Catholic Catechism reviewed
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
(Prepared following the second Vatican Ecumenical Council)
Review of Catechism - Errors in Doctrine
by Brian O'Connell
www.crossbearer.net
2 TIm. 3:16 “ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED and is useful for TEACHING, REBUKING, CORRECTING AND TRAINING in righteousness."
For quick navigation to the following topics on this page, click topic of your choice!
THE VIRGIN MARY
Does the Bible agree with the Catechism?
In an attempt to support the false doctrines of the worship of St. Mary, the Catechism misrepresented the Holy Scriptures. Let's took at them.
THE BRIDE
Paragraph 773 of the Catechism says "Mary goes before us all in the holiness that is the Church's mystery as "the bride without spot or wrinkle, " Is Mary the bride, or the church. Let's look at the scripture.
Eph. 5:25-21 "Husbands. love your wives. just as Christ loved the CHURCH and gave Himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word. that He might present her to Himself a glorious CHURCH, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
2 Cor 11:2 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
If you are a Born Again believer, you ARE the Church and you ARE the bride which Jesus has sanctified and cleansed by the Word of God. St. Mary is part of the Church, and she is part of the Bride. She is not THE Bride. WE ALL ARE!
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Paragraph 492 of the Catechism references Eph. 1:3-4 and says "The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person "In Christ with every spiritual blessing In the heavenly places" and chose her "in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him In love."
What does the scripture really say?...
Eph. 1:3-4 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed US with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose US In Him before the foundation of the world, that WE should be holy and without blame before Him in love."
The words of the Holy Bible were TWISTED to fit this doctrine.
2 Peter 3:16 "as also in all his epistles, speaking In them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people TWIST to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures."
Paragraph 494 says "As St. Irenaeus says, "Being obedient SHE became the CAUSE OF SALVATION FOR HERSELF AND FOR THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE. Hence not a few of the early Fathers gladly assert, , , The knot of EVE'S disobedience was untied by MARY'S obedience: what the virgin EVE bound through her disbelief, MARY loosened by her faith." Comparing her with Eve they call Mary "The Mother of the living" and frequently claim: "Death through EVE. life through MARY."
Although this is a completely heretical doctrine when compared to the scriptures as I will cover in a moment, but you might first note, that St. Irenaeus makes a statement, quoted in the Catechism Paragraph 494, that denies the "Immaculate Conception" doctrine! "Being obedient SHE became the CAUSE OF SALVATION FOR HERSELF ... " If Mary had been born without sin, she would not have needed "salvation!" I must testify that I agree with this part of his statment, that Mary needed to be saved from her sins as ALL men are need of a savior, and confirmed by Luke 1:47 and Romans 3:10 and 23!
Luke 1:46-47 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, [47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Each of the above scriptures, in order for the Catholic church to claim the sinless birth of Mary, would have to be nullified by making an exception! Whereas the sinless life of Christ is confirmed in several scriptures, there is not one single scripture that says that Mary was sinless "For all have sinned!" Here are some scriptures on the sinless life of Christ:
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
2 Cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
The clarity of scripture that points to the sinlessness of Christ, cannot be questioned. Yet, there is not a single scripture that shows the sinless life of Mary!
The rest of the statement made by St. Irenaeus in Paragraph 494, is close to heresy by a rewording of the scriptures, placing Mary in the very position that has already been accredited to Jesus Christ by St. Paul's writings!
Hence not a few of the early Fathers gladly assert, , , The knot of EVE'S disobedience was untied by MARY'S obedience: what the virgin EVE bound through her disbelief, MARY loosened by her faith." Comparing her with Eve they call Mary "The Mother of the living" and frequently claim: "Death through EVE. life through MARY."
Let's look at the Bible and see how this compares:
1 Cor. 15:22 "For as in ADAM all die, even so in CHRIST all shall be made alive"
compared with "Death through EVE. life through MARY."
Rom. 5:19 "For as by one MAN'S disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners, so also by one MAN'S obedience (Jesus) many will be made righteous."
compared with The knot of EVE'S disobedience was untied by MARY'S obedience:
Heb. 5:8-9 "He (Jesus) learned obedience by the things which He suffered.. He became the Author of Eternal SALVATION to all who obey Him."
compared with "Being obedient SHE became the CAUSE OF SALVATION FOR HERSELF AND FOR THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE
So we see the Catechism giving credit for man's salvation to the obedience of Mary, while the Bible says it was the obedience of Christ. The Catechism is exchanging the glory of Christ (who is God) and giving it to Mary (a created person).
Rom 1:25 “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”
ORIGINAL SIN
Paragraph 966 says "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin,
I have already covered this issue above! No Scripture says that she was preserved free from all stain of original sin. If this was true, she would not need a savior.
The fact is, if God could save Mary without the Death and resurrection of Christ, then He could have saved ALL OF US without the cross of Calvary. Jesus would NOT HAVE HAD TO DIE! Therefore His crucifixion would have been in vain.
Mary too, like you and I, needed a SAVIOR to save her from her sins. Only Jesus had No sin (2 Cor. 5:21, 1 John 3:5).
If you are trusting Mary to be your God and Savior, then yes, she will need to be sinless. Are you going to trust Mary to save your soul, or Jesus?
MARY -- "EVER VIRGIN"
Matt. 13:55-56 “Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not HIS mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?
Paragraph 500 refers to Mat. 13:55 and 28:1; cf. Mat. 27:56 to disqualify Mary as the mother of James and Joseph. Yet the scripture in Matthew had correctly identified Jesus' father as "the carpenter" and "HIS MOTHER called Mary". In other words, they were identifying Jesus' family.. His Father, Mother, Brothers and Sisters.
Let's also look at:
Gal. 1:19 Paul wrote "But I saw none of the other apostles except JAMES, THE LORD'S BROTHER"
Eusebius Pamphilus (265-339 AD) in "Ecclesiastical History" identifies James as "the brother of our Lord because he is also called the son of Joseph the esteemed Father of Christ." (Pg 48 Bk. II Chap. 1, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49506) This certainly does not make James a cousin, the son of an aunt or uncle!
Jude :1 Jude in writing his letter introduces himself as “Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and BROTHER OF JAMES.”
Again Eusebius Pamphilus (265-339 AD) Pg 103 Bk. III Chap. XX writes "There were yet living of the family of our Lord, the grandchildren of Judas, called the brother of our Lord, according to the flesh"
Both James and Judas (Jude) are identified as Brothers of Jesus in Mat. 13:55.
In Matthew 12:46-50 Jesus is told "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You." And Jesus answered "Who is My mother and who are My brothers? and He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and MOTHER."
I'm sure this scripture might offend you, but Jesus said it and you can find it in your Bible. I have heard it explained by Catholic defenders of Mary's "ever virgin" adherents that the Greek word for "Brother's" (Gr. “adelphos”) can mean cousins". I find it interesting that in Matthew 12:46-47 and 13:55 that no mention of an aunt or uncle is ever mentioned. But then I guess that means Mary was baby-sitting very often. The same word "Adelphos" is used for Matthew 4:21 "..He saw two other brothers (adelphos), James the son of Zebedee. and John his brother (adelphos), In the boat with Zebedee their father.." In this scripture verse it actually means “brother”, and NOT “cousin”.
Psalms 69:8-9, a prophetic word speaking of Jesus says "I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother's CHILDREN. Because the zeal for Your house has eaten me up...
This prophetic scripture says Mary had “Children”
This prophecy was fulfilled in John 2:12 & 17 "After this He went down to Capernaum. He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples ..." and here the reference to the fulfillment of the above scripture is shown, "Then His disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."
In John 7:5 "For even His brothers did not believe In Him." Jesus was a stranger and an alien to his brothers I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother's CHILDREN. In fact, right here you will find the only recorded conversation Jesus had with His brothers in John 7:2-10.
Anyone who wishes to be fair with Gods word, would have to confess that the weight of Biblical and historical proof that Mary had other children is much greater than not! Making these "brothers and sisters" into "cousins", has NO Biblical proof and conflicts with the testimony of the early church historian Eusebius Pamphilus, Bishop of Cesarea around 300 a.d.! While some would try to avoid this complication by saying that Joseph had children from a previous marriage, again have absolutely no evidence of proof, and further complicate the gospel message that claims that Jesus was the King of Israel, an honor that is given to the firstborn son! The lineage of Kings to Joseph, is shown in Matthew chapter 1!
What is the purpose of making Mary childless other than Jesus? To exalt her as a God! “How could a goddess bear children with sin?” is their reasoning! Without scriptural proof, in order to exalt her, they made her “the Mother of God”, a perpetual virgin, born without sin, and, after a sinless life, ascended into heaven body and soul (Paragraph 966) where she is now “Queen of Heaven”.
How does this compare with Jesus Christ, who is God Himself. He was a virgin, born without sin, and after a sinless life, He ascended into Heaven bodily, where He is now King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
It would take a blind person to deny the attempt to exalt Mary as a goddess through these statements and an attempt to give her the place of God the Son, Jesus Christ!
Although Jesus is God Himself, Mary is NOT the "mother" of God!
The church, when it originally made the statement that Mary was the "Mother of God" in 431 A.D. never intended to bring glory to Mary. Anyone who will research this article, will find that the term was brought forth to identify the true nature of the person of Christ, not the exaltation of Mary! The intent of these early church fathers, was to clarify to the Nestorian heretics, that Jesus Christ was truly GOD prior to his birth and that the person who was born to Mary, was the very same person who pre-existed as God! (The Nestorian heresy claimed that the infant born to Mary, and God, were two seperate persons) To read about the origin of the "Mother of God" doctrine and the Nestorian heresy, click here!
Jesus humbled himself, removed his glory and equalty with God (the Father) and became a man like you and I ! (Phil. 2:5-8) & (Heb. 10:5). Paragraphs 461-462 writes
461 "The Word became flesh", The Church calls "Incarnation" the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. In a hymn cited by St. Paul, the Church sings the mystery of the Incarnation:
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. and being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Phil 2:5-7
462 The Letter to the Hebrews refers to the same mystery: Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Lo, I have come to do your will, O God." Hebrews 10:5
I am in full agreement with the teachings of incarnation of the Christ in Paragraphs 461-469
"The Nestorian heresy regarded Christ as a human person joined to the divine person of God's Son. Opposing this heresy, St. Cyril of Alexandria and the third ecumenical council, at Ephesus in 431, confessed "that the Word, uniting to himself in his person the flesh animated by a rational soul, became man." Christ's humanity has no other subject than the divine person of the Son of God, who assumed it and made it his own, from his conception. For this reason the Council of Ephesus proclaimed in 431 that Mary truly became the Mother of God by the human conception of the Son of God in her womb: "Mother of God, not that the nature of the Word or his divinity received the beginning of its existence from the holy Virgin, but that, since the holy body, animated by a rational soul, which the Word of God united to himself according to the hypostasis, was born from her, the Word is said to be born according to the flesh."
While it is understandable for the Council of Ephesis to have used the term "Mother of God" to identify that the child born of Mary, is the eternal God who became a man, today's Catholic has taken the liberty to use the term "Mother of God" to glorify the woman who gave him birth and give her the status of being comparable to a goddess, crowned as the Queen of Heaven who can hear and answer the prayers of millions of Catholics at once, a feat that only God can accomplish!
Please take note, that prior to 431 A.D., Mary was never glorified as the "Mother of God," neither was her subsiquent exaltation to be "Queen of Heaven" which are modern teachings of the church since that Council!
In technical terms, Mary did NOT give birth, or a "beginning" to "God" and in the true position as a Mother she is not the "Mother of God!" The one whom she bore, was God who became man, not by her power, nor by her sinlessness, nor her piety!
Mary is the Mother of the "Human" nature of Christ, the MAN Jesus Christ, NOT his "deity" nature which had already pre-existed, therefore, she is NOT the "Mother of God!"
Jesus had already been God for eternity past! At His conception, Jesus, who had always been God, humbled himself, removed his glory and equality of being "God" and became "man!"
For a more complete explination of Phil. 2:6-7, please read the following link!
Jesus is the Everlasting Father!
Not only is Jesus the one who created Mary, he is HER everlasting Father (and ours)!
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
While the Catechism explicitly teaches that Mary did not originate the beginning of the deity of Christ at Birth, by implication, they now allow their followers to believe that Mary is the "Mother of God" in a sense that allows her to be exalted as "Queen of Heaven (Paragraph 966)!" Whereas the glory was intended to be focused on Jesus by the early church fathers, the current day church has allowed their followers to fall into the heresy of idol worship and glorify the woman, Mary! The worship they had hoped would be given to Christ as God, leaped past him and fell upon the woman who bore him! The early church fathers of the Council of Ephesis would bow their heads in shame if they knew that their decision would one day influence the people of the church to turn their worship to the human Mother of Christ rather than to Him who rightly deserves it!
Jesus created ALL things!
Jesus is creator of all things, and thus, he himself created Mary!
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
John 1:1-3 & 10 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
... He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
GOD the Son, who existed for all eternity past while dwelling in heavenly places, at a certain point in time, became a MAN in a body of flesh like yours and mine (John 1:1, 10 & 14, 1 Tim. 3:16)! God miraculously, created the body of the infant in the womb of Mary, in which Jesus Christ, leaving his position of being equal with God the Father (Phil. 2:6-7), stepped down out of heaven into the human body in the womb of Mary and became a man!
Phi 2:6-7 (WNT) Although from the beginning He had the nature of God He did not reckon His equality with God a treasure to be tightly grasped (held onto). Nay, He stripped Himself of His glory, and took on Him the nature of a bondservant by becoming a man like other men.
1 Tim. 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, .....
Hebrews 10:5 ...... but a body hast thou prepared me:
The Seed of Christ! Must Mary have been "sinless" to carry the seed of Christ?
Mary is NOT the ONLY person to carry the seed of the MAN Jesus Christ, Abraham and David both, also carried the seed of Christ. It does NOT take a sinless person to carry the seed of Christ, as Abraham and David both sinned. Therefore, to reason that Mary had to be sinless to carry the seed of Christ, is a false assumption!
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
2 Tim. 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
This is the same “seed” that was prophecied to come in:
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Abraham, David and Mary (and every human being from the geneological line listed in Luke 3:23-38) carried the seed "Jesus Christ"! (It is understood by theologians that the list in Luke 3:23-38 is the geneological line of Adam to Mary, Joseph being noted in her place as her husband and son-in-law to Heli, by which the seed of the Messiah was carried. The list in Matthew chapter 1 is the geneological line of Joseph through the Kings of Israel showing that Jesus had rightful inheritance to the throne as King of Israel being the "legal" firstborn son of Joseph)
Through Joseph, Jesus was the rightful heir to the throne of Israel as King! (Matthew Chapter 1)
John 1:49
Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
John 12:13
Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
ADVOCATE, HELPER, BENEFACTRESS, AND MEDIATRIX
Paragraph 969 exalts Mary and says "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."
This entire statement is giving ALL the titles of the Godhead to Mary, a created being, which is the foundation of idolatry.
Who has the saving office?
Isa. 43:11 "I, even I, am the Lord, and besides me there is NO SAVIOR."
Who is our intercessor?
Heb. 7:25 "Therefore He (Jesus) is able to SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to MAKE INTERCESSION for them."
1 Tim. 2:5 "For there is one God and ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, the man JESUS CHRIST."
Who gives us the gift of Eternal Salvation?
Heb. 5:9 "...He (Jesus) became the author of ETERNAL SALVATION to all who obey Him."
Who is our Advocate?
1 John 2:1 "...and if anyone sins, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father, JESUS CHRIST the righteous one.
Who is our Helper?
John 14:26 "But the HELPER, the HOLY SPIRIT, whom the Father will send in My name...
Who is our Benefactor? (Benefactor means "worker of Good.")
Matt. 19:17 "...Why do you call Me GOOD? NO ONE IS GOOD but one, that is, GOD."
Who Is our Mediator?
1 Tim. 2:5 "There is one God and ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, the man JESUS CHRIST."
Titles of the Godhead
Please note, every title that was given to Mary, are the exact titles that rightfully and solely belong to the Godhead alone; God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Yet there is not a single scripture that gives Mary even one of these titles. Since each of these titles rightfully belongs to Deity, and ONLY to Deity, why do you suppose, without a single scripture to support it, did the Catholic Church give these titles to Mary? Would it be for the express intent to glorify her as a goddess? Venerated as the Queen of Heaven?
Here are some quotes from the Catechism:
Paragraph 966 says "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, ..... EXALTED BY THE LORD AS QUEEN OVER ALL THINGS...”
Paragraph 972 "the Church Is awaited by the one she VENERATES as Mother of her Lord and as her own Mother."
Paragraph 2112 "IDOLATRY" “The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in NOR TO VENERATE, other divinities than the one true God."
QUEEN OF HEAVEN
Paragraph 966 says "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...”
There is not a single scripture that gives her this title, nor of her bodily ascension to heaven. And to give further insult not only to God the Father, but also to the true St. Mary, this title is the name of an Old Testament pagan deity.
Jeremiah 7:18 & 44:15-27
*God considers the "Queen of Heaven" to be "other gods" (v 15-17).
*They burned Incense (lighted candles) to her and she answered their prayers (v 17-18).
*But... It was an "abomination" to God and it was "SIN" (v22-23)
*As a result of this sin, God punished them with famine and death (v27).
*Even witches, psychics, and palm readers call on the name "Queen of Heaven" and the "goddess Mary" in their rituals for spiritual guidance and fortune telling! (These 2 links will take you to Witches websites who worship Mary as a goddess)
Jeremiah 7:18-20
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. [19] Do they provoke me to anger? saith the Lord: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? [20] Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
Although Catholic apologetics claim Mary was exalted as Mother of the church in John 19:26-27, I can find NO indication of Mary being exalted to this office by this scripture! The Catholic Church has read into this verse a deeper meaning that what is obviously and plainly written!
John 19:26-27
When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! [27] Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
It is common knowledge that Joseph had already died by this time, and Jesus simply hands Mary over to John's care in her old age! Defining John as a representative of the entire church and therefore, making Mary the mother of the church, has no Biblical support by any scripture! Needless to say, Jesus identified all of the body of believers as family members in Matthew 12, without glorifying his mother Mary as "THE" mother of the church as the Catholic church has done!
Matthew 12:49-50
And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! [50] For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
The point is this! In Christ, we are ALL, mothers, brothers, and sisters for each other! We are a family! Jesus, by giving John to Mary, and Mary to John, was leaving her in his care, and John in her care while they were living, not placing her as the mother of the church!
Surely if Mary was to be exalted as the Catholic church has done today, the scriptures would have been filled with all kinds of details about her glorification as queen of heaven, mother of the church, and details about the prayers and reverence due to her. The Old Testament would have been filled with many prophecies concerning her glory and honor, her life and death even as the scriptures prophesied about Jesus. The New Testament would have been filled with the apostles writings speaking of her glory and intercession as mediator, explaining her fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecies even as they had explained how Jesus Fulfilled the many Old Testament prophecies. Yet NOT ONE of the apostles wrote of her! Acts 1:14 is the LAST time we hear about Mary, the mother of Jesus!
MARY WORSHIP
( & praying to the Saints)
On December 8, 1993, Pope John Paul II celebrated the Immaculate Conception with this prayer "Allow us, Mary, to participate in your Pilgrimage through the countries of South and Central America, where you are so well known and worshipped."
Paragraph 972 "the Church Is awaited by the one she VENERATES as Mother of her Lord and as her own Mother." As I explained earlier no scripture says that Mary Is the MOTHER OF THE CHURCH! (See Gal 4:26 & Isa. 66:7-13) No scripture identifies John as being a representative of the church when Jesus presented Mary to him at the foot of the cross.
The Catechism correctly says: III. "You shall have no other Gods before Me"
We should now have to explain what this means for the Catholic whom has been deprogrammed from the definition and meaning of Idolatry!
Paragraph 2112 "IDOLATRY" “The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in NOR TO VENERATE, other divinities than the one true God."
The word Venerate means "Worship" (which you will find in any dictionary) So while the church declares Mary as the center of their worship, they fail to understand that they are in conflict with their own instructions that they should NOT participate in the very thing they are encouraged to do in Paragraph 972 "the Church Is awaited by the one she VENERATES..."
Paragraph 2113 "Idolatry consists in divining what is not God. Man commits idolatry when he HONORS AND REVERES A CREATURE in place of God... 'You cannot serve God and Mammon."
Mary is a Creature, a created being of God! As the Catechism declares "Idolatry consists in divining what is not God. Man commits idolatry when he HONORS AND REVERES A CREATURE in place of God.
You cannot serve both God and Mary. If you venerate, honor or revere Mary, a created person, you are committing "IDOLATRY" by definition of the Catechism paragraphs 2112 and 2113.
According to Leviticus 26:30-33 “idolatry” brings a curse upon you.
Most Catholics simply do not know what "worship" is. They don't know how to worship God. Therefore, although they worship Mary, they claim they don't, and give a philosophical explanation of why they pray to Mary and Venerate her and then claim that they do not worship her.
Lets define "worship"
Worship is defined as: "reverence, devotion for deity; religious homage or VENERATION"!
Reverence: "a feeling or attitude of deep respect, love and awe, as for something sacred; veneration".
Devotion: "being devoted, piety, religious worship, one or more prayers, loyalty or deep affection".
Homage: "anything given or done to show reverence, honor, or respect".
Veneration: "Worship, reverence, love, to look upon with feelings of deep respect".
Do ANY of these fit the description of the attitude of the Catholics towards Mary?
Apparitions
...and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols:
Many Catholics, run from place to place chasing after these so called "apparitions" of Mary! Others look for "signs" such as an image of Mary in some window, or tears or blood falling from the eyes or engraved wound of an idol etc. In Clearwater, Florida, after seeing what appeard to be an image of Mary in the windows, the Catholics leased the 3 story building (this web page link shows the newspaper article and also shows that Pagans and Witches as worshippers of Mary as a "goddess). The parking lot is full of chairs as they pray at the foot of the building. THEY ARE WORSHIPPING A BUILDING and claiming it's Mary!! "because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ....God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" 2 Thess. 2:10-11 Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 2 Cor 11:14
These apparitions add fire to the idol worshippers who dedicate their lives to this abominable practice; a practice that God has pleaded over and over again throughout history that we should turn away from!
Ezekiel 6:9 ... because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
If you will notice, instead of repenting of their sins and turning away from their idols, each of these "apparitions" entice the Catholic to fall deeper into idol worship! Jesus warned us NOT to trust them!
Matthew 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
Matthew 24:24-25 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. [25] Behold, I have told you before.
2 Cor. 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming (disguised) themselves into the apostles of Christ. [14] And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed (disguised) into an angel of light. [15] Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed (disguised) as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Col. 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
2 Thes. 2:9-12 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, [10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: [12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Deut. 13:1-3 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, [2] And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; [3] Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth (tests) you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
No doubt, those who follow after these signs and wonders and falling prostrate before these dumb, worthless idols, are failing the test of God (Deut. 13:1-3) and God is sending them a strong delusion to believe this lie so that they may be damned because they refuse to believe the truth and be saved (2 Thess. 2:9-12). These people do not love God, but they do love their idols and refuse to turn away from them! Mary, and these idols cannot save the sinner!
Praying to the dead!
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says that necromancy (communicating with the dead) is an abomination to the Lord.
Deu 18:10-12 You must never sacrifice your sons or daughters by burning them alive, practice black magic, be a fortuneteller, witch, or sorcerer, cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits for help, or consult the dead.
Whoever does these things is disgusting to the LORD. The LORD your God is forcing these nations out of your way because of their disgusting practices.
The ONLY Biblical example of anyone praying to a dead Saint is when King Saul went to the witch of En Dor and asked to speak with Samuel, because God had stopped speaking to Saul on account of his sins. This wicked deed cost Saul his very life. He was killed in battle the next day. (1 Samuel 28:3-19, 31:6)
Isa 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
Isa 1:15-17 “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. “
Prov 28:9 “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.”
The ONLY reason a person will pray to the Saints, is because God DOES NOT hear the prayers of a sinner. So a Catholic, like King Saul, adds to his sins by praying to the Saints, thinking that the Saint will speak to God for him. If a Catholic ignores the Bible, and will not submit to God's law, even his prayer is an “abomination.”
The first prayer that God hears from anyone, is the prayer of REPENTANCE.
Luke 18:11-14 “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
The Pharisee thought he wasn't a bad man like the publican, but yet it was the publican that God listened to. The Pharisees prayers fell to the ground. God's prescription for successful prayers that are heard by God are noted in John 14:6, 13-15 & 15:16 “that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (The name of Jesus)
God does NOT count prayers “like the heathen” who use the rosary (Matt. 6:6-8) Additionally you will note that this scripture again says to “Pray to your Father (God)” and not to Mary. You will note that the “Our Father” is a daily prayer “Give us our daily bread” and this is given right after Jesus said NOT to pray repetitious prayers as the heathen do. Every prayer prayed to the Father, through the name of Jesus is heard by the Father. God DOES NOT hear the “Hail Mary”, obviously, since the “Hail Mary” is not prayed TO the Father! In fact, it is considered a prayer to “Other gods” and is an abomination (Jer. 7:16-20) and brings a curse upon the person praying. King Saul was cursed for speaking to Samuel, the dead prophet! He should have repented and cried out to God “Have mercy on me, I have sinned!”
Catechism Paragraph 65-66 says "In giving us His Son, HIS ONLY WORD, He spoke everything to us at once In his SOLE WORD - and he has NO MORE TO SAY ... Any person questioning God or desiring some vision or revelation would be GUILTY not only of foolish behavior but also of OFFENDING him, by NOT FIXING HIS EYES ENTIRELY UPON CHRIST and by living with the desire for some OTHER NOVELTY. NO NEW public Revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation (return) of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My dear friend, the entire teaching of the exaltation of Mary is not Biblical and even according to the Catechism, can not be accepted for it Is NOVELTY. Those who adhere to these teachings are guilty of OFFENDING GOD by not fixing their eyes ENTIRELY on Christ. This is IDOLATRY. Mary has been exalted as the God of the Catholic Church in which they trust for their Salvation. I implore you on Christ's behalf, turn your eyes to Jesus, your true salvation.
The origins of the 
worship of Mary is explained as follows:
Quoted from the "Smith's Bible Dictionary" by William Smith, LL.D. we read "We do not enter into the theological bearings of the worship of St. Mary; but we shall have left our task incomplete if we do not add a short historical sketch of the origin, progress, and present state of the devotion to her. What was it's origin? Certainly not the Bible. There is not a word there from which it could be inferred, nor in the Creeds; nor in the Fathers of the first five centuries. Where, then, did it arise? There is not a shadow of doubt that the origin of the worship of St. Mary is to be found in the apocryphal legends of her birth and of her death. Some of the legends of her birth are as early as the 2nd and 3rd century.
They were the production of the GNOSTICS, and were unanimously and firmly rejected by the Church of the first five centuries as fabulous and heretical. Down to the time of the NESTORIAN controversy the cultus of the Blessed Virgin would appear to have been wholly external to the Church, and to have been regarded as heretical. But the Nestorian controversies produced a great change of sentiment in men's minds. NESTORIUS had maintained not only that our Lord had two natures, the divine and the human (which was right), but also that he was two persons, in such sort that the child born of Mary was not divine, but merely an ordinary human being, until the divinity subsequently united itself to Him.
This was condemned by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431; and the title "Mother of God" was sanctioned. The object of the Council and of the AntiNestorians was in no sense to add honor to the mother. but to maintain the true doctrine with respect to the Son. From this time the worship of St. Mary grew apace.
(My note: The Gnostic heresy and Nestorian heresy are discussed in the Catholic Catechism # 464, 465 & 466. Both of these heresies denied that Jesus was God at birth)
Thus in the worship of the Blessed Virgin there were two distinctly-marked periods. The first is that time which commences with the apostolic times, and brings us to the close of the century in which the Council of Ephesus was held, during which the worship of St. Mary was wholly external to the church, and was Regarded by the Church as heretical, and confined to Gnostic and Collyridian heretics. The second period begins with the 6th century when it began to spread within the Church; and in spite of the shock given it by the Reformation, has continued to spread until today.
The legend of the Assumption of St. Mary first appears in an insertion (now recognized on all hands to be a forgery) In Eusebius' Chronicle, to the effect that it says "in the year A. D. 48 Mary the Virgin was taken up into heaven, as some wrote that they had it revealed to them" This legend crept Into the Church during the 6th and 7th centuries and was finally ratified by the authority both of Rome and Constantinople.
The Sinlessness of St. Mary, which has issued the dogma of the "Immaculate conception", was likewise of late origin. Down to the close of the 5th century the sentiment with respect to her was identical with that which is expressed by the theologians of the Church of England. At this time the change of mind previously referred to, as originated by the NESTORIAN controversy, was spreading within the Church; and it became more and more the general belief that St. Mary was preserved from actual sin by the grace of God. it became almost universal In the 12th century. This doctrine was affirmed by the Papal decree of Dec. 8. 1854.
I shall leave this topic on Mary with this for you to think about. Jesus himself, created Mary! (Colossians 1:15-19, and John 1:1-14) He has always existed in eternity past (Micah 5:2), He spoke to Abraham under the terebinth tree (Genesis 18:1-2), He appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:13-15, John 8:56-58), He was the fourth man in the fire with the three Hebrew boys (Daniel 3:25) and in Daniel 7:13-14 we see Him receiving the kingdom from the Father! Jesus is GOD Himself (John 20:27-29, John 1:1, 14) Don't think for a moment that the life of Jesus Christ began at His bodily birth through Mary. He created her to give birth to a physical body and at conception, Jesus, the Son of God, entered into the body of the child in her womb (Hebrews 10:5, Isaiah 48:16 & 49:1) having humbled Himself and became a man (Philippians 2:5-8) so that He could redeem us from the law of sin and death (Galatians 4:4-6).
GRAVEN IMAGES
The Catholic church conveniently removed the 2nd Commandment of God and split the 10th Commandment in order to accommodate idolatry. In Exodus chapter 20 verses 1-17 you will find the ten commandments. In verses 4 & 5 you will find the 2nd commandment and it says:
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any Graven Image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: (note the words “in heaven”, where the Saints are)
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a Jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me”
God is “a jealous God” and He will NOT share his glory with anyone:
Isa 42:8 “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”
The above is a photograph of the Pope bowing down to a statue of Mary.
1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from IDOLS.”
In 1 Corinthians 10:14 Paul says “flee from idolatry.. an idol is anything? Rather the things which Gentiles sacrifice (to idols) they sacrifice to DEMONS and not to God....or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?
According to the scriptures, those who bow to a graven image, though they may think they are bowing to a Saint, are actually bowing to a Devil, bringing a curse on themselves and their family to the 4th generation. Idolatry was the great sin that brought the downfall of Israel! Does the Catholic church think that they are better than the Jews? They have fallen into the same sin!
2 Kings 17:12 For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
Psalm 106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
Ezekiel 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Ezekiel 20:16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
Ezekiel 20:18-24 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: [19] I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them..... Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them,...... Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth...... Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
Paul, when he addressed the idolatry of the people of Athens, told them that God commanded them to repent of this sin!
Acts 17:16, 19-30 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. ..... "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. [30] And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:"
It's amazing how, through the years, the Catholic church has gently taken the people right BACK into this sin! The Thessalonian church was commended because they turned away from their idols!
1 Thes. 1:9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
Finally, during God's judgment in the last days in the book of Revelation, please note that even during the plagues of God's wrath, these people will not turn away from their idols!
Rev. 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
SALVATION
Paragraph 845-6 "Outside the Church there is no salvation." "Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse to enter it or remain in it."
Why would the Catechism say this when the prior page says:
Paragraph 841 "The plan of salvation also Includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in first place amongst whom are the MUSLIMS.." (Muslims worship "Allah" a moon god idol from ancient Mecca) Click MUSLIMS to learn more about them.
This seems very strange to me since Acts 4:12 speaking of Jesus says "nor is there salvation in any other. for there Is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given among men by whom we must be saved." The Muslims have no Faith in the name of Jesus. They deny that He is God's Son. Yet 1 John 5:10-13 says that you cannot have eternal life unless you have the Son of God! In Fact, Muhammad, called God a liar when he proclaimed that God has NO son!
1 John 5:10-13
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. [11] And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. [13] These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Why would the Catechism say one thing on one page and then totally speak the opposite on the next page, even denying the scriptures.
Acts 16:30-31 "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul replied "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..."
Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe In your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
According to the Bible, Salvation has nothing to do with the Church, but rather the NAME of JESUS CHRIST.
Those who call on the name of Mary, or the Saints, or Allah have missed their salvation. "For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord (Jesus Christ) shall be saved." (Rom. 10:9-13)
1 John 3:9 "Whoever has been born of God (Born Again) does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been BORN OF GOD."
You CANNOT STOP SINNING until you are "BORN AGAIN" by God's Holy Spirit!
PURGATORY
A place taught by the Catholic Church where the dead are purged of their sins prior to entering heaven. This teaching Is NOT IN THE SCRIPTURES. Jesus never taught it. Never did our Lord God In the Old nor New Testament speak of it. Neither does the Jewish Faith teach It. In Fact the Scriptures say those whom have repented of their sins and been born again by the Holy Spirit have already been purged of our sins!
1 Corintheans 6:9-11 NKJV Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
2 Pet 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Jesus has already purged our sins! NO ONE will go to a place of purging after death!
Heb. 7:25 "Therefore He (Jesus) is also able to SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Heb. 10:14 "For by one offering He has PERFECTED FOREVER those who are being sanctified.
Paragraph 1031, the Catechism speaks of a cleansing fire before the final Judgment. There is NO teaching in the scriptures of such a thing.
The reference to 1 Cor. 3:15 is misleading. This is the fire of a reward, not to purge sin. In context this scripture speaks of the man that is saved, but whose work for the Lord in this lifetime was fruitless. Although this man has repented of his sins, and called on the name of Jesus, he helped no one else to repent of their sins, come to Christ and inherit the kingdom of God. (Read verses 6-15) Although he will get into heaven himself, his "work Is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." Verse 14 speaks of a reward to the one whose work has been fruitful.
Also, the Catechism references 1 Peter 1:7. Again this is misleading. The scripture is speaking of the testing by fire "NOW" IN THIS LIFE. The fire is our trials that test our faith. Let me quote the verse WITH verse 6. "In this you greatly rejoice, though NOW for a little while, if need be, you HAVE BEEN grieved by various trials, that the genuiness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though IT IS TESTED BY FIRE. may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
2 Macc. 12:45-46 In verse 43 it says Judas Macc. was thinking of the resurrection of the dead and prayed for them "with a view of the SPLENDID REWARD that awaits those who had gone to rest in GODLINESS, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made ATONEMENT for the dead that they might be freed from their sins."
The reference to 2 Maccabees 12:45-46 Is not proof of Purgatory for the following reasons:
1. First, please note that he prayed for the "GODLY, THE SAINTS.”
2. Secondly, this was BEFORE the ATONING BLOOD of Jesus (see Rom. 3:24-26)! Rev. 1:5 says "To Him who loved us and WASHED us from our SINS In His own BLOOD." And Heb. 10:14 says "He has PERFECTED those who are being sanctified." If you are in Christ, you are sanctified now. Jesus is our PERFECT ATONEMENT.
3. Maccabees act of atoning for the dead is NOT a teaching of the Lord God in ANY scripture. He acted on his own "holy and pious thought"
4. This scripture in Maccabees says NOTHING about a place of PURGING (Purgatory).
5. Although a place called "Abraham's bosom" did exist and was taught by Jesus in Luke 16:19-31, it is now empty. It was NOT a place of PURGING. Every Saint of the Old Testament was there waiting for Jesus to open the door to heaven. Jesus has now opened the door to heaven through His death and resurrection.
6. The book of Maccabees (and the other books of the Apocrypha) were:
a. Never quoted by, nor referred to by Jesus or the apostles.
b. They are not recognized by the Hebrews. Since the Apocrypha is Old Testament, certainly the Jews would have recognized them if they were canon. Paul, speaking of the Jews, says in Rom. 3:1-2 "to them were committed (entrusted) the ORACLES (scriptures) of God."
c. No canon or council of the Christian church for the first 4 centuries recognized them as inspired.
d. Many of the great fathers of the early church spoke out against them such as, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Athanasius. Even Jerome, the great scholar and translator of the Vulgate refused the Apocrypha. After his death the Apocryphal books were added to his Latin Vulgate. Not until 1546 A.D. did the Catholic church give them full canonical status.
7. If Maccabees is the only scripture the Church has available to build a doctrine on Purgatory, It is weak.
Lastly, reference is made to the book of Job 1:5. If you will read this scripture you will find that Job's sons were alive when he offered the sacrifice on their behalf. This verse has nothing to do with the dead.
SUMMARY: Purgatory has NO SCRIPTURAL BASIS at all. IT DOES NOT EXIST!
Rev. 20:15 " and anyone not found written in the BOOK of LIFE was cast into the LAKE OF FIRE."
John 3:3 "..unless one Is Born Again he CANNOT see the Kingdom of God." (Must be born of the Spirit, Verse 6)
Rom. 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth THE LORD JESUS and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED."
1 Cor. 12:3 "no one can say that JESUS IS LORD except by the Holy Spirit."
Rom. 8:9 "Now if anyone does NOT have the Spirit of Christ, he Is not His." (does not belong to God)
Purgatory was originated to raise $$. Have you ever paid $$ to have a mass offered up to a dead relative?
Are you "Born Again" by the Holy Spirit and going to heaven? If not, then you need to be, because you will NOT go to Purgatory, but rather you will go to Hell, and be judged, then cast into the lake of Fire. And NO ONE can pray you out. This is God's word. (Rev. 20:11-15) He says you MUST "Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38. Repent means to TURN away from your sins, to CHANGE.
THE ROCK
The following is a quote from Roman Catholic Bishop Strossmayer before the Vatican in 1870
"I say no more, my venerable brethren; and I come now to speak of the great argument - which you mentioned before - to establish the primacy of the bishop of Rome by the rock (petra). If this were true, the dispute would be at an end; but our forefathers - and they certainly knew something - did not think of it as we do. St. Cyril in his fourth book on the Trinity, says, 'I believe that by the rock you must understand the unshaken faith of the apostles.' St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, in his second book on the Trinity, says, 'The rock (petra) is the blessed and only rock of the faith confessed by the mouth of St. Peter;' and in the sixth book of the Trinity, he says, 'It is on this rock of the confession of faith that the church is built.' 'God,' says St. Jerome in the sixth book on St. Matthew, 'has founded His church on this rock, and it is from this rock that the apostle Peter has been named.' After him St. Chrysostom says in his fifty-third homily on St. Matthew, 'On this rock I will build my church - that is, on the faith of the confession.' Now, what was the confession of the apostle? Here it is - 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Ambrose, the holy Archbishop of Milan (on the second chapter of the Ephesians), St. Basil of Seleucia, and the fathers of the Council of Chalcedon, teach exactly the same thing. Of all the doctors of Christian antiquity St. Augustine occupies one of the first places for knowledge and holiness. Listen then to what he writes in his second treatise on the first epistle of St. John: 'What do the words mean, I will build my church on the rock? On this faith, on that which said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' In his treatise on St. John we find this most significant phrase - 'On this rock which thou hast confessed I will build my church, since Christ was the rock.' The great bishop believed so little that the church was built on St. Peter that he said to the people in his thirteenth sermon, 'Thou art Peter, and on this rock (petra) which thou hast confessed, on this rock which thou hast known, saying, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God, I will build my church - upon Myself, who am the Son of the living God: I will build it on Me, and not Me on thee.' That which St. Augustine thought upon this celebrated passage was the opinion of all Christendom in his time."
It is interesting to note, that the Catholic Catechism gives "two" separate explanations of what the "Rock" represents!
The first explanation, agrees with Bishop Strossmayer's speech above and defines the rock as the "confession of Faith by Peter," not Peter himself!
Paragraph 424 "Moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit and drawn by the Father, we believe and confess: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' ON THE ROCK OF THIS FAITH CONFESSED by St. Peter, CHRIST BUILT HIS CHURCH!
I totally agree with the statement in Paragraph 424 as the truth. It is the ROCK of our confession of Faith which saves us by which we are added to "The Church" which Christ built. Peter was not the ROCK, it was his "CONFESSION OF FAITH" IN CHRIST.
Then, in Paragraph 881, the Catechism CHANGES their statement to:
Paragraph 881 "The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the ROCK of His Church."
So the question arises, is the church built upon Peter himself, or is it built upon our faith in Jesus Christ as being the Christ, and confessing Jesus as Lord, the Son of God?
Salvation is dependant upon "WHO' we believe that Jesus is:
John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
So if our salvation is dependant upon our belief in WHO Jesus IS, then Matthew 16 is the key verse of scripture that declares the true identity of Jesus! Peter identified him as "the Christ, the Son of the Living God!"
If we look at the scripture, it is clear that the focus of this scripture is predicated upon the question
"whom say ye that I am?"
Matthew 16:13-18
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? [14] And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. [15] He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? [16] And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. [17] And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. [18] And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Peter's confession of faith, is the foundation of our salvation!
1 John 4:15
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1 John 5:1
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
While the Roman Catholic Church is determined to make Peter "The Rock," May I show you other scriptures that clearly defines who the TRUE Rock is identified to be! Again, the Glory due to Jesus is given to a created being. The Scriptures identifies the ROCK as:
2 Samuel 22:23 "...And WHO is OUR ROCK except OUR GOD." God is "our ROCK".
Psalm 19:14 "...O LORD, my ROCK and my REDEEMER." The LORD is our ROCK!
I Cor. 10:4 "..and that ROCK WAS CHRIST." Jesus is our ROCK!
The Rock is identified as "God, the Lord, and Christ!" Jesus Christ is all three "God, Lord and Christ!"
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him (Jesus), My Lord and my God.
1 Cor. 2:11 For NO ONE can lay ANY FOUNDATION OTHER than the one already laid, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST.
Who is your ROCK and FOUNDATION, Peter, the Pope, or Jesus? Paul wrote there is NO other foundation than Jesus Christ!
Peter is NOT THE ROCK on which Jesus built His Church! It was WHAT PETER DID that is the ROCK! It was his CONFESSION OF FAITH which was revealed to him by the Father in heaven! And every person who confesses “Jesus as LORD, the Christ, the Son of God” even as Peter did, becomes part of the Church (see Rom. 10:9-10). And this is how Christ built His Church!
The name Peter, in Greek, is "Petros" G4074 pet'-ros Apparently a primary word; a (piece of) rock (larger than G3037); as a name, Petrus, an apostle: - Peter, rock. Compare G2786.
But, the word for "Rock" in Matt.16:17 is "petra" G4073 pet'-ra Feminine of the same as G4074; a (mass of) rock (literally or figuratively): - rock.
By definition, two different words were spoken by Jesus when He made this foundational statment.
Jesus said in Matt. 16:17 “...And I tell you that you are Peter (Petros - meaning a piece of rock) and upon this ROCK (Petra - meaning “a mass of a ROCK”) I will build my church.”
Note that Jesus did NOT say, "you are the rock on which I will build my church!" But rather Jesus said "upon THIS rock..." The key point being that Peter did not recognize that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, by his own knowledge or by man, but rather Peter received this "revelation" from God the Father. In the same way, NO one can come to Jesus and confess him as the Christ, the Son of God, unless the Father reveals it to him!
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Every "born again" believer has had this revelation given to him by the Father in heaven, even as it was given to Peter! By this ROCK of "faith and confession of faith", the true church continues to grow (although today, that growth is mostly outside of the Catholic church which continues to disobey the Father in unrepented sin and its worship of idols)! Unfortunately, the Catholic church has abandoned the faith of Peter, while still claiming to be successors of Peter! The reason most Catholics dispute this scripture, is because they have not received the same revelation that Peter received about Jesus and they continue to exalt and glorify man in place of God like the Jews did throughout history, giving Peter and his "successors," the position and glory due to Jesus Christ alone! Anyone who will read the Old Testament can see the comparisons of the sins of Israel and the sins of the Catholic church!
The name of Peter, was even defined for the reader of scriptures in John 1:42 "And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone."
Peter was the FIRST STONE or "piece of rock" of that "massive ROCK" by which WE TOO become stones and are added to that ROCK when we come to Jesus and confess Him as Lord, Chirst, the Son of God.
1 Peter 2:4-5 "Coming to Him (Jesus) as to a LIVING STONE, rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious, YOU ALSO as LIVING STONES, are being built up a spiritual house .."
Peter, understanding his part as only being one of the stones, the first stone by his confession of faith, wrote the above quote! The "spiritual house" Peter mentions, is the true church! Peter said that we TOO become "LIVING STONES" of this spiritual house when we come to Christ. And all of us LIVING STONES make up the ROCK of whom Jesus is that ROCK and we are HIS BODY, the church, by FAITH In Christ.
May I ask you, for what purpose is it so very important to replace Jesus, the true ROCK, with Peter? Why is it so very significant to make Peter the foundation of the church, rather than Jesus Christ? Isn't it obvious to the reader, that there is an attempt to give the glory of God to created persons?
THE POPE
Although the Catholic Church names Peter as the first Pope of the Church, Eusebius and (Pope) Clement disagree. First I might mention that the term “POPE” is not Biblical, but the term “BISHOP” is. Secondly, the church began in Jerusalem, NOT Rome!
Eusebius writes that James, the Brother of Jesus, “was the first to receive the episcopate of the church at Jerusalem. Clement, in the Sixth Book of his Institutions, represents it thus: `Peter, James and John after the ascension of our Saviour, though they had been preferred by our Lord, did NOT contend for the honour, BUT CHOSE JAMES THE JUST AS BISHOP OF JERUSALEM. (Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, Pg 49, Bk. 2 Chapt. I)
Eusebius was the 6th Bishop of Ceserea. Clement, according to Eusebius, was the 3rd Bishop of Rome (Pg 479), a Pope according to the Catholic Church.
In "the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus" Eusebius records every successive Bishop of six churches beginning with Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, Laodicea and Cesorea. No Pope was identified as being above the others was ever recorded at that time (265-339 A.D.)
In fact, in reading "the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus", at the Council of Nice in 325 AD, over 300 Bishops had gathered to answer the question, “was Jesus created by God? Or did he coexist with the Father and is in fact of the same essence of the Father?”
All the Bishops worked together to determine true doctrine and NO Pope presided! Every Bishop had equal authority. Non held supreme authority as the Pope of the "Roman" Catholic church today holds.
Roman Catholic Bishop Strossmayer presented a strong case against "Papal infallibility" at the Vatican I in 1870. He reveals much about the office of the Pope in his sermon before the Bishops of Rome. The following is a list of his points made during the speech!
"Therefore, to resume, I establish: (1) That Jesus has given to His apostles the same power that He gave to St. Peter. (2) That the apostles never recognized in St. Peter the vicar of Jesus Christ and the infallible doctor of the church. (3) That St. Peter never thought of being pope, and never acted as if he were pope. (4) That the Councils of the first four centuries, while they recognized the high position which the Bishop of Rome occupied in the church on account of Rome, only accorded to him a pre-eminence of honor, never of power or of jurisdiction. (5) That the holy fathers in the famous passage, 'Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,' never understood that the church was built on Peter (super Petrum) but on the rock (super petram), that is, on the confession of the faith of the apostle. I conclude victoriously, with history, with reason, with logic, with good sense, and with a Christian conscience, that Jesus Christ did not confer any supremacy on St. Peter and that the bishops of Rome did not become sovereigns of the church, but only by confiscating one by one all the rights of the episcopate." Bishop Strossmayer's Speech at Vatican I in 1870, when papal infallibility was made official dogma.
THE EUCHARIST
Paragraph 1406 identifies the Eucharist as "Jesus said: I am the living bread that came down from heaven: if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; . he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and . . abides in me, and I in him." (Jn 8:51, 54, 56)."
The problem with this teaching is that Jesus was NOT speaking of the EUCHARIST but rather THE WORD! (see verses 63 & 68) This event had nothing to do with the LAST SUPPER. The people had followed Jesus because Jesus had just fed them Bread and Fish (verse 11 & 26). They wanted more food but Jesus tells them not to seek perishable food but rather food that "endures to EVERLASTING LIFE which the Son of Man will give you." In the same context, in Chapter 4, a woman comes to the well to get water. Jesus tells her that "whoever drinks this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will NEVER thirst ... but will become in him a fountain of water springing up to EVERLASTING LIFE."
Jesus is saying that the WORD Is the Bread from heaven. His WORD is the well of Water of life. It feeds us, it refreshes us, it gives us life, It guides us. "The WORD BECAME FLESH" (John 1:14). JESUS, the word of God, CAME IN THE FLESH AND WALKED THE WORD, TALKED THE WORD, AND LIVED THE WORD. His life was the BIBLE IN ACTION! He was the BIBLE in a Human Body putting it into PRACTICE, SACRIFICIALLY! EVEN TO THE DEATH! He was our example to follow, to OBEY THE WORD!
"and being found in appearance as a man (Flesh) He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death. even the death of the cross." (Eph. 2:8)
... He learned OBEDIENCE by the things He suffered and having been perfected, He became the author of ETERNAL SALVATION to all who OBEY Him." (Heb. 5:8-9)
"Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not those who sinned...? to whom did he swear that they would not enter His rest, but those who did NOT OBEY? So we see they could not enter in because of UNBELIEF." (Heb. 3:11-19)
Sin is DISOBEDIENCE to God's Word and this brings death! Salvation is to repent, and choose to OBEY God's Word calling on the name of Jesus who gives us His Holy Spirit to give us the Power to OBEY and He crucifies our sin nature by the POWER of His work within the "Born Again" believer. (see Rom. Chapters 6, 8 & 10)
John 1:1,14 "in the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God. and the WORD was God ... the WORD became FLESH and dwelt among us."
John 3:15 "that whoever believes In Him (Jesus - the WORD) should not perish but have eternal life."
John 5:24 "..he who hears MY WORD and believes In Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come to judgment but has passed from death to life.
John 6:35 “I (Jesus- the WORD) am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
verse 63, 68 (64, 69 DRB) “It is the SPIRIT who gives life, the FLESH PROFITS NOTHING. The WORDS that I speak to you ARE SPIRIT AND THEY ARE LIFE.” God's Word is Spirit Food - Faith Food! It strengthens our Faith in Christ!
John 6:68 (v. 69 DRB) "Peter said 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the WORDS of eternal life."
John 8:31 "If you abide in My WORD, you are my disciples Indeed."
John 8:51 "If anyone keeps My WORD he shall never see death."
John 12:48 "He who rejects ME, and does not receive MY WORDS, has that which judges him--THE WORD that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."
John 15:3,1 "You are already clean because of the WORD which I have spoken to you... If you abide in ME and MY WORDS abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
All these scriptures focus on Chapter 1 in which Jesus IS THE WORD OF GOD. Here are some other scriptures:
Amos 8:1 1 "The days are coming says the Lord, when I will send a FAMINE through the land, not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a FAMINE OF HEARING THE WORDS OF THE LORD."
Matt. 4:4 & Deut 8:3 "Man does not live on BREAD alone, but on EVERY WORD that comes from the mouth of God."
Jer. 15:16 " Your WORDS were found. and I ATE them. and your WORD was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart."
Ezek. 3:1 "EAT this SCROLL, and go, speak to the house of Israel."
Rev. 10:8-9 The Lord tells John "Take the SCROLL ... Take it and EAT It."
Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles (Words) of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. [13] For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. [14] But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
If you were to visit a Jewish synagogue, you will notice that there is an identical container such as the Catholic church, where the cup that contains the Eucharist is enclosed, but when it is opened, instead of a cup with bread, it is a SCROLL of the WORD of God.
St. Peter writes "having been Born Again, not of perishable seed, but imperishable, through the WORD of God which LIVES AND ABIDES FOREVER... as newborn babes, desire the pure MILK of the WORD, that you may grow thereby." 1 Ptr. 1:23, 2:2
Paragraph 162 confirms the above to be true and says "To live, grow, and persevere in the FAITH until the end we must nourish It with the WORD of God."
Even St. Mary, said "Whatever He says to you, DO IT”' (John 2:5)
How can you obey what He says IF YOUR NOT READING HIS WORD! Jesus said in Matt. 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord. shall enter the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, but he who DOES the WILL of the Father in heaven." and verse 24 "Whoever hears these sayings of Mine AND DOES THEM! I will liken to a wise man who built his house on the ROCK." Here is the ROCK! One who “Does” what God's Word says!
Can you go to heaven by going to Communion, and living like the devil? NO! How do you get Jesus INSIDE of you? By eating the EUCHARIST or eating THE WORD? Which one changes you? Which one brings you into OBEDIENCE to the WILL of God? Which one makes you CHRIST like? Which one convicts you of your sins and brings you to REPENTANCE?
The WORD OF GOD:
Sanctifies, cleanses and washes us (Eph. 5:26)
Saves us (1 Peter 1:23, Rom, 10:8-10, 17 Eph. 2:8)
Feeds us (1 Peter 2:2, Heb. 5:12-14, Matt. 4:4)
Gives us Life "quickens" (Psalm 119:50)
Protects us from Sin (Psalm 119:11)
Leads us to All TRUTH and Frees us from false Doctrine (John 8:31-32, 2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Is Eternal and will Never Pass Away (Matt. 24:35)
Condemns the disobedient (1 Peter 2:8, John 12:47-48)
We are commanded to be Rich in (filled with) the Word of God (Col. 3:16)
Early church father on John chapter 6
Clement of Alexandria
[A.D. 153-193-217]
TITUS FLAVIUS CLEMENS,
The study above is confirmed by Clement of Alexandria as you will note in his writings!
Flesh and Blood is the Word of God, the Gospel (SCRIPTURE)
For the very same WORD is fluid and mild as milk, or solid and compact as meat. And entertaining this view, we may regard the proclamation of the GOSPEL, which is universally diffused, as milk; and as meat, faith, which from instruction is compacted into a foundation, which, being more substantial than hearing, is likened to meat, and assimilates to the soul itself nourishment of this kind. Elsewhere the Lord, in the GOSPEL according to John, brought this out by symbols, when He said: “Eat ye my flesh, and drink my blood;” describing distinctly by metaphor the drinkable properties of faith and the promise, by means of which theChurch, like a human being consisting of many members, is refreshed and grows, is welded together and compacted of both, - of faith, which is the body, and of hope, which is the soul; as also the Lord of flesh and blood. For in reality the blood of faith is hope,
The Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 2, Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor [paedagogus], Book 1, Chapter 6,
The flesh figuratively represents to us the Holy Spirit; for the flesh was created by Him. The blood points out to us the WORD, for as rich blood the WORD has been infused into life; and the union of both is the Lord, the food of the babes - the Lord who is Spirit and Word. The food - that is, the Lord Jesus - that is, the WORD of God, the Spirit made flesh, the heavenly flesh sanctified. The nutriment is the milk of the Father, by which alone we infants are nourished.
The WORD Himself, then, the beloved One, and our nourisher, hath shed His own blood for us, to save humanity; and by Him, we, believing on God, flee to the WORD, “the care-soothing breast” of the Father. And He alone, as is befitting, supplies us children with the milk of love, and those only are truly blessed who suck this breast. Wherefore also Peter says: “Laying therefore aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisy, and envy, and evil speaking, as new-born babes, desire the milk of the WORD, that ye may grow by it to salvation; if ye have tasted that the Lord is Christ.”
The Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 2, Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor [paedagogus], Book 1, Chapter 6,
Further, the WORD declares Himself to be the bread of heaven. “For Moses,” He says, “gave you not that bread from heaven, but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He that cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world. And the bread which I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Thus in many ways the WORD is figuratively described, as meat, and FLESH, and food, and bread, and BLOOD, and milk. The Lord is all these, to give enjoyment to us who have believed on Him. Let no one then think it strange, when we say that the Lord's blood is figuratively represented as milk. For is it not figuratively represented as wine? “Who washes,” it is said, “His garment in wine, His robe in the blood of the grape.” In His Own Spirit He says He will deck the body of the WORD; as certainly by His own Spirit He will nourish those who hunger for the WORD.
The Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 2, Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor [paedagogus], Book 1, Chapter 6
COMMUNION
The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (a dictionary of Greek and Hebrew words) defines “Communion” as: #2842 koinonia (koy-nohn-ee'-ah); from 2844; partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction: KJV-- (to) communicate (-ation), communion, (contri-) distribution, fellowship.
It means “to Fellowship”
1 John 1:3
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship (koinonia) with us: and truly our fellowship (Koinonia) is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Once a year, every Jewish family came together to celebrate the Passover. As they ate the unleavened Bread, it was in memory of the Lamb that was slain in Egypt and the wine was in remembrance of the Lambs blood that they splashed on the doorpost of their homes which protected them from the Death Angel. See Exodus Chapter 12.
Now as Jesus broke the bread with the disciples, they were thinking of the Lamb In Egypt. But Jesus startles them with these words: "This is MY body which is broken for you; do this in Remembrance of ME." In other words, I am the Lamb that delivered you from Egypt (Captivity to Sin). Every time you eat this Bread, remember what I have done for you here today
Notice: He uses the word "Body" not "Flesh" as in John Chap. 6. By definition alone, there is a marked difference between the two words:
The Greek word for "Flesh" is sarx, which means "flesh (as stripped of the skin), i.e. (strictly) the meat of an animal"
The Greek word for "Body" is "soma" - meaning "the body (as a sound whole)" it comes from the root word "SOZO" meaning "to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, be (make) whole."
Whereas in John chapter 6, Jesus speaks of his "Flesh", the meat of his body which is defined to be the "Word of God" above, you will note that, at the Last Supper, Jesus changes the term to "Body" which means "to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, be (make) whole."
The communion meal in the early church was a JOYFUL celebration of the saints * (the born again Christians) whom HAVE BEEN MADE WHOLE (saved, delivered, healed, set free from sin) by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. WE, the CHURCH, also called Saints *, are His Body (Rom 12:5) AND WE are the BREAD (1 COR. 10:17).
Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
1 Cor. 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
* please note that the Christians, every born again believer in Jesus Christ, were called "saints" while they were still alive. They were not judged by a group of hierarchical men after the person died, to determine if they were saints, as the Catholic Church does today! See 2 Cor. 1:1 & 13:13; Ephes. 1:1 & v15; Philip. 1:1 & 4:22; Col. 1:2. If you don't know that you are a saint, there certainly is no reason to celebrate a joyful communion gathering, is there!
I have noticed In the Catholic Mass, there is no Joyful celebration because the facts are that most of the participants are "Not Born Again" and are DEAD IN THEIR SINS, still SLAVES TO THEIR SINS. The only thing that can FREE them from their sins and give them LIFE is the WORD OF GOD In which many are being starved of. Until they hear the WORD OF GOD, believe it, and LIVE IT by FAITH IN Christ, they are dead, and are NOT the BODY (BREAD) of Christ. How can you be living Bread to a Dead soul (one who Is not Born Again) unless you HAVE the living Bread (The WORD OF GOD) to give!
When God makes a Covenant (an unbreakable agreement) He always does it with Blood (Ex. 24:8). In Egypt, anyone who put the blood over their door had entered into covenant with God and the Death Angel passed them unharmed. Jesus lifted this cup and said "This cup is the NEW COVENANT in MY BLOOD. This do, as often as you drink it, in REMEMBRANCE of Me."
When you are "Born Again" (John 3:3-7, 1 Pet. 1:23) by faith In God's Word (Rom. 10:8-10,17) we enter into a New Covenant with God through Christ (Heb. 8:6-13). His Blood perfectly cleanses and justifies us from sin (Heb. 9:14,22 & Rom. 5:9) and the door to heaven is open (Heb. 10:12-22).
It is NOT the Communion Meal that saves us, it is what Jesus did on the cross 2000 years ago that saves us.
Somehow, the Catholic church has been able to change the gospel from salvation through repentance from sins and faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work at the cross, to a salvation that is obtained by partaking in the Communion meal by which they think they are getting Jesus inside of them. Since Jesus "fades away" each week, they must go back next week to get more of Jesus inside of them again through communion. So the Communion meal now becomes their source of salvation! Since the priest alone has the power to change the elements into the very body and blood of Jesus (as they claim), salvation cannot be obtained in any other church! How sad that these souls have been so very conditioned to believe another gospel, which is no gospel at all!
The true gospel message is this. When we turn from our sins (Acts 3:19), and put our faith in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), we receive the gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:17) and are saved. When you are saved, Jesus Lives INSIDE of you! (Rom. 8:9-11, 2 Cor. 13:5, Col. 1:27, Rev 3:20) And Jesus washes us clean! (John 13:6, 1 Cor. 6:11, Rev. 1:5)
The Communion meal is a celebration in remembrance of what he has already done. He already lives inside of the "Born Again" believer so Communion does not give him more of Jesus.
THOSE WHOM ARE BORN AGAIN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST. (The church is not a denomination, but rather the children of God, those who are born again by his Holy Spirit).
1 Cor. 10:16-17 "The cup of blessing which we bless, is It not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, Is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For We, though MANY, are ONE BREAD; for we ALL partake of that ONE BREAD."
Let me explain: COMMUNION is the gathering together of the saints (the born again believers)! These are the whole loaf of BREAD which is Christ's body. We FELLOWSHIP (commune) together, breaking the bread and eating it symbolizing, that we are all ONE, and that Christ is inside EACH ONE of us. And it is because of what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary that has MADE US ONE IN CHRIST (Rom. 12:5).
An unbeliever gets NO VALUE from Communion. A Catholic who is NOT "BORN AGAIN" is an unbeliever and cannot receive Christ through the communion itself no matter how many Eucharist wafers he eats. Rather they must repent of their sins and call on the name of Jesus with a heart of belief, choosing to live, and if need be, die for Jesus and the Gospel (Word of God).
If you will notice, in the early church, communion was an entire meal (1 Cor. 11:20-22) Even as the Passover was a meal. The discussion of 1 Cor. 11:17-34 which Paul rebukes the Corinthian church was the fact that they were selfish and not waiting for each other. They were acting like children, not Christians.
Paragraph 1411 of the Catholic Catachism says only an ordained priest can preside at the Eucharist. No scripture supports this teaching. Jesus said "Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Any and every believer can break the bread of Communion in fellowship with other believers and with Christ. His presence is not in the Bread itself, but rather the fellowship of believers who have "gathered together in My name."
Paragraph 1413 speaks of the changing of the bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ called "transubstantiation". Not a single scripture supports this doctrine. The Catechism gives the implication that, since only the Catholic priest can perform this mythical power over the bread and wine, that you cannot truly partake in communion outside of the Catholic denomination. Yet NO SCRIPTURE supports this teaching; neither of the priests power to transform the bread and wine into the very flesh and blood of Christ, nor the teaching that the priest alone must administer the bread and wine to the people. Any believer can celebrate communion with other believers at any time, whether in their homes, or elsewhere. Scripture gives NO limitations except that we judge ourselves first so that we have a clean heart before the Lord. (1 Cor. 11:28)
This heretical doctrine of the Catholic church has the Catholic parishioners believing that, when they hold the communion bread in their hand, that they are actually holding Jesus who comes down out of heaven and becomes that wafer of bread. They handle the wafer with reverence lest they should somehow drop and defile the bread. Some are afraid to even chew the bread lest they "chew up" Jesus. I knew a young Christian woman who visited the Catholic church with some Catholic friends one day. She didn't know what to do when she received the communion wafer as she was uncomfortable with their ritual so she placed it into her pocket which was noticed by the priest. When she got home, she decided to throw it away and it went to the dump. Later that week, the priest called her home and asked for her to return Jesus (the bread)! There was a great panic when they discovered that Jesus (the wafer) had been thrown in the garbage and was now buried in tons of trash at the city dump. How foolish and mythical these people have become to think that God becomes a piece of bread which could end up in the city dump!
While the scriptures clearly speak of the presence of our Lord in the fellowship of the believers who come together to break bread and celebrate their salvation in rememberance of the cross of Christ and what Jesus did for us, there is not a single scripture that promotes this error that is so very deeply rooted in the Catholic church today. The "Mass", has replaced the true Jesus, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the WORD of God ... with a piece of bread!
In Louisiana just a few years ago, it was headline news when they reported that a wafer had been miraculously transformed into a piece of flesh as thousands of Catholics came from every state in America to see this miracle and worship this wafer as if it was Jesus Christ himself. It was last page news, hidden in the advertisement section, when the scientific results showed that it was simply a decomposing piece of bread!
In the book of Acts, which is the story of the early Church, you will note these things:
Breaking of Bread; the communion meal is only spoken of 4 times (Acts 2:42,46; 20:7-11 & 27:35). It was celebrated "daily" and "from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart."
The preaching of the Gospel (the WORD of God, Jesus) took place 20 times (Acts 3:19-20 4:2 8:5,25.35,40 9:20,27 10:37 13:5,24,38,42 14:7,21,25 15:36 17:13,18 20:7)
The WORD (...of God, ...of the Lord, the gospel etc.) is referred to 40 times (Acts 2:41 4:4,29,31 6:2,4.7 8:4,14,25 10:38,37,44 11:1,18,19 12:24 13:5,7,15,26,44,48,48,49 14:3.25 15:7,35,38 16:6.32 17:11,13 18:11 19:10,20 20:32 22:22 28:25)
Throughout the entire new testament Epistles, the Breaking of Bread for Communion, is only refered to twice
(1 Cor. 10:16-17 & 11:23-28)
Yet the WORD OF GOD is mentioned 95 times.
Amos 8:11-12 "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a FAMINE on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the WORDS OF THE LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea and from the north to east, they shall run to and fro, seeking the WORD OF THE LORD, but shall not find it."
The Lord's Supper
Summary
It is proper to first clear up the fact that the Lord's Meal was highly reverenced as a very special meal and I believe scripture proves that the early church celebrated the Lord's Meal each time they gathered together. They called it the Eucharist as the Catholic church calls it, which means “Thanksgiving.” The very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ was strongly manifested in the communion meal and according to the scripture in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, those who ate it unworthily, became weak, sick and some died! There was a manifested power in the Lord's meal of which we know little or nothing about today! Today's church, Catholic and Non-Catholic alike, appears to have NO fear of the things of God!
There are two false doctrines of the Catholic church which I intended to expose to the truth in my study on the Lord's Meal.
1. The doctrine of Transubstantiation, which is the “miracle” by which the bread actually becomes the very flesh of Jesus Christ and the wine becomes the very blood of Jesus. This doctrine leads to the next false doctrine…
2. The doctrine that teaches that the Catholic priest, and he alone, has this power to miraculously transform the substances. Obviously, those priests that were sexually abusing boys do not have this power, true? Nor the Bishops who lied and covered up these crimes! Nor the Vatican that was privy to these sins within the church.
If they did have this power over this meal, then these priests living in this gross sin, would have become weak, sick and some would have died!
These two doctrines above are considerable for review as the Catholic church holds this as leverage to the believer that has left this idolatrous and sinful church to seek a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in fellowship with other believers of like faith in Christ elsewhere. The Catholic church is spiritually dead, or at least near dead! They have lost the anointing and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and do not preach the message of salvation. The spiritual food of the Word of God which leads us to salvation is not fed to the sheep in their congregations. Since they have lost the anointing, and many priests are not even “born again” by the Holy Spirit, how could they possibly claim to have this “miraculous” power over the Lord's Meal. They don't even have the power to cease from sin.
My intent in my study on the Catholic web page, was to separate the two scriptures, 1 Corinthians chapter 11, which IS speaking about the Lord's Meal and the scripture in John chapter 6, which is focusing on the Word of God!
TRADITIONS
Mark 7:8-9 Jesus said " Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you saying: This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of MEN. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do... all to well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition."
FATHER
Matthew 23:9 Jesus said “Do NOT call anyone on earth your Father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” Would you want to disobey Jesus and make an excuse to call a priest “Father”, which is the NAME of God. But this name is exclusively reserved to God's children, who have been “born again of God.” (Rom. 8:15)
MUST 'YOU' BE BORN AGAIN
Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3 "except A MAN be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." In verses 5 & 6 Jesus clarifies that you must be "BORN of the SPIRIT. - (the HOLY SPIRIT)
Romans 8:8-9 says "they that are in the flesh CANNOT PLEASE GOD. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit,, IF so be that the SPIRIT OF GOD DWELL IN YOU . Now If any man have NOT the SPIRIT of Christ, he Is none of His.'
Its really simple, if you are not "Born Again" by the Holy Spirit of God, YOU DON'T BELONG TO GOD! You will NEVER see heaven, nor enter the golden gates. Verse 14 says "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, THEY ARE SONS OF GOD." You cannot be lead by the Spirit of God until you are "Born again" by the Spirit -- It is a Spirit "Birth"!
St. Peter, writing to those who were "scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia." (1 Peter 1:1) writes "Seeing ye have purified your souls in OBEYING the TRUTH THROUGH THE SPIRIT unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently. Being BORN AGAIN, ... by the WORD OF GOD, which LIVES AND ABIDES forever." (1 Peter 1:22-23) Yes! You too must repent, and call on the name of Jesus as Lord.
Would you like to become a Child of God. If you believe that Jesus Is the Son of God, that he died for your sins and rose from the dead, say this prayer from your heart and you shall receive the GIFT of the Holy Spirit.
“Father God, I am a Sinner, I deserve to go to hell, but I don't want to perish. I want to be your child. I want to be born again. Forgive me for trusting men, Mary and the church for my salvation. Now I trust ONLY YOU to save me. Jesus, come into my heart and be the LORD and MASTER of my life. I will serve NO ONE ELSE but you. Give me your HOLY SPIRIT that I may be Holy like you. Help me to understand the truth of the Holy Bible that I may know you intimately. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me from Hell and the wrath to come. I LOVE YOU! Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, Jesus NOW lives inside of you, and you are a child of God He will begin to talk to you and to lead you by His Spirit. Listen to Him and OBEY Him. Read your Bible daily and find some REAL Christians to fellowship with. (Read Ezekiel 36:25-27)
God Bless You and may we meet again in heaven!
