Bible study · Church · Eastern Orthodoxy · roman catholicism

Lies of Rome, and Eastern Orthodoxy

Deeds of the Antichrist At the Orviteo Cathedral in Central Italy by Italian renaissance painter, Luca Signorelli

A lie of the Roman Catholic church, and the Orthodox church, is demonstrably false, yet they keep fooling people with it. Here is how it goes, “Has the Church always had the Bible as it is now? How do you know your Bible is right? You don’t even have all the books. You wouldn’t have a Bible if it wasn’t for us! You can’t even practice the faith correctly without our traditions. There was a time when early Christians didn’t have the Bible, so they relied on the traditions handed down to them by Christ, via the Apostles. We can trace our roots back to Peter. He is the main Apostle who Jesus entrusted the church to.” There are a lot of lies in this short paragraph. People get fooled by this lies pretty often. They cause confusion, and trouble the hearts of young Christians.

Q. What is the Bible?

A. It is the word of God, the mind of Christ, that we may know Him.

That question, and answer, are not from one of the historic catechisms. It is a very brief reduction of the truths in those catechisms. If you’d like to read what the 1689 London Baptist Confession of faith says about the scriptures, you can do so here.

Here is what the Westminster Shorter Catechism says about the word of God.

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?

A. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, [a] is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. [b][a]. Matt. 19:4-5 with Gen. 2:24Luke 24:27441 Cor. 2:13;
14:37; 2 Pet.1:20-213:215-16[b]. Deut. 4:2Ps. 19:7-11Isa. 8:20John 15:1120:30-31;
Acts 17:112 Tim. 3:15-171 John 1:4

Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, [a] and what duty God requires of man [b].[a]. Gen. 1:1John 5:3920:31Rom. 10:172 Tim. 3:15[b]. Deut. 10:12-13Josh. 1:8Ps. 119:105Mic. 6:8; 2 Tim.
3:16-17

These are not being cited as any refutation, nor am I appealing to them, as that would be an appeal to tradition according to the Catholics, and the Orthodox. This is rather simply to demonstrate that my summation of what the Bible is, does not violate what we’ve accepted as Biblical truth historically speaking.

Looking at my question, and answer of what the Bible is, consider how the word of God was given to His chosen men in the Old Testament. How did Adam receive instruction from God? Was it not the very Word of God Who walked with him in the garden? Was it not the pre-incarnate Eternal Son? Certainly so! Why did Noah build an ark? Was it not by the instruction of God? (Gen 6:13-22) How did Noah find favor with God? Was it not by his faith? We know it was, because he actually built the ark. Why did Abram leave his homeland? Was it not the instruction he received from the Word of God? (Gen 12:1) Since when does a word walk, talk, and interact with a person as another person? You can see the pre-incarnate Eternal Son, Who is the Word of God, do so during a vision, with Abram in Genesis 15. We also see God talk with Abraham in Genesis 18. The only Person of the Triune God Who has specific locus in space-time is the Son. In the Bible He is called, the Word, the Son, God, and Jesus, to name a few. Since we live in a time where we do have the fullness of the progressive revelation of God in the Bible, we can see in John chapter 1 that Jesus is the Word. That Word has always been. He is the Creator. He is the sustainer, He is the light, and the life. We have never been without the Word of God. We have had as much of the progressive revelation of scripture as God has ordained throughout history, but we have never been completely without His instruction. We have had just as much as we were supposed to. God instructed mankind personally, and buy prophets whom He chose as professors of His Word, which is always true.

By the time of the incarnation, the Jews had the entire collection of Old Testament scriptures recorded in Hebrew, and Greek. The Greek Septuagint was in use at that time. Jesus cited the scriptures, and said they were all about Him. If you can’t see the Word of God being active throughout human history, perhaps your traditions, and sins, are blinding you?

Rome did not give us the Bible. Neither did the Eastern Orthodox. Their traditions of praying to the dead, revering a priest besides our one true Priest, Jesus, and worshiping Marry, are all anti-word, or antichrist if you will. Hopefully you can see by a reading of the Old Testament, that the Word of God, has always been, and in eternity the reality of Who He is, was something we experienced temporally. It is easy to understand how so many people would be fooled by the poor arguments of Rome, and the Eastern traditions as they don’t know the Old Testament, nor do they consider eternity in their reasoning. These two groups do what satan did in the garden. They question the truth of God, and His Word. Don’t fall for the tricks.

There were Christians in the world outside of Europe, and the East, who had their own Bibles. If you buy the lies of Rome, you’d have to think these people did not exist, and do not exist, but they did, and do.

We don’t need their baptism. We don’t need their priests. We don’t need their intercession. We don’t need Mary. We have Jesus Christ! His word, is none other than His mind! He has given it to us in a way that we could fathom some of Him, enough of Him, to be able to recognize Him, and be with Him in eternity! Praise God! Marry doesn’t intercede for us, and neither do human priests. If you trust Jesus’ atoning work, and Who He is, and you’ve repented of your sins, you are part of His Church! There is ONE intercessor between God, and man, and it is the Lord Jesus Christ! He is our High Priest! He is more than just our King, He is our God! All knees will bow before the Lord Jesus!!! Amen!

This has been a very brief introduction to the refutation of the ugly lies of Rome, and the Eastern Orthodox church. I haven’t had the time to write a more fleshed out paper. Perhaps a better educated theologian has fleshed this out more thoroughly at some point? If you know of a work fleshing this argument out in more detail please send me a link to the book. I’d like to read more on the topic. I hope this has been helpful.

roman catholicism

Let’s look a little closer at what the RCC believes about Mary.

Let’s look a little closer at what the RCC believes about Mary.  Here is a quote from the RCC(Roman Catholic Church) Catechism that was included in a Cripplegate article;

Catechism of the Catholic Church. In Article 9, section 6, paragraphs 966-969, it says: 

966 “Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.” The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians: In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death.

967 By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity. Thus she is a “preeminent and . . . wholly unique member of the Church”; indeed, she is the “exemplary realization” (typus) of the Church.

968 Her role in relation to the Church and to 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.”

969 “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 us the gifts of eternal salvation . . . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.”

In the first sentence we see that Rome claims Mary was not born with a sinful nature like all other humans were after the fall.  This is false.  Mary did have a sinful nature just like the rest of us.  The RCC also claims that Mary was taken up body and soul instead of awaiting the resurrection and the judgment, and that she is the “…Queen over all things…” reasoning that in so being she would be more conformed to the likeness of Christ.  This means that she is more like Christ than any other Christian could ever hope to be.  Many in the RCC insist that the, “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin” means that she did not die, but rather was taken up like Enoch.  This is also wrong as witnesses in the first century were at her funeral and recorded it in writing.  Many other Catholics believe that she died, and here body was taken up.  “we must remember that the Patristic Fathers defended the Assumption on two counts: Since Mary was sinless and a perpetual virgin, she could not suffer bodily deterioration, the result of original sin, after her death. Also, if Mary bore Christ and played an intimate role as His mother in the redemption of man, then she must likewise share body and soul in His resurrection and glorification.”1 Much more erroneous is the insistence that this assumption was part of Christs resurrection and that of Christians who would die after them.  Regardless of whether she initially died or not, they believe that she was bodily alive either by resurrection, or not dying to begin with, when she ascended to heaven.  We read this NO WHERE in scripture.  It is solely a doctrine of man created by the RCC.  We know from the record of scripture that Christ had younger siblings sired by Joseph with his wife Mary.  This is not debatable.  The RCC claim that she remained a virgin after the conception, and birth of Christ is completely fallacious, and without merit.  They misunderstand what it means to be the mother of Jesus, and place an import on it that corrupts proper Christocentric theology, and conflates the role of Mary with that of the Savior.  This is evident by the next claim that it is her prayers that, “will deliver our souls from death.”

Understanding that they believe Mary to be perpetually sinless it follows that they would also believe that she accomplished, “complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit,”  This ignores that Biblical fact that she was sinner, and needed a Savior just as much as the rest of us.  It is yet another contrived tradition of the RCC.  Because of this doctrine they elevate her to the model of faith and charity, thus supplanting Christ, and robbing Him of His due glory.  To further elevate her the catechism states, “preeminent and . . . wholly unique member of the Church”; indeed, she is the “exemplary realization” (typus) of the Church.  In other words when the Church is referred to in the Bible as the bride of Christ, Mary is to be understood as the fulfillment of that type instead of the Church itself, thus ostensibly setting up some incestuous relationship between Mary and Christ, equating in blasphemy. 

If these blasphemous heresies were not enough, they go even further into their doctrines of the devil by stating this, “968 Her role in relation to the Church and to 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.”  This is blatantly and abjectly satanic!  The glaringly obvious and grievous error of attributing Mary with regenerative work quickening the human soul, replaces the Holy Spirit with a mere mortal woman!  In this heresy she becomes our mother due to her regenerative work.  What happened to being sons and daughters of God, through adoption?  I guess now, Mary is the wife of her son and God.  Notice the switch from, “For this reason” referring back to her, “work of restoring supernatural life to souls” to being, “mother to us in the order of grace.”  The switch is explicit in line 969.  It completely disregards the earlier clause, “for this reason” which made clear that it was addressing her regenerative work in regards to the soul.

The annunciation is the RCC tradition that surrounds the Biblical account of the angel Gabriel informing Mary of her coming conception, and motherhood to Jesus.  According to the catechism, because of her consent to this (as if she had a choice)  Evidently, due to her being the mother of Jesus, she suffered as He did during the crucifixion which earned her merit with God, and apparently still suffers until all the number of God’s elect come in.  The next sentence leaves me bewildered how anyone can read it, affirm it, and claim to be Christian.  “Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation”  Wow!  Who knew Mary had a saving office, and made manifold intercession?  Here I always thought there was one intercessor between God, and man, and that being the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!  Of course then there is a, “therefore” and we must ask what it is there for?  “Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.”  According to the RCC catechism because she is our intercessor, and savior, she must be blessed and recognized as our advocate, helper, benefactress, and mediator.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t at least a couple of those attributes of the Holy Spirit?  Just sayin’…  Come on Patrick!

Having unpacked all of that, I’m wondering how the jam pack such a small statement with so much heresy?  I am also pretty sure that is why people don’t refute it more often.  It would take them forever to get through it all.  If you obfuscate epochally enough the pile of manure you’d have to dig through to get to the bottom of it would be so large it would become its very own repellant to discovering the true extent of their lies.

Book Reviews · Uncategorized

A Snyder’s Soapbox Review of, “The Fatal Flaw: Do the teachings of Roman Catholicism Deny the Gospel?” Kindle edition, by Dr. James R. White.

fatalflaw
I know this book has been around a while, and it isn’t a very big book, but it is new to me, and possibly to some of you. This is such a useful book, I figured you should know too. By now I think it is obvious that I agree with much of what Dr. White writes. I find his work to be accurate, nuanced, and properly tempered by scripture. It is scholarly, includes bibliographies of cited sources, and still completely suitable for the laymen. This book is no different. Dr. White cites long tracts of text from Vatican II, and the Council of Trent. This way nobody can claim that the citations were out of context, or twisted. The focus is on the Roman mass, and purgatory, as well as the ramifications they have on the work of Christ, the gospel, the authority of scripture, objective truth, the doctrine of justification, and your eternal destination.

I would recommend this book for your Christian library. I think it distills the essential differences between the Roman works righteousness system, and the true gospel of Christ, and His imputed righteousness. This book would be great as a hand out to people who are in similar cults, like Mormonism, or Jehovah’s Witnesses. They would be able to see their own doctrine as very similar to that of the Roman system.

You can get your copy of the kindle version here, or the paperback.  This ISBN number is for the paperback.

  • ISBN-13: 978-0925703101