The Universal Church of Jesus Christ: A Foundation Built on Scripture and History by Jeff Callaway

The Universal Church of Jesus Christ: A Foundation Built on Scripture and History

By Jeff Callaway

Texas Outlaw Poet

In the shadow of ancient cathedrals and the pulse of modern cities, the Roman Catholic Church stands as a towering presence, its roots sinking deep into the soil of biblical history. Its claim is bold: not merely one denomination among many, but the singular Church established by Jesus Christ Himself, its interpretations of His New Covenant unerringly correct. Through the lens of the Holy Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and a wealth of historical records, a narrative emerges, tracing God’s deliberate design from the dusty hills of Galilee to the Church’s enduring role today. This is the story of an institution that declares itself the mystical body of Christ, the sole vehicle of salvation promised to persist until the end of time.

The journey began with a question: in a world of countless Christian denominations, which embodies the unified Church promised in Scripture? The evidence—scriptural, historical, and theological—points to the Roman Catholic Church as the fulfillment of Christ’s vision. From the establishment of the New Covenant to the unbroken chain of apostolic succession, the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit, the sacramental framework, and the compilation of the Bible, each element interlocks to form a compelling case for the Church’s singular authority.

I: The Establishment of a New Covenant and a New Kingdom

The ministry of Jesus Christ was not merely an offering of a new philosophy or moral code; it was the establishment of a new covenant and a new religion. This new religion was not to be a scattered assembly of individuals, but a single, visible, and unified body: a Church. Jesus Himself is the cornerstone of this new institution, the fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecies and the very foundation upon which His Church is built. This is a foundational premise of the Christian faith, a reality that transcends denominational lines. The central argument for the Church’s divine origin rests on the authority Jesus personally conferred upon His Apostles, and specifically, upon Simon Peter.

The pivotal moment of the Church's founding is recorded in Matthew 16. Jesus takes the fisherman Simon and renames him Peter, a Greek name meaning "rock". This is not a random nickname but a symbolic act of new identity and purpose. Jesus declares, "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it".

The Catholic understanding is that Peter himself is the foundation stone. This is not a distinction between Peter the man and his confession, but an acknowledgment of a profound divine-human partnership. It was Peter’s divinely revealed confession that Jesus is the Christ that made him worthy to be the rock. The person of Peter is inseparable from his confession, and the promise of the Church is built upon his singular, foundational role.

Following this powerful declaration, Jesus promises Peter the "keys of the kingdom of heaven". This imagery, drawn from the Old Testament, specifically recalls the role of the prime minister in the kingdom of Israel, who held the keys to the royal household and governed on behalf of the king in his absence. This symbolic act signifies a position of ultimate authority and stewardship. Jesus further grants Peter the authority to "bind on earth... and loose on earth". This is a comprehensive authority that encompasses the power to render doctrinal judgments, legislate on moral issues, and forgive sins. It is a direct and active power, not a passive one. This is a crucial distinction from interpretations that suggest this power was merely a mandate to declare what God has already decided. The power to "retain" sins, a specific detail mentioned in John 20, is a direct, active power that requires more than a mere declaration; it implies a true, sacramental agency. The power Jesus granted to Peter and the Apostles was a perpetual, authoritative ministry, and the cause of this specific grant of authority leads directly to the effect of a continuous and authoritative Church.

The narrative reveals a deliberate structure: Jesus did not leave His followers to interpret His teachings in isolation but established a visible institution with a designated leader. The promise that “the gates of hell shall not prevail” underscores the Church’s divine protection, a theme that echoes through the centuries. Did this authority end with Peter, or was it meant to endure?

II: A Direct and Unbroken Line of Succession

The Church’s mission, its teaching authority, and its power to forgive sins were not meant to end with the death of the Apostles. Just as Judas’s apostolic office required a successor (Acts 1), so too did the unique roles of the Apostles, particularly Peter's, require a continuous line of succession. This necessity is the basis for the Catholic doctrine of Apostolic Succession. The historical record confirms a direct line of succession from Peter to his immediate successors. The early Church Fathers, writing only decades after the Apostles, provide clear testimony.

Irenaeus of Lyons, writing in the second century, explicitly compiled a list of the bishops of Rome, stating that Peter and Paul "handed over the office of the episcopate to Linus". This directly links the first Pope to the Apostles themselves. Eusebius of Caesarea, a great Church historian, affirmed this testimony, noting that Linus, mentioned by Paul, was Peter’s successor.

This unbroken historical record is maintained in the lists of Popes from Peter to the present day. This visual chain of command is a powerful proof of continuity and authority.

The Bible itself provides a direct reference to one of these early successors to Peter. The Apostle Paul, writing from Rome, sends greetings to a trusted companion named Linus in his final letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:21). This is an undeniable biblical reference to an individual whom early Church tradition universally identifies as the second Pope and Peter’s successor.

While St. Clement is not explicitly named in the Bible, his importance is a powerful demonstration of Roman authority. The user's query asks for biblical proof of two early Popes, but a more compelling argument is to show Clement's authority through his actions. In his First Epistle to the Corinthians, written from Rome in the first century, Clement issues an authoritative decree to the church in Corinth to settle a dispute. This historical fact is a stunning testament to the authority of the Roman bishop over a distant church in the first century, demonstrating Roman primacy in action far more powerfully than a single verse could.

The direct line of succession from Peter through the early centuries visually reinforces the historical continuity of the Papacy, beginning with Peter (c. 30–67 AD), followed by Linus (c. 67–76 AD), Anacletus (Cletus) (c. 76–88 AD), Clement I (c. 88–97 AD), Evaristus (c. 97–105 AD), Alexander I (c. 105–115 AD), Sixtus I (c. 115–125 AD), Telesphorus (c. 125–136 AD), Hyginus (c. 136–140 AD), Pius I (c. 140–155 AD), Anicetus (c. 155–166 AD), Soter (c. 166–175 AD), Eleutherius (c. 175–189 AD), Victor I (c. 189–199 AD), Zephyrinus (c. 199–217 AD), Callixtus I (c. 217–222 AD), Urban I (222–230 AD), Pontian (230–235 AD), Anterus (235–236 AD), Fabian (236–250 AD), and so on, in an unbroken chain to the present day.

The historical evidence forms a living chain of leadership, each successor inheriting the authority of Peter’s keys. This continuity is not theoretical but a documented reality, preserved through centuries of records. How does this institution maintain its doctrinal integrity across time?

III: The Church Guided by the Holy Spirit

The Roman Catholic Church is preserved from error by a divine promise: the Holy Spirit guides it. This is the doctrine of infallibility. Infallibility is a charism given to the Church to prevent it from teaching error in matters of faith and morals, not a personal guarantee against sin for the Pope or any Church leader. This is a crucial distinction that addresses a common misconception. The presence of "evil people" within the Church, as the user mentions, does not contradict infallibility. The Holy Spirit provides a divine "safety net" for the official teaching office, the Magisterium, preventing it from leading the faithful astray on definitive matters of faith and morals, even when individual members or leaders are flawed. The existence of historical scandal does not negate the reality of this divine protection for the Church’s teaching. The Church is both human and divine, and while its human component can fail, its official proclamation of truth cannot.

Jesus not only gave the Church a foundation and a teaching authority, but also a mandate to continue His work of reconciliation. On the night of His Resurrection, Jesus breathes on the Apostles and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:22-23). This is a direct, divine commission. The power to forgive or retain sins necessitates a means for the minister to know what sins are at issue. A priest cannot forgive or retain sins he does not know about. Therefore, the biblical mandate for absolution logically implies the practice of confession. This is a direct, step-by-step chain of reasoning from the biblical text to the liturgical practice that has been a hallmark of the Catholic faith for two millennia.

The Church’s authority to forgive sins is a direct extension of Christ’s command, preserved through apostolic succession.

IV: The Sacramental Life and Sanctification

The Eucharist: The True Body, Blood, and Divinity of Christ

The Roman Catholic Church holds as a central tenet of its faith that the Eucharist is the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. The biblical basis for this doctrine is rooted in Jesus's own words at the Last Supper: "This is my body" and "This is my blood of the covenant" (Luke 22:19-20). In John's Gospel, Jesus emphatically declares, "For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:55). The fact that many of His disciples left Him after this teaching, because they found it a "hard saying," provides powerful evidence that they understood His words literally, not figuratively.

The belief in the Real Presence is not a later invention but has been consistently held since the earliest days of the Church. The Church Father Ignatius of Antioch, writing around AD 106, called heretics those who do not "confess the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ". Similarly, Justin Martyr, writing around AD 150, affirmed that Christians were taught the Eucharistic food was "the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh".

The Real Presence can be understood as a continuation of a broader, long-standing biblical pattern of divine self-revelation. Throughout salvation history, God has repeatedly chosen to make Himself physically present to humanity in a veiled form. In the Old Testament, He appeared as a burning bush and a pillar of fire. The Holy Spirit descended in the "bodily form" of a dove at Jesus’s baptism. This pattern demonstrates that the Catholic belief is not an aberration but a consistent method of divine interaction: the divine substance veiled by a natural appearance. Just as the fire was God, and the dove was the Spirit, the bread and wine, in substance, become the Body and Blood of Christ.

The Reality of Purgatory: Cleansing Fire for the Saved

The doctrine of Purgatory is not a "second chance" for salvation but a necessary final purification for those who die in God’s grace but are still "imperfectly purified". This reality is rooted in two fundamental biblical truths: first, that "nothing unclean will ever enter heaven" (Rev 21:27), and second, that Christians are not made perfectly clean in this life (1 John 1:8). Therefore, there must be an intermediate state of purification for those destined for heaven who still bear the residue of sin.

The primary scriptural proofs for Purgatory are found in both the Old and New Testaments. In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, St. Paul speaks of a person's work being tested by fire on the day of judgment. Their work may be burned up, but the person "will be saved, but only as through fire". This is a clear, biblical reference to a post-mortem purification. In the Book of Second Maccabees, an account describes Judas Maccabeus offering a sacrifice for dead soldiers who had sinned, an act the author commends as "good and honorable". This ancient practice of praying for the dead is meaningless without the belief in an intermediate state where the deceased can be helped, providing a direct, pre-Christian precedent for the doctrine of Purgatory.

The Veneration of Mary and the Saints: Honoring the Holy

The veneration of Mary and the Saints is a profound aspect of Catholic piety, and it is firmly rooted in Scripture and tradition. This practice is not worship, which is adoration due to God alone. Rather, it is veneration, an act of honor and respect given to God’s holy servants. The Bible provides examples of this honor being given to prophets and kings, and even to angels, without it being considered idolatry. The veneration of saints is a means of imitating their virtuous lives and honoring the God who worked so powerfully through them.

The veneration of Mary is a direct consequence of Christology. Because she is the Mother of God (Theotokos), a title formally affirmed by the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD, she holds a uniquely honored place in salvation history. Early Christians documented their devotion to Mary in the Roman catacombs as early as the second century.

The Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal text written around 120 AD, is an important historical document that reflects the early Church's beliefs about Mary. The text, which asserts Mary's perpetual virginity, demonstrates that doctrines often had a strong oral tradition and historical basis long before they were formally codified. This shows that the beliefs were not later inventions but were part of the early Christian consciousness. The Catholic Church’s ability to formally declare a person a saint is a living demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s guidance. This process, which evolved from a local, popular tradition to a formal papal decree, requires rigorous investigation and proof of heroic virtue and miracles. This demonstrates that the Church is not merely a historical institution but a living body that continues to exercise divine authority, with the power to officially recognize those who have achieved the final goal of sanctification.

V: The Compilation of the Holy Bible

The Roman Catholic Church, as the authoritative and living body of Christ, is the institution that compiled and formally defined the canon of the Holy Bible. The early Christian Church, which was largely Greek-speaking, adopted the Septuagint (LXX) as its Old Testament. This version, which was used by Jesus and the Apostles, included the Deuterocanonical books. The canon of the Catholic Bible was not a matter of a single, sudden decree but a process that affirmed what was already in widespread use. The Councils of Rome (382), Hippo (393), and Carthage (397, 419) all affirmed a canon identical to the one in use by Catholics today. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) did not add books but reaffirmed this long-standing canon in response to the Protestant Reformation.

The Protestant Reformers, led by Martin Luther, removed seven books and sections from the Old Testament. This was not a disinterested scholarly act but a direct consequence of a theological dispute. The Reformers specifically removed the Deuterocanonical books because they contained clear scriptural support for Catholic doctrines they rejected, such as Purgatory and prayer for the dead. This clear cause-and-effect relationship is evident in specific references: for instance, 2 Maccabees 12:43-46 supports prayers for the dead and Purgatory, which contradicts sola fide and the rejection of Purgatory; Tobit 12:9 indicates almsgiving atones for sin, challenging faith-alone salvation; Sirach 5:5-7 warns against presumption of forgiveness, undermining assurance of salvation without works; Wisdom 2:12-20 provides a prophecy of Christ's passion, seen as non-essential though prophetic; Judith 13:18-20 supports veneration of holy figures, aligning with intercession and honor of saints; Baruch 3:4 involves prayer for mercy on the dead, consistent with Purgatory practices; and 1 Maccabees 2:52 highlights the merit of works through Abraham's faith tested, opposing sola fide.

The Catholic Church reaffirmed the canon that had been in use for over a millennium, maintaining the fullness of the sacred texts from which its doctrines are derived.

Conclusion: The Universal, Undeniable Church of Jesus Christ

The evidence presented herein, drawn from the Holy Bible, the Catechism, and the historical record, forms an undeniable and internally consistent body of proof. The Roman Catholic Church is the singular institution established by Jesus Christ, built upon the foundation of Peter and the Apostles. This foundation is demonstrated through an unbroken line of Popes who have governed the Church with the divine authority of the keys. The Church is preserved from doctrinal error by the Holy Spirit, a charism that ensures the official teaching office cannot lead the faithful astray. The sacramental life of the Church, including the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the reality of Purgatory as a final purification, and the veneration of Mary and the Saints, is not an invention but is firmly established in Scripture and a consistent historical tradition. Finally, the Church alone, guided by the Holy Spirit, was the human instrument for the authoritative compilation of the Holy Bible.

The Roman Catholic Church is not merely a denomination among many but is the very mystical body of Christ on Earth. Its divine authority remains intact, a living and perpetual testament to Jesus's promise that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

~ by Jeff Callaway

Texas Outlaw Poet

© 2025 Texas Outlaw Press