Ee-1. EVERY CATHOLIC NEEDS TO KNOW THE TRUTH! DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. Ee-1. EVERY CATHOLIC NEEDS TO KNOW THE TRUTH! Every Catholic needs to know the TRUTH that the word of God teaches us as Christians to search the Scriptures daily in order to see if what we are being taught is the truth of the whole word of God. The Bible calls QUESTIONING what we are taught as a very NOBLE thing. Please read these clear, plain, and simple words of Almighty God in Acts 17:11 for yourself my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord. Acts 17:11. “These were more NOBLE than those in Thessalonica, IN THAT they received the word with all readiness of mind, AND SEARCHED the Scriptures DAILY, whether those things were so.” So it is a good thing to always RECEIVE the word of Almighty God with gladness and readiness. BUT these men were called more NOBLE than other believers in Thessalonica, because they did not just simply or blindly accept what they were being taught as being the truth. But rather, they went to the very word of Almighty God for THEMSELVES to PROVE it for themselves, that what they were being taught was the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of God. The Bible encourages us as Christians to ask questions of what we are taught and then to go directly to the SOURCE of all church doctrine the very word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, to make absolutely SURE that what we are being taught is the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of God. And EVERY Catholic needs to know this TRUTH. Now in truth, every Christian no matter what church they attend needs to know this truth, which is for each and every believer to search the word of God for THEMSELVES to see if what they are being taught by their church denomination is the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. But here in this particular study, our focus is directed to the believer in the Catholic Church for YOU to search the teachings of the Catholic Church in order to see for YOURSELF if they AGREE with the WHOLE word of God. SECTION ONE So then, let us begin this study in God's word by asking yourself the question: “As a Catholic, have you ever wondered WHY there are so many different denominations in the church of Jesus Christ?” I mean have you ever thought to yourself, “What makes us, being Catholics, to be different from Protestants?” We are all Christians and yet some Christians call themselves Catholics, and other Christians call themselves Roman Catholics, and yet other Christians call themselves Protestants. And among the Protestant Christians, there are many different church denominations that have names while other Protestant Christians refer to themselves as being non-denominational Christians. But really, what makes us, as Christians, to be different? What I mean by this is that WE, as in, both Protestants and Catholics say that we ALL believe that Jesus died for our sins. And again, we ALL believe that Jesus was raised from the dead. So then, what makes us choose sides, so to speak, and label ourselves with denominational NAMES to identify who we are? Are we not ALL Christians?” This following question was asked of me by my oldest sister, who is presently a Catholic at the time that I wrote this study in God’s word. She asked me what is the difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant churches? I thought for a moment and said to her that basically church DOCTRINE is what makes these many denominations different from each other. We all believe that Jesus died for our sins, which is the core teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the very foundation of our Christian faith. BUT we disagree on other teachings and for good reason in SOME cases. For you see, there are some teachings that differ which are indeed important because they can lead Christians away from God. But at the same time there are also some other teachings that differ that are not so important as to divide the church. And then my sister asked me, “What do the Protestants believe that is different from what the Catholic Church teaches?” Well, the answer to that question would depend upon which Protestant Church you would be talking about because there are many differences even among some Protestant churches as well. In fact, some Protestant churches are very similar in many ways to the things taught in the Catholic Church. But then again, other Protestant churches are indeed VERY different in what they teach and in how they worship God compared to the way the Catholic Church does the mass. And especially the Assembly of God Pentecostal Protestant church that I was attending at the time my sister asked me these questions. It is extremely different in what they teach from that of the Catholic Church. So then, all the different church denominations have different teachings EXCEPT for the CORE central TRUTH that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world so that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES this TRUTH shall be saved and forgiven of all their past sins. And the purpose of this study in God's word is to show the things that the Roman Catholic Church teaches that some Protestant churches do not teach. And the REASON why I believe that every Catholic must know these things is that those Catholic doctrines are not specifically taught in the Bible. What I mean by this is that the Assembly of God Protestant church that I attended at that time used the Holy Bible ALONE for its SOURCE and foundation to base what she taught as church doctrine. Whereas the Roman Catholic Church uses both the Bible AND church history or church TRADITION in order to form their church doctrine. Now, the Protestant churches to which I make my comparison are the ones that have many differences in their teachings in comparison to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. And again, the reason that they DIFFER is due to the SOURCE for basing their teachings upon. Most Protestant churches teach that we are NOT to ADD to the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible. But rather we are to teach ONLY what the Bible itself plainly teaches. But sadly, even some Protestant churches go BEYOND the word of God and READ INTO the text their OWN private INTERPRETATION of certain verses to teach false doctrine in some areas or on some subjects. So to ME, I have found that NO church is INFALLIBLE in what they teach. So then, this leaves the RESPONSIBILITY on each and every individual believer to search the word of Almighty God for THEMSELVES in order to see if what they are being taught is the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of God. With that being said let us begin this study in God's word by compiling a list of words or terms that the Roman Catholic Church uses that are not found in the Bible and also compile another list of words or terms used by the Roman Catholic Church that are indeed found in the Bible, but these words are not used by the Roman Catholic Church in the way in which the Bible clearly teaches us as to what they truly mean. Now, from this point on in this study of God's word and other studies related to the Roman Catholic Church, I will refer to them as just the Catholic Church, while meaning the Roman Catholic Church and all the other denominations of the Catholic’s as well. What I mean by this is that I myself do NOT use the term “Catholic” to mean UNIVERSAL to apply to ALL Christians. But rather I use the word “Catholic” as a DENOMINATIONAL name of churches that teach DIFFERENT doctrines that many other church denominations do NOT teach. And the purpose of this study is to learn WHICH of these teachings AGREE with the WHOLE word of God and which teachings CONTRADICT the clear, plain, and simple word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, which is the very word of Almighty God himself.
SECTION TWO\\\
So then, let us begin this section by first taking a look at the list of words or terms that are indeed found in the Bible, but again where we will find that these words or terms are not used in the Catholic Church in the same way that the Bible itself clearly teaches us. #1. Father and father. The words father and Father are both indeed found in the Bible. The Catholic Church uses the word or the term “father” as a title that refers to the clergy of the Catholic Church. The priests are called father, the Bishops are called father. The Cardinals are called, father, and even the Pope is called the Holy father. And very often the word father is capitalized in Catholic writings. Now some of you may be wondering or asking yourself the question, “So what is wrong with calling the priest “father” or even “Father” with a capital 'F'?” Well, Jesus teaches us in Matthew 23:8-12 to call NO man on the earth father because we only have ONE Father in heaven. Now, Jesus does not mean that we, as Christians, are not to call our earthly dad by the name or term father, but rather Jesus is speaking of IN the church that we, as Christians, are NOT to call any man or brother in the Lord by a TITLE that elevates that brother in the Lord above the other brethren. Here is what Jesus says in his own words and I leave it for you YOURSELF to decide what Jesus is teaching.
Matthew 23:8-12. “But be NOT you called Rabbi: for ONE is your Master, (Or ONE is your TEACHER) even Christ; (Meaning the ANOINTING of God who dwells in us as Christians. The Holy Spirit is our TEACHER) and all YOU are BRETHREN. (To ME, Jesus is saying if someone exalts you to be a MASTER or a teacher, then you are to humble yourself and give the glory to the Holy Spirit of Almighty God who led you into all truth. And we are never to EXALT ourselves knowing that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are our teachers and that we as Christians are ALL brethren in the Lord. I personally do believe that Protestant pastors should NOT call themselves by the term “Reverend”. To me, it is no different than the Catholic priests calling themselves “Father or father”) 9. And call NO MAN your father upon the earth: for ONE is your Father, which is in heaven. (To ME this is pretty self-explanatory. In the light of the previous verse and the verses that follow, it is made quite clear that the reason we are NOT to give the title of “father or Father” to any brother in the church is that we as Christians are NOT to EXALT another brother over or above another. Jesus makes it very plain to us that we have but ONE Father who is Almighty God, our heavenly Father. And we have ONE MASTER who alone is Jesus Christ) 10. Neither be you called masters: for ONE is your Master, even Christ. (Now, in TRUTH, the Holy Spirit is one and the self-same being as the Father. In John 10:14, Jesus teaches us that the FATHER dwelt in him. Please read the study called M-5. WHY the HOLY SPIRIT is the FATHER?) 11. BUT he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted,” \
This means that Almighty God himself will exalt us and that we should exalt one another and especially not ourselves. Now, in most of the Protestant Bibles, the word “father” is capitalized ONLY when it is speaking of Almighty God as being the ONE Father of all. And all the other times when the word “father” is used it refers to an earthly father and it is always used in lower case letters and is never capitalized. So to ME, I believe the Bible makes it very clear to us that we as Christians are NOT to call the elders in the church by the name or the TITLE of FATHER, Father or even father. And yet the Catholic Church does NOT obey these very simple, plain, and CLEAR words of Jesus. So the question is WHY? Well, you, my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, will have to answer that question for yourself. You may think this to be a trivial matter, but when one disobedience to God's word is compared alongside with another disobedience to his word, and then another and then yet another, then this should raise a red flag to you with the QUESTION, “Have I not been taught the TRUTH of God's word?” Every Catholic should be asking questions like these. “Why is it that what I have been taught seems to CONTRADICT the word of God?” “Why do we, as Catholics, call the priest father, when the Bible clearly teaches us NOT to do this?” After reading this very clear, plain, and simple verse from God's word of TRUTH from the Holy Bible and you are NOT asking yourself these questions, then you are not truly seeking to know the truth of the whole word of God. But if reading this verse does raise at least some questions in you, then know that this is the Holy Spirit of Almighty God leading you into all truth. It is for you and many others like you, who are TRULY seeking the truth of God's word that I give thanks to God for, always, for I KNOW that whosoever SEEKS shall find, Amen! Let us continue with this list of terms used by the Roman Catholic Church.
#2. Priest.
The words priest, priests, and even the word priesthood, speaking of the different orders of the priesthood, are indeed found in the Bible. However, most of these terms are found in the Old Testament and under the OLD covenant, which are NOT used in the same way that they are in the New Testament under the NEW covenant, where Jesus himself has become our one and only high priest. Let me explain what I mean by this. In the Old Testament, there were MANY priests that offered sacrifices daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly on behalf of the people as a MEDIATOR between man and God. But in the New Testament, Jesus became our ONE sacrifice for sins, ONCE and for ALL time. Please read the following verses: Hebrews 7:27.
“Who (Speaking of Jesus) needs NOT daily, as those high priests, (Of the Old Testament under the Old Covenant) to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he (Again speaking of Jesus) did ONCE, when he offered up himself.
You see my dear Catholic brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church has WRONGLY combined the Old Covenant WITH the New Covenant by creating a PRIESTHOOD in the Catholic Church. These verses in the New Testament under the New Covenant clearly teach us that we now have only ONE priest who is Jesus Christ ALONE. Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant. Therefore, we must never build church doctrine based upon the Old Covenant.
Hebrews 19:9-12.
“Then he said, Lo, I come to do your will, O God. He takes away the FIRST (Or Jesus does away with the FIRST covenant of the priesthood under the Old Covenant in the Old Testament), that (Or so that, or in order that) he (Jesus) may establish the SECOND (Speaking of the NEW covenant IN his blood) 10. By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL. 11. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: (In other words, the sacrifice of the Catholic mass can NEVER take away sin or ease the suffering of Catholics in a so-called place invented by the Catholic Church called “PURGATORY”. Please read the study called Ee-12. Is the DOCTRINE of PURGATORY BIBLICAL? Can you not see, that the sacrifice of the mass and the doctrine of purgatory are ADDING to the word of Almighty God. These Catholic teachings take AWAY from the ONCE and for all time ONE sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross) 12. But this man, after he had offered ONE sacrifice for sins FOREVER, sat down on the right hand of God;”
In other words, Jesus made an END to the offering of sacrifices for sins, and Jesus became our high priest ever living to make intercession for us. The Bible says that we now have ONE MEDIATOR between God and man, who is the MAN Jesus Christ. The Bible is very clear that the PRIESTHOOD of having MANY mediators or many priests between God and man has ENDED, and now in the NEW Testament, EVERY believer in Jesus Christ is a “priest” in the eyes of God. Please read 1 Peter 2:9 where EVERY Christian is a PRIEST in the eyes of Almighty God.
1 Peter 2:9.
“But YOU (Speaking to some new Gentile believers, but as well to ALL of us as Christians) are a chosen generation, a royal PRIESTHOOD, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:”
In other words, EVERY single Christian is a PRIEST and we are all BRETHREN. And thus, we should NOT esteem any Christian as being a priest over us. Jesus made the WAY where each and every one of us can come BOLDLY to the throne of grace of Almighty God to obtain help in our time of need because of what Jesus did for us. In other words, EVERY Christian is their OWN priest so to speak. And every Christian can confess their sins DIRECTLY to Almighty God the Father.
Please read Hebrews chapter 4, verses 14-16. “SEEING then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16. Let us (Speaking of each and every believer in Jesus Christ) therefore, come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace, (Speaking of the very throne of Almighty God) that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
In other words, the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, teaches us that each and every one of us, as believers in Jesus Christ, has been made WORTHY by the shed blood of Jesus Christ our high priest. So then, each and every one of us can come BOLDLY to the throne of Almighty God to obtain help in our time of need. In the New Testament, Jesus became our high priest making the way for each of us to come to Almighty God on our OWN, without the need of an earthly priest to mediate FOR us, as it once was in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant. But yet the Catholic Church is modeled or structured more after the Old Covenant than it is the NEW covenant. But Jesus came to do away with the Old Covenant in order to establish a NEW covenant in his very own blood and is now become our high priest for us. Plain and simple, the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible teaches us that the priesthood has been done away with under the NEW Testament where each and every believer is made a PRIEST unto God. So to ME, the Catholic Church places many types of CEREMONIAL ritual WORKS for Catholics that are based upon the Old Testament priesthood that were only types and shadows of things to come. And Jesus FULFILLED the ceremonial laws for us. One example of this is found under term #3 that is used by the Catholic Church.
#3. Confess.
In the Catholic Church, I was taught that in order to have your sins forgiven, then a Catholic needs to go to CONFESSION or to a confessional within the Catholic Church building to confess their sins to a PRIEST. And then the priest would absolve them of their sins and give them PENANCE to do as an act of CONTRITION. However, in the Bible, Christians are taught that we are to CONFESS our sins DIRECTLY to Almighty God by asking our heavenly Father to forgive us of our sins in the name of his Son Jesus. And then, we are assured by the very word of Almighty God, the Father, that he is FAITHFUL and JUST to FORGIVE us of ALL our sins AND then to CLEANSE us of ALL our UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. Please read 1 John 1:9 where we as Christians are assured of the FAITHFULNESS of Almighty God to FORGIVE us of all our sins whenever we ask him for forgiveness with a sincere repentant heart and CONFESS our sins.
1 John 1:9.
“If we CONFESS our sins, he is FAITHFUL and JUST to FORGIVE us our sins, AND to CLEANSE us from ALL unrighteousness.”
In other words, there is nothing in the New Testament under the New Covenant that teaches us about doing works of PENANCE so that our sins will be forgiven. But rather, under the New Covenant, we are to repent of our sins and ask our heavenly Father to forgive us of our sins. And then, we are to BELIEVE the promises in God's word of promise that he is faithful to do what he said he would do. The Bible teaches us that the just shall live by FAITH. You must BELIEVE that God FORGIVES you when you confess your sins to him. And if you live by FAITH and BELIEVE his word, then you are FORGIVEN of ALL your sins and he has indeed CLEANSED you from ALL your unrighteousness and every so-called stain of sin. Jesus does not ask us to do PENANCE in the New Testament. This teaching was added by the Catholic Church. We will go into more detail on the difference between PENANCE and Biblical repentance in the next section of Catholic terms that are NOT found in the Bible under the word “penance.” But for now, let us continue with words that ARE indeed found in the Bible, but are not being used by the Catholic Church in the way that the word of God teaches. Now some may argue and say what about the words of Jesus when he said whosoever sins you remit, then they are remitted and whosoever sins you retain then they are retained? Does that not teach us that Jesus gave POWER to the PRIEST to forgive sins? First of all, to ME, Jesus is speaking of forgiving those who wronged us personally and not that we have the power to forgive the sins of just anyone. For example, Stephen prayed when he was being stoned to death, for God to forgive those who were stoning him. In other words, Stephen was REMITTING that PARTICULAR sin that was being sinned against him PERSONALLY. To say this another way, Peter could NOT have remitted those sins that were done TO Stephen. We ALONE can remit ONLY the sins done against us personally by FORGIVING them for the wrong they did to us. That is what the term remitting sins means. Also, please keep in mind that Jesus was speaking to each and every one of us when he spoke those words and that Jesus was NOT speaking of only CERTAIN believers, such as PRIESTS, having the power to forgive sins. Remember we have already seen that the priesthood has been done AWAY with, through the ONE sacrifice of Jesus. Always remember that we ALL have been made a part of the ROYAL PRIESTHOOD and each and every believer has become a PRIEST unto God. In other words, we are not REQUIRED to confess our sins to one another, but we can confide in a brother or sister in the Lord concerning a sin that one might be struggling with. In other words, the Bible also teaches us to confess our FAULTS with one another. But to me, this means that we are to share our weaknesses or the area that we are having trouble overcoming the devil, with each other, so that we can encourage, exhort and strengthen one another to overcome sin better and better as we learn from each other. This also means that if we have a fault with that particular brother or sister in the Lord, that God will not hear our prayer until we settle that fault that is between you and that particular brother or sister in the Lord.
Please read James 5:13-20 which clearly teaches us this truth.
“Is there any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is there any merry? Let him sing psalms. 14. Is there any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (Sometimes the sick are both healed of the physical sickness and forgiven of the sins at the same time without that person confessing their sins or their faults first. But at other times Christians do not receive their healing because God wants them to confess their faults and make amends first. And then, God will forgive them of their sins and then heal their bodies AFTER they have FORGIVEN those that they are holding a GRUDGE against. Remember the words of Jesus when he said if you have anything against your brother, then leave your gift at the feet of God and go to your brother and make amends and restore a right fellowship between you and your brother. And then return and offer your gift or prayer to God. The Bible teaches us that unless we FORGIVE others their trespass AGAINST US, then we shall NOT be forgiven of our sins. This is what the bible means, to confess our faults with one another and whosoever sins you remit then they are remitted and whosoever sins you retain, then they are retained and you shall not be forgiven by your heavenly Father until you REMIT or FORGIVE those who trespassed against YOU personally) 16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (You are restored to very RIGHTEOUSNESS of God each and every time you CONFESS your sins. In other words, every time you repent of your sins and BELIEVE God's WORD that you have been forgiven of all your sins and that he has CLEANSED you from ALL your UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, then you become PERFECT in the eyes of God. That means that you no longer have ANY UNRIGHTEOUSNESS in you and now you are RIGHTEOUS. Therefore, YOUR prayers avail much even as the prayers of the great prophet Elijah availed much) 17. Elias was a MAN subject to like passions as WE are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. (I can not emphasize this enough my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ for you to get this THROUGH your thick skull that YOU are RIGHTEOUS in the eyes of God WHEN you repent and confess your sins. And also KNOW that the great prophet Elijah is just the SAME as YOU. He had his fears just the SAME as you, but when he BELIEVED God, then he was mightily used by God. Sorry for being so blunt, but I get tired of hearing UNBELIEF just like Jesus got tired of hearing it from his disciples and said how much longer must I suffer you. Read the gospels and see how many times Jesus said BECAUSE of YOUR unbelief, and be it done unto you ACCORDING to YOUR FAITH. It is IMPOSSIBLE to please God without FAITH. If you want to receive from God, then YOU must BELIEVE that he will do what he said that he will do. God is not a man that He should lie) 19. Brethren, if ANY of you do err from the TRUTH, and ONE (As to referring to ANY one of US as believers and NOT speaking of ONLY the Catholic priest) convert him; 20. Let him know, that he who converts the sinner from the ERROR of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
We are ALL ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and each and every one of us has the authority to FORGIVE those that have sinned specifically against us personally. But the Bible does not teach us that any of us have been given the power and the authority to just say to anyone we choose, your sins are forgiven and then they are forgiven. The person needs to CONFESS their sin TO Almighty God and then we can ASSURE them that God himself has FORGIVEN them. But to teach that a priest has been handed down this power to forgive sins is going BEYOND what the clear, plain, and simple word of TRUTH teaches us. So let us stay with what Almighty God clearly teaches us in his word. This brings us to the next term used by the Catholic Church that is indeed found in the Bible but has been MISUSED by the Catholic Church.
#4. Altar.
Yes, the word “altar” is indeed found in the Bible, but again this word is used primarily speaking of the altar of SACRIFICE for sins of the Old Testament under the Old Covenant that was ENDED with the FINAL sacrifice for the sins of mankind that Jesus himself made, for the sins of the whole world as we have already seen. In other words, the altar of sacrifice has been done AWAY with by Jesus when he shed his very own blood for the sins of the world ONCE and for ALL time. There is absolutely NO teaching in the New Testament where the CHURCH is taught to offer a bloodless sacrifice of the mass on an ALTAR to God. I will speak more on this in the next section under the word “mass” that is NOT found in the Bible. Also, the altar of the Old Testament is NOTHING like the altars that are used in the Catholic Church. The altars of the Old Covenant were very simple and plain uncut stone altars where animal sacrifices were offered to God by the priest in behalf of themselves first and then for the people of God for the forgiveness of sins. The animal was first killed and the blood was carefully collected and then sprinkled on the altar and the rest poured out at the base or the foot of the altar. Then the dead animal was placed upon the altar, and then it was burnt till it was consumed by fire. And the altar was to be constructed using UNCUT stones. But yet the altar in the Catholic Church is very ornate. And the Catholic priest offers a BLOODLESS sacrifice to God for the people rather than the blood of an animal. Yet the Bible says that without the shedding of BLOOD there is NO remission of sins. But more importantly, that Bible BLATANTLY says that Jesus was our ONCE and for all time FINAL sacrifice. Thus it is NOT pleasing to God when a religion, such as the Catholic Church, goes beyond God's word to offer him sacrifices that HE no longer accepts. God provided us his OWN LAMB as the ONLY acceptable sacrifice that he will accept. Also, many of the Catholic altars have the RELICS of dead saints in them. I will speak more on the RELICS in the Catholic altars under the term relics in the next section of Catholic words and terms that are NOT found in the Bible. Let us continue with term number four.
#4. Bread and Wine of Communion.
Yes, BOTH the Protestant churches and the Catholic Church observe the words of Jesus to take COMMUNION. However, the WAY in which the Catholic Church observes this remembrance of the death of Jesus is NOT how the Bible clearly teaches us, as Christians, to take communion. The Catholic Church only allows the priest to partake of BOTH the bread AND the cup of wine of communion, but the common laity is only allowed to partake of the bread while drinking from the cup of wine is WITHHELD from the congregation. I understand that this practice of the wine being taken only by the priest keeps changing. And in some Catholic congregations the laity can now drink from the cup of wine. But when I was in the Catholic Church ONLY the priest was allowed to drink from the cup of wine. But this is NOT what the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible clearly teaches us. Please read Matthew 26:26-28 where Jesus himself instructs ALL his disciples to drink of the cup of wine.
Matthew 26:26-28.
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27. AND he took the CUP, and gave thanks, AND gave it (Speaking of the cup of wine) to them, saying, Drink you ALL of it; (Or ALL OF you drink from this cup of wine) 28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
In Mark 14:22-24, Jesus makes it very clear that ALL of the disciples drank from the cup of wine.
Mark 14:22-24.
“And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they ALL drank of it. 24. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.”
Then, so that there is absolutely NO misunderstanding that Jesus did NOT mean that ONLY the Apostles should partake of the wine, we read in 1 Corinthians 11:23-28 where Paul says that he was TAUGHT of the Lord this institution of taking communion in remembrance of our Lord's death. And then, he instructs the church that ALL believers are to take BOTH elements of bread AND the wine.
1 Corinthians 11:23-31.
“For I have RECEIVED OF the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24. And when he had given thanks, he BROKE it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (As you read the following verses please notice that we are taught in God’s word to take BOTH the bread AND the wine ALSO.) 25. After the same manner ALSO he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This CUP is the NEW testament IN my blood: this DO you, as often as YOU drink it, in remembrance of me. (In other words, the Bible ITSELF does NOT teach us to offer up the bread and the wine as a bloodless SACRIFICE to God. But rather, we take communion to REMEMBER what Jesus did for us on the cross) 26. For as often as you eat this bread, AND drink this cup, you do SHOW the Lord's death till he comes. 27. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, AND drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, AND drink of that cup. 29. For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30. For this cause (Or for this very reason of NOT discerning WHY Jesus bore those stripes) many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” So then, the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, leaves absolutely NO doubt that ALL Christians are to partake of BOTH the bread and the wine when taking communion, but yet the Catholic Church WITHHOLDS the wine from the common people. Another point that every Catholic should know is that the Catholic Church teaches that the Pope is INFALLIBLE, which means that it is impossible for the Pope to make a mistake when INTERPRETING the Scripture. Now, it should raise some question in you, being a Catholic that two earlier Popes CONDEMNED the WITHHOLDING of the cup of wine from the people; Pope Leo I before he died in 461 AD and Pope Gelasius before his death in 495 AD both said that the cup of wine should NOT be withheld from the congregation at communion. But in the 12th century, this practice of withholding the wine became more and more accepted and finally was made official at the Council Constance in 1415 AD. Here is what the Catholic Encyclopedia says:
“From the first to the twelfth century: “It may be stated as a general fact, that down to the twelfth century, in the West as well as in the East, public Communion in the churches was ordinarily administered and received under BOTH kinds. That such was the practice in Apostolic times is implied in 1 Corinthians 11:28 (see above), nor does the abbreviated reference to the "breaking of bread" in the Acts of the Apostles (ii, 46) prove anything to the contrary. The witness to the same effect for the sub-Apostolic and subsequent ages are too numerous, and the fact itself too clearly beyond dispute, to require that the evidence should be cited here. But side by side with the regular liturgical usage of Communion sub utraque, there existed from the earliest times the custom of communicating in certain cases under one kind alone.”
The Catholic Encyclopedia goes on to say under the following heading:
“Since the twelfth century. The final suppression of intinctio was followed in the thirteenth century by the GRADUAL abolition for the LAITY of Communion under the species of wine.”
And if you want to continue to read under this section and wade through the lawyer type biased language of the Roman Catholic Church you will find that Pope Leo 1 and Pope Gelasius in the fifth century condemned the practice of the Catholic priests from WITHHOLDING the cup of wine from the laity. So then, according to the Roman Catholic Church herself for the first 1200 years, ALL believers partook of BOTH the bread AND the wine and then the Catholic Church EXALTED herself ABOVE the very word of Almighty God to WITHHOLD the cup of wine at communion from the laity in the 12th century and GRADUALLY made it become an official teaching in the 13th century, and then in the 14th century to be a so-called INFALLIBLE dogma. Again, keep in mind that there have been several so-called infallible doctrines in the Catholic Church that have been CHANGED. And, therefore, those doctrines are NOT infallible. There is some evidence that a FEW in the Catholic churches were WITHHOLDING the cup of communion around the 5th century. But two Popes, who according to the Catholic Church are supposed to be INFALLIBLE CONDEMNED this practice of WITHHOLDING the cup of wine or communion from the laity and it was not until the 14th century that only the Catholic Church made it official to go AGAINST the clear word of Almighty God and withhold to cup of communion from the common laity. In other words, all the other groups of Christians stayed with God's word to take BOTH the elements of bread AND wine at communion. Now, the Roman Catholic Church tries to explain this away by citing a few CERTAIN cases in the history of the church where bread ALONE was given and it was considered to be enough to say communion was received. Now, some of these CERTAIN cases were in the homes of those on their deathbed and they were not able the sit up to drink from the cup of wine. I mean to use such examples is like saying we should ELIMINATE baptism altogether just because the thief on the cross was saved and he was never baptized. Also, the Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine are LITERALLY changed in SUBSTANCE into the ACTUAL and LITERAL body of flesh and blood of Jesus when the priest consecrates these elements of bread and wine during the sacrifice of the mass. Please read the study called “IS THE DOCTRINE OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION BIBLICAL?” for SOUND BIBLICAL teaching on what Jesus truly means when he said, “Take eat this is my body.” There is much more that can be said about the way that the Catholic Church takes communion that does NOT AGREE with the clear teaching of God's word. Some of which we will cover under the word EUCHARIST that is NOT found in the Bible in the next section of this study in God's word.
#5. Baptism.
The Catholic Church teaches that infant babies are to be baptized.
But the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, says absolutely NOTHING about baptizing babies or even small children, but rather, we clearly see that ONLY adults are baptized by full submersion under the water, only AFTER a person has believed on the name of Jesus and repented of their sins. The Catholic Church uses SPRINKLING of water, and or the pouring of water over the forehead of the one being baptized, most always on infant babies, but sometimes, adults that are converted to Catholicism, are baptized the same way. In other words, the Catholic Church does NOT use SUBMERSION under water to baptize new Christians or the Catholics who were baptized as babies. Again, the Bible itself teaches us that ONLY adult believers are baptized by SUBMERSION under the water. Please read the study “DOES BAPTISM SAVE US?” for a sound BIBLICAL understanding of how the New Testament church baptized believers in Jesus Christ. But for now, we will look at only a few verses that clearly show us that MUCH WATER was needed to baptize believers because the early church completely SUBMERGED the believer who was being baptized in water.
Please read John 3:23.
“And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, BECAUSE there was MUCH WATER there: and they came, and were baptized.”
The very word “baptize” means to SUBMERGE completely under. Now, some may argue and say that was John's baptism and not the true Christian baptism. Well Jesus himself was baptized by John as our EXAMPLE to follow. And this is what the early church did in fact do. Please read the ACTS of the early church recorded for us in the books of Acts chapter 8, verses 29-40 where we see that Philip PREACH the gospel to a eunuch and then, when the eunuch BELIEVED on Jesus, he asked to be BAPTIZED saying here is some water, so what is preventing me to be baptized. And Philip said IF you BELIEVE, then you can be baptized. So here it is made quite clear in the Bible that baptism is for ONLY those who can hear and understand the preaching of God's word and BELIEVE. And infant babies are NOT capable of UNDERSTANDING the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and BELIEVING. Therefore infant baptisms are NOT Biblical. Acts 8:29-40. “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, UNDERSTAND you what you read? 31. And he said, How can I, except some man, guide me? And he desired Philip, that he would come up and sit with him. 32. The place of the Scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. 34. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray you, of whom speaks the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35. Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what does hinder me to be baptized? 37. And Philip said, If you BELIEVE with all thine heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down BOTH INTO the water, BOTH Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39. And when they were come UP OUT of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 40. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.” Again, there is nothing in the Bible itself that teaches us to baptize babies or even young children. The Bible teaches us that we are to first BELIEVE and THEN be baptized IN the water. Let us move on to the next term.
#6. Incense.
Now, the word “incense” is also found in the Bible and incense was indeed burnt before the altar of sacrifice in the Old Testament. However, in the New Testament under the New Covenant, there is neither hint of any altar nor the use of burning incense by the apostles or the disciples of Jesus in the early church. Nor is there any evidence of the use of incense in the first four centuries of the church. The first evidence of the use of incense began to show up in the Catholic Church in the 5th century. Can you not see that there were many things in the Old Testament that were types and shadows of things to come? In the New Testament incense is symbolic for the prayers of the saints coming up before God's throne. So then, in the Old Testament, the priests burned incense FOR the people. BUT in the New Testament, the saints can offer their OWN prayers up to God without the need of earthly priests, because Jesus is our high priest up in heaven, who is ever living to make intercession for us. The burning of incense in the Catholic Church is optional, but most Catholic churches still use incense. So the question still arises as to WHY the Catholic Church does things that the New Testament and early first-century church did NOT do? This brings us to the next term or church tradition.
#7. Candle.
The word candle and candlestick are indeed found in the Bible, but once again their USAGE and their meaning is NOT the same in the Bible as it is in the Catholic Church. What I mean by this is that in the Catholic Church candles are lit as a VIGIL. Here is what one Catholic website says: “The Sight of burning votive candles -real or electronic - is common in most Catholic churches. The candles are usually placed before statues of saints or at shrines. But how did this tradition get its start? According to A Handbook of Catholic Sacraments, by Ann Ball (our Sunday Visitor Books), the practice of lighting candles in order to obtain some favor probably has its origins in the custom of burning lights at the tombs of the martyrs in the catacombs. The lights burned as a sign of solidarity with Christians still on earth. Because the lights continually burned as a silent vigil, they became known as vigil lights. Vigil Lights (from the Latin vigilia, which means "waiting" or "watching") are traditionally accompanied by prayers of attention or waiting. Another common type of candle offering is the votive light. Such an offering is indicative of seeking some favor from the Lord or the saint before which the votive is placed. Lighting a candle is a way of extending one's prayer and showing solidarity with the person on whose behalf the prayer is offered.” So where did the use of candles in the church begin since we do not see any evidence of it in the early church in the New Testament? Here is what a Catholic writer named Cardinal Newman has to say:
Cardinal Newman admits in his book that; the "temples, incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water, Holidays, and seasons of devotion, processions, blessings of the fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests, monks and nuns), images, and statues... are ALL of PAGAN ORIGIN." -The Development of the Christian Religion Cardinal Newman p.359 Joseph McCabe a Monk says rather harshly: The choice of December 25th was obviously part of the general policy of disarming the pagans and Mithraists when their cults were suppressed, and it began, significantly, at Rome. In pre-Christian times knowledge of astronomy and the calendar was so imperfect that the great nature-festivals, originally fixed at mid-winter, spring, mid-summer, and autumn, often got out of date, but even in Roman days the birth of a solar or a vegetation-god, saving the world from the darkness, discomfort, and sterility of winter, was widely celebrated at the winter solstice (December 21st) or just after it, when the day began to lengthen again. From very early times the Romans had celebrated their Saturnalia in honor of the old vegetation-god at that time with a great display of presents, CANDLES, and dolls (probably a reminiscence of an earlier sacrifice of children). From the reign of Emperor Aurelian (270-6), who introduced a SOLAR CULT (the S.U.N. god) of a high ethical character, December 25th was the outstanding day of their calendar and was officially described as "the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun." The coming of Mithraism from Persia confirmed the date. The Mithraic cave-temple was on the Vatican Hill, close to the Christian settlement, and the midnight celebration of the birth of the savior-god,
And the Catholic Encyclopedia says the following:
"Candles from the Catholic Encyclopedia: The word candle (candela, from candeo, to burn) was introduced into the English language as an ecclesiastical term, probably as early as the eighth century. It was known in classical times and denoted any kind of taper in which a wick, not uncommonly made of a strip of papyrus, was encased in wax or animal fat. We need not shrink from admitting that CANDLES, like incense and lustral water, were commonly employed in pagan worship and in the rites paid to the DEAD. But the Church from a very early period took them into her service, just as she ADOPTED many other things indifferent in themselves, which seemed proper to enhance the splendour of religious ceremonial. We must not forget that most of these adjuncts to worship, like music, lights, perfumes, ablutions, floral decorations, canopies, fans, screens, bells, vestments, etc. were not identified with any idolatrous cult in particular; they were COMMON TO ALMOST ALL CULTS.” St Jerome writes against Vigilantius the following: “Among other blasphemies, he (Jerome speaking against the so called BLASPHEMIES of Vigilantius) may be heard to say, "What need is there for you not only to pay such honor, not to say adoration, to the thing, whatever it may be, which you carry about in a little vessel and worship?" And again, in the same book, "Why do you kiss and adore a bit of powder wrapped up in a cloth?" And again, in the same book, "Under the cloak of religion we see what is all but a heathen ceremony introduced into the churches: while the sun is still shining, heaps of tapers are lighted, and everywhere a paltry bit of powder, wrapped up in a costly cloth, is kissed and worshiped. Great honor do men of this sort pay to the blessed martyrs, who, they THINK, are to be made glorious by trumpery tapers, when the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne, with all the brightness of His majesty, gives them light?” Candles were called “tapers” back then. Now, Vigilantius and Jovinianus were considered heretics by Jerome, who is often quoted by Catholic writers, because the theologies of Jerome in some points agree with what the Roman Catholic Church teaches today. No matter the argument of today it is made quite sure by these early church writers that the Church of Rome most definitely venerated the dead by the lighting of candles and having vigils unto them who were martyred for their faith in Jesus. And this lighting of the candles to the dead was a pagan practice that entered into the church at Rome. Jerome goes on to say:
“In Pagan processions: "these were usually followed by the principal youth of the place, in white linen vestments or surplices, singing hymns in honor of the gods whose festivals they were celebrating, accompanied by crowds of all sorts that were initiated in the same religion, all with flambeaux (or wax-candles) in their hands." Now, so thoroughly and exclusively PAGAN was this custom of lighting up lamps and CANDLES in daylight, that we find Christian writers, such as Lactantius, in the fourth century, exposing the absurdity of the practice, and deriding the Romans "for lighting up candles to God, Now, some may argue and say. Well, what about in the Old Testament? Did not the Jews have the Menorah? Yes, they did and Almighty God himself gave them very specific instructions on how he wanted the lamp stand to be beaten out of pure gold and not poured in a cast. Again, things done in the Old Testament were types and shadows pointing to Jesus and the church. And the Menorah candlestick that used OIL was a type or figure of the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers in the 7 churches that would come and suffer much persecution to be refined and be made pure. The TYPES and FIGURES in the Old Testament were SHADOWS of the true, which were to come. And when the TRUE came, we as Christians are NO longer to observe the SHADOW. For example, the Passover lamb was observed every year by the Jews, but when the TRUE Passover Lamb came WE, as Christians, NO LONGER observe the SHADOW of the true, because the TRUE, which is Jesus, has now become OUR Passover Lamb and being IN Jesus we are keeping the Passover feast without keeping the RITUAL of the Passover meal. So then, the JEWS may still yet have the Menorah being ignorant of its MEANING, but the CHURCH knows its meaning. And thus, we as Christians should NOT use the Menorah or any other CANDLES in our worship of the one true God and His SON Jesus. Please know and understand that in the New Testament there is no mention or instruction to use candles other than being used for LIGHT by which to see at night time or in a dark room. We have already seen that when the church first started to bring this pagan practice of candle vigils to the dead that other believers opposed these practices and spoke out against them. This brings us to the second section where I have given a list of words or terms that are used in the Roman Catholic Church, but they are NOT found anywhere in the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, neither in word nor in practice.
SECTION THREE. In this section, you can read through the following list of words or terms that are used in the Catholic Church, which are not found in the Bible. And then any word that is highlighted and underlined is a link that will open a new page to a study or studies on that particular subject. Now if there is no link, then either that study is not complete or I have already discussed that word or term in one of the related studies. My main point that I want all Catholics to see is to read and study the Bible for YOURSELF and ask God, NOT Mary, to help you understand his word. I ask of you no more and no less than for you to search the word of God for YOURSELF in order to see if what you are being taught is the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. Your very reward of ETERNAL LIFE is based upon what YOU YOURSELF BELIEVE. Do not leave so great a matter in the hands of another.
#1. Trinity. #2. Original Sin #3. Mass---official 1215 Lateran Council Pope Innocent III #4. Purgatory #5. Limbo #7. Praying to Mary #8. Sacrament #9. Confessional #10. Penance #11. Rosary #12. Contrition #13. Absolve #14. Eucharist #15. Host #16. Transubstantiation #17. Crucifix #18. Chalice (usually made of gold or silver and very ornate) #19. Pope #20. Vicar of Christ #21. Pontifex Maximus #22. Rome #23. Cardinal #24. Celibacy #25. Clergy #26. Laity #27. Excommunication #28. Holy Days of Obligation #29. Mortal Sin #30. Venial Sin #31. Immaculate Conception of Mary #32. Assumption of Mary #33. Indulgence #34. Veneration #35. Miter #36. Sign of the Cross #37. Holy Water #38. Convent #39. Mother Superior #40. NunZucchetto, skull cap worn by Pope, Cardinals, & Bishops #41. Relics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relic #42. Mary Mother of God #43. Catholic
Also, every Catholic should know that there are many different sects or divisions within the Catholic Church itself as well, which do NOT agree when it comes to what they TEACH. Now some Catholics are aware that there is a difference between the Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church, but most Catholics are not aware that there are some 66 denominational divisions within the Catholic Church itself, which differ in what each one teaches. So the Catholic Church is not so “UNIVERSAL” as they would like Catholics to believe. Please read the study “WHAT IS THE TRUE CHURCH” and “WHAT IS THE TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST?” Again, search the word for yourself in order to see if what you are being taught is the truth of the whole word of God no matter what church you attend. We are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. And for further study on whether or not Catholicism is Biblical Christianity please read all the studies under the heading >>>WHAT EVERY CATHOLIC MUST KNOW<<< 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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