-
Skip These Ads
-
Skip These Ads|
|
 |
Click here and add this page to your favorites!
Is Roman Catholicism Biblical?
by
John MacArthur
In today’s spirit of ecumenism, many evangelicals have called for the Protestant
Church to lay aside its differences with Rome and pursue unity with the Catholic
Church. Is that possible? Is Roman Catholicism simply another facet of the body
of Christ that should be brought into union with its Protestant counterpart? Is
Roman Catholicism simply another Christian denomination?
While there are many errors in the teaching of the Catholic Church (for example
its belief in the transubstantiation of the communion wafer and its view of
Mary), two rise to the forefront and call for special attention: its denial of
the doctrine of sola Scriptura and its denial of the biblical teaching on
justification. To put it simply, because the Roman Catholic Church has refused
to submit itself to the authority of God’s Word and to embrace the gospel of
justification taught in Scripture, it has set itself apart from the true body of
Christ. It is a false and deceptive form of Christianity.
The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura
In the words of reformer Martin Luther, the doctrine of sola Scriptura means
that “what is asserted without the Scriptures or proven revelation may be held
as an opinion, but need not be believed.” Roman Catholicism flatly rejects this
principle, adding a host of traditions and Church teachings and declaring them
binding on all true believers—with the threat of eternal damnation to those who
hold contradictory opinions.
In Roman Catholicism, “the Word of God” encompasses not only the Bible, but also
the Apocrypha, the Magisterium (the Church’s authority to teach and interpret
divine truth), the Pope’s ex cathedra pronouncements, and an indefinite body of
church tradition, some formalized in canon law and some not yet committed to
writing. Whereas evangelical Protestants believe the Bible is the ultimate test
of all truth, Roman Catholics believe the Church determines what is true and
what is not. In effect, this makes the Church a higher authority than Scripture.
Creeds and doctrinal statements are certainly important. However, creeds,
decisions of church councils, all doctrine, and even the church itself must be
judged by Scripture—not vice versa. Scripture is to be accurately interpreted in
its context by comparing it to Scripture—certainly not according to anyone’s
personal whims. Scripture itself is thus the sole binding rule of faith and
practice for all Christians. Protestant creeds and doctrinal statements simply
express the churches’ collective understanding of the proper interpretation of
Scripture. In no sense could the creeds and pronouncements of the churches ever
constitute an authority equal to or higher than Scripture. Scripture always
takes priority over the church in the rank of authority.
Roman Catholics, on the other hand, believe the infallible touchstone of truth
is the Church itself. The Church not only infallibly determines the proper
interpretation of Scripture, but also supplements Scripture with additional
traditions and teaching. That combination of Church tradition plus the Church’s
interpretation of Scripture is what constitutes the binding rule of faith and
practice for Catholics. The fact is, the Church sets itself above Holy Scripture
in rank of authority.
The Doctrine of Justification
According to Roman Catholicism, justification is a process in which God’s grace
is poured forth into the sinner’s heart, making that person progressively more
righteous. During this process, it is the sinner’s responsibility to preserve
and increase that grace by various good works. The means by which justification
is initially obtained is not faith, but the sacrament of baptism. Furthermore,
justification is forfeited whenever the believer commits a mortal sin, such as
hatred or adultery. In the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, then, works
are necessary both to begin and to continue the process of justification.
The error in the Catholic Church’s position on justification may be summed up in
four biblical arguments. First, Scripture presents justification as
instantaneous, not gradual. Contrasting the proud Pharisee with the broken,
repentant tax-gatherer who smote his breast and prayed humbly for divine mercy,
Jesus said that the tax-gatherer “went down to his house justified” (Luke
18:14). His justification was instantaneous, complete before he performed any
work, based solely on his repentant faith. Jesus also said, “Truly, truly, I say
to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life,
and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John
5:24). Eternal life is the present possession of all who believe—and by
definition eternal life cannot be lost. The one who believes immediately passes
from spiritual death to eternal life, because that person is instantaneously
justified (see Rom. 5:1, 9; 8:1).
Second, justification means the sinner is declared righteous, not actually made
righteous. This goes hand in hand with the fact that justification is
instantaneous. There is no process to be performed—justification is purely a
forensic reality, a declaration God makes about the sinner. Justification takes
place in the court of God, not in the soul of the sinner. It is an objective
fact, not a subjective phenomenon, and it changes the sinner’s status, not his
nature. Justification is an immediate decree, a divine “not guilty” verdict on
behalf of the believing sinner in which God declares him to be righteous in His
sight.
Third, the Bible teaches that justification means righteousness is imputed, not
infused. Righteousness is “reckoned,” or credited to the account of those who
believe (Rom. 4:3–25). They stand justified before God not because of their own
righteousness (Rom. 3:10), but because of a perfect righteousness outside
themselves that is reckoned to them by faith (Phil. 3:9). Where does that
perfect righteousness come from? It is God’s own righteousness (Rom 10:3), and
it is the believer’s in the person of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:30). Christ’s own
perfect righteousness is credited to the believer’s personal account (Rom. 5:17,
19), just as the full guilt of the believer’s sin was imputed to Christ (2 Cor.
5:21). The only merit God accepts for salvation is that of Jesus Christ; nothing
man can ever do could earn God’s favor or add anything to the merit of Christ.
Fourth and finally, Scripture clearly teaches that man is justified by faith
alone, not by faith plus works. According to the Apostle Paul, “If it is by
grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer
grace” (Rom. 11:6). Elsewhere Paul testifies, “By grace you have been saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a
result of works, that no one should boast” (Eph. 2:8–9, emphasis added; see Acts
16:31 and Rom. 4:3–6). In fact, it is clearly taught throughout Scripture that
“a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom. 3:28; see Gal.
2:16; Rom. 9:31–32; 10:3).
In contrast, Roman Catholicism places an undue stress on human works. Catholic
doctrine denies that God “justifies the ungodly” (Rom. 4:5) without first making
them godly. Good works therefore become the ground of justification. As
thousands of former Catholics will testify, Roman Catholic doctrine and liturgy
obscure the essential truth that the believer is saved by grace through faith
and not by his own works (Eph. 2:8-9). In a simple sense, Catholics genuinely
believe they are saved by doing good, confessing sin, and observing ceremonies.
Adding works to faith as the grounds of justification is precisely the teaching
that Paul condemned as “a different gospel” (see 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6). It
nullifies the grace of God, for if meritorious righteousness can be earned
through the sacraments, “then Christ died needlessly” (Gal. 2:21). Any system
that mingles works with grace, then, is “a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6), a
distorted message that is anathematized (Gal. 1:9), not by a council of medieval
bishops, but by the very Word of God that cannot be broken. In fact, it does not
overstate the case to say that the Roman Catholic view on justification sets it
apart as a wholly different religion than the true Christian faith, for it is
antithetical to the simple gospel of grace.
As long as the Roman Catholic Church continues to assert its own authority and
bind its people to “another gospel,” it is the spiritual duty of all true
Christians to oppose Roman Catholic doctrine with biblical truth and to call all
Catholics to true salvation. Meanwhile, evangelicals must not capitulate to the
pressures for artificial unity. They cannot allow the gospel to be obscured, and
they cannot make friends with false religion, lest they become partakers in
their evil deeds (2 John 11).
Adapted from John MacArthur, Reckless Faith: When the Church Loses Its Will to
Discern (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1994).
Copyright 2004, Pulpit - Shepherds' Fellowship.
The graphic links below help generate traffic to JCSM and to quality, Christian web sites. Please visit them as often as you can. They lovingly support our work! |
             |
Free & Cheap Cell
Phones |
Cheap Long Distance
Phone Service Carriers |
Talk America Local Phone Service
|
Ztel & MCI - Unlimited Long Distance
Compare
Cell Phone Plans & Companies |
International Calling Cards & Prepaid Phone Cards |
Voice Over IP Broadband Internet Phone
Service | Wireless
Phone Plans & Cheap Cell Phones
|
_____________________________________________________________________________
Online First Aid and CPR Certification . The Online Christ Centered Ministries . The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained . The Inerrancy Discussion Board . Free Email Accounts . Home Equity Loans . JasonGastrich.com . The Missions, Apologetics, and Creation Bible Conference . Young Earth Creation Science . San Diego Music Lessons . 10,000 Wise Quotes and Spiritual Sayings . Gastrich.net . Maximizing the Internet: 12 Keys to Success . Louisiana Baptist University . NKJV Web Hosting and Services . Michael Newdow . San Diego Soccer Training . Christian Guitar Lessons . Jesus Christ Saves Ministries . Eternal Security
