A Study of Denominations
Roman Catholicism (2)
doctrines regarding priesthood
doctrines regarding Mary
Catholics and the Priesthood
• a segregate priesthood
– unmarried men
• confession to priests for
forgiveness
• call them “father”
1. there is no separate
office of priest in NT
2. every Christian is a
priest
3. forbidding people who
can marry from
marrying is a “doctrine
of demons”
(1 Tim. 4:1-3; cf. Heb.
13:4; 1 Cor. 9:5)
All Christians are Priests
4
Coming to Him as to a
living stone, rejected
indeed by men, but chosen
by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones,
are being built up a spiritual
house, a holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ.
(1 Pet. 2:4, 5, NKJV)
“YOU” WHO?
• the church is the
house of God
(1 Tim. 3:15)
• these were those who
believed and obeyed
(1 Pet. 2:7)
• “you” are a “royal
priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9)
Catholics and the Priesthood
• a segregate priesthood
– unmarried men
• confession to priests for
forgiveness
• call them “father”
1. no one can forgive sins
except God
(Mk. 2:7-12)
2. there is only one
mediator between man
and God - Jesus Christ
(1 Tim. 2:5)
3. all Christians can pray
for others
James 5:16
“Confess your trespasses to one another,
and pray for one another, that you may be
healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a
righteous man avails much”
ALL CHRISTIANS CAN PRAY TO GOD
FOR FORGIVENESS OF THEIR OWN SINS
“Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and
pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may
be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22)
Catholics and the Priesthood
• a segregate priesthood
– unmarried men
• confession to priests for
forgiveness
• call them “father”
1. the wearing of religious
titles is condemned
2. “father” in particular is
condemned as a
religious title
Catholics and the Priesthood
• a segregate priesthood
– unmarried men
• confession to priests for
forgiveness
• call them “father”
Matthew 23:9, “Do not
call anyone on earth
your father; for One is
your Father, He who is
in heaven.”
THIS PASSAGE COMPLETELY CUTS AGAINST THE
GRAIN OF THE CATHOLIC PRIESTHOOD!
Man Versus God
CATHOLIC CHURCH:
JESUS CHRIST:
CALL YOUR CALL
PRIEST NO MAN
‘FATHER!’ ‘FATHER!’
Catholics and Mary
• Immaculate Conception
– In the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8
December, 1854, Pius IX pronounced and defined
that the Blessed Virgin Mary “in the first instance
of her conception, by a singular privilege and
grace granted by God, in view of the merits of
Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was
preserved exempt from all stain of original sin”
(www.newadvent.org)
This doctrine appears to have its roots in gnosticism.
Catholics and Mary
• Immaculate Conception
– “The formal active essence of original sin was not
removed from her soul, as it is removed from others
by baptism; it was excluded, it never was in her soul. .
. . Her redemption was the very masterpiece of
Christ's redeeming wisdom. He is a greater redeemer
who pays the debt that it may not be incurred than he
who pays after it has fallen on the debtor.
(www.newadvent.org)
Questions
• If it was possible for sin to never have been in Mary’s
soul at conception, then why would it not also be
possible for sin to not be in anyone’s soul at
conception?
• If Mary’s redemption from “Original Sin” is Christ’s
“masterpiece” of redeeming wisdom, then why did he
not redeem all people that way?
• If Christ is a “greater redeemer” by paying the debt
that it may not incur to Mary, then why didn’t he
redeem all men that way?
– why is he a “lesser redeemer” to me than to Mary?
• According to Matthew 11:11, John the Baptist
was “greater” than Mary.
– Why did he not also receive such special
redemption?
Romans 3:23
“for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God.”
• “All” included Mary
– where does the Bible say Mary was without sin?
Catholics and Mary
• Immaculate Conception
• The Assumption of Mary
– has to deal with Mary’s body being taken up into heaven
– THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION. . . “This feast has a double
object: (1) the happy departure of Mary from this life; (2) the
assumption of her body into heaven. It is the principal feast of
the Blessed Virgin” (www.newadvent.org)
– YET: “Regarding the day, year, and manner of Our Lady's death,
nothing certain is known” (ibid.)
– WHATEVER IS TAUGHT ABOUT MARY’S DEATH, ETC. IS PURELY
ASSUMPTIVE! NO SCRIPTURE!
Catholics and Mary
• Immaculate Conception
• The Assumption of Mary
• Perpetual Virginity
– Catholics affirm that Mary remained a virgin after
Jesus was born
– Is such true?
What Does the Evidence Say?
• “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After
His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before
they came together, she was found with child of the
Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18)
Before they came together
• an angel affirmed for him not to be afraid to
“take to you Mary your wife” (Matt. 1:20)
– then he “took to him his wife” (1: 24)
– but “. . .did not know her till she had brought forth
her firstborn Son. . .” (1:25; Gen. 4:1)
• only states of the time before Jesus was born!
• doesn’t say that he never knew her after Jesus was born!
The natural implication is that he did!
• virginity before marriage is virtuous; but after marriage is
not (cf. 1 Cor. 7:2-5)
After Jesus was born, Mary
DID NOT remain a virgin
• Jesus had brothers
– “For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (Jn. 7:5)
• these were his brothers in the same sense that Mary was his
mother
• “Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do
also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and
Cephas?” (1 Cor. 9:5)
• “Then one said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers
are standing outside, seeking to speak with You’”
(Matt. 12:47)
Jesus had brothers and sisters!
• “ ‘Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and
brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And
are not His sisters [Gk. adelphe] here with us?’
And they were offended at Him” (Mk. 6:3; cf.
Matt. 13:56; 19:29; Acts 23:16)
– “sister” (Gk. adelphe) is never used in NT as a mere
relative
• “relative” (Gk. suggenes) Luke 1:36; 2:44; 14:12; etc.
• “cousin” (Gk. anepsios) Colossians 4:10
Jesus had brothers and sisters!
• Common Objection is that these were Joseph’s
children from a prior marriage
• Can we confirm if this is true?
• What are your thoughts on this objection?
• Even if it were true, does this really counter the
idea that Mary was a perpetual virgin in light of
Matthew 1:25?
Catholics and Mary
•
•
•
•
Immaculate Conception
The Assumption of Mary
Perpetual Virginity
Worship
– It cannot be denied that Catholics worship Mary
– “Hail Mary”
Hail Mary
“It is commonly described as consisting of three parts. The first,
‘Hail (Mary) full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou
amongst women’, embodies the words used by the Angel Gabriel
in saluting the Blessed Virgin (Luke, I, 28). The second, ‘and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb (Jesus)’, is borrowed from the
Divinely inspired greeting of St. Elizabeth (Luke, i, 42). . . Finally,
the petition ‘Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death. Amen.’ is stated by the official
‘Catechism of the Council of Trent’ to have been framed by the
Church itself. . . .thereby implying that we should piously and
suppliantly have recourse to her in order that by her intercession
she may reconcile God with us sinners and obtain for us the
blessing we need both for this present life and for the life which
has no end” (www.newadvent.org)
Mary. . .
• Was not worshipped in the first century but
worship the risen savior
– “These all continued with one accord in prayer
and supplication, with the women and Mary the
mother of Jesus, and with His brothers” (Acts
1:14)
Mary. . .
• Is not our mediator
– “5 For there is one God and one Mediator
between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6
who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be
testified in due time” (1 Tim. 2:5, 6)
• Does “ONE” equal “TWO”?
– In N.T.
• we never see prayer through a saint!
• Catholics pray to many “Saints” for various help
– Pray to St. Thomas if you have lost something
Mary. . .
• cannot reconcile us to God
– reconciliation is based on God’s terms
– comes through the death of Jesus and no one else
• “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to
God through the death of His Son, much more, having
been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life”
(Rom. 5:10)
– comes at the point of baptism
• “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized
into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”
(Rom. 6:3)
Mary. . .
• was in need of the blood of the Christ as much
as any other person
– “8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. . . .10 If we
say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar,
and His word is not in us” (1 Jn. 1:8, 10)
– Mary was no exception
In the Next Lesson
• Transubstantiation
• Purgatory (?)