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Teachings of the Catholic Church – Questions & Biblical Answers
Joe Poweziak
“They received the word with all willingness, and examined the scriptures daily to determine whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from The New American Bible for Catholics, © 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
Unless otherwise stated, the boldface has been added to quotations for emphasis.
TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
© 2001, 2007, 2023
ISBN 978-1-60725-463-8
Printed in the U.S.A.
All rights reserved.
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Contents
Introduction
1 Asking Questions, Finding Answers
► Where can we find reliable answers?
► My Journey
► Why and how this book was written
2 Tradition
► Should tradition be accepted and followed equally with Scripture?
3 The Fathers of the Church
► Why consider what the Fathers of the Church believed?
► Did all the Church Fathers believe in transubstantiation?
► Did all the Church Fathers believe in penance and confession to a priest?
► Did all the Church Fathers believe Mary never sinned?
3 Mary
► What role does Mary play in our relationship with God?
► Who does the Bible say Mary was?
► How did Jesus address Mary?
► Is Mary the “All-Holy One”?
► Was Mary sinless her entire life?
► Should we trust in Mary, “the ark of the covenant”?
5 Prayer
► Should we pray to Mary?
► Should we pray to the saints?
6 Veneration of Images
► Does the Catholic Church endorse the veneration of images?
7 Sacraments
► Are the sacraments necessary for salvation?
8 Confession
► To whom should we confess our sins?
9 Priests
► Are priests needed to mediate between God and man?
10 Gifts and Sacrifices for Sin
► Do gifts and sacrifices still need to be offered for our sins?
11 The Eucharist
► Does the Eucharist forgive sins?
► Are the Sacrifice of the Eucharist and the Sacrifice of Jesus one and the same?
► Are bread and wine transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus?
► Is the Eucharist truly and actually Jesus?
► Is the conversion of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus necessary for Jesus to be present during communion?
12 Penance and Good Works
► What is penance?
► Are we reconciled to God through penance?
► Do good works contribute to the forgiveness of sins?
► Are we saved through penance and faith?
► Can we be righteous by our good works and actions so as to obtain eternal salvation?
13 Purgatory
► What are purgatory and temporal punishment?
14 Indulgences
► What are indulgences?
15 Justification
► Do we receive justification through baptism?
16 The Gospel of the Catholic Church
► What is the gospel of the Catholic Church?
17 Questions Answered
► Basic Bible Teachings
► Seek Jesus
► Accept, Follow, and Trust Jesus Alone
18 Conclusion
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Acknowledgements
My sincere gratitude goes out to all those who provided support, encouragement, and professional expertise to make this book possible.
Special thanks to those who designed and photographed the cover, those who toned photos, those who edited and proofread the text, those who designed and formatted the book interior, those who helped prepare and print the book, and those who prayed for me and the completion of this book.
May our Lord God bless each of you for your kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity, and patience.
But most of all, endless thanks and gratitude to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who paid the full price for my sins so that I could have eternal life with Him, and for whom I now live. All praise and glory and honor to Him, forever and ever!
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Introduction
I began writing this book with the intention of it being a short letter to my family and friends, but as you can see, it grew to be somewhat more than that. I wrote it to let my family and friends know that I left the Catholic Church for sound, important Biblical reasons and to show that I am not involved in a cult or anything like one. In this book I would now like to share that information with you so that you, too, may become aware of how the teachings of the Catholic Church presented here compare to the teachings of the Bible.
Please know that I have not written this book to judge or condemn anyone. I have written it out of love for my family, my friends, and others and for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My hope and prayer is that you will be encouraged to seek Jesus with all of your heart and to think about what you believe, know why you believe it, and consider the eternal consequences of your beliefs.
Because of the eternal consequences, much prayer has gone into this book, and I hope you take time to read it. I welcome your thoughts, questions, and comments and can be contacted via e-mail at:
joe@TeachingsOfTheCatholicChurch.com
Sincerely in the love of Jesus,
Joe
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Chapter 1
ASKING QUESTIONS, FINDING ANSWERS
Where can we find reliable answers?
Although I was raised in a Catholic family, went to eight years of Catholic grade school, was an altar boy until I was a sophomore in high school, and regularly attended Mass until I was twenty-eight, and have wonderful memories of it all, I no longer go to a Catholic church and do not consider myself to be Catholic. Leaving the Catholic Church was not something I just suddenly decided to do one day, nor was it something anyone talked me into doing. It was a decision I made based upon much prayer and reading of God’s Word, the Bible, as well as additional evidence before me.
There are very important and serious reasons why I am no longer Catholic. Please understand, I am not condemning anyone who is Catholic. I want only to share with you the reasons I am no longer Catholic and to encourage you to seek Jesus with all your heart regardless of what church you do or do not attend. I hope this book will encourage everyone who reads it to think about what they believe, know why they believe it, and understand the eternal consequences of their beliefs.
If you are involved or interested in the Catholic Church, you probably already have some kind of belief in Jesus. Now the question is, where can we go to find out what the Catholic Church teaches, and where can we go to learn more about Jesus? To learn what the Catholic Church teaches, we can go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Its introduction states that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is given to the Christian faithful so
“...that it may be a sure and authentic reference text for teaching catholic doctrine...” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, [Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1994], p. 5).
The introduction is signed by Pope John Paul II. With the Pope’s endorsement, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a reliable source for learning about what the Catholic Church teaches.
And where can we go to learn about Jesus? The Catechism of the Catholic Church states,
“ ‘And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true’; this is why God’s promises always come true. God is Truth itself, whose words cannot deceive. This is why one can abandon oneself in full trust to the truth and faithfulness of his word in all things” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 215).
Since the Bible is God’s Word, and since we can abandon ourselves in full trust of His Word in all things, the Bible is then a trustworthy source for information about Jesus and Christian doctrine. The Catholic Catechism also tells us that
“The Church ‘forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful . . . to learn “the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,” by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” ’ ” (para. 133).
“Forcefully and specifically exhorts” are some pretty strong words related to the importance of learning about Jesus through reading the Bible. The quote above clearly states that if we do not know what the Scriptures say, we do not know Jesus: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” Thus the Bible is a good and trustworthy source, highly recommended by the Catholic Catechism and Pope John Paul II, for learning about Jesus.
How important is it to know God? The Bible tells us that the greatest and first commandment is to
“...love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all our mind” (Matthew 22:37).
To love God, we must know Him. Many people today say they know God or that they know all about God or even that they love Him. But do they really? It can be unsettling and even frightening to learn that Jesus says,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day [the day of judgment], ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’ ” (Matthew 7:21–23)
This passage tells us that in the day of judgment, there will be many the Lord Jesus will not know—even some who did mighty deeds and knew His name. In the day of judgment, some people who think they know Jesus are going to painfully and regretfully find out that Jesus does not know them because they never really knew Him. Those whom Jesus tells to depart from Him will not enter Heaven. As stated earlier, the Catholic Catechism tells us that if we are ignorant of the Scriptures, we are ignorant of Jesus; that if we do not know what the Bible teaches, we do not know Jesus.
The Bible tells us how we can know if we know Jesus:
“The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him,’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live [just] as he lived” (1 John 2:3–6).
We can be sure we know Jesus if we keep His commandments and keep His Word. And the greatest and first commandment in His Word, the Bible, is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind—in other words, with our entire being (Matthew 22:34–38). How can we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind? To start, we must get to know Him. It is not possible to truly love someone whom we do not truly know. And to get to know God, we must read His Word.
My Journey
So, how does all this relate to my leaving the Catholic Church? Well, since I wanted to know God, I began reading the Bible. And the more I read, the more I learned about God. As I read, I also began to see that some things taught by the Catholic Church did not agree with what I was reading in the Bible. This fact bothered me. How could I know what was right? At first I just thought, “Just because I don’t believe everything the Catholic Church teaches, that doesn’t mean that I’m not Catholic. I’ll just believe those things I think or feel are right and ignore those that I don’t believe or with which I disagree. Besides that, I know a lot of other Catholics who don’t believe everything the Catholic Church teaches.”
I also thought about questions like Why do I go to church? What is the purpose of church? Who is Jesus? Why did He have to die for our sins? Do I really know Jesus? Does Jesus know me as a believer in Him? What is my destiny after this life? I encourage you to also think about these questions and why you believe what you believe.
As time went on and I continued to read and learn more about the Bible, I came across more contradictions between the Bible and the teachings of the Catholic Church. When this would happen, I would pick and choose what I wanted to believe or what I was comfortable believing. I was basically making God who I wanted Him to be. I was making my own god (small “g” intended) with whom I was comfortable—keeping and believing the things I liked and discarding the things that made me feel uncomfortable, that I disagreed with, or that I did not want to affect my life.
Then, as I saw friends of mine starting families and having children, I thought, “If I ever get married and have children, how will I teach them how to know what is right and what is wrong? What will keep them from choosing the wrong things?” I then realized I didn’t really know how to choose the things that are truly right from those that are truly wrong. Many times wrong things “felt” good and “felt” right, but weren’t. And sometimes the things that were truly right made me feel uncomfortable or were difficult. Feelings are often misleading.
It was then that I began to realize I couldn’t just pick and choose the stuff I liked and discard the rest, because that just isn’t the correct way to determine what is right, what is wrong, and what is the truth. I thought, “What is the truth anyway? What can I believe completely that tells me about God?” Well, I believed that the Bible is God’s Word and that God’s Word is the basis for Christianity. I knew I could trust in God’s Word because I knew God Himself would not lead me astray. I knew I had to learn what God’s Word says if I was to get to know God and the truth. I also realized that once I learned the truth, I had to accept it, even if it was difficult or made me feel uncomfortable.
As time went on, I continued to read the Bible to learn more about God. I now know, as shown earlier, that the Catholic Church encourages believers to read the Bible to get to know Jesus. So I was following the teaching of the Catholic Church by reading the Bible to learn about Him. And again, the more I read the Bible, the more I found that in many cases Catholic doctrine says something different from the Word of God.
Although I found many differences, I found many things in the Catholic Catechism that agree with the Bible. One such example is:
“Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 166).
It is because of my love for Jesus and my love for others that I would like to share with you some of the things that I have learned about the Bible and the teachings of the Catholic Church. And even though there are many things in the Catholic Catechism that are in agreement disagreement because of their seriousness, their importance, and the eternal consequences of believing them. Please understand, I am not trying to cause discord or problems. I would love to see unity among everyone, but we must not compromise or sacrifice the truth of God’s Word in our desire for unity.
Why and how this book was written.
As you read this, please keep the following facts in mind.
First, I have not written this book to judge or condemn anyone. I have written it
(1) to let others know why I left the Catholic Church;
(2) to encourage others to think about what they believe, to know why they believe it, and to understand the eternal consequences of their beliefs;
(3) to encourage others to seek Jesus with all of their heart.
Second, in writing this I refer to only sources approved by the Catholic Church: the Catechism of the Catholic Church, The New American Bible for Catholics, and writings of the Church Fathers.
(1) All quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church note the paragraph number where they may be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
(2) All quotations from the Bible refer to the book of the Bible, chapter, and verse.
(3) All quotations from the Church Fathers note the name of the Church Father, the title of his writing, and the chapter or paragraph where the quotation may be found.
I have made some words bold in some referenced quotations to emphasize points and have used brackets to insert my comments (italicized) within quotations.
I have made every effort to ensure that all references are used in context and that no references were taken out of context to mean anything other than what was originally intended. For the sake of clear communication and to avoid an extremely lengthy book, many of the quotations will include only a portion of the entire verse, passage, or writing. If you read the sources in their original contexts, though—which I encourage you to do—you will see that I have not altered the original meaning.
And finally, in this book I present only some of the differences between the teachings of the Catholic Church and the Bible and only some of the support available for each of the teachings herein. My hope is that you will be encouraged to search the Scriptures for yourself and find out if these things are so.
With these things in mind, I present the following teachings of the Catholic Church as documented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and teachings of the Bible as referenced in The New American Bible for Catholics. Please read them carefully and compare their meanings to determine for yourself whether or not they teach the same or different things.
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Chapter 2
TRADITION
Should tradition be accepted and followed equally with Scripture?
The Catholic Church holds its leadership, or magisterium, and tradition at the same level as Scripture. The Catholic Catechism states,
“Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence” (para. 82).
And according to the Catholic Catechism,
“It is clear therefore that, in the supremely wise arrangement of God, sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium of the Church are so connected and associated that one cannot stand without the others” (para. 95).
These quotations tell us that without tradition and the magisterium, sacred Scripture, or God’s Word, cannot stand. Does God’s Word need the magisterium to stand? Jesus told us,
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
When Heaven and Earth pass away, so will the magisterium, but Jesus’ words, which are Scripture, will still stand.
When asked about why His disciples were breaking the tradition of the Jews, Jesus taught that the Word of God takes precedence over tradition.
“So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, ‘Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?’ He responded, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.” You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.’ He went on to say, ‘How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, “Honor your father and your mother,” and “Whoever curses father or mother shall die.” Yet you say, “If a person says to father or mother, ‘Any support you might have had from me is qorban’ ” (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things” (Mark 7:5–13).
Here Jesus taught that God’s Word should take precedence over tradition. Any tradition that we follow should not require us to set aside the commandments of God, nor should it be in conflict with Scripture. Therefore, we must refer to God’s Word as the final authority for determining whether we should follow a particular tradition.
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Chapter 3
THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH
Why consider what the Fathers of the Church believed?
The Fathers of the Church, or Church Fathers, are generally considered to be respected Christian men who lived and died during the period of time from the apostles to about the middle of the seventh century and whose teachings and beliefs were recorded through their writings. The Catholic Catechism cites the Fathers of the Church among the principle sources for the Catholic Catechism:
“This catechism aims at presenting an organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals, in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the Church’s Tradition. Its principal sources are the Sacred Scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, the liturgy, and the Church’s Magisterium” (para. 11).
It is important to know that the Fathers of the Church were not one homogenous group whose beliefs were always in agreement with one another. Although they held many of the same beliefs as those of the Catholic Church, there was great diversity among the beliefs of the Fathers of the Church, and not all of their beliefs are in agreement with the Catholic Church. Therefore, many of the Fathers of the Church are quoted in the Catholic Catechism where their beliefs coincide with the teachings of the Catholic Church but are not quoted where their beliefs differ. Following are three examples illustrating this point.
Did all the Church Fathers believe in transubstantiation?
The Catholic Catechism states the following about the Church Fathers’ beliefs regarding transubstantiation, the conversion of the bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Jesus:
“It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. The Church Fathers strongly affirmed the faith of the Church in the efficacy of the Word of Christ and of the action of the Holy Spirit to bring about this conversion” (para. 1375).
The Catechism quotes John Chrysostom (d. 407) and Ambrose (d. 397) to demonstrate the Church Fathers’ support of transubstantiation. While some of the Church Fathers may have affirmed transubstantiation, not all Church Fathers affirmed this belief. Clement of Alexandria (d. 214) is quoted twice, and Tertullian (d. about 240) is quoted fourteen times in the Catholic Catechism, but neither is quoted in reference to transubstantiation, because neither one believed in it.
In the following passage, Clement of Alexandria referred to Jesus’ drinking wine at the Last Supper and states not only that it was wine, not blood, but also that Jesus “figuratively calls the Word [or Himself ], ‘shed for many.’ ”
“In what manner do you think the Lord drank when He became man for our sakes? As shamelessly as we? Was it not with decorum and propriety? Was it not deliberately? For rest assured, He Himself also partook of wine; for He, too, was man. And He blessed the wine, saying, ‘Take, drink: this is my blood’—the blood of the vine. He figuratively calls the Word ‘shed for many, for the remission of sins’—the holy stream of gladness. And that he who drinks ought to observe moderation, He clearly showed by what He taught at feasts. For He did not teach affected by wine. And that it was wine which was the thing blessed, He showed again, when He said to His disciples, ‘I will not drink of the fruit of this vine, till I drink it with you in the kingdom of my Father’ ” (The Instructor, 2:2).
And Tertullian clearly rejected transubstantiation, as illustrated in the following quotation:
“He [Jesus] says, it is true, that ‘the flesh profiteth nothing’; but then, as in the former case, the meaning must be regulated by the subject which is spoken of. Now, because they thought His discourse was harsh and intolerable, supposing that He had really and literally enjoined on them to eat His flesh, He, with the view of ordering the state of salvation as a spiritual thing, set out with the principle, ‘It is the spirit that quickeneth’; and then added, ‘The flesh profiteth nothing,’—meaning, of course, to the giving of life. He also goes on to explain what He would have us to understand by spirit: ‘The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.’ In a like sense He had previously said: ‘He that heareth my words, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but shall pass from death unto life.’ Constituting, therefore, His word as the life-giving principle, because that word is spirit and life, He likewise called His flesh by the same appellation [title or designation]; because, too, the Word had become flesh, we ought therefore to desire Him in order that we may have life, and to devour Him with the ear, and to ruminate [to chew cud] on Him with the understanding, and to digest Him by faith. Now, just before (the passage in hand), he had declared his flesh to be ‘the bread which cometh down from heaven,’ impressing on (His hearers) constantly under the figure of necessary food the memory of their forefathers, who had preferred the bread and flesh of Egypt to their divine calling. Then, turning His subject to their reflections, because He perceived that they were going to be scattered from Him, He says: ‘The flesh profiteth nothing.’ Now what is there to destroy the resurrection of the flesh? As if there might not reasonably enough be something which, although it ‘profiteth nothing’ itself, might yet be capable of being profited by something else. The spirit ‘profiteth,’ for it imparts life. The flesh profiteth nothing, for it is subject to death. Therefore He has rather put the two propositions in a way which favours our belief: for by showing what ‘profits,’ and what ‘does not profit,’ He has likewise thrown light on the object which receives as well as the subject which gives the‘profit’ ” (On the Resurrection of the Flesh, chap. 37).
In the quotation above, Tertullian explained that when some supposed that Jesus “had really and literally enjoined on them to eat His flesh,” Jesus explained that the flesh profits nothing and that it is the Spirit who gives life. Tertullian explained that it is with our ears, understanding, and faith that we devour, ruminate (chew), and digest the Word of God. Tertullian also explained that Jesus declared His flesh to be “the bread which cometh down from heaven” and that he was impressing on His hearers the “figure of necessary food.” Tertullian directly stated in the following quotation that the bread represents Jesus’ body.
“Indeed, up to the present time, he has not disdained the water which the Creator made wherewith he washes his people; nor the oil with which he anoints them; nor that union of honey and milk wherewithal he gives them the nourishment of children; nor the bread by which he represents his own proper body, thus requiring in his very sacraments the ‘beggarly elements’ of the Creator” (Against Marcion, 1:14).
Tertullian not only stated again that the bread is a figure of Jesus’ body, but he went on to give examples from the Old Testament to show that this figurative representation was known from ancient times:
“Then, having taken the bread and given it to His disciples, He made it His own body, by saying, ‘This is my body,’ that is, the figure of My body. A figure, however, there could not have been, unless there were first a veritable body. An empty thing, or phantom, is incapable of a figure. If, however, (as Marcion might say,) He pretended the bread was His body, because He lacked the truth of bodily substance, it follows that He must have given bread for us. It would contribute very well to the support of Marcion’s theory of a phantom body, that bread should have been crucified! But why call His body bread, and not rather (some other edible thing, say) a melon, which Marcion must have had in lieu of a heart! He [Marcion] did not understand how ancient was this figure of the body of Christ, who said Himself by Jeremiah: ‘I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter, and I knew not that they devised a device against me, saying, Let us cast the tree upon His bread,’ which means, of course, the cross upon His body. And thus, casting light, as He always did, upon the ancient prophecies, He declared plainly enough what He meant by the bread, when He called the bread His own body. He likewise, when mentioning the cup and making the new testament to be sealed ‘in His blood,’ affirms the reality of His body. For no blood can belong to a body which is not a body of flesh. If any sort of body were presented to our view, which is not one of flesh, not being fleshly, it would not possess blood. Thus, from the evidence of the flesh, we get a proof of the body, and a proof of the flesh from the evidence of the blood. In order, however, that you may discover how anciently wine is used as a figure for blood, turn to Isaiah, who asks, ‘Who is this that cometh from Edom, from Bosor with garments dyed in red, so glorious in His apparel, in the greatness of his might? Why are thy garments red, and thy raiment as his who cometh from the treading of the full winepress?’ The prophetic Spirit contemplates the Lord as if He were already on His way to His passion, clad in His fleshly nature; and as He was to suffer therein, He represents the bleeding condition of His flesh under the metaphor of garments dyed in red, as if reddened in the treading and crushing process of the wine-press, from which the labourers descend reddened with the wine-juice, like men stained in blood. Much more clearly still does the book of Genesis foretell this, when (in the blessing of Judah, out of whose tribe Christ was to come according to the flesh) it even then delineated Christ in the person of that patriarch, saying, ‘He washed His garments in wine, and His clothes in the blood of grapes’—in His garments and clothes the prophecy pointed out his flesh, and His blood in the wine. Thus did He now consecrate His blood in wine, who then (by the patriarch) used the figure of wine to describe His blood” (Against Marcion, 4:40).
Although there were some Church Fathers who believed in the “real presence” (which is not necessarily the same as transubstantiation) and some who may have believed in transubstantiation, these quotations from Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian show that not all the Church Fathers believed in it. Clement and Tertullian clearly believed that the bread and wine are figures to represent Jesus’ body and blood and are not transformed into them. So, despite the fact that Clement and Tertullian are quoted elsewhere in the Catholic Catechism, the Catholic Church leaves them out of the catechism when it comes to the topic of transubstantiation.
Did all the Church Fathers believe in penance and confession to a priest?
The Catholic Catechism teaches that
“The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgive sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction...” (para. 1448).
Also,
“Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance:...‘When Christ’s faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest...’ ” (para. 1456).
And,
“Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing some thing more to make amends for the sin: he must ‘make satisfaction for’ or ‘expiate’ his sins. This satisfaction is also called ‘penance’ ” (para. 1459).
But Clement of Rome (d. 97), who is quoted five times in the Catholic Catechism, believed that we need to confess our sins only to God and that we do not need to do anything more to make amends for those sins.
“The Lord of all things, brethren, is in need of naught; neither requireth he anything of anyone, except to confess unto him. For the elect David saith, “I will confess unto the Lord, and that shall please him more than a young calf that putteth forth horns and hoofs. Let the poor behold and rejoice thereat.” And again he saith, “Offer unto the Lord the sacrifice of praise: pay thy vows unto the Most High. And call upon me in the day of thy affliction, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” For “the sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit.” (Clement of Rome, First Epistle, Chapter 52)
Did all the Church Fathers believe Mary never sinned?
The Catholic Catechism teaches that Mary was free from all sin:
“Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, ‘full of grace’ through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: ‘The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin’ ” (para. 491).
The Catholic Catechism continues,
“By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long” (para. 493).
One of the Church Fathers, Origen (d. 232), who is quoted nine times in the Catholic Catechism, is not quoted once regarding Mary’s sinless nature, because he believed that
“It is impossible for a man thus to be without sin. And this we say, excepting, of course, the man understood to be in Christ Jesus, who ‘did no sin’ ” (Against Celsus, 3:62).
He also believed the following:
“God has not been able to prevent even in the case of a single individual, so that one man might be found from the very beginning of things who was born into the world untainted by sin. . . . For ‘in Adam’ (as the Scripture says) ‘all die,’ and were condemned in the likeness of Adam’s transgression, the word of God asserting this not so much of one particular individual as of the whole human race. For in the connected series of statements which appears to apply as to one particular individual, the curse pronounced upon Adam is regarded as common to all (the members of the race), and what was spoken with reference to the woman is spoken of every woman without exception” (Against Celsus, 4:40; italics added).
Origen clearly believed that “the whole human race” was under the same curse of sin, and that, therefore, Mary must be included along with “every woman without exception.” Two other Church Fathers, Ambrose (d. 415), who is quoted twenty-one times in the Catholic Catechism, and Augustine (d. 430), who is quoted eighty-seven times in the Catholic Catechism, also believed that Mary was not sinless, as seen by Augustine’s quoting Ambrose:
“The same holy man (Ambrose) also, in his Exposition of Isaiah, speaking of Christ, says: ‘Therefore as man He was tried in all things, and in the likeness of men He endured all things; but as born of the Spirit, He was free from sin. For every man is a liar, and no one but God alone is without sin. It is therefore an observed and settled fact, that no man born of a man and a woman, that is, by means of their bodily union, is seen to be free from sin. Whosoever, indeed, is free from sin, is free also from a conception and birth of this kind.’ Moreover, when expounding the Gospel according to Luke, he says: ‘It was no cohabitation with a husband which opened the secrets of the Virgin’s womb; rather was it the Holy Ghost which infused immaculate seed into her unviolated womb. For the Lord Jesus alone of those who are born of woman is holy, inasmuch as He experienced not the contact of earthly corruption, by reason of the novelty of His immaculate birth; nay, He repelled it by His heavenly majesty.’ These words, however, of the man of God are contradicted by Pelagius, notwithstanding all his commendation of his author, when he himself declares that ‘we are procreated, as without virtue, so without vice.’ What remains, then, but that Pelagius should condemn and renounce this error of his; or else be sorry that he has quoted Ambrose in the way he has? Inasmuch, however, as the blessed Ambrose, catholic bishop as he is, has expressed himself in the above-quoted passages in accordance with the catholic faith” (On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, 2:47, 48; italics added).
Ambrose and Augustine believed it was an “observed and settled fact, that no man born of a man and a woman, that is, by means of their bodily union, is seen to be free from sin.” Ambrose further stated that “whosoever is free from sin was not conceived and born through the union of a man and a woman.” “Whosoever” refers to either man or woman and must therefore also include Mary. Ambrose also stated that of those born of a woman, which includes Mary, it is the Lord Jesus alone who is holy. It is interesting to note that Augustine also stated that this belief was in accordance with the catholic, or universal, Christian faith at the time.
These are just a few of the numerous topics in which the beliefs of some of the Church Fathers differ greatly from other Church Fathers and from what the Catholic Church teaches. The Church Fathers were definitely not one homogenous group whose beliefs were always in agreement with one another. I have presented the information above to show that although the Church Fathers are referred to by the Catholic Catechism as principle sources for the Catholic Catechism, not all the Church Fathers held the same beliefs and that their beliefs do not always agree with the Catholic Catechism. The Catholic Catechism quotes Church Fathers when they are in agreement with Catholic doctrine and avoids the very same Church Fathers when their beliefs differ from Catholic doctrine. Therefore, it would be more accurate to say that Catholic doctrine is based on selected teachings of the Church Fathers. So, although the Church Fathers do provide insight into the beliefs of those in the early church, we must use Scripture, the inerrant Word of God, as the final authority for any and all doctrine.
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Chapter 4
MARY
What role does Mary play in our relationship with God?
The Catholic Catechism teaches that
“...the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix” (para. 969).
“Advocate,” “Helper,” “Benefactress,” and “Mediatrix” are not just descriptions of Mary’s role in our relationship with God, they are titles given to Mary by the Catholic Church. Let’s look at these titles and compare them to how they are used in the Bible.
First, let’s look at “advocate.”
“...if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one” (1 John 2:1).
“...I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth...” (John 14:16–17).
“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you” (John 14:26).
Next, let’s look at “helper.”
“ ‘The Lord is my helper, [and] I will not be afraid’ ” (Hebrews 13:6).
“God is present as my Helper; the Lord sustains my life” (Psalm 54:6).
Next, let’s look at “mediatrix.”
“...There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Jesus Christ...” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Since Jesus is the “one mediator between God and the human race,” Mary cannot be another.
Finally, let’s look at “benefactress.” A benefactress, or benefactor, is basically a helper. Although God is never referred to as our Benefactor in The New American Bible for Catholics, as shown above, it is God who is our Helper.
“Advocate,” “Helper,” “Benefactress,” and “Mediatrix” are all applied to God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit—all God. Nowhere does the Bible record any of these titles in reference to Mary, because the titles belong to God, not her. Although the Bible does not teach that all uses of these words are reserved only for reference to God, the Bible does not give any of these titles to any person to elevate their position above others, as the Catholic Catechism has done with Mary. While Mary was alive on Earth, she most likely helped others and most likely prayed for others; she therefore could have been considered a helper—but not our Helper; a mediator—but not our Mediator; an advocate—but not our Advocate; a benefactress—but not our Benefactress. These titles should be applied to her in the same manner that they would be to other godly people of the Bible, but not as they are applied to God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. Giving Mary the title of Mediatrix between God and mankind clearly and directly contradicts God’s Word which states that there is
“...one mediator between God and the human race, Jesus Christ...” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Who does the Bible say Mary was?
Luke 1:28 says that the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, saying,
“Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
Mary did find favor in God’s sight, but others in the Bible also found favor in God’s sight. One such example is Noah,
“...Noah found favor with the Lord” (Genesis 6:8).
Being favored by God, or finding favor in His sight, is a wonderful thing, but it is not exclusive to Mary and therefore does not make her more special than the others.
The Bible also tells us that when Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth before Jesus’ birth, Elizabeth said to Mary,
“Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb...” (Luke 1:42).
The Bible tells us here that Mary was truly the most blessed among women, but compared to God, she was still a woman—not a Helper or a Benefactor or an Advocate or a Mediatrix, all titles that belong to God alone.
The verses above are the only verses in the Bible that speak of Mary in a favorable manner. Nowhere in the Bible is she spoken of unfavorably, but neither is she spoken of in any manner that would lead one to believe that she should be exalted. Teaching that Mary is a Helper, Benefactress, Advocate, or Mediatrix is definitely not from the Bible.
How did Jesus address Mary?
At the wedding feast of Cana, Jesus spoke the following to Mary:
“Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4).
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He said to Mary,
“ ‘Woman, behold your son.’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (John 19:26–27).
Earlier when Jesus was told that His mother and brothers wanted to speak to Him, Jesus replied,
“ ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother’ ” (Matthew 12:48–50).
In the first two passages above, Jesus referred to His mother as “woman.” He did not show disrespect for her, but neither did He show her any special respect or honor. He referred to her as “woman,” which shows that she was just that—a woman. Jesus did not address her as “Most Holy Mother,” nor did He even address her as “mother.” Although Mary was a very special and righteous woman, she was still just a woman—not a venerated Helper or Benefactor, and definitely not an Advocate or Mediatrix.
Luke 11:27 and 28 demonstrate Jesus’ lack of emphasis on the importance of Mary:
“While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.’ He replied, ‘Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.’ ”
The woman was publicly proclaiming that Mary was a special person who deserved special blessing. Some explain that this praise was intended for Jesus, not Mary. Either way, it was the perfect opportunity for Jesus to say, “Yes, My mother, Mary, is to be blessed and exalted.” Or at least, “Yes, you are correct.” But instead, Jesus responded by turning attention away from Mary and to the importance of hearing and observing God’s Word. He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” Jesus clearly placed greater value on God’s Word and the importance of hearing and observing it than He did on Mary.
Is Mary the “All-Holy One”?
The Catholic Catechism identifies Mary as the “All-Holy One”:
“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” (para. 2677).
However, the Bible tells us that God alone is holy:
“Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name? For you alone are holy” (Revelation 15:4).
If God alone is holy, can Mary be the “All-Holy One”? The Bible tells us in numerous other places that God is the Holy One. One example is from the book of Psalms:
“Restore my honor; turn and comfort me, That I may praise you with the lyre for your faithfulness, my God, And sing to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel” (71:21, 22).
There are other references to the “Holy One” throughout the Bible; each one refers to God, either God the Father or God the Son. God is the only All-Holy One. To be the All-Holy One, Mary would have had to be sinless her entire life.
Was Mary sinless her entire life?
The Catholic Catechism teaches that Mary was free from original sin:
“Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, ‘full of grace’ through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: ‘The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin’ ” (para. 491).
Many believe that the “immaculate conception” refers to Jesus’ conception, when in fact the Catholic Catechism teaches that it refers to the conception of Mary! The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception cannot be found anywhere in the Bible, and it did not become Catholic doctrine until 1854. The Catholic Catechism teaches that Mary never sinned:
“By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long” (para. 493).
In contrast, the Bible teaches that
“All have gone astray; all alike are worthless; there is not one who does good, [there is not] even one” (Romans 3:12).
And that
“...all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Romans 3 does not state that “all except Mary have sinned” or that “most have sinned.” Instead, it states that “all have sinned” and that “there is not one who does good, [there is not] even one.” “Not even one” means that not even Mary was without sin. We are all sinners, and we all need to be saved from our sins; therefore we all need a Savior. If someone had never sinned, that one would not need a Savior. Mary acknowledged her sin and need of a Savior when she said,
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46, 47).
If Mary had never sinned, she would have had no need for a Savior.
Should we trust in Mary, “the ark of the covenant”?
The true ark of the covenant, not to be confused with Noah’s ark, that the Lord told the Israelites to build is described in the book of Exodus:
“ ‘They shall make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst. This Dwelling and all its furnishings you shall make exactly according to the pattern that I will now show you. You shall make an ark of acacia wood...’ ” (Exodus 25:8–10).
In this passage, the ark is referred to only as “an ark.” However, that same ark is later called “the ark of the covenant.” Deuteronomy 10:8 says,
“At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to be in attendance before the Lord and minister to him, and to give blessings in his name, as they have done to this day.”
The ark of the covenant was made as a dwelling place for God. And since Jesus, God the Son, dwelt in Mary’s womb, the Catholic Catechism teaches that Mary is the new “ark of the covenant”:
“Full of grace, the Lord is with thee: These two phrases of the angel’s greeting shed light on one another. Mary is full of grace because the Lord is with her. The grace with which she is filled is the presence of him who is the source of all grace. ‘Rejoice . . . O Daughter of Jerusalem . . . the Lord your God is in your midst.’ Mary, in whom the Lord himself has just made his dwelling, is the daughter of Zion in person, the ark of the covenant, the place where the glory of the Lord dwells. She is ‘the dwelling of God . . . with men.’ Full of grace, Mary is wholly given over to him who has come to dwell in her and whom she is about to give to the world” (para. 2676; italics in original).
Since Jesus did dwell in Mary’s womb during her pregnancy, a person could possibly compare Mary to the ark of the covenant. But after Jesus’ birth, He no longer dwelt in Mary’s womb, and therefore any comparisons should end there. But the Catholic Catechism teaches that Mary is still the “ark of the covenant” and that we should trust in her. The Catholic Catechism teaches:
“Because she gives us Jesus, her son, Mary is Mother of God and our mother; we can entrust all our cares and petitions to her: she prays for us as she prayed for herself: ‘Let it be to me according to your word.’ By entrusting ourselves to her prayer, we abandon ourselves to the will of God together with her: ‘Thy will be done.’
Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death: 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. We give ourselves over to her now, in the Today of our lives. And our trust broadens further, already at the present moment, to surrender ‘the hour of our death’ wholly to her care” (para. 2677; italics in original).
Should we place our trust in Mary, the “ark of the covenant”? Notice what happened when the Israelites placed their trust in the ark of the covenant:
“When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said, ‘Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the Lord from Shiloh that it may go into battle among us and save us from the grasp of our enemies’ ” (1 Samuel 4:3).
Here is what happened:
“The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated; every man fled to his own tent. It was a disastrous defeat, in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead” (1 Samuel 4:10, 11).
When the Israelites placed their trust in the ark of the covenant, they were not just defeated—they experienced a “disastrous defeat.”
Entrusting our cares to the ark of the covenant is not what God wants. He wants us to be devoted to and trust in Him and in Him alone. God made His desire clear after the Israelites returned to Him:
“Samuel said to them: ‘If you wish with your whole heart to return to the LORD, put away your foreign gods and your Ashtaroth, devote yourselves to the LORD, and worship Him alone. Then he will deliver you from the power of the Philistines.’ So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtaroth, and worshiped the LORD alone” (1 Samuel 7:3, 4; italics added).
The Israelites confessed that they had sinned against the Lord (1 Samuel 7:6) and began trusting in God alone to save them, not in the ark of the covenant or anything else. They asked Samuel to
“Implore the LORD our God unceasingly for us, to save us from the clutches of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 7:8).
Did God save them? First Samuel 7:10 reports,
“That day, however, the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines, and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel.” “Samuel then took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Jeshanah; he named it Ebenezer, explaining, ‘To this point has the Lord helped us’ ” (1 Samuel 7:10-12).
It is clear that we are to trust in the Lord and in Him alone! The Catholic Catechism, in agreement with the Bible, also teaches,
“It is right and just to entrust oneself wholly to God and to believe absolutely what he says. It would be futile [useless] and false to place such faith in a creature” (para. 150).
The Catholic Catechism teaches in one place to “entrust oneself wholly to God,” and in another to “entrust all our cares and petitions” to Mary, to “give ourselves over to her,” and to “surrender the hour of our death wholly to her care.” If one entrusts himself wholly to God, then he cannot entrust his or her cares to Mary. Should we surrender “‘the hour of our death’ wholly to her care”? Or would it “be futile and false to place such faith in a creature”?
The Bible teaches us that we should entrust all our cares to God:
“Cast your care upon the Lord, who will give you support” (Psalm 55:23).
“Cast all your worries [or cares] upon him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
If we follow what the Bible teaches, we should entrust Jesus with all of our cares. For He, being God, is completely able to protect us and provide for us. If we believe the Bible to be true, then entrusting even some of our cares to Mary would be disobeying what the Bible teaches.
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Chapter 5
P R A Y E R
Should we pray to Mary?
The Catholic Catechism encourages prayer to Mary:
“When we pray to her, we are adhering with her to the plan of the Father, who sends His Son to save all men. . . . We can pray with and to her” (para. 2679).
The Catholic Catechism states that we are “adhering with her to the plan of the Father” when we pray to Mary, yet nowhere does the Bible teach us to pray to anyone other than God. Furthermore, there is nothing in the Bible that teaches that by praying to Mary we are adhering to any plan of the Father. When Jesus was teaching the disciples to pray, He said to them,
“This is how your are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:9–13).
Jesus taught His disciples about God’s plan for us. And when He taught His disciples to pray, He taught them to pray to God. In Matthew 6:9–13, Jesus did not teach that these are the words we must pray; He said, “This is how you are to pray.” I am not saying that it is wrong to pray the “Our Father,” as we call it. I am saying that Jesus intended this prayer to be the pattern for our prayers. This pattern for prayer directs the prayer to God. If prayer to someone else were acceptable, Jesus certainly would have told His disciples when He was teaching them how to pray. But He never did.
The Bible additionally tells us,
“...in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
This verse clearly tells us that we should pray and present our petitions to God. Again, nowhere does the Bible teach us to pray to anyone other than God.
Should we pray to the saints?
The Catholic Catechism teaches that we should pray to the saints:
“The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom, especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were ‘put in charge of many things.’ Their intercession is their most exalted service to God’s plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world” (para. 2683).
But the Bible teaches that it is the Holy Spirit and Jesus who intercede for us:
“And the one [God] who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will” (Romans 8:27).
“It is Christ [Jesus] who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us” (Romans 8:34).
“...he [Jesus] is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he [Jesus] lives forever to make intercession for them [believers]” (Hebrews 7:25).
Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede for us, and they are both God. Nowhere does the Bible teach that those who have died before us can intercede for us, and nowhere does the Bible teach us to pray to anyone other than God.
When a person prays to a saint, that person demonstrates his or her belief in that saint, as well as faith and hope in the saint to hear and answer prayer. Despite the fact that the Catholic Catechism encourages belief in the saints, it also teaches the following in agreement with the Bible:
“We must believe in no one but God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (para. 178).
“Faith in God leads us to turn to him alone as our first origin and our ultimate goal, and neither to prefer anything to him nor to substitute anything for him” (para. 229).
The Bible tells us that our faith and hope should be in God. First Peter 1:20 and 21 say,
“He [Jesus] was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Since we are to “believe in no one but God,” since “faith in God leads us to turn to him alone,” and since we are to place our faith and hope in God, how can we believe in, have faith and hope in, turn to, or pray to Mary or any other saint?
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Chapter 6
VENERATION OF IMAGES
Does the Catholic Church endorse the veneration of images?
The Catholic Catechism endorses the veneration (honoring or revering) of images:
“The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes [prohibits] idols. Indeed, ‘the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype,’ and ‘whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it.’ The honor paid to sacred images is a ‘respectful veneration,’ not the adoration due to God alone: ‘Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is’ ” (para. 2132).
Although the Catholic Catechism states that “the honor paid to sacred images is a ‘respectful veneration,’ not the adoration due to God alone,” it goes on to identify it as religious worship. Although it says that the “religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things” and that the images are to lead one on to God, it also tells us that “the movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.” So, even though the intention might be to lead one to God, if an image of Mary or some other saint is being honored or revered with religious worship, that person is being honored or revered with religious worship. In contrast, the Bible tells us we should worship no one but God. The Bible tells us what happened when the apostle John saw an angel, a real angel, not just the image of one:
“It is I, John, who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw them I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said to me, ‘Don’t! I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brothers the prophets and of those who keep the message of this book. Worship God’ ” (Revelation 22:8, 9).
Like the angel that appeared to John, the saints are also fellow servants and not God. Therefore they should not be worshiped in any manner whatsoever. Jesus Himself told us,
“ ‘It is written: “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve” ’ ” (Luke 4:8; italics added).
Additionally, even though the Catholic Catechism calls statues or paintings of saints “sacred images” instead of “idols” and does not consider a person’s bowing down before a statue of a saint to be worship of that saint, the Bible tells us,
“You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them” (Exodus 20:4, 5).
Deuteronomy 4:15–19 explains further:
“You saw no form at all on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire. Be strictly on your guard, therefore, not to degrade yourselves by fashioning an idol to represent any figure, whether it be the form of a man or of a woman, of any animal on the earth or of any bird that flies in the sky, of anything that crawls on the ground or of any fish in the waters under the earth. And when you look up to the heavens and behold the sun or the moon or any star among the heavenly hosts, do not be led astray into adoring them and serving them.”
So, even though the Catholic Church calls them “sacred images” and not “idols,” these verses tell us that (1) we should not worship anything in the form of a man or woman and (2) that we should not even bow down to them.
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Chapter 7
SACRAMENTS
Are the sacraments necessary for salvation?
The Catholic Catechism teaches,
“The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation” (para. 1129; italics in original).
If the sacraments are in fact necessary for the salvation of believers, then a person who believes but does not receive the sacraments cannot receive salvation. This means that all those who believe in Jesus but who do not receive the sacraments because they are not members of the Catholic Church cannot be saved.
Regarding salvation, the apostle Paul wrote,
“...If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved” (Romans 10:9, 10).
And,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
The person who believes with the heart and confesses with the mouth that Jesus is Lord is saved and has eternal life. We are saved by grace through faith and not through works or anything we do. The idea of sacraments may be based on Scripture, but nowhere does the Bible refer to the sacraments as necessary for salvation. It is not through the sacraments that we are saved, but through faith in Jesus.
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Chapter 8
CONFESSION
To whom should we confess our sins?
The Catholic Catechism states,
“Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance” (para. 1456).
It also says,
“When Christ’s faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest...” (para. 1456).
And,
“The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgive sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction…” (para. 1448).
To summarize, the Catholic Catechism teaches: confession to a priest is essential; sins are forgiven through the ministry of the church and through the mediation of a priest; the Church forgives sins.
But the Bible teaches:
“For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5, 6).
The Bible clearly states that there is “one mediator between God and the human race.” Not two, not three, but one, Jesus Christ! If we want forgiveness, we must confess our sins to God through Jesus, because
“If we acknowledge our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing” (1 John 1:9).
When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, He taught that we are to ask God to forgive our sins:
“ ‘This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors...’ ” (Matthew 6:9–12).
The Bible also shows us that God alone can forgive sins, as shown in Luke 5:17–25:
“One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set [him] in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God.”
Thus we see that it is God alone who can forgive sins and that Jesus is God. The Bible also tells us that it is
“...God, who knows the heart...” (Acts 15:8).
Since it is God alone who knows the heart and can forgive sins, how can a priest know the sincerity or the motivation of the one who is confessing sin and, thereby, justly absolve or forgive that person’s sins? Only God knows what is truly in one’s heart. Since the Bible teaches that there is one mediator between God and the human race, why does the Catholic Church teach that it is through the mediation of a priest that sins are forgiven?
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Chapter 9
PRIESTS
Are priests needed to mediate between God and man?
According to the Catholic Catechism, priests are needed to mediate between God and man:
“ The priests are ‘appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins’ ” (para. 1539).
This statement cites three Bible passages: Exodus 29:1–30, Leviticus 8, and Hebrews 5:1. All three of these passages refer to the Jewish priesthood as it existed before Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The Bible compares the priesthood as it existed in the Old Testament to the priesthood as it exists today:
“Those priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in office, but he [Jesus], because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away. Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:23–25).
This passage tells us that before Jesus was born, many priests were needed, because, as some got older and died, others were needed to replace them. But now, since Jesus has risen from the dead and is alive today, there is no need for any other priests to act on our behalf before God. Jesus Christ acted on behalf of men in relation to God when He offered Himself on the cross, and He continues to intercede for us today. Why then does the Catholic Church continue to ordain new priests when the Bible tells us that Jesus’ priesthood does not pass away and that “he is always able to save those who approach God through him”?
In addition to hearing confession, another responsibility of Catholic priests is to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, which we will consider in the next chapter.
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Chapter 10
GIFTS AND SACRIFICES FOR SIN
Do gifts and sacrifices still need to be offered for our sins?
Through the Catholic Catechism, the Catholic Church states that
“The priests are ‘appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins’ ” (para. 1539).
Furthermore, the Church claims to carry out
“...this command of the Lord by celebrating the memorial of his sacrifice. In so doing, we offer to the Father what he has himself given us: the gifts of his creation, bread and wine which, by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the words of Christ, have become the body and blood of Christ” (para. 1357; italics in original).
The Church identifies the Eucharist as
“...a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the cross...” (para. 1366; italics in original).
However, this is not what the Bible teaches:
“But this one [Jesus] offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until His enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated [set apart from the evil of this world]” (Hebrews 10:12–14).
“This one offered one sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins” is in the past tense and is therefore over.
“Where there is forgiveness of these [sins], there is no longer offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:18).
Since Jesus offered Himself as the one sacrifice for our sins and since there is no longer offering for sin, there is no need for priests “to offer gifts and sacrifices” on behalf of men and women, as the Catholic Church continues to do.
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Chapter 11
THE EUCHARIST
Does the Eucharist forgive sins?
REGARDING the Eucharist, the Catholic Catechism teaches,
“...the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins. . . . ‘I should always receive it, so that it may always forgive my sins’ ” (para. 1393).
In contrast, the Bible states,
“If we acknowledge our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing” (1 John 1:9).
The Bible tells us here that it is God—not the Eucharist—who forgives us our sins and cleanses us from every wrongdoing. It also tells us that God is faithful to do this if we acknowledge our sins to Him. The Bible does not teach that receiving the Eucharist will forgive our sins; it teaches that our sins are forgiven through confession to God.
Additionally, the Catholic Catechism states,
“ ‘In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner’ ” (para. 1367).
This may sound nice, but there is a problem when it comes to forgiveness through the Eucharist “offered in an unbloody manner,” because the Bible says,
“...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).
Since the Eucharistic sacrifice is “unbloody,” there is no shedding of blood; therefore there is no forgiveness through the Eucharist.
Are the Sacrifice of the Eucharist and the Sacrifice of Jesus one and the same?
The Catholic Catechism states,
“The Mass is at the same time, and inseparably, the sacrificial memorial in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated and the sacred banquet of communion with the Lord’s body and blood” (para. 1382).
It also says that
“The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice...” (para. 1367).
This means that Christ’s sacrifice is still continuing today. But the Bible teaches the opposite:
“It is fitting that we should have such a high priest [Jesus]: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself ” (Hebrews 7:26, 27).
These verses tell us that Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice once for all and that there is no need to offer sacrifice day after day. The Bible also says,
“For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him” (Hebrews 9:24–28).
The Catholic Catechism teaches that the Eucharist is not being offered repeatedly because it says the sacrifice of the Eucharist and the sacrifice of Jesus are “one single sacrifice.” But this teaching ignores the fact that the Bible tells us Christ was “offered once to take away the sins of many.” This offering occurred in the past (it was “offered”); Jesus’ sacrifice is over. The Bible further states,
“By this ‘will,’ we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But this one [Jesus] offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated” (Hebrews 10:10–14).
Again the Bible tells us that one offering was offered and that “the offering of the body of Jesus” was offered once! Jesus no longer needs to be offered for our sins, yet the Catholic Church continues offering Him daily as a sacrifice for sin. If you are still uncertain that the sacrifice of Christ is already finished and is not continuing today, read what Jesus said in the following passage from the Bible as He died on the cross and His sacrifice ended:
“ ‘It is finished.’ And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit” (John 19:30).
The Catholic view of the continuation of the sacrifice of Christ is clearly different from the Biblical view of the completion of the sacrifice by Christ, even in the Catholic Bible, where Jesus said, “It is finished.”
Are bread and wine transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus?
In addition to teaching that the sacrifice of Christ continues today, the Catholic Catechism teaches that bread and wine are transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus:
“In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist ‘the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained’ ” (para. 1374; italics in original).
“It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament” (para. 1375).
“...‘by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation’ ” (para. 1376).
The Catholic belief that the bread and wine are transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus through a process called transubstantiation is based on the following Bible verses referenced by the above quotations:
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, ‘Take and eat; this is my body’ ” (Matthew 26:26).
“While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is my body’ ” (Mark 14:22).
“Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me’ ” (Luke 22:19).
“...and after he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me’ ” (1 Corinthians 11:24).
From just these verses it may be possible to believe Jesus meant that the bread and wine really became His body and blood. But let us take a look at these verses again, this time in context, and include the verses that follow immediately after them:
Matthew 26
• “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, ‘Take and eat; this is my body’ ” (Matthew 26:26).
• “Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father’ ” (Matthew 26:27–29).
Mark 14
• “While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is my body’ ” (Mark 14:22).
• “Then he took a cup, gave thanks, gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God’ ” (Mark 14:23–25).
Luke 22
• “Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which will be given for you; do this in memory of me’ ” (Luke 22:19.
• “And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you’ ” (Luke 22:20).
1 Corinthians 11
• “And after he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me’ ” (1 Corinthians 11:24).
• “In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup’ ” (1 Corinthians 11:25–28).
Notice in the first two passages that after Jesus is supposed to have changed the wine into blood, He referred to it as “the fruit of the vine.” If it were in fact changed into His blood, why would He refer to it as “the fruit of the vine”? I am in no way saying that Jesus couldn’t have done it if He had wanted to. I’m just saying that He didn’t and that the Bible does not support the teaching that He did.
Notice in the last two passages that Jesus referred to the cup as the covenant “in” His blood—not “of ” His blood. Again, He was not saying that the wine had become His blood.
Finally, notice in the last passage from the Bible that after Jesus was supposed to have changed the bread into His body, it is still called “bread.”
Let’s read 1 Corinthians 11:26–28 one more time:
“For as often as you eat this bread [not the body of Jesus] and drink this cup [not the blood of Jesus], you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread [not the body of Jesus] or drinks the cup [not the blood of Jesus] of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread [not body of Jesus] and drink the cup [not blood of Jesus]” (1 Corinthians 11:26–28).
When we read the entire passages, we see in a new light the actual meaning of Jesus’ words and the Bible’s teaching. When we read in their entirety the verses quoted by the Catholic Catechism to support the belief that the bread and wine are transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus, it becomes clear that Jesus never claimed, and that the apostles did not teach, that this transformation ever occurred. The Bible calls the bread “bread,” and the wine, “the fruit of the vine.” The bread, or Eucharist, is clearly not transformed into the actual body of Christ, and it has absolutely no power to forgive sins. Yet the Catholic Church continues to offer the sacrifice of the Eucharist for the forgiveness of sins, claiming it is the actual body and blood of Jesus.
Is the Eucharist truly and actually Jesus?
Right before communion, the priest holds up the Eucharist and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, blessed are we who are called to his supper.” “The Lamb of God” is a direct reference to Jesus. Sometimes the priest may directly say, “This is Jesus, who takes away the sins of the world.” When we hear this, we are being told that the Eucharist at which we are looking is actually Jesus. But Jesus Himself tells us when and how He will physically return. Jesus spoke to His disciples about the end of the age and said that no one knows the day or the hour when it will come:
“But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36).
Jesus also told how He will return:
“For just as lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:27).
Acts 1:11 also tells how Jesus will return. An angel shared the message that,
“This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
These verses tell us how Jesus will physically return to the earth. Neither of these verses describes His physical return as being through the changing of bread and wine into His body and blood. Yet as stated earlier, the Catholic Catechism teaches that,
“In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, ‘The body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.’ ‘This presence is called “real” by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be “real” too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present’ ” (para. 1374).
It also teaches that,
“It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament” (para. 1375).
Jesus, on the other hand, said,
“If anyone says to you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ [Jesus] or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders so great as to deceive, if that were possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told it to you beforehand” (Matthew 24:23–25).
With these words, Jesus was warning us about people who will say, “Here is Jesus” or “Here is the Christ” before His actual physical return.
Is the conversion of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus necessary for Jesus to be present during communion?
The Catholic Catechism teaches:
“It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament” (para. 1375).
But Jesus Himself said,
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).
Whenever we gather in the name of Jesus, He is in our midst. Therefore, transubstantiation is not needed for Jesus to be present when we share communion.
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Chapter 12
PENANCE AND GOOD WORKS
What is penance?
The Catholic Catechism teaches the following:
“Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must ‘make satisfaction for’ or ‘expiate’ his sins. This satisfaction is called ‘penance’ ” (para. 1459).
And,
“The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction...” (para. 1448).
It is true that something had to be done to make amends for our sins, because as the Bible teaches,
“...the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
But instead of telling us that we must make amends, expiate, or make satisfaction for our sins, 1 John 2:2 teaches that Jesus is the expiation for our sins:
“He [Jesus] is expiation for our sins...” (1 John 2:2).
And Romans 3:24 and 25 teach that Christians
“...are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness...”
When the Bible tells us that Jesus is the expiation for our sins, it means that He has paid the entire penalty and has made complete satisfaction for our sins. Therefore, since there is nothing more for us to do to expiate our sins, we are justified freely. If there was something more for us to do, we would have to pay a price, and we would not be justified freely. We do not need to expiate our own sins, because Jesus already has. We do not have to do anything to earn that expiation; all we have to do is accept it. That is why the Bible tells us,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Eternal life is not something we can earn; it is a free gift from God.
Are we reconciled to God through penance?
According to the Catholic Catechism, yes, because it says,
“It is through the sacrament of Penance that the baptized can be reconciled with God and with the Church...” (para. 980).
In contrast, the Bible says in Romans 5:10,
“...while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son.”
And 2 Corinthians 5:18 states that God has
“...reconciled us to himself through Christ...”
Therefore, penance is not needed for us to be reconciled to God, because we are reconciled to God through Christ!
Do good works contribute to the forgiveness of sins?
The Catholic Catechism teaches that
“Reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our Father—every sincere act of worship or devotion revives the spirit of conversion and repentance within us and contributes to the forgiveness of sins” (para. 1437).
Do sincere acts of worship or devotion contribute to the forgiveness of sins? If they do, then forgiveness is not given freely but must be at least partially earned, merited, or deserved.
In contrast, the Bible teaches that
“In him [Jesus] we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions [sins], in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us” (Ephesians 1:7, 8).
We have forgiveness of sins in accord with the riches of God’s grace, which He has lavished upon us. Think about these two points: (1) grace is undeserved and unmerited favor, and (2) something that is lavished is given freely and abundantly. So, in accord with the riches of God’s grace, even though we do not deserve or merit forgiveness, our sins are forgiven freely and abundantly through the blood of Jesus. We receive forgiveness of sins through His blood when we confess our sins to God. First John 1:9 says,
“If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.”
Therefore, no matter how sincere our acts of worship or devotion may be, they do not contribute to the forgiveness of our sins, because we are forgiven freely by the blood of Jesus.
Are we saved through penance and faith?
The Catholic Catechism teaches that it is through penance and faith that we are saved:
“In converting to Christ through penance and faith, the sinner passes from death to life and ‘does not come into judgment’ ” (para. 1470).
This passage from the Catholic Catechism references John 5:24 from the Bible. Let’s see what this verse says in the Bible:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.”
Jesus tells us here that if we hear and believe, we “will not come to condemnation,” or judgment, but have “passed from death to life.” Hearing and believing is faith, but penance is not even indirectly mentioned here. Yet the Catholic Catechism tells us it is through “penance and faith” that we pass from death to life and do not come into judgment.
Why does the Catholic Catechism add penance to what the Bible says? It is not through penance or any other works that we attain our salvation. Ephesians 2:8 and 9 state,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.”
These verses tell us that we are saved by grace through faith, that salvation is a gift of God, and that it is not by works. No one in Heaven will be able to boast that they are there because they were good enough or because they paid off their debt or because they did enough penance. Those who will be in Heaven will be those who have faith in Jesus and know that He has paid the full price for their sins.
The Catholic Catechism has added the requirement of penance for salvation:
“The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament [penance] as ‘the second plank [of salvation] . . .’ ” (para. 1446).
Penance is the second plank of salvation? The Bible gives us only one “plank” of salvation: faith in Jesus Christ. The Catholic Catechism states that the Fathers of the Church presented penance as the second plank of salvation, and it quotes one Church Father, Tertullian (d. about 240). Stating that the Fathers of the Church presented penance as the second plank of salvation sounds as if all of the Church Fathers held this belief. At least one Church Father, Clement of Rome (d. 97), who is quoted five times in the Catholic Catechism, did not believe that penance is the second plank of salvation. Clement wrote:
“And we who through his will have been called in Christ Jesus are justified, not by ourselves, or through our wisdom or understanding or godliness, or the works that we have done in holiness of heart, but by faith, by which all men from the beginning have been justified by Almighty God, to whom be glory world without end. Amen” (Clement of Rome, First Epistle, Chapter 32).
This is another example of how the Catholic Catechism quotes Fathers of the Church when their statements agree with Catholic doctrine but avoids them when they do not agree. It also shows again that although the phrase “the Fathers of the Church” sounds as if all the respected early Christians believed the same things, the Fathers of the Church actually had beliefs that differed significantly from one another, and even sometimes contradicted one another and the Catholic Catechism.
Can we be righteous by our good works and actions so as to obtain eternal salvation?
The Catholic Catechism teaches that we may obtain eternal life through our life and actions:
“...‘we all rise together and offer prayers for ourselves . . . and for all others, wherever they may be, so that we may be found righteous by our life and actions, and faithful to the commandments, so as to obtain eternal salvation’ ” (para. 1345).
However, the Bible tells us that we are made righteous, not through our actions, but through Jesus’ obedience:
“...through the obedience of one [Jesus] the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).
Man cannot be 100 percent obedient to the law, but Jesus could and was. Therefore, it is not through our life, our actions, and our obedience to the commandments that we are found righteous. It is through Jesus’ obedience that we are made righteous. The Bible further confirms this fact when it tells us,
“For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law.’ And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for ‘the one who is righteous by faith will live’ ” (Galatians 3:10, 11).
The Catholic Catechism also tells us,
“Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life...” (para. 2027).
We cannot merit God’s grace. Grace by definition is undeserved or unmerited favor. Even the Catholic Catechism states,
“Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call...” (para. 1996; italics in original).
The Bible tells us,
“...all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They [believers in Jesus] are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed, through the forbearance of God—to prove his righteousness in the present time, that he might be righteous and justify the one who has faith in Jesus. What occasion is there then for boasting? It is ruled out. On what principle, that of works? No, rather on the principle of faith. For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:23–28).
The Bible also teaches that as Christians,
“...we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16).
The Bible plainly tells us in these verses that we are not justified by works, but by faith apart from works of the law! The Bible further tells us that those who attempt to be justified by their works have fallen from grace and are not getting closer to God, but are actually separated from Christ!
“You are separated from Christ, you who are trying to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4).
The Bible also tells us,
“...how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God” (Hebrews 9:14).
If we are doing good deeds (good works) to try to obtain eternal life, they are “dead works.” They are being done to earn something for oneself out of love for self and not out of selfless love for God. They are being done for selfish reasons and not out of pure love for God. When someone tries to be good enough to earn his or her salvation, that person is attempting to establish his or her own righteousness and is not submitting to God’s righteousness. As the apostle Paul wrote,
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on their behalf is for salvation. I testify with regard to them that they have zeal for God, but it is not discerning. For, in their unawareness of the righteousness that comes from God and their attempt to establish their own [righteousness], they did not submit to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:1–3).
Although Paul wrote this passage specifically about the Israelites, the message applies to anyone in the same situation. Paul was writing about people who have a zeal for God but who are unaware that righteousness comes from God and that we must submit to God’s righteousness. Such people may go to church every Sunday, maybe even daily, and they may try to do all the right things. But they continue trying to be good enough to establish their own righteousness to enter Heaven instead of trusting in God and submitting to His righteousness. Therefore, instead of growing closer to God, they are actually separated from Him.
How does one receive God’s righteousness? The apostle Paul told us that it is not through good works, but through faith in Christ. He wrote,
“...I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith” (Philippians 3:8, 9).
He also wrote,
“But when one does not work, yet believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5).
The Bible clearly teaches that we cannot establish our own righteousness through our own good works and actions to obtain eternal life. Instead, when we stop working at establishing our own righteousness and submit to God’s righteousness by accepting Christ through faith (John 1:12), we don’t have to worry or be concerned about whether we are good enough or have done enough good to have earned eternal life. Eternal life is truly a gift from God received through faith in Jesus. Romans 6:23 states,
“...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
When we have received and submitted to the righteousness of God through faith in Christ and received forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ blood, our consciences are cleansed from dead works; we are then free to truly worship God with our good works and actions. We are then no longer using our good works to try to get something from God. We are, instead, reconciled to God, and our good works and actions are pure worship to our God out of pure love for Him and thankfulness to Him. Yes, we should do good works, but they do not contribute to the forgiveness of our sins, and we are not saved by them. The good works that we do are, or should be, the result of and the expression of our faith. Any good works we do were prepared by God for the way in which we should live, as is evident in Ephesians 2:10:
“For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.”
We should do our good works, not in an attempt to obtain salvation or to gain praise for ourselves but to bring glory to God.
“Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16).
If good works did indeed cleanse us from sin, how much would we need to do? How many acts of “sincere worship or devotion” would we have to do to attain complete forgiveness? How much would be enough? And what would happen to us if we were not completely forgiven at our death? The Catholic Catechism teaches that if we have not completely made satisfaction for our sins (or the temporal punishment due us) while we were on earth, we must be purified from our sins in purgatory, the topic of the next chapter.
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Chapter 13
PURGATORY
What are purgatory and temporal punishment?
The Catholic Catechism states that
“...every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in a state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the ‘temporal punishment’ of sin” (para. 1472).
And that
“The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains” (para. 1473).
Note that no Scripture references are cited for these two statements. The Catholic Catechism also tells us that
“The Church gives the name ‘Purgatory’ to this final punishment 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...” (para. 1031).
The Catechism refers to 1 Corinthians 3:15 and 1 Peter 1:7 to support the doctrine of the cleansing fire of Purgatory. Let’s look and see what those verses say:
“But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15).
“...so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).
Do these verses teach that if a person is not completely purified when he dies, that person will have to undergo punishment in purgatory? The first verse says,
“...the person will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15).
Does “as through fire” mean, or even suggest, that a person may have to go through purgatory? When referencing a verse or a quotation from any source, it is important to read it in context to make certain the meaning of the text is not misconstrued. Let’s read the entire passage from where this verse comes, that is, 1 Corinthians 3:5–17:
“What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day [Judgment Day] will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire [itself] will test the quality of each one’s work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.”
This passage starts out with the apostle Paul describing “The Role of God’s Ministers,” which is the heading for this passage in some versions of The New American Bible for Catholics. Paul wrote that he was laying a foundation for our faith and that the foundation is Jesus Christ. Others had been put in charge of the churches that Paul had started. Paul explained that those who were put in charge of those churches then built upon what Paul had started. Paul compared wise building according to God’s Word and will with building with gold, silver, or precious stones, which normally withstand fire.
On the other hand, those who do not build wisely and do not build according to God’s Word and will are compared to those who build with wood, hay, or straw—things that easily burn in a fire. Therefore, the quality of work that ministers have done and how they have built upon the foundation of Jesus will be revealed in the Day of Judgment. Work done according to God’s will and Word will stand up to His quality requirement, and the person who did that work will be rewarded, or receive a wage. Verse 8 says, “Each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.” But work done for selfish motives or not according to God’s Word will not stand up to God’s quality test and will be considered worthless. The loss that this person will suffer is the loss of all that he or she labored for that was not according to God’s Word and will. The person who has done this type of work can still be saved, “but only as through fire.”
These verses tell us that even though someone may have built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ in a way that was not completely according to God’s will, if that person knows Jesus, they will still be saved but will have nothing for which to receive a reward, or wage. Everything built upon Jesus that is not according to God’s Word will be destroyed. The person who builds in such a manner will be like someone who watches the house he built burn to the ground. That person will have nothing left—except his life. If that person truly knows Jesus, he or she will still be saved.
This passage of Scripture is also sometimes applied to believers and how they build upon their faith in Jesus. We must be careful how we build upon our faith in Jesus and must consider how the things we do bring honor and glory to the Lord. If the things we do in life honor and glorify the Lord, that is like building with gold or silver or precious stones. If the things we do in life do not honor and glorify the Lord, that is like building with wood or hay or straw. In the Day of Judgment, only what we have done for the honor and glory of the Lord will remain, and we will be rewarded, or “receive a wage,” for our efforts. This does not mean that we will have earned our salvation, because God has already saved us. It does mean that God will reward us if we have stored up our treasures in Heaven, as Jesus described in Matthew 6:19–21:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroys, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroy, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
On the other hand, all the things we did without regard to the Lord will be meaningless and worthless.
Now please notice that nowhere does 1 Corinthians 3:5–17 say anything about sin or purification from sin—not even once. When you consider the context of verse 15, and after having read the entire passage in which it is found, does 1 Corinthians 3:5–17 teach that some will have to suffer in purgatory to be purified before entering Heaven?
Another passage used in the Catechism to explain purification by fire is 1 Peter 1:3–9:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls.”
This passage does not speak of any future suffering after death, but tells us that “now for a little while you [Christians] may have to suffer through various trials.” Now, in this life, we suffer through various trials that allow us to show the genuineness of our faith, for which we will be rewarded “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” This passage, just like the first passage, does not mention purgatory or sins. Again, after having read the entire passage in which 1 Peter 1:7 is found and when you consider its context, does this passage teach that some will have to suffer in purgatory to be purified before entering Heaven? Clearly it does not.
The Catholic Catechism also states the following about purification after death and before entering Heaven:
“All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (para. 1030).
This statement from the Catechism tells us that when we die, we may be “imperfectly purified” and therefore may need to be purified before we enter Heaven. But the Bible tells us that we have been made perfect forever by Jesus’ offering of Himself on the cross:
“...by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated” (Hebrews 10:14).
By Jesus’ offering of Himself we have not only been made perfect, but we have been “made perfect forever”—no additional purification is required of us after we die. It is God who makes us perfect—not works, not sincere acts of devotion, and not purgatory, but God. I do not think I am perfect on my own, for I know that I most definitely am not. But through Jesus, because He has already paid the price for our sins, God will accept us as perfectly holy, even though we do not deserve it. That is why what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross is such an amazingly awesome gift. On our own we are not perfect. But through Jesus, because of His sacrifice for us, God accepts us as perfect if we submit to His righteousness. As Christians we are, or should be, “being consecrated,” or set apart, from the sins of this world. It is through Jesus that God accepts us as perfect right now, even though we are going through a process called “consecration” that continually draws us away from the sins of the world.
The Catholic Catechism further tells us that those in purgatory expiate, or make satisfaction for, their own sins:
“...those who are expiating their sins in purgatory...” (para. 1475).
Yet as we read earlier in 1 John 2:2 the Bible says,
“He [Jesus] is the expiation for our sins...”
Jesus is the expiation for our sins; therefore, we do not have to—and in fact we could not and cannot—expiate our own sins.
Finally, the Bible teaches,
“...human beings die once, and after this the judgment” (Hebrew 9:27).
After death comes judgment, not opportunities to expiate our own sins. But for those who truly know Jesus, this judgment will not lead to condemnation. As the Bible tells us,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).
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Chapter 14
INDULGENCES
What are indulgences?
The Catholic Catechism teaches the following about indulgences:
“ ‘An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.’
‘An indulgence is partial or plenary [complete] according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.’ Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead” (para. 1471).
The Catholic Catechism teaches that in addition to purgatory, temporal punishment can be removed through indulgences. Though neither indulgences nor the concept of them are mentioned anywhere in the Bible, the Catholic Catechism teaches that indulgences provide remission of the temporal punishment due to sins. According to the Catholic Catechism, indulgences may in some cases remove only part of the temporal punishment, but nowhere in the Bible does God forgive sins only partially, or forgive them and then require someone to make satisfaction for “temporal punishment.” As quoted from the Bible earlier,
“If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing” (1 John 1:9).
There are no footnotes or asterisks by this verse to indicate that we must do more to remove any temporal punishment. We are forgiven and cleansed when we acknowledge our sins to God.
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Chapter 15
JUSTIFICATION
Do we receive justification through baptism?
Justification is the declaring of a person to be free from blame and therefore free from the penalty deserved due to sin—to be brought into a right relationship with God. The Catholic Catechism teaches that we are justified through baptism,
“Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ. It is granted us through Baptism” (para. 2020).
Is it through baptism that we receive justification? Note these verses:
“They [believers] are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus...” (Romans 3:24).
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1, 2).
“...we are now justified by his blood...” (Romans 5:9).
“For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved” (Romans 10:10).
It is through faith in Jesus Christ and through His blood that we receive justification and are declared free from the penalty of our sins, not through baptism.
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Chapter 16
THE GOSPEL OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
What is the Gospel of the Catholic Church?
The gospel of the Catholic Church is described in the following paragraph:
“The Council of Trent teaches that the Ten Commandments are obligatory for Christians and that the justified man is still bound to keep them; the Second Vatican Council confirms: ‘The bishops, successors of the apostles, receive from the Lord . . . the mission of teaching all peoples, and of preaching the Gospel to every creature, so that all men may attain salvation through faith, Baptism and the observance of the Commandments’” (para. 2068).
According to the Catholic Catechism, salvation is attained through three things: faith, baptism, and the observance of the Ten Commandments.
Although it is good and right to observe the Ten Commandments, this is a different gospel than that which is taught by the Bible. The Bible tells us that we are saved by faith and not by works, or things that we do. Note the following passages:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them” (Ephesians 2:8–10; italics added).
“Now we know that what the law says is addressed to those under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world stand accountable to God, since no human being will be justified in his sight by observing the law; for through the law comes consciousness of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed, through the forbearance of God—to prove his righteousness in the present time, that he might be righteous and justify the one who has faith in Jesus. What occasion is there then for boasting? It is ruled out. On what principle, that of works? No, rather on the principle of faith. For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:19–28; italics added).
“A worker’s wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due. But when one does not work, yet believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:4, 5).
These passages tell us that we are saved by the gift of faith, not by works, and apart from works of the law. The third passage goes so far as to say that one is justified and found righteous by faith “when one does not work.” Although it is good and right to observe the Ten Commandments, we are not saved by observing them, but are saved by faith apart from them.
Paul explained this in Galatians 3:21–25:
“Is the law then opposed to the promises [of God]? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could bring life, then righteousness would in reality come from the law. But scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe. Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed. Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian. For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:21–25).
Paul first explained that the law cannot bring life. He then explained that before faith came, people were held in custody under the law and that the law was their disciplinarian. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian; we are no longer under the law! This is further explained by Paul in the book of Romans:
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on their behalf is for salvation. I testify with regard to them that they have zeal for God, but it is not discerning. For, in their unawareness of the righteousness that comes from God and their attempt to establish their own [righteousness], they did not submit to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for the justification of everyone who has faith” (Romans 10:1–4).
If a person has faith in Christ, Christ is the end of the law! Therefore, observance of the Ten Commandments is not part of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter how zealous we are or how well we observe of the Ten Commandments, we do not, and in fact cannot, attain salvation through them.
Paul wrote the following about those who attempt to attain salvation through the law:
“You are separated from Christ, you who are trying to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4).
This verse tells us that instead of getting closer to Christ, those who are attempting to be justified by law are actually separated from Christ. To attain salvation, we must not attempt to establish our own righteousness through works, but must submit to the righteousness of God through faith in Christ. When we receive God’s righteousness through faith, we no longer do our works to earn something for ourselves, but we do our works out of sincere and pure love for God and thankfulness to Him. (See chapter 11, “Penance and Good Works.”)
The passage from the Catholic Catechism quoted above shows that the gospel of the Catholic Church tells us that salvation may be attained “through faith, Baptism and observance of the Commandments.” The passages from the Bible show that the gospel taught by the Bible tells us that a person is freely saved by grace through faith apart from the law. These are clearly two very different gospels. One teaches that salvation is attained through faith along with works. The other teaches that salvation is attained through faith apart from works. This difference is very significant, because as shown in Romans 10:1–4 above, the apostle Paul desired that people would be saved, but instead of submitting to the righteousness of God through faith, they were trying to establish their own righteousness through works.
How serious is this matter? First, 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 4 warn against those who would come and teach a different gospel:
“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere [and pure] commitment to Christ. For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough.”
Paul was warning that some will come after him who will preach a gospel that is different from the gospel of the Bible and that when they do, we should not put up with their false gospel; we should not accept it.
Paul wrote the following, which shows how serious this matter of a different gospel is:
“I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by [the] grace [of Christ] for a different gospel, (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach [to you] a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!” (Galatians 1:6–9).
Here Paul was writing about people who have turned away from the true gospel to a false one. He then said that if anyone preaches a different gospel than what he has preached, they should be accursed. “Accursed” means “spiritually doomed.” And if someone is spiritually doomed, they are destined to Hell. This statement would be strong if Paul had said only once that those who preach a different gospel should be accursed. But Paul said it twice to emphasize that this is an extremely serious matter and not just a trivial difference of opinion. We have seen that the gospel of the Catholic Church and the gospel of the Bible are significantly different, because one requires a person to add to Jesus’ righteousness and establish their own righteousness through works; while the other requires a person to trust completely in Jesus and receive the righteousness of God through faith apart from works. The gospel of the Catholic Church teaches that a person is saved by faith along with works, and the gospel of the Bible teaches that a person is saved by grace through faith apart from works. One holds us under bondage to be good; the other sets us free to do good. The apostle Paul warned us not to accept a gospel that is different from that which he taught, the gospel of the Bible. Which gospel are you going to accept?
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Chapter 17
QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Basic Bible Teachings
The topics presented in this book address only some of the areas in which the Catholic Catechism differs from the Bible; there are many more. The topics I have presented are very clear and relatively simple to compare to the Bible, and we do not need to be scholars or theologians to do so. We only need to be able to read, think for ourselves, and allow the Holy Spirit to help us understand. As I stated earlier, not all of the Catholic Catechism contradicts the Bible. In fact, many parts are in perfect harmony with the Bible. But contradictions do exist in other areas and become apparent when the teachings are examined. Please remember, as I stated earlier, even though there are many things in the Catholic Catechism that are in agreement with the Bible, I have addressed some of those that are in disagreement because of their seriousness, their importance, and the eternal consequences of believing them. Please also remember, I am not trying to cause discord or problems. I would love to see unity among all people, but we must not sacrifice the truth of God’s Word in our desire for unity. If we do, instead of growing closer to Christ, we may actually be separated from Him.
I have quoted many passages from both the Catholic Catechism and from the Catholic Bible. Having read through all of this, you may find it all somewhat confusing or overwhelming. I will summarize with the following:
God’s Word teaches that we should not nullify His Word with traditions as shown when Jesus said,
“You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things” (Mark 7:13).
Therefore, God’s Word must take precedence over tradition and we must refer to God’s Word as the final authority to determine whether or not we should accept and follow any particular tradition or teaching.
God’s Word tells us to
“...love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
Therefore, we should not worship, venerate, or be devoted to anyone or anything other than God. And by doing so, we will not allow our thoughts to become “corrupted from a sincere [and pure] commitment to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
God’s Word tells us:
“...in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
Therefore, since God’s Word tells us to pray to God and never tells us to pray to anyone else, we should pray to Him and no one else.
God’s Word tells us:
“If we acknowledge our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing” (1 John 1:9).
Therefore, we know that when God forgives our sins, He also cleanses us from every wrongdoing and that we do not need to do anything more to make amends with Him. Further, since Jesus taught that we should ask God to forgive our sins (Matthew 6:12), we can confess our sins directly to God and do not need to confess our sins to a priest.
God’s Word tells us:
“...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved” (Romans 10:9, 10).
Therefore, if we believe with our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess that Jesus is Lord, we know that we are saved. As God’s Word tells us:
“...you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).
If we believe in Jesus, we can know with certainty we are saved because our salvation is not dependent upon our being good enough to establish our own righteousness. Instead, having no righteousness of our own, we receive righteousness “which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith” (Philippians 3:9).
God’s Word tells us:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them” (Ephesians 2:8–10; italics added).
Therefore, we know that we do not have to—and in fact cannot—do good works to earn our salvation. And since we are saved by grace through faith and since it is not through works, we are free to worship God through the things that we do. As God’s Word tells us:
“...how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God” (Hebrews 9:14).
God’s Word tells us:
“In him [Jesus] you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13).
Therefore, we know that if we have heard the gospel and believe in Jesus, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and do not have to fear losing our salvation.
Seek Jesus
All of these basic Christian beliefs are directly from the Bible. I again encourage you to seek Jesus with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your mind by reading your Bible for yourself. As the Catholic Catechism teaches in agreement with the Bible:
“...one can abandon oneself in full trust to the truth and faithfulness of his word in all things” (para. 215).
Also, please remember that
“The Church ‘forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful . . . to learn “the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,” by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”’” (para. 133).
Some people know about God but still may not know Him and may never have truly accepted Him. The Catholic Catechism is in complete agreement with the Bible when it teaches that
“Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all of our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed” (para. 1431).
“God must give people a new heart. Conversion is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts turn to Him: ‘Restore us to thyself, O Lord, that we may be restored!’ God gives us the strength to begin anew. It is in discovering the greatness of God’s love that our heart is shaken by the horror and weight of sin and begins to fear offending God by sin and being separated from him. The human heart is converted by looking upon him whom our sins have pierced: ‘Let us fix our eyes on Christ’s blood and understand how precious it is to his Father, for, poured out for our salvation, it has brought to the whole world the grace of repentance’” (para. 1432).
We are told that true conversion is “a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all of our heart.” Have you ever experienced internal repentance that was a radical reorientation of your whole life? Have you ever had a conversion to God with all of your heart? Do you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind? Have you stopped attempting to establish your own righteousness by trying to be good enough and instead completely submitted to God’s righteousness through faith? Have you ever accepted Jesus?
You may have answered yes to all of these questions; and if so, praise God! Your answers to these questions indicate whether you really know Jesus and whether He really knows you as someone who believes in Him and as someone who has accepted Him into your heart as your Savior and Lord. The Bible tells us that we must accept Jesus:
“He [Jesus] was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in His name...” (John 1:10–12).
Our belief in Jesus must lead us to accept Him. If we truly accept Him, then our faith in Him will be evident as we trust and follow Him with our lives. We know that true Christian faith is more than just simply believing in the existence of God and Jesus, because the Bible tells us,
“Even the demons believe that and tremble” (James 2:19).
The demons believe in God, but because they do not accept Him, they tremble in fear of Him. If we have not accepted Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord, then we also should tremble in fear of Him.
If you feel uncomfortable or uncertain regarding your eternal destination, you can have assurance this very day! And when you have that assurance, nothing that anyone says to you regarding Heaven and Hell will make you feel uncomfortable regarding your eternal destiny.
Accept, Follow, and Trust Jesus Alone
How do we accept Jesus? Jesus told us,
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts and calls us to Himself. If we hear His voice and open the door to Him, He will come into our lives and our hearts. It is by faith, expressed through prayer, that we open our hearts and lives to Jesus and accept Him. After we accept Jesus and receive Him into our hearts, we are to follow His instruction for living as revealed through the Bible. The Bible tells us,
“This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live [just] as he lived” (1 John 2:5, 6).
That is the difference between just believing in the existence of Jesus and believing in and accepting Him. Someone who has accepted Jesus will “walk in Him,” “live just as He lived,” and will worship Him with their life.
Those who only believe in Jesus but have not accepted Him have not been given “power to become children of God” (John 1:12). Therefore they do not have salvation from their sins. It is our sins that separate us from God. The consequence of not believing and accepting Jesus, of not truly knowing Jesus, and of Jesus’ not knowing you as one of His disciples is to not go to Heaven; the consequence is to spend eternity separated from God in Hell. This statement may sound harsh and judgmental, but it is exactly what the Bible teaches. If you truly know Jesus, this statement will not frighten you, nor will it make you feel the least bit uneasy. But if you do not know Jesus, then it may be uncomfortable or even frightening to read the following quote from the Catholic Catechism that accurately quotes the Bible:
“Jesus often speaks of ‘Gehenna,’ of ‘the unquenchable fire’ reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost. Jesus solemnly proclaims that he ‘will send his angels, and they will gather...all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,’ and that he will pronounce the condemnation: ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!’ ” (para. 1034).
Please remember, I did not write this book to condemn anyone, but to encourage you to seek Jesus with all of your heart, soul, and mind, because in Jesus we have hope and the promise of salvation. That is why I want to encourage you to think about what you believe, know why you believe it, and consider the eternal consequences of your beliefs.
Some people are very religious and may go to church every Sunday, but they still may not truly know Jesus. The Bible tells us the following about such people:
“I testify with regard to them that they have zeal for God, but it is not discerning. For, in their unawareness of the righteousness that comes from God and their attempt to establish their own [righteousness], they did not submit to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:2, 3).
Some people say that they have never done anything wrong or that they have never sinned or that they are not as bad as someone else. But the Bible tells us that
“...all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
And that
“If we say, ‘We have not sinned,’ we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).
God is obviously not a liar, and we should definitely not call Him one. Anyone who says that they have not sinned either does not know the truth or does not accept the truth as revealed by God through the Bible. Some may say that they have done only one or two little things wrong. Well, that is enough to be kept from entering into Heaven, because the Bible tells us,
“For whoever keeps the whole law, but falls short in one particular, has become guilty in respect to all of it” (James 2:10).
So even if someone is basically or mostly a “good person,” they are still not good enough to attain salvation and gain entrance into Heaven based on their own righteousness. The Bible tells us that the consequence of our sins is death, but it also gives us hope when it says,
“...the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
The death that is spoken of here is a spiritual death, in other words, eternity in Hell. But despite the fact that we are all sinners and deserve death, God still loves us. God loves you! As God’s Word tells us,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16).
God can and will forgive all of our sins if we come to Him with sincere hearts and confess our sins to Him. God offers the gift of eternal life to all who accept Him into their hearts and follow Him. He desires that everyone would be saved and that none would be lost. The Bible tells us that God
“...is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
The Bible also tells us that all who sincerely call out to Him will be saved, for
“...‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13).
And once we call on Him, if we believe in our hearts and confess our belief to others, we will be saved. As the Bible tells us,
“...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved” (Romans 10:9, 10).
Additionally, we can know that we have eternal life because God has told us through the Apostle John,
“I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).
You can receive Jesus and have assurance of your salvation right now through prayer. Confess your sins to Him, ask Him for forgiveness of those sins, and acknowledge Him alone as your Savior and Lord. He is our Savior because He saves us from the penalty (Hell) we deserve because of our sins. And He is our Lord because we commit and submit our lives to following Him and His Word out of our love for Him and our thankfulness for saving us. Please know that it is not a special prayer that saves someone, it is Jesus. So just open up your heart to Him and speak directly to Him through prayer.
Then begin or continue to read His Word, the Bible, daily. Each time before you read, pray that God will help you to understand what you are going to read and that He would help you to know Him better. As you continue to read God’s Word, you will begin to know Him better and better each day. If you have tried reading the Bible before but it seemed difficult to understand or seemed like it doesn’t apply to life today, this time try starting in the book of Matthew. Matthew is the first book in the New Testament and tells us about Jesus’ life and His teaching. The entire Bible is important and should be read and studied, but in general, the New Testament speaks more directly about Jesus, Christianity, and our lives today.
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Chapter 18
CONCLUSION
After reading the Bible I came to realize there are many things the Catholic Catechism teaches that are in conflict with and contradict God’s Word. When I came to this realization, I had to decide whom I was going to follow: God’s Word or the Catholic Church. I knew that I could completely trust God’s Word as even the Catholic Catechism states:
“…one can abandon oneself in full trust to the truth and faithfulness of his word in all things” (para. 215).
I also knew that I could not continue to support an organization that teaches things that are contrary to God’s Word. Now you might be thinking something like, “But the Catholic Church has been around for such a long time. And there are so many people in the Catholic Church, how can that many be wrong?” Well, the Bible tells us that we should enter heaven
“...through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14).
From these words of Jesus, we know that it is a narrow road that leads to life, heaven. Each of us must choose which road we will follow and which gate we will pass through when our lives here on earth are over. I leave it up to you to decide if you agree or disagree that contradictions exist between the Catholic Catechism and the Bible and to decide which you are going to believe and follow. Please remember, my intention is not to condemn anyone who is Catholic or attends a Catholic Church; but to encourage you to love Jesus with all your heart, soul, and mind and to think about what you believe, know why you believe it, and consider the eternal consequences of your beliefs.
After reading the Bible and continuing to read and study it, I knew, I know now, and I share with you now, that we are saved by the grace of God though faith in Jesus and not through any church or organization or any works we do. For me to continue to attend and support the Catholic Church would be supporting and accepting a gospel that is different from the gospel taught by God’s word. I could not, cannot, and will not do that. Once again, my intention for writing this is not to condemn anyone who attends a Catholic Church. My intention is to point the way to Jesus and I hope to encourage and challenge others to give their lives to Him and love Him with all of their heart, soul, and mind. We really don’t know if we will live to see tonight, let alone tomorrow, so please, do not put off making this extremely important decision: who are you going to follow and why?
Please feel free to contact me regarding the information I have presented. I would welcome the opportunity to communicate with you personally regarding Jesus and discuss our beliefs together. I can be reached at the following e-mail address:
joe@TeachingsOfTheCatholicChurch.com
Thank you for taking the time to read this book. I sincerely hope you have been encouraged and blessed by it. May God bless you and may the love of Jesus fill you with much peace, hope, and joy as you follow Jesus and trust in Him alone for your salvation!
Very sincerely in the love of Jesus,
—Joe Poweziak
“Oh, that today you would hear His voice: ‘Harden not your heart’”
(Hebrews 4:7)
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
(John 8:31-32)
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If you would like a free copy of the book
for yourself or to share with family or
friends, simply e-mail me at:
Joe@TeachingsOfTheCatholicChurch.com
and I will be happy to send one to you.
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