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ROME vs THE BIBLE

  • Writer: Steve McAtee
    Steve McAtee
  • Sep 11
  • 4 min read

Updated: Sep 12

What would you do if you discovered many of the teachings of Roman Catholicism are opposed to the Bible?


Would you choose to believe the word of God or the words of men? It is impossible to believe both. (Paragraph numbers in parentheses are from the new Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994).


Authority


The Bible teach scripture has authority over the church. “All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2Timothy 3:16).


Catholicism teaches the church has authority over scriptures. The manner of interpreting scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the church... To the Pope into the bishops (CCC 100, 119).


Justification


The Bible teaches man is justified once by faith and justification provides a permanent right standing before God and results in glorification (Romans 8:30). “To the man who does not work, but trusts G who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness “ (Romans 4:5).


Catholicism teaches man is justified repeatedly by sacraments and works because he loses the grace of justification each time a mortal sin is committed. The sacrament of penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification (CCC 1446).


Regeneration


The Bible teaches man is regenerated by the Holy Spirit. For we were all baptized by one spirit into one body ( 1 Corinthians 12:13). " From the beginning, God chose you to be saved through the sanctifyiing work of the spirit and through belief in truth ( 2Thessalonians 2:13, Titus 3:5).


Catholicism and teaches water baptism is the sacrament of regeneration (1213). The water baptism truly signifies our birth into the divine life (94).


Salvation


The Bible teaches man is saved by God’s unmerited grace. “By grace, you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by Works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8–9).


Catholicism teaches man is saved by meriting the graces needed for salvation. We can merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for the attainment of eternal life (2010).


The Bible teaches man is saved for good works. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).


Catholicism teaches Man is saved by good Works. In this way they attain their own salvation and cooperate in saving their brothers (CCC 1477).


The Bible teaches man is saved for all eternity. “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised holy spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance “. (Ephesians 1: 13–14).


Catholicism teaches Man is saved only until the next mortal sin is committed. Those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell (1035).


The Bible teaches salvation is offered to those outside the church. “We are therefore Christ ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us, be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20).


Catholicism teaches salvation is offered through the church. Basing itself on scripture and tradition, the church is necessary for salvation. Anyone refusing to enter it or remain in it cannot be saved (CCC 846).


The Bible teaches that all students are purified by the blood of Jesus ( 1 John 1:7).


Catholicism teaches some sins are purified by the fires of purgatory. They undergo purification in purgatory, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven (10 30–31).


Saints and priests


The Bible teaches man becomes a saint when the spirit baptises him into the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11–12).


Catholicism teaches Man becomes a saint only if the pope canonizes him. This occurs when he solemnly proclaimed that they practiced a heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace (CCC 828).


The Bible teaches every Christian is a priest and a member of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).


Catholicism teaches every Man needs a priest for salvation. Catholic priests guarantee that Christ is acting in the sacraments which are necessary for salvation (1120–29).


The Lord's Supper


The Bible teaches the Lord's supper is a memorial “do this in remembrance of me “(1 Corinthians 11:24–25).


Catholicism teaches the Lord's supper is a sacrifice. The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice...the same Christ, who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered in an unbloody manner (1367).


The Bible teaches that believers receive Jesus once, spiritually, in the heart. “God - put his spirit in our hearts as a guarantee “ (2 Corinthians 1:22).


Catholicism teaches Catholics receive Jesus physically, frequently, in the stomach. The body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ is truly, really and substantially contained in the Eucharist (CCC 1374–78).


Condemnnation


The Bible condemn anyone who perverts the gospel, including the Roman Catholic clergy. “If we are an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preach to you, let him be eternally condemned “(Galatians one: 6–9).


Catholicism condemns with over 100 anathemas those who believe the Bible instead of the cannons of the council of Trent these condemnations are still in effect today.


These thirteen teachings of Roman Catholicism demonstrate how the traditions of men can notify and oppose the word of God (Mark 7:7 - 13). True saving faith is granted by God as people hear and believe his word (Romans 10:17). Eternal life can be received only as a gift of God‘s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. Accordingly, we must come to the cross of Christ with empty hands of faith, leaving everything behind except our sins (2 Corinthians

5:21).


 
 
 

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