Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 75:299 (Jul 1918)
Article: Catholic And Scientific
Author: John Felix

BSac 75:299 (July 1918) p. 436

Catholic And Scientific

John Felix

Words are born when ideas are given expression. A language comes into existence with the growth of ideas and with the effort to preserve the continuity of associated life and tradition. A knowledge, therefore, of the origin and growth of a word, helps to an understanding of its meaning.

Katholikos, or catholic, was originally used by the Greeks to define certain general characteristics of themselves as a people. They never thought of predicating these to the outsiders — the barbarians. From Athens it was taken to Alexandria, where a large and strong university culture gave to it a larger meaning and a wider social application. The Septuagint brought the word from the valley of the Nile to Jerusalem, where religious animosity and social antagonism were hard and strong. All of the literary sympathies and most of the exchanges of its scholars were with the ancient Hebrew college at Babylon. Despite all this, the Alexandrian Greek made its way, and furnished the first Christian preachers and writers with a most suitable means for stating and for carrying their message. Many words of this liter-ture were charged with a new or enlarged meaning. “Catholic” was one of them. It was used sparingly at first; but as the motive and content of the Gospel were uncovered and understood, it passed into general use, and has remained in a state of fixation ever since.

BSac 75:299 (July 1918) p. 437

Before the Council of Jerusalem the world-wide reach of revealed love had been authoritatively stated and theoretically accepted. The Samaritans had believed the Word, and, after the laying on of hands, were received into the body of believers. Saint Peter had broken away from the rigid social-religious oppositions of his people by preaching the salvation of the Cross in the home of the Roman Cornelius. The divine approval of his act rejoiced the apostles and brethren in council assembled. And so the decision of the council was that the Faith was neither to be defined nor restricted by local religious notions or customs. The religious tribalism of both Jew and Gentile was judged and rejected. This council, therefore, is the great watershed between that old world of warring cults and social antagonisms, and this modern one, wherein the Catholic ideal is given a larger expression with every decade. Like every other true ideal, it has had to conquer its way. Saint Jude uncovers a section of its warfare in these words: “I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common [Catholic] salvation.” Saint Paul contended a good deal of the time against religious tribalism as it originated in the academy at Athens. In the sixteenth century the Genevans rejected very much of the Catholic heritage. One of their most pronounced r...