Roman Catholicism as SEEN Through History and Scriptures

8/3/2019 Roman Catholicism as SEEN Through History and Scriptures

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Pastor Larry Dela Cruz

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ROMAN CATHOLICISMAs Seen through History and Scriptures

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largestChristian church, reporting more than a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines itsmission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments andexercising charity.

The Catholic Church is among the oldest institutions in the world and has played aprominent role in the history ofWestern civilization. It teaches that it is the one true Churchfounded by Jesus Christ, that its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles and that thePope is the successor to Saint Peter.

Catholic doctrine maintains that the Church is infallible when it dogmatically teaches adoctrine of faith or morals. Catholic worship is centered on the Eucharist in which theChurch teaches bread and wine are supernaturally transubstantiated into the body and

blood of Christ.

The Church holds the Blessed Virgin Mary in special regard. Catholic beliefs concerning Maryinclude her Immaculate Conception and bodily Assumption at the end of her earthly life.

The Church's hierarchy is headed by the Bishop ofRome, the pope, a position that makeshim the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church (which is composed of the Latin Rite andthe Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the see of Rome). The current office-holder is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected in a papal conclave on 19 April 2005.

The office of the pope is known as the Papacy. His ecclesiastical jurisdiction is often calledthe "Holy See" (Sancta Sedes in Latin), or the "Apostolic See" (meaning the see of the

Apostle Saint Peter).Directly serving the Pope is the Roman Curia, the central governingbody that administers the day-to-day business of the Catholic Church. The pope is also headof state of Vatican City State, a sovereign city-state entirely enclaved within the city ofRome.

Following the death or resignation of a pope, members of the College of Cardinals who areunder age 80 meet in the Sistine Chapel in Rome to elect a new pope. The title Cardinal is arank of honour bestowed by Popes on certain ecclesiastics, such as leaders within theRoman Curia, bishops serving in major cities and distinguished theologians. Although thiselection, known as a papal conclave, can theoretically elect any male Catholic as pope, since1389 only fellow Cardinals have been elevated to that position.

HISTORY.

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Early Christianity is generally considered as Christianity before 325. The New Testament'sBook of Acts and Epistle to the Galatians records that the first Christian community wascentered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John.

The first Christians were all Jews or Jewish proselytes, either by birth or conversion,referred to by historians as the Jewish Christians. Paul of Tarsus, after his conversion,

claimed the title of "Apostle to the Gentiles". Paul's influence on Christian thinking is said tobe more significant than any other New Testament author. By the end of the 1st century,Christianity began to be recognized internally and externally as a separate religion fromRabbinic Judaism which itself was refined and developed further in the centuries after thedestruction of the Second Jerusalem Temple.

(Looking down the History of the Roman Catholic Church we can see that the Primacy ofthe Bishop of Rome was a process and the Title "Pope" was not used by Peter nor taught bythe Apostles. It was a development during a time of domination in politics and religion. Itwas not even the Bishop of Rome who first used it but the Patriarch of Alexandria, PopeHeracleus in 232-49 AD. It was only reserved to the Bishop of Rome in the 6th Century.And with the advent of pagans into Christianity as Emperor Constantine declared

Christianity as its state's religion in 313 AD, pagan gods and idols were removed but laterchanged with images of saints and Christ. The early Catholic churches or the Christianchurches do not have these images. Apostasy entered the church in Rome and hierarchydeveloped.)

Organization.

Christian groups were first organized loosely. In Paul's time, there were no preciselydelineated functions for bishops, elders, and deacons. A Church hierarchy, however, seemsto have developed by the early 2nd century. These structures were certainly formalized wellbefore the end of the Early Christian period, which concluded with the legalization ofChristianity by Constantine's Edict of Milan in 313 and the holding of the First Council ofNicea in 325, when the title ofMetropolitan bishop first appears.

Some 1st-century Christian writings include reference to overseers ("bishops") and deacons,though these may have been informal leadership roles rather than formal positions. TheDidache (dated by most scholars to the early 2nd century) speaks of "appointing foryourself bishops and deacons" and also speaks about teachers and prophets and falseprophets. Bishops were defined as spiritual authorities over geographical areas.

By the end of the early Christian period, the church within the Roman Empire had hundredsof bishops, some of them (Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, "other provinces") holding some formof jurisdiction over others.

Jerusalem was the first church and an important church center up to 135. The First Council

of Nicaea recognized and confirmed the tradition by which Jerusalem continued to be given"special honour", but did not assign to it even metropolitan authority within its ownprovince, still less the extraprovincial jurisdiction exercised by Rome and the other seesmentioned above.

Constantinople came into prominence only after the early Christian period, being foundedofficially in 330, five years after the First Council of Nicaea, though the much smaller

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original city ofByzantium was an early center of Christianity largely due to its proximity toAnatolia.

(Before the Catholic Church became an Institution and the Bishop of Rome gained influenceChristian churches from the First to the Second Centuries were shepherded by the bishops.There was no single head recognized. In fact even the early church fathers in their writings

mentioned Peter and Paul as the chief rulers of the church. Rome then was not the centerthen but Jerusalem. And when Jesus comes again He will sit on His throne in the Temple ofJerusalem (which to be built again) and not in Rome.)

Christianity in the Roman Empire.

Conditions in the Roman Empire facilitated the spread of new ideas. The empire's well-defined network of roads and waterways allowed for easier travel, while the Pax Romanamade it safe to travel from one region to another. The government had encouragedinhabitants, especially those in urban areas, to learn Greek, and the common language

allowed ideas to be more easily expressed and understood.[128] Unlike most religions inthe Roman Empire, however, Christianity required its adherents to renounce all other gods,a practice adopted from Judaism (see Idolatry). Christians' refusal to join pagancelebrations meant they were unable to participate in much of public life, which caused non-Christiansincluding government authoritiesto fear that the Christians were angering thegods and thereby threatening the peace and prosperity of the Empire. The resultingpersecutions, although usually local and sporadic, were a defining feature of Christian self-understanding until Christianity was legalized in the 4th century.[129]

In 313, the struggles of the Early Church were lessened by the legalisation of Christianity bythe Emperor Constantine I. In 380, Christianity became the state religion of the RomanEmpire by the decree of the Emperor, which would persist until the fall of the Western

Empire, and later, with the Eastern Roman Empire, until the Fall of Constantinople. Duringthis time (the period of the Seven Ecumenical Councils) there were considered five primarysees according to Eusebius: Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria,known as the Pentarchy.

After the destruction of the western Roman Empire, the church in the West was a majorfactor in the preservation of classical civilization, establishing monasteries, and sendingmissionaries to convert the peoples of northern Europe, as far as Ireland in the north. In theEast, the Byzantine Empire preserved Orthodoxy, well after the massive invasions of Islamin the mid-7th century. The invasions of Islam devastated three of the five Patriarchal sees,capturing Jerusalem first, then Alexandria, and then finally in the mid-8th century, Antioch.The whole period of the next five centuries was dominated by the struggle betweenChristianity and Islam throughout the Mediterranean Basin. The battles of Poitiers, and

Toulouse preserved the Catholic west, even though Rome itself was ravaged in 850, andConstantinople was besieged.

Emperor Constantine of Rome

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According to Christian writers, Constantine was over 40 when he finally declared himself aChristian, writing to Christians to make clear that he believed he owed his successes to theprotection of the Christian High God alone. Throughout his rule, Constantine supported theChurch financially, built basilicas, granted privileges to clergy (e.g. exemption from certaintaxes), promoted Christians to high office, and returned property confiscated during theDiocletianic persecution. His most famous building projects include the Church of the Holy

Sepulchre, and Old Saint Peter's Basilica.

Constantine did not patronize Christianity alone, however. After gaining victory in the Battleof the Milvian Bridge (312), a triumphal archthe Arch of Constantinewas built (315) tocelebrate it; the arch is decorated with images of Victoria and sacrifices to gods like Apollo,Diana, or Hercules, but contains no Christian symbolism.

In 321, Constantine instructed that Christians and non-Christians should be united inobserving the venerable day of the sun, referencing the esoteric eastern sun-worship whichAurelian had helped introduce, and his coinage still carried the symbols of the sun cult until324. Even after the pagan gods had disappeared from the coinage, Christian symbolsappeared only as Constantine'spersonalattributes: the chi rho between his hands or on his

labarum, but never on the coin itself. Even when Constantine dedicated the new capital ofConstantinople, which became the seat of Byzantine Christianity for a millennium, he did sowearing the Apollonian sun-rayed Diadem.

Change of Center.

The Edict of Milan.

The Edict of Milan (Edictum Mediolanense) was a letter signed by emperors Constantine Iand Licinius that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire. The letter was issued

in AD 313, shortly after the conclusion of the Diocletianic Persecution.

The accession of Constantine was a turning point for Early Christianity, generally consideredthe beginning ofChristendom. After his victory, Constantine took over the role of the patronfor the Christian faith. He supported the Church financially, had an extraordinary number ofbasilicas built, granted privileges (e.g. exemption from certain taxes) to clergy, promotedChristians to high-ranking offices, returned property confiscated during the GreatPersecution of Diocletian, and endowed the church with land and other wealth. Between 324and 330, Constantine built, virtually from scratch, a new imperial capital at Byzantium onthe Bosphorus, which would be named Constantinople for him. Unlike "old" Rome, the cityemployed overtly Christian architecture and contained churches within the city walls, andhad no pre-existing temples from other religions to contend with.

The Council of Nicea.

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The First Council of Nicaea was a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia(present-day znik in Turkey) by the Roman EmperorConstantine I in A.D. 325. The Councilwas the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing allofChristendom.

Its main accomplishments were settlement of the Christological issue of the relationship of

Jesus to God the Father; the construction of the first part of the Nicene Creed; settling thecalculation of the date ofEaster; and promulgation of early canon law.

One purpose of the council was to resolve disagreements arising from within the Church ofAlexandria over the nature ofJesus in relationship to God the Father; in particular, whetherJesus was the literal son of God or was he a figurative son, like the other "Sons of God" inthe Bible. St. Alexander of Alexandria and Athanasius claimed to take the first position; thepopular presbyterArius, from whom the term Arianism comes, is said to have taken thesecond. The council decided against the Arians overwhelmingly (of the estimated 250318 attendees, all but two voted against Arius.)

Another result of the council was an agreement on when to celebrate Easter, the most

important feast of the ecclesiastical calendar. The council decided in favour of celebratingEaster on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, independentof the Hebrew Calendar (see also Quartodecimanism and Easter controversy). It authorizedthe Bishop of Alexandria (presumably using the Alexandrian calendar) to announce annuallythe exact date to his fellow bishops.

Historically significant as the first effort to attain consensus in the church through anassembly representing all of Christendom, the Council was the first occasion where thetechnical aspects of Christology were discussed. Through it a precedent was set forsubsequent general councils to adopt creeds and canons. This council is generallyconsidered the beginning of the period of the First seven Ecumenical Councils in the Historyof Christianity.

History of the Papacy

The word Pope derives from Greek meaning "Father". This title was first assumed bythe Patriarchs of Alexandria, long before it was assumed by the Bishops of Rome. In fact,the first to carry the title of Pope was the Patriarch of Alexandria, Pope Heracleus (23249AD), the 13th Alexandrine Patriarch. Papa has been the specific designation for theArchbishop of Alexandria, Patriarch of Egypt, and the See of Saint Mark, whose ecclessiastictitle is "Papa Abba", the Abba stands for the devotion of all monastics, from Pentapolis inthe West to Constantinople in the East, to his guidance. Abba is the most powerfuldesignation, that for all monks in the East to voluntarily follow his spiritual authority. The

first record in history of the term "Pope" is assigned to Pope Heraclas of Alexandria in aletter written by the bishop of Rome, Dionysius, to Philemon:

.

Which translates into:

I received this rule and ordinance from our blessed pope, Heraclas.

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It is difficult to ascertain the identity of the first Bishop of Rome to carry the title Pope ofRome. Some sources suggest that it was Pope Marcellinus (d. 304 AD),while other sourcessuggest that this did not happen until the 6th century, with Pope John I (5236 AD) the firstto assume this title.

Bestowing the title on Rome's Pontiff did not strip it from Alexandria's, and the Roman

Catholic Church recognizes this ecclesiastical fact. From the 6th century, the imperialchancery of Constantinople normally reserved this designation for the Bishop of Rome.

From the early 6th century, it began to be confined in the West to the Bishop of Rome, apractice that was firmly in place by the 11th century, when Pope Gregory VII declared itreserved for the Bishop of Rome.

Pope

The best-known title of the Popes, that of "Pope", does not appear in the official list, but is

commonly used in the titles of documents, and appears, in abbreviated form, in theirsignatures. Thus Pope Paul VI signed as "Paulus PP. VI", the "PP." standing for "Papa"("Pope").

The title "Pope" was from the early 3rd century an honorific designation used for anybishopin the West. In the East it was used only for the Bishop of Alexandria. Pope Marcellinus isthe first Bishop of Rome shown in sources to have had the title "Pope" used of him. Fromthe 6th century, the imperial chancery of Constantinople normally reserved this designationfor the Bishop of Rome. From the early 6th century, it began to be confined in the West tothe Bishop of Rome, a practice that was firmly in place by the 11th century, when PopeGregory VII declared it reserved for the Bishop of Rome.

In Eastern Christianity, where the title "pope" is used also of the Bishop of Alexandria, theBishop of Rome is often referred to as the "Pope of Rome", regardless of whether thespeaker or writer is in communion with Rome or not.

Early Christianity (c. 30325)

It seems that at first the terms 'episcopos' and 'presbyter' were used interchangeably. Theconsensus among scholars has been that, at the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries, localcongregations were led by bishops and presbyters whose offices were overlapping orindistinguishable. There was probably no single 'monarchical' bishop in Rome before the

middle of the 2nd century ... and likely later." Other scholars and historians disagree, citingthe historical records of St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. Irenaeus who recorded the linearsuccession of Bishops of Rome (the Popes) up until their own times. They also cite theimportance accorded to the Popes in the ecumenical councils, including the early ones.

In the early Christian era, Rome and a few other cities had claims on the leadership ofworldwide Catholic Church. James the Just, known as "the brother of the Lord", served ashead of the Jerusalem church, which is still honored as the "Mother Church" in Orthodoxtradition. Alexandria had been a center of Jewish learning and became a center of Christian

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learning. Rome had a large congregation early in the apostolic period whom Paul the Apostleaddressed in his Epistle to the Romans, and according to tradition Paul was martyred there.

During the 1st century of the Church (ca. 30130), the Roman capital became recognizedas a Christian center of exceptional importance. Clement I at the end of the 1st centurywrote an epistle to the Church in Corinth intervening in a major dispute, and apologizing for

not having taken action earlier. However, there are only a few other references of that timeto recognition of the authoritative primacy of the Roman See outside of Rome. In theRavenna Document of 13 October 2007, theologians chosen by the Roman Catholic and theEastern Orthodox Churches stated: "41. Both sides agree that Rome, as the Church that'presides in love' according to the phrase of St Ignatius of Antioch (To the Romans,Prologue), occupied the first place in the taxis, and that the bishop of Rome was thereforethe protos among the patriarchs. They disagree, however, on the interpretation of thehistorical evidence from this era regarding the prerogatives of the Bishop of Rome asprotos, a matter that was already understood in different ways in the first millennium." Inaddition, in the last years of the 1st century AD the Church in Rome intervened in the affairsof the Christian Church in Corinth to help solve their internal disputes.

SOURCE: Wikipedia

WHAT HAPPENED IN HISTORY?

The Church was founded by our Lord Jesus Christ of which He is the Stone, the Head and

the Foundation more than 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem. He had chosen, authorized andgave the Word to His Apostles. His commandment was to preach the gospel into the wholeworld, make disciples of nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son and theHoly Spirit. At the Day of Pentecost Peter proclaimed the Gospel truth that in Jesus Christalone we have forgiveness, redemption and salvation. Thousands were saved and the Lordadded to the church daily those who were being saved. Out of due time Christ called Saulwho was a great persecutor of the Church to the ministry. He was then called Paul. Threeyears after conversion he met Cephas (Peter) and the Lords brother James. The ministry ofPaul had many conversions from the Gentiles. They were entering the Body of Christ

through the gospel. Fourteen years later he went back to Jerusalem and submitted thegospel the Lord gave Him and which he preached. James, Cephas and John who were

known as pillars of the church extended them the right hand of fellowship. Peter to the Jewsand Paul and his companions to the Gentiles. It was Paul and his companions whoestablished many churches among the Gentiles and Jesus asked him to witness in Rome. Hestayed in Rome for two years preaching the gospel and teaching the Kingdom of God.

Since then many were called by the Lord into the Harvest. The preaching of the Gospel isGods way of calling and saving people. Thousands have been saved and delivered from thepower of Satan to God. The disciples continued to gather together, continued in the

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Apostles fellowship, breaking of bread and had everything in common. The Apostles andothers preached the gospel and taught the Kingdom of God. Those who repented andbelieved were baptized. The churches flourished in spite of many persecutions. The Word ofGod spread. The Apostles wrote letters which contain their teachings for the churches. Theyencouraged them to read and spread their writings and to hold on to the Traditions directly

coming from them only whether by oral or written.In the First and the Second Centuries the churches used the OT Scriptures and the writingsof the Apostles as their rule of faith and practice. Jesus was preached from the Scriptures.The preaching of the Word and the breaking of the bread in house churches and Templeswere observed.

In the year 3rd Century AD, Rome being the dominant power and its Emperor Constantinewhose mother Helena was Christian, wanted not that his kingdom be divided because theChristians refused to Emperor Cult worship. And there arose some false teachings from falseteachers. He declared the Edict of Milan declaring Christianity as the State religion thusgiving favor to the churches. The Council of Laodicea was called by Constantine gathered

around 200-300 bishops from various places. The council tried to settle the disputes amongthe heretical beliefs of Arius that Jesus was not really a God but was only a man andfiguratively called the Son of God. There arose also the Gnostics that teach Jesus is just aspirit. The Council also delineated the forms in their church services and the hierarchy of thebishops. The Council decided and made the Canon which of the writings were to be

considered the Bible. Rome supported the churches in influence and power and wealth. Herestarted the rise of the Papacy of Rome. Later new teachings crept in the Church that werenot taught by the Apostles.

Roman Catholicism institutionalized Christianity. It became a religion with forms andsacraments replacing the plain preaching of the gospel of salvation in Christ by which weare saved. The personal Christ was not received through the Gospel. Salvation was not byChrist alone but through obedience and observance of the sacraments. Idolatry entered thechurch. Dead saints were venerated and prayed into to ask for assistance The doctrine ofpurgatory was taught. The dead to enter heaven were prayed for and indulgences weregiven. Salvation and eternal life which can be received immediately after repentance andfaith in Christ was forgotten and not taught which were very clear in the writings of the

Apostles. The Bible which they compiled and made the canon or rule became not the finalauthority of faith and practice. The Church and its traditions and the teachings of the Popewere given more authority. The Pope became infallible above the written Word of God.

The Roman Catholic Church has unbroken history of succession of bishops but it was evidentthey have broken history of succession of the Gospel truth and authority of the writtenWords of Christ. It is not the list of popes that matters but its the succession of the GospelTruth and the Words of Christ and the Teachings of the Apostles above all doctrines andtraditions of man or of any church that did not come from the Apostles regarding salvation,

faith and practice.

Jesus said, "Repent and believe the gospel." Mk 1:15

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Paul said, "If an angel or we preach another gospel let him be accursed." Gal 1:6-9By this gospel God calls. 2 Thess 2:14By this gospel we are saved. 1Cor 15:1-2By this gospel we enter the Body of Christ. Eph 3:6What is the GOSPEL according to the Roman Catholic Church? Salvation and eternal life is

not received NOW by grace through faith in Christ. Jesus Christ is replaced by sacraments tobe observed and good works to be saved. But rather one should first be saved by Christthrough repentance and faith in the gospel (His death and resurrection for the atonement ofour sins) then we are changed by the Spirit of God and good works follow.This is important because it's not the list of succession of bishops that matters but thesuccession of the gospel according to the Apostles and the Head of the Church our LordJesus Christ.

The Church of Christ.

The Church is the Body of Christ who experienced new birth through the Gospel. They arethe House and Temple of God were the Holy Spirit dwells. They were washed, sanctified,

justified and made righteous by grace by the blood and name of the Lamb and by the powerof the Spirit of God. The Believers today were joined and made members of the ChurchJesus built more than 2,000 years through the gospel. The Bible is their Rule of Faith andPractice. They await the Second Coming of Christ.

Today, millions and hundreds of millions have been entering the Church Jesus built throughthe preaching of gospel. Through repentance and faith in Christ they were saved andreceived eternal life. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit have been the guiding light of the

Church.

A BIBLICAL REPLY IN CONTEXT TO: A Biblical Defense of Catholicism

The Holy Bible (in 1st Timothy 3:15) says that the Church is the pillar and foundation oftruth. Jesus promise (in Matthew 16:18) that the power of Hades cannot prevail against theChurch. The Spirit of Truth will guide the Church into all the truth (John 16:13). TheChurch is commissioned to make disciples of all nations, and teach to the ends of the earth

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and to the end of age (Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8). Initially, God's covenant was withindividuals, then to a family, then to a tribe, then to many tribes, then to a nation, then toall nations OR ["to all" in Koine Greek is "kata holoi" from which the nameCatholic was derived.] (Acts 1:8 & Matthew 28:19) Hence, (CATHOLIC).

Indeed, the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth. She declares and

proclaims the truth. The Church was built by Jesus Christ more than 2,000 yearsago. Mt 16:18. Peter said, Jesus is the Stone. 1 Pet 2:6-7. Paul said, Jesus is theFoundation. 1Cor 3:11. We the Gentiles enter that Church and become members

through the Gospel. Eph 3:6. The Believers are His House and Temple were HisSpirit dwells. Heb 3:6, 1Cor 3:16-17, 6:19-20.

The Church is the Pillar and the Foundation of Truth. 1Tim 3:15. What is theTRUTH? Where can we find the truth? Jesus said, I am the Way the Truth and the

Life no man comes to the Father but through Me. Jn 14:6. In another He said,Sanctify them with your Truth. Thy Word is Truth. Jn 17:17. Thirdly, Paul said,

If we or an angel from heaven preached another GOSPEL which we not preachedis to be cursed. Gal 1:6-9. Therefore the True Church of Christ maintains these

THREE important Truths. Outside these Truth results into Apostasy. 2 Pet 2:1-2.

Question:

1. Is Jesus the Only Way of Salvation proclaimed in that Church or there is no

salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church? Acts 4:11 Is Eternal Lifereceived NOW by whoever repents and believes the GOSPEL Truth? Jn 3:36,

1 Jn 5:9-13

2. Is the CANON- The BIBLE the Word of God, the Words of Christ and the

teachings of the Apostles the final authority for faith and practice? Jn 17:14-

20, 2 Tim 3:16-17, 4:1-5, 2 Jn 1:9

3. Is Christ crucified, died and resurrected for our sins the GOSPEL? He made

the atonement, paid and took away the sin of the world and that whoeverrepents and believes shall be saved. 1Cor 15:1-4,11 Mk 1:15, Act 20:20-21

How then can a Church be the Ground and Pillar of Truth if these Truths were

denied directly and indirectly? John said whoever does not follow the Teachings ofChrist has not the Son and the Father. 2 Jn 1:9.

When the Church encounters disputes, (in Acts 15:6) the apostles and the elders met

together to consider such matter and Peter stood up and said: I should be the one throughwhom the Gentiles would hear the message. Only Peter was given the keys of the kingdomof heaven (Matthew 16:19). Peter's primacy is biblical. Hence the primacy of Pope inApostolic Succession. The finalization of the New Testament canon was determined by theCatholic Church in the Synod of Rome (382AD) and the Council of Hippo (393AD) and theCouncil of Carthage (397AD). The Church already exists prior to the completion of the NewTestament. Protestants get their New Testament from the Catholic Church.

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In that Council it was not Peter who made the Judgment but it was the Lordsbrother Apostle James. Act 15:13-20. The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are the

gospel truth and the Word of God that shall open the Door for the Jews and theGentiles to enter the Kingdom of God. Peter indeed first preached the Gospel at

the Day of Pentecost and thousands were saved. Many were forgiven. But thesewere not exclusive to Peter alone but all the Apostles and Paul and his companions

preached the Gospel. James, Cephas and John shared to Paul and Barnabas theright hand of fellowship in the Ministry- Peter to the Jews and Paul to theGentiles. Gal 2:7-9. Binding and loosing, confirming others are forgiven was not

exclusive to Peter either. Mt 18:1,18. If these Authority were shared the same by

other Apostles it showed that Peter was not the supreme Apostle. In fact Paulrebuked Peter because he saw he was not acting according to the GOSPEL truth.

Gal 2:11-16. The Catholic Church not Roman then, compiled the Books that werein circulation among the churches. These were the OT already existed even before

the Apostles came and the NT writings of the Apostles including the gospelwritings. For the past 300 years the Christian churches were familiar already with

the said books. Since, the Catholic Church made this CANON, RULE the Bibletherefore it should be the final say in all matters of faith and practice. Outside

them should be condemned. We Christians get our sources from the Early

Centuries writings. There are more than 25,000 manuscripts of the OT and NT.5,000 of them are from the NT. These manuscripts are preserved in the Museums.Technological and Archeological advances and findings made these possible.

(In Ephesians 4:4-5) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the onehope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God. (In John 10:16) Jesus brings them alsoso there will be one flock, one shepherd. [Today, there are many faiths, many baptisms,many flocks, many different churches.]

Eph 4:4-5 refers to the Body of Christ The church. We must establish first what

and who is the church? Is it an institution or a hierarchy or an organization or theBelievers themselves? And what is their faith? Who is their Lord? When and who is

baptized? And the God whom they served?

We have noted above if a church left the Three Basic Truths:

a) Salvation in Christ Alone,

b) The Word as the Final Authority and

c) Preaching the Only Gospel then it has apostatized.

The Church therefore remains in the Gospel Truth and in the Words of Christ. The

Believers are His HOUSE. Heb 3:6. We enter the Church Christ built 2,000 yearsago through the Gospel. Eph 3:6. Paul said, Though we are many we are one

body. Our churches name themselves in the Name of its Head and FoundationJesus Christ. 2 Tim 2:19.

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The Church has NEVER taught that we can earn salvation by good works. In fact theChurch had CONDEMNED Pelagianism "righteousness by works" at the Council of Carthagein 418AD. Only by God's grace completely, unmerited by works, is one person saved. TheChurch teaches that salvation is God's grace from beginning to end which justifies,sanctifies and saves us. As Apostle Paul explains in Philippians 2:13, "God is the one who,for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work." Notice that Apostle Paul's

words presuppose that the faithful believer of Jesus is NOT JUST desiring to be righteousbut is actively WORKING TOWARD IT. This is the second half of the justification equation,and Protestants either miss or ignore it. Salvation is NEITHER BY FAITH ALONE nor WORKALONE. Salvation is BY God's grace through faith working through love (Ephesians 2:8-9 &Galatians 5:6).

If you ask a Catholic how they can be saved some will answer by faith and good

works. Others say through obedience and the Sacraments. We agree thatSalvation is by grace THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST, and not of ours works it is a gift

of God. No more no less. If it is by works then it is not by grace. Eph 2:8-9. Wemust complete the statement: It is by grace through faith in Christ. Not just faith

only. Faith should be addressed to the Son of God the Savior who died and paid forour sins for it to become effective and acceptable to God. Why does God declare

righteous and justifies him that has repented and put his faith in the Son of God?The Son of God completed and finished the Work of Salvation in the Cross and

resurrected from the dead the person who believes is justified from all things andis set free from his sins and its penalty. Justification is also a gift by His grace

through the redemption in which is in Christ Jesus., Rom 3:24-28. On his behalfChrist already suffered for his sins and Christ took it away. Jn 1:29, Heb 10:10-12

What about good works? Eph 2:8-9 said we are saved by grace through faith and

in verse 10 we are His workmanship created for good works. Good works are theresults and fruits of being a new creation in Christ. A person should first be saved

and be in Christ to be able to obey God and keep His commandments. Jesus said

without me you can not do anything. Jn 15:5. If the Son sets you free you shall be

free indeed. Jn 8:36. Also, the believer receives the Holy Spirit by faith in thegospel. Gal 1:1-3. The Spirit of God bears fruit in the believer. Without the HolySpirit residing in you can not be changed and have love, goodness, faithfulness,

joy, peace, patience and life. Gal 5:23-24.

Is it wrong to pray for the dead? (In Acts 9:40) Peter prays for the dead. Petercommunicates to the dead (Tabitha) and tells her to get up. In 1st Kings 17:21-22, Elijahprays for the dead child. In 2nd Maccabees 12:42-44 praying for the dead that those whohad fallen would rise again.

In Acts 9:40 Peter prayed for the dead child to be resurrected in Jesus name. Andshe did. It is different you pray for those who just died to be resurrected for Godcan restore them to life in Jesus name. Same with Elijah God restored the child to

life. But to pray for our dead relatives and friends and make offerings and give

money to the church that they might go to heaven are not in the Scriptures.

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Is it wrong to repeat prayers? NO. (In Matthew 26:44) Jesus prayed for the THIRD time,saying THE SAME WORDS. In Psalm 136, the words "for his steadfast love endures forever"are repeated many times. The Bible does NOT condemn repetitions (in prayer) but the Biblecondemns VAIN repetitions (Matthew 6:7).

What prayer that is condemned in the bible? It is the prayer like what the Gentiles

do. That in much speaking they think the can be heard. It is the memorizedprayers that you say all over and over again. It is the meaningless repetitions.That is the way the pagans pray. Prayers coming from the heart are acceptable to

God. Mt 6:6-7. We can praise God all over and over again.

No mortal sins and No confessions? (In 1st John 5:16) there is sin that is mortal. In James5:16 "Confess your sins to one another"; Matthew 18:15-17 "tell it to the church"; In John20:22-23 Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit and said to them: if you forgive the sins ofany, they are forgiven them. In 2nd Corinthians 5:18, God has given us the ministry ofreconciliation!

What are mortal and venial sins? First these words are not found in the bible forall unrighteousness is sin. When is a sin mortal or venial? Is lying a venial sin? Is

murdering a mortal sin? What if the person is a habitual liar? Is it still a venial sin?

In the Word of God in the book of revelation it says, All liars, cowards,unbelieving, immorals, murderers and adulterers their end shall be in the Life of

Fire. Rev 21:8. What the bible really teaches is there is a sin unto death and thereis a sin not unto death. Blasphemy or speaking against the Holy Spirit can not be

forgiven anymore. Mt 12:31-32. The believer who after receiving the knowledge oftruth and was sanctified and washed by the blood and then fall away and continue

to sin and not repent there remain no more sacrifice for sin for him but judgment.No more pardon., 10:23-39. This is the sin unto death the falling away. Rom 8:12-

13, Heb 6:4-6, 1Jn 5:16. The believer who walks in the Light the blood of Jesuscleanses him from all sins and if he sins he confesses them and God forgives him.

1Jn 1:5-10.

Do Catholics break Christ's command to "call no man father"? NO! The truth is that Christdid not LITERALLY mean call no one "father". IF Christ really mean it LITERALLY, we wouldexpect to see the Apostles follow this (literal) interpretation throughout the New TestamentBUT in fact we see exactly the opposite: the New Testament writers frequently called men"father" (1st John 2:14; Acts 7:2; Acts 22:1; 1st Thessalonians 2:11; Philemon 10). CallingCatholic priests "father" is not contrary to Christ's teaching. The Apostle Paul is teaching hiscommunity that he became "their FATHER through the gospel" (1st Corinthians 4:15) and

the Apostle Paul is appealing to his community to imitate him in doing so (1st Corinthians4:16). In Romans 4:16-17 God made Abraham the "father" of many nations.

The commandment was not to CALL or address any man Father. The Apostles

made an allusion that they were fathers because through the gospel many becamethe children of God and they were a product of their ministry but no teachings

from the apostles that they be called Father. What Jesus meant was we haveonly one Father in heaven. There is only one Spiritual Father and that is God. Mt

23:9. Call not anyone on earth your father, for One is your Father, in heave.

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Therefore Holy Father belongs only to God. The Apostles never taught that they becalled Fathers.

Is Mary the Mother of Jesus sinless? (In Genesis 3:15) God will put enmity between evil

and the woman and the evil's offspring and the woman's offspring. [IF the woman is sinful,then there is no enmity between evil and the woman.] The Bible (in Luke 1:48) says thatall generations will call her "blessed". [Do you call her Blessed Mary? Catholics do call herBlessed Mary.]

Gen 3:15 and Luke 1:48 never said that Mary was sinless. Mary is a faithful andrighteous believer and follower of God. It need not be a sinless person to bear the

Son of God. Jesus took the human form. He had the body of humans who arecapable of sinning but He did not sin because He only partook of it. His mother is

human but His father is not human. The parents of Mary are humans all came fromAdam and Eve. Paul said for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Rom 3:23. To be righteous before God does not mean to be sinless. In the OT one

is declared righteous if he keeps the Law and if he sins he makes the rightoffering. Mary is really blessed more than all women for he bore in her the Son ofGod. That what makes Mary blessed and its not because she is sinless. By the

grace of God Mary was chosen.

After death, only heaven and hell? No more other stage? (In 1st Peter 3:19) Jesus made aproclamation to the spirits IN PRISON! (In 1st Corinthians 3:15) ...will be saved but onlyAS THROUGH FIRE. Nothing unclean will enter Heaven (Revelation 21:27) [What is this"ONLY AS THROUGH FIRE"?]

It is correct when a person dies its either heaven or hell. The wicked and thosewho are not in Christ go to Hell. Those who are in Christ are no longer condemned

and go to heaven when they die. 2Cor 5:5-8. In 1Pet 3:19 the spirits in prisonwere those who were not saved when God send Flood in the Days of Noah. Only

eight souls were saved in verse 20. These spirits are in prison waiting for theJudgment of God on the last Day. This prison is Hell because in the olden times the

First Judgment of the world came and those who did not enter the Ark were notsaved. In Rev 20:7 at the end of the millennium Satan shall be release from his

prison to tempt mankind. In Jde 1:6 the angels who have sinned were kept in

eternal bonds awaiting judgment. At the Judgment Day death, the dead in Hell andHell were thrown into the Lake of Fire. Rev 20:11-15. This Great White Throne

Judgment is after the Second Resurrection of the Evil Dead. Only the wicked and

the unbelievers are in this judgment. This is the Lake of Fire- the Second Death.

At the Second Coming the Saints shall be resurrected and have glorified bodies.

The rewards will occur at the Judgment of Seat of Christ were only believers arepresent. 2Cor 5:10. In 1Cor 3:15 were the service and works of the saints shall be

exposed and those not acceptable shall be burned. They shall receive rewards. TheSecond Coming of Christ is 1,000 years before the Great White Throne Judgment

for the Wicked.

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Rev 21:27 is right nothing unclean or abominable will enter heaven BUT only thosewho are written in the Lambs book of life. Jesus said to His disciples to rejoice for

their names were written in Heaven. Lk 10:20. Why rejoice? Because we haveredemption through His blood the forgiveness of sins. Eph 1:7. Christ has become

our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. 1Cor 1:30. They werewashed, justified and sanctified by In the Name of Jesus Christ, by the blood of

the Lamb and by the Spirit. 1 Cor 6:11 Rev 1:5. No more cleansing after deathbecause we are cleansed by His precious blood. And for after death is judgment.He will appear the Second time for salvation without reference to sin to those who

await Him. Heb 9:27-28. Salvation for believers and wrath for the wicked. 2Thess

1:7-10.

Therefore if the saints or the Christians were washed by the blood of the Lamb and

salvation is theirs where for is the cleansing in Purgatory? And the wicked goesto hell awaiting Judgment where for is the cleansing in Purgatory? The doctrine

of Purgatory is never taught by Jesus and by the Apostles. This teaching is anti-gospel. And is anti-cross.

In Acts 8:15-17, AFTER receiving baptism, the apostles lay their hands. This is the biblicalbasis of Sacrament of Confirmation. Baptism and Confirmation were considered two distinctSacraments from the beginning.

Again, let is always get into the CONTEXT to get the real meaning of the verses.What surrounds that verses Act 8:15-17. What does it really teach? We begin with

verse 12 Philip preached the good news of the Kingdom and the Name of Jesus. Somany men and women believed and were baptized in water. After sometime Peter

and John went to them to pray for them that they might received the Holy Spirit.This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Believers after receiving the Lord Jesus

should be prayed for to receive the Holy Spirit. Act 1:5-8. Men and women afterbelieving were baptized and received the Holy Spirit and not infants.

John Henry Newman wrote: "To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant." Aftereighty (80) years from Christ's death, Ignatius of Antioch wrote about the reality of Christ'sFlesh and Blood in the Eucharist (cf John 6:55). Justin Martyr also wrote about the RealPresence of Christ in the Eucharist. The early Church believe in the Real Presence of Christin the Eucharist, liturgical worship (1st Corinthians 11:23-29)

The Lords Table the breaking of Bread and the drinking of the Cup is rememberingthe death and atonement Christ did on the Cross for our forgiveness. It is the

proclamation of the Lords death until He comes. 1 Cor 11:26. Jesus said that thebelievers to do it in His remembrance. Lk 22:19, 1Cor 11:24-25. Christ is present

in the Believers. He resides in the Believers His Temple. 1Cor 3:16.

baptismal regeneration (1st Peter 3:21),

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This does not teach baptismal regeneration. It is not baptism that regeneratesman. It is rather through faith in the Gospel, through the resurrection of Christ

and the washing and renewing of the Spirit of God. Js 1:18, 1Pet 1:23-25, 3, Tit3:5. We only baptize those who has repented and has faith in Christ. In baptism

we are immersed in water. We are buried with Christ through baptism into deathso as Christ was raised from the dead we are to walk in the newness of life. Rom

6:3-4. And 1Pet 3:21 teaches us just like water that saved Noah and his familybaptism saves us by giving us the assurance that we were forgiven and wasraised through the resurrection of Christ. Baptism alone without its prerequisites

being present that is repentance and faith in Christ is not effective. It is the

resurrection of Christ and the Spirit of God that regenerates us through the gospel.1Pet 1:3, Tit 3:5. We only baptize adults who have received Christ. Infants are

saved and dont have the capability yet to repent and believe. Mk 1:15, Act 8:12

and apostolic succession (Titus 1:5; Acts 1:26; Acts 6:6).

Indeed, in the church we appoint elders and overseers. It is God who calls, sends

and give gifts. In the church God gave apostles, pastors, teachers, evangelists and

prophets. These ministers work together to equip the body of Christ for the workof the ministry, unity in the faith and knowledge of they Son of God. Eph 4:1-13.

Also, its not the having a list of names of succession among the apostles but thesuccession of the true teachings of the Apostles that matters to God. Jn 8:31, 2Jn

1:9. There were apostles after the Twelve and it did not end for God calls andsends many apostles for His work. There is no such teaching as Head Apostle

Pope among the apostles and successors are appointed therein after the deathof that Head Apostle. The Head and the Apostle and Highpriest is Christ alone. Heb

3:1.

The doctrines of Faith Alone and Scripture Alone are teachings of Protestants and NOT ofthe early Church. The doctrine of Scripture Alone originated with Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk who broke away from the Church and started the Protestant"Reformation". And these two fundamental tenets (Faith Alone and Scripture Alone) ofProtestantism are CONTRARY to the teachings of the Bible! James 2:24; 2nd Thessalonians2:15 & 1st Corinthians 11:2.

It is by grace through Faith in Christ that we are saved. It is the Faith in thefinished Work of Christ on the Cross. It is Faith in the Blood of Christ that was

shed for the forgiveness of our sins. If it is by grace then it is by faith. Eph 2:8-9,Rom 3:24-28.

The Scripture is its final authority for faith and practice. It is the rule by which werebuke, correct and instruct. 2 Tim 3:17 4:1-5, 1Cor 3:6 Is 8:20. The bible is the

Word of God and the Words of Christ. The church follows and abides the teachingsof Christ. 2 Jn 1:9

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May you realize that the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth (1st Timothy 3:15) andthat Bible Alone is insufficient. And that salvation is NOT BY FAITH ALONE (James 2:24).And our faith must be rooted in the Traditions and in the Word of God (see 2ndThessalonians 2:15 & 1st Corinthians 11:2).

The Church holds on the Teachings of Christ written by the Apostles only and the

gospels written by those who worked with them. 2Thess 2:15. The Churchcomposed of the believers who have repented from their sins and had faith in the

Son of God for salvation and forgiveness is the House of God. Heb 3:6. The Churchguards her members from Error through the Word. The Word of God is the truth

and the church is sanctified by it. Jn 17:14-17.

True Faith we have discussed produces good works. After faith in Christ you shall

be saved and become a new creation created for good works. Eph 2:8-9,10.

In 2 Thess 2:15 and 1Cor 11:2 Paul reminds us that we only accept and practice

the Traditions that came from them directly either by word or letter. Outside whatthe Apostles have taught are to be rejected. Even the GOSPEL truth whichSalvation through Christ alone shall not be perverted or corrupted by adding new

doctrines. Anyone who preaches another gospel shall be cursed.

APOLOGETICS

Catholic Objections and Answers Biblically Replied:

OBJECTION 1: the Church is subject ONLY to the authority of the Bible.

ANSWER 1: Matthew 28:19-20 is known as the Great Commission. Here, Jesus tells theapostles to baptize and teach what He taught them. Jesus did NOT instruct the Church togo and write a book. Jesus Himself NEVER wrote a book. Jesus would have been the mostlogical one to do so IF this is what He intended; to build a church based on a book. TheChurch is built by teaching others through preaching the teachings of Jesus. Faith comesfrom what is preached (Romans 10:17). The Church existed BEFORE the Canonization ofthe Bible. The Church has authority (Luke 10:16 and 3rd John 1:9). For the Church, BOTHthe Bible and the Tradition are authoritative (2nd Thessalonians 2:15 & 1st Corinthians11:2). Nowhere is it written in the Bible that the Bible must be our ONLY AUTHORITY! Infact, the Bible teaches us that the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth (1st Timothy3:15).

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BIBLICAL REPLY:

1.1. The Word of God spoken and written by the Apostles are the same. Themedium might be oral or written it is still the Word of God. These are the Letter of

the Apostles and the Gospels. It is not true that God never commanded HisProphets in the OT and the Apostles in the NT to write the Word.

EX 34:27 Then the LORD said to Moses, Write down these words, for in accordancewith these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.

REV 19:9 Then he *said to me, Write, Blessed are those who are invited to the

marriage supper of the Lamb. And he *said to me, These are true words ofGod.REV 21:5 And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new.And He *said, Write, for these words are faithful and true.

1.2. The Word of God existed even before the Church was founded. Jesus gave the

Word of the Father to His Apostles. We believe through their Word. And all be onethrough the Word.

JN 17:14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because theyare not of the world, even as I am not of the world.JN 17:15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from theevil one.JN 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.JN 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.JN 17:18

As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.JN 17:19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be

sanctified in truth.JN 17:20 I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me

through their word;JN 17:21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that

they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

1.3. Authority of the Church comes from the Oral and Written Traditions comingonly from the Apostles. Gospel and Traditions coming from religious leaders and

churches are to be rejected if not in conformity with the Apostles gospel and

written teachings.

2TH 2:14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the gloryof our Lord Jesus Christ.2TH 2:15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you weretaught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

1CO 11:1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

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1CO 11:2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly tothe traditions, just as I delivered them to you.1CO 11:3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and theman is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

1.4. The Church is the body of Christ. And the Head of the Church is Christ. TheWord and the Teachings of Jesus Christ should be followed by the saints. Theministers should be guided by the Word of God and by the teachings of the

Apostles. The Word of God the Bible is the Final Authority for faith and practice.

ISA 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word,it is because they have no dawn.

2TI 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for

correction, for training in righteousness;2TI 3:17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2TI 4:1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to

judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:2TI 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke,

exhort, with great patience and instruction.2TI 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting

to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers inaccordance to their own desires, 2TI 4:4 and will turn away their ears from the truth

and will turn aside to myths.

OBJECTION 2: Mary was NOT born sinless for the Bible says "all have sinned".

ANSWER 2: Genesis 3:15 "I (God) will put enmity between you (evil) and the woman, andbetween your offspring and hers (Jesus)...[IF the woman is with sin, then there is NOenmity between evil and the woman. Jesus is still the savior of Mary because Jesuspreserved Blessed Mary from original sin at her conception.]

BIBLICAL REPLY:

There is no biblical teaching that Mary was sinless. The bible said all have sinned

and come short of the glory of God. Only Jesus is the human being that has not

sinned because He only partook the human flesh and His Father is not a human.Marys parents came from Adam and Eve whom we all came from. Mary is

righteous but not sinless. She was blessed and chosen by God to bear the Son ofGod. The grace of God kept her but she was not born sinless. The enmity is

because she will bear the Savior who took the human form to redeem mankind.Jesus alone is without sin.

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LK 1:30 The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor withGod.LK 1:31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shallname Him Jesus.LK 1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord

God will give Him the throne of His father David;LK 1:33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will haveno end.

GAL 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise byfaith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

2CO 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we mightbecome the righteousness of God in Him.

1PE 2:22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;

1JN 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is notin us.1JN 3:5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is nosin.

OBJECTION 3: the Bible says that Jesus had brothers, Mary was married to Joseph and hadchildren.

ANSWER 3: Genesis 14:14 "brother" can also mean "cousin" or "nephew". No Hebrewwords for "cousin" or "nephew" therefore the term "brother" was commonly used. Somebible translations had already appropriately use the term "kinsman" to indicate a familyrelationship. In Genesis 14:14, Lot is Abram's "brother" meaning nephew.

BIBLICAL REPLY:

Jesus could not have cousins or nephews in the flesh because His Father is God.He could only have brothers in the flesh through Mary and Joseph. Before Mary

bore Jesus she was engaged to marry Joseph. Later the angel said that Joseph can

take Mary as wife. Jesus had brothers and sisters.

MT 1:16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was

born, who is called the Messiah.

MT 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother

Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was

found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

MT 1:20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord

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appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be

afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived

in her is of the Holy Spirit.

MT 1:24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the

Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife,

MT 13:55 Is not this the carpenters son? Is not His mother called

Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

MT 27:56 Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of

James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

LK 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in

Galilee called Nazareth,

LK 1:27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants ofDavid; and the virgins name was Mary.

MT 12:47 Someone said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing

outside seeking to speak to You.MT 12:48 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, Who is My

mother and who are My brothers?MT 12:49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, Behold My

mother and My brothers!MT 12:50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother

and sister and mother.

MT 13:53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.MT 13:54 He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, sothat they were astonished, and said, Where did this man get this wisdom and

these miraculous powers?MT 13:55 Is not this the carpenters son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His

brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?MT 13:56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then didthis man getall

these things?MT 13:57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not

without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.

JN 7:2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.JN 7:3 Therefore His brothers said to Him, Leave here and go into Judea, so thatYour disciples also may see Your works which You are doing.JN 7:4 For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be knownpublicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.

JN 7:5 For not even His brothers were believing in Him.

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MK 15:40 There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whomwere Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and

Salome.

MK 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother ofJames, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.

1CO 9:5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of theapostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

GAL 1:19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lords brother.

OBJECTION 4: Catholics pray to Mary and the saints for mediation to God. We pray directlyto God in Jesus Name.

ANSWER 4: We are taught to pray for one another and to persevere in supplication for all

the saints and do intercessions (James 5:16, Ephesians 6:18 and 1st Timothy 2:1). Thesaints who have gone before us are more alive than we are. And they will continue this actof love (praying, supplications and intercessions) in heaven; coming from 1st Corinthians13:8 love never ends; act of love continues in heaven. In Matthew 22:31-32, God is theGod of the LIVING not the dead and it makes clear in naming Abraham, Isaac & Jacob asbeing ALIVE. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 forbids the conjuring of the spirits from the darkunderworld in order to talk to them (that is seance). This is not what the Church teaches orpractices. We are asking fellow member members of the Church who have achieved theheavenly goal to pray for us (coming from Revelation 5:8 "prayers of the saints in heaven";see also Revelation 8:4)

BIBLICAL REPLY:

The saints in the bible are the believers - the Church. It is not spoken of the deadsaints. They are to pray for one another. You do not pray to a dead saint. This is

never taught in the Word of God. And the saints who are to pray together are theliving saints. We pray for the saints on earth and not to the dead saints. We pray

to God through and in Jesus Name. And the prayers of the saints on earth went up

to God.

The believers are the saints.

PS 16:3 As for the saints who are in the earth,They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.

1CO 1:2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified

in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name ofour Lord Jesus Christ, their Lordand ours:

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COL 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to youand peace from God our Father.

We pray to God in Christ Name.

JN 14:13

Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may beglorified in the Son.JN 14:14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication withthanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard yourhearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1PE 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may

exalt you at the proper time,1PE 5:7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

EPH 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this inview, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

The prayers of the saints reach up heaven.

REV 5:7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the

throne.REV 5:8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four

elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of

incense, which are the prayers of the saints.REV 5:9 And they *sang a new song, saying,

Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain,and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and

people and nation.REV 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and

they will reign upon the earth.

REV 8:3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; andmuch incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the

saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.REV 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up

before God out of the angels hand.

OBJECTION 5: Why do Catholics refer to Mary as their mother?

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ANSWER 5: Mary is the mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14). Mary was involved in the life of Jesusthroughout His ministry. Mary cared for Him as an infant (Matthew 1:18-2:23). She lookedfor Him in the Temple when she thought He was lost (Luke 2:41-49). She cared for Himthrough adolescence (Luke 2:51-52). She interceded with Him at the wedding at Cana (John2:2-5). She worried about Him as He began His ministry (Matthew 12:46). She was at Hiscross when He was crucified (John 19:25-27) and she prayed with the other followers of

Jesus after His ascension (Acts 1:14).

Mary as the mother of our Lord (Luke 1:43) was given to us (represented by the disciplewhom Jesus loved) at the foot of the cross to be our mother, when Our Lord said to thedisciple whom He loved: "Behold your mother." (John 19:25-27). When Mary gave her fiatto our Lord through an angel "Let it be done to me according to your Word", she is teachingus to do the Will of God, and this shows us that she can be a good mother to the Church.

BIBLICAL REPLY:

Yes, there is no doubt Mary is the Mother of Jesus. We love Mary and praise Godfor her. She is highly favored by God for she bore the Son of God. She is blessedthan all women. Jesus left her to His disciple John as a respect for her. She was

given no other title as the Mother of the church. If we truly love Mary we should

obey her commandment.

JN 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother ofJesus was there;JN 2:2 and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.JN 2:3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus *said to Him, They have no

wine.JN 2:4 And Jesus *said to her, Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour

has not yet come.

JN 2:5 His mother said to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it.

OBJECTION 6: Relics and images are forms of idolatry which God condemned.

ANSWER 6: 2nd Kings 13:21 is just one scriptural example of how God brought aboutmiracles using the BONES of a saintly person. Acts 5:15 - the image of Peter's shadow healsthe sick. In Matthew 9:20-22, here we see that a simple tassel on the cloak of Jesus is aninstrument of healing. In Acts 19:11-12, through handkerchiefs or aprons.

BIBLICAL REPLY:

Are we implying that God uses the relics, the images, the statues or the catholicidols for healing, signs and wonders? That is not the context of the above

scriptures. God forbids. God in the beginning was against idolatry. The use of idols

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for worshiping God is prohibited. We are not to pray to or through them, not bowto them, not revere them, not serve them, not make an altar for them, not make

offerings to them and worst not worship God through them. Sacrifices made toidols are made to demons. The church has to guard herself from idols. Early

Christianity at the times of the Apostles idols are not used. The Catholic Churchhas committed spiritual adultery by the use of idols. God hates idols.

EX 20:1 Then God spoke all these words, saying,EX 20:2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out ofthe house of slavery.EX 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me.EX 20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven

above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.

EX 20:5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a

jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third andthe fourth generations of those who hate Me,

1CO 10:19 What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an

idol is anything?1CO 10:20 No, butI saythat the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice todemons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.

1CO 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot

partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

1JN 5:21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

OBJECTION 7: Purgatory is not in the Bible.

ANSWER 7: the word "purgatory" is not in the Bible but a third place is described in severalplaces (1st Corinthians 3:14-15). This verse is a reference to the suffering one mustundergo for purification. Since the Bible does not name this third place, the Church gave it aname for the purpose of discussion. Purgatory is the purification for the one who is alreadysaved but not purified to enter heaven. (see also 1st Peter 3:19 "proclamation to the spiritsin PRISON." See also 2nd Maccabees 12:46. See also 1st Peter 4:6 "preached even to thedead.") For nothing unclean will enter heaven (Revelation 21:27).

BIBLICAL REPLY:

7.1. That is correct the word purgatory is not in the bible. It is neither a third place

where the saved shall pass through before going to heaven. A person after death

he goes either heaven or hell. The wicked and those who are not in Christ go toHell. Those who are in Christ are no longer condemned and go to heaven when

they die.

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1CO 3:14 If any mans work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.1CO 3:15 If any mans work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be

saved, yet so as through fire.

In 1Pet 3:19 the spirits in prison were those who were not saved when God sendFlood in the Days of Noah. Only eight souls were saved in verse 20. These spirits

are in prison waiting for the Judgment of God on the last Day. This prison is Hellbecause in the olden times the First Judgment of the world came and those who

did not enter the Ark were not saved. In Rev 20:7 at the end of the millennium

Satan shall be release from his prison to tempt mankind. In Jde 1:6 the angelswho have sinned were kept in eternal bonds awaiting judgment. At the Judgment

Day death, the dead in Hell and Hell were thrown into the Lake of Fire. Rev 20:11-

15. This Great White Throne Judgment is after the Second Resurrection of the EvilDead. Only the wicked and the unbelievers are in this judgment. This is the Lake of

Fire- the Second Death.

7.3. Rev 21:27 is right nothing unclean or abominable will enter heaven BUT only

those who are written in the Lambs book of life. Jesus said to His disciples torejoice for their names were written in Heaven. Lk 10:20. Why rejoice? Because

we have redemption through His blood the forgiveness of sins. Eph 1:7. Christ hasbecome our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. 1Cor 1:30.

They were washed, justified and sanctified by In the Name of Jesus Christ, by theblood of the Lamb and by the Spirit. 1 Cor 6:11 Rev 1:5. No more cleansing after

death because we are cleansed by His precious blood. And for after death isjudgment.

EPH 1:7

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of ourtrespasses, according to the riches of His grace

1CO 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom fromGod, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

1CO 6:11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but

you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

REV 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the

ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sinsby His blood

7.4. He will appear the Second time for salvation without reference to sin to those

who await Him. Heb 9:27-28. Salvation for believers and wrath for the wicked.2Thess 1:7-10. Therefore if the saints or the Christians were washed by the blood

of the Lamb and salvation is theirs where for is the cleansing in Purgatory? And

the wicked goes to hell awaiting Judgment where for is the cleansing inPurgatory? The doctrine of Purgatory is never taught by Jesus and by the

Apostles. This teaching is anti-gospel. And is anti-cross.

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HEB 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comesjudgment,HEB 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, willappear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly

await Him.

2TH 1:7

and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the LordJesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,2TH 1:8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do

not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.2TH 1:9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence ofthe Lord and from the glory of His power,2TH 1:10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveledat among all who have believedfor our testimony to you was believed.

OBJECTION 8: Apostolic with Papal Succession is not taught by Scripture.

ANSWER 8: Titus 1:5 "appointment of elders in every town"; see also Acts 1:26 "he wasadded to the eleven apostles." Christ did not come to establish a church only to have it fallapart with the death of the last apostle. The Church was intended to be a visible livingChurch. Jesus commissioned the apostles to baptize and preach the gospel UNTIL hereturns. (Matthew 28:19-20). Successive replacements are necessary (Acts 1:26).

BIBLICAL REPLY:

What is Apostolic Succession? Is it the replacement by another into the position

vacated by a dead apostle? Is it the Succession of Head Popes? Are there otherapostles other than the Twelve? Does God send apostles today? Are there

ministers beside the Apostles?

In Act 1:26 they chose a replacement to Judas who fell by transgression. The

Word Apostle m

Roman Catholicism as SEEN Through History and Scriptures

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