I confess I spend too much time on Facebook. It’s kind-of like an addiction, as I am sure many have found; one post leads to the next…

This week I was confronted by someone posting an article by a Roman Catholic apologist at 10 Bible Verses that Protestants Cannot Accept Without Becoming Catholic

I posted a reply, and then realized that others could benefit besides that little group. So here is my reply to the Roman Catholic heresies in that article;

Every one of those verses says something else when read in the King James Bible, and every one of them is taken out of context. This is the fruit of the allegorical interpretation method.

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” II Thessalonians 2:15

Notice that this does not give Churches and Pastors the right to make-up new traditions. The traditions he is referring to are those taught by Paul and the other Apostles! Telling them that they should hold fast to the traditions he has taught them indicates that they were not to add other traditions!

So no, this verse does not support the Catholic practise of adding traditions to Christian worship!

The next verse is also taken out of context. Here it is in context;

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. John 20:22-23

This is a specific promise made to the Apostles alone. There is no evidence that it was ever passed on to any other person. Certainly NOT Scriptural evidence! Not only this but it could be argued that this remission of sins was by the preaching of the gospel. It is always God’s responsibility to remove sins. We partake in that process by preaching the gospel. If we withhold the gospel people will die and go to Hell! You can retain someone’s sins by NOT telling them of the gospel!

So did he mean that they could remit sins by preaching the gospel, and retain sins by NOT preaching the gospel? I think so.

This does not support the Roman Catholic teaching that they have the ability to remit or retain sins. In fact the Roman Church always retains sins, even their own, because they do not preach the biblical gospel!

“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:” I Peter 3:21

The Baptism he is speaking of here is not washing in water, and not even dipping in water, not a physical Baptism at all, but being filled by the Holy Spirit! The Baptism of the Holy Spirit! Don’t forget that the thief on the cross was NOT Baptized and yet is in Heaven with Jesus today!

The Catholic doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration is heresy.

“Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” John 6:53-58, 54

Once again the Roman Catholic Church takes these verses out of context, and ignores what Jesus said in the next breath! Here is what He said that qualifies what is said above;

61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Did you see that?  “The flesh profiteth NOTHING”! This means that if you licked up some of His blood from off the ground under His cross, or if you slipped into His tomb and cut-off an ear lobe and ate it, you would still go to HELL!

It is the words that Jesus spoke that save, not just these particular words, but ALL THE WORDS HE EVER SPOKE! Not only His words, but also the words His spokesmen spoke on His behalf, men like Paul, John, Peter, James etc. which were incorporated into His Holy Word, The bible!

The Catholic Teaching is that God changed His mind about His law! Here is the command He gave to Noah and his family after the flood.  This command is repeated to the New Testament Church in Acts 15:20 and 29;

“But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” Genesis 9:4

This contradicts the biblical teaching of the character of God; God never changes.

“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8

No, God never changes and the Catholic Teaching of Transubstantiation is an abomination!

14 “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” James 5:14-15

The Catholic Church takes this out of context also. This is not a promise of instant healing. It is not a promise of healing at all, except for spiritual healing. Many people have been healed when prayed over this way, but many others have died. Nevertheless those who prayed in faith will be raised up at the last day. Secondly it is the prayer of the individual that the Lord responds to in the second verse. The confession of sins to God result in forgiveness by God.

Yes the Lord notices the love and faith of the Church Elders, but it is the heart of the individual that he is interested in. My praying for you cannot save you, unless the Lord does a special work in your heart, and you cry out to Him for salvation!  Sometimes He will listen to a group of elders who pray for someone, perhaps to give them more time to repent, or perhaps to give them more time to work for Him. Nevertheless it is His choice in how he answers, or if He says “no”.

Colossians 1:24 is once again taken out of context. Here’s the context;

21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

The Church, the Ekklesia, is a “called-out body” of believers, not an organization, and not a building or series of buildings. The true Church is all the true believers around the world, not an organization full of unbelievers! All true believers are permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This does not mean there aren’t disagreements, because some are more in tune with the Spirit than others.

Paul was suffering for the body of Christ, which is the believers around the world. He was not beating himself-up, rather he was suffering persecution because he preached the gospel of salvation by grace through faith.

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? James 2:14-22

The Catholic Church loves this passage, but they don’t understand it. As James says, faith results in works. It is faith that saves, but faith will lead the faithful to follow Jesus Christ in works. So it is still faith alone that saves, but the works are the proof of faith. Faith changes behaviour, and not the other way around.

Works and the law cannot save;

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16

Again, look at the thief on the cross; he had no works to save him, only his request to Jesus! Had he survived, he would have done works of faith, but his hands were nailed to that cross. It was his request in faith that saved him!

It has always been this way…

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13