Posted on 07/01/2015 7:13:05 AM PDT by RnMomof7
Recently there has been a surge in prominent Evangelicals calling for unity with Roman Catholicism. In one sense there seems to be strong foundational similarities that would justify these calls to unity. Catholics are baptized in the name of the Trinity. God’s revealed word in the Bible -- setting aside their addition of the Apocryphal books, for argument’s sake -- is foundational to their worldview. Catholics love Christ and believe that he died on the cross and rose again to provide grace for sinners.
Obviously there are theological differences associated with the specific teachings of each one of these perceived similarities, and I do not want to minimize the importance of these differences. But for argument‘s sake, at least on the surface, there is some common ground.
There is also a strong agreement in ethical standards. Both Roman Catholics and Evangelicals ground morality on God’s holy nature as revealed in the law of God. This means that on the hot button moral issues of the day; the murder of the unborn, human sexuality, the sanctity of marriage there is solidarity between Roman Catholic and Evangelical ethics because they are coming from the same source. Again, this seems to justify a call to some sense of unity.
Are these good enough reasons to publically stump for visible unity with Roman Catholics? That question is beyond the scope of this post. But there is a more fundamental question that must be answered first. That question serves as the dividing line between followers of Christ and the world, which separates biblical Christianity from every other worldview; does Rome possess and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The author of the book of Hebrews in chapter 10 contrasts the gospel with that which is but a shadow of the gospel. He argues:
"And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." -- Heb 10:11–14
The argument being presented here makes it clear that Christ’s singular sacrifice, his death on the cross, perfects those for whom it is made for. This is the gospel. It is contrasted with the shadow of the gospel in which sacrifices were repeatedly made year after year because though they symbolized the atoning and perfecting sacrifice of Christ, they never themselves perfected those for whom they were made. The gospel of Jesus Christ perfects and any other religious strategies cannot.
This principle is directly applicable to the question of Roman Catholicism and the gospel of God. Roman Catholic worship centers on the mass. The mass is a series of liturgical practices that culminates in the Eucharist which according to paragraph 1068 of the Catholic of the Catholic Church (hereafter CCC) is a divine sacrifice. Paragraph 1367 of CCC calls the Eucharist a “truly propitiatory” sacrifice. This sacrifice is performed repeatedly in the life of a Catholic.
The reason the Eucharist is performed repeatedly is because even though it is claimed to be a propitiatory sacrifice that can make reparation for sins (CCC, 1414), it is a sacrifice that never perfects anyone. According to the Catholic message grace is something that you get from God by performing certain acts. First, God gives you the grace for faith in Jesus (CCC, 2000). Second, when you are baptized God graciously erases the sin of Adam from your record (CCC 1257). From that point on you get more grace by doing things like participating in the sacraments, including the Eucharist. The problem is that when you commit sins, you lose some of the grace you have gained and now need more lest your grace be found wanting at final judgment. This forces the Catholic into a position where they need to return day after day, week after week, and year after year to a priest who serves to repeatedly re-present the same sacrifice which never perfects those for whom it is made, since it only offers grace to cover some sin.
This is not the gospel.
Roman Catholics need the gospel for the same reason we all need it. We are all sinners with such a messed up and low view of how holy holiness really is that we think somehow through our own efforts we can attain it. If we just had enough time and willpower we could somehow have our good deeds outweigh our bad, and this will please God just enough for me to be acceptable to him. This is a satanic lie. A satanic lie that to some degree or another we have all bought into at some point in our life.
But the truth is glorious. God is good and God is holy. He is more good and more holy than we can possibly imagine. God is so good and so holy that anything less than absolute perfection is unacceptable in his presence. It is because of God’s awesome goodness and awesome holiness that in his wisdom he has offered us grace, through faith in Christ. A good and holy sacrifice that absolutely without question completely perfects everyone for whom it is made.
Well, that settles it. You answer FReepers by appealing to the CCC while others here appeal to the Holy Bible instead.
When an infant is baptized in the Catholic Church, that infant is then counted as Saved by the baptism. Is that correct according tot he catechism? ... And if that so baptized infant lives a sinful life thereafter, are they unsaved until they return to the full participation in Catholic sacraments, if they return? And if they do not return to the full sacraments of the Catholic church, are they bound for eternal damnation?
“The “this” that he was referring to was the new Paschal sacrifice” NO! Jesus Himself called the cup ‘wine’, not blood, AFTER the Passover was completed, AFTER He instituted the new covenant REMEBRANCE. Jesus instructed the disciples and us via Paul and others, to do this breaking of bread and drinking the cup of WINE in REMEMBRANCE of the sacrifice to come the night of Passover and finished after Calvary. You have finally zeroed in on the heart of the error in Catholicism!
But what if you sin after you believe in him? Perhaps you missed this little nugget in Scripture:
[Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,m “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:21-23)So there is a need for forgiveness of sins even after accepting of Jesus.
I use the Catechism to show you what is the correct Catholic teaching of the Bible. If you look at the Catechism you will see that it has thousands of biblical references.
IfF you deny Jesus’s clear teaching then it is impossible to awaken you to the Truth of what He declared. But it is found in the scriptures, explained and repeated by Jesus Himself, what He means with bread and wine and water and BRASS SERPENTS. All of these teachings by Jesus are found in John’s Gospel. The explanation for the Brass serpent int he desert of Moses leadership is not even found in the Old Testament. It awaited Jesus explaining the meaning in John’s Gospel! If you read the explanation Jesus gave to Nicodemus and come away believing it is not plain or that Brass serpents can save people from snake bite venom, well then we cannot help your working so hard to remain blind to The Truth.
No, you appeal to what Protestants teach the Bible says.
He said what He meant and the RCC refuses to believe what He actually said.
He said "This is my Body." It is not Catholics who refuse to believe what he actually said.
Daniel's ninth chapter gives detailed instructions on the fate of ISRAEL, the putting an end to sin for Israel. The sixty-ninth week ended when Messiah was 'cut off'. The seventieth weeks has yet to begin while the special CHURCH AGE is open.
This is not the catholic church age, it is the Church/Bride/Body of Jesus Christ age. Under this age there is no differentiation between Jew and Gentile. When Jesus sent them forth prior to the Cross there was most definitely a difference between Jew and Gentile and Jesus confirmed this with two or three instances, such as the woman who came to Him begging for healing for her daughter.
That is one interpretation, here is another.
I am not a Christian by the dictates of your ‘holy’ catholic and apostolic church. I am born from above and His life is in me and I have been walking with him through stumbles and leaps for more than forty years. But your ‘holy’ church denies I know Him because I do not partake in Catholic sacraments. That is the honest verdict from your religion, the religion which formulated The Decrees of Trent in the mid sixteenth century.
What a specious interpretation and attempt to escape the clear words of our Lord. There is nothing in the account to suggest that this was limited only to the Jews.
When Jesus sent them forth prior to the Cross there was most definitely a difference between Jew and Gentile and Jesus confirmed this with two or three instances, such as the woman who came to Him begging for healing for her daughter.
The granting the authority to forgive sins came after the Resurrection.
So the question arises as to whether the RC who constantly calls non-Catholics haters, who goads and mocks non- Catholics, has forgiven them.
First of all Hosea is in Hebrew not Greek. Second, the Hebrew word used there is mashak and means to draw or to drag. It's also used in Psalms 28:3.
Psalms 28:3 Do not drag me away with the wicked And with those who work iniquity, Who speak peace with their neighbors, While evil is in their hearts.
>>There's a sense of guidance but not of coercive force.<<
To draw as in drag is not leading.
Romans 12:1-2 comes immediately to mind.
If you were appealing solely to the Bible then all you would do is quote from it. Once you present a meaning that goes beyond the words of the Bible you are presenting an interpretation. Protestants always claim the right to do this themselves but somehow refuse Catholics the same ability.
If you look at the various disputes between Catholics and Protestants here you will see that we are not arguing about what the Bible actually says but about what does it mean when the Bible says it. I have read and study the Bible for many years and I find the teachings of the Catholic Church fully in harmony with it.
See how changing words in scripture can cause problems? The Catholic Church loves to do it. It's actually Satanic.
That's also the belief of the Catholic Church.
CCC 460 The Word became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature": "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God." "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God." "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.