Roman Catholicism and Biblical Authority
Roman
Catholicism and Biblical Authority
A. Jesus built His Church on Pentecost.
This Church was prophesied by Isaiah (2:2-4).
The fulfillment of this prophecy is recorded in Acts the 2nd Chapter.
B. There are many NT predictions that Men would make Changes to the Church (and they did).
This should not have happened for there were many warnings.
Acts 20:28-32; 1st Thess. 2:3-4; 2nd Cor.11:12-14; 1st Tim.4:1-2; 2nd Tim. 4:3-4; 2nd Peter 2:1-2 and many more.
History records that a number of changes have taken place that modified the congregations (church), that the apostles established.
Thus, we must look at Denominational Doctrines under some very large headings. (1) Catholicism (2) Protestantism (3) Pentecostalism (4) Cultism (5) Ecumenism.
Catholicism
A. The Catholic Attitude Toward Authority.
1. The Catholic System of Authority is Hierarchy
(by Hierarchy we mean the rule of Priest Hood) a. The ultimate end of such a system is the Pope.
1) He is the chief or High Priest of the Catholic Church.
2) The order is: The Pope, The Priest and then the people.
3) They based their doctrine of the Pope on Matthew 16:18 as a successor of Peter.
b. A nine Point breakdown of Catholic Hierarchy
1) Pope
2) Cardinals
3) Curia- cabinet
4) Tribunals – administer punishment
5) Apostolic legates – Ambassadors to Capitals.
6) Councils
7) Episcopacy – Bishops over territories.
8) Prelates – local authorities.
9) Religious Orders
2. Doctrine of the Primacy of Peter.
(This is the belief that Christ made Peter the chief apostle and the Popes from that time on have been Peter’s successors).
a. Scriptures which the Catholics use.
1) Peter is named first in a list of apostles (Mt.10)
2) Peter is thought to be the Rock on which the church was built (Mt. 16:18)
3) It is believed that Peter received special power because he had been singled out by Christ as Pope (Lk. 22:24-32)
4) Peter received a special appearance (Lk. 24:33-34)
5) Peter is given the charge to “feed my sheep” in John 21:15-17.
b. Some verses that Catholics Believe that imply that Peter was the first Pope.
1) Peter took the initiative in replacing Judas. (Acts 1)
2) Peter was the speaker at Pentecost (Acts 2)
3) Peter is the leader, mentioned before John (Acts 3-4)
4) There was virtue in Peter’s shadow (Acts 5:15).
5) Peter disciplined Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)
6) He also disciplined Simon (Acts 8)
3. A Refutation Of the Catholic View of Peter’s Primacy.
d. Scriptural Proof Examined.
1) Matthew 16:18-19
e. The Gk shows that the “rock” is feminine gender and not masculine as referring to Peter.
f. Jesus made the same promise to others that he made to Peter, so all of the other apostles had as much power as Peter. (Mt. 18:18; Jn.20:23; Mt.20:25- 27).
2) In Mt. 23:8-10 and Eph. 4:11 a pope is not mentioned at all?
3) Peter never claimed or exercised authority over the other apostles.
4) In Acts, there no primacy of Peter (Acts 8:14; 15:2)
5) There is nothing in Paul’s writings about Peter being
the Pope (1st Cor. 1:12; 9:5;2nd Cor. 11:5; Gal. 2:11-14).
g. The Historical Development of the Papacy.
1) The Catholic Principle of Praenotnada.
Http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1202 0777
a. “Praenotanda” is the idea that the Bible contains only the seed of Christianity.
b. The Catholic Church is full grown from that seed.
c. It does not matter that the Catholic Church and the New Testament Church are different.
d. Notice, the development of Roman Catholicism.
2) A Historical Survey of the development of the Papacy.
c. Early References (basis of “tradition”)
1) Clement of Rome (96) A.D. Suggested that Peter and Paul had been in Rome together.
2) Ignatius (110 A.D.) wrote “ I did not enjoin you as Peter and Paul did.” (Letter from Antioch to Rome.
3) Dionysus, Bishop of Corinth (170 A.D.) stated that Peter and Paul started the church in Corinth and Rome and were killed in Rome.
4) Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons (185 A.D.), to the Romans, stated that Peter and Paul preached and founded the church in Rome.
5) Clement of Alexandria (190 A.D.) wrote that Peter preached at Rome, and Mark in his gospel recorded what he said.
6) Tertullian of Carthage (220 A.D.) wrote that Peter and Paul went to Rome and died there.
7) Gaius, quoted Eusebius (377-388 AD), said that Paul and Peter started the church at Rome, were killed there and there bones were still there.
8) Origen of Alexandria (186-255), said that Peter went to Rome and died there, being crucified head down and that Paul died there also.
d) Was Peter Bishop of Rome?
1) Epiphanius (375 AD), gives a list of Roams Bishops beginning “first Peter and Paul, apostles and bishops.”
2) Tertullian (200 A.D) has Clement appointed bishop by Peter.
3) Irenaeus (185 AD) wrote, “the blessed apostles, then having formed and built the church.”
4) A Roman presbyter (210 A.D.) referred to Victor as the 13th bishop at Rome from Peter.
c) The Primacy of Peter.
1) By 400 A.D. There was the idea that grace was given out only by the bishops who received their appointment in succession from the apostles. There was no man called Pope yet.
2) The importance of Leo-the-Great (450 A.D.)
a) He insisted that the Bishop of Rome was supreme over all the church and that Peter was the founder of the church at Rome.
b) This was sustained by Emperor Valentinian III,in 454 A.D.
3) Development of the Pope’s power over the civil state.
a) The seed – Gelasius I (492-496 A.D.) b. Growth of the seed – Donation of Constantine (8th Century).
c. Fruit of the seed.
1) The Cluniac Reformation (1,000 A.D.) - The Dictatus, written by Pope Gregory the VII to Emperor Henry IV, claimed power of the pope, as head of the church over the whole earth.
2) Hadrian IV (1160 A.D.) humbled the king.
3) Innocent III (1198-1216 A.D.) that he was superior to the kings.
4) Innocent IV (1245 A.D.)
5) Boniface VIII (1302 A.D.) from a misrepresentation of the bible, claimed the church had control over physical and spiritual matters.
C. The Doctrine of the Papacy.
The Vatican Council of 1870 declared that the teachings of the Roman Pontiff was divinely endowed with infallibility. Notice several summary statements of the council.
1. Christ appointed Peter prince of the apostles and visible head of the church.
2. Peter was the first Pope and still rules through his successors.
3. The Roman Pope is supreme over all the churches.
4. When the Pope speaks officially, he is speaking by revelation from God.
A. Scriptures that refute the Catholic view of the Papacy.
1. Jude 3- The faith was completely given in the first century.
2. John 14:26 – The apostles were taught all things.
3. John 16:12-13 – The apostles were guided in all truth.
4. Gal. 1:6-10 – Any teacher of a different gospel than what the apostles taught is condemned by God.
5. 2nd Peter 1:3-4 – God revealed all things which pertain to life and godliness during the 1st century.
D. Catholic Attitudes Toward the Bible!
1. The Dogmatic Constitution of the Catholic Faith, Chapter 2, On Revelation.”
a. Oral tradition is equal to the Bible.
b. But - only the church can determine the proper interpretation of the scriptures.
2. The Bull of Excommunication (1869) condemns all who produce or possess any non-Catholic religious books.
3. The proper uses of the Bible.
a. Read it.
1) 2nd Peter 3:16
2) Colossians 4:17
3) Ephesians 3:3
b. Correctly Interpret it (2nd Peter 3:16)
c. Form convictions Out of What We read (Romans 10k:17)
d. Defend those convictions (Jude 3)
4. Conclusion:
a. The Bible is not a Catholic book which must be interpreted only by the Catholic church.
b.
We have four sources of scripture that are not related to the
Catholic church.
c. Versions and translations from the original language.
d. Enemies of the church quoted the scriptures.
E. The Catholic View of the Virgin Mary!
1. They believe that Mary was immaculately conceived.
2. She is on the same level as God.
3. The teach that Luke 1:48 implies that it was intended that Mary was to be a Mediatrix.
A. The History of the Cult of Mary!
a. By c.150 A.D., Mary was thought to be an anti-type of Eve - "The mother of life."
b. By the fourth century Mary was the type and ideal of virginity - "The Virgin Mary."
c. At the Council of Ephesus (431A.D.) Mary was called the "Mother of God."
1) Mary was thought to be the queen of heaven.
2) Prayers were made to her.
3) Churches and altars were built in her name.
B. Christ's deity emphasized over His humanity.
1) They forgot about His humanity.
2) Jesus being deity could not emphasize with humans.
3) Mary was more sympathetic having experienced being a human.
C. By the 11th Century, it was believed that Jesus would listen to Mary and that God would listen to Jesus, so they prayed to Mary.
D. In 1854, Pius IX proclaimed the doctrine of Immaculate Conception, Mary was born and not tainted by Augustine's original sin.
E. Pius XII (1950) proclaimed the Bodily Assumption of Mary. (Mary went to heaven much like Enoch)
F. A Refutation of Mary Being a Mediatrix -
a. A Biblical Analysis of Mary.
1) Luke 1:47 - Mary realizes her own need of a savior.
2) John 2:4 - Jesus did not admit that Mary had any special claim over Him.
3) Matthew 2:11 - The wise men worshiped the baby Jesus and not the Mother.
4) Luke 2:44 - Mary lost Jesus in Jerusalem as any other human mother might do.
5) Genesis 30:13 - Leah used the same words as Mary in describing herself but was not a Mediatrix.