Magisterium

When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He did not leave a book; He left a Body. That Body was equipped with the spiritual gifts necessary to preach Jesus to the whole world. That Body has never died and will never die. "The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."

As the apostles preached Jesus, questions and controversies arose:

"For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths" (2 Tim 4:3-4).

The Magisterium is a relatively recent term derived from the Latin word, magister, which means "teacher." It refers to the teaching authority of the Church by means of which sound doctrine may be distinguished from false teaching.

• Ordinary Magisterium: Bishops acting in union with the pope, especially in an ecumenical council.
• Extraordinary Magisterium: The pope exercising the infallibility of the Church in union with the College of Bishops.
• Representatives of the Magisterium: priests, deacons, theologians.

Scriptural roots of the magisterium

Pastoral gifts--"Living the truth in love"

The pastoral gifts (Greek, charismata or "charisms") are given to human beings who act as instruments in God's hands to build, unify, and maintain the Body of Christ. No verse in the Scriptures says, "These offices and charisms have been replaced by the Bible." The Scriptures are actually incapable of saying that because the word "Bible" is not in the Bible.

Eph 4:11-16

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body's growth and builds itself up in love.

	singular
apostles	ἀπόστολος
prophets	προφήτης
evangelists	εὐαγγελιστής
pastors	ποιμήν, -ένος, ὁ
teachers	διδάσκαλος

1 Cor 12:28

Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues.

	singular
apostles	ἀπόστολος
prophets	προφήτης
teachers	διδάσκαλος
administration	κυβέρνησις

Gospels

(Lk 10:16).

"Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

Jn 16:12-15

¹² “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.

¹³ But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming.

¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

¹⁵ Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

2 Tim 3:16-17

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

To fill in later ...

"Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way" (Hebrews 13:17-18).

"You are rock, and upon this rock I will build my Church" (Mt 16:18).

"Call no man Teacher" (Mt 23:8). The authority of Jesus is different from that of rabbis and academics!