Doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church at the Time of the Reformation and Today

DOCTRINES OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

At the Time of the Reformation & Today

WELS Kingdom Worker Bible StudyLuther High School

Onalaska, WIJanuary 26, 2011

Doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church! 1

DOCTRINES OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH


Introduction! According to the 2010 edition of the Vatican’s Statistical Yearbook of the Church, the number of Catholics worldwide is approximately 1.16 billion.1 The Catholic Church is far and away the largest Christian church body in the world. The reality is, the Catholic church continues to wield great influence in our world, in our nation, and in our local communities. And chances are very good that you know someone who is Catholic - perhaps a family member or a close friend; maybe your boss or a co-worker; or it might be the family that lives right next door.

! Because of its continuing influence all around us, it is important for us to have a basic understanding of what the Catholic church teaches. Such an understanding grants insight into how Catholics think about religious matters, how they understand important religious terms, and how we might more clearly share the love of Christ with them. In this presentation, we will use Catholic sources to show how the official teachings of the Catholic Church answer some of life’s most important questions. At the end, we will consider how these insights might help us share Christ with the Catholics we meet everyday.

Justification - “How can I ‘get right’ with God?”! The Lutheran Church has always confessed (and rightly so!) that the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone is the doctrine whereby the Church stands or fa#s. When the doctrine of justification is lost, the very heart of the Christian faith has been cut out. It is not an exaggeration to say that the most important question each of us must ask ourselves is “How can I ‘get right’ with God?” It was his relentless search for an answer to this question that drove Martin Luther away from the teachings of Roman Catholicism and into the Holy Scriptures.


1 “Number of Catholics on the Rise.” Zenit News Agency. 27 April 2010. http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-29058

http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-29058

http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-29058

! Unfortunately, the Catholic Church’s answer to this most important of questions still leaves the same uncertainty and doubt Luther experienced. Roman Catholic theology teaches that people are saved by a combination of faith and works together. According to its official teaching, the “grace of God” is the ability or power that God puts into us that enables us to complete our salvation. This is called infused grace. In Catholic theology, justification is not that God declares us righteous for Christ’s sake - but that God infuses us with the ability to do the good works which merit salvation.

! The Council of Trent (December 13, 1545-December 4, 1563) was the Catholic Church’s response to the Lutheran Reformation. The council issued condemnations (anathemas) on what it considered “Lutheran heresies” and defined the church’s official stance on such important issues as Scripture and Tradition, Original Sin, Justification, the Sacraments, and the Veneration of the Saints. When Vatican II was convened (October 1962), Pope John XXIII stated that the statements of the Council of Trent continue to apply to the modern day, a position that was reaffirmed by Pope Paul VI (1963-1978). Concerning justification, the Council of Trent proclaims:

“If anyone says that the ungodly is justified by faith alone in such a way that he !understands that nothing else is required which cooperates toward obtaining the grace of justification and that it is in no way necessary for him to be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will, let him be damned (anathema).”2

“If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than trust in divine mercy, which remits sins for Christ’s sake, and that it is by trust alone by which we are justified, let him be damned.”3

“But if anyone says that a man is absolved from sins and justified by believing with certainty that he is absolved and justified, or that no one is justified except the man who believes that he is justified or that by this faith alone absolution and justification are brought about, let him be damned.”4

“But when the apostle says that a man is justified by faith and freely, these words must be understood in the following sense, namely, that we are said to be justified by


2 Council of Trent: Session VI, Canon 9



faith because faith is the beginning of a man’s salvation, the basis and source (root) of the whole justification.”5

! As has already been stated, Vatican II reaffirmed the doctrinal statements of the Council of Trent. They continue to be the official teaching of the Catholic Church today. But it is also helpful to look at a more recent official statement of the Vatican’s doctrine. The chief compiler and editor of the current Catechism of the Catholic Church was Joseph Ratzinger - the man known today as Pope Benedict XVI. The text he put together was personally approved and promulgated by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. This Catechism carries the weight of an official statement of the Catholic faith as taught by the last two popes.

! Following the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Benedict has a reputation as a hardline traditionalist6. It should not surprise us, then, to see that the Catechism reaffirms the statements of the Council of Trent (though admittedly in a less confrontational way):

“The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus’ proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. ‘Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.’”7 [Emphasis original]

“Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or “justification”) here means the rectitude of divine love. With justification, faith, hope, and charity are poured into our hearts, and !obedience to the divine will is granted us.”8 [Emphasis original]

“Justification establishes cooperation between God’s grace and man’s 'eedom. On man’s part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent...”9 [Emphasis original]


5 Council of Trent: Session VI, Chapter 8

6 In fact, Benedict’s nicknames include “The German Shepherd” and “God’s Rottweiler.”

7 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 1989.

8 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 1990. Notice the presence of infused grace.


“Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the !attainment of eternal life.”10 [Emphasis original]

“Justification includes the remission of sins, sanctification, and the renewal of the !inner man.”11

! The truth is that the Catholic Church has made no change in its doctrine of justification. According to Catholic teaching, we do good works - at least in part - in order to be forgiven. Rather than seeing good works as the result of forgiveness (biblical view), Rome teaches that good works are a cause of forgiveness. Rather than seeing grace as an attitude of God toward us by which he 'eely forgives our sins (biblical view), Catholics define grace as a spiritual power God infuses into us so that we are able to do works that contribute to our obtaining forgiveness. Rather than seeing justification as God’s declaration that we are righteous for the sake of Christ (biblical view), the Catholic Church teaches that justification is a process of becoming righteous by doing good works with the help of God.12

! The sad result of this view of justification is that it takes people’s eyes off of Christ and instead, directs them toward themselves. Instead of looking at the perfect and completed saving work of Jesus, Catholics are taught to look at their own works as an important part of determining whether they are “right” with God. This is, of course, what drove Luther to despair. If being “right” with God is in any way dependent on what I do, then I can never be 100% sure of my salvation. But if my justification is 100% God’s doing - totally outside of myself - then I am assured that my sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, I am holy and righteous in God’s eyes, and will surely inherit eternal life in heaven.




12 Of course, Scripture does teach that we gradually grow in holy living as the Holy Spirit leads us to do good works. But this process - which we call sanctification - is the result of our justification, not a part of it as Rome teaches.

Authority in the Church - “Who’s in Charge?”! Among the most serious and emotionally charged differences between Lutherans and Roman Catholics are their respective views concerning the ruling authority in the church. Lutherans are convinced that only the Scriptures have the authority to establish doctrines in the church, while Catholics place the oral traditions of the church on the same level as the written Word of God. In addition, Rome teaches that the pope - as God’s vicar on earth - is the God-appointed ruler of the whole church and is infallible when he proclaims an official teaching in the church. First we will examine the place Scripture holds in Roman Catholic teaching. Then we will see what Rome claims about papal authority in the church.

! Sola scriptura is one of Lutheranism’s most treasured doctrines. This teaching of Scripture’s sole authority was one of the most divisive issues of the Reformation. In direct contrast to the reformers’ insistence on sola scriptura, the Council of Trent proclaims ! !concerning the role of the Bible in the church:

“Following, then, the examples of the orthodox Fathers, [the Church] receives and venerates with equal piety and reverence all the books of the Old Testament as well as of the New, since one God is author of both, and no less the traditions themselves, both those pertaining to faith and those pertaining to morals, as having been spoken orally by Christ Himself or dictated by the Holy Spirit, and preserved in the Catholic Church by the succession of bishops.”13

“If anyone does not accept as sacred and canonical the aforesaid books in their entirety and with all their parts, as they have been accustomed to be read in the Catholic Church and as they are contained in the old Latin Vulgate Edition, and knowingly and deliberately rejects the aforesaid traditions, let him be anathema.”14

“Furthermore, to check unbridled spirits, [the Council] decrees that no one relying on his own judgment shall, in matters of faith and morals pertaining to the edification of Christian doctrine, distorting the Holy Scriptures in accordance with his own conceptions, presume to interpret them contrary to that sense which the holy mother Church, to whom it belongs to judge of their true sense and interpretation, has held or holds, or even contrary to the unanimous teaching of the Fathers, even though such interpretations should never at any time be published.”15


13 Council of Trent: Session IV, Chapter 1



! It is clear that much of what the Council of Trent stated was in direct response to the teaching of the Lutheran Reformation. However, these statements elevating the place of tradition to the same level as Scripture have been reaffirmed by more modern statements of faith. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) stated:

“But in order to keep the Gospel forever whole and alive within the Church, the Apostles left bishops as their successors, ‘handing over’ to them ‘the authority to teach in their own place.’ This sacred tradition, therefore, and Sacred Scripture of both the Old and New Testaments are like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church on earth looks at God, from whom she has received everything, until she is brought finally to see Him as He is, face to face.”16

“This tradition which comes from the Apostles develops in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit. For there is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down. This happens through the contemplation and study made by believers, who treasure these things in their hearts (see Luke 2:19, 51) through a penetrating understanding of the spiritual realities which they experience, and through the preaching of those who have received through episcopal succession the sure gifts of truth.”17

It is not surprising that these teachings are reaffirmed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“It is clear therefore that, in the supremely wise arrangement of God, sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium of the Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the others. Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.”18

“Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God, in which, as in a mirror, the pilgrim Church contemplates God, the source of all her riches.”19!

! In essence, the Catholic Church claims that all of its teaching comes from one source (Christ), but that some of Christ’s teachings were transmitted only by word of mouth from the apostles through the succession of bishops. It is from these oral traditions that Rome


16 Decrees of the Second Vatican Council: Chapter II, Paragraph 7

17 Decrees of the Second Vatican Council: Chapter II, Paragraph 8

18 Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 95


derives such teachings as purgatory, the immaculate conception of Mary, the assumption of Mary, and the veneration of the saints (just to name a few).

! Undoubtedly the most emotionally-charged issue of authority within in the Catholic Church is that of the authority of the pope. Rome’s official teaching is that each pope receives his authority directly from Christ, an authority first given to Peter (whom they claim as the first bishop of Rome) and handed down through apostolic succession. On the basis of this authority, the pope can make laws that go beyond the laws of Scripture (i.e. restrictions on birth control, the forbidding of marriage for priests, and the former restrictions against eating meat on Friday). Catholic doctrine affirms that when the pope proclaims an official teaching in the church, he is infallible.

! Though not formalized, the idea of papal infallibility was already spooking around at the time of the Reformation. In 1075, Pope Gregory VII issued a document entitled Dictatus Papae, a set of 27 statements regarding the powers of the papacy. Statement 22 of that document states: “That the Roman Church has never erred; nor will it err to all eter-nity, the Scripture bearing witness.”

! Several medieval theologians discussed the infallibility of the pope when defining matters of faith and morals, the most famous and influential of whom was Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). In his work Contra Errores Graecorum (“Against the Errors of the Greeks”), Aquinas promotes the following as doctrines that must be accepted by faithful Catholics:

1. That the Roman Pontiff is the first and greatest among all bishops;2. That the same Pontiff has universal jurisdiction over the entire Church of Christ;3. That the same Pontiff possesses in the Church a fullness of power;4. That he enjoys the same power conferred on Peter by Christ;5. That to him belongs the right of deciding what pertains to faith;6. That he is the superior of the other patriarchs;7. That to be subject to the Roman Pontiff is necessary for salvation.20

These thoughts were widely accepted at the time of the Reformation.

! The doctrine of papal infallibility was not formally defined, however, until 1870 at the First Vatican Council. It was then that the Catholic Church formulated this doctrinal statement:


20 “Against the Errors of the Greeks”: Paragraphs 32-38

“We teach and define that it is a dogma Divinely revealed that the Roman pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is when in discharge of the office of pastor and doctrine of Christ, by virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, by the Divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, is possessed of that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed that his Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding faith or morals, and that therefore such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves and not from the consent of the Church irreformable. So then, should anyone, which God forbid, have the temerity to reject this definition of ours: let be him anathema.”21

The Second Vatican Council reaffirmed this statement of papal infallibility:

“All this teaching about the institution, the perpetuity, the force and reason for the sacred primacy of the Roman pontiff and of his infallible teaching authority, this sacred Synod again proposes to be firmly believed by all the faithful.”22

“This Sacred Council, following closely in the footsteps of the First Vatican Council, with that Council teaches and declares that Jesus Christ, the eternal Shepherd, established His holy Church, having sent forth the apostles as He Himself had been sent by the Father; and He willed that their successors, namely the bishops, should be shepherds in His Church even to the consummation of the world. And in order that the episcopate itself might be one and undivided, He placed Blessed Peter over the other apostles, and instituted in him a permanent and visible source and foundation of unity of faith and communion. And all this teaching about the institution, the perpetuity, the meaning and reason for the sacred primacy of the Roman Pontiff and of his infallible magisterium, the Sacred Council again proposes to be firmly believed by all the faithful.”23

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also affirms this teaching:

“The co#ege or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter’s successor, as its head. As such, this college has supreme and full authority


21 The First Vatican Council: Session IV, Chapter 4

22 Documents of the Second Vatican Council, p. 38

23 Lumen Gentium: Chapter III, Paragraph 18

over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the !agreement of the Roman Pontiff.”24

“The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful who confirms his brethren in the faith, he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals.”25

“Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a “definitive manner,” they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the faithful are to adhere to it with religious assent which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.”26

! Primarily on the basis of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, confessional Lutherans identify the Papacy as the Antichrist. An important part of this identification is the pope’s claim on infallibility, a claim that usurps the authority in the church that belongs only to God. But notice again - just as was in the case with the doctrine of justification - how Rome’s teaching on authority in the church takes people’s eyes off of Christ. With their doctrine of justification, Catholicism directs its people’s eyes off of the all-sufficient merit of Jesus to their own good works. In the doctrine of authority in the church, Rome directs their people’s eyes away from the sure foundation of Christ’s Word in the Bible to the ruling authority of the pope and church tradition.





Mary and the Saints - “Where Can I Look For Help?”! To see the continuing influence of the Roman Catholic Church on modern society, you need look no further than the common usage of the word “saint.” The first definition listed in English dictionaries for the word “saint” is “one officially recognized especially through canonization as preeminent for holiness.”27 In Roman Catholicism, a person becomes an official saint when a series of hearings has been held that gather evidence of the person’s piety and of testimony that prayers addressed to this saint have been answered. This supposedly demonstrates that the person in question is indeed in heaven. When a person has formally been recognized as a saint, he or she is placed on an approved list of saints whom Catholics can ask to intercede for them before God.

! At the time of the Reformation, the veneration of the saints was common and widespread. The medieval emphasis on the wrath of Christ at his return in judgment led people to lose sight of his mercy as the Savior. Christ was made to appear remote and removed from people’s everyday lives, while Mary and the saints seemed more human and sympathetic. Eventually, Mary and the saints - because of their extraordinary holiness - were seen as “go-betweens” (mediators) between the average person and the holy, righteous, wrathful Christ.

! The Reformers, of course, completely rejected the church’s longstanding traditions of venerating Mary and the saints.28 Therefore, it should not surprise us that the Council of Trent - which was, in many ways, the Catholic response to the Reformation - strongly affirms Mary and the saints’ unique place as intercessors for the faithful:

“The holy council commands all bishops...that in accordance with the usage of the Catholic and Apostolic Church...and with the unanimous teaching of the holy Fathers and the decrees of sacred councils, [that] they above all instruct the faithful diligently in matters relating to intercession and invocation of the saints, the veneration of relics, and the legitimate use of images, teaching them that the saints who reign with Christ offer up their prayers to God for me, that it is good and beneficial suppliantly to invoke them and have recourse to their prayers, assistance and support in order to obtain favors from God through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who alone is our redeemer and savior; and that they think impiously [those] who deny that the saints who enjoy eternal happiness in heaven are to be invoked, or who assert that they do not pray for me, or that our invocation of them to pray for each of us individually is idolatry, or that it is opposed to the word of God and


27 Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition

28 cf. Augsburg Confession, Article XXI; Apology, Article XXI

inconsistent with the honor of the one mediator of God and men, Jesus Christ, or that is is foolish to pray vocally or mentally to those who reign in heaven.”

“Also [the council decrees] that the holy bodies of the holy martyrs and of the others living with Christ, which were the living members of Christ and the temple of the Holy Ghost, to be awakened by Him to eternal life and to be glorified, are to be venerated by the faithful, through which many benefits are bestowed by God on men, so that those who maintain that veneration and honor are not due to the relics of the saints, or that these and other memorials are honored by the faithful without profit, and that the places dedicated to the memory of the saints for the purpose of obtaining their aid are visited in vain, are to be utterly condemned, as the Church has already long since condemned and now again condemns them.”29

! The Catechism of the Catholic Church continues in the footsteps of the Council of Trent, encouraging faithful Catholics to pray to the saints who are, essentially, “closer” to Jesus than they are:

“The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom, especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered into the joy of the Master, they were ‘put in charge of many things.’ Their intercession is their most exalted service to God’s plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world.”30

“Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness...[T]hey do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus...So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped.”31

“When the Church keeps the memorials of martyrs and other saints during the annual cycle, she proclaims the Paschal mystery in those who have suffered and have been glorified with Christ. She proposes them to the faithful as examples who draw


29 Council of Trent: Session XXV, Of the Invocation, Veneration, and Relics Of Saints, And On Sacred Images



all men to the Father through Christ, and through their merits she begs for God’s favors.”32

! In addition to the idea of using the saints as intercessors, we see in the last two quotes above another troubling Catholic doctrine regarding the saints: the teaching that the saints in heaven have extra merits that can be credited to our accounts and can help us obtain the forgiveness of sins (called “the Church’s Treasury of Merit):

“In this treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission the Father entrusted to them. In this way they attained their own salvation and at the same time cooperated in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body.”33

This same idea of benefiting from the merits of the saints can be see in the words of this popular Catholic confessional prayer: “May the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merits of Mary and all the saints, and the good that you do and the evil that you suffer profit you for the forgiveness of sins.”

! Catholics vehemently maintain that they do not worship the saints, but only “venerate” them. However, when prayers are addressed to the saints, when saints are regarded as patrons of particular people and causes, when they are regarded as mediators and propitiators, when they are carried about in processions - this distinction between “worship” and “veneration” becomes more a matter of semantics than actual fact. This problem is especially prominent in countries where Catholicism has been “superimposed” on deeply ingrained heathen customs. It is not uncommon to find that the “cult of the saints” receives much greater emphasis in many Third World countries, while the emphasis is somewhat diminished in the United Sates.

! As sad as the above quotes may be, they pale in comparison to what the Catholic Church teaches in regard to the Virgin Mary. In Catholic theology, Mary receives a status and devotion only slightly lower than Christ himself.34 In practice, she often receives more attention that the Savior.

! There are two doctrinally significant statements concerning the Virgin Mary made by the Council of Trent, both of which were specifically aimed at the Reformation’s rejection




34 Rome even designates its devotion toward Mary as “super-veneration.”

of the veneration of Mary as Rome had traditionally taught. The first affirms the legitimacy of venerating Mary and the others saints as a part of Catholic worship:

“Moreover, [the council decrees] that the images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the other saints are to be placed and retained especially in the churches, and that due honor and veneration is to be given them...because the honor which is shown them is referred to the prototypes which they represent, so that by means of the images which we kiss and before which we uncover the head and prostrate ourselves, we adore Christ and venerate the saints whose likeness they bear.”35

Though not proclaimed an official teaching until 1870, the other significant mention of Mary in Council of Trent stated the long-held Catholic belief that Mary was free from the stain of original sin:

“This holy council declares, however, that it is not its intention to include in this decree, which deals with original sin, the blessed and immaculate Virgin Mary, the mother of God, but that the constitutions of Pope Sixtus IV, 36 of happy memory, are to be observed under the penalties contained in those constitutions, which it renews.”37

! In the last two centuries, the “cult of Mary” has exploded in the Catholic Church.38 In 1854, the immaculate conception of Mary was officially proclaimed, declaring that Mary was conceived and born without sin39. In 1950, Rome announced that Mary was assumed (that is, taken bodily) into heaven at the end of her earthly life.40 The following examples from the Catechism of the Catholic Church show the degree to which Mary is exalted as an integral part of winning our salvation:


35 Council of Trent: Session XXV, On the Invocation, Veneration, and Relics of Saints, And On Sacred Images

36 Pope Sixtus IV (1414-1484) instituted the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (December 8). He is most famous for his papal bull Exigit Sinceras Devotionis Affectus, through which the Spanish Inquisition was established in the Kingdom of Castile.

37 Council of Trent: Session V, Decree Concerning Original Sin

38 The explosion of the “cult of Mary” within the Catholic Church is arguably the best evidence that Catholic doctrine has not improved since the Reformation; it has actually gotten worse.

39 Ineffabi#is Deus; issued by Pope Pius IX on October 8, 1854

40 Munificentissimus Deus; issued by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950

“But while in the most Blessed Virgin Mary the Church has already reached that perfection whereby she exists without spot or wrinkle, the faithful still strive to conquer sin and increase in holiness. And so they turn their eyes to Mary: in her, the Church is already the ‘all-holy.’”41

“Her [Mary’s] role in relation to the Church of all humanity goes still further. In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the Savior’s work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace.”42

“This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring to us the gifts of eternal salvation...Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.”43

“By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the “Mother of Mercy,” the All-Holy One. We give ourselves over to her now, in the Today of our lives. And our trust broadens further, already at the present moment, to surrender “the hour of our death” wholly to her care.”44

! The true sadness of the veneration of Mary and the saints is that - just as we saw in the doctrines of justification and authority in the church - it directs people’s eyes away from Christ. Instead of directing its people to the all-sufficient merit of Christ, Catholics hope to “tap into” the merits of Mary and the saints. Instead of seeing Christ as the one Mediator between God and man, Rome teaches that we need Mary and the saints to speak to him on our behalf. Instead of encouraging Catholics to put their faith entirely in the Savior whose hands and feet and side bear the scars of his love for us, the Catholic Church holds up the imperfect lives of imperfect people as hope for eternal life. This teachingcontinues to threaten the faith of Catholics all over the world.






Witnessing to Catholics - “How Can I Show You Jesus?”! We have seen that problems with Catholic doctrine abound. But the tragedy behind them all is this: they take people’s eyes off of Christ, the one thing needful. Therefore, our main concern when sharing our faith with the Catholics in our lives is to show them Jesus! Our main concern is not to win an argument on the definition of grace, or whether the pope is the Antichrist, or whether we should pray to Mary. Our main concern is to show them the truth by which we are saved. The main point that must be communicated to them is the truth that our salvation depends entirely on God’s free gift of forgiveness - a gift we receive through faith, completely apart from works.

! Making the most of our witness to Catholics takes three things. First of all, it is certainly helpful to have some knowledge of Catholicism so that we might know the misunderstandings of Scripture Catholics are likely to have and what questions they are likely to ask. It is also beneficial to be able to present the teachings of the Catholic Church fairly, since many Catholics are woefully unaware of what their church teaches45.

! But much more important than an understanding of Catholic doctrine is knowledge and understanding of the truths of Scripture. The best thing we can do to be more effective witnesses to the Catholics in our lives is to be constantly growing in our faith, forever building our knowledge and understanding of Scripture. The truths of the Bible powerfully and beautifully direct us to the eternal love of God in Christ Jesus - and those truths will do the same for our Catholic family members, friends, and co-workers.

! Finally, we need hearts filled with loving concern for those who are trapped by the lies of false teachers and false doctrine. Such love shows itself in an attitude of patience, humility, and kindness. It is willing to listen and try to understand the beliefs of others, while genuinely seeking to move toward a fuller understanding of the truth. In short, it is a love that both reflects and points to the love of Jesus, whose perfect love has made us children of God!46

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Phil [email protected]


45 That is why - in this presentation - we have limited ourselves to official statements of Catholic teaching. It is important that we let Rome define its own doctrine instead of simply painting a “Lutheran caricature” of what Catholics believe.

46 I would like to thank Prof. John Brug for his Bible Class Catholicism Today. It was a valuable resource for this presentation and is highly recommended for further study.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Bible StudyThe Teachings of the Roman Catholic Church


Introduction - Our Sources

1. What makes the decrees of the Council of Trent an important source for evaluating Catholic doctrine?

2. If we have the statements of the Council of Trent, why even worry about looking at the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

Part I - The Doctrine of Justification

A+er discussing the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on justification, use the fo#owing passages to evaluate them in the light of Scripture.

Romans 1:17 -17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Romans 3:20-24 -20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.


3. What do the Scriptures stress about justification? How does this emphasis compare with the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church?

Ephesians 2:10 - 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Titus 2:11-13 - 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, up-right and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

4.What is the biblical relationship between forgiveness and good works? How does that compare the Roman Catholic relationship between forgiveness and good works?

Galatians 5:2-6 - 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Romans 11:6 - 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

5. Is a compromise between sola gratia and works righteousness possible? What is the real character of every doctrine that mixes faith and works as a cause of salvation?


Part II - Authority in the Church

A+er discussing the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on authority in the Church, use the fo#owing passages to evaluate them in the light of Scripture.

Deuteronomy 4:2 - 2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.

Revelation 22:18 - 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

6. How is the Catholic teaching on the role of authority in the church in conflict with these passages?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, cor-recting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

7. Why is it unnecessary to place tradition alongside Scripture as a second teach authority?

Matthew 16:13-19 - 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his dis-ciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not re-vealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

John 21:15-19 - 15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”


Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

8. These are the passages Catholics traditionally use as the foundation of their teaching that Peter (and his successors) have authority in the church. How you respond to that claim?

9. What is the “rock” upon which the church is built? Is the any sense in which Peter can be that rock?

Part III - Venerating Mary & the Saints

A+er discussing the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church concerning Mary and the saints, use the fo#owing passages to evaluate them in the light of Scripture.

1 John 2:1 - My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Romans 5:1-2 - Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

10. Why is it unnecessary to ask a saint to intercede with God on our behalf?

Isaiah 63:16 - 16 But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father.


11. Why is it dangerous to rely on saints in heaven to pray for us?

Matthew 12:46-50 - 46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his dis-ciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

12. Does this passage give us any insight into whether or not Mary has a “special” status that goes beyond that of other Christians?

Conclusion

13. What are some keys to witnessing to the Catholics in our lives?


Doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church at the Time of the Reformation and Today

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