A Message to Catholics
Outline of Message
This article is not intended to be a list of points against Catholicism but rather a plea to consider what the Bible says.
Differences of Understanding
When we analyze and try to understand in another faith we need to look at what that group actually teaches and who are the best representatives of it? For Christians (Protestants) this is the Bible. For Catholics, this is the Bible, tradition, and what the Pope says (sola scriptura).
There are many differences between Catholics and Protestants. I will not go over all of them, rather, just a few examples. Ultimately the differences will come down to sola scripture. The idea that we only need scripture. Catholics bring in extra traditions from their history that are not necessarily in the Bible.
A Few Examples
Marian Doctrine
Catholics believe
- Doctrine comes from both spoken and written.
- Mary is the Mother of God, so she’s closer to Christ than us.
- The prayer of a righteous person is more powerful, which is why they pray through Mary. Mary can understand all the Catholic people’s prayers.
- It is a heresy to believe that Mary had other children.
- They can do their traditions as long as they don’t contradict scripture, not necessarily that they are supported by scripture.
- Catholics are obligated to believe what the church teaches.
- Infant baptism initially saves babies because it’s an acceptance of grace, they can’t do anything.
- Mary cannot know all the prayers of the Catholic people, she could not even comprehend that.
If Mary was sinless she would not have needed a savior to save her from sin, however, in Luke she calls God her savior.
Luke 1:46-47
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
Romans 3:10 says, "as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;". This excludes Jesus obviously but cannot exclude Mary.
There is only one mediator between God and man, so Mary cannot be between God and man, she is not co-mediator.
1 Timothy 2:5
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
Jesus as our Priest
There are many verses that talk about Jesus being our high priest and nothing about Mary or anyone else
Hebrews 4:15
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
In Hebrews 7 Jesus it talked about as the priest that is a priest forever, he always makes intercession for us. Jesus is the one who on judgement day will say that your sins are paid for, and he is also the one that you can pray to, to. confess your sins, and ask for help.
Hebrews 7:21-25
21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:
“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’”
22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
If Jesus is a priest forever, and our high priest, what need have we then to have Mary intercede for us because she is closer to the Father, we have Jesus.
Church Offices and Saints
Mentioned later in the "tradition" section but, the Bible teaches that the offices of bishop and presbyter are the same office (Titus 1:5-7), but tradition says they are different offices. These other offices are a product of evolving Catholic tradition.
How are we saved?
Depravity of Man
This is our starting place, we are born into sin. We need God to change our hearts, unless he does that, we will continue to be enemies of him.
Salvation is a free gift from God, meaning we cannot get it through our free will. Catholic salvation costs something, it costs the sacraments, baptism, obedience to the Catholic church.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Many verses in the Bible support the depravity of man. Ezekiel 36:26 shows that God is the one who changes man's heart and save him.
Ezekiel 36:26
36 "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
Jeremiah 17:9 shows us that the natural state of man's heart is depravity.
Jeremiah 17:9
9"The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?"
The point of this is to show the depravity of man kind, and when you understand this you truly understand our need for a savior because we cannot do anything on our own to merit salvation.
Do we have free will?
Read Romans 9:12-23 and understand that it is God who chooses whom he saves. He hardens the heart of whom he chooses. He has compassion and mercy on whom he chooses. This is not an injustice on God's part. Who are you to answer back to God?
Romans 9:12-23
12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 12 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—
God grants repentance
2 Timothy 2:25
25correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
Once you are a child of God, adopted into his family, he will never let you go
Philippians 1:6. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 41:10
10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Free will is a complicated topic but my conclusion is that we have free will in everything except our salvation because God is the one that needs to change our hearts so we can come to him.
Sanctification
Understanding sanctification is important because it is different than justification. The definition of sanctify is "to make holy; purify".
When we are being sanctified, that is not us continually being saved but rather, God working in us to make us more like Jesus after we are already saved.
1 Thessalonians shows us that sanctification is this process of becoming more like Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As Christians, when we put to death sin that does not mean we weren't saved before but we are being sanctified.
Understanding this process helps us understand that we cannot lose our salvation because once God has saved someone, he will not let them
Philippians 1:6
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
The Eucharist
I want to just give a clear definition of the eucharist for anyone that doesn't know. The eucharist is ritual the catholics perform, resembling that of which Jesus gave at the last supper (Matthew 26:26). Catholics believe that during this taking of the bread and wine that the elements are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, meaning the substance changes to the body and blood of Christ in your body after you take the elements.
Catholics believe that you must not deny the eucharist and believe in it (to be saved?). John 6 is the primary source for this argument where Jesus says,
John 6:53-56
53 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him..."
The question is, is Jesus speaking literally or not? Some would say that he doesn't clarify that it is anything contrary so it must be literal, I do not hold that opinion. The conclusion we find at the end of the chapter is this,
John 6:66-69
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Focusing on verse 69, the point of all this talk is that Jesus is the "Holy One of God", not that he is teaching them about the eucharist but that he is the son of God. Those are the words that the Pharisees rejected, and the crowds did not care about.
In John 7, just after this, it says, "the Jews were seeking to kill him". They were seeking to kill him because they thought he was being blasphemous by saying he was the son of God. If Jesus was talking about the eucharist, why would they have a reason to kill him? In John 7:5 it also says, "not even his brothers believed in him", this is again not referring to the eucharist in any way but the fact that he is the messiah, the son of God. I encourage you to read the entire chapter 7 as it is just after John 6 and see that all it talks about is Jesus being the messiah, the son of God. As Jesus is preaching about who he is, the way, the truth, and the life, some believe and some don't.
In John 7:37-38 Jesus equates coming to him to drink with believing in him
John 7:37-38
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Jesus said this same thing to the woman at the well earlier in John.
When Jesus speaks to the Woman of Samaria, at the well, he tells her about living water that he will give her, and those that drink of it will never thirst. He does not explicitly specify what the living water is, like he doesn't specify exactly what his body and blood are in John 6, but rather tells her that he is the messiah.
John 4:13-14
13 “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Jesus, when he was being tempted by the devil in the wilderness quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3
Matthew 4:4
4 But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Here Jesus compares bread to the word of God, the word of God being far superior. This reinforces the idea of "spiritual food". That the words of God are what sustain us.
Before John 6 we see in John 5 that the Jews were seeking to kill him because he was the claiming to be the Son of God.
John 5:18
18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
The entire purpose of John is for us to see that he is the Son of God
John 20:30-31
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 6 is sandwiched by passages talking about how Jesus is the Son of God and the only way to salvation is through believing in him.
In John 6 before the encounter with the Pharisees at the end, Jesus fed 5,000 people with bread and fish. Many of these people continued to follow him demanding signs. He then gave them a metaphor involving food.
The Pharisees knew Jesus was claiming to be the Christ (see John 5:18), so their statement in John 6:52 was sarcastic, “'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'”. They were trying to get him to clearly say that he was the Son of God so they would have more evidence to arrest him and kill him.
Taking all these things into account, the question I would pose to you is this: is it more plausible that Jesus is speaking metaphorically about eating of his body and drinking of his blood or is it more plausible that he is speaking literally?
Here are a few other interesting things that I've thought about that don't make sense to me
- In John 6, Jesus does not even give directions to those in the crowds on how to take the Eucharist. So how can we learn to take it from this?
- Catholics believe that you can take one of the Eucharist elements even though the Bible says you have to take both to be saved.
Authority
The final authority is scripture.
Men are fallible and therefore can misinterpret scripture. You should not base your faith in God on someone else’s interpretation of scripture because it could be wrong. You must read the Bible for yourself and believe the truth in it.
No where in the Bible does it say that the church leaders must interpret the Bible and those under them cannot.
God has always given his people everything they’ve needed through his word, and not passed down things that we need to know through tradition. Books like Leviticus that have all the rules/laws is a good example of this. Why would God not give us all of the details of the Catholic sacraments in His word so we can read and follow them?
Jesus, when tempted in the desert, uses scripture to defend scripture. This shows us that we can use scripture to help explain other scripture, being careful not to take it out of context.
I trust God that he providentially did not allow letters/books like Ignatious of Antioch's letters which I believe to be heretical as well as the gospel of Thomas, Peter, etc. Because of this we can know that they are false.
The way the churches function and the dynamic that we see in the writing of the letters to the seven churches in revelation, and in the epistles does not show us one unified church under a single body of man, but rather one unified church under the Scriptures and teachings of Christ as Christ calls them through John or Paul to come back to his teachings and live like a Christian.
The Word of God
All throughout history God has communicated to his people by his word. In the beginning, it was his literal voice, then it was through his prophets, then Jesus, and now it is through the written words, the Bible.
In Deuteronomy 31 Moses was commanded by God to write down the law and then share it with Israel.
Deuteronomy 31:9-13
9 Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”
This is just one example but here we see the word of God was written and the people could listen to it and find life in the words that were from God. There was no need for help interpreting them.
2 Timothy also shows us that all we need is God's word
2 Timothy 3:14-15
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
in verse 16 Paul goes on to say that not only is it all we need for salvation but also to live a godly life as well
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
No where in scripture does it talk about tradition having any place of power like scripture does like this text in 2 Timothy.
A practical example of this would be when Jesus faced temptation in the desert and quoted scripture back to the devil (Matthew 4). When others misuse the Bible like the devil did to Jesus, we must do exactly what Jesus did and look deeper at the scriptures, not turn away from it.
The following verses from Psalms show us that God's word gives understanding to us, not the Catholic church. God's word is what guides us.
Psalm 119:97-100
97 Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
Psalm 119:105
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:130
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
The Bereans in Acts were praised for going to the word of God to see if the things they were being taught were true.
Acts 17:11-12a
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed,
Scripture is what everything else needs to be tested by. The Catholic church forbids taking this same approach that was praised in the Bible!
This is all in contrast with the Catholic view where sola scripture means spiritual anarchy where everyone has their own personalized view of the Bible. This view is incorrect because of the power of God's word to change lives (see above verses). The message of the Bible is simple, there are some things like end times which scholars debate, but the understanding that is needed for salvation is very simple. Those who misunderstand the fundamentals of scripture are those that are not saved, they read the Bible yet miss the mark because they're eyes are closed, God has not opened them to truth yet.
Isaiah 44:18
18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
Matthew 13:13-15
13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
The new testament was not written in light of any Catholic traditions. But Catholics read the new testament as though it was written in light of those traditions. Those traditions were not instantiated at the time. This is where a misunderstanding of scripture can come from, reading the new testament as though those traditions were already a part of history. If you read scripture without reading it through the lens of the Catholic traditions, you will see that they contradict scripture.
Correct view of Scripture
For more information see my article on "Interpreting the Bible".
Most Catholics don’t necessarily believe Genesis is literal but they have no doubt that John 6 is literal. You can’t pick and choose which passages to take literally and which ones to not. Genesis flow into Exodus, which flows into Leviticus, into the rest of the Bible. There is no reason to believe it is figurative.
This is just one example of reading the Bible how you want to read it and not how God intended it to be read.
History
A Brief Overview of Church History
IN PROGRESS
Biblical Canon
Biblical canon was formed historically not by popes and councils. The canon was first implicit as the early church fathers already knew what was scripture and what wasn't and later gradually became explicit.
2 Peter 3:15-16 shows us that Peter counted Paul's writings as scripture. This shows the implicit canon of scripture the early church had, that the Bible had always been canon.
2 Peter 3:15-16
15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
Tradition
Tradition, among the early church fathers meant the standard interpretation of the Bible within their community.
In Matthew 15 we see that Jesus puts the scriptures above tradition.
Matthew 15:3
3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
For Catholics, the only real authority is the church. Whatever they say goes. Pope Pius IX at the time of the First Vatican Council said, "I am tradition."
Here is a list of a few tradition contradictions to the Bible.
- The Bible teaches that the offices of bishop and presbyter are the same office (Titus 1:5-7), but tradition says they are different offices.
- The Bible teaches that all have sinned except Jesus (Romans 3:10-12; Hebrews 4:15), but tradition teaches that Mary was sinless.
- The Bible teaches that Christ offered His sacrifice once for all (Hebrews 7:27; 9:28; 10:10), but tradition says that the priest sacrifices Christ on the altar at Mass.
- The Bible says that we are not to bow down to statues (Exodus 20:4-5), but traditions says that we should bow to certain statues.
- The Bible says that all Christians are saints and priests (Ephesians 1:1; 1 Peter 2:9), but tradition says that saints and priests are special castes within the Christian community.
- The Bible says that Jesus is the only Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), but tradition says Mary is co-mediator with Christ.
- The Bible says that all Christians can and should know that they have eternal life (1 John 5:13), but tradition says that all Christians cannot and should not know that they have eternal life.
There are also examples where tradition contradicts tradition. This is why we stick to the words of God as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:6, "Do not go beyond what is written."
To argue the point about Catholic unity, "the infallible pope has not created theological unity, but Catholics are constantly disagreeing and arguing with what the pope teaches. The greatest hope for unity is to use scripture as our standard and judge." (sola scriptura)
Tradition is a lens in which you interpret the Bible, it does not allow you to read God's word as it is. The word of God was and always has been given in written form so that it would not have something put over it.
Deuteronomy 4:2
2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.
Deuteronomy 12:32
32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.
Proverbs 30:5-6
5 Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
Moses had to write down the words of God and they were placed in the ark of the covenant.
Deuteronomy 31:9
9 Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.
With Catholic traditions, the reason they belong to the Catholic faith an none other is because they cannot be supported by scripture alone, they must be supplemented with the Catholic traditions to be understood.
Not being able to explain the Bible's true meaning outside of tradition ultimately makes tradition a higher authority than the Word of God.
Other Differences
Catholics believe that asking for people to pray for you doesn’t stop at death.
Is it necessary for the church to have a central “place” like the Pope and other hierarchical structure? Christians just go back to Jesus words because he is the head of the church (add verse ref)
If God thought it necessary to include Leviticus with all the rules on sacrifices, and other fine details, why are there no details on the sacraments that we are supposed to be continuing today?
Catholics believe that we can't really know if we are saved but scripture teaches that we can have full assurance of our faith.
Hebrews 10:22
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Call to Action
Be like the Bereans who searched the scriptures to verify if things were true.
Acts 17:11-12a
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed,
Reading scripture helps us grow and we can apply it directly to our lives
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Read your entire Bible to see what is true. Read it properly. Pray about it. Draw application from it so you can grow.
Ask yourself when you read the gospels, "did Jesus hold a higher view of God's word or the traditions?".
Ask yourself, "are you willing to hold a different view of scripture than the one Jesus had to?" (sola scriptura).