In a talk from The Coming Home Network’s 2009 Deep in History conference, Scripture scholar Dr. Brant Pitre looks at the history of Jewish Temple worship, and how the language used by Jesus in establishing Peter as the head of the Church in Matthew 16 draws from those traditions. Dr. Pitre looks at what the power to bind and loose looked like in the Davidic monarchy, what Jesus meant by calling Peter a “rock,” the meaning of the “keys to the kingdom,” and a lot more.

For more of Dr. Pitre’s research on this question, we recommend his book Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper.

Study Questions:

-How is it that the first Christians — who were all Jews — so quickly accepted the authority of Peter over Christ’s Church?

-Why did the first Christians see Peter as a priest (why is the pope a priestly figure)?

-What are the four main bodies of literature that the Jews held? How does this illuminate Catholic Tradition and practices?

-Which Jewish tradition that Dr. Pitre described was most interesting to you? Why?

-Which book does Dr. Pitre suggest the audience read?

The post The Jewish Roots of the Papacy – Dr. Brant Pitre appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2009 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-Why is the issue of authority inevitable? 

-What does it mean that the apostles had a “derived authority”? Why does that matter, according to Dr. Howell? (see Matt 7:28-29; Matt 28:19-20; John 20:19-23)

-By the end of the first century, the Church was much bigger than what is recorded in the book of Acts. Does this surprise you? What can we learn from the Council of Jerusalem?

-How did the authority of the apostles express itself in their ministries when there was no completed New Testament? What kind of authority did the apostles have — was it one of guidance and suggestions, or did the authority of the apostles act as divine law for the Church? 

-Was the authority of the apostles shared with others or was it uniquely possessed by them? Was their authority passed on to others or did it cease when they died off? What does Clement say?

-Was the Bible the only means through which apostolic authority was transmitted, according to Dr. Howell? 

-How did authority arise within the early Christian Church?

-What counsel does Paul give Timothy and Titus in his letters?

Vocabulary

Apostle: A term meaning one who is sent as Jesus was sent by the Father, and as he sent his chosen disciples to preach the Gospel to the whole world. He called the Twelve to become his Apostles, chosen witnesses of his Resurrection and the foundation on which the Church is built.  The apostolic office is permanent in the Church, in order to ensure that the divine mission entrusted to the Apostles by Jesus will continue to the end of time. The bishops receive their office as successors of the Apostles through the Sacrament of Holy Orders. (Catechism of the Catholic Church Glossary)

Apostolic Succession: The handing on of apostolic preaching and authority from the Apostles to their successors the bishops through the laying on of hands, as a permanent office in the Church. (CCC Glossary)

The post The Issue of Authority in Early Christianity – Dr. Kenneth Howell appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click here to purchase Dr. Thigpen’s full talk, “Spiritual Authority – Who Needs It?” as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2009 Deep in History Conference.

The post Top 10 Reasons to Study Church History – Dr. Paul Thigpen appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click here to purchase Dr. Thigpen’s full talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2009 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-How are personal experience and reasoning limited as sources of knowledge?

-What are the problems with authority as a source of knowledge? How does St. Augustine address the issue of authority?

-Why is authority necessary, according to Dr. Thigpen?

Vocabulary:

Manichean –An adherent of the dualistic religious system of Manes, a combination of Gnostic Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and various other elements, with a basic doctrine of a conflict between light and dark, matter being regarded as dark and evil. 

The post Spiritual Authority – Who Needs It? – Paul Thigpen appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2009 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-Why is the Our Father the perfect prayer? What does “order” have to do with its perfection?

-What insight(s) does Dr. Hahn give you into fatherhood, especially in regards to the heavenly
Father?

-What is the significance of the laws of God’s kingdom, according to Dr. Hahn? Did his
explanation of God’s laws have an impact on you? If so, how?

-How does lack of trust in God effect our lives and our souls?

-The Our Father is probably the best known prayer in the world. Were there any surprising points,
which Dr. Hahn made, that made you re-think this prayer?

The post Understanding the ‘Our Father’ – Dr. Scott Hahn appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2009 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-How did Grodi’s understanding of “church” change over the years? 

-According to Grodi, what are the flaws in Calvin’s idea of “the Church”?

-What problem did Grodi see in the Westminster Confession?

-What is “the Church” according to the Bible?

-Did the five ways authority has been defined historically surprise you? Why?

Scripture References:

“I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:14-15)

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:15-20)

The post The Verse I Never Saw – Marcus Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2009 Deep in History Conference.

Study Guide:

-We are created in the image and likeness of God. After listening to Msgr. Lane’s talk, how do we, as human persons, image the Holy Trinity?

-What do relationships have to do with the fullness of our humanity?

-Msgr. Lane talks at length about the occasion of the needs of the individual oppressing the community. What are your reactions to his thoughts?

-What are our rights as members of the Church (the Body of Christ) in disagreeing with legitimate authority? Where do those rights end? What are your reactions to these thoughts?

The post Church Authority and the Holy Trinity – Msgr Frank Lane appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2009 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-What’s the best way to study the Bible, according to Ray?

-What is the “Fifth Gospel”? Do you agree?

-How does the description of Caesarea Philippi help you better understand Matthew 16:13-20?

-What is the importance of the renaming of Peter? Were there things Ray pointed out that you had never considered before? 

-What are the keys, according to Scripture? (see Isaiah 22:22) How does Old Testament dynastic succession correspond with Apostolic Succession? Why does it matter what Peter and the Apostles thought as Jews when they heard Jesus speak of “the keys of the Kingdom”?

-Have you ever considered to what the “Chair of Moses” in Matthew 23:2 was referring? How did Ray clarify the Jewish understanding of the Chair of Moses? How does this help you understand the Catholic “Chair of Peter”?

-Have you ever felt the pressure of “being your own pope,” as Steve Ray describes? 

-How does the Holy Spirit speak infallibly through sinful men?

Vocabulary:

Mishna and Talmud: The Mishna is the name for the sixty-three tractates in which Rabbi Judah set down the Oral Law, in which Jewish law is systematically codified. The Talmud is a compilation of discussions and commentaries on the Mishna’s laws made by rabbis.

The post Peter, the Rock, the Keys, and the Chair – Steve Ray appeared first on The Coming Home Network.