Here is a list that includes the doctrines of Catholicism and what the Word of God says about each one. I have tried to make it simple and clear as I can. If you are a Catholic reading this, I plead with you to open your ears to God's Word and see if it aligns with what you have been taught in your church. God's scripture is the final authority on all things.
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar”. Proverbs 30:5-6
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works”. Timothy 3:16-17
Here is a List of Doctrines by the Catholic Church and the Bible verses that debunk them:
1. Catholics go to a priest and ask them for the forgiveness of sins.
A: "But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) Mark 2:10
(Only Jesus Christ has the power to forgive sins.)
2. Catholics pray to saints to intercede to God on their behalf.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Timothy 2:5
(And the Bible forbids us to speak to the dead. Saints are dead, and Jesus Christ is alive.)
3. Catholics believe that the Virgin Mary is the Queen of Heaven.
"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her" Luke 1:38
(A handmaid is a female servant. The Vatican added "Queen of Heaven" to their Bible and it is forbidden to add unto the Bible. )
4. Catholics believe in the Immaculate Conception.
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
(Jesus was the only perfect person on Earth and knew no sin. Mary was blessed to be chosen to open her womb for God, but she was not immaculate. She also made a sin offering for herself (two turtle doves: refer to Luke 2).
5. Catholics believe in Purgatory.
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matthew 25:34
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:34
(There is no purgatory written in the Bible. The Bible states there are only two places for us to go to. Heaven or Hell. There is no limbo land.)
6. Catholics call their priests "father."
"But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ." Matthew 23:8-10
(The Bible says not to call anyone father, rabbi or master because we only have one father in Heaven.)
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
(The Pope is a man, and there is no man higher than another. All have sinned and all have fallen short. Only worship GOD and do not bow down before anyone else.)
8. Catholics Believe that they call down Jesus body to be broken and crucified again through communion.
"And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." 1 Corinthians 11:24-25
Jesus called us to the Lord's Supper, the breaking of bread and drinking grape juice to remember him only. It is a memorial to remember what Christ has done for us on the cross. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he did it once and for all, and that was sufficient.
9. The Catholic Church creates their own rituals and observances while the Catholic people try to complete them all so they can earn their way to Heaven.
"All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." Matthew 23:3-4
The Catholic Church creates a heavy yoke for their believers, more laws, rules, rituals and the majority of it is not a Biblical command. Jesus warned us of these. God's burden is light, not heavy. Come to him all ye weary.
Conclusion
I have written this to help Catholic people who are seeking for the truth. I am not against Catholic people, but my heart grieves for them to know the truth. I want Catholics to be free from the bondage by the Roman Catholic Church and to be free from the false gospel of works. I want Catholics to enjoy the true freedom offered in Christ Jesus. While some of you reading this may struggle in accepting it, because it is a hard thing to accept after believing in something for so long. I understand that. I pray you will open your hearts and your mind to finding the answer. It's so important while our time on Earth is short. Ask God, and he will show you the way. He wants you to find the answer and he wants you to find him.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
""For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever shall believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10
There is salvation in Christ Jesus and in him alone. Man will not save you, church will not save you, your works will not save you, nothing else will save you but the blood of Jesus Christ. If there were any other way, he would not have died on the cross.
If you believe in your heart that Jesus died and rose again and confess him as your Saviour, you shall be saved. You will go to Heaven when you die and be with Jesus Christ. God made a simple and beautiful plan for us to go to Heaven while man tried to make it complicated. I encourage you if you have not done so yet, to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour today.
And to the Vatican: Jesus Christ has spoken to you in the entire chapter of Matthew chapter 23.
Labels: Catholicism
Interesting information. I never really knew much about Catholicism, so this post was very informative for me. I didn't realize that they believed a lot of those things.
How did you get to be so smart, anyway?
;)
And that is not true since Jesus is always with us. When we accept him as our Saviour, he lives within us. Nobody can take his place.
".. and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20
Miss Jocelyn, yes I believe it is true that many won't listen. The people have become blind followers. Yet it took a while before my step dad would listen, but he did end up understanding it. Praise the Lord!
Charlene, this is very good info. You've done what you can to tell the truth. Just as you do in so many other areas, telling the truth is right to do. I know you have a heart of love and concern for people in sharing the truth. My husband and I stand beside you as you continue to do so.
Hello! My name is Mary Lund. I'm a home-schooled, Catholic, homesteading gal living in the U.P. At 18, I am the oldest daughter in a family of eleven. I was wondering if you would be open to talking about your 'debunks'. lol. I wanted to make sure it's okay with you first, before I'd answer your points from a Catholics perspective. I don't want to be stepping on any toes. Also, my response is (obviously) quiet lengthy and would require quite a few comments in order to post it. Is that okay or is there another option in submitting something large?
You have a very lovely blog! (and your boys are just too cute!! ;-). Your love for Jesus and personal testimony is just beautiful. God bless you!
In His love,
Mary
Aw, thank you for being so kind to ask. You are welcome to comment and share. I will also read it thoroughly too.
Awaiting your reply,
from Charlene :)
Debunking Catholicism
Here is a list that includes the doctrines of Catholicism and what the Word of God says about each one. I have tried to make it simple and clear as I can. If you are a Catholic reading this, I plead with you to open your ears to God's Word and see if it aligns with what you have been taught in your church. God's scripture is the final authority on all things.Dear Charlene,
First, I have to warn you that I'm not very heady or intellectual ;) but I wouldn't be a very good Catholic if I couldn't/didn't explain my/ourselves. My parents taught and continue to teach us what they know about God and their feelings, insights and opinions on things, but they never forced their religion on us. They were just open and discussed and talked out whatever our dilemma was with us, but they made it clear that we ultimately had to decide things for ourselves. It's my hope that our conversation can be held with the same openness and respect for each other's opinions on things, but ultimately, as Pope J.P. ll said, "you must decide."
Here is a List of Doctrines by the Catholic Church and the Bible verses that debunk them:I will attempt answer each of your points to the best of my ability, but first, I think that it is impossible to grab an individual verse from the Bible and retort a whole history of faith and beliefs with it. No one can possibly understand the whole Bible. Even the Church who compiled, and in part wrote, the Bible, doesn't claim to understand everything it contains. You have to have a perfect understanding of the backgrounds, customs, languages, traditions, etc., etc. to claim full understanding of the scripture, otherwise it becomes my bible verse against yours. Personally, there has been a lot more than one time that I've been grateful that the Church was there to explain the Bible for me, in instances where one lifetime isn't enough to grasp the whole meaning. It's like getting an explanation about something from a parent who's older and wiser. Did God really expect each individual to interpret the Bible for themselves? No wonder there are 33,820 protestant denominations! :-P It would be like parents giving us a book to teach us how to learn how to read with no one here to instruct us. You and I individually might be able to come up with something that works rather like reading on our own, but I won't be able to fully communicate with you on everything unless we share an instructor. No, God did not leave us and it's true that He inspires us and shows us how to behave, but just like He designed parents for children, I don't believe He would leave us a faith without a leader.
1. Catholics go to a priest and ask them for the forgiveness of sins.
A: "But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) Mark 2:10
(Only Jesus Christ has the power to forgive sins.)1. Talking to Peter: "Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The priest is not the one taking away the sin. We are talking directly to Jesus when we go to confession, the priest is the go between with the appointed authority to release our sin from us.
2. Catholics pray to saints to intercede to God on their behalf.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Timothy 2:5
(And the Bible forbids us to speak to the dead. Saints are dead, and Jesus Christ is alive.)2. If I can ask you to pray for "my sister in law", why, then, can't I ask the Saints (people we know are in heaven) to pray and intercede for us before the throne of God, as they are closer to Him and perfect in their resurrected, glorified bodies?
"I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead but of the living." Mt. 22:32
"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her" Luke 1:38
(A handmaid is a female servant. The Vatican added "Queen of Heaven" to their Bible and it is forbidden to add unto the Bible. )3. We know that Jesus is the King of Heaven, and in the OT we read that it was the mother who was the queen, (because Kings could have multiple wives). In reading Kings 2:12-21 we can see that, not only did the mother (as queen) sit at her son's right hand, but she is also an intercessor for the people. She cannot do anything on her own, but she inherits the respect even of her son. This was in Israel and the King was Solomon, in the line of David (and Jesus).
In Genesis 3:15 we read that when God is rebuking the devil He says:
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
No where else in the Bible is there talk of a woman's seed. The genealogies are always from father to son (like the beginning of Mat). So the 'woman' who has the seed must have been able to conceive without needing the seed of a man. God prophesies that this seed will ultimately crush the devil's head so it has to be Jesus, making the woman who conceived through the power of the Holy spirit, Mary, the virgin of Nazareth.
Btw, what Bible did you see that added "Queen of Heaven"? And if your claim is that it is forbidden to add to the bible, then wouldn't taking away from it also be considered forbidden? I noticed on your bookshelf that you use the KJV which had 7 books (as well as parts of others) removed by Martin Luther during the reformation.
4. Catholics believe in the Immaculate Conception.
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
(Jesus was the only perfect person on Earth and knew no sin. Mary was blessed to be chosen to open her womb for God, but she was not immaculate. She also made a sin offering for herself (two turtle doves: refer to Luke 2).4. In Exodus 25:10-f we read how beautiful God had the Arc made to contain: the ten commandments, Aaron's rod and a jar of manna. Christ perfectly fulfilled everything that was the Arc of the covenant. (The staff representing true priesthood and Christ became the new High Priest (Heb. 2:17). The ten commandments were also referred to as the testimony of God--His word. In the NT the first chapter of John says "the word became flesh". The jar of manna was the life giving bread for the Israelites. Then again in the NT John 6, Christ calls Himself the bread of life.) So, if Christ was the fulfillment of the contents of the Arc, then wasn't Mary the fulfillment of the Arc itself? If God ordered the Arc to be overlaid with the purest of gold. (Ex. 25:11) (as well as many other beautiful things done to it), wouldn't He will something just as perfect, if not more, to carry around the spiritual, mystical, and physical fulfillment of the contents of Arc?
"David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and --" etc.
"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed--" etc.
David said: "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?"
Elizabeth said: "But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
"The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months,"
"Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home."
So, if the Arc with all it's perfection and beauty, is so favored by God (so much as to strike down Uzzah when he touches it irreverently), then why wouldn't He also create a perfect and beautiful sinless dwelling for His Son? (And we know He very much favored Mary: "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God." Lk 1).
Also, concerning the turtle doves... Jesus was baptized. Did He really have anything to gain from that or was He simply being an example for us?
5. Catholics believe in Purgatory.
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matthew 25:34
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:34
(There is no purgatory written in the Bible. The Bible states there are only two places for us to go to. Heaven or Hell. There is no limbo land.)5. The Church didn't just 'make up' purgatory. It goes back to the time of Christ's death during the 3 days "he went to preach to the spirits in prison" (1 Peter 3:19) and opened a way for them to get to heaven. The prison would have been limbo and the people there would have been the ones who died before Christ's death and still had the stain of original sin preventing them from entering heaven. After the gateway was open from limbo to heaven, purgatory was created. This was necessary because even though redemption is for all mankind, many people leave this world unworthy to directly enter Heaven due to the stain of original sin on their souls. However, if you truly and very deeply believe in the mercy of Christ's blood it is definitely enough to enter heaven by. But those souls who die without belief in Christ will long to be sanctified before entering His house. "You must be perfect like your heavenly father is perfect." Mt. 5:45 How many of us are perfect when we die? It's like the relief and well being that a child feels after a punishment from his Father for a wrong doing. Heb 12:6 "because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
"I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny." Lk 12:59
"If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Cor 3:15
"These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:7
"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny." Mt 5:25-26
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Heb 12:7-11
"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church." Paul to the Col 1:24
6. Catholics call their priests "father."
"But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ." Matthew 23:8-10
(The Bible says not to call anyone father, rabbi or master because we only have one father in Heaven.)6. In 1 John 2:13-14 he (John) refers to the elders of the Church as Fathers, and since he was there when Jesus gave this statement, I think he knew how it was implied better than we.
Many times in Paul's letters he refers to himself as Father (or refers to his readers as children). 1 Cor. 4:15 - Paul writes, "I became your father in Christ Jesus." So the practice of the Church calling its shepherds Father has gone all the way back to the apostles in the beginning formations of the Church.
Also, I have to ask, you're taking that quite literally... What about John 6?
"Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."
" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your fathers (?) ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
(The Pope is a man, and there is no man higher than another. All have sinned and all have fallen short. Only worship GOD and do not bow down before anyone else.)7. Whoa, where'd you come up with that? We do not bow down to the Pope because we don't belong to the Pope. We are Christ's, but He placed us under the direction of Peter (the first Pope) when He told him; "Feed my sheep." The Pope is ordained by God and God placed Him over me. I revere Him as I revere my own father; as a learned, holy man with power and leadership over me, as God ordained.
The Pope has infallibility, but he is human and does sin. It is His direction (teaching on faith and mroals) that is infallible because ultimately He is not steering the ship. God has the wheel, it's His church. Human sin cannot deter what God has ordained.
8. Catholics Believe that they call down Jesus body to be broken and crucified again through communion.
"And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." 1 Corinthians 11:24-25
Jesus called us to the Lord's Supper, the breaking of bread and drinking grape juice to remember him only. It is a memorial to remember what Christ has done for us on the cross. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he did it once and for all, and that was sufficient.8. Okay this is the big one! :) Let me do my pitiful best to explain this huge and beautiful mystery.
When the first sin was committed, Adam and Eve were banned from the garden, which meant that they could no longer eat of the tree of life. It also meant that they and all their children would die.
Then in Exodus 12, God shows through Moses a way to be saved from the angel of death in Egypt. By offering a pure innocent lamb as sacrifice, but that wasn't enough by itself. One had to eat of the flesh of the lamb to be saved. Next, in the desert, they would have starved, but God provided them with bread from heaven.
Finally, Jesus came, knowing full well that he was fulfillment of the pure and unblemished lamb. If He fulfilled everything in the scriptures, then we should not hesitate to do as He told us, "the one who feeds on me will live because of me." We are not re-sacrificing Jesus at the Mass. We are re-presenting His sacrifice, it's the same sacrifice, the everlasting sacrifice. "My words are spirit and life" John 6:63 "The word became flesh." John 1:14 What is flesh but a physical representation of a soul? Why not feed our souls with His food, His 'spirit and life'? A good shepherd does more than just lead His sheep, He feeds His sheep. To me it makes sense that Jesus would leave us with a more physical representation of Himself for those of us who weren't alive when He was. To leave us with such a soul booster was indeed a great gift, and it came out of the same Church as the Bible. Why do you believe the Bible? Because it says it's the inspired word of God? Couldn't any book say that? It's because of faith, it's because of the nourishment we feel it giving our souls. Faith alone is what tells us that it is more than just a book of stories. Why do I believe that Jesus is truly present as Mass? Because He said so, but not only that (because anyone could say that), but because He loves us and because of faith. I have the same faith in the Bible as I do in the Eucharist. I believe the throbbing of my soul when I receive the Eucharist, that's it's more than just bread. That it's nourishing me in a real and physical way. No, you cannot actually see Jesus, but "faith is the evidence of things unseen." Hebrews 11:1 Our only evidence.
"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself." 1Corinthians 11:23
9. The Catholic Church creates their own rituals and observances while the Catholic people try to complete them all so they can earn their way to Heaven.
"All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." Matthew 23:3-4
The Catholic Church creates a heavy yoke for their believers, more laws, rules, rituals and the majority of it is not a Biblical command. Jesus warned us of these. God's burden is light, not heavy. Come to him all ye weary.9. I'm not sure what you're talking about... The Catholic Church does not come up with rituals. Every one of them is in the Bible. If you're talking about prayers, novenas and devotions, where's the fault in sharing those with people in hopes of inspiring them further?
Conclusion
I have written this to help Catholic people who are seeking for the truth. I am not against Catholic people, but my heart grieves for them to know the truth. I want Catholics to be free from the bondage by the Roman Catholic Church and to be free from the false gospel of works. I want Catholics to enjoy the true freedom offered in Christ Jesus. There is no freedom outside of obedience. But there is a certain amount of freedom and happy contentment in being under the appointed leadership of one that is more holy and learned.
And to the Vatican: Jesus Christ has spoken to you in the entire chapter of Matthew chapter 23.I agree that Mat. 23 talks to the Church, for indeed it is the same Church. Many priests nowadays are like the pharisees of old and Jesus (of course) is right, we should do as they say not as they do. But Jesus showed us by example that He still wanted us to be part of a Church because He was part of their Church. THE Church. He didn't say, "leave these bad men and go interpret the scripture for yourselves". He said "You must obey them and do everything they say." Mat. 23:3 He desires unity among us, under one leader; Himself, the pascal lamb.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works”. Timothy 3:16-17Yes, scripture is here for our instruction and direction and in 1 Tim 3:15 Paul says of the Church: "if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth."
Now, allow me to apologize on behalf of my Church for all its humanly offenses and corruption (John Paul 2 gave the same apology, apologizing even back to the spanish inquisition for the fault on the Church's part). There is so much cloud around the miracle of the Mass that one can barely find it anymore. There is much sin in the Church and it is no others fault than our own. Wherever there are humans there will be sin. But like I said before, the Church is on a journey and the steering, direction, guidance of the Church is infallible. I know that I will not be held at fault for any of these human sins surrounding the Church. I will however, be at fault if I, having seen, experienced and felt Him as I have, then left Him for something less. This is no heavy yoke, it is a great joy I have in being able to, with the apostles, dip in the cup of the blood of the lamb!
While this is certainly a strange way to start a friendship (lol!), I do hope we can become friends!! I can see that you have a beautiful heart that is set on Jesus and searching for truth in a horribly corrupt world. I think we are already friends in that we are both walking toward the same place and we both share a burning love for the same Jesus!
Sincerely and with much love,
A Catholic who cares
Mary M. Lund
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/ahomesteaddaughter
I know what it's like to be in a church for many years then find out they were wrong all along. It blew my mind and shook me hard. But God assured me He would show me the truth and I studied the scriptures for myself. God never intended for His Word to be hard to understand. Pray about it and double check what the Bible really says.
Firstly, you wrote that we need a parent to explain the Bible to us and you said, "Did God really expect each individual to interpret the Bible for themselves?"
Yeah! The Gospel is given to every man in his language, and it's written in a book that we are able to read for ourselves. The Bible definitely is like a Jigsaw puzzle, so we have to study and search the scriptures to learn more. Galatians 1:12 shows how Paul learned the Gospel and wasn't taught of it by man but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us and reveals things in the Word to us.
For leadership, we are the body of Christ with different purposes, but none higher than the other for only Christ is the head of the church.1 Peter 5:3
About Jesus telling Peter to feed the flock three times (to cancel out the three times he denied Christ). Peter was an elder and exhorted another elders to feed the flock by being examples to them (not lords over them) and looking out for them. Christ is our Chief Shepherd. Please read 1 Peter 5:1-4 as well.
And Christ has the power to forgive sins, Luke 5:24 and we go to him for the forgiveness of sins because he has the power and the blood. There is no scripture saying God appointed others to forgive sins.
Saints are asleep in the grave until the last day when Jesus gathers his elect from the four winds. Jesus calls the dead asleep multiple times and we will be raised on the last day. The resurrection unto glorification has not happened yet until we see the Son of Man appearing in the clouds.
"Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." John 11:24
Also read Matthew 24 for the times, and that immediately after the tribulation, he shall appear and send his angels to gather his elect (verses 29-31).
The Spirit of God maketh intercession for us, even with things we cannot utter (Romans 8:26, 27)
The New Testament never refers Mary as an ark, but as a fulfillment of the virgin prophecy in Isaiah. She was undefiled sexually. Elizabeth's womb jumped because the holy spirit had came upon her.
The turtle doves were a sin offering by Mary, not Jesus. Baptism does not offer salvation, but is a picture of Christ's death and resurrection. Being born again is what counts and that is internal.
Mary's perfection would have been known and she would not have to hide and flee when she was pregnant in fears of being stoned.
The Bible only speaks of heaven and hell as the outcome of God's judgment. Abraham's bosom was there for old testament saints, but in Matthew 27:52,53, Jesus hath descended below to preach to the saints in prison, and he opened the graves and the saints arose and appeared to many after his resurrection. It is not there anymore, now those hereafter that are in Christ are asleep and shall rise when he appears. Those without Christ will remain until the Great White Throne Judgment, and let's say we don't want to be there.
We are ALL unworthy of God and have fallen short, but that is why Christ shed his blood for all. Without the blood of the spotless lamb (passover illustration), we die.
Luke 12:59 is out of context, carefully read the whole chapter.
1 Corinthians 3:15 is about trying our works through fire and whether they will appear as gold or stubble (read whole chapter), and verse 15 itself says even if our works burn up, we are still saved.
1 Peter 1:7 is the trial for the present time. It is the trial of faith upon this Earth. There are no more trials after death, but judgment. It is appointed to man to die once, and after this, the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)
Matthew 5:25, Christ is not our adversary but the devil who walketh as a roaring lion. If Christ be for us, who can be against us?
1 John 2:13, 14 is referring to the brethren in Christ, not elders. There are "spiritual" fathers that we may look up to for wisdom and guidance, not as holy fathers with leadership and authority and power.
John 6 refers to the fathers, as their ancestors who were living in the wilderness. They are dead in verse 49, yet in verse 57 we see that we have a LIVING father in Heaven.
I don't think I am taking the passage about fathers too literally, it seems simply put.
There is no holy church building, but we are the living stones and Christ is the corner stone. Our bodies are temples and he dwells within us. Also look at Hebrew 9 and check my home church references about the body of Christ and the living stones for more info.
The veil was rent in half when Jesus died, to show there no longer needed to be a high priest to stand between us and God, but Jesus Christ himself. He is the fulfillment of the law. We come to him and him alone.
Jesus IS the bread of life, I agree with you, but it is not in the physical bread. He is our spiritual food, and his Word nourishes us. We do the Lord's supper, or Communion as you call it, "in remembrance" of him. Remembrance of him is the key word, and he wants us to remember him often. The bread itself has no power, but the bread of life that we have in his Word.
The most important thing, in spite of doctrine, in spite of our different view points, in spite of everything else..
is that you have Christ. If you have Christ, then you are saved. I do believe that anyone can be saved in spite of what religion category they fall under, but it needs to be taught and emphasized, that it is his blood that saves us, and not of anything we do ourselves. We bring nothing to the table, but filthy rags, and it is ALL about him. Everything. We receive his gift by free will, or we may choose to reject it. That's what it's about.
Thank you for taking the time to respond in such length. You are a very devoted child of God's. May He bless you for it!
You are right that God gave us the Bible for each individuals interpretation in their lives because it's holy and filled with spirit--something we certainly need in our lives! It can definitely be used for our spiritual direction, I'm sorry that I blurred the line here. But the overall direction and main interpretation should come from His appointed shepherds so that we can be all be united together. It's sort of two levels. One that is the big picture, and the other that is our nuggets and soul boosters for each individual's own situation.
Instead of going over each thing again, I think I may be able to cut to the chase here. It seems the biggest difference is that you seem to perceive that we are a denomination (or something) when we, in fact, are not. The people is the Church and Christ is the head. Sure, we have to have a building so that we can all gather to witness the miracle of the mass, but the Church itself, is you and I! In fact, I wish more Catholics had your beautiful spirit and life. :) We represent the Church by what we are. Sadly, the Church seems just as bananas as the rest of the world right now, but as long as there are still people out there who love God than there is still the Church. The Catholic Church is the universal Church that He founded. If you love God, and I know you do, you are Catholic. It's the home for those lost in love for Jesus. I have found perfect contentedness here! It has the unity that Christ prayed for in John 17:21: "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
We are in Him and He is in us. We are receiving Jesus into us at mass! How beautiful it is!! I have the same soul burning love for my Jesus in the Eucharist as you do in your Jesus in the word, (no wonder, as it's the same Jesus! lol). So, we both share the same love in the same way. "And the word became flesh!"
It's so hard to except this one as literal, and yet it's spoken of again and again and finally in plain speech even, in John 6, and that's when He lost many of His following and even the disciples questioned Him. But once you receive Jesus into you, your only thought can be, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." And if: "the word became flesh." then, "whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life." Ya!
"This is the bread that came down from heaven."
"It is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
We believe that Jesus comes down, body, blood, soul and divinity, at every mass. Crazy isn't it? but then, He's God right? Is it out of His power to preform a miracle like that? Certainly not! And why wouldn't He want that for us? That physical, spiritual soul food--Himself, fed directly into our unworthy bodies. If He says it is so, why wouldn't it be so? Why wasn't He speaking literally here?
"For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him."
Simple. But really, really hard to wrap one's mind around! The Eucharist is a gift. If He gave us the gift of the Bible why couldn't He give us the gift of Himself present at mass? It's too good to be true! Perhaps that's why it's so hard to comprehend. Maybe it's too hard to imagine a real, live miracle still going on in remembrance of Him so long after He's gone on ahead of us. But I believe He is powerful enough to do it off. And if He is, why wouldn't He?
I KNOW that there is something in the Eucharist that feeds my soul! Even when all my humanly instincts fight it, my souls goes just goes crazy when that bread of life touches my tongue! Don't just take my word for it though, go into a Catholic Church and ask Him yourself! Lay a finger on the tabernacle and feel into your soul to see if anything is there, in that tabernacle. I believe, because I have felt, that our dear Jesus is there, prisoner of His love for us. It just moves me to tears. :'-) Not that He isn't everywhere, but it's just such a physical way! Ah, Jesus You stun my simple little mind!! :-)
The Church is totally overrun with sin right now, and it's impressive to find anything good in it by only using your human instincts. But those gifts that come with faith are still just as HOT as they were when His Church was first instituted. I agree with you on everything in your Home Church parts, and in fact most everything you write. But I can't deny that the Church has something to offer my soul. Now that my soul has experienced Him, in the closet way that it can on this earth, I want for nothing else.
Why, why does He love me so much as to lower Himself to the point of entering my sinful body to feed me? I'm just not worth it! But oh, I'm SO glad He does! And I know I will have life because of it, His continued act of Love. He died on the cross in a real way, shed real blood and allowed His body to be destroyed in a real way so that we could have everlasting life in heaven. Now He continues to sacrifice Himself for us in a real way so that we can have life IN HIM on earth! It makes this walk easier. There's a bucket load of graces in the mass just like there are in the Bible to help us in our daily walk to get to the right place. Short cuts, you might say. :)
Between you and me, I think He just can't help Himself because He loves us so much. ;-) Like a doting father He spoils us, but like my Mom always says, you can't spoil with love!
We could go on and on discussing whether or not Mary was Virgin, Peter was Head of the Church, or whether or not there is a purgatory, etc, but I think first we need to understand where each other's coming from. Once we can find common ground we can branch out from there. :) If Jesus can be present in the word and in the spirit why can't He be in the flesh?
I'm sorry for my delay in getting back to you, our family is trying to get a huge garden in this year and there's a lot to do outside everyday. I ponder while I'm out pulling weeds and I type at night when everyone else is in bed. ;-)
In His abundant love,
Mary
I agree with you that Jesus is the bread of life and that he is ever present with us still. I just wanted to say that he already came in the flesh two thousand years ago. Yet when we die to self and allow him to live in us, he is in the flesh in a sense. A verse says, greater work will we do because he is able to accomplish that in us while his Spirit dwells within us.
The only problem I have with Mass, is that we're looking for something solid to see and taste for ourselves. The bread of mass is a physical bread. I believe Jesus was talking about things in the spirit, things that are unseen.
One example, the disciples did not see Jesus eat. They begged him to eat and he said he has meat to eat that they do not know of (John 4:31-34) and that his meat is to do the will of the father that sent him.
"It is written than man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4
The blood he shed was the gift of the new testament, this grace we finally receive for the remission of sins. Jesus fulfilled the law and the Lord's supper is an observance of that to honor what he did. Luke 22:20
And Jesus is the Word, and the Word was made manifest in the flesh. This flesh, this bread that we eateth of him is his Word. John 1:1-14.
What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. When you learn and study his Word, meditate on his Word, you are being nourished.
The only problem I have with Mass, is that we're looking for something solid to see and taste for ourselves. The bread of mass is a physical bread. I believe Jesus was talking about things in the spirit, things that are unseen.On the contrary, it was the Jews who came across the lake after Him that were looking for something solid. They wanted more of that physical miracle of bread, but He told them instead that He is the bread. They thought He was still speaking metaphorically at this point and they grumbled that He was crazy. Then He repeated Himself with even more clarity: "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
But even with this they continued to argue in their confusion, so Jesus explains again! But refusing to believe, (even though He tells them that those who believe will have everlasting life) the Jews and many of his disciples leave. If this bread being flesh thing was just another symbol like the vine, the door, the lamb, etc. Why didn't He call them back and explain Himself as He did on other occasions? There's logical parallels to Christ being the innocent lamb, or the door to heaven, or the vine that draws up the sap to it's branches, but how is bread likened to flesh? It isn't. Of it's very nature it cannot symbolize the actual body of Christ. And He excludes that Himself when He says: "This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." He has to have been speaking of something much different, much greater, here. What was His purpose in explaining this to us and showing the apostles how to preform this miracle if not for us, because of His great love for us?
If we wanted something solid, I think we would be with you guys. From my perspective your views are pretty straight forward and easy to understand. The Eucharist though, is totally a faith thing. Can I dig deep enough to find the faith to believe?
You are right that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Because we come to the altar we have nothing but humanly bread to offer, but, suddenly the priest is once again speaking the words that Jesus spoke, the consecration, and the miracle once again, takes place. It is by His words that we have knowledge and life in Him.
So, "the Word was God" and "through God (or His word--same thing) all things are made" and "In him is life,". So, the word that is God can make life. Wow! Imagine that. :-)
"And that life--(which we can receive through the bread of life, our Eucharistic Lord),--was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood." John 1:4
Though, I don't think the issue was that the Jews couldn't understand. Jesus couldn't have been more clear. But the issue was that they didn't want to understand or believe, as Peter did: "We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." We believe. Yes Lord, sometimes it's hard, but I do believe.
In His great love,
Mary
"And Jesus said, "I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." verse 35
Jesus calls us to come to him, and to believe in him.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life." verse 47
Again, Jesus calls us to believe in him.
He gave us his flesh, which is the Word manifest in the flesh. The Word is our bread, our spiritual food. His blood that we receive is the blood he shed for our redemption. This is spiritual, and not something we can move towards something so limited, like a piece of wafer or wine. It's very hard for us to grasp sometimes because we are carnal and seek physical things of what we can see. Yet, when you read his Word and receive what Christ did for you on the cross, he is living in you.
We may not see eye to eye on everything, but all I ask is for us all to be open and seeking God to reveal his truth to us, even if it means stepping outside of the box we grew up in. I've just been going through that lately. It's amazing.
I wish you wonderful things in your journey with God.
You're right, we're both speaking from our hearts and there's no way to oppose that one way or the other. And you're right again, that we have to pray for the Holy Spirit to come and direct our hearts in matters of faith.
I want to thank you for the opportunity of giving my faith a quick stir. I was floating on cloud nine at Sun morning mass yesterday! :-) sigh...
It's been wonderful discussing with you! Thank you for sharing so much of your time with me. I'll be checking in regularly.
May He continue to bless and draw you close to His heart!
Your friend in Christ,
Mary
So, I want to make clear first that I'm NOT a Catholic. And I never was. And I will -hopefully- never be!
1.That's true, give it some criticism. :) But do not confuse Confession (and forgiveness of sins) in Catholicism with Confession in Eastern Churches (like the Orthodox).
2.The Saints (not those who were just saved, but the Saints!) are constantly watching the world and have the ability to pray for us. See Revelation and the parable in Luke, where a man asks Abraham for help (although not granted in that case, it COULD have).
3.I think that Mother Mary was/is the purest woman of them all. It takes a lot of purity to be given the privilege of GIVING BIRTH TO JESUS CHRIST!! :)
4.Agreed!
5.Exactly!! :)
6.Paul calls himself "a father of the church of Corinthians" too.
7.I do agree with not bowing down to people and all, but they show respect for the Sacrament that priests have attended (initiation?); it's not the man, but the Sacrament.
8.Didn't know. Thanks!
9.Over-dogmatism, that is. The Church IS VERY important for believers, but overdoing it is useless.
I largely am against Catholicism too. Like Dostoevsky said, 'atheism is better, because it's just the rejection of Christ, Catholicism is worse, because it teaches a DISTORTED Christ'.