Roman
Catholicism Teaches...
|
|
The Bible
Teaches...
|
1.
Justification is a tranformation of the soul in which
original sin is removed and sanctifying grace infused
[Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1987-1995].
|
|
1. Justification is
an act of God in which He declares a sinner to be
righteous in His sight, having forgiven his sins and
imputed to him God's own righteousness (Romans 3:21-4:8).
|
|
2. Initial justification
is by means of baptism [1262-1274].
|
|
2. Justification
is by faith alone (Romans 3:28).
|
|
3. Adults must prepare
for justification through faith and good works [1247-1249].
|
|
3. God justifies
ungodly sinners who believe (Romans 4:5). Good works
are the result of salvation, not the cause (Ephesians
2:8-10).
|
|
4. The justified are
in themselves beautiful and holy in God's sight [1992,
1999-2000, 2024].
|
|
4. The justified
are in Christ holy and blameless before God (Ephesians
1:1-14).
|
|
5. Justification is
furthered by sacraments and good works [1212, 1392,
2010].
|
|
5. Justification
is the imputation of the perfect righteousness of God
(2 Corinthians 5:21). In Christ the believer has been
made complete (Colossians 2:10).
|
|
6. Justification is
lost through mortal sin [1033, 1855, 1874].
|
|
6.
Justification cannot be lost. Those whom God justifies
will be SAVED from His wrath (Romans 5:8,9).
|
7.
Catholics guilty of mortal sin are justified again through
the sacrament of penance [980, 1446].
|
|
7. There is no second
justification. Those whom God justifies, He also glorifies
(Romans 8:30).
|
|
8. Salvation from the
eternal consequences of sin is a lifelong process
[161-162, 1254-1255].
|
|
8. Salvation from the
eternal consequences of sin is an instantaneous and
secure act of God coinciding with justification (Romans
5:9).
|
|
9. Salvation is attained
by cooperating with grace through faith, good works,
and participation in the sacraments [183, 1129, 1815,
2002].
|
|
9. Salvation is attained
by grace through faith apart from works (Ephesians
2:8,9). Good works are the result, not the cause,
of salvation (Ephesians 2:10).
|
|
10. Faith is belief
in God and the firm acceptance of all that the Church
proposes for belief [181-182, 1814].
|
|
10. Saving
Faith is the entrusting of oneself to Christ as Lord
and Savior (Romans 10:8-17). |
|
11. Sanctifying grace
is a quality of the soul, a supernatural disposition
that perfects the soul [1999-2000].
|
|
11. Grace
is the undeserved favor of God (Ephesians 1:7,8).
|
|
12. The sacraments are
necessary channels for the continual infusion of grace.
They bestow grace in virtue of the rite performed
[1127-1129].
|
|
12. The child
of God is the constant object of the Father's grace
(Romans 5:1,2).
|
|
13. Grace is merited
by good works [2010, 2027].
|
|
13. Grace
is a free gift (Romans 11:6).
|
|
14. Venial sins do not
incur eternal punishment [1855, 1863].
|
|
14. Every
sin is punishable by eternal death (Romans 6:23).
|
|
15. Serious sins must
be confessed to a priest [1456-1457].
|
|
15. Sin is to be confessed
directly to God (Ezra 10:11).
|
16.
The priest forgives sin as a judge [1442, 1461].
|
|
16. No
one can forgive sin but God alone (Mark 2:7).
|
17.
When the guilt of
sin is forgiven, temporal punishment remains [1472-1473].
|
|
17. When
God forgives sin, He completely forgives (Colossians
2:13; Isaiah 43:25).
|
|
18. Acts of penance
make satisfaction for the temporal punishment of sin
[1434, 1459-1460].
|
|
18. Jesus
made perfect salvation for all sins (1 John 2:1,2).
|
|
19. Indulgences dispensed
by the Church for acts of piety release sinners from
temporal punishment [1471-1473].
|
|
19. Jesus releases believers
from their sins by His blood (Revelation 1:5). |
| 20.
Purgatory is necessary to atone for sin and cleanse
the soul [1030-1031]. |
|
20. Purgatory does not
exist. Jesus made purification for sins on the cross
(Hebrews 1:3).
|
|
21. Poor souls suffering
in purgatory can be helped by those alive on earth
offering up prayers, good works, and the sacrifice
of the mass [1032, 1371, 1479].
|
|
21. Those who sleep in
Christ need no help. To be absent from the body is to
be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). |
| 22.
No one can know if he will attain to eternal life [1036,
2005]. |
|
22. The believer can
know that he has eternal life by the Word of God (1
John 5:13).
|
| 23.
Eternal Life is a merited award [1821, 2010]. |
|
23. Eternal life is
a free gift of God (Romans 6:23).
|
| 24.
The Roman Catholic Church is necessary for salvation
[846]. |
|
24. 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).
|
|
25. The Last Supper
was a real sacrifice in which Christ's blood was poured
out for our sins in the cup [610-611, 621, 1339].
|
|
25. The Last Supper was
a Passover meal. Christ's blood was poured out for our
sins at the cross (1 Peter 2:24). |
| 26.
The bread and wine become the real body and blood of
Christ [1373-1377]. |
|
26. The bread and wine
are symbols of the body and blood of Christ (1 Corinthians
11:23-25).
|
|
27. 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 [1374, 1377].
|
|
27. Christ is bodily
present in heaven (Hebrews 10:12, 13). |
|
28. The consecrated
bread and wine are heavenly food which help one to
attain to eternal life [1392, 1405, 1419].
|
|
28. The bread and wine
are symbols which help one to remember Christ (Luke
22:19). |
| 29.
God desires that consecrated bread and wine be worshiped
as divine [1378-1381]. |
|
29. God forbids the
worship of any object, even those intended to represent
Him (Exodus 20:4,5; Isaiah 42:8).
|
| 30.
Christ has ordained certain men to a ministerial priesthood
to perpetuated the sacrifice of the cross [1142, 1547,
1577]. |
|
30. Christ has ordained
every believer to a holy and royal priesthood to offer
spiritual sacrifices, the praise of their lips, and
lives yielded to God (1 Peter 2:5-10; Hebrews 13:15;
Romans 12:1).
|
|
31. The Sacrifice of
the Mass is the sacrifice of the cross [1085, 1365-1367].
Only the manner in which it is offered is different
[1367].
|
|
31. The sacrifice of
the cross is a historical event. It occurred once, approximately
2000 years ago, outside Jerusalem (Mark 15:21-41). |
|
32. The sacrifice of
the cross is perpetuated in the Sacrifice of the Mass
[1323, 1382].
|
|
32. The sacrifice of
the cross is finished (John 19:30). |
| 33.
The Mass makes Christ present in His death and victimhood
[1353, 1362, 1364, 1367, 1409]. |
|
33. Christ cannot be
made present in His death and victimhood, for He has
risen and is "alive forevermore" (Revelation
1:17,18; Romans 6:9,10).
|
| 34.
At each Mass, the priest re-presents to the Father the
sacrifice of Christ [1354, 1357]. |
|
34. Christ presented
the sacrifice Himself to the Father "once at
the consummation of the ages" (Hebrews 9:24-28).
|
|
35. The Mass is an unbloody
sacrifice which atones for the sins of the living
and the dead [1367, 1371, 1414].
|
|
35. Without the shedding
of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Leviticus
17:11; Hebrews 9:22).
|
| 36.
Each Sacrifice of the Mass appeases God's wrath against
sin [1371, 1414]. |
|
36. The once-for-all
sacrifice of the cross fully appeased God's wrath
against sin (Hebrews 10:12-18).
|
| 37.
The faithful receive the benefits of the cross in fullest
measure through the Sacrifice of the Mass [1366, 1407]. |
|
37. Believers receive
the benefits of the cross in fullest measure in Christ
through faith (Ephesians 1:3-14).
|
| 38.
The sacrificial work of redemption is continually carried
out through the Sacrifice of the Mass [1364, 1405, 1846]. |
|
38. The sacrificial
work of redemption was finished when Christ gave His
life for us on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 1:3).
|
|
39. The Church is to
continue the sacrifice of Christ for the salvation
of the world [1323, 1382, 1405, 1407].
|
|
39. The church is to
proclaim the Lord's death for the salvation of the world
(1 Corinthians 11:26). |
|
40. Mary was preserved
from all stain of original sin from the first instant
of her conception (the doctrine of the Immaculate
Conception) [490-492].
|
|
40. Mary, a descendant
of Adam, was born in sin (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12). |
|
41. Mary, "the
All-Holy," lived a perfectly sinsless life [411,
493].
|
|
41. Mary was a sinner;
God alone is holy (Luke 18:19; Romans 3:23; Revelation
15:4).
|
|
42. Mary was a virgin
before, during, and after the birth of Christ [496-511].
|
|
42. Mary was a virgin
until the birth of Christ (Matthew 1:25). Later she
had other children (Matthew 13:55,56; Psalm 69:8).
|
| 43.
Mary is the Mother of God [963, 971, 2677]. |
|
43. Mary was the earthly
mother of Jesus (John 2:1).
|
|
44. Mary is the Mother
of the Church [963, 975].
|
|
44. Mary is a member
of the chruch (Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 12:13,27).
|
|
45. Mary is the co-redeemer,
for she participated with Christ in the painful act
of redemption [618, 964, 968, 970].
|
|
45. Christ alone is the
Redeemer, for He alone suffered and died for sin (1
Peter 1:18,19). |
|
46. At the end of her
life, Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven (the
doctrine of the Assumption) [966, 974].
|
|
46. Upon her death, Mary's
body returned to dust (Genesis 3:19). |
| 47.
Mary is the co-mediator to whom we can entrust all our
cares and petitions [968-970,2677]. |
|
47. 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).
|
|
48. We should entrust
ourselves to Mary, surrendering "'the hour of
our death' wholly to her care" [2677].
|
|
48. We should entrust
ourselves to the Lord Jesus, surrendering the hour
of our death wholly to His care (Romans 10:13; Acts
4:12).
|
|
49. God has exalted
Mary in heavenly glory as Queen of Heaven and Earth
[966]. She is to be praised with special devotion
[971, 2675].
|
|
49. The name of the
Lord is to be praised, for He alone is exalted above
heaven and earth (Psalm 148:13). God commands, "You
shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).
|
|
50. Peter was the head
of the apostles [552, 765, 880].
|
|
50. Christ was the head
of the apostles (John 13:13). |
|
51. The bishops are
the successors of the apostles [861-862, 938].
|
|
51. The apostles had
no successors, for to succeed them one needed to be
a witness of Christ's resurrection (Acts 1:21, 22).
|
|
52. The Pope, as the
Bishop of Rome, is the successor of Peter [882, 936].
|
|
52. Peter had no successor. |
|
53. The bishops, with
the Pope as their head, rule the universal Church
[883, 894-896].
|
|
53. Christ, the head
of the body, rules the universal church (Colossians
1:18).
|
|
54. God has entrusted
revelation to the Roman Catholic bishops [81, 96].
|
|
54. God has entrusted
revelation to the saints (Jude 3). |
|
55. The Magisterium
is the authoritative teacher of the Church [85-87].
|
|
55. The Holy Spirit
is the authoritative teacher of the church (John 14:26;
16:13; 1 John 2:27).
|
|
56. The Magisterium
is the infallible interpreter of Scripture [890-891,
2034-2035].
|
|
56. Scripture is the
only infallible interpreter of Scripture (Acts 17:11). |
|
57. The Pope is infallible
in his authoritative teaching [891].
|
|
57. God alone is infallible
(Numbers 23:19). |
|
58. The Magisterium
alone has the ability and the right to interpret Scripture
[85, 100, 939].
|
|
58. Every Christian,
aided by the Holy Spirit, has the ability and the
right to interpret Scripture (Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians
2:12-16).
|
|
59. Scripture is to
be interpreted in the sense in which it has been defined
by the Magisterium [113, 119].
|
|
59. Scripture must be
interpreted in the original sense intended by the Holy
Spirit (2 Peter 3:14-16). |
|
60. The Magisterium
has the right to define truth found only obscurely
or implicity in revalation [66, 88, 2035, 2051].
|
|
60. No one has the right
to go beyond what is written in Scripture (1 Corinthians
4:6; Proverbs 30:6).
|
|
61. Scripture and Tradition
together are the Word of God [81, 85, 97, 182].
|
|
61. Scripture is the
Word of God (John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter
1:20,21). Tradition is the words of men (Mark 7:1-13).
|
| 62.
Scripture and Tradition together are the Church's supreme
rule of faith [80,82]. |
|
62. Scripture is the
church's rule of faith (Mark 7:7-13; 2 Timothy 3:16,17).
|
