Catholicism

"Come now, and let’s reason together," ~ God (Isaiah 1:18)

Which has preeminence: tradition or scripture?

• Matthew 15:3-9; "... Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?"
• Jesus clearly states that God's word trumps any and all human traditions or doctrines.
• See verse nine.
• Traditions do not supersede or replace God's divinely inspired word.
• Catholicism teaches that Catholic tradition is the highest and or final authority in all religious matters.
• John 12:47-50; "... The word that I spoke will judge him in the last day."
• God will not base His judgment on what any man or pope has said.
• Also keep in mind that Paul and the other apostles are only writing what God commanded them to (1 Corinthians 14:37).
• One cannot determine the legitimacy of papal authority.
• Galatians 1:6-8
• "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
• Therefore, who's word should we trust?
• 2 John 1:9-11; "Whoever transgresses and doesn’t remain in the teaching of Christ, doesn’t have God. He who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. ..."
• John 8:31-32; "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (KJV)
  

Is God Still Adding to the Scriptures?

• 1 Corinthians 4:6; "... that in us you might learn not to think beyond the things which are written, ...".
• 1 Corinthians 13:8-12; "but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with."
• Could be heaven/new kingdom with the part being earth or the Bible with the part being prophecies, tongues, and knowledge
• Zechariah 13:1-3
• Prophesies the end of Prophecies
• Revelation 21:1
• First heaven and first earth will both pass way when the new heaven and new earth come, not just part.
• See also 2 Peter 3:13
• 2 Peter 1:3; "seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, ..."
• If God has given us all things why do we need additional revelations?
• Jude 1:3; "... I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."
• Thus, we have received the final delivery, and should expect no more revelations.
• Hebrews 13:8-9; "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ..."
• God did not inspire first century Christians to write a New Testament that was only applicable to other first century believers!
• God's word does not need revision; it is an eternal work ideally suited for both a first century and twenty-first century audience.

Are There Discrepancies between Catholic Traditions and the Bible?

• The priest will declare God's message. People are to listen to the priest and not study the Bible.
• Compare with 2 Timothy 2:15 and Acts 17:11
• The priesthood has the power and authority to forgive sins of others as a form of Christ that mediates between God and man.
• 1 Peter 2:5-10; "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, ..."
• All Christians are priests in the new covenant.
• See also Revelation 1:5-6
• 1 Timothy 2:5; "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,"
• See also 1 John 2:1
• Members call priests in the Catholic Church Father in the religious sense. They refer to the pope as Holy Father.
• Matthew 23:9-10; "Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. ..."
• God is our Father and Christ our Teacher.
• 1 Timothy 1:2; "Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: ..."
• Notice that Paul does not instruct Timothy to call him father, though.
• Peter is the first pope and head of the church.
• Matthew 16:18; "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (KJV)
  
• Christ built His church.
• That same word for rock (petra = mass or large) appears in 1 Corinthians 10:4
• "...and that Rock was Christ."
• See also Isaiah 44:8
• Peter is Petros or small rock or pebble
• 1 Corinthians 3:11; "For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ."
• Jesus is the foundation, not Peter.
• Colossians 1:18; "He is the head of the body, the assembly, ..."
• Christ is the head of the church, not a mortal man.
• See also Ephesians 5:23
• Acts 10:26; "But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up! I myself am also a man.”"
• Galatians 2:11-14
• Peter was not perfect, and Paul had to rebuke him on spiritual matters.
• Original Sin
• Jeremiah 31:30; "But everyone will die for his own iniquity. ..."
• Ezekiel 18:19-20; "The soul who sins, he shall die. ..."
• Romans 7:9-11; "I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died."
• Paul was spiritually alive before he had awareness of the law, but once the law convicted him of sin, he died spiritually.
• 2 Samuel 12:18-23
• Biblical example of a child's death. Notice that David offered no sacrifices for the child's sin, but stated that he will one day go where his son is.
• Infant Sprinkling or Baptism
• Acts 8:36-38
• Eunuch had to show faith and confess before Philip would baptize him. How can an infant do this?
• References to the act of baptism always use the word baptidzo. Baptidzo means immersed, not sprinkled.
• There are no examples of infant baptism anywhere in the scripture, and if there is no original sin, why should there be?
• Purgatory
• A place of suffering until they are purified so that they can enter heaven
• Luke 16:19-31
• The story of the rich man and Lazarus makes no mention of purgatory; both are awaiting the judgment and the rich man does not have the option of purification
• Hebrews 9:27-28; "Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, ..."
• Further clarification that purgatory is a creation of man and not God.
• Marriage
• I Timothy 4:1-5
• Here we are warned that in the latter times that some shall depart from faith and introduce doctrines of devils. Forbidding to marry is one of those doctrines.
• In I Corinthians 7:9 the bible tells us it is better not to marry if we can contain our selves. However, it does not forbid us, instead it says "... For it’s better to marry than to burn.".
  
• Graven Images
• We first learn in Exodus 20:4-5; "“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: ..."
• The Catholic Church removes the 2 commandment stated above. Some may say they justify this because it is in the Old Testament; however, it was also brought forward in the New Testament.
• Acts 17:29; "Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man."
• Galatians 5:19-20 and Ephesians 5:5 let us know that Idolatry is one the many works of the flesh and they will not have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.