I came across a post by Keith Foskey on Facebook. I’m somewhat a fan of his social media presence because he’s a funny guy. We obviously disagree doctrinally, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying his antics or occasionally learning something. However, posts like this, even if they come from a seemingly genuine person, are misleading at best and dangerous at worst. Before we begin, I want to note that limiting God’s revelation to things “Jesus Never Commanded” is a poor way to approach Christianity. What we have recorded in the Bible of Jesus’ direct words is fairly limited in scope compared to the entirety of Scripture. That’s not to mention the rest of God’s revelation through Sacred Tradition. I don’t think Mr. Foskey believes that if Jesus didn’t directly command something, we shouldn’t believe it, but that’s how this post is presented. This likely reflects the “quick hitter” culture of social media apologetics more than anything else. Now, let’s dive into his four points.
Jesus Never Commanded… Submission to the Pope
Jesus had much to say about the authority of the Pope. In John 21:15-17, Jesus tells Peter alone to “feed my lambs,” “tend my sheep,” and “feed my sheep,” clearly referencing the shepherd analogy prevalent in the Gospels. Extending this analogy, it’s hard to argue that sheep are not subject to their shepherd or that he lacks authority over them. Jesus also references this authority in Matthew 16:18-19, paralleling the giving of authority over the Kingdom in Isaiah 22:15-25, and again in Luke 22:31-32, when He prays for Peter’s faith and tells him to strengthen his brethren.
The counterargument is that this authority applies to Peter alone, but there is ample evidence that it was intended to be passed on. While that topic is beyond the scope of this post, it’s worth mentioning, and the burden to prove this authority was meant to die with Peter is a steep challenge.
Jesus Never Commanded… Prayers to the Saints
While Jesus doesn’t speak directly to this point, the roots of this practice are firmly grounded in Scripture. One example is Revelation 6:9-11, which says:
“When he broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God. They cried out in a loud voice, ‘How long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?’ Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been.”
This passage from John’s Revelation shows that those martyred for God are actively interceding at His throne. They demonstrate clear knowledge of events on Earth and a connection to the Church on Earth. When coupled with Revelation 5:8, which depicts prayers being delivered to God, the Catholic belief in saints in Heaven praying on our behalf becomes clear and biblically grounded.
Jesus Never Commanded… Purgatory
“Commanded” doesn’t seem like the right word here; “taught” might be more appropriate. Either way, this is a shallow attempt to discredit the Catholic Church. Jesus makes a fairly straightforward reference in Scripture that often gets overlooked by those seeking to dismiss this teaching as “unbiblical.” In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus says:
“Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
The intriguing part is that Jesus speaks of forgiveness of sins in “this age” or “the age to come.” At first glance, this doesn’t seem directly related to Purgatory, but on closer inspection, we must ask: what “age to come” is Jesus referring to where sins will be forgiven? If the “age to come” is Heaven, that doesn’t make sense, as we know there will be no sin in Heaven. Jesus seems to refer to an intermediary state where sins can be forgiven, which is what we call Purgatory.
Jesus Never Commanded… Veneration of Icons or Relics
Icons and relics are two separate things, and when they’re paired together like this, it’s often by someone who doesn’t understand the distinction. For this post, I’ll assume he means relics, as icons are essentially holy paintings. In Mark 5:25-34, we read:
“There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years… She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak… Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who has touched my clothes?’”
In this passage, a woman is healed by merely touching Jesus’ garments. God used the clothes as an instrument to heal her. This is the Catholic doctrine of relics in a nutshell. We see this repeatedly in Scripture (e.g., Acts 19:11-12, 2 Kings 13:20-21) where God heals people through objects associated with holy individuals. Misunderstandings of this doctrine often lead to disagreement.
Conclusion
While I respect Mr. Foskey, I believe these weak representations of Catholic teaching as “unbiblical” are more detrimental than helpful to Christians. They lead casual readers to assume there’s no good reason for Catholic beliefs and to dismiss them without serious consideration. While this post isn’t an exhaustive defense of the Catholic position on these topics, its goal is to show that, while you may disagree with us, you cannot dismiss us outright.
I’ve tagged Mr. Foskey in the corresponding post on the Hillbilly Theology Facebook page if he feels the need or desire to respond. I have no wish to continue the discussion as it’s framed, but I want to give him the opportunity to reply.