The Roman Catholic church
teaches the deity of Jesus Christ, the Trinity, the virgin birth and the bodily
resurrection and return of Christ to the earth.
However, most Roman
Catholics when asked “Are you a Christian?” they will normally reply, “I’m a
Catholic.” They are right to do so because there are clear and fundamental
differences.
A German monk named
Martin Luther found that salvation didn’t come through anything he did (good
works), but simply through trusting in the finished work of the cross of Jesus
Christ. He listed contradictions between what the Scriptures said and what his
church taught and nailed his “95 thesis” to the church door in Wittenberg,
Germany. He became the first to “protest” what he saw as errors of the Roman
church.
The Roman Catholic church
traces its history back to the church of the first century but the Protestant
church asserts that Catholicism actually had a later beginning, in the fourth
century, when Constantine unified the Roman Empire by merging paganism with
Christianity.
The Roman catholic church
maintains that the true church is built on Peter, whom they believe was the
first “pope.” However, Peter himself denied this fact, maintaining that Jesus
Christ is the Rock and the Chief Cornerstone of the church.
The Bible says:
Wherefore also
it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone,
elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:
but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed,
the same is made the head of the corner,
And a stone of
stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being
disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
1Peter
2:6-8(KJV)
And did all
drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that
followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
1
Corinthians 10:4(KJV)
Who is God?
Biblical Christianity and
Roman Catholicism share similar beliefs that God is the Creator of all things.
The Bible says:
For by him were all things
created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things
were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all
things, and by him all things consist.
Colossians 1:16-17(KJV)
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.
The Bible says:
For I delivered unto you
first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and
that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Corinthians 15:3-4(KJV)
Christian belief of
Heaven and Hell
The Bible speaks clearly
of the existence of Heaven. It describes a place in which sadness, pain, and
death end.
And God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed
away.
Revelation 21:4(KJV)
Hell is also spoken in
the Bible. It is a place of torment or misery and eternal punishment of the
wicked after death and complete separation from God.
The Bible says:
In flaming fire taking vengeance
on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ:
Who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of
his power;
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9(KJV)
Roman Catholicism belief
of 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 an appropriate purification, or entry in the eternal damnation of hell”
Heaven is described as “the state of supreme and definitive happiness 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”
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. Purgatory is not in the Bible. Any true Christian
must be guided by the light of the Scripture and the Bible only makes mention
of two eternal realities not three; eternal life in the presence of God
Almighty (Heaven) or eternal damnation completely separated from God (Hell).
Jesus purged our sins
already.
The Bible says:
Who being the brightness of
his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the
word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high:
Hebrews 1:3(KJV)
The doctrine of Purgatory
misleads people into thinking they can somehow be made right with God after
this lifetime. Scripture clearly warns us: There are no second chances.
The Bible says:
And as it is appointed unto
men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews 9:27(KJV)
Christian belief of Sin
and Salvation
Sin is
transgression/violation against God’s Holy Law. An act of rebellion against
Him.
The Bible says:
Whosoever committeth sin
transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
1 John 3:4(KJV)
The Scriptures clearly
teach that the only way we could ever be justified is by His mercy, not by the
bribery of good works. Eternal life is not something we can earn, but is a free
gift from God to all who repent, believe and trust the Saviour Jesus Christ.
The Bible says:
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 2:8-9 King James Version (KJV)
Jesus said that we must
be born again or we will not enter Heaven. The Scripture teaches a sinner needs
to repent, believe and trust in Jesus Christ alone to be saved.
The Bible says:
Jesus answered and said
unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him,
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 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.
That which is born of the
flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I said unto
thee, Ye must be born again.
John 3:3-7(KJV)
Roman Catholicism belief
of Sin, Salvation and Ten Commandments
The Vatican denies what
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 Saviour. They deny this doctrine and
pronouncing the curse of God upon anyone who believes that eternal life is
through “faith alone”. Roman Catholic church teaches that we can earn our
salvation, calling Heaven God’s “reward for good works.”
The Vatican teaches that salvation
comes only through the Roman Catholic church, and because its 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. (The
baby cannot repent of sins committed, he is not saved by baptism and therefore
is not born again.) 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.
Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by
the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Titus 3:5(KJV)
Roman
Catholics bow down to and give homage to statues of the saints, angels, images
of Mary and Jesus, etc. Bowing down to anything is a direct violation of the
Ten commandments - which they officially accept as God’s law? You will find
that the second of the Ten Commandments has completely been removed which is
against idolatry. The third commandment then becomes the second and the fourth
became the third and so on. The Roman Catholic church then took the Tenth
Commandment (found in one verse and dealing with one of the subject of
covetousness – see Exodus 10:17), broke it in half and made it into the Ninth
and Tenth Commandments.
Here
are the Ten Commandments as listed on the official Vatican website:
1.I am the LORD your God: you shall not have
strange God’s before me.
2.You shall not take the name of the LORD your God
in vain.
3.Remember to keep holy the LORD’s day.
4.Honor your father and your mother.
5.You shall not kill.
6.You shall not commit adultery.
7.You shall not steal.
8.You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbour.
9.You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.
10.You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.
These
are the Ten Commandments in the Holy Bible
1.Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2.Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,
or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor
serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation
of them that hate me;
3.Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy
God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his
name in vain.
4.Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5.Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days
may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
6.Thou shalt not kill.
7.Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8.Thou shalt not steal.
9.Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour.
10.Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house,
thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his
maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
While
Roman Catholics acknowledge Holy Scripture as a source of authority and
doctrine, they give equal weight to tradition 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.
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 founded. 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.
Repent, believe
and trust in Jesus Christ alone to be saved.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10: 9,10(KJV)
With
Blessing in Christ,
David
& Gay
