Is Roman Catholicism the One True Church?

Chris

Administrator
Staff member
Is Roman Catholicism the One True Church?
By Mike Gendron

Catholics have been indoctrinated with the premise that the Roman Catholic Church is the one true church founded by Christ 2000 years ago. They claim protestant churches began only 500 years ago. Are they correct? Is there a “one true church”? And if there is, can we identify the one true church? The answers to these important questions can be found throughout the New Testament.

Who Are Members of the True Church?​

The true church is not a denomination nor a building. It is an assembly of born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who have been called out of the world as a people for God’s own possession (Titus 2:11-14). Universally, it includes all who have repented and believed the glorious Gospel of grace. They have been purified by the blood of Jesus, sealed by the Spirit of God and sanctified by the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17; Eph. 1:13; 1 John 1:7). These new creatures in Christ have been baptized by one Spirit into one body and are called saints (1 Cor 1:2, 12:13). Their names are enrolled in heaven and their imperishable inheritance is protected by the power of almighty God (Heb. 12:23; 1 Pet. 1:4). They are visible when the light of their good works shines before men to glorify their Holy Father (Mat. 5:16; Eph. 2:10).

The Professing Church Is Not the True Church​

All Protestant and Roman Catholic churches together make up the “professing” church, which includes both believers and unbelievers. Tragically, there are many who “profess” Christ but do not “possess” Christ. They are religious, but have no relationship with Christ. Their names are on church rolls, but not in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Jesus calls them “tares” who have been sown by the devil among the “wheat” (Mat. 13:24-30, 36-43). These tares may one day hear the most terrifying words they could ever hear when Jesus declares, “I never knew you, depart from Me” (Mat. 7:23). Roman Catholics, who adhere to the false and fatal gospel of their apostate religion, must repent and believe the Gospel of grace to become members of the true church. When they do, the Spirit of God will lead them out of their idolatrous religion to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

Roman Catholicism Is Not the True Church​

The 21st century Roman Catholic Church does not bear any resemblance to the 1st century church of the apostles. Nowhere in the New Testament do we see the first century church continuing the work of Christ’s redemption on an altar, praying for the dead, venerating Mary, or transubstantiating wafers into the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. Nor can we find any mention of indulgences, purgatory, infallible popes, or a sacerdotal priesthood. There is an indisputable reason for this. Rather than obeying the exhortation of Jude to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, the Catholic Church departed from the apostolic faith to follow deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (Jude 3; 1 Tim. 4:1). Its apostasy was fully documented at the 16th century Council of Trent. It cannot be “the pillar and support of the truth” because it departed from the truth and is not the true church (1 Tim. 3:15).

There Is Only One Door to the True Church​

Jesus said, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). Tragically, most of the 1.3 billion souls in the Roman Catholic Church have instead entered through the wide gate that leads to destruction. They have not heeded the warning of Jesus who said, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mat. 7:15). By God’s grace and mercy, there are some Catholics who have responded to the Gospel call with repentance and faith but they cannot stay in the Roman Catholic Church. They will soon find themselves at odds with the deadly errors and idolatry of the apostate religion and come out to worship God in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24).

The Spiritual Promises Given to the True Church​

Members of the true church enjoy every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3). These blessings include: the complete forgiveness of sins (Col. 2:13-14), the promise of never being condemned again (Rom. 8:1), the gift of Christ’s righteousness (Rom. 5:17), the assurance of eternal life (John 10:28) and an eternal relationship with God through the one mediator Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:5). Members of the Catholic Church do not possess any of these spiritual blessings. Their only hope is to do what the apostle Paul did and exchange their religion for a relationship with the all-sufficient Savior (Phil. 3:3-8).

The Privileges of the True Church​

The true church is the bride of Christ, the flock of the Shepherd, the household of faith and the adopted family of God (Rom. 8:15; Eph. 4:12; Gal. 6:10; Rev. 19:7). Its members are a chosen race and a holy nation who have been commissioned to proclaim the excellencies of Christ, who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). They have been given the awesome privilege of being ambassadors to the King of kings as His ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20). They have also been commissioned by the Lord Jesus to make disciples by proclaiming His Gospel (Mat. 28:18-20). Catholics have none of these privileges because they have rejected the true Gospel for another gospel that is hostile to the Lord Jesus.

The Protection of the True Church​

The Good Shepherd promised, the gates of hell shall not overpower His church (Mat. 16:18). It is the only church which is certain to endure unto the end. Nothing can destroy it. Its members may be persecuted, oppressed, imprisoned, beaten and martyred, but whenever the church is crushed in one country, it springs up in another. Members of the true church have equal and direct access to the throne of grace through the veil that was torn open at the moment of Christ’s death (Heb. 10:19-22). They are all royal priests who offer “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5).

It is my prayer and heart’s desire that Catholics will read this article and turn to the only Head of the true church May God give them humble, teachable spirits to recognize that the god of this world has blinded them from the light of the Gospel and the glory of Christ. The veil of blindness will never be removed until they turn to the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 3:16).

https://www.raptureforums.com/roman-catholicism/is-roman-catholicism-the-one-true-church/
 

Seashell

Active Member
That’s a really good article. The only thing you have wrong is that it’s not the Roman Catholic Church that is to believed to be the one true church. It’s the Catholic Church (Catholic means Universal) which includes the Eastern Rites as well. The Byzantine, Ethiopian, Antioch, Syrian, Armenian, Coptic and others. They were all started by Apostles and can trace their lineages back to the Apostles who originally started them. The Ethiopian Catholic Church in Ethiopia is the oldest unchanged Christian Church in the world which was started by Phillip and that’s in the Bible. Roman Catholics do believe the Eastern Rites are just as saved as the Roman Rite.
 

Chris

Administrator
Staff member
That’s a really good article. The only thing you have wrong is that it’s not the Roman Catholic Church that is to believed to be the one true church. It’s the Catholic Church (Catholic means Universal) which includes the Eastern Rites as well. The Byzantine, Ethiopian, Antioch, Syrian, Armenian, Coptic and others. They were all started by Apostles and can trace their lineages back to the Apostles who originally started them. The Ethiopian Catholic Church in Ethiopia is the oldest unchanged Christian Church in the world which was started by Phillip and that’s in the Bible. Roman Catholics do believe the Eastern Rites are just as saved as the Roman Rite.

You might want to read this article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_true_church

"The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Christ founded only "one true Church", and that this one true Church is the Catholic Church with the Roman pontiff as its supreme, infallible head and locus of communion."

Mike is right. But in any case the RCC is wrong in that they are the one true church. The reality is they are one true Real Christian Cult (RCC) in which people need to come out of and get saved by Jesus. :nod :pray
 

SarahRose

Well-Known Member
A lot of people are being deceived by the Catholic church. And Satan is the great deceiver...

We need to keep praying for these people. I think for anyone who picks up their Bible, if they read it without a Catholic lens (or any lens whatsoever, just read it for what it is with an open heart to God), they will be able to see the Way, the Truth, and the Life - Jesus. God loves when we come to Him with a humble heart, seeking truth.
 

rocky

New Member
Is Roman Catholicism the One True Church?
By Mike Gendron

Catholics have been indoctrinated with the premise that the Roman Catholic Church is the one true church founded by Christ 2000 years ago. They claim protestant churches began only 500 years ago. Are they correct? Is there a “one true church”? And if there is, can we identify the one true church? The answers to these important questions can be found throughout the New Testament.

Who Are Members of the True Church?​

The true church is not a denomination nor a building. It is an assembly of born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who have been called out of the world as a people for God’s own possession (Titus 2:11-14). Universally, it includes all who have repented and believed the glorious Gospel of grace. They have been purified by the blood of Jesus, sealed by the Spirit of God and sanctified by the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17; Eph. 1:13; 1 John 1:7). These new creatures in Christ have been baptized by one Spirit into one body and are called saints (1 Cor 1:2, 12:13). Their names are enrolled in heaven and their imperishable inheritance is protected by the power of almighty God (Heb. 12:23; 1 Pet. 1:4). They are visible when the light of their good works shines before men to glorify their Holy Father (Mat. 5:16; Eph. 2:10).

The Professing Church Is Not the True Church​

All Protestant and Roman Catholic churches together make up the “professing” church, which includes both believers and unbelievers. Tragically, there are many who “profess” Christ but do not “possess” Christ. They are religious, but have no relationship with Christ. Their names are on church rolls, but not in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Jesus calls them “tares” who have been sown by the devil among the “wheat” (Mat. 13:24-30, 36-43). These tares may one day hear the most terrifying words they could ever hear when Jesus declares, “I never knew you, depart from Me” (Mat. 7:23). Roman Catholics, who adhere to the false and fatal gospel of their apostate religion, must repent and believe the Gospel of grace to become members of the true church. When they do, the Spirit of God will lead them out of their idolatrous religion to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

Roman Catholicism Is Not the True Church​

The 21st century Roman Catholic Church does not bear any resemblance to the 1st century church of the apostles. Nowhere in the New Testament do we see the first century church continuing the work of Christ’s redemption on an altar, praying for the dead, venerating Mary, or transubstantiating wafers into the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. Nor can we find any mention of indulgences, purgatory, infallible popes, or a sacerdotal priesthood. There is an indisputable reason for this. Rather than obeying the exhortation of Jude to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, the Catholic Church departed from the apostolic faith to follow deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (Jude 3; 1 Tim. 4:1). Its apostasy was fully documented at the 16th century Council of Trent. It cannot be “the pillar and support of the truth” because it departed from the truth and is not the true church (1 Tim. 3:15).

There Is Only One Door to the True Church​

Jesus said, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). Tragically, most of the 1.3 billion souls in the Roman Catholic Church have instead entered through the wide gate that leads to destruction. They have not heeded the warning of Jesus who said, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mat. 7:15). By God’s grace and mercy, there are some Catholics who have responded to the Gospel call with repentance and faith but they cannot stay in the Roman Catholic Church. They will soon find themselves at odds with the deadly errors and idolatry of the apostate religion and come out to worship God in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24).

The Spiritual Promises Given to the True Church​

Members of the true church enjoy every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3). These blessings include: the complete forgiveness of sins (Col. 2:13-14), the promise of never being condemned again (Rom. 8:1), the gift of Christ’s righteousness (Rom. 5:17), the assurance of eternal life (John 10:28) and an eternal relationship with God through the one mediator Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:5). Members of the Catholic Church do not possess any of these spiritual blessings. Their only hope is to do what the apostle Paul did and exchange their religion for a relationship with the all-sufficient Savior (Phil. 3:3-8).

The Privileges of the True Church​

The true church is the bride of Christ, the flock of the Shepherd, the household of faith and the adopted family of God (Rom. 8:15; Eph. 4:12; Gal. 6:10; Rev. 19:7). Its members are a chosen race and a holy nation who have been commissioned to proclaim the excellencies of Christ, who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). They have been given the awesome privilege of being ambassadors to the King of kings as His ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20). They have also been commissioned by the Lord Jesus to make disciples by proclaiming His Gospel (Mat. 28:18-20). Catholics have none of these privileges because they have rejected the true Gospel for another gospel that is hostile to the Lord Jesus.

The Protection of the True Church​

The Good Shepherd promised, the gates of hell shall not overpower His church (Mat. 16:18). It is the only church which is certain to endure unto the end. Nothing can destroy it. Its members may be persecuted, oppressed, imprisoned, beaten and martyred, but whenever the church is crushed in one country, it springs up in another. Members of the true church have equal and direct access to the throne of grace through the veil that was torn open at the moment of Christ’s death (Heb. 10:19-22). They are all royal priests who offer “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5).

It is my prayer and heart’s desire that Catholics will read this article and turn to the only Head of the true church May God give them humble, teachable spirits to recognize that the god of this world has blinded them from the light of the Gospel and the glory of Christ. The veil of blindness will never be removed until they turn to the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 3:16).

https://www.raptureforums.com/roman-catholicism/is-roman-catholicism-the-one-true-church/
The issues with the RCC or Catholic Church are many. They only believe what they are told without ''testing'' the spirits, they do not study the Bible so as to show themselves approved. When you ask them to defend what they say using the bible alone...even the Catholic Bible...they cannot do so & usually disappear from the conversation. For those who do respond usually try to defend their position usuing the doctrines of the RCC or just spew the same old rhetoric but will never support their position usually because there is aboslutely no Biblical Scripture they can show for many of their positions...ie...they can't give scripture for purgatory, praying to the dead, the exhaltation or perpetual virginity of Mary or her supposed ascension to heaven or the lack of having other children & claim Mary is the Mother of God & say she is the ''Queen of Heaven'', they pray to dead people to intervene in their lives due to sickness or other life problems instead of praying to Jesus who is our intercessor & they chase after ''apparitions of Mary''. The Catholic Church became the Roman Catholic Church around 325 AD when Roman paganism was mixed with Christianity.
 
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SkyRider

Well-Known Member
What was the first / original church? https://www.gotquestions.org/original-church.html

The ability to trace one’s church back to the “first church” through apostolic succession is an argument used by a number of different churches to assert that their church is the “one true church.” The Roman Catholic Church makes this claim. The Greek Orthodox Church makes this claim. Some Protestant denominations make this claim. Some of the “Christian” cults make this claim. How do we know which church is correct? The biblical answer is – it does not matter!

The first church—its growth, doctrine, and practices—were recorded for us in the New Testament. Jesus, as well as His apostles, foretold that false teachers would arise, and indeed it is apparent from some of the New Testament epistles that these apostles had to fight against false teachers early on. Having a pedigree of apostolic succession or being able to trace a church’s roots back to the "first church" is nowhere in Scripture given as a test for being the true church. What is given is repeated comparisons between what false teachers teach and what the first church taught, as recorded in Scripture. Whether a church is the "true church" or not is determined by comparing its teachings and practices to that of the New Testament church, as recorded in Scripture.

For instance, in Acts 20:17-38, the Apostle Paul has an opportunity to talk to the church leaders in the large city of Ephesus one last time face to face. In that passage, he tells them that false teachers will not only come among them but will come FROM them (vv. 29-30). Paul does not set forth the teaching that they were to follow the "first" organized church as a safeguard for the truth. Rather, he commits them to the safekeeping of "God and to the word of His grace" (v. 32). Thus, truth could be determined by depending upon God and "the word of His grace" (i.e., Scripture, see John 10:35).

This dependence upon the Word of God, rather than following certain individual "founders" is seen again in Galatians 1:8-9, in which Paul states, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." Thus, the basis for determining truth from error is not based upon even WHO it is that is teaching it, “we or an angel from heaven,” but whether it is the same gospel that they had already received – and this gospel is recorded in Scripture.

Another example of this dependence upon the Word of God is found in 2 Peter. In this epistle, the Apostle Peter is fighting against false teachers. In doing so, Peter begins by mentioning that we have a "more sure word" to depend upon than even hearing the voice of God from heaven as they did at Jesus’ transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16-21). This “more sure word” is the written Word of God. Peter later tells them again to be mindful of "the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior" (2 Peter 3:2). Both the words of the holy prophets and the commandments Jesus gave to the apostles are recorded in Scripture.

How do we determine whether a church is teaching correct doctrine or not? The only infallible standard that Scripture says that we have is the Bible (Isaiah 8:20; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 2:25; Galatians 1:6-9). Tradition is a part of every church, and that tradition must be compared to God’s Word, lest it go against what is true (Mark 7:1-13). It is true that the cults and sometimes orthodox churches twist the interpretation of Scripture to support their practices; nonetheless, Scripture, when taken in context and faithfully studied, is able to guide one to the truth.

The “first church” is the church that is recorded in the New Testament, especially in the Book of Acts and the Epistles of Paul. The New Testament church is the “original church” and the “one true church.” We can know this because it is described, in great detail, in Scripture. The church, as recorded in the New Testament, is God’s pattern and foundation for His church. On this basis, let’s examine the Roman Catholic claim that it is the “first church.” Nowhere in the New Testament will you find the “one true church” doing any of the following: praying to Mary, praying to the saints, venerating Mary, submitting to a pope, having a select priesthood, baptizing an infant, observing the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as sacraments, or passing on apostolic authority to successors of the apostles. All of these are core elements of the Roman Catholic faith. If most of the core elements of the Roman Catholic Church were not practiced by the New Testament Church (the first church and one true church), how then can the Roman Catholic Church be the first church? A study of the New Testament will clearly reveal that the Roman Catholic Church is not the same church as the church that is described in the New Testament.

The New Testament records the history of the church from approximately A.D. 30 to approximately A.D. 90. In the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries, history records several Roman Catholic doctrines and practices among early Christians. Is it not logical that the earliest Christians would be more likely to understand what the Apostles truly meant? Yes, it is logical, but there is one problem. Christians in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries were not the earliest Christians. Again, the New Testament records the doctrine and practice of the earliest Christians…and, the New Testament does not teach Roman Catholicism. What is the explanation for why the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th century church began to exhibit signs of Roman Catholicism?

The answer is simple – the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th century (and following) church did not have the complete New Testament. Churches had portions of the New Testament, but the New Testament (and the full Bible) were not commonly available until after the invention of the printing press in A.D. 1440. The early church did its best in passing on the teachings of the apostles through oral tradition, and through extremely limited availability to the Word in written form. At the same time, it is easy to see how false doctrine could creep into a church that only had access to the Book of Galatians, for example. It is very interesting to note that the Protestant Reformation followed very closely after the invention of the printing press and the translation of the Bible into the common languages of the people. Once people began to study the Bible for themselves, it became very clear how far the Roman Catholic Church had departed from the church that is described in the New Testament.

Scripture never mentions using "which church came first" as the basis for determining which is the "true" church. What it does teach is that one is to use Scripture as the determining factor as to which church is preaching the truth and thus is true to the first church. It is especially important to compare Scripture with a church’s teaching on such core issues as the full deity and humanity of Christ, the atonement for sin through His blood on Calvary, salvation from sin by grace through faith, and the infallibility of the Scriptures. The “first church” and “one true church” is recorded in the New Testament. That is the church that all churches are to follow, emulate, and model themselves after.
 

SkyRider

Well-Known Member
What is Roman Catholicism? Got Questions.org


The Roman Catholic Church portrays itself as the one legitimate heir to New Testament Christianity, and the pope as the successor to Peter, the first bishop of Rome. While those details are debatable, there is no question that Roman church history reaches back to ancient times. The apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans about AD 55 and addressed a church body that existed prior to his first visit there (but he made no mention of Peter, though he greeted others by name). Despite repeated persecutions by the government, a vibrant Christian community existed in Rome after apostolic times. Those early Roman Christians were just like their brethren in other parts of the world—simple followers of Jesus Christ.

Things changed drastically when the Roman Emperor Constantine professed a conversion to Christianity in AD 312. He began to make changes that ultimately led to the formation of the Roman Catholic Church. He issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which granted freedom of worship throughout the empire. When doctrinal disputes arose, Constantine presided over the first ecumenical church council at Nicaea in AD 325, even though he held no official authority in the churches. By the time of Constantine’s death, Christianity was the favored, if not the official, religion of the Roman Empire. The term Roman Catholic was defined by Emperor Theodosius on February 27, 380, in the Theodosian Code. In that document, he refers to those who hold to the “religion which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter” as “Roman Catholic Christians” and gives them the official sanction of the empire.

The fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Catholic Church are really two branches of the same story, as the power was transferred from one entity to the other. From the time of Constantine (AD 312) until the fall of the Roman Empire in 476, the emperors of Rome claimed a certain amount of authority within the church, even though it was disputed by many church leaders. During those formative years, there were many disputes over authority, structure, and doctrine. The emperors sought to increase their authority by granting privileges to various bishops, resulting in disputes about primacy within the churches. At the same time, some of the bishops sought to increase their authority and prestige by accusing others of false doctrine and seeking state support of their positions. Many of those disputes resulted in very sinful behavior, which are a disgrace to the name of Christ.

Just like today, some of those who lived in the leading cities tended to exalt themselves above their contemporaries in the rural areas. The third century saw the rise of an ecclesiastical hierarchy patterned after the Roman government. The bishop of a city was over the presbyters, or priests, of the local congregations, controlling the ministry of the churches, and the Bishop of Rome began to establish himself as supreme over all. Though some historians tell these details as the history of “the church,” there were many church leaders in those days who neither stooped to those levels nor acknowledged any ecclesiastical hierarchy. The vast majority of churches in the first four centuries derived their authority and doctrine from the Bible and traced their lineage directly back to the apostles, not to the church of Rome. In the New Testament, the terms elder, pastor, and bishop are used interchangeably for the spiritual leaders of any church (see 1 Peter 5:1–3 where the Greek root words are translated “elders,” “feed,” and “oversight”). By the time Gregory became pope in AD 590, the empire was in shambles, and he assumed imperial powers along with his ecclesiastical authority. From that time on, the church and state were fully intertwined as the Holy Roman Empire, with the pope exercising authority over kings and emperors.

What are the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church that distinguish it from other Christian churches? Whole books have been written on this subject, but a sampling of the doctrines will be outlined here.


Roman Catholicism

The bishops, with the pope as their head, rule the universal Church.


God has entrusted revelation to the bishops.


The pope is infallible in his teaching.


Scripture and Tradition together are the Word of God.



Mary is the co-redeemer, for she participated with Christ in the painful act of redemption.


Mary is the co-mediator, to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions.



Initial justification is by means of baptism.


Adults must prepare for justification through faith and good works.



Grace is merited by good works.


Salvation is attained by cooperating with grace through faith, good works, and participation in the sacraments.


No one can know if he will attain eternal life.




The Roman Catholic Church is necessary for salvation.




Christ’s body and blood exist wholly and entirely in every fragment of consecrated bread and wine in every Roman Catholic church around the world.


The sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated in the sacrifice of the Mass.


Each sacrifice of the Mass appeases God’s wrath against sin.


The sacrificial work of redemption is continually carried out through the sacrifice of the Mass.



Biblical Teaching

Christ, the head of the body, rules the universal church (Colossians 1:18).


God has entrusted revelation to the saints (Jude 3).


God alone is infallible (Numbers 23:19; Acts 17:11).


Scripture alone is the Word of God (John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Mark 7:1-13).


Christ alone is the Redeemer, for He alone suffered and died for sin (1 Peter 1:18,19).


Christ Jesus is the one mediator to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions (1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:13,14; 1 Peter 5:7).


Justification is by faith alone (Romans 3:28).


God justifies ungodly sinners who believe (Romans 4:5). Good works are the result of salvation, not the cause (Ephesians 2:8-10).


Grace is a free gift (Romans 11:6).


Salvation is attained by grace through faith apart from works (Ephesians 2:10).



The believer can know that he has eternal life by the Word of God and the testimony of the Holy Spirit who indwells believers (1 John 5:13; Romans 8:16).


There is salvation in no one but the Lord Jesus Christ, “for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).


The bread and wine are symbols of the body and blood of Christ, and He is bodily present in heaven (1 Corinthians 11:23-25; Hebrews 10:12,13).


The sacrifice of the cross is finished (John 19:30).



The once-for-all sacrifice of the cross fully appeased God’s wrath against sin (Hebrews 10:12-18).


The sacrificial work of redemption was finished when Christ gave His life for us on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 1:3).



These doctrines don’t date back all the way to Constantine, except for perhaps in seed form, but were slowly adopted over many years as various popes issued decrees. In many cases, the doctrines are not even based on Scripture but on a document of the church. Most Roman Catholics consider themselves to be Christians and are unaware of the differences between their beliefs and the Bible. Sadly, the Roman Catholic Church has fostered that ignorance by discouraging the personal study of the Bible and making the people reliant on the priests for their understanding of the Bible.
 

Jaybird

Well-Known Member
SkyRider, excellent contrast of some Catholic beliefs to the Truth of the Scriptures. I spent some time last week with some old friends who are devout Roman Catholics and I tried my best to show them the errors in their belief system, but it is so hard to de-program decades of brainwashing by the RCC! I asked them if they believed that Jesus was Lord, crucified to pay the penalty for our sins and then raised from the dead and they agreed with me. At least they believe in the Gospel message, but I got tired of listening to stories of Marian apparitions and supposed divine revelations from Catholic saints. It was making my head spin. Next time I see them I will try a different approach. I forgot how stubborn they can be.
 
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