19; Matt 27:52

The warning is not to communicate with the Dead, Saints are not dead they are alive as all are alive to God

Deut. 18:10

The Tranfiguration, were Moses and Elijah dead?

Matt 17, & Mark 9

Statues/Images

God commands images to be made
Ex 25:18-22; Num 21:8-9

Solomon builds his temple with statues and images

1 Kings 6:23-29; 35; 7:29

The Early Church on the Papacy

Often people argue that there is no historical precedent for the primacy of Peter and the papacy. Here are some short quotes showing what the early Christians believed about the papacy.

Clement of Alexandria

"[T]he blessed Peter, the chosen, the pre-eminent, the first among the disciples, for whom alone with himself the Savior paid the tribute [Matt. 17:27], quickly grasped and understood their meaning. And what does he say? `Behold, we have left all and have followed you'"

[Matt. 19:27; Mark 10:28] (Who Is the Rich Man That is Saved? 21:3-5 [A.D. 200]).

Tertullian

"For though you think that heaven is still shut up, remember that the Lord left the keys of it to Peter here, and through him to the Church, which keys everyone will carry with him if he has been questioned and made a confession [of faith]" (Antidote Against the

Scorpion 10 [A.D. 211]).
 

Tertullian

"[T]he Lord said to Peter, 'On this rock I will build my Church, I have given you the keys of the kingdom of heaven [and] whatever you shall have bound or loosed on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven' [Matt. 16:18-19] . . . Upon you, he says, I will build my Church; and I will give to you the keys, not to the Church; and whatever you shall have bound or you shall have loosed, not what they shall have bound or they shall have loosed" (Modesty 21:9-10 [A.D. 220]).

Cyprian of Carthage

"The Lord says to Peter: 'I say to you,' he says, 'that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church' . . .

On him [Peter] he builds the Church, and to him he gives the command to feed the sheep [John 21:17], and
although he assigns a like power to all the apostles, yet he founded a single chair [cathedra], and he established by
his own authority a source and an intrinsic reason for that unity. Indeed, the others were that also which Peter was [i.e., apostles], but a primacy is given to Peter, whereby it is made clear that there is but one Church and one chair. So too, all [the apostles] are shepherds, and the flock is shown to be one, fed by all the apostles in single-minded accord. If someone does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? If he [should] desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can he still be confident that he is in the Church?" (The Unity of the Catholic Church 4; 1st edition [A.D. 251]).
 

Ephraim the Syrian

"[Jesus said:] Simon, my follower, I have made you the foundation of the holy Church. I betimes called you Peter, because you will support all its buildings. You are the inspector of those who will build on Earth a Church for me. If they should wish to build what is false, you, the foundation, will condemn them. You are the head of the fountain from which my teaching flows; you are the chief of my disciples. Through you I will give drink to all peoples. Yours is that life-giving sweetness which I