Page 554 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

13. Do you believe that Mary and Roman Catholic 1. Any church teaching that contradicts the Bible is
saints can answer your prayers or help you get wrong (Is. 8:20; Acts 17:11; Ro. 16:17; Ga. 1:8; Ph.
to heaven? 3:17; Col. 2:8; 1 Ti. 6:14; 2 Ti. 1:3; 3:16-17). The
14. How do you believe that the blood sacrifice of problem with Roman Catholic tradition is not only that
Jesus Christ is applied to your soul? it adds to the Bible’s teaching but also that it directly
15. Have you told your priest you have been saved? contradicts this teaching. Many Catholic dogmas are in
16. Do you believe you will still go to heaven if you
leave the Roman Catholic Church, receive direct opposition to apostolic truth. The false teachings
believer’s baptism and join a fundamentalist listed in this study are examples. The Lord Jesus
Bible believing, non-Catholic church? publicly condemned the Pharisees because their
17. When and where do you plan to do this? traditions contradicted Scripture and led men away
As questions such as these are discussed in detail, it from the pure truth of God’s Word (Mk. 7:6-13). Christ
will become evident that the person is trusting in his still condemns those who, by their traditions, contradict
works, merits, baptism, confirmation, sacraments, or the Scriptures. He condemns the Roman Catholic
something BESIDES OR PLUS, Jesus Christ, and not in Church and any other group that exalts its own tradition
Christ and Christ ALONE. He can then be shown the to an equal footing with the Bible.
difference between his unbiblical form of salvation and 2. The Bible is complete. The Christian faith was
the saving faith of the Bible. revealed in its finality in the New Testament Scriptures.
Error # 2—Church Tradition Equal in Authority to Every word was carefully chosen by God (1 Co.
Scripture 2:12-13). The apostle Paul taught that the Scripture is
According to Roman Catholicism, church tradition is so complete that it is able to make “the man of God
as authoritative as the Bible. This is a foundational perfect, THROUGHLY furnished unto ALL good
error. It is this idea that allows the Roman Church to words” (2 Ti. 3:16, 17). If Scripture is able to do this,
hold such strange doctrines as the papacy, the certainly we have no need for extra-biblical
priesthood, Mary the Queen of Heaven, the saints, the “revelations” and traditions, such as the proclamations
mass, prayers to and for the dead, etc., without support of popes and councils.
from the Scriptures. Using the Bible as our sole and final The truth that God desires His people to know today
authority, these teachings are readily seen to be false. has been revealed once for all in the Bible. The church’s
The Roman Catholic Church, though, claims to have job is to defend this truth, not formulate something new.
other authorities. The official pronouncements of the It has been rightly said that churches have executive
pope and the Church councils are as binding upon and judicial authority, but not legislative authority. Jude
Catholics as the teachings of the apostles. A Catholic instructs us to “earnestly contend for the faith which
writer expresses this false dogma in the following way: was ONCE delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). The New
“The Bible is a chance collection of missionary Testament faith was finished during the days of the
writings. ... It does not give a general view of revealed apostles.
truths. ... We find, welling up between Christ and the Those who add to God’s revelation are condemned in
Scriptures, the living teaching of the Church guarding the last chapter of the Bible (Re. 22:18). This serious
and explaining the truth. Through every gap and rift in warning has been ignored by the Catholic hierarchy, and
the Bible message gleam the clear waters of they will pay the consequences.
tradition” (Karl Adam, One and Holy, pp. 78,79).
3. The apostles were given special inspiration and
That this view of authority has not changed is made guidance for writing Scripture. The work of the apostles
clear by the statements of the Second Vatican Council: is called foundation work in Ephesians 2:20. They were
“It is not from sacred scripture alone that the Church appointed by God to lay the foundation of the church.
draws her certainty about everything which has been This indicates a temporary, passing, one-time work.
revealed. Therefore BOTH SACRED TRADITION AND Once a foundation for a structure is laid, it is not laid
SACRED SCRIPTURE ARE TO BE ACCEPTED AND
VENERATED WITH THE SAME SENSE OF LOYALTY again. Likewise, the apostles and prophets did a work
AND REVERENCE. It is clear, therefore, that sacred that does not need repeating. They established the first
tradition, sacred scripture and the teaching authority churches and wrote the New Testament, thus
of the Church. ... are so linked and joined together that completing the Bible, God’s Book for this age. To the
one cannot stand without the others. ... Sacred apostles was revealed the “faith once delivered to the
theology rests on the written word of God, together saints” (Jude 3; Ep. 3:3-6). When their unique
with sacred tradition, as its primary and perpetual foundational work was finished, they passed off the
foundation” (“Dogmatic Constitution on Divine scene.
Revelation”).
Bible Answer: Since the days of the apostles, the churches have had
no need of further revelation because we have the

554 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity