If you have spent enough time around me you have
probably heard some of the issues I have with Catholicism. Pope Francis has shown
Communist
philosophies and advocated limits to free speech after the Charlie
Hebdo shooting. I could probably name a list of decent length of the issues
I have with Catholic teaching.
Don’t get me wrong, I have a number of Catholic
friends whom I love dearly. I have spent countless hours working alongside some
of them in the pro-life movement. It is because of my love for them, however,
that I must voice my disagreement with them.
Most of the differences between a Catholic and an
evangelical Christian are not worth arguing over, because they don’t get down
to the root of the issue. One thing is serious enough to bring up no matter
what. Jesus has a very defined role in our salvation and walk with Him, and
this role is somewhat diminished in Catholic teaching. It is vital that we
have this particular conversation because this can literally be the difference
between Heaven and Hell, and that truth is worth sharing in love.
Christ’s Role
in Salvation
The starting point for a Christian is believing that
Jesus is the Son of God and that His death, burial and resurrection took our
sin and through repentance and faith in Jesus we are forgiven our sins and
grafted into the family of God.
Catholicism believes that the starting point is
baptism by sprinkling. However, the Greek word “baptizo”, where “baptism” comes
from, means to dunk or to immerse. There is then a confirmation later. If
someone is born to a Catholic family, their baptism happens soon after birth.
“Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” –John 3:5
This refers not to a baptismal birth but to natural
birth. In the verse before, Nicodemus was confused by Jesus telling him that he
must be born again. He asks, “How can a
man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's
womb, and be born?” Jesus tells him that not only must a man be born from
the womb but also through the Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.
Catholic tradition in this case has taken precedence over Christ’s sacrifice. There is ritual involved in becoming part of the
church, and there is the exclusiveness in that they believe salvation is only
through the church. There is no division made in the Bible. Someone’s church –
Baptist, Church of God, Pentecostal, non-denominational, Catholic, Orthodox,
etc. – makes no difference in terms of salvation. Being a member of a church
does not make someone Heaven-bound. Salvation comes solely through Jesus
Christ.
Christ’s atoning sacrifice is a difference that cannot
be ignored:
“My
little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man
sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and
not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” –I John 2:1-2
Here the Bible calls Christ our propitiation. This
word has roots in the Levitical trespass offering:
“And
the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against
the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep,
or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his
neighbor…he shall bring his trespass
offering unto the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy
estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: And the priest shall make
an atonement for him before the Lord: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing
of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.” –Leviticus 6:1-2, 7-8
A blood sacrifice was used to atone for the sin of the
individual. This sacrifice propitiates, or satisfies, God’s wrath. Christ, our
propitiation, was sacrificed to take God’s wrath for mankind. Christ’s atoning
sacrifice for us is a major motif throughout scripture.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and
carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep
have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of
us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his
mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her
shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and
from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of
the land of the living: for the
transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the
wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither
was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put
him to grief: when thou shalt make his
soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the
travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall
bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the
great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured
out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors.” –Isaiah 53:4-12
“Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to
sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” –I
Peter 2:24
“For
Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might
bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
-I Peter 3:18
“And
you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he
quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,
and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” -Colossians 2:13-14
“Grace
be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who
gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil
world, according to the will of God and our Father:” –Galatians 1:3-4
“But
Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by
his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of
an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God?...So Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he
appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” –Hebrews 9:11-14, 28
Christ took our sin so that in salvation we can be
found blameless before God. There is no faith + good works; salvation comes
only through faith (for an explanation of James 2, follow this
link):
“I
do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then
Christ is dead in vain.” –Galatians 2:21
“But
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are
saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding
riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” –Ephesians 2:4-9
The law required works to redeem oneself, but
redemption was only possible by perfectly keeping it. It was used by God and is
still used by God to show man’s inadequacy to fulfill it. Because mankind is
incapable of redeeming himself through his own works, Christ had to sacrifice
Himself, taking on our sins and facing the full wrath of God. If man was capable
of achieving salvation through any means of His own, Christ would not have
come. Ephesians chapter two gives another reason – if mankind was redeemed
through works, we would have a reason to brag. There would be some glory given
to us when it rightly all belongs to God:
“And
the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to
give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me,
saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.” –Judges 7:2
Why
is salvation solely through faith? Because God desires and deserves the
glory for saving us. Our sin nature prevents us from giving anything to God on
our own:
“But
we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away.” –Isaiah 64:6
“Every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father
of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” –James
1:17
God created humans as the pinnacle of His creation,
all of which He created for His glory. Why would God, who again wants to be
glorified, create a salvation that did not bring Him the maximum amount of
glory? Sin made us inadequate and broken. The remedy does not come out of
someone who is inadequate and broken. It comes through a God who is more than
adequate. In this way, all glory belongs to Him.
Christ’s Role
After Salvation
Jesus should play no less of a role after salvation. I
believe the Catholic church truly believes that Jesus’ role is not diminished.
However, let us make the biblical comparison to their doctrine. Remember back
in I John:
“My
little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man
sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is
the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of
the whole world.” –I John 2:1-2
Not only is Jesus our propitiation, but He is our
advocate. This is a legal term meaning that Jesus is our lawyer. He is the
defense against God’s justice because of Christ’s sacrifice. So when we sin,
Christ is our advocate.
This is where Catholic dogma runs into problems.
Confessionals take away the position that is rightfully Christ’s and places it
with a priest. The entreatment of the priest is not necessary. I take no issue
in confessing our faults one to another as the Bible commands. But confessing
my sins to a man does not get me forgiveness:
“And
when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which
speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” –Luke 5:20-21
“I
[God speaking], even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own
sake, and will not remember thy sins.” –Isaiah 43:25
The Pharisees knew the scriptures. They were not wrong
in their saying but were wrong in denying the deity of Jesus. Only God has the
power to forgive sin. Jesus, as God in the flesh, had that power. So when a
priest tells someone that their sins are absolved, he runs into one of two
problems. One, he could be saying that on his own authority he absolves the
sin, which would be giving himself the duty that God reserves to Himself. Or,
the priest could be speaking on behalf of God in absolving the sin, which is,
again, unnecessary:
“For
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all
men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one
God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave
himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” –I Timothy 2:3-6
Jesus, as a result of being our ransom for our sins,
is also the mediator between mankind and God:
“If
therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people
received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise
after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For
the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the
law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of
which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord
sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec
there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal
commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou
art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a
disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and
unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in
of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not
without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests were made without an
oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will
not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so
much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many
priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But
this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by
him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high
priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and
made higher than the heavens; 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. 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.” –Hebrews 7:11-28
There is an important truth in this passage, and the
whole of it is needed for its proper context. The Levitical priesthood
consisted of humans, who are finite. They are insufficient for redemption. Someone who is everlasting has a priesthood that is everlasting. When the vail
to the Holy of Holies in the temple was torn from top to bottom, its symbolism
is that a human priest is no longer needed to serve as an intercessor between
God and man. Instead, Jesus took that position forever to intercede for Christians
on Earth. With the priesthood of Jesus now established, He is the mediator
between us and God. Hence, no man is needed as a go-between. Our confession of
sin does not go through a man, but through Jesus. No confessional or penitence
is necessary because Jesus is now our advocate.
There
is one more thing to be learned from this passage:
“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.” –Hebrews 7:27
With the priesthood of Christ established, there is no
longer a need for a daily sacrifice. Rather, Jesus Himself was the sacrifice,
and it was a once-and-for-all sacrifice:
“For
Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the
figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of
God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest
entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he
often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end
of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And
as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ
was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Christ was ONCE offered to bear our sins. Not only is
the method of salvation described here, the frequency is as well. We are
redeemed through Christ’s sacrifice, and He is only offered once. This is a key
difference in the Earthly priesthood versus the Heavenly priesthood. Sacrifices
were needed often then, but one sacrifice was enough for today.
Where does this run contrary to Catholic teaching?
Communion.
There is nothing wrong with communion in and of
itself; in fact, it is commanded of us. But the Catholic belief is that the
bread and wine become the literal, physical body and blood of Jesus, though
they retain the properties of the bread and wine. There are a number of
things wrong with this that you can read about separately. But the belief
is that, through the transformation of the bread and wine, Christ is being
re-offered for sin. Each communion is Jesus being sacrificed again. This is a
clear contradiction to the teaching of Hebrews that states that Christ was once
offered for sin. If Jesus took upon Him the sins of the whole world (I John
2:2), what is left to be offered? The implication is that Jesus’ sacrifice on
the night of His crucifixion was not enough, that He must continually be
offered to have sin forgiven.
The role of Christ is diminished both in the initial
entry into the Catholic church and afterwards. Born-again, faith-alone
Christianity offers a personal relationship with Jesus. He is the offering for
our sin, the way to salvation (John 14:6), our daily help, and the mediator
between us and God. There is direct access to Jesus. It does not come through
another man but through repentance of sins and faith in Christ.
There is peace and confidence in knowing Christ:
“These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life,
and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
–I John 5:13-15
The confidence is that Jesus directly hears our
prayer. The peace is that we can have the assurance that we will be in Heaven
when we die. This is only through being born again through Jesus.
Don’t allow anything to get in the way of this. It is
difficult to choose a different road than family and friends. But with eternity
at stake, what reason is worth holding back your decision?
