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Roman Catholocism
By James
BjornstadI.
Origin of the Church (Mt 16:13-18)
A. Question – Is the “rock” on which Jesus Christ would build His
church Peter [as Rome
claims] or Peter’s confession?
B. Answer
1. The text [Greek] – “you are petros, and
upon this petra I will build My church”
2. Peter’s understanding (1 Pet 2:6-7)
II. Growth, Developing
Theology, and Divisions
A. Rome’s power grew because:
1. Rome was the capital of the Empire
2. Peter and Paul died there
3. Constantine’s “sign” (313 AD)
4. “Holy Roman Empire” (9th century AD)
5. Crusades and land grants
B. Rome’s theology developed – Some examples
1. Mary
a. Adoration of Mary and
the saints was popularized (788 AD)
b. Immaculate Conception
and Perpetual Virginity – Pope Pius IX (1854 AD)
c. Assumption of Mary and
Queen of Heaven – Pope Pius XII (1950 AD)
d. Mother of the Church –
Pope Paul VI (1965 AD)
e. Mediatrix of all grace
and Co-Redemptrix
2. Papacy
a. When Rome fell in 476,
the Bishop of Rome replaced the Roman Emperor as
the
most important person in the remnants of the empire
b. Other bishops, like
Augustine, who had been the Bishop of the city of Hippo in
North
Africa, began to submit authority to the bishop in Rome
c. In 600 Gregory I
extended his power as Bishop of Rome
d. Leo IX excommunicated
the patriarch of the eastern church (1054)
e. In 1305 Boniface VIII
claimed that submission to the Pope was necessary for
salvation
f. At Vatican I (1870)
papal infallibility when speaking ex cathedra was declared
by Pius
IX
3. Sacraments
a. Definition – “Divinely
appointed functions which effect an increase of the
supernatural life in the Catholic whenever he approaches them with
the proper
disposition”
b. Seven sacraments
(1)
Baptism – Considered to be the door to spiritual life, one is
cleansed from
original sin (and actual sins) and is simultaneously infused with
a new and
supernatural righteousness
(2)
Confirmation – At age 7, this confers grace to make one a “strong
and perfect
Christian,” and a “soldier of Jesus Christ”
(3)
Holy Communion [Holy Mass or the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass] – The
partaking of Jesus Christ in the form of a consecrated Host.
Transubstantiation
occurs and Christ is resacrificed
(4)
Marriage – The Sacrament of Matrimony includes a Nuptial Mass and
a
solemn blessing pronounced over the bride and groom
(5)
Holy Orders – Spiritual power is given so an ordained priest can
consecrate
the Host, forgive sins, and perform other sacred functions
(6)
Penance – One is disposed to be sorry for sin, to purpose
amendment, and
to make satisfaction for sins committed by prayers or good works
imposed
on the penitent in Confession
(7)
Extreme unction – Originally known as “Last Rites,” Vatican II
changed this
sacrament to “the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick”
C. Rome’s divisions
1. Split with Eastern Orthodoxy (1054 AD)
2. Split with Protestants (1517 AD)
III. Reformation (1517
AD)
A. Sole fide – Luther found peace with God through faith in Jesus
Christ; not in
sacraments of the works of merit prescribed
by the church
B. Sole gratia – Luther discovered God’s saving grace in Christ
alone
C. Sole scriptura – Luther found authority in the Bible alone in
place of the teaching
Church (which often based teaching and
practice on tradition) mediated by the pope
IV. Counter Reformation
– Council of Trent (1545-1563 AD)
A. Sole fide rejected
1. “The opinion that a sinner may be
justified solely as a matter of reputation or
imputation . . . is
rejected” (January 9, 1547)
a. Imputed righteousness
– Justification by faith alone affirms that we are justified
on the
basis of Christ’s righteousness for us, which is accomplished by
Christ’s
perfect
act of obedience apart from us
b. Infused righteousness
– Justification is on the basis of Christ’s righteousness
in us
which is co-mingled with our good works
2. Justification has two phases:
a. “Initial”
justification – In this phase, baptism is operative since grace to
overcome
original sin is “mediated” through baptism
b. “Progressive”
justification – In this phase, justification [righteousness] is
said to
be
“increased” by participation in the sacraments, particularly, the
Eucharist and
penance
c. Heaven - In the final
or “ultimate” phase of justification, one is allowed into
heaven,
provided one has not committed a mortal sin
(1)
During life, if a person commits a mortal sin, he “makes shipwreck
or destroys
or loses his justification.” He must do penance if he wants to
restore
justification to his life before he dies. If not, he will go to
hell
(2) On
the other hand, unconfessed venial sins send a Catholic to
purgatory
until he is cleansed. Then he can enter heaven
B. Sole gratia rejected – God approaches sinners with prevenient
grace, drawing men
to Himself. If a man cooperates with this
grace, then he is baptized
C. Sole scriptura rejected
1. Apocrypha – Recognized 15 books as
authoritative in addition to the 66 books
of the Old and New
Testament (1546)
2. Magisterium – Declared the Roman
Catholic Church as the true interpreter of
Scripture (1546)
V. Sharing the Gospel
with Roman Catholics
A. Since a Roman Catholic believes that his church is the final
authority, he may have
to become convinced that authority lies in
the Bible alone. Using a Catholic authorized
version of the Bible, John 12:44-50 can be
used to show him what Jesus Christ
intended to be our spiritual authority
1. John 12:46
Q. What is meant by
light?
A. Spiritual
understanding
2. John 12:47
Q. Did Jesus come
to save or to judge?
A. To save the
world [He is not an angry judge
3. John 12:47
Q. When will Jesus
be the judge?
A. In the last day
Q. What will be the
basis of judgment in the last day?
A. The Word
Q. Who will be
judged in the last day?
A. Those who do not
receive Jesus’ word
Q. How will they
have rejected Him?
A. By not receiving
His word [Note: to reject Jesus’ word is to reject Jesus]
Q. Where do we find
the word of Jesus?
A. In the Gospels;
in the New Testament
Q. Have you ever
read the Gospels? The entire New Testament?
A.
Q. Are there other
sources through which we can learn about Jesus?
A. Only the Word of
God [Scripture or the Bible] has the right information about
Jesus [The reason I read the Bible is to make sure what I believe
about Jesus
and what I do is correct]
Q. How can we be
sure a movie, a book, etc. is correct?
A. By comparing it
with the Bible
4. John 12:49-50
Q. What is eternal
life?
A. Life that is
everlasting; a relationship with God
Q. How can we have
eternal life?
A. By receiving
Jesus’ word
5. Once the Roman Catholic is reading
Scripture for himself, the Holy Spirit will
show him the errors of
Roman Catholicism
B. Share the Biblical doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ
alone (Acts 16:31); apart
from any works by the sinner’s (Eph 2:8-9)
VI. Selected
Bibliography
Ankerberg, John, and John Weldon. The Facts on Roman Catholicism.
Eugene, OR:
Harvest House, 1993.
Curran, Neil. Biblical Christianity for Catholics, Revised edition.
Lewisville, TX: White
Stone Publications, P. O. Box 294977, Lewisville,
TX 75029, 1998.
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