World Religions in a Nutshell (12 page)

It is a tragedy that most Roman Catholics give as much credence to the teaching of the church as to the authority of holy Scripture. This is why it is essential to move as quickly as possible from the intellect (arguing
about
Scripture) to the conscience (
using
Scripture, particularly God’s Law). It is the Law that “stops every mouth” and brings “the knowledge of sin” (see Romans 3:19,20). Remember, the work of the Law is written on the heart (see Romans 2:15) and will therefore find a place of resonance in the conscience.

Who Is God?

Biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism share similar beliefs that God is the Creator of all things.

Who Is Jesus?

Biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism share similar beliefs that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, born of a virgin, who suffered and died for our sins, and rose again on the third day.

Heaven and Hell

According to the Catholic Catechism, upon death each person will begin eternal life. After being judged by Christ each individual will gain “entrance into the happiness of heaven, immediately or after an appropriate purification, or entry into the eternal damnation of hell.” Heaven is described as “the state of supreme and definitive happiness [where] those who die in the grace of God and have no need of further purification are gathered around Jesus and Mary, the angels and the saints.”

Catholics believe Hell is a place of eternal damnation:

“
The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, ‘eternal fire.’ The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.” (Catechism, par. 1035)

In addition, Catholics believe in a “holding place” called Purgatory, for which there is no biblical basis. It is believed to be an intermediate stage that is used to purify souls that will eventually go to Heaven, but that still have some temporal restitution they must make.

“
The Church gives the name
Purgatory
to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of
the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire: As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses
can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.” (Catechism, par. 1031)

According to the church, Catholics can help get someone out of purgatory and into Heaven by offering “prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice...
The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance” (Catechism, par. 1032).

“
An indulgence can be obtained through a good deed done, a Mass being offered on behalf of someone, prayer, abstinence, giving to the poor, or some other meritorious act performed in accordance with requirements set by a Pope or bishop having jurisdiction over that individual.”
¹⁷

However, according to Scripture, none of our acts are “meritorious”—no amount of good deeds or money can buy eternal salvation:
 “
But Peter said to him, ‘Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!’” (Acts 8:20).

“
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him—for the redemption of their souls is costly...” (Psalm 49:7,8)

The doctrine of Purgatory misleads people into thinking they can somehow be made right with God after this lifetime. Scripture clearly warns us: “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). There are no second chances.

Sin and Salvation

Understandably, the greatest contention between the Catholic and the Protestant teachings is how a person can be made right with God. The Scriptures clearly teach that the only way we could ever be justified is by His mercy, not by the bribery of good works:

^■
“
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works,
lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

^■
“
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work” (Romans 11:6).

^■
“
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us...” (Titus 3:5).

The Bible says that eternal life is not something we earn, but is a free gift from God to all who repent and trust the Savior. The Vatican not only denies this doctrine, but condemns it, pronouncing the curse of God upon anyone who believes that eternal life is through “faith alone”:

“
If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification...let him be anathema.” (Canon 9, Council of Trent)

“
If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified...and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema.”
(Canon
14, Council of Trent)

Like the Mormon church and others, the Roman Catholic church teaches that we can earn our salvation, calling Heaven God’s “reward for good works”:

“
We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will. In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere ‘to the end’ and
to obtain the joy of heaven, as God’s eternal reward for the good works
accomplished with the grace of Christ.” (Catechism, par. 1821)

“
Moved by the Holy Spirit,
we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life.
”
(Catechism, par. 2027)

The Vatican teaches that salvation comes only through the Roman Catholic church, and (because it’s works-based), salvation can be lost through sin and is never assured in this life. They believe that the first step in salvation is to be baptized. Tragically, the Roman Catholic church maintains that in baptism (sprinkling) the new birth takes place. Jesus said that each one of us must be born again or we will not enter Heaven (John 3:1–7), but Scripture teaches only what is commonly called “believer’s baptism,” which occurs after a sinner repents and trusts in Jesus Christ. Because a baby cannot repent of sins committed, he is not saved by baptism—and therefore is not born again.

In Catholicism, baptism erases sins up to that point and merely begins the
process
of salvation, a process that continues throughout life as one participates in the sacraments. The sacrament of penance is required to receive forgiveness of sins committed after baptism. Acts of penance vary but include prayer, saying the rosary, reading Scripture, saying a number of “Our Father” or “Hail Mary” prayers, doing good
works, and fasting. In Catholic teaching, the sacraments “are necessary for salvation because they confer sacramental grace, forgiveness of sins, adoption as children of God, conformation to Christ the Lord and membership in the Church. The Holy Spirit heals and transforms those who receive the sacraments.”
¹⁸
God’s “grace”
that is conferred simply enables believers to perform works that
earn
them the right to Heaven.

Because salvation does not depend on a person’s repentance and faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ, according to the Catholic church even those who have never heard of Jesus can be saved—even if they follow another religion:

“…
thanks to Christ and to his Church, those who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ and his Church but sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, try to do his will as it is known through
the dictates of conscience can attain eternal salvation.”
¹⁹

Again, the Bible is clear that forgiveness of sins does not depend on our own efforts, but only on what Christ has accomplished for us on the cross. Yet, like the Catholic church, much of the traditional Protestant church has moved
away from the great truth upon which it was once founded. So my purpose isn’t necessarily to say that one side is right and the other is wrong. It is simply to say that the gospel is good news for both Catholic and Protestant—eternal life is freely available to all who do what the Scriptures command.

Roman Catholic Beliefs

In rejecting Scripture as the sole source of doctrine, the Roman Catholic church has justified several extrabiblical, and unbiblical, teachings. Some of these are discussed below.

Transubstantiation:
Transubstantiation is the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist wafer turning into the
literal
body and blood of Jesus during Mass. The Catechism even specifies when Christ comes into the Eucharist and how long He stays:

“
The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ.” (par. 1377)

This belief is based on the passage where Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:53,54). Though this might sound like cannibalism, if you read the entire passage in context, the meaning becomes clear. Jesus went on to tell us that He was speaking spiritually: “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

Jesus was explaining that
spiritually
, not physically, all life comes through faith in Him, not through eating His physical body. He is speaking of the new birth (see John 3:1–5) when a sinner believes on Him, and it is then that he tastes of the Lord and Christ dwells in him by faith—“Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

This is extremely important because a sinner is saved not
by taking the Eucharist, but only by repentance and faith in Christ.

Praying to Saints:
The Catholic church believes in praying to those, who, because of their good works, have been exulted to sainthood after their death:

“
The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom, especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives...They contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth...Their intercession is their most exalted service to God’s plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world.” (Catechism, par. 2683)