Dogma Versus Scripture

On June 18, 2008September 2, 2008 By KateIn Catholicism, ScripturesLeave a comment

The Catholic Church teaches:

“Holy Mother Church is extremely concerned for the faithful departed. She has decided to intercede for them to the fullest extent in every Mass and abrogates every special privilege in this matter” (Vatican II, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Apostolic Constitution on the Revision of Indulgences, V, Indulgences not Attached to Things and Places, Norms, 20, p. 87).

“The Church offers the Paschal Sacrifice [the Mass] for the Dead so that … the dead may be helped by the prayers and the living may be consoled by hope” (Vatican II, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, General Instruction on the Roman Missal, VIII, Masses for the Dead, 335, p. 197).

The Scriptures say:

~Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

There is no hope for the unbeliever after death according the Hebrews 9:27.

~2 Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

~2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

God is clear that once we die, we go into His presence. To the unbeliever, presence before God means it is a time of judgment and condemnation. But to the born-again Christian, there is no condemnation at our death. We do not go to purgatory – we do not go anywhere else but Heaven to be with Christ.

~Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

How can sacred tradition and magisterium totally contradict what God’s Word says? Who do you obey?

~Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Why would a loving God, full of mercy and kindness, keep hidden such an important thing like salvation? Why would He leave His Word to be interpreted by only a few when His Gospel message is open to all? Why would God only allow topics of such importance as salvation and eternal life in the hands of men? Would He not at least record it somewhere in His Word? He has – yet the catholic church is bound and determined to bind its members in chains and place them under a yoke that Christ freed them from!

When in doubt dear catholic reader, open the Word of God and be freed!

Church Origin – Part II

On June 16, 2008September 2, 2008 By KateIn CatholicismLeave a comment

What did Christ teach us? What does the Word say should be “part of” or “not part of” the born-again Church? Here are a few foundational beliefs that the Word teaches:

~Matthew 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

~Matthew 23:5-6 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, (5) And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, (6)

~Hebrews 7:26-28 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (26) Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. (27) For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. (28 )

~1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

So why does the catholic church tell you to call the priest, Father; the pope, Holy Father? Jesus could not have been referring to the Jews because they called their teachers, Rabbi. Christ knew what was to come with the catholic church. He knew how to teach us and what we would have to look out for.

Although Matthew 23:5-6 deal with the Jews, do they not sound like the catholic church as well? The catholic leaders wear ornate gowns and are seated on throne-like seats in the cathedrals. Some of the offices of catholic leaders are priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and pope. There are many in between but I think you get my point. The Bible speaks of deacons and bishops/pastors/elders but it stops there. There is no pontiff/pope – no one can claim to be like Christ for there is no other!

Hebrews 7:26-28 discuss the function of the high priest. The catholic church’s priests are known as Christ’s representatives. In fact, the pope’s very title claims he has the authority as though he were Christ here on earth. The Catholic Church has priests, which act as mediators between God and man, to hear the confessions of men and provide for the penance that will lead to their justification. Paul said of Jesus in 1 Timothy 2:5 that He is the only mediator between God and man.

The are so many differences between the catholicism and what is taught in the New Testament for the born-again body of believers that this post would be unending! What it boils down to is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. When one is repentant and receives Christ as their Saviour, the personal relationship begins. The burdens are replaced with peace. The poor catholic believes that religion, rules, rituals, will take them to heaven. But that is not Scriptural. As a catholic, have you experienced a real relationship with Christ? Is He all you think about? Is He the center of your thoughts? Do you have complete peace?

I challenge the catholic reader to read the New Testament and write down the Bible references to each of the dogmas of the catholic church mentioned. I pray the Holy Spirit of God would enlighten your eyes, pierce your heart and draw you to true salvation.

Church Origin – Part 1

On June 15, 2008September 2, 2008 By KateIn Catholicism2 Comments

Many Christians today view the church as an organization rather than the body of believers all over the world who are born-again and united because of their position in Christ.

Although the catholic church represented most of Christianity in the dark ages, it does not mean that it was the true church. It just shows how far man had gone and how deceived they were. It wasn’t until the great Reformation that mankind was led back to the Bible, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and, as a result, the born-again believers’ church began to once again be patterned after the first century church. I love this picture above! It represents what the church truly is. The Bible spoke of the church in someone’s home, the church in a city, etc. The church represented all those people who repented and accepted Christ as the Saviour of mankind.

The catholic church does not have any history prior to the third century. One would surely be kept busy trying to track their history back prior to 300 AD. So when one wants to look at true, accurate history of how the true church began, it is best to start in the Word of God and read about the church’s beginnings. Starting at the beginning is the best place to start. The Bible is used by historians and archeological PhD’s to date their findings. It is an accepted history book and, I might add, is used by the unbelieving world as well as the believing world. The Bible’s historical accuracy is unsurpassed.

As we study Catholic history, we find that their foundational dogmas began in the third century and were added to bit by bit. You won’t find any verses in the Bible on purgatory. The catholic says they are found in the apocryphal books but these books were not accepted as Scripture; not only by Protestants, but also by Jewish scribes, due to their many factual and historical errors. You won’t find any of evidence of praying to Mary (or the saints) either. But you WILL find verses stating that prayer is to be made to the Father and that only Christ is the Mediator. These catholic doctrines were introduced 300 years after the born-again body of believers, the true church, was initially formed! If most of the catholic religion’s foundation is based on dogma, don’t you think it would be important for them to at least be mentioned in the Bible?

Much of catholic doctrine has its foundations in pagan beliefs. For example, the Queen of Heaven (Mary’s title) was derived from Babylon. In fact, the Babylonian pagans not only worshipped the Queen of Heaven but they genuflected to her and they had a supreme pontiff. Thus the title “pope” came into being. The Bible mentions the queen of heaven four times. None of the verses speak of this as a good thing. In fact, God says it provoked Him to anger!

~Jeremiah 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

~Jeremiah 44:17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

~Jeremiah 44:18 But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.

~Jeremiah 44:19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

~Jeremiah 44:25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.

Tomorrow, we will cover a couple of other dogmas that are not based on the Scriptures but yet are a definite foundation of the catholic church.

Maranatha – Awaiting Christ's Return

Tag: Dogma

Dogma Versus Scripture

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Church Origin – Part II

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Church Origin – Part 1

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