What Scriptures Explain the Catholic Faith?

A great answer from The Bible Geek over @ Holy Spirit Interactive Youth.

"There are countless websites and books available that will go into very exhaustive detail about what we believe as Catholics and where you can find our beliefs (or the foundation of our beliefs) within the Sacred Scriptures. Also, when looking for a specific verse about specific themes, you should get your hands on a concordance.

As I've mentioned many times before, the Catholic Church put the Bible together. The Church didn't come out of the (written) Gospel(s), the Gospels came out of the Church. The Scriptures weren't written for a couple decades following the Resurrection. In addition, the New Testament wasn't compiled until a few hundred years later (in its canonical form).

Our Church believes that the Bible is one source (not the only source) of Divine Revelation. The Sacred Scriptures work "in conjunction" with the living, oral Tradition of the Church, lived by Christ and His apostles and entrusted to the Church through the power and protection of the Holy Spirit.

With that in mind, here's a “quick reference” guide to which Scriptures you can use, to explain in greater Scriptural detail, some of what we believe as Roman Catholics.

This is in no way complete, it's a brief list of ten Catholic doctrines/disciplines you’ll probably be questioned most about and some of the verses it will help you to know when explaining the faith:

1. The Blessed Virgin Mary – Her perpetual Virginity and Her place of honor
• Lk 1:28
• Lk 1:30, 34
• Lk 1:42
• Jn 19:26
• Gn 3:15

2. The Papacy – where is that in the Bible?
• Mt 16:18-19
• Lk 22:32
• Jn 20:23, 21:17
• Acts 1:13-26
• Acts 8:21
• Acts 15:7, 28
• 1 Tim 3:1, 8
• 1 Tim 5:17

3. The Bible and Tradition (why the “Bible alone” is anti-Scriptural)
• Mk 13:31
• Mk 16:15
• Jn 21:25
• Rom 10:17
• 1 Cor 11:2
• 2 Thess 2:15, 3:6
• 2 Tim 1:13, 2:2
• 2 Pet 1:20

4. Faith and Works - (not by faith alone)
• Mt 19:16-17
• Jn 14:15
• Rom 2:5-8
• 1 Cor 13:2
• Gal 5:6
• Eph 2:8-10
• Col 3:24-25
• Jam 2:24-26
• Rev 20:12-13

5. Eucharist – it’s Scriptural
• Mt 26:26
• Jn 1:29
• Jn 6:35-71
• 1 Cor 2:14-3:4
• 1 Cor 5:7, 10:16
• 1 Cor 11:23-29
• Ex 12:8, 46

6. Purgatory – it’s Scriptural, too
• Mt 5:26, 48
• Mt 12:32-36
• 1 Cor 3:15
• 1 Cor 15:29-30
• 2 Tim 1:16-18
• Jas 3:2
• 1 Pet 3:18-20, 4:6
• 1 Jn 5:16-17
• Rev 21-27
• 2 Macc 12:44-46

7. Mary and the Saints – why it’s okay to ask them to pray for us
• Lk 16:19-30
• Rom 8:35-39, 15:30
• 1 Cor 12:12-27
• Eph 6:18-19
• 1 Thess 1:5-8
• 1 Tim 2:1-7
• Heb 12:1, 13:7
• 1 Jn 3:2
• Gal 6:10

8. Reconciliation – why we go to a priest
• Mt 9:2-8
• Mt 18:18
• Jn 20:22-23
• 2 Cor 5:17-20
• Jas 5:13-16
• 1 Jn 5:16

9. Salvation (why “once saved, always saved” isn’t Biblical)
• Mt 7:21, 10:22
• Rom 8:24, 11:22
• 1 Cor 9:27, 10:11-12
• Gal 5:4
• Eph 2:5,8
• Phil 2:12
• 2 Tim 1:9, 2:11-13
• Heb 10:26-27
• 1 Pet 1:9

10. The Priesthood – celibacy and why we call them “father”
• Mt 19:19
• Lk 14:26
• Acts 7:2
• Acts 21:40, 22:1
• Rom 4:16-17
• 1 Cor 4:14-15
• 1 Thess 2:11
• Heb 12:7-9
• 1 Jn 2:13-14

Remember, the Roman Catholic Church has a long tradition...the longest Christian tradition. We are the only Church founded by Christ, Himself (Mt. 16:16-20). Take some time to thank God for that gift of His Church and for the grace that you were born into through your conception, His cross, your Baptism and the Sacraments.

God loved you enough to give you a Church, to help you attain sainthood.

He's covered all the bases.

Stay God's!"