Sigh. I’ve just learned that another old friend has chosen to swim the Tiber. “Swim the Tiber” is a humorous euphemism for the deadly practice of leaving the Christian faith behind and embracing Roman Catholicism. As tragic as it is, this is by no means the first time this has happened. I, in fact, seem to attract future Tiber swimmers like flies. When I was in high school I was discipled by a fire-breathing Calvinist who had just graduated from Gordon-Conwell Seminary, where my father had once taught. His name is Gerry Matatics, who went on to become a leading apologist for Rome at Catholic Answers. That only ended when Gerry swam the Tiber’s Tiber and became a pre-Vatican II sedevacantist. These are those who, like Mel Gibson, reject all popes since Vatican II, while still claiming to be a part of the one true church.
In college I was discipled by another young Gordon-Conwell grad who was likewise a fire-breathing Calvinist. Until he swam the Tiber and became the most well-known of all ex-Protestant Catholic apologists, Scott Haun. While teaching at Grove City College Scott gathered a cadre of ten disciples, of which I was one. Eight of them, my friends, likewise went to Rome.
This latest friend to swim the Tiber has spent a lifetime doing good apologetic work, mainly through the medium of film. From watching those videos, to appearing in those videos, to becoming friends I always found the man to be both intelligent and thoughtful. So I’m sad once again. I’m not, however, in the least bit moved into a place of doubt about Rome. I understand some of the appeal, that while they have a many internal disagreements as Protestants, they keep them internal. I get the appeal of ancient history and ancient liturgy. I get the appeal of the relative intellectual vigor. My own shelves are weighed down with Chesterton, Kreeft, and E. Michael Jones. The trouble is the story just doesn’t add up.
Consider today Rome’s appeal to its own authority. Their apologists love to cluck over the thousands of Protestant denominations, arguing that sola Scriptura will always devolve into a kind of theological relativism. They, they boldly claim, have authority. Indeed they claim they have more authority than the Bible. It was, in their reasoning, though contra to the actual language of the ancient creeds, the church who created the canon in the first place. The Bible, according to Rome, can’t trump Rome because, according to Rome, Rome made the Bible.
Where, you ought at this point, to be asking, did Rome get this authority? And Rome’s apologists will happily take you to Jesus’ response to Peter at Caesarea Philippi, “Thou art Petros and on this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18). Or, I Timothy 3: 14-15 where the church is called the pillar and ground of the church. All of which begs this simple question- how do we know these texts belong in the canon? The very same Rome that claims the Bible derives its authority from Rome claims the Bible gives its authority to Rome. They are, as the saying goes, hoisted on their own petard.
Rome is neither sweet, nor home. She has all the authority of any other self-appointed dictator. The irony is we don’t even need the Bible to know Rome is false. Any institution that claims to be above the Bible has immediately and irredeemably disqualified itself. The Tiber is shark infested water, and on the other side is only death and destruction.
Thank you for reaffirming these sad truths this morning.
Appreciate your views as always. I grew up in a city attending Roman Catholic elementary, high school and college institutions. I thought my religion was sufficient until receiving Christ in 1987 shortly after graduating from college. Like many of my friends, I rarely read the Scriptures. My eyes were truly opened for the first time to understand upon conversion although I had no idea of what Arminianism or Calvinism meant at the time. Becoming an “activist” in a sort of Catholic version of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, I zealously met with many priests and others to tell them of my conversion. My family must have thought I’d gone off the deep end. About that time, I was also introduced to your father’s Holiness of God series on VCR. Needless to say, the segment on the Insanity of Luther touched and blessed me deeply. To this day, I hand out copies of Are We Together to interested Catholics because it is so rationally written and. There are myriads of stories following my conversion, but most cherished for me is when my sister Jan tried to get me to “return to the fold” shortly after. We met with our parish monsignor and some other Catholic friends. Within a few months, my sister left Rome. We did bible studies with my parents. Although they did not leave the local church, I believe they understood the gospel and received the Lord as well. One priest I met with at the local diocese wrote me a letter afterward exhorting me to return to Rome. I responded that those days were in the past. No swimming the Tiber for me! Thanks for the article and all you and your family have meant to me in my walk! Merry Christmas!