In Understanding be Adults (1Cor v14-20) | Christians Evangelizing Roman Catholics

May 10, 2008, 04:09

What is it about Roman Catholicism that should make it so unacceptable to a bible Christian? I would like you to consider five major issues, which makes the gap between bible Christianity and Roman Catholicism unbridgeable.

The Doctrine of Reconciliation
The most basic doctrine of all must be "How is a sinner reconciled to a Holy God". According to the Roman Catholic Church it is by the grace (sanctifying grace) obtained through the death of Jesus dispensed through the sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church through the mediation of the Catholic Priesthood. Together with the grace (actual grace) obtained by the recipients good works and proper use of sacramental (Rosary, Scapulars, Holy Water, Pilgrimages, Novenas etc.)

The Scriptures teach that a sinner is reconciled to a Holy God by their repentance And complete faith in the death of Jesus to have satisfied God for their transgressions and by faith accept the offer of God to forgive and to reconcile. In order words BY GRACE ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE THROUGH FAITH ALONE.

Both cannot be right. The Scriptures cannot err. Roman Catholicism must therefore be in error and if in error is HERETICAL.

The Doctrine of Regeneration
The Scriptures declare that regeneration (New birth) occurs in response to a sinner's repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1Jn 5v (1Jn 3v15; 16; 18; 36;) to quote but a few more verses. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Baptism as a sacrament infuses into the baptised person the new life of Christ. (Council of Trent 5th session Canon 5 and 7th session Canon 5).

The Doctrine of the Mass
To many Christians the Roman Catholic Mass is nothing more than an elaborate and highly theatrical version of our Communion Service. In this they are entirely mistaken. The full title of the Mass is "The Sacrifice of the Mass" and during the service they claim that through the priest Jesus sacrifices himself once again for the remission of sins, in an un-bloody manner. The Council of Trent 22nd session states "In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass is contained and immolated (kill as a sacrifice) in a bloodless manner the same Christ who once offered himself in a bloody manner and appeased by this sacrifice of the Mass the Lord grants gifts of penitence and pardons the gravest sins".

Whatever arguments the Roman Catholic Church may make about a bloodless sacrifice not violating the Cross, to claim Jesus has to sacrifice himself over and over again for the remission of sins is totally contrary to the Teachings of Scripture.

Heb 10v10, which tells us that we are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus once for all. It also contains the idolatrous teaching that the bread in the Mass is changed into the Body of Jesus.

The Doctrine of Transubstantiation
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that in the Mass the bread is changed into the body of Jesus and the wine into His blood. Council of Trent 13th session Canons 1; 2; 3; & 8. "If anyone denies that in the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist are contained truly, really and substantially the body and blood soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and consequently the whole Christ - the appearances of bread and wine only remaining- which is contained under each form and under every part of each form when separated-and is to be adored and worshiped-and Christ is received really and not just spiritually let him be anathema. (Under God's curse)
This doctrine is supposedly based on the words of Jesus found in John 6 v53 "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood you have no life in you". And Mat 26 v26 & v28 "Take eat this is my Body" "This is my blood of the new covalent". Now if Jesus was talking about transubstantiation in John 6 then you could substitute the phrase "Flesh & Blood" for the word Eucharist. To do this would contradict even Roman Catholic Doctrine, which teaches that the Eucharist can only be received by those who are in Grace (already have spiritual life) and that this life is obtained in Baptism. However you try to understand the words of Jesus eating His flesh and drinking His blood infuses spiritual life to those who do not have life. This shows that Evangelical Theology which equates the eating and drinking with v35 of John 6 "He who comes to me will never hunger and he who believes in me shall never thirst". In other words this is the moment of conversion, reconciliation with God and regeneration.

To say that at the Last Supper Jesus changed the bread into his body and then passed the bread to the twelve each breaking a piece of the bread for themselves would according to Roman Catholic teaching declare that each disciple held the complete Jesus in their hands, as indeed did Jesus and each consumed the body of Jesus while Jesus' body remained untouched is to deny the total humanity of Jesus. Jesus has one human body not millions.

The Doctrine of Mary
The subtlety of the Roman Catholic Church's teaching about Mary the mother of Jesus is that they claim that the goal of this worship is to bring people closer to Jesus who alone is the Way the Truth and the Life.

The reasons why Evangelical Protestants find this devotion unacceptable is that in promoting this devotion the Roman Catholic Church transgress three major principles of Holy Scripture.

Firstly they nullify the teachings of Scripture that Jesus alone intercedes with the Godhead on behalf of sinful man and bids all of God's children to come directly to Him because He cares and loves them with an everlasting love. He alone is the only mediator between God and man. To claim that Mary intercedes with Jesus on behalf of man contradicts the teachings of Scripture.

Secondly they give to Mary titles to which she is not entitled to, i.e. Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Mother of Divine Mercy etc, Throne of wisdom, Gate of Heaven, Refuge of sinners, the list is almost endless.

Thirdly They state that to be a child of God you must be born of Mary for they say if Mary is not your mother then God is not your Father. They further claim that Mary gives God's Grace when she pleases to whom she pleases and in the quantity and manner that she pleases. That God is please to subject himself to her and will never refuse anything she asks. They also claim that Mary is the supreme masterpiece of Almighty God and He has reserved the knowledge and possession of her for Himself.

That the heights of her merits rising up to the throne of the Godhead cannot be perceived, the breath of her love, which is wider than the earth, cannot be measured; the greatness of the power which she wields over one who is God cannot be conceived; and the depths of her profound humility and all her virtues and graces cannot be sounded. Every day they claim, from one end of the earth to the other, in the highest heaven and in the lowest abyss, all things preach all things proclaim the wondrous Mary, that the angels in heaven unceasingly call out to her "Holy, Holy, Holy Mary. This is nothing short of sheer blasphemy.