Ee-2. Is CATHOLICISM BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. Ee-2. Is CATHOLICISM BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY? This study in God’s word is not intended to judge whether or not Roman Catholics are saved or not saved. But rather, this is a study in God’s word to show those who are seeking to follow and obey God according to what the Holy Bible itself teaches. In other words, in this study, we will compare what the Roman Catholic Church believes, teaches, and practices to what the Holy Bible teaches us as Christians to believe, to teach others, and to practice according to the NEW COVENANT written in the NEW TESTAMENT of the Holy Bible. I will be using the Roman Catholic authorized version of the Bible called the New Living Translation but I will also place a link to BibleStudyTools.com. This is so that you can compare several translations to show you that they all say the same thing concerning the verses that I will quote in this Bible study. Simply type in the verse that you want to compare to other Bible translations and click to find it. Once the verse appears, then click on COMPARE. Also, I always place the Scriptures in italics. And for my comments within the Scriptures, I always place in parenthesis in order to draw your attention to the words that I emphasize. In this study, I will first give what the Roman Catholic Church teaches. And then, I will give what the Bible itself teaches. I will also give links to more in-depth Bible studies covering all the verses in the Bible on that particular Roman Catholic Church doctrine. So let us begin this study in God’s word by reading from the Apostle Paul. Please read Philippians 2:8-16. “He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11. And every tongue declares that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12. Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. (In other words, as other translations say, we are to work out our own salvation by making our own choice as to what we BELIEVE. And we are to do this in fear and trembling because our very eternal life is at stake if we make the WRONG choices to believe in the traditions of man OVER what the Bible ITSELF teaches us in simplicity without any interpretation needed) 13. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the POWER to do what pleases HIM. (It does not matter what pleases MAN. It does not matter what pleases our church denomination. It only matters what PLEASES Almighty God Himself. And when we obey the teaching of His Son, Jesus under the New Covenant written in the New Testament, then we PLEASE Almighty God the Father, Himself) 14. Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15. So that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16. Hold firmly to the word of life; (In other words, hold firmly to the TRUTH of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ written in the NEW TESTAMENT under the New Covenant) then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in VAIN and that my work was NOT useless.” You see, if a person chooses the wrong things to believe then their faith is in VAIN. In other words, if a person does NOT believe what the Bible ITSELF teaches us on how to be saved then whatever they believe is USELESS. So then, your salvation and your eternal life are in your HANDS. So making the right CHOICE of what you BELIEVE and follow is the most important choice you will ever make. So choose WISELY. Now, every Christian sincerely believes with all their heart that their church is the ONE TRUE Church. And every church denomination sincerely believes that they are teaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ concerning how to be saved and how to receive eternal life in the world to come. But some Christians trust solely in what their church denomination teaches them without reading and studying what the Bible itself teaches. In other words, some Christians, including Roman Catholic Christians, blindly accept without question everything that the Roman Catholic Church teaches them or what another church denomination teaches. So I implore you to read and study the Holy Bible for yourself in order to see if the Roman Catholic Church is teaching you SOUND Biblical doctrine from the NEW TESTAMENT or if they are MIXING things taught in the Old Testament in their teachings. #1. What the Roman Catholic Church teaches. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that it is a MORTAL sin if a Catholic misses going to Mass on Sunday. Please read the in-depth Bible study “IS MISSING CHURCH ON SUNDAY A SIN?”, later, but for now, please continue with this study in God’s word. #1. What the Bible ITSELF teaches. Hebrews 10:1-19. “The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system (Speaking of the OLD system under the Law of Moses, under the Old Covenant, written in the Old Testament) were repeated again, and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide PERFECT cleansing for those who came to worship. 2. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. 3. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. 4. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5. That is WHY, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. 6. You were NOT pleased with burnt offerings or OTHER offerings for sin. 7. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’ 8. First, Christ said, “You did NOT want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or OTHER offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (Though they are required by the Law of Moses) 9. Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He CANCELS the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10. For God’s WILL was for us to be made holy BY the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, ONCE for all time. 11. Under the OLD COVENANT (That the ONE sacrifice that Jesus made for us CANCELED forever), the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a SINGLE sacrifice for sins, good for ALL TIME. (In other words, the Roman Catholic liturgy of the priest offering on the altar the sacrifice of the MASS is NOT taught in the Holy Bible in the NEW COVENANT written in the NEW TESTAMENT. And therefore the Roman Catholic practice of a priest offering a sacrifice of the mass is NOT the WILL of Almighty God who wants us to TRUST in his Son’s ONE SINGLE sacrifice of himself for the PERFECT cleansing of our sins for ALL time) Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14. For (Or BECAUSE) BY that ONE offering he FOREVER made PERFECT those who are being made holy. (Meaning that there is no more need to offer ANY kind of sacrifices to God because by that ONE SINGLE sacrifice, that Jesus made for us, Almighty God makes the person who BELIEVES and TRUSTS in Jesus to be PERFECT in HIS eyes. But by a Roman Catholic participating in the sacrifice of the mass week after week every week, they are showing, by their actions, that they do NOT BELIEVE and TRUST in the ONCE and for all time ONE SINGLE sacrifice that Jesus made for them. So, if you are a Roman Catholic reading this, please understand that TRUSTING in what Jesus did for you is the ONLY WAY to be forgiven of all your sins) 15. And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, 16. “This is the NEW COVENANT I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” (This means that when a person accepts Jesus as their personal savior, by asking Jesus to forgive them of all their sins and asking Jesus to come into their life to help them live a godly and pleasing life before Almighty God, then God will give them his Holy Spirit to dwell in them. The Holy Spirit will then led and guide the truly born-again believer in Jesus into all truth and help them overcome all sin in their life, by their faith in the promises written in God’s word) 17. Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds. 18. And when sins have been forgiven, there is NO need to offer ANY MORE sacrifices.” But yet the Roman Catholic Church DOGMA teaches that it is a MORTAL sin for any Roman Catholic to miss going to or participating in the sacrifice of the mass on Sunday which is a direct CONTRADICTION of what the Bible ITSELF teaches us as Christians. You just read from the word of Almighty God himself that he takes NO PLEASURE in the OLD Covenant of the offering of sacrifices by a priesthood over and over again and again, day after day and week after week. You just read from the Holy Bible that God CANCELED that Old Covenant of the priesthood, offering sacrifices to God for the people. But NOW, under the NEW Covenant, God provided for Himself, His OWN High Priest, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus offered HIMSELF to his God and Father as an ONE TIME SINGLE sacrifice for ALL TIME. And NOW, there the New Covenant, it is God’s WILL that we trust in what Jesus did for us. You just read for yourself directly from the SCRIPTURES that there is no more need to offer ANY kind of sacrifices to God. So, now YOU have to make a CHOICE to either continue to remain in the Roman Catholic Church to participate in the offering of the sacrifice of the mass week after week, OR to come out of the Roman Catholic Church to start trusting in what the Bible ITSELF teaches us as Christians to believe and follow. #2. What the Roman Catholic Church teaches. The Roman Catholic Church teaches the priesthood. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church teaches the NEED for the priests to offer the sacrifice of the Mass, to give communion, to forgive or absolve a Catholic’s sin and without an earthly priesthood, a Catholic cannot be saved. In Roman Catholicism, it is the priest who gives the sacraments. It is the priest who gives penance at the sacrament of confession, to be done by the Catholic, in order for them to receive forgiveness of the sins that they confess to the priest. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church teaches the need for the priest to forgive sins. #2. What the Bible ITSELF teaches. As we have already read in Hebrews 10:12 that Jesus ALONE is our High Priest. Hebrews 10:12. “ But our High Priest offered himself to God as a SINGLE sacrifice for sins, good for ALL TIME” Now please read Hebrews 2:10-17. “God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that He should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. 11. So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12. For he said to God, “I will proclaim Your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among Your assembled people.” 13. He also said, “I will put my trust in Him,” that is, “I and the children that God has given me.” 14. Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. 16. We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters so that he (Speaking of Jesus) could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.” Hebrews 6:19,20. “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. 20. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.” We also read in Hebrews 10, how that Old Covenant or the law of the priesthood was CANCELED by the shed blood of Jesus to establish the NEW and BETTER Covenant, written in the NEW TESTAMENT of the Holy Bible. And in Hebrews chapter 7 we read the same thing in different words. Please read Hebrews 7:11-28. “So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a DIFFERENT priesthood, with A PRIEST in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron? (Under the New Covenant that is written in the New Testament there is only ONE PRIEST. And that ONE priest is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is the only one that forgives our sins. We can forgive those who sin against us personally. But no man has been given the authority to forgive the sin of others. The Bible itself teaches us that we are to confess our sins to Jesus. There is but ONE mediator between God and man. And that ONE mediator is Jesus) 12. And if the priesthood is CHANGED, the law must also be CHANGED to permit it. 13. For the priest (Singular. Speaking of our ONE High Priest, Jesus Christ) we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests. 14. What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe. 15. This CHANGE has been made very clear since a different priest, (SINGULAR. Again speaking of our ONE High Priest Jesus Christ) who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. 16. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. 17. And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” 18. Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was SET ASIDE because it was weak and USELESS. (Remember that Hebrews chapter 10 says that the Old Law of Moses was CANCELED. And in this chapter we read that it was necessary to make a CHANGE from the Old priesthood of many priests to just the ONE High Priest Jesus Christ. But yet the Roman Catholic Church is disobeying the New Covenant of Almighty God by having a priesthood.) 19. For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. 20. This NEW SYSTEM (Of our Lord Jesus Christ alone being our High Priest) was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, 21. But there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, “The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow: ‘You are a priest forever.’” 22. Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God. 23. There were MANY priests under the OLD SYSTEM, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. (In other words, under the NEW SYSTEM of the New Covenant, written in the NEW TESTAMENT, the OLD SYSTEM of having MANY priests has been CANCELED. And the priesthood of many priests has been set aside or replaced with just having the ONE Priest, Jesus Christ, who was made our High Priest forever. So again, what the Roman Catholic Church teaches CONTRADICTS what the Bible ITSELF teaches. Does it matter? You bet it matters because if you were to die with an UNCONFESSED sin then you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.) 25. Therefore he is able, ONCE and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to INTERCEDE with God on their behalf. 26. HE (Speaking of Jesus ALONE) is the kind of high priest we NEED because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. 27. Unlike those other high priests, he does NOT need to offer sacrifices every day. (But yet again the Roman Catholic Church DISOBEYS what the Bible ITSELF teaches by their establishing a priesthood of many priests to offer the SACRIFICE of the Mass every week for the Catholic people. This is a serious error of the Roman Catholic Church that I myself can longer ignore) They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this ONCE for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. 28. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.” So again, if you are a Roman Catholic or you are considering becoming a Roman Catholic, you need to make a CHOICE. Are you going to follow the OLD system of MANY priests who offer up the sacrifices of the MASS every week for the Catholic people? If you do then you will be DISOBEYING God’s NEW COVENANT which is the ONLY covenant he accepts. Or are you going to make the choice to follow Almighty God and obey his word written in the New Testament, under the NEW SYSTEM, that Almighty God himself has chosen for us as Christians to believe and obey? If you do then I will see you in the kingdom of heaven. But IF you remain a Roman Catholic then I cannot say with confidence that you will receive eternal life in the world to come. #3. What the Roman Catholic Church teaches. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that rarely if ever, a Catholic will go straight to heaven because of their sins. And therefore almost every Catholic will have to spend time in a place called purgatory to SUFFER flames of fire in order for THEM to PAY for their sins. #3. What the Bible ITSELF teaches. The Bible teaches us that Jesus paid the price for ALL our sins and that we are NOT saved by our own works of doing PENANCE. Please read 1 John 2:1,2. “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2. He himself is the SACRIFICE that ATONES for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” The word atones means REPARATION, to make amends, to reconcile, to expiate, to propitiate, and to BE the PENANCE for our sins. There is no penance, suffering or work that WE can do in order to receive the FORGIVENESS of our sins. The ONLY way to be forgiven of our sin is to CONFESS our sin DIRECTLY to God. And then we must BELIEVE the promises in his word that he is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from ALL our sins when we confess our sins to God. Please read 1 John 1:4-10. “We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. 5. This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9. But if we CONFESS our sins to HIM, HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL wickedness. (You will not find it written anywhere in the New Testament under the New Covenant that we are to confess our sins to a human priest. God desires us to confess our sin IMMEDIATELY) 10. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.” The Bible ITSELF does NOT teach us that we must go to an earthly priest to confess our sins. But rather, the Bible teaches us to confess our sins directly to God and Jesus will be our advocate with the Father to intercede for our sins. Jesus ALONE is our faithful High Priest. And going to a confessional to confess your sins to an earthly human priest is in direct disobedience of the teachings of Jesus written in the New Testament. Please read Hebrews 4:14-16. “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. (The Roman Catholic Church wrongly teaches that Catholics must go to the Virgin Mary and then she will go to Jesus to plead their cause for them. That is another lie from the enemy Satan. Please read the study Ee-6. Is PRAYING TO MARY BIBLICAL?) 16. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” We have been made the righteousness of God by our FAITH IN Jesus. So that we can go straight to God to confess our sins, directly to him, ask for his forgiveness and receive his MERCY and his GRACE. Now read Titus 2:11-15. “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. (It is the grace of God that brings salvation) 12. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13. While we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14. He gave his life to FREE us from EVERY kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. 15. You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say.” The Greek word “lutroo” that is translated as “free us” means to REDEEM, to be a RANSOM, to purchase, to buy, to pay the price. So this verse is saying that Jesus died to pay the PRICE for all of our sins. And if WE could pay the price for our sins by SUFFERING in a place called purgatory or by doing PENANCE, after confession, praying a certain number of prayers, then we are NOT BELIEVING and TRUSTING in the truth, the true Gospel of our salvation written in the New Testament of the Bible. But rather, Roman Catholics are trusting in their CHURCH denomination and what their church leaders teach them from the TRADITIONS of the Roman Catholic Church, that CONTRADICT what the Bible ITSELF teaches us as Christians. Please read Romans 5:8-11. “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9. And since we have been made right in God’s SIGHT by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son. 11. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” #4. What the Roman Catholic Church teaches. The Roman Catholic Church teaches a WORKS based salvation and Catholics do not TRULY know whether they are saved or not. When I was a Catholic, I was taught that if we have enough good works then our good works would out weight our bad works. That is NOT what the Bible teaches. I was also wrongly taught by the Roman Catholic Church that most Catholics would still go to purgatory for a period of time in order to suffer the fire of purgatory to PAY the penalty for the rest of our sins. So basically, the Roman Catholic Church wrongly teaches Catholics that they earn their own salvation through their OWN works of RIGHTEOUSNESS and suffering for their OWN sins in purgatory. Again, the Bible itself does not teach us that there is a so-called purgatory. Please read the study Ee-12. Is the DOCTRINE of PURGATORY BIBLICAL? #4. What the Bible ITSELF teaches. The Bible teaches that we are saved by God’s GRACE through our FAITH in what his Son, Jesus Christ, did for us on the cross. And then because of our FAITH IN Jesus, God gives us his gift or righteousness. Please read Ephesians 2:1-3,9-10. “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to OBEY God. 3. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature, we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. ... … 8. God SAVED you BY His grace WHEN you BELIEVED. And you can’t take credit for this; it (Speaking of SALVATION) is a GIFT from God. 9. Salvation is NOT a reward for the good things WE have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has CREATED us ANEW IN Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” So then, the very moment that a person BELIEVES in Jesus as the ATONEMENT for their sin, God creates the inner man of our heart to become a NEW creature created IN Jesus Christ. And ALL of our past sins are forgiven us and the blood of Jesus CLEANSES us from all our unrighteousness and God gives us HIS righteousness. That is the first STEP toward receiving eternal life in the world to come. God makes us become a new creation in his Son, Jesus Christ, so that he can give us his Holy Spirit to dwell in us who empowers us to overcome sin in our life. God CREATES us instantaneously to become a NEW creation that is created IN Jesus Christ the very moment that a person BELIEVES in Jesus as the atonement for their sins. But IF we slip and fall, by giving into the temptation to sin, then we simply CONFESS our sin directly to God and he is ALWAYS faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. And also CLEANSE us from all our unrighteous so that we will once again be made PERFECT in the sight of God’s eyes. Please read Romans 5:1-19. “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight BY FAITH, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. (Many Catholics have never been taught that Almighty God the Father MADE His HUMAN Son, Jesus, both Lord and Christ AFTER the cross and resurrection, according to Acts 2:36 and many other verses of Scripture) 2. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. (And according to John 17:21-23, Jesus will give us the SAME GLORY that his God and Father GAVE to him after the cross and resurrection. And we will be ONE with the Father EVEN AS Jesus is ONE with the Father) 3. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5. And this hope will NOT lead to disappointment. For we KNOW how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to FILL our hearts with His love. 6. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9. And since we have been made right in God’s SIGHT by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will CERTAINLY be saved through the life of His Son. 11. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. 12. When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15. But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious GIFT. (In other words, we DESERVE the wages of sin which is death but God’s love, mercy, grace, and his salvation is his GIFT to whosoever BELIEVES in his SON as the atonement for their sins) For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His GIFT of forgiveness to many through this other MAN, Jesus Christ. 16. And the result of God’s gracious GIFT is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s FREE GIFT leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one MAN, Jesus Christ. 18. Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s ONE act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. (Speaking of everyone who BELIEVE in God’s Son as the atonement for their sins and who follow and obey the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Written in the New Testament, enduring unto the end to receive the end of their salvation, which is eternal life in the world to come) 19. Because ONE person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because ONE other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.” Once again, if you are a Roman Catholic you have a decision to make. Will you remain in UNCERTAINTY of being saved, not having FULL ASSURANCE that you ARE saved, by continuing to follow the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church? Or will you call on Jesus right now to save you and forgive you of all your sins? Will you choose to believe what the Bible ITSELF teaches, so that you can KNOW that God truly loves you and that by your faith in Jesus, you ARE saved the very moment that you BELIEVE? Please read the study E-4. HOW CAN I BE SAVED? You can read that study now if you are ready or you can continue to read about more teachings of the Roman Catholic Church that directly CONTRADICT what the Bible ITSELF teaches. #5. What the Roman Catholic Church teaches. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Mary is a co-redemptrix and co-mediator WITH Jesus Christ. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church teaches Catholics that they NEED the blessed Virgin Mary along WITH Jesus in order to be saved and go to heaven. #5. What the Bible ITSELF teaches. But the Bible itself teaches us that we have but ONE mediator between God and mankind and our ONE mediator is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ALONE. Please read 1 Timothy 2:1-7. “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. (And when you turn to the TRUTH of the whole word of Almighty God to be saved, then pray and intercede for other Roman Catholics for God to open their eyes of understanding to follow and obey the true Gospel of Jesus Christ written in the New Testament) 2. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3. This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4. Who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5. For, There is one God and ONE Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the MAN Christ Jesus. (What a perfect place in God’s word to say that the Virgin Mary is the co-mediator WITH Jesus Christ but yet there is not one single verse in the entire Bible that even hints at Mary being a co-mediator with Jesus Christ. But rather the Bible itself specifically states that there is just ONE mediator between God and mankind to reconcile whosoever believes in his Son of God and that ONE mediator is the man, Jesus Christ) 6. HE gave HIS LIFE to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. (Again, this would be the perfect place to say that Mary is our co-redemptrix but yet the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible specifically states just ONE person as being the one who suffered and died on the cross to redeem us to God. And that ONE man is our Lord Jesus Christ) 7. And I have been chosen as a preacher and Apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I’m not exaggerating—just telling the TRUTH.” Will you choose the TRUTH of God’s word OVER what the Roman Catholic Church teaches? #6. What the Roman Catholic Church teaches. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Catholics should pray TO Mary and also pray TO the saints in heaven, to receive answers to their prayers. #6. What the Bible ITSELF teaches. But the Bible ITSELF teaches us to cast all our cares upon Almighty God because HE cares for us. Please read 1 Peter 5:7. “Give all your worries and cares TO God, for HE cares about you.” Jesus himself said to direct our prayer to the Father saying to pray after this MANNER or after this example of how I am teaching you to pray. Please read Matthew 6:9-13. “Pray LIKE this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10. May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11. Give us today the food we need, 12. and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Nowhere in the Bible ITSELF does Jesus or any of his disciples tell us to pray to the Virgin Mary or to any of the saints in heaven. Please read the studies Ee-6. Is PRAYING TO MARY BIBLICAL? and Ee-5. Is PRAYING to the SAINTS in Heaven Biblical? #7. What the Roman Catholic Church teaches. The Roman Catholic Church teaches Catholics to pray the Rosary to Mary which is REPEATING the same prayers to Mary ten times in a row, then one Glory Be prayer and one Our Father prayer and repeating this process five times for a total of fifty-three Hail Mary prayers, six Our Father prayers, five Glory Be prayers, and one Apostles Creed. #7. What the Bible ITSELF teaches. The Bible teaches to NOT pray REPETITIOUS prayers as the heathens do. Please read Matthew 6:5-13. “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray TO your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7. “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They THINK their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9. Pray LIKE this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11. Give us today the food we need, 12. and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” I implore you to read the study Ee-7. PRAYING THE ROSARY BIBLICAL? But for now, let us continue with this study in God’s word. The Bible ITSELF does NOT teach us to pray to Mary or to pray to the saints in heaven. The word “pray” is found 68 times in the New Testament and not one time does the Bible mention Mary to be prayed TO so that she can talk to Jesus for us. The word “prays” is found 3 times and again there is no mention of anyone praying any prayers to Mary. The word “prayer” is found 31 times and yet again not one single prayer was directed to Mary for her to pray for us. Protestant Christians do indeed believe that the Virgin Mary was called blessed among women because the Bible ITSELF teaches us this truth. Please read Luke 1:27-30 from the King James Version of the Bible. Luke 1:27-30. “To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favoured, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women. 29. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God.” The problem is NOT with seeing Mary as being favored and blessed by God. But rather, it is with praying or asking Mary to pray and intercede for us. There is nothing wrong with asking anyone who is living on the earth in this present world to pray for you. However, there is nothing Biblical or written in the Bible ITSELF for us to pray to Mary or any of the saints who have died physically and their souls are in heaven. In fact, in the parable of Jesus, the rich man asked father Abraham to send Lazarus to his living brothers to warn him of the day of judgment and Abraham told him NO because the living have the prophets and that is sufficient to warn the living of the day of judgment. Please read Luke 16:27-31. “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ 29. But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ 30. The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ 31. But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” Jesus is teaching us in this parable that it does no good to pray to the dead and that the word of God is sufficient. Please read the studies Ee-11. Is PRAYING FOR THE DEAD BIBLICAL?, Ee-6. Is PRAYING TO MARY BIBLICAL?, and Ee-5. Is PRAYING to the SAINTS in Heaven Biblical? #8. What the Roman Catholic Church teaches. The Roman Catholic Church teaches a doctrine called transubstantiation. This Catholic DOGMA, which comes with a curse if a Catholic does NOT believe this doctrine, teaches that the priest actually CHANGES the bread and wine into the literal body of flesh and blood of Jesus Christ during Catholic Church service of the sacrifice of the Mass. And if any Catholic says that the priest does NOT literally change the bread and wine into the literal body of flesh and blood of Jesus, then they can no longer be a Catholic. And to a Roman Catholic, no longer being a Catholic means to them that they cannot be saved. And thus there is no hope for a Catholic that disobeys any of the Roman Catholic Church doctrine to go to heaven and receive eternal life if they are excommunicated from the Catholic Church. #8. What the Bible ITSELF teaches. First of all, I want to ask all my Catholic brothers and sisters in the Lord, if you truly believe that Jesus actually and literally CHANGED the water into wine at the wedding in Canaan? Of course you do because that is what the Bible itself teaches us. Now, what does the Bible say that the water which Jesus literally changed to wine TASTED like? It tasted like WINE! So what does the Eucharistic Host taste like? It tastes like unleavened BREAD! So why did the water that Jesus changed to wine really and truly TASTED like WINE and the communion host that the priests say that they changed to the flesh and blood of Jesus still tastes like BREAD? It is because the priests do NOT change the bread and wine into the literal body of flesh and blood of Jesus as they claim. Do you know that the Bible forbids the drinking of the blood of animals? Let alone to drink the blood of a human being. Please reads Acts 15:20. “Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.” Jesus told his disciples to take communion as a REMEMBRANCE of their Lord’s death. Please read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. “For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24. And gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me. 25. In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the NEW COVENANT between God and His people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it. 26. For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.” Now simply ask yourself if the CUP of wine was a literal NEW COVENANT? Was the CUP the New Testament? Was the wine in that cup literally the New Testament? NO! Absolutely not! The cup of wine is SYMBOLIC for the shedding of the blood of Jesus on the cross. So taking communion is SYMBOLIC of our remembering the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. The bread and wine of communion are a SIGN or symbols of the NEW COVENANT? Paul is teaching us exactly what the Lord Jesus taught him. And Paul says NOTHING about CHANGING the bread and wine into the literal body of flesh and blood of Jesus. The Roman Catholic Church wrongly and incorrectly “INTERPRETS” John 6:47-56 as Jesus meaning that he was a literal loaf of BREAD that came down from heaven. The word “bread” or leaven is symbolic for TEACHING. Jesus told his disciples to beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees and they understood not that Jesus was speaking of the DOCTRINE or the TEACHINGS of the Pharisees. Please read Matthew 16:11,12. “Why can’t you understand that I’m NOT talking about BREAD? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ 12. Then at last they UNDERSTOOD that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive TEACHING of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Can you not see and understand that BREAD in the Scriptures is sometimes SYMBOLIC language for TEACHING. And leaven bread means FALSE teaching. So then, Jesus is saying that he is the TEACHING of Almighty God which came down from heaven, from God. And anyone who does EAT this BREAD, as in, if anyone does not BELIEVE the TEACHINGS of Jesus that he received from heaven then they shall DIE in their sins. But whosoever BELIEVES this TEACHING that came down from heaven shall receive eternal life. Please read John 6:47-56. “I TELL you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. (Or I am TEACHING you the TRUTH and anyone who believes the TRUTH shall receive eternal life) 48. Yes, I am the bread of life! (Or yes, I have the bread of life, as in, Jesus gave us the TEACHING that will bring you eternal life IF you believe and obey HIS teachings. Jesus is teaching what is GOING to happen to him on the cross and if they BELIEVE what he is teaching them, then they will receive eternal life) 49. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. (Or whosoever BELIEVES this TEACHING that the Father gave to me from heaven will never die) 51. I am the living bread (TEACHING) that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread (TEACHING) will live forever; and this bread, (TEACHING) which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” (Meaning that Jesus is TEACHING them that he is going to lay down his LIFE to die on the cross so that the world may live) 52. Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. 53. So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” Jesus taught in PARABLES and some did not understand his words. Even his closest disciples were questioning what Jesus meant by these words and he explains to them that it is the Spirit ALONE who gives LIFE. And the very words or the very TEACHINGS that Jesus was teaching them are SPIRIT which will give them eternal life IF they are BELIEVED. And if we believe the teachings of Jesus then we will OBEY what he taught his disciples in the New Testament under the New Covenant. Please read John 6:61-63. “Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62. Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63. The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” In other words, Jesus is saying that this very TEACHING of me, laying down my FLESH, so that the world may live are SPIRIT to whosoever BELIEVES that I suffered and died on the cross for their sins and descended into the heart of the earth for three days and three nights and after the third day, God raised me from the dead and I ascended back up to where I was before. Now, if so be that the Roman Catholic Church teaching that our human effort to attend Mass every Sunday to take communion in order to receive eternal life is true, then WHY did Jesus himself say that our human efforts are meaningless in the very context of his SYMBOLIC teaching to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Do you really think that Jesus would teach us to CONSUME BLOOD when Almighty God, the Father, commands us NOT to drink blood? Please read Leviticus 17:10-14. “And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people, 11. For the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life that makes purification possible. 12. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood—neither you nor the foreigners living among you.’ 13. “And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you goes hunting and kills an animal or bird that is approved for eating, he must drain its blood and cover it with earth. 14. The life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.’ So whoever consumes blood will be cut off from the community.” The truth of the matter is that the eating of flesh and the drinking of blood is a heathen pagan practice done to their false gods. And when Constantine declared Christianity to be the State religion many pagans automatically were declared to be Christian believers in Jesus even though they remained pagan in what they believed and practiced. And sadly, some of the pagan rituals became a part of the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church. For a deeper understanding on this subject of transubstantiation please read the study Ee-14. Is the Doctrine of Transubstantiation Biblical? I implore every Catholic to read all the in depth Bible studies under the heading called>>>Ee-0. What Every CATHOLIC MUST KNOW!<<< For you see, the Roman Catholic Church is NOT teaching you how to be saved according to what the Bible ITSELF teaches. And Jesus warns us that not everyone who calls him Lord will be saved. So choose wisely what you believe. Your very eternal live is at stake. Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus. So, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading >>>D-0. THE BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of JESUS!<<< And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading >>>C-0. THE TRUE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH!<<< This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to
VERSES USED TO TEACH THAT JESUS PREEXISTED!
To me, the best way to know the ONE true God in ONE person is to know who Jesus TRULY is according to the WHOLE word of Almighty God. So please read ALL of the studies under the heading >>>N-0. WHO is JESUS ACCORDING to the BIBLE?<<< and you will see that the Bible itself teaches us that Jesus was CREATED by his God and Father. And if you have any questions related to the correct meaning of certain verses of Scripture on this subject of who Jesus is please read all the studies under the two headings >>>U-0. VERSES used for THE TRINITY!<<< and >>>V-0. VERSES used to TEACH that Jesus PRE-EXISTED!<<< These two headings have ALL of the studies that I have on who Jesus truly is according to what the Bible itself teaches us in simplicity. I compiled these three headings to make it easy for my readers to send just one, two, or three links to those you desire to help understand what the Bible itself teaches concerning who Jesus is in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com. Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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Always be faithful to share, to preach, and to teach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ! |
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