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Revised February 27, 2017
One of the central themes of the Protestant Reformation was the New Testament teaching that salvation is by grace through faith rather than through good works.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
… a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16)
The Roman Catholic Church teaches just the opposite – that grace (including the benefits of the death of Christ) comes through the sacraments, and that a life of good works (including the sacraments) is necessary for salvation. However, notice what Paul says, not that the Ephesians can or will be saved by grace through faith, but that they have been saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8, quoted above). The Greek word translated "saved" in this verse is in the perfect tense, which
describes an action that was brought to completion and whose effects are felt in the present (William D. Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek, 3rd ed., Zondervan, 2009, p. 223)
Although the Roman Catholic Church teaches that salvation and eternal life come from God's grace and require faith, it fails to recognize that by grace through faith alone an individual becomes a new creature, gains a new position as a child of God, and in the words of Jesus "has passed from death to life" (John 5:24, again "has passed" is in the perfect tense in the Greek). This is positional salvation, at which point an individual is as saved as he will ever be. He does not need to do good works, attend certain ceremonies, etc. in order to become saved – he is saved already. Of course, the believer is expected to have a life filled with good works, but such works do not gain his salvation. Rather, they are the fruit or the result of salvation. See the paper The Positional Aspect of Salvation.
The Roman Catholic Church goes wrong when it tries to combine grace and works for salvation. We can summarize its teachings with the following formula in which there is a cooperation between God and man:
| God's grace + My faith + My good works = Salvation |
The fatherly action of God is first on his own initiative, and then follows man's free acting through his collaboration, so that the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of God, then to the faithful. Man's merit, moreover, itself is due to God, for his good actions proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit. … 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 grace needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. (1994 Catechism, par. 2008, 2010)
A just man merits for himself through each good work an increase of sanctifying grace, eternal life (if he dies in a state of grace) and an increase of heavenly glory. (Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, 4th ed., Translated from German by Lynch, Tan Books and Publications, 1960, p. 267)
According to the teaching of Holy Writ, eternal life is the reward for the good deeds performed in this world. (Ott, op. cit. p. 268)
... if the Ten Commandments are followed diligently, then their outcome is certain. Obey the commandments, and you'll have eternal life. (Trigilio, page 198)
But Paul's teaching is different. Paul teaches that the position of salvation produces the practice of good works.
| God's grace + My faith = Salvation (positional) |
then
| Salvation + God's help → produces → My good works (practical) |
A lack of understanding of the positional aspect of salvation is clearly revealed in the statements that were issued from the Council of Trent (1545-1563) on the subject of justification. In the following quotations (from the translation by J. Waterworth) The Roman Catholic Church officially curses and bans any notion that salvation and eternal life are available solely through grace and faith.
If any one saith, that the man who is justified and how perfect soever, is not bound to observe the commandments of God and of the Church, but only to believe; as if indeed the Gospel were a bare and absolute promise of eternal life, without the condition of observing the commandments; let him be anathema. (Council of Trent, Session 6, Canon 20)
If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema. (Council of Trent, Session 6, January 1547, Canon 24)
If any one saith, that the good works of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, as that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified; or, that the said justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life, – if so be, however, that he depart in grace, – and also an increase of glory; let him be anathema. (Council of Trent, Session 6, Canon 32)
The Roman Catholic Church does not limit the required good works just to those commandments found in the Bible, but adds its own "precepts" which are "binding" on Catholics.
To be a good, practicing Catholic means obeying these rules and believing what the Church teaches.
• Attending Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obligation
• Receiving the Holy Eucharist during Easter season
• Confessing your [grave] sins [to a priest] at least once a year
• Fasting and abstaining on appointed days
• Observing the marriage laws of the Church
• Contributing to the support of the Church (from Trigilio, page 179)
Furthermore, the Roman Catholic Church claims to have what it calls a "treasury" of merit, a storehouse of good deeds from Christ, Mary, and the saints throughout history. It is obvious from the following description of this so-called treasury that good deeds are seen as meriting salvation.
This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable, and even pristine in their value before God. In the 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. (1994 Catechism, par. 1477)
This places individuals under a burden of performance which is similar to that placed on the Jews by the legalistic Pharisees, which Jesus denounced.
The scribes and the Pharisees … tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people's shoulders …. (Matthew 23:2-4)
In contrast, Paul emphasizes the fact that the fall of mankind was total. Man, in his own strength, can do nothing to please God. Spiritually, man has been completely ruined by Adam's fall. This is the biblical doctrine of total depravity. ("Total" here means, not that every person is as bad as he could possibly be, but that every aspect of the person has been spiritually ruined. See Romans 3:10-18). Individuals can only receive salvation by accepting Christ by faith. And this is possible only because of the substitutionary death of Christ for all mankind, and because of God's special works of enlightening, drawing, and convicting sinners (John 1:9; 12:32; 16:7-11).
The Roman Catholic view builds on the idea that the fall of mankind was not total. Instead, man's capacity for righteous action was only "weakened" or "wounded."
… original sin … is a deprivation of original holiness and justice, but human nature has not been totally corrupted: it is wounded in the natural powers proper to it; subject to ignorance, suffering, and the dominion of death; and inclined to sin – an inclination to evil that is called "concupiscence." (1994 Catechism, par. 405)
… man has to struggle to do what is right … (1994 Catechism, par. 409, quoting Gaudium et spes from Vatican II)
The wounding of nature must not be conceived, with the Reformers and the Jansenists, as the complete corruption of human nature. In the condition of Original Sin, man possesses the ability of knowing natural religious truths and of performing natural morally good actions. … The Council of Trent teaches that free will was not lost or extinguished by the fall of Adam. (Ott, op. cit., p. 112-113)
In the next paragraph Ott explains that Roman Catholic theologians, following St. Thomas, enumerate "four wounds of the soul," namely:
Although each of the above items is very negative, none is total. Thus, according to Roman Catholic teaching, man can and should take advantage of the initial "push" that comes from God's grace and do his best to please God and thus earn his salvation. After all, God
wishes to give eternal life to all those who seek salvation by patience in well-doing. (1994 Catechism, par. 55, quoting Dei Verbum from Vatican II)
And if it is possible to earn one's salvation, why not go all the way and become a god, as this priest suggests.
To aspire to divinity is the noblest of human yearnings. It is implanted in us by God Himself to keep us on the road back to Him. That is why we should reflect very carefully on the words we pray each day at Mass: "… may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity."
We need to look to the example of Jesus the Perfect Man, the Second Adam, who brought us the possibility of becoming gods – the right way – by submission to the will of the Father, by service of one's fellows, by forgetfulness of self. Yes, we can become gods with a small "g," for perfect humanity leads to divinity. Christ is our example, our promise, and our assurance. (Rev. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, The Bible and the Mass, Servant Publications, 1989, p. 112)
Within the Roman Catholic system, since it requires human merit as part of its salvation "formula," no individual can have assurance of salvation. If you mistakenly believe that God is "keeping score" of your good works to determine your eternal fate, you will never be able to know for sure your fate for you are unable to read his score.
… each one, when he regards himself, and his own weakness and indisposition, may have fear and apprehension touching his own grace; seeing that no one can know with a certainty of faith, which cannot be subject to error, that he has obtained the grace of God. (Council of Trent, Session 6, Chapter 9)
If anyone saith, that a man, who is born again and justified, is bound of faith to believe that he is assuredly in the number of the predestinate; let him be anathema. (Council of Trent, Session 6, Canon 15)
This is in sharp contrast to the apostle John's statement that
I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)
Hislop points out the incongruity of a system which portrays itself with such absolute authority, yet offers no assurance of salvation to its members.
Considering the pretensions which the Papacy makes to absolute infallibility, and the supernatural powers which it attributes to the functions of its priests, in regard to regeneration and the forgiveness of sins, it might have been supposed, as a matter of course, that all its adherents would have been encouraged to rejoice in the continual assurance of their personal salvation. But the very contrary is the fact. After all its boastings and high pretensions, perpetual doubt on the subject of a man's salvation, to his life's end, is inculcated as a duty; it being peremptorily decreed as an article of faith by the Council of Trent. (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, 3rd ed., A & B Publishers Group, p. 148 [p. 215 in the online edition listed in the annotated bibliography])
Catholic scholars admit that
we do not meet with any clear traces of the cultus of the Blessed Virgin in the first Christian centuries (Catholic Encyclopedia, Article on "Mary, Devotion to the Blessed Virgin")
Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic church now raises Mary to an extremely high level. The church teaches that she was sinless for her entire life, even from the moment of her conception. This is the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Also, believers are told to pray to her for she is the "Mother of Mercy." And, because of her suffering as the mother of Jesus while he was on the cross, she is considered to be co-redemptrix, that is, another redeemer alongside Christ. Thus, the Roman Catholic Church teaches
… we declare, proclaim and define that the doctrine which affirms that the Blessed Virgin Mary, through singular grace and privilege which Almighty God granted to her in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, was preserved from all stain of original sin from the first instant of her creation, has been revealed by God and is therefore to be firmly believed. (1854 Ineffabilis Deus, papal bull by Pope Pius IX)
By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long. (1994 Catechism, par. 493)
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 … (1994 Catechism, par. 966)
… the whole of our confidence is placed in the most Holy Virgin, since God has placed in Mary the fullness of all good, that accordingly we may know that if there is any hope in us, if any grace, if any salvation, it redounds to us from her, because such is His will Who hath willed that we should have everything through Mary. (Pius IX)
Holy Mary, Mother of God: With Elizabeth we marvel, "and why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Because she gives us Jesus, her son, Mary is Mother of God and our mother; we can entrust all our cares and petitions to her: she prays for us as she prayed for herself: "Let it be to me according to your word." By entrusting ourselves to her prayer, we abandon ourselves to the will of God together with her: "Thy will be done."
Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death: 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. May she be there as she was at her son's death on the cross. May she welcome us as our mother at the hour of our passing to lead us to her son, Jesus, in paradise. (1994 Catechism, par. 2677)
No one can approach Christ except through His mother. (Pope Leo XIII, 1891)
Mary suffered with Christ and nearly died with Him when He died, thus she may rightly be said to have redeemed the human race with Christ. (Pope Benedict XV,1918)
The virgin of sorrows shared the work of redemption with Jesus Christ. (Pope Pius XI, 1923)
O Mother of love and mercy who, when thy sweetest Son was consummating the Redemption of the human race on the altar of the cross, didst stand next to him suffering with him as a Coredemptrix. (Pius XI, 1935, in a prayer to close a jubilee)
... taken up to heaven she [Mary] by her manifold acts of intercession continues to win for us gifts of eternal salvation. … the Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church under the titles Advocate, … and Mediatrix. (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, sec. 62)
The last quotation is immediately followed by a disclaimer of sorts, stating that Jesus Christ is "the one mediator." However, that is not enough to hide the sharp disagreement between these many statements of the popes and councils on the one hand, and the teaching of scripture on the other.
The official Catechism of the Council of Trent says regarding the invocation of the "most holy Mother of God," that
we should piously and suppliantly have recourse to her in order that by her intercession she may reconcile God with us sinners and obtain for us the blessing we need both for this present life and for the life which has no end. (Catholic Encyclopedia, article "Hail Mary")
There is not one word in the New Testament that suggests any of these ideas about Mary – it is a complete fabrication. For one thing, Mary was not sinless. Sinless people do not need a savior, but Mary spoke of God as her savior (Luke 1:47). And regarding the very concept of any other name, human or angelic, being added to the name of Jesus as our savior, remember,
There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved (Acts 4:12).
The above quotation should carry full weight with Roman Catholics because it was spoken by Peter, the one whom they claim was the first pope.
So we are not to be saved by Jesus and some other name, for there is no other name. And Jesus is not merely the main mediator, but the only mediator.
For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus …. (1 Timothy 2:5).
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the believer who sins (mortal sins) must confess his sins to a priest, receive absolution from the priest, make restitution or compensation for those sins, and do penance at the direction of the priest. The believer's confession and sorrow for his sins must be genuine, and he must intend to change his ways, otherwise the sacrament of Reconciliation is of no effect. The practice of confessing sins privately to a priest, although it began centuries earlier, was upheld by the Council of Trent (1563).
Although the Roman Catholic church acknowledges that forgiveness is based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it still claims that its bishops and priests can forgive sins against God.
The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. (1994 Catechism, par. 1448)
Bishops and priests, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all sins "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (1994 Catechism, par. 1461)
The formula of absolution is worded as follows:
God, the Father of mercies, through the death and the resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (1994 Catechism, par. 1449)
The Roman Catholic Church describes two classes of sins with different effects.
Mortal sin causes eternal punishment which deprives one of communion with God and of eternal life and thus leads to hell. While the individual Roman Catholic can deal with his venial sins on his own, his mortal sins must be confessed to a priest. He is taught that his sins are absolved by the priest after penance is completed, and that this is the only way mortal sins can be forgiven. If he intentionally withholds any sins from his confession, the whole sacrament of Reconciliation becomes invalid. Also, if he is not truly sorry for his sins, the sacrament becomes invalid. Both mortal and venial sin cause temporal punishment. Unconfessed mortal sins lead to hell. Unconfessed venial sins are punished in this life and in purgatory.
It is true that Jesus said that judgment, mercy, fidelity, and love were "weightier things," more important than tithes (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). Yet one wonders about Roman Catholicism's formal distinction between mortal and venial sins. After all, "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), which seems to leave no room for venial sins.
Roman catholics are obligated to confess their serious sins at least once a year. Strictly speaking, venial sins do not need to be confessed. However, the Roman Catholic Church strongly recommends they be confessed (1994 Catechism, par. 1457-1458).
The Roman Catholic Church defends the practice of priests forgiving sins by claiming that the priests are assisting the bishops who, through apostolic succession were given the right to forgive sins by Jesus, according to John 20:23.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained. (John 20:23)
But the intent of this passage is not to indicate that, if you (an apostle, or bishop, or priest) forgive someone's sins, then God will do likewise. Remember that this statement of Jesus was made on the evening of the day he rose from the grave, when he met with the eleven apostles and others. Jesus had just sent them and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them (John 20:21-22), so the context has to do with spreading the good news of Christ through evangelism. Jesus' real intent when he talks about forgiving sins is to indicate that his followers, now realizing that Jesus has risen from the dead, have the saving truth about Jesus to tell others. Thus, when others respond in repentance and acceptance of Christ, their sins are in fact forgiven; and when others respond in rejection of Christ, their sins remain unforgiven. This interpretation is supported by the structure of the passage and the tenses in the Greek. The Marshall interlinear translation of this verse reads as follows:
Of whomever ye forgive the sins, they have been forgiven to them; of whomever ye hold, they have been held. (John 20:23, Alfred Marshall, Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Christianity Today, 1975)
Literally, it is: "Those whose sins you forgive have already been forgiven; those whose sins you do not forgive have not been forgiven" (NIV Bible Commentary, compare the wording and the marginal note in the New American Standard Bible). The Greek tenses found in John 20:23 (as well as Matthew 16:19 and 18:18) are very important. They have already been discussed in detail in chapter 3, section A - 6, entitled "Was Peter given the keys of the kingdom?".
Leon Morris provides these summary comments on John 20:23:
It is more than difficult to think of Christ as leaving in men's hands the determination of whether the sins of other men are to be forgiven or not. The important points are the plural 'whose soever' (pointing to categories, not individuals), and the perfect tense rendered 'are remitted' (it means 'have been remitted', not 'will be remitted'). The meaning of the passage then seems to be that as they are inspired by the Holy Spirit (verse 22) the followers of Jesus will be able to say with accuracy which categories of men have sins forgiven, and which not. (Leon Morris, "Forgiveness," The New Bible Dictionary, Eerdmans, 1962)
A similar use of Greek tenses is found in the promise of binding and loosing given to all the disciples:
… whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18, New American Standard Bible)
And remember that others were present with the the apostles when these words were spoken (Luke 24:9, 33), so they were addressed to all of Jesus' followers, not just the apostles.
When it comes to something as important as the forgiveness of sins, only God can forgive sins. Even the Jewish scribes recognized this when they said "Who but God alone can forgive sins?" (Mark 2:7). We need to deal directly with God.
He [Jesus] came and preached peace to you who were far off [Gentiles] and peace to those who were near [Jews], for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:17-18)
If we acknowledge our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. (1 John 1:9)
Martin Luther was aware of the need to go directly to God when he said
The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring and showing that it has been remitted by God. (Thesis 6 of the Ninety-five Theses posted by Luther in 1517)
This direct approach is certainly in accord with Jesus' teachings. Even though Jesus was God in the flesh, he told his followers to talk directly with the Father and ask him directly for forgiveness of sins.
Our Father ... forgive us our debts (Matthew 6:9-12)
Father ... forgive us our sins (Luke 11:2-4)
Of course, the "Father" in these passages is not some human priest who might be called "Father," but the heavenly Father, the first person of the trinity.
Even the prophet Nathan, whom the Lord sent to deal with David's sins, did not say "I absolve you from your sins," but rather "The Lord … has forgiven your sin" (2 Samuel 12:13).
This direct approach is also in accord with Paul's statement, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit several decades after Jesus' return to the heavenly Father, to the effect that Jesus is our only mediator, not the local priest.
For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all. (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that purgatory is the place (better, the spiritual state) in which Christians exist after they die in order to receive their final purification from their venial sins ("lesser faults") and be ready to enter God's presence. Purgatory is viewed as a place (state) of punishment and is characterized as a purifying fire. The punishment, while not as severe as the punishment of hell, is still much worse than anything experienced here on earth. Christians who are still alive are encouraged to pray for those dead whose souls are still in purgatory, as well as give alms and do works of penance in order to shorten the time these "poor souls" must spend there.
All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. (1994 Catechism, par. 1030)
The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. (1994 Catechism, par. 1031)
If any one saith, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema. (Council of Trent, Session 6, Canon 30)
From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead. (1994 Catechism, par. 1032)
The Church teaches that only a very few believers, who have achieved Christian perfection, go directly to heaven. The vast majority of believers must suffer the punishment of purgatory before being allowed into heaven.
This punishment varies greatly for each individual, from mild to severe (close to the agonies of hell), and from hours to thousands of years. For those Christians presently in purgatory, the length of their stay cannot be known; and for those yet to die, the length of their stay cannot be predicted. However, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that, in various ways, the time in purgatory can be lessened, both by the individuals themselves before their death, and by their survivors after their death. Catholics can request (and optionally pay for) their priest to say one or more masses which will shorten the suffering both of the one for whom the mass is said and of the one requesting the mass.
Hislop notes that prayer for the dead was a common practice in many ancient religions (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, pages 168-69). In addition, there have been Roman Catholic Church leaders throughout her history who have spoken of prayer for the dead and a place of final purification. For example, Augustine (354-430) wrote about purgatory, and Pope Gregory I (reigned 590-604) formalized the teaching. According to theologian Charles Hodge, Franciscans (began in the 1200s) claimed that their head would descend into purgatory every year to deliver their fellow Franciscans (Loraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, Presbyterian & Reformed, 1962, page 230). However, this doctrine of purgatory was not made official by the Church until rather late, at the councils of Florence (1439) and Trent (1563).
The doctrine of purgatory contradicts the scriptural evidence, as explained below.
First, even though the Bible records the death of numerous believers, not once is there a mention of purgatory. And even though the New Testament includes many statements about death, the afterlife, heaven, and hell, not once does it mention purgatory.
Second, consider Paul's pattern when speaking of life and death. If there is such a place as purgatory, it is strangely missing from Paul's teaching.
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. (Philippians 1:21-24)
Paul mentions only two states for the person's relationship to the body and only two corresponding states for the person's "closeness" to the Lord.
| State 1 | ← (nothing between) → |
State 2 |
| The person is at home in the body (physically alive) ——— The person is "away from" the Lord |
The person is away from the body (physically dead) ——— The person is with the Lord, with Christ |
There is no room for purgatory in these two passages, for to "depart" and be "away from the body" is to be "with Christ", that is, "with the Lord."
Third, Paul indicates that, at the rapture, those believers who are alive will be caught up and meet the Lord, and will be with him forever. Again, there is no room for purgatory.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: compare Colossians 3:4)
Fourth, when Jesus told about the death of the rich man and of Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), he described only two locations in the next life. The rich man went to "the netherworld" (Greek: hadēs), described as "torment" and "flames," but when Lazarus died "he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham" (verse 22) without any so-called time of purification in purgatory.
Fifth, when Jesus said he was going to his "Father's house" where there are "many dwelling places," he also said that he would come back again and take his disciples to himself (John 14:2-3). Here again, the element of being with Christ is emphasized in Jesus' promise "I will ... take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be" (verse 3). This passage, like the others, speaks of the transition between earthly life and heavenly life without any hint of an intervening time of purification.
Sixth, consider what happened to one of the two thieves on the cross beside Jesus (Luke 23:39-43). One thief was arrogant and taunted Jesus. The other thief was more humble; he feared God (verse 40). He owned up to his own wrongdoing and asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus came into his kingdom (verses 41-42). Jesus told him,
… today you will be with me in Paradise (Luke 23:43)
Jesus took this thief's words as indicating his repentance from sin and his faith in Jesus, and promised him direct entrance into paradise.
Seventh, Steven's expectation was direct entrance into heaven.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." (Acts 7:59)
The Roman Catholic Church claims that the doctrine of purgatory is based on certain biblical passages. Based on Matthew 12:31, Roman Catholic theologians claim that, when Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven in the age to come, he implied that other sins will be forgiven in the age to come (that is, some sins of believers will be forgiven after their death). However, this implication is based on the inverse of Jesus' statement, as shown below.
| Statement: | If you have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, you will not be forgiven now nor after death. |
| Converse: | If you will not be forgiven now nor after death, you have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. |
| Inverse: | If you have not blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, you will be forgiven now and after death. |
| Contrapositive: | If you will be forgiven now and after death, you have not blasphemed against the Holy Spirit |
When the original statement is true, its contrapositive is always true, but its converse and inverse may be true or false. The Roman Catholic claim is based on the inverse and thus carries no logical weight. For a more complete explanation of converse, inverse, and contrapositive, see the book Direct Bible Discovery, especially the section entitled "Improper Inference" in chapter 13.
Roman Catholic theologians also claim that, just as Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifices for them (Job 1:4-5), our prayers and offerings can also help the dead. But keep in mind that Job's sons were still alive when he performed sacrifices on their behalf, so there is no direct parallel to the idea of performing sacrifices for the dead. Furthermore, spiritual relationship to God is always considered to be an individual thing. The very concept of one person doing something which causes another person to be purified is contrary to the general teachings of scripture. Ezekiel's fourfold statement of individual responsibility (Ezekiel 14:12-20) is especially interesting because of the repetition it uses, and because it explicitly mentions Job.
… if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath upon it through bloodshed, killing its men and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness. (Ezekiel 14:19-20).
Roman Catholic theologians appeal to one of the incidents in the life of Judas Maccabeus as support for purgatory. When Judas Maccabeus discovered that soldiers who had been killed in battle had sinned by wearing amulets of a foreign god, he prayed for them and collected money to pay for a sacrifice in Jerusalem on their behalf. "Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin" (2 Maccabees 12:38-46). Since 2 Maccabees is an apocryphal book we would be justified in simply dismissing its teachings. But even if we adopt the Roman Catholic view that 2 Maccabees belongs in the canon of inspired scripture, this passage still lends no support for the doctrines of purgatory or prayer for the dead. Instead, the passage, if accepted, creates a serious inconsistency within Roman Catholic teaching. The sin that the soldiers were guilty of was idolatry, that is, wearing "amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia" (a coastal town). Honoring such gods (by wearing amulets representing them) was forbidden by the law which states that "You shall not have other gods besides me" (Exodus 20:3, compare Deuteronomy 7:25). In Roman Catholic teaching idolatry is a mortal sin leading to hell, not to purgatory. Thus Roman Catholic theologians must attempt to resolve this inconsistency either (1) by stating that idolatry is not a mortal sin, or (2) by stating that it is helpful to pray for the dead in hell, or preferably, (3) by admitting that this passage teaches error and the book of 2 Maccabees should not be included in the canon of inspired scripture.
Some wonder about 2 Corinthians 5:10, thinking that it might be referring to the judgment which sends many to purgatory.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Keep in mind that this passage comes immediately after Paul's statement in verses 6-8 (discussed above) in which clearly only two states are in view and purgatory is not in view at all. Verse 10 is better explained by comparing it with 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 where the loss is a loss of reward rather than personal punishment.
It should be remembered that purification from sin was accomplished by Christ when he took our punishment for sin.
When he had accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3)
The Roman Catholic Church is weak on two related doctrines, (1) the substitutionary nature of Christ's death, and (2) the positional aspect of salvation. Therefore, it wrongly teaches purgatory – that believers must pay for their own sins in purgatory. But the Bible teaches that (1) Christ already suffered for our sins and accomplished our purification, (2) we are positionally holy in Christ. (See the papers on The Substitutionary Death of Christ and The Positional Aspect of Salvation.) The substitutionary death of Christ is the only purging we need.
Closely related to the subject of purgatory is the subject of indulgences. Here are two similar definitions of indulgences.
An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sin whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, disposes and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints. (1994 Catechism, par. 1471)
An indulgence is the extra-sacramental remission of the temporal punishment due, in God's justice, to sin that has been forgiven, which remission is granted by the Church in the exercise of the power of the keys, through the application of the superabundant merits of Christ and of the saints, and for some just and reasonable motive. (Catholic Encyclopedia, article on Indulgences)
Indulgences may be applied to believers who are still living and to those who have died and are still in purgatory. An indulgence may be partial, remitting a portion of the punishment, or plenary, remitting all of the punishment. For example, on the back of the title page of the Saint Joseph Bible, immediately after the nihil obstat and imprimatur notifications, these two indulgences are found:
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who use Sacred Scripture for spiritual reading with the veneration due the word of God. A plenary indulgence is granted if the reading continues for at least one half hour. (Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, 1968 edition, no. 50)
Roman Catholicism teaches that the so-called "treasury of the Church" holds the unlimited spiritual value of the death of Christ, and of Mary, and of the saints.
… the "treasury of the Church" is the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ's merits have before God. … This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. … In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints. … In this way they attain their own salvation and at the same time cooperate in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body. (1994 Catechism, par. 1476, 1477)
In concept, it is a spiritual bank which the church officials have authority to draw upon in order to apply grace to individuals.
In 1517 Pope Leo X offered indulgences for those who gave alms to help rebuild St. Peters Basilica in Rome. Johann Tetzel carried this idea to its extreme with the outright sale of plenary indulgences according to a posted "menu" of certain sins and certain payment amounts. This severe abuse and misrepresentation of salvation is one of the things that Martin Luther objected to when he posted his 95 theses. But church history at the time of the Protestant Reformation is not the goal of this section. Our purpose here is merely to show that indulgences, which have absolutely no basis in scripture, fit perfectly into an overall scheme that is fraught with other errors, such as
When we use the word evolution, we are referring to macro-evolution as opposed to micro-evolution. To understand the distincion between micro- and macro-evolution, consider the common biological taxonomy that starts at the top with the kingdom and becomes more specific as it extends down through phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
While there is definite scientific evidence for micro-evolution, there is no evidence for macro-evolution.
Unlike naturalistic evolutionists, the Roman Catholic Church holds to theistic macro-evolution, attempting to keep God in the evolutionary process as designer and builder.
Most scientists hold that the human species has developed somehow from lower kinds of life. This knowledge helped Christians to rethink the "how" of God's creative activity and to understand that Genesis 2 and 3 is not a lesson in Anthropology, but an allegory, teaching us the lesson that sin is the root of all evil. (The Saint Joseph Bible, page [27] )
Thus, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that the theory of evolution is true and the Genesis account of man's creation is an allegory – conclusions which the church has developed gradually over the past several decades.
Pope Pius XII (reigned 1939-1958) considered evolution a serious hypothesis. He allowed Catholics to believe that the theory of evolution was true, but still insisted that evolution had not been proven and that Catholics should give careful consideration to the arguments against it. He recognized that the Genesis account of creation was not written according to modern historical methods, but maintained that it truly spoke of historical events, in particular, a literal Adam who was progenitor of all humans. In an attempt to safeguard the doctrine of original sin, he maintained a sharp distinction between Adam's progeny (all humans), and Adam's evolutionary ancestors (all beasts). (See Pius XII's 1950 encyclical "Humani Generis")
Nearly a half century later, the 1994 Catholic Catechism includes the following thinly veiled approval of theistic evolution.
The question about the origins of the world and of man has been the object of many scientific studies which have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator, prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers. (1994 Catechism, par. 283)
Then, in 1996, Pope John Paul II made public a message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in which he stated that
New knowledge leads us to recognize in the theory of evolution more than a hypothesis . . . The convergence … of results of work done independently one from the other, constitutes in itself a significant argument in favour of this theory. (Vatican Information Service press release, October 23rd, 1996, Article N.182).
He, similar to Pope Pius XII, also maintained the supernatural nature of the human spirit and its divine source.
Thus between the middle and the end of the 20th century the Roman Catholic Church moved from guarded skepticism of the theory of evolution, to acceptance.
There is a major problem with trying to accept evolution and still retain the spiritual teachings of the Bible. It is the same problem that occurred in the neo-orthodox response to the so called enlightenment and rationalistic movement of the 1700s and 1800s. The rationalistic higher critics, primarily because of their naturalistic assumptions, held that the miracles recorded in the Bible (the creation and the resurrection of Christ among them) simply did not take place. In the early 1900's neo-orthodox theologians responded, not by defending the miracles, but by swallowing the conclusions of the rationalists while adding that we must still have faith. But this is a completely untenable position, as Paul warned right from the beginning:
And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. … if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain … . (1 Corinthians 15:14-17)
Even though any meaningful discussion of macro-evolution is well beyond the scope of this book, one major point needs to be made here. Macro-evolution runs counter to the best evidence. A good number of scientists (including secular scientists) have come to the conclusion that the theory of evolution has failed. Since the days of Darwin, naturalistic macro-evolution has taken on more and more of the characteristics of a religion and has lost more and more of the characteristics of careful, objective science. This has progressed to the point where many modern presentations that claim to be scientific explanations are in reality mostly story-telling (such as the History Channel's "Evolve" series). The conclusion of a molecular biologist is worth noting:
The Darwinian theory of evolution is no more no less than the great cosmogenic myth of the twentieth century. (Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, Adler & Adler, 1985, page 358)
The reader is referred to the following helpful website: Institute for Creation Research — icr.org
Consider one further consequence of adopting an evolutionary mind-set. The French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881 - 1955) was a Jesuit priest, a trained geologist, and a convinced evolutionist. Teilhard's theological confusion can be easily seen in his well-known statement that
Matter is spirit moving slowly enough to be seen.
Teilhard did not limit evolution to the field of biology, but extended it to the entire cosmos. He tried (using typical philosophical generalization) to interpret both creation and Christ in mystical and allegorical evolutionary terms. Thus, he "venerated" the universe:
Blessed be you, mighty matter, irresistible march of evolution, reality ever newborn; you who, by constantly shattering our mental categories, force us to go ever further and further in our pursuit of the truth. (Teilhard de Chardin: Writings, part of the Modern Spiritual Masters Series, Harpercollins, 1969, p. 44)
During his lifetime Teilhard met with severe criticism by some portions of the Catholic Church as well as disfavor among certain evolutionary scientists. But later Pope Benedict XVI spoke positively of Teilhard's vision as a key to the significance of the Catholic Mass:
Against the background of the modern evolutionary world view, Teilhard de Chardin depicted the cosmos as a process of ascent, a series of unions. From very simple beginnings the path leads to ever greater and more complex unities, in which multiplicity is not abolished but merged into a growing synthesis, leading to the "Noosphere" [mind-sphere], in which spirit and its understanding embrace the whole and are blended into a kind of living organism. Invoking the epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, Teilhard looks on Christ as the energy that strives toward the Noosphere and finally incorporates everything in its "fullness'. From here Teilhard went on to give a new meaning to Christian worship: the transubstantiated Host is the anticipation of the transformation and divinization of matter in the christological "fullness". In his view, the Eucharist provides the movement of the cosmos with its direction; it anticipates its goal and at the same time urges it on. (Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy, 2009, Ignatius Press. Kindle Locations 260–270)
Perhaps we can learn an important lesson from such "theo-babble." When you turn your back on the clear light of God's Word, you will certainly go wandering in the fog.
The Roman Catholic church teaches many things which are also taught in the Bible. However, the Roman Catholic church has added many teachings which are directly contrary to the Bible's teachings. Not only are there many differences between what the Roman Catholic church teaches and what the Bible teaches, many of these differences affect your eternal salvation.
The Roman Catholic Church places many barriers which hinder your salvation:
The above teachings, accumulated over many centuries, corrupt the Bible's central message by surrounding the gospel with many added requirements. Given the Roman Catholic Church's reliance on tradition and it's self-proclaimed authority, these additions have become permanent, systemic corruptions.
Thomas Linacer (also spelled Lynaker) was a highly regarded linguistic and medical scholar of the late 1400's and early 1500's. His expertise in Latin and Greek were highly recognized, and he served as instructor to future popes and princes. He served as physician to King Henry VIII, and founded England's Royal College of Physicians. He was involved with Roman Catholicism throughout his life, and became ordained as a priest late in life. However, Hislop reports that
When Linacer, a distinguished physician, but bigoted Romanist, in the reign of Henry VIII, first fell in with the New Testament, after reading it for a while, he tossed it from him with impatience and a great oath, exclaiming, "Either this book is not true, or we are not Christians." He saw at once that the system of Rome and the system of the New Testament were directly opposed to one another, and no one who impartially compares the two systems can come to any other conclusion. (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, Loizeaux Brothers, 1916, page 129)
Here is Ridenour's summary regarding the overall claim of the Roman Catholic Church to be the only true church.
The Bible teaches that the "true church" is not some humanly-designed denomination or organization. The "true church" is simply the whole body of believers – those who through faith have a living relationship with Christ. … In other words, anyone – whether he calls himself Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox or Protestant – can become a member of the "true church" of Jesus Christ. (Fritz Ridenour, So What's the Difference?, rev. ed., Regal Books, 1979, pages 34-35)
The Roman Catholic Church is not the only place where the truth gets overshadowed by error. Consider, for example, the following situation: A non-catholic preacher preaches the true gospel – that Christ died for our sins and that salvation comes by grace through faith when the individual trusts in Christ as his savior. But this preacher also lives like the devil, and everyone who hears him discounts his message, knowing his evil behavior. Or perhaps the preacher adds certain requirements, such as the need to give up certain bad habits, or the need to make a contribution to the church. In these cases the preacher is keeping people out of the kingdom just like the Pharisees and lawyers did (Matthew 23:13; Luke 11:52). Who would excuse such a preacher?
But the problem is even more serious with the Roman Catholic Church. Not only have many of its leaders shown by their behavior that they have no moral authority at all, and not only has the church corrupted the message by adding the many requirements listed above, but the church has also effectively hidden whatever truth might still exist with all its external formalities, vestments, and rituals, which distract the individual from the underlying truth of the gospel.
We should not assume that all Roman Catholics know and accept all the teachings of their church. Many who identify with the church are not really "good catholics." They do not necessarily believe all that their church teaches, nor do they necessarily practice all that their church requires. They, like all of us, will need to start at the beginning and understand from scripture that
Those Roman Catholics who do know and accept what their church teaches will agree with some of the above points, but will need to gain a new understanding of certain truths, including the following:
In the words of a veteran missionary to China,
No matter who you are or what you have – the pope, priests, baptism, church membership, confirmation, confession, Holy Communion – if you have not the Lord Jesus Christ as your own Saviour, you do not have eternal life. Yet if you have none of those things, but have received the Lord Jesus into you heart, you have eternal life and may be sure of it now. (F. C. H. Dreyer, Roman Catholicism in the Light of Scripture, Moody Press, 1960, page 255)
The above insight comes directly from the Apostle John.
God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:11-13)
And the person who is not a Roman Catholic must recognize that it is not only the Roman Catholic Church which is unable to give you peace with God, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. The same is true for the Protestant Church, The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of England, and any other church or religious group. Salvation comes directly from, and only from, our Lord Jesus Christ.
… there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all. (1 Timothy 2:5)
There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved. (Acts 4:12)