Popular Catholic Scripture Verses

The Catholic Church traces its history back to Peter, the apostle Jesus appointed to head his church. There are many scriptures central to Catholic beliefs and theology, most of them in the Old Testament of the Bible; however, Catholics take moral guidance from the Old Testament scripture.

Origin of Catholic Church

The scripture that talks about the origin of the Catholic Church is Matthew 16:18-19, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (NIV). This scripture is interpreted as the point at which Jesus commands Saint Peter to build his Church, and gives Saint Peter the authority to run the Church. In John 21:15, Jesus commands Peter to care for his followers in his absence.

Catholic morals and social teaching

Most of the Catholic Church's social teachings and values are similar to those of other Christian religions, and are mostly found in the Old Testament. Catholics teach that it is the responsibility of the church to care for the poor, weak and widowed. This scripture from Ezekiel 34:4 (NIV), "you have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally." is where God is admonishing the Israelites for their poor treatment of their weaker brothers.

The Catholic Church has its roots in New Testament times, and uses many scriptures to verify its teachings. Scripture is an integral part of the Catholic Church, and all Catholic doctrines are based on scripture.