The Truth about Catholicism
The Bible is the final authority (I Corinthians 4:6; see also Romans 4:3; Galatians 4:30), but the Catholic church believes that its tradition is equal to the scripture (see Matthew 16:5-9). The true Christian church began by Jesus Christ in first century (Matthew 16:18), but the Roman Catholic church began in 313 AD by the Roman emperor Constantine as he slowly merged Greco-Roman paganism and false Christianity to establish “Christianity” as the official religion of the Roman Empire.
The Vain Gospel of Catholicism
No Catholic will go to heaven (see Matthew 23:13). The true gospel is the gospel of grace (Galatians 1:6-9) teaching that salvation is by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:16; 5:2). The false gospel of Catholicism teaches that salvation is through the commandments and sacraments. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (abbreviated “CCC”), it teaches that grace can be merited (CCC 2027); although the Bible says that works have no part in salvation (Romans 3:28; 4:5-6; Galatians 2:16; Titus 3:5), the Catechism lists many works as being necessary for salvation: the church (CCC 846), penance (CCC 980), sacraments (CCC 1129), baptism (CCC 1257), keeping the ten commandments (CCC 2036 and 2070), etc.
JUSTIFICATION: The Catholic Church teaches that justification before God is (1) by faith plus works, (2) a process, and (3) imparts infused righteousness, not imputed righteousness. The Bible teaches otherwise:
- Justification is by faith, and not by works (Romans 3:30; Galatians 3:8, 24). God is “the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26), not of him which is good, righteous, or holy.
- Justification is instantaneous, not gradual. Believers are said to be “now justified” (Romans 5:9), and presently “not condemned” (John 3:18), and were in the past already “justified” (Romans 5:1).
- Justification is a declaration, imputing righteousness, not infusing it. Someone who is justified by God is declared to be righteous (Romans 3:25-26), but not actually made to be righteous (Romans 4:5; 5:8). The righteousness that believers have is not theirs, but God’s (Philippians 3:9; Romans 5:18; 10:3; I Corinthians 1:30), and it is “imputed,” “reckoned,” or “counted” to them (see Romans 4).
Romans 3:28 “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
REDEMPTION: The Catholic church teaches that the forgiveness of sins is achieved through penance (CCC 980) and indulgences (CCC 1471; 1472; 1478; 1498). According to the Bible, the remission of all our sin is accomplished through faith alone (Acts 10:43). We have the forgiveness of sin through Jesus (Acts 13:38), “for his name’s sake” (I John 2:12), not through a man (penance) or giving of money (indulgences). It is only Jesus’ blood which cleanses sin (I John 1:9; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:18-19).
Redemption is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24), because only he can blot out our sins (Colossians 2:14), being without sin himself (Hebrews 7:26-28). Jesus is our merciful and faithful High Priest who atones for our sin (Hebrews 2:17)––we do not need a sinful Catholic priest to absolve us of our sin. Jesus is our intercessor (Romans 8:33-34; Hebrews 7:25)––we do not need a wicked Catholic priest to intercede on our behalf.
Vain Leadership of Catholicism
The Roman Catholic leadership dresses in unbiblical clothing which is long and proud (Matthew 23:5). Jesus said to beware of religious teachers “which love to go in long clothing” (Mark 12:38).
The Roman Catholic leadership uses unbiblical titles which are flattering, calling their priests “Father”.
Matthew 23:9: “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”
The Roman Catholic leadership teaches that they are exclusively priests. The Bible teaches that all true Christians are priests (I Peter 2:5, 9-10; Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). Every believer is a saint (I Corinthians 1:2; 6:1-5).
The Roman Catholic leadership does not meet God’s Biblical qualifications. All Biblical bishops and deacons are Biblically required to be married with children (I Timothy 3:1-2, 4-5, 12; Titus 1:6), but Catholic clergy are all forbidden to marry, which is a “doctrine of devils” (see I Timothy 4:1-5).
The Roman Catholic church is led by the pope, who is in supreme authority over all Catholics, and over the Bible itself. The pope is a wicked antichrist who presumes to take the place of Jesus (see I John 2:18; 4:3; II John 7): The pope is not the “head” of the church, Jesus is (Colossians 1:18; 2:10, 19; Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:23). The pope is not the “chief shepherd” of God’s people, Jesus is (I Peter 5:4; Hebrews 13:20).
Vain Worship of Catholicism
The Catholic Church is idolatrous, having statues and images of religious figures like Jesus and Mary. An idol is a religious physical representation of anything (Deuteronomy 4:16, 23, 25). Faithful Catholics make, bow down to, and serve images, breaking the second of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4-5). True Christians should flee idolatry (I Corinthians 10:7, 14), and keep themselves from idols (I John 5:21). Jesus said “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:10; cf. Deuteronomy 6:13).
The Catholic church is Mariolatrous, worshipping Mary (calling her “Mother of God,” or “Holy Queen”) just like the queen of heaven worshippers of the Bible (see Jeremiah 7:17-20; 44:15-28). Mary should not be worshipped, venerated, or idolized. Jesus rebuked the veneration of Mary (Luke 11:27-28; see Matthew 4:10). Jesus reproved Mary (Luke 2:48-49), disassociated himself from Mary (John 2:3-4), and did not prefer Mary above any other person (Matthew 12:46-50). Mary was a human being who was a sinner in need of a Savior (Luke 1:47; see also 2:48), and is now dead (see Deuteronomy 18:11; see also II Samuel 12:21-23). Immediately when Mary was wrongfully praised by Elizabeth as “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:42-45), Mary magnified the Lord instead (Luke 1:46-55). Mary was not a perpetual virgin. Mary stopped being a virgin after the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18, 25). Mary physically produced at least four other sons and three daughters (Matthew 13:54-56). The Catholic church encourages praying the Rosary, which is a pagan series of vain repetitions to Mary (see Matthew 6:7-8). We should only pray to God (Matthew 7:11), for Jesus is our sole mediator (I Timothy 2:5). Catholic should hear what Mary said of Jesus, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5).
Vain Tradition of Catholicism
The Catholic church says that there exists a third place in the afterlife: Purgatory. The doctrine of Purgatory is not Biblical, because it is nowhere in the Bible, and there are only two locations people are ever said to go to at death––heaven and hell (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:26; see also Daniel 12:2). Jesus alone, not purgatory, purges us of our sin (Hebrews 1:3).
The Catholic church teaches the false doctrine of transubstantiation––that when they partake of communion, the bread and wine turn into Jesus’ literal blood and body. Jesus, however, taught that the bread and wine of communion only symbolically represent his body and blood: “This do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19; see I Corinthians 11:24-26). Even after Jesus blessed them, the elements of communion were mere juice and bread (Matthew 26:27-29). God does not want us to be cannibals, and drinking blood is a sin (Genesis 9:4; Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:19-20). Jesus ate of the Last Supper (Luke 22:11, 15-18), but he was not eating and drinking of himself.
The Catholic church practices a non-scriptural baptism. The Bible teaches that baptism is for believers (not babies) (Acts 2:41; 8:12-13, 36-37; 10:44-48), to be done by immersion (not sprinkling) (Romans 6:4-5; John 3:23; Acts 8:38-39), and that baptism is performed as a symbol (it does not save someone) (I Corinthians 1:17; 15:1-4). The Catholic church believes the exact opposite, sprinkling babies, thinking that it cleanses them from sin. Jesus was baptized as an adult, by immersion, and symbolically (see Matthew 3:13-17).
Matthew 16:6: “Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”