If God is in fact our Enemy with only destructive intentions toward us, why do we experience any good at all? It isn’t surprising that life is painful. What’s surprising is that life is joyful. What do our simple, daily joys mean? Is God pretending to be our Friend, is He setting us up for the ultimate nasty surprise? Or is God sending us signals every day that His heart is loving and kind, so kind that we can go back to Him in repentance and find His arms open to us?
Stephen Charnock

The Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH or THE ROMAN ROAD TO SALVATION

The Roman Catholic Church maintains as irreversible and mandatory doctrine (we will use their term “DOGMA” in the remainder of this writing) that they, and ONLY they, are the church that was started by Jesus Christ. They claim to have been the “church of stability” since Christ created it in his discourse with Peter as described in Matthew 16:18 and 19. By claiming to be the ONLY church started by Christ, it also purports to be the ONLY vehicle to the SALVATION of Christ. You MUST be Catholic to be saved, according to the Baltimore Catechism #2, page 73.

Before we look at the books of John and Matthew, which the Roman church claims as its authority, I believe that it is important to look at the FACTS of recorded history. Let’s look AT THE RECORD OF HISTORY, and see how “stable” the Roman Catholic church has really been. We must bear in mind that the word “church” does not occur in the Greek text of the New Testament. The Greek word “Ekklesia” was translated into our word “church”. The word’s true translation means “called out assembly” (Wescott and Hort). The true meaning, then as now, refers to all believers in the “GOSPEL” of Jesus Christ. It does not refer to any religious organization.

There are a number of DOGMATIC doctrines of the Roman Catholic church that were NOT part of the original church. The Roman Catholic Church continues to make the claim that “the Church has always taught (????????)!” You can fill in the blank with EACH and EVERY dogma listed below. Look up the scriptures under the dates of certain doctrines.

THE DOGMAS AND DATES ARE LISTED BELOW:

300 – BAPTISM BY AFFUSION (Sprinkle)

PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD

MAKING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

325 – ANATHEMA DECREED TO ANYONE WHO ADDS OR CHANGES THE CREED OF

FAITH OF NICE (see year 1546)

370 – COUNCIL OF LAODICEA REJECTS APOCRYPHA

375 – VENERATION OF ANGELS AND DEAD SAINTS

394 – THE SACRAMENT OF THE MASS Missa Recitata (Low Mass-Priest +1) Missa Cantata (Singing Mass-“) Missa Solemnis (High Mass-Priest +2) Missa Pontificalis (Bishop + Priest+?)

431 – THE WORSHIP OF MARY Mary, QUEEN OF HEAVEN (Jeremiah 7:18, 44:17 & 25) Mary, MEDIATRIX (I Tim 2:5, Mt 11:28, Ecc 9:6) Mary, EVER-VIRGIN (Mt 1:25, Mk 6:3, Jn 2:2-4)

785 – Mary, CO-REDEMPTRIX (Acts 4:12, Ps 146:5, Heb 7:25)

788 – Mary, WORSHIP (Romans 1:25,Is 42:8, John 7:10)

1265 – Mary’s HOUSE MOVED BY ANGEL TO LORENTO, ITALY

1508 – Mary, MOTHER OF GOD (Mt 12:46-50, Mark 8;19-21, Acts 1:14)

1864 – Mary, SINLESS (Luke 1:46-47, Romans 3:10-19 & 23)

500 – PRIESTS BEGAN TO DRESS IN “PRIESTLY” GARB

526 – SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION

593 – DOCTRINE OF PURGATORY (Gregory) (I John 1:7-9;2:1-2, John

5:24, Rom 8:1)

600 – LATIN LANGUAGE AS ONLY LANGUAGE OF PRAYER (I Corinthians

14:9) PRAYERS TO BE DIRECTED TO MARY ORDERED (Matt 11:28, Luke 1:46, Acts 10:25 & 14:14) TITLE OF POPE DECLARED FORE-RUNNER OF THE ANTI-CHRIST (Gregory, Bishop of Rome)

610 – TITLE OF POPE USED FOR THE FIRST TIME (Luke 22:24-26)

709 – KISSING THE FEET OF POPE ORDERED (Acts 10:25-26 & Rev 19:10,

22:9)

750 – TEMPORAL POWER OF THE POPE DECLARED (Matt 4:8-9, 20:25- 26,

John 18:38)

754 – COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE ORDERED REMOVAL OF ALL IMAGES AND

ABOLITION OF IMAGE WORSHIP

788 – WORSHIP OF CROSS, RELICS AND IMAGES AUTHORIZED (Exodus 20:4,

Deut 27:15, Psalms 115)

850 – FABRICATION AND USE OF HOLY WATER

890 – VENERATION OF ST. JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY

965 – BAPTISM OF THE BELLS (Ceremony of actually baptising bells to ward off demons and to call the elect to vespers when blessed bells are rung.)

995 – CANONIZATION OF DEAD SAINTS (RomanS 1:7, I Corinthians 1:2)

998 – FASTING ON FRIDAYS & DURING LENT (Matt 15:11,I Cor 10:25,

I Tim 4:1-8)

1079 – CELIBACY OF PRIESTHOOD DECLARED Married Priest Ordered to

cast off wives (I Tim 3:2-5 & 12, Matt 8:14-15)

1090 – INSTITUTION OF ROSARY PRAYER BEADS

1184 – INQUISITION OF HERETICS

1190 – SALE OF INDULGENCES

1215 – DOGMA OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION DECLARED (Luke 22:19-20, John

6:35, I Cor 11:26) CONFESSION OF SINS TO PRIEST ORDERED (Ps 51:1-10, Luke 7:48 & 15:21, I John 1:8-9)

1220 – ADORATION OF THE WAFER OR HOST (John 4:24)

1229 – BIBLE FORBIDDEN TO LAYMEN (John 5:39, II Tim 3:15-17)

1287 – SCAPULAR PROTECTION DECREED (Brown cloth with picture of

Virgin to contain supernatural virtues to protect wearers)

1414 – CHALICE FORBIDDEN TO LAITY AT COMMUNION

1439 – PURGATORY DECLARED VALID DOGMA (Matt 25:46,I John 1:7

Luke 23:43)

DOGMA OF SEVEN SACRAMENTS (Matt 28:19-20 & 26:26-28)

1545 – CHURCH TRADITION EQUAL TO SCRIPTURE (Mark 7:7-13, Col 2:8T

ADDS ABOVE AND MANY OTHER DOGMAS TO COUNCIL OF NICE

1560 – CREED OF POPE PIUS IV DECREED (Galatians 1:8)

1580 – POPE DECLARED TO BE “LORD GOD”

1593 – AVE MARIA ADOPTED

1710 – STUFFED DONKEY IN VERONA,ITALY AT CHURCH OF THE MADONNA OF

THE ORGANS DECREED TO BE THE ANIMAL CHRIST ENTERED JERUSALEM ON

1854 – IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF VIRGIN MARY (Romans 3:23 & 5:12,

Psalms 51:5)

1870 – PAPAL INFALLIBILITY DECREED (II Thess 2:2-12, Rev 17:1-9;

13:5-8,18)

1907 – ALL SCIENCE CONDEMNED

1922 – POPE DECLARED TO BE JESUS CHRIST

1930 – PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONDEMNED

1950 – DECLARATION OF THE BODILY ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY INTO

HEAVEN

Pope John XXII decreed in 1685, “To believe that our LORD GOD the Pope has not the power to decree as he is decreed is to be deemed heretical.” Then Pius V stated, “The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in heaven and earth.” Finally, Pope Nicholas I declared, “the appellation of God had been confirmed by Constantine on the Pope, who, BEING GOD, cannot be judged by man.”

Pope Pius X stated, “The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but HE IS JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF, hidden under the veil of the flesh. Does the Pope speak? IT IS JESUS CHRIST that Speaks. Does the Pope accord a favor or pronounce an anathema? IT IS JESUS CHRIST who pronounces the anathema or accords the favor.”

The Roman Catholic church teaches that it never changes, but as we see above, they have been changing since before 300 A.D. and continually adding MAN’S beliefs and NON-BIBLICAL doctrines to the faith.

The FOUNDATION of the Roman Catholic church, as shown in every Catechism published, is based on the verses John 1:42 where our Lord Jesus gives Simon the name of Cephas or “Rock”, and on Matthew 16:18,19 where Christ says: “On this Rock I will build my church”, and on John 21:15, where Christ tells Peter to feed His sheep. Let’s look carefully at each of these verses:

In John 1:42, the term “Cephas” actually refers to a small “Stone” in the SAME manner of meaning as a small rock that one could pick up and throw. In Matthew the word “rock” is translated from TWO DIFFERENT words in the Greek. “PETROS” is the term Jesus used in calling Peter a small stone or “rock”. It can be discerned that Jesus was showing Peter that, next to the truth of Jesus being the “Christ”, Peter was insignificant. The term “PETRAS” (i.e. as in “upon this PETRAS, I will build…”) literally means “a massive boulder, one that would not be moved”. To phrase it, in context, Peter is only one of the building block “stones” that are “fitly joined together” with all believers in the Body of Christ.

In Matthew 16:18, let’s look at the CONTEXT of the verse and the meaning of the words in GREEK of the “ROCK” that Christ will build upon, and the “ROCK” that Jesus used to call Peter. Two verses up, in Matthew 16:16, we see that Peter has just identified Jesus as the “CHRIST”, or more literally, “ANNOINTED ONE” or “MESSIAH”. Jesus then tells Peter that God, the Father, and NOT MAN, had revealed that TRUTH to Peter. Jesus then said that it would be UPON THAT ROCK (THE TRUTH OF HIS DEITY AND HIS MESSIAHSHIP) THE CHURCH OF CHRIST WOULD BE BUILT! Christ would not build His church on a small stone, which is the meaning of the word “petros”. Christ was to build His church on the “Petra” or Massive Rock of the Truth of who HE IS!

In John 21:15, we find that Jesus is NOT appointing Peter to pre-imminence among the Apostles, but is specifically showing that LOVE is the ONLY ACCEPTABLE MOTIVE for service to our Lord. The Greek language uses several words for love, but it has TWO major verbs for Love: “AGAPAO” and “PHILEO”. Agapao Love is Divine Love without condition for its giving. Phileo love is the love for a friend or brother. In the first two questions to Peter, Jesus uses Agapao and Peter (remembering his denials on the night of Jesus’ trial) responded with Phileo. On the last question, Jesus uses Phileo and Peter responds with the SAME verb.

If anything was pointed out at this meeting, it was the fact that Peter was being called “on the carpet” and was being shown the only acceptable reason to serve Jesus. It points out that anyone called by Christ to leadership MUST and FIRST OF ALL be aware that the “Sheep” are His and we should care for the sheep not because of our feeling but because of what Christ did for us.

To further explore the matter of pre-imminence, look at Luke 22:24-26. Here Christ clearly puts down any attempt of the Apostles to consider any one of them “greater” than the other. In Ephesians 1:22-23 we are clearly informed that ONLY Christ was to be the literal head of the church. Since Christ still lives, there is no basis for another “head” of the church. (see also Colossians 1:18)

History does not give any evidence whatsoever of the presence of Peter in Rome. Scripture has no mention of Peter being in Rome. Nor does history show Peter being pope for twenty- five years prior to his death. One fact that IS RECORDED in scripture and in history is the FACT that PETER is the ONLY APOSTLE specifically named as having a wife! What a refutation to the celibacy of the priesthood of the Roman Catholic church!

Gregory the Great, while Bishop of Rome, in 600 A.D. wrote “I confidently say that whosoever calls himself ‘universal bishop’ or desires to be so called, in his arrogance, is the forerunner of antichrist.” Although the emperor bestowed this title on Gregory it was his successor, Boniface III that actually became the first “universal bishop” or Pope.

Christ’s annointing or purpose was to provide SALVATION to all who would (1) REPENT and (2) BELIEVE ON HIM. How does the Roman Catholic church handle the matter of salvation? First, we need to look at what is taught about what we need to be saved FROM, according to the church of Rome.

In Matthew 1:21, The angel tells us that Christ was coming to save us from OUR SINS. The Catholic church teaches this, but has redefined “sin”. They teach that there are two classes of sin, VENIAL and MORTAL. The church of Rome has separated sin into these two classes, each with their own consequences and remedies. A MORTAL SIN is “any offense against the Law of God” and is MORTAL in that it “is deadly, killing the soul and subjecting it to eternal punishment”. VENIAL SINS are “small and pardonable offenses against God, and our neighbor”. Unlike MORTAL SINS these “lesser” sins are not though to damn a soul to Hell; However, each VENIAL SIN committed commits the soul to a longer time in PURGATORY. There is no extensive list of which sins are MORTAL and which sins are VENIAL, and you will find each priest has his own conception of which is which. If a problem arises, then the matter can be settled by the Pope, in Rome, who is INFALLIBLE.

As we have shown in the historical outline at the beginning of this writing, there was a period of almost six hundred years where (1) the Apostles, (2) early church fathers or (3) church historians did not know of or write about PURGATORY! The only basis is in the Apocryphal books II MACABEES 12:46 where “pray for the dead” is indicated. When coupled with APOCALYPSE (Revelation) 21:27 where “nothing defiled shall enter heaven”. And even then the Roman Catholic church tells us in the NEW YORK CATECHISM:

“What dead? Not for the dead in heaven, certainly. Not for those in Hell. Therefore, the prayers are asked for the dead in a middle state, purgatory —-“.

What the church in Rome accomplishes with these dogmas is well put by Dr. C.D. Cole in ROMAN CATHOLICISM:

“Romanism is a complicated system of salvation by works. It offers salvation on the installment plan, then sees to it that the poor sinner is always behind in his payments, so that when he dies there is a large unpaid balance, and he must continue payments by suffering in purgatory, or until the debt is paid by the prayer, alms, and sufferings of his living relatives and friends. The whole system and plan calls for merit and money from the cradle to the grave and even beyond. Surely the wisdom that drew such a plan of salvation is not from above.”

TITUS 3:5 says: “Not by works done in righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.”

In Galatians 3:21 we read: “If a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.”

In comparison, let’s look at the Roman Catholic convocation called the Council of Trent: “WHOSOEVER SHALL AFFIRM THAT MEN ARE JUSTIFIED SOLELY BY THE IMPUTATION OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST — LET HIM BE ACCURSED”.

It is important to make note that this doctrine and ALL of the Cannon Laws of Trent were reaffirmed by VATICAN II in 1965.

In the letter from Paul to the ROMANS, we find the statement outlining SALVATION solely through belief in Christ. “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, the reward is not reckoned as grace, but as debt. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.” The Roman Catholic church, then CURSES PAUL, THE APOSTLE, for his teachings!

A believer in the Roman Catholic religion, on his deathbed, after spending a lifetime of doing all that he can do and after the last rites have been given to him, is told that he still must go to purgatory for “some” time, with not one shred of assurance as to the length of time he will be there. He is told that he will suffer unknown torture to pay for his sins. He is given the assurance that his time will be reduced IF his living relatives and friends pray for his soul, and pay for candles and have special masses said for him and attend ALL SOULS DAY mass, and other works for his benefit. There is NO SCRIPTURAL BASIS for any of the above statements!

How sad, in comparison to the historic Christian view that salvation rests, as Scripture tells us, on Christ alone! ONLY on accepting Christ as YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR and LORD and by accepting the substitutionary death of Christ for payment of all sins of those who do REPENT and ACCEPT Christ can genuine salvation come. Such a believer has total GUARANTEE and ASSURANCE that IMMEDIATELY UPON DEATH HE WILL BE WITH CHRIST! What a blessing for the believer for both this life and the life hereafter. Christ did not say that He came to “Give life in measure for the works that you do” – He said that LIFE WOULD BE MORE ABUNDANT. Life on this earth would be more joyful and by the addition of ETERNITY to the lifespan – MORE ABUNDANT!

All systems of man become corrupt. The Apostles had as one of their most striking features, the fact that they did not “cash in” on their position or knowledge. Each died as he was led by Christ to live – as a servant to all others. Peter never wore a pair of silk slippers; never wore a ring of authority that is very valuable and had to be kissed; never maintained a structure of wealth. NOT ONE of the Apostles died rich or powerful as rulers over groups. They preached only that Jesus died for our sins – rose again as proof of the gift of life and that the ONLY way to Salvation was THROUGH the repentance of sins and the belief on Him.

The Roman Catholic church has added a structure of works and law to obtain salvation. It has further taken deceit as a manner of common operation! Let’s look at the Roman church’s teaching that to be a good Catholic one MUST memorize the ten commandments. EACH and EVERY CATHOLIC CATECHISM teaches the following as the ten commandments:

COMMANDMENT NUMBER EXODUS CHAPTER 20 VERSE

  1. No Other gods 2 & 3
  2. Name of God in Vain 7
  3. Keep the Sabbath 8
  4. Honor Father and Mother 12
  5. Shall not murder 13
  6. Not commit adultery 14
  7. Shall not steal 15
  8. Not bear false witness 16
  9. Not covet neighbor’s wife 17
  10. Not covet neighbor’s house 17

Did you notice a gap between the verses and commandments for 1 and 2? The gap of Exodus 4 through 6 are left out of the listings of commandments. WHY? Let’s read what those verses say:

4. 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.

5. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the inequity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.;

6. And showing mercy upon thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Can you suggest any reason why THIS COMMANDMENT, and it is a commandment, is overlooked by the Roman church? Why does the Roman church take the tenth commandment and portray it as being two commandments? Look at the wording, again. Notice the words ANY GRAVEN IMAGE and ANY THING. God is explicit in this commandment and is in specific opposition to the MAJORITY of the Roman Catholic church’s teachings and “traditions” that are taught to ALL Catholics. We have read and investigated EACH and EVERY catechism that is being used by the Roman church. EACH one has this same deceit in its pages.

Man is evil by nature, no position in a group or cloth worn can guarantee infallibility or perfectness inside a man. Only the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can make any man a new creature.

We ask that you find out for yourself – in the manner that Paul COMMANDS us to: “TEST ALL THINGS – HOLD FAST TO THAT WHICH IS TRUE”. John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, John Huss, John Knox, William Tyndale, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards and many other great leaders of Christianity responded to the attack of the Roman church, pointing out how the CATHOLIC CHURCH has false teachings and has deviated from the truth. They did not attack CATHOLICS, as they tried to show to all persons that the salvation of Christ was a free gift of Grace, and not through any “church” or law or work.

We pray that this will be the intent of those who read this article. We want to show all Roman Catholics the “Way” of Jesus Christ and let the “Light” of Jesus Christ enter their hearts. We want to help Roman Catholics break the shackles of the bondage placed on them by the church of Rome. We pray that all Roman Catholics will see that they, themselves, can BECOME the Church of Jesus Christ!

Computers For Christ – San Jose