The Bible and Early Church Tradition Affirm the Papacy as a Divinely Established Office
Waiting for the next argument from the instigator.
Round will be automatically forfeited in:
- Publication date
- Last updated date
- Type
- Standard
- Number of rounds
- 3
- Time for argument
- Two weeks
- Max argument characters
- 30,000
- Voting period
- Two weeks
- Point system
- Multiple criterions
- Voting system
- Open
The ultimate goal of this debate is to advance the pursuit of truth. Regardless of who wins or loses, the real victor is the one who gains new knowledge.
In this debate, we will examine what Scripture—and the early Church’s tradition—have to say about the papacy: whether the office of the Pope, as Bishop of Rome, is truly divinely established as the successor to St. Peter. This discussion is not about the authenticity or validity of the Bible or Church Tradition in general, but rather to explore how biblical passages, alongside historical and patristic testimonies, support (or challenge) the notion that the papacy is a direct and God-ordained continuation of apostolic authority.
To ensure in-depth and free-flowing arguments, the maximum character limit is set to 30,000. This ample space allows for comprehensive exploration of Scripture, Church history, theological commentaries, and other relevant sources (though I don't suspect 30,000 characters will be needed).
1. For consistency, the NRSV Bible will be used as the primary reference when citing scripture.
2. In the final round, only counterarguments addressing previous points will be allowed; no new arguments may be introduced.
3. Failure to comply with Rule #2 will result in an automatic forfeiture.