My friend Al Kresta (Catholic talk show host and author) once noted that in C. S. Lewis’ famous book, Mere Christianity: an ecumenical effort to find things that all Christians shared in common, and the “non-negotiables” of Christianity, a central, crucial doctrine of two of the three major divisions of Christianity was omitted.
The great Anglican apologist did not include a doctrine of the Church as a binding authority in the Christian life, which is a belief strongly held by Catholics and Orthodox, but formally denied by Protestants, who hold that only Scripture is an infallible authority (what is known as sola Scriptura; literally, “Bible Alone”).
As a Catholic convert, whose former biggest objection to Catholicism, by far, was the notion of an infallible Church or pope, I understand this viewpoint, but I thoroughly reject it now. I’d like to highlight three biblical passages that teach a very strong view of the authority of the Christian, or Catholic Church (contra sola Scriptura).
Read more on: National Catholic Register
