What are the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church that distinguish it from other Christian churches?
Oct 6, 2017 17:59:01 #
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What are the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church that distinguish it from other Christian churches? While many Catholics don't even know the doctrines but vigorously defend the faith, here is but a sampling of the doctrines of Roman Catholicism and Biblical Christianity that are outlined here:
RCC: Roman Catholicism
BT: Biblical Teaching
RCC: The bishops, with the pope as their head, rule the universal Church.
BT: Christ, the head of the body, rules the universal church (Colossians 1:18).
RCC: God has entrusted revelation to the bishops.
BT: God has entrusted revelation to the saints (Jude 3).
RCC: The pope is infallible in his teaching.
BT: God alone is infallible (Numbers 23:19; Acts 17:11).
RCC: Scripture and Tradition together are the Word of God.
BT: Scripture alone is the Word of God (John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Mark 7:1-13).
RCC: Mary is the co-redeemer, for she participated with Christ in the painful act of redemption.
BT: Christ alone is the Redeemer, for He alone suffered and died for sin (1 Peter 1:18-19).
RCC: Mary is the co-mediator, to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions.
BT: Christ Jesus is the one mediator to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions (1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:13-14; 1 Peter 5:7).
RCC: Initial justification is by means of baptism.
BT: Justification is by faith alone (Romans 3:28).
RCC: Adults must prepare for justification through faith and good works.
BT: God justifies ungodly sinners who believe (Romans 4:5). Good works are the result of salvation, not the cause (Ephesians 2:8-10).
RCC: Grace is merited by good works.
BT: Grace is a free gift (Romans 11:6).
RCC: Salvation is attained by cooperating with grace through faith, good works, and participation in the sacraments.
BT: Salvation is attained by grace through faith apart from works (Ephesians 2:10).
RCC: No one can know if he will attain to eternal life.
BT: The believer can know that he has eternal life by the Word of God and the testimony of the Holy Spirit who indwells believers (1 John 5:13; Romans 8:16).
RCC: The Roman Catholic Church is necessary for salvation.
BT: There is salvation in no one but the Lord Jesus Christ, “for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
RCC: Christ's body and blood exist wholly and entirely in every fragment of consecrated bread and wine in every Roman Catholic church around the world.
BT: The bread and wine are symbols of the body and blood of Christ, and He is bodily present in heaven (1 Corinthians 11:23-25; Hebrews 10:12-13).
RCC: The sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated in the sacrifice of the Mass.
BT: The sacrifice of the cross is finished (John 19:30).
RCC: Each sacrifice of the Mass appeases God's wrath against sin.
BT: The once-for-all sacrifice of the cross fully appeased God's wrath against sin (Hebrews 10:12-18).
RCC: The sacrificial work of redemption is continually carried out through the sacrifice of the Mass.
BT: The sacrificial work of redemption was finished when Christ gave His life for us on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 1:3).
These doctrines don’t date back all the way to Constantine, except for perhaps in seed form, but were slowly adopted over many years as various popes issued decrees. In many cases, the doctrines are not even based on Scripture but on a document of the church. Most Roman Catholics consider themselves to be Christians and are unaware of the differences between their beliefs and the Bible. Sadly, the Roman Catholic Church has fostered that ignorance by discouraging the personal study of the Bible and making the people reliant on the priests for their understanding of the Bible.
What are the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church that distinguish it from other Christian churches? While many Catholics don't even know the doctrines but vigorously defend the faith, here is but a sampling of the doctrines of Roman Catholicism and Biblical Christianity that are outlined here:
RCC: Roman Catholicism
BT: Biblical Teaching
RCC: The bishops, with the pope as their head, rule the universal Church.
BT: Christ, the head of the body, rules the universal church (Colossians 1:18).
RCC: God has entrusted revelation to the bishops.
BT: God has entrusted revelation to the saints (Jude 3).
RCC: The pope is infallible in his teaching.
BT: God alone is infallible (Numbers 23:19; Acts 17:11).
RCC: Scripture and Tradition together are the Word of God.
BT: Scripture alone is the Word of God (John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Mark 7:1-13).
RCC: Mary is the co-redeemer, for she participated with Christ in the painful act of redemption.
BT: Christ alone is the Redeemer, for He alone suffered and died for sin (1 Peter 1:18-19).
RCC: Mary is the co-mediator, to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions.
BT: Christ Jesus is the one mediator to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions (1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:13-14; 1 Peter 5:7).
RCC: Initial justification is by means of baptism.
BT: Justification is by faith alone (Romans 3:28).
RCC: Adults must prepare for justification through faith and good works.
BT: God justifies ungodly sinners who believe (Romans 4:5). Good works are the result of salvation, not the cause (Ephesians 2:8-10).
RCC: Grace is merited by good works.
BT: Grace is a free gift (Romans 11:6).
RCC: Salvation is attained by cooperating with grace through faith, good works, and participation in the sacraments.
BT: Salvation is attained by grace through faith apart from works (Ephesians 2:10).
RCC: No one can know if he will attain to eternal life.
BT: The believer can know that he has eternal life by the Word of God and the testimony of the Holy Spirit who indwells believers (1 John 5:13; Romans 8:16).
RCC: The Roman Catholic Church is necessary for salvation.
BT: There is salvation in no one but the Lord Jesus Christ, “for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
RCC: Christ's body and blood exist wholly and entirely in every fragment of consecrated bread and wine in every Roman Catholic church around the world.
BT: The bread and wine are symbols of the body and blood of Christ, and He is bodily present in heaven (1 Corinthians 11:23-25; Hebrews 10:12-13).
RCC: The sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated in the sacrifice of the Mass.
BT: The sacrifice of the cross is finished (John 19:30).
RCC: Each sacrifice of the Mass appeases God's wrath against sin.
BT: The once-for-all sacrifice of the cross fully appeased God's wrath against sin (Hebrews 10:12-18).
RCC: The sacrificial work of redemption is continually carried out through the sacrifice of the Mass.
BT: The sacrificial work of redemption was finished when Christ gave His life for us on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 1:3).
These doctrines don’t date back all the way to Constantine, except for perhaps in seed form, but were slowly adopted over many years as various popes issued decrees. In many cases, the doctrines are not even based on Scripture but on a document of the church. Most Roman Catholics consider themselves to be Christians and are unaware of the differences between their beliefs and the Bible. Sadly, the Roman Catholic Church has fostered that ignorance by discouraging the personal study of the Bible and making the people reliant on the priests for their understanding of the Bible.
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