Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Dear Catholic Friend - by Mark Cahill
I love you. I want to make that clear. I love you enough to share the Truth with you. This post is not about bashing the Catholic church or Catholics, and I pray it does not come across as such. I simply love you and I want you to join me in heaven one day. I ask that you continue reading and allow me to explain.
You have probably had conversations with protestant Christians before, and it's likely been argued who was right or who was wrong. Issues about the Catholic church and its teachings were brought up, and you probably found no shortage of reasoning to support your religious beliefs.
Please allow me to be frank with you: it matters not who is right or who is wrong. It matters not what you believe to be the correct set of beliefs. The only thing that matters is the truth. Understanding and coming to a saving knowledge of the Truth is the most important thing you will ever do in this life. I compel you to take some time and consider what I present to you. Surely it is worth your time to determine if your beliefs are true, or whether you have been deceived. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5,
5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
The Bible is clear that deception and lies abound, and if this is true, we must consider where those lies and deceptions are present.
There are numerous resources to explain the trappings and false teachings of the Catholic church. The most critical false teaching is the Catholic doctrine of salvation as it contradicts the biblical pathway of salvation. As is the case with many other Catholic doctrines, the gospel of the Catholic church is fundamentally opposed to the Word of God. I love you enough to tell you this. It gives me no joy to have this discussion, as it may very well divide us. But division is no excuse to compromise the truth, and if one is deceived into believing something contrary to the fundamentals of Christianity, it is my responsibility to share this with you so that you might come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. I love you enough to tell you. I want you to be with me in heaven. I urge you then with all of my heart to please continue reading.
The first resource I want to share with you is a message from Mark Cahill. Mark was born into a Catholic family but was saved by the blood of Jesus Christ more than 25 years ago. In his message posted below, he compares the official and current Catechism of the Catholic Church to Scripture. I plead with you to consider how the catechisms contradict the Word of God, and by doing so, you may be on the road to reading the Bible for yourself and coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. In no way is this an exhaustive study of Roman Catholicism versus the Bible, but it is certainly a beginning for future study and consideration.
To stream via Windows Media Player: Roman Catholicism versus the Bible
To download mp3 directly: Roman Catholicism versus the Bible
For your convenience as you listen to the audio message and for future reference, I have listed below several of the catechisms Mark addresses and the Scriptures that refute them. I encourage you to listen to the audio for an explanation of each. Please prayerfully consider the implications of these teachings and how they cannot possibly lead to saving faith in Jesus Christ. I encourage you to obtain a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and compare to the Word of God for yourself. You can also open up the Catechism link in a new window to view online.
Paragraph 97
97 "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God"... (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible:
Colossians 2:8-10 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Here, the Catholic church teaches that tradition PLUS the Bible makes up the Word of God. The Bible, however, warns us to beware of traditions of men and that Christ, who is the Word, makes us complete.
Paragraph 181
181 "Believing" is an ecclesial act. the Church's faith precedes, engenders, supports and nourishes our faith. the Church is the mother of all believers. "No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother" (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible:
John 6:44 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
How can the Catholic church claim motherhood of all believers when the church was not even established before Jesus spoke these words in John 6:44?
Paragraph 868
868 The Church is catholic: she proclaims the fullness of the faith. She bears in herself and administers the totality of the means of salvation...
You will find nowhere in Scripture that the church possesses the fullness of the faith or the totality of the means of salvation. Jesus Christ is the fullness of the faith and the totality of salvation, and any tradition or doctrine beyond Him and His finished work on the cross is utterly unbiblical.
Paragraph 1493
1493 One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience. the confession of venial faults, without being necessary in itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. (bold emphasis mine)
Paragraph 1461
1461 Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the ministry of reconciliation,65 bishops who are their successors, and priests, the bishops' collaborators, continue to exercise this ministry. Indeed bishops and priests, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all sins "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible
Matthew 9:6 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Mark 2:7 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Psalm 51:4 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
Only God has the power to forgive sins, no one else. We may ask forgiveness from someone we have offended, and they have the responsibility to forgive us of our offense, but every sin we commit is against God. It is He, and He alone, who can forgive our trespasses.
Paragraph 1129
1129 The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation.
The Bible
Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
The Catholic Church has added works as a means of salvation. Further:
Paragraph 1257
1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. (bold emphasis mine)
Paragraph 1263
1263 By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible
1 Corinthians 1:17 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Salvation comes by the grace of God alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone as Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly teaches. Moreover, if baptism was required for salvation, Paul would have been sent to baptize, not preach the gospel. Adding baptism as a requirement to salvation strips away the doctrine of grace, and thereby strips away true salvation if one puts their trust in the baptism and not in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins.
Paragraph 1031
1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire
Did you catch that? The church "formulated" this "tradition" at the Councils of Florence and Trent, which took place in the 15th and 16th centuries, respectively.
The Bible
1 John 4:10 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Jesus Christ was the propitiation for our sins. He satisfied the debt of sin once and for all. Nothing else must be done to satisfy this penalty. The Catholic church, however, teaches that one must go through this purification process in order to gain entry into heaven. The Bible, contrarily, teaches that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Jesus said "It is finished", and that means there is no more payment for sin to be made. As CARM indicates regarding purgatory:
1. It is not explicitly found in the Bible.
2. It implies that the righteousness of Christ does not cleanse from all sin.
3. It implies that justification is not by faith alone.
4. It implies that there is something we must do in order to be cleansed of sin.
To learn more about purgatory, please visit these links:
* Purgatory
* Does Purgatory Deny the Sufficiency of Jesus' Sacrifice?
* Purgatory and 1 Cor. 3:15
Paragraph 494
494 ...without a single sin to restrain her...
Paragraph 411
411...Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ's victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life. (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible
Luke 1:46-47 46 And Mary said:
“ My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
If Mary was perfect, with no original sin, having "committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life", why is it that she needed a Savior? And because all men are appointed to die once because of the consequence of sin, the Catholic church had to formulate yet another doctrine to appease this false teaching:
Paragraph 966
966 "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things... (bold emphasis mine)
The Catholic church teaches Mary did not die. So not only are they in error to teach Mary was sinless, they required another lie to account for the first deception.
Paragraph 2677
By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the "Mother of Mercy," the All-Holy One.
This is blasphemy. There is only one All-Holy One and He is the Lord of lords and King of all kings. He is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come!
Paragraph 969
969 ...Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation .... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix." (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible
1 Timothy 2:5 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
1 John 2:1 1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Hebrews 9:15 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
John 16:7 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Psalm 54:4 4 Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life.
Do you see what has happened here? The Catholic church has given Mary the same names as Jesus and the Holy Spirit (Mediatrix, Advocate, Helper). Though she is blessed among all women, the Catholic church has exalted her to a place she does not deserve. Many of the names given to her are reserved for Christ alone. To review a list of prayers to Mary, please see A Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
These teachings of the Catholic church are merely the tip of the iceberg. Future posts will address the many other errors and false teachings of the Catholic church. It has not been my intention to bash Catholics or the Catholic church, but rather to share the truth in love and hold the teachings of the Catholic church against the absolute truth of the Word of God.
I have family and friends who adhere to Catholicism. I have you all in my prayers that you will come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is true freedom to be had in Christ, and as He says Himself, the truth will set you free. Free from the bondage of a works-based system where you will never be able to attain salvation by any work of your own, and free from the weight of sin that would condemn us all to an eternal hell had it not been for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, who offers us all the gift of grace through faith in Him, and Him alone.
This is a lot of information, admittedly. Please take time to listen to Mark Cahill's audio message and consider what I have presented to you. I will post more in the future, Lord willing.
Acts 20:26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God[c] which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
You have probably had conversations with protestant Christians before, and it's likely been argued who was right or who was wrong. Issues about the Catholic church and its teachings were brought up, and you probably found no shortage of reasoning to support your religious beliefs.
Please allow me to be frank with you: it matters not who is right or who is wrong. It matters not what you believe to be the correct set of beliefs. The only thing that matters is the truth. Understanding and coming to a saving knowledge of the Truth is the most important thing you will ever do in this life. I compel you to take some time and consider what I present to you. Surely it is worth your time to determine if your beliefs are true, or whether you have been deceived. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5,
5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
The Bible is clear that deception and lies abound, and if this is true, we must consider where those lies and deceptions are present.
There are numerous resources to explain the trappings and false teachings of the Catholic church. The most critical false teaching is the Catholic doctrine of salvation as it contradicts the biblical pathway of salvation. As is the case with many other Catholic doctrines, the gospel of the Catholic church is fundamentally opposed to the Word of God. I love you enough to tell you this. It gives me no joy to have this discussion, as it may very well divide us. But division is no excuse to compromise the truth, and if one is deceived into believing something contrary to the fundamentals of Christianity, it is my responsibility to share this with you so that you might come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. I love you enough to tell you. I want you to be with me in heaven. I urge you then with all of my heart to please continue reading.
The first resource I want to share with you is a message from Mark Cahill. Mark was born into a Catholic family but was saved by the blood of Jesus Christ more than 25 years ago. In his message posted below, he compares the official and current Catechism of the Catholic Church to Scripture. I plead with you to consider how the catechisms contradict the Word of God, and by doing so, you may be on the road to reading the Bible for yourself and coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. In no way is this an exhaustive study of Roman Catholicism versus the Bible, but it is certainly a beginning for future study and consideration.
To stream via Windows Media Player: Roman Catholicism versus the Bible
To download mp3 directly: Roman Catholicism versus the Bible
For your convenience as you listen to the audio message and for future reference, I have listed below several of the catechisms Mark addresses and the Scriptures that refute them. I encourage you to listen to the audio for an explanation of each. Please prayerfully consider the implications of these teachings and how they cannot possibly lead to saving faith in Jesus Christ. I encourage you to obtain a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and compare to the Word of God for yourself. You can also open up the Catechism link in a new window to view online.
Paragraph 97
97 "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God"... (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible:
Colossians 2:8-10 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Here, the Catholic church teaches that tradition PLUS the Bible makes up the Word of God. The Bible, however, warns us to beware of traditions of men and that Christ, who is the Word, makes us complete.
Paragraph 181
181 "Believing" is an ecclesial act. the Church's faith precedes, engenders, supports and nourishes our faith. the Church is the mother of all believers. "No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother" (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible:
John 6:44 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
How can the Catholic church claim motherhood of all believers when the church was not even established before Jesus spoke these words in John 6:44?
Paragraph 868
868 The Church is catholic: she proclaims the fullness of the faith. She bears in herself and administers the totality of the means of salvation...
You will find nowhere in Scripture that the church possesses the fullness of the faith or the totality of the means of salvation. Jesus Christ is the fullness of the faith and the totality of salvation, and any tradition or doctrine beyond Him and His finished work on the cross is utterly unbiblical.
Paragraph 1493
1493 One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience. the confession of venial faults, without being necessary in itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. (bold emphasis mine)
Paragraph 1461
1461 Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the ministry of reconciliation,65 bishops who are their successors, and priests, the bishops' collaborators, continue to exercise this ministry. Indeed bishops and priests, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all sins "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible
Matthew 9:6 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Mark 2:7 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Psalm 51:4 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
Only God has the power to forgive sins, no one else. We may ask forgiveness from someone we have offended, and they have the responsibility to forgive us of our offense, but every sin we commit is against God. It is He, and He alone, who can forgive our trespasses.
Paragraph 1129
1129 The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation.
The Bible
Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
The Catholic Church has added works as a means of salvation. Further:
Paragraph 1257
1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. (bold emphasis mine)
Paragraph 1263
1263 By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible
1 Corinthians 1:17 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Salvation comes by the grace of God alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone as Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly teaches. Moreover, if baptism was required for salvation, Paul would have been sent to baptize, not preach the gospel. Adding baptism as a requirement to salvation strips away the doctrine of grace, and thereby strips away true salvation if one puts their trust in the baptism and not in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins.
Paragraph 1031
1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire
Did you catch that? The church "formulated" this "tradition" at the Councils of Florence and Trent, which took place in the 15th and 16th centuries, respectively.
The Bible
1 John 4:10 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Jesus Christ was the propitiation for our sins. He satisfied the debt of sin once and for all. Nothing else must be done to satisfy this penalty. The Catholic church, however, teaches that one must go through this purification process in order to gain entry into heaven. The Bible, contrarily, teaches that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Jesus said "It is finished", and that means there is no more payment for sin to be made. As CARM indicates regarding purgatory:
1. It is not explicitly found in the Bible.
2. It implies that the righteousness of Christ does not cleanse from all sin.
3. It implies that justification is not by faith alone.
4. It implies that there is something we must do in order to be cleansed of sin.
To learn more about purgatory, please visit these links:
* Purgatory
* Does Purgatory Deny the Sufficiency of Jesus' Sacrifice?
* Purgatory and 1 Cor. 3:15
Paragraph 494
494 ...without a single sin to restrain her...
Paragraph 411
411...Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ's victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life. (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible
Luke 1:46-47 46 And Mary said:
“ My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
If Mary was perfect, with no original sin, having "committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life", why is it that she needed a Savior? And because all men are appointed to die once because of the consequence of sin, the Catholic church had to formulate yet another doctrine to appease this false teaching:
Paragraph 966
966 "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things... (bold emphasis mine)
The Catholic church teaches Mary did not die. So not only are they in error to teach Mary was sinless, they required another lie to account for the first deception.
Paragraph 2677
By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the "Mother of Mercy," the All-Holy One.
This is blasphemy. There is only one All-Holy One and He is the Lord of lords and King of all kings. He is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come!
Paragraph 969
969 ...Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation .... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix." (bold emphasis mine)
The Bible
1 Timothy 2:5 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
1 John 2:1 1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Hebrews 9:15 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
John 16:7 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Psalm 54:4 4 Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life.
Do you see what has happened here? The Catholic church has given Mary the same names as Jesus and the Holy Spirit (Mediatrix, Advocate, Helper). Though she is blessed among all women, the Catholic church has exalted her to a place she does not deserve. Many of the names given to her are reserved for Christ alone. To review a list of prayers to Mary, please see A Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
These teachings of the Catholic church are merely the tip of the iceberg. Future posts will address the many other errors and false teachings of the Catholic church. It has not been my intention to bash Catholics or the Catholic church, but rather to share the truth in love and hold the teachings of the Catholic church against the absolute truth of the Word of God.
I have family and friends who adhere to Catholicism. I have you all in my prayers that you will come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is true freedom to be had in Christ, and as He says Himself, the truth will set you free. Free from the bondage of a works-based system where you will never be able to attain salvation by any work of your own, and free from the weight of sin that would condemn us all to an eternal hell had it not been for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, who offers us all the gift of grace through faith in Him, and Him alone.
This is a lot of information, admittedly. Please take time to listen to Mark Cahill's audio message and consider what I have presented to you. I will post more in the future, Lord willing.
Acts 20:26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God[c] which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
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