This presentation of the truth is in no way meant to demean,
ridicule, or condemn those of the Roman Catholic faith. It
has been written simply to answer typical questions that
many Catholics have. You will notice the Scripture
reference(s) given for every answer, because the Bible is
the ultimate authority of our lives.
Before you continue, please take a moment and pray to Jesus
Christ for wisdom and discernment as you read and listen to
what the Almighty God has to say about the most important
matters of life.
What is truth?
Most people
remain ignorant of what God says about the most important
subject in life: Where am I going to spend eternity?
God’s Bible
talks a lot about truth. Many people claim to have the
truth, only to find out later-sometimes too late-that what
they had was, in fact, error. During the time of Christopher
Columbus, man’s “truth” asserted that the world was flat.
God’s truth, written over 2,000 years before, stated that
the earth is round (Isaiah 40:22). John the apostle said
that the opposite of truth is error (1 John 4:6)
What does the Bible say about Tradition?
What does the Catechism teach? What does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about the Reformation?
What does the Catechism teach? What does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about New Testament Writings?
What does the Catechism teach? What does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about salvation?
Those who
believe have eternal life (John 3:16, 6:47). Faith, not
works, is what brings salvation (Romans 3:28, 11:6, 1 Peter
1:9).
What
does the Catechism teach? What does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about infant baptism?
Those
baptized in the book of Acts did so after hearing and
professing faith in the gospel (Acts 2:41, 8:12, 8:36,
10:47, 18:8).
What does the Catechism teach? What does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about grace?
The word
grace comes from the Greek word charis which means “gift”
or “unmerited favour.” If one has to work to get
grace, then it is no longer a gift, but rather a wage
(Romans 4:4, 11:6).
What
does the Catechism teach? What does the Bible teach?
Justification by works or faith? What does the Bible say?
The
biblical term for justification means “to be declared
righteous.” No one can be justified by obeying God’s laws
(Galatians 3:11)
What
does the Catechism teach? What does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about Peter and the rock?
Context of
Matthew 16:18 is discussing who the Messiah (Christ) is. The
rock is the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of
the living God, and on this truth God has built His church.
Jesus used different words for Peter (petors-masculine,
meaning small stone), while rock is ) petra-feminine,
meaning bedrock).
What does the Catechism teach? What does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about the pope?
Jesus is
the Head of the church (Ephesians 5:23) that He purchased
with His own blood (Acts 20:28). The structure of the church
has neither priests nor a pope (1 Corinthians 12:28,
Ephesians 4:11). Leaders are not to lord over their flock
or exalt themselves in the way they dress (1 Peter 5:5).
What does the Catechism teach? What does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about Mary?
Everyone is
a sinner (Romans 3:10, 3:23, 1 John 1:8).
Mary
proclaimed her need of a Savior (Luke 1:47-47).
Grace is a
gift from God, not Mary (Ephesians 2:8).
Jesus is
the only Mediator, (1 Timothy 2:5, John 14:6).
What does the Catechism teach? What does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about
Purgatory?
Jesus saves Christians from their sins (Matthew 1:21)
You cannot redeem your brother or give God a ransom for him
(Psalm 49:7)
If you disbelieve the power of God’s grace, Christ is no
benefit to you (Galatians 5:2)
When Christians die they immediately go into God’s presence
(Philippians 1:23, 2 Corinthians 5:8)
What does the Catechism teach? What
does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about
assurance of salvation?
Whoever trusts in Jesus Christ alone has eternal life (John
3:16, 6:47, 1 John 5:11). God promises that those who trust
in Jesus alone have eternal life (John 20:31, 1 John 2:25).
What does the Catechism teach? What
does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about the
saints?
We should consult God, not the dead, for the living (Isaiah
8:19).
God the father is accessible only through Jesus (John 14:6).
Do not erect a statue or likeness of anyone in heaven or
earth as an idol (Exodus 20:4)
After Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn, showing
that direct access to God, previously available to only the
high priest, was now available to everyone through Him
(Matthew 27:50).
What does the Catechism teach? What
does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about the
priests?
Jesus instructed us to call no religious leader father
(Mathew 23:9-10)
Christians represent Christ on this earth (2 Corinthians
5:20)
What does the Catechism teach? What
does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about the
mass?
Jesus’ sacrifice made purification for all sins for all time
(Hebrews 1:3, 7:27).
Jesus put away sin with His one-time sacrifice ( Hebrews
9:12).
Jesus instructed us to make disciples but did not mention
sacrifice or mass (Matthew 28:19)
What does the Catechism teach? What
does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about
communion?
Communion is a symbol meant to remind Christians of the
benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection, and is a way of
proclaiming His death until He returns (1 Corinthians
11:24-26). Under the Law it was forbidden to eat a sin
offering, and eating blood was forbidden (Leviticus 3:17,
Acts 15:29) proving that Jesus did not mean to have His
words taken literally.
What does the Catechism teach? What
does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about the
sacraments?
Christians are saved by grace, which is a gift, not by works
(Ephesians 2:8-9).
Faith in Jesus is sufficient (John 3:16).
There is salvation in nothing other than Jesus (Acts 4:12)
What does the Catechism teach? What
does the Bible teach?
What does the Bible say about
confession?
No one can forgive sins but God (Mark 2:7, Isaiah 43:25).
All sins are mortal, as the wages of any sin is death
(Romans 6:23).
Confess our sins to Jesus, who promises forgiveness (Psalm
32:5, Matthew 9:6, 1 John 1:9).
What does the Catechism teach? What
does the Bible teach?
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by
his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray
from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if
someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we
proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from
the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel
from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily
enough.
- 2 Corinthians 11: 3-4
______________________________
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him
who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a
different gospel— not that there is another one,
but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the
gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven
should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we
preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said
before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you
a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be
accursed
- Galatians 1:6-8
______________________________
Haggai
1:7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.
