SERIES INTRODUCTION
There are two very important reasons why I felt compelled to write this series of posts, and I’d like to briefly share these reasons with you now before I go any further:
1) Since I am a former Catholic who is very aware of the teachings of the Catholic Church because I attended twelve years of Catholic school, attended Catechism classes, made my First Holy Communion, was Confirmed, and faithfully attended Mass not only every Sunday for many years, but also before school began for three years (as required by the school that I attended at the time), and who came to the knowledge of who Jesus Christ truly is and what He actually accomplished for us by reading a Catholic New Testament Bible exactly like the one pictured above, I decided to write this series with the hope of reaching precious Catholics so that they can not only come to an understanding of who Jesus Christ truly is as His Word, the Bible, declares Him to be, but also so they can see by reading God’s Word that they can have complete forgiveness, lasting joy, true peace, and the assurance of salvation if they choose to believe God’s Word and place their trust in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. Also, since many Catholics do not realize everything that the Catholic church actually teaches (as I once did not realize until after doing research and reading the CCC), I thought that it was extremely important to share this information to make Catholics aware of many things that are quite disturbing, as you will all soon become aware of as this series continues.
2) This series of posts is also being written with the intention of helping those of you who are born-again, Bible believing followers of Jesus Christ who have no idea of what the teachings of Catholicism are so that you can become aware of their teachings and be prepared to offer hope and assurance of salvation through Jesus Christ to Catholics based solely upon the truth that is recorded in God’s Word.
As we continue on in this series together comparing Scriptures in the Catholic New Testament to teachings found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we must keep these important thoughts in mind:
When it comes to our eternal destination — heaven or hell — we must be certain that we place our trust in solid truth and not in speculation or in the traditions of men. The Catholic church claims to be the “one true Church.” Therefore, it stands to reason that their teachings must line up with God’s Word and not contradict it since God does not change (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, Hebrews 13:8), and His Word stands firm forever. (Psalm 119:89, Isaiah 40:8, 1 Peter 1:24,25) If a contradiction is found it must be rejected because God’s Word is our plumb line by which we must measure (or test) the teachings of every religion to see if it lines up or not. If it is off in one point we can be certain that it will lead us further and further away from Biblical truth and lead us into spiritual deception.
This series will cover many different subjects ranging from what does the Catholic Church teach about the Bible, Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, priests, the pope, sin, forgiveness of sins, salvation, prayer, and what must a Catholic believe in order to receive eternal life. Some of these teachings will shock even many Catholics when they learn what their church actually teaches!
Lord willing, I hope to share at least one post every month with you in this new series until I have covered all the most important teachings that need to be brought to your attention. The main goal that I have in writing this series is to present the Word of God to Catholics — and to every person — in order to point everyone to Jesus Christ, who is our only hope and ‘the only name under heaven given among men by which we can be saved.’ (Acts 4:12)
Dear Catholic, please take a minute now to sincerely pray; ask God to open your mind to the Scriptures and to reveal the truth to you –whatever that may be.
Because only God can reveal the truth to you, I will refrain from making any comments unless I find it completely necessary. Since God’s Word is truth I trust that He will not only give you eyes to see the truth, but also I trust that He will give you the courage to respond to His leading. However, each one of you will find yourself having to answer this question when you come to many points that I present to you in these posts after realizing that there are oftentimes extreme differences between what the Word of God says and what Catholicism teaches, and the question that you will have to answer is:
“Are you going to believe the Word of God or the word of man?”
For those of you who are not Catholic, and are taking the time to read these posts in order to learn what Catholicism actually teaches, please keep in mind that every time you see the word “church” spelled with a capital c they are referring to the Catholic church, since they believe that the “Catholic Church” alone is the “one true Church.”All of the information that I will be sharing with you I have obtained from the following sources:
1) CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (pictured above) – Imprimi Potest – Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict) – Interdicasterial Commission for the Catechism of the Catholic Church
2) THE WORD OF GOD – THE NEW TESTAMENT OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR IN TODAY’S ENGLISH VERSION – SACRED HEART LEAGUE EDITION – IMPRIMATUR JOHN FRANCIS WHEALON, ARCHBISHOP OF HARTFORD, APRIL 15, 1971 SIGNED AND SEALED BY BISHOP JOSEPH B. BRUNINI, DIOCESE OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
3) Occasionally when I share a Scripture with you from the Sacred Heart League (SHL) Catholic New Testament and notice that it lacks depth and clarity, I will then follow it with the same verse but in the King James Version in order to give you a better understanding of what is being said, and so that you can see what is missing from the SHL translation.
4) Very briefly in this series, when it is necessary to quote from the Old Testament, I will also be quoting from THE CATHOLIC DOUAY RHEIMS VERSION OF THE BIBLE – in which you will find the following statements:
“EXCERPT FROM ENCYCLICAL LETTER OF OUR HOLY FATHER BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE POPE LEO XIII ON THE STUDY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE:
“The God of all Providence, Who in the adorable designs of His love at first elevated the human race to the participation of the Divine nature, and afterwards delivered it from the universal guilt and ruin, restoring it to its primitive dignity, has in consequence bestowed upon man a splendid gift and safeguard–making known to him, by supernatural means, the hidden Mysteries of His divinity, His wisdom, and His mercy. For although in Divine revelations there are contained some things which are not beyond the reach of unassisted reason, and which are made the objects of such revelation in order “that all may come to know them with facility, certainty, and safety from error, yet not on this account can supernatural Revelation be said to be absolutely necessary; it is only necessary because God has ordained man to a supernatural end.” This supernatural revelation according to the belief of the universal Church, is contained both in unwritten Tradition, and in written Books, which are therefore called sacred and canonical because, “being written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they have God for their author, and as such have been delivered to the Church.” (Page ix)
“Wherefore it must be recognised that the sacred writings are wrapt in a certain religious obscurity, and that no one can enter into their interior without a guide; God so disposing, as the Holy Fathers commonly teach, in order that men may investigate them with greater ardour and earnestness, and that what is attained with difficulty may sink more deeply into the mind and heart; and, most of all that they may understand that God has delivered the Holy Scriptures to the Church, and that in reading and making use of His Word, they must follow the Church as their guide and their teacher. St. Irenaeus long since laid down, that where the charismata of God were, there the truth was to be learnt, and that Holy Scripture was safely interpreted by those who had the Apostolic succession. His teaching, and that of other Holy Fathers, is taken up by the Council of the Vatican, which, in the renewing of the decree of Trent, declares its “mind” to be this–that “in things of faith and morals, belonging to the building up of Christian doctrine, that is to be considered the true sense of Holy Scripture which has been held and is held by our Holy Mother the Church whose place it is to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the Scriptures; and therefore that it is permitted to no one to interpret Holy Scripture against such sense or also against the unanimous agreement of the Fathers.” (Page xvii)
“Wherefore the first and dearest object of the Catholic commentator should be to interpret those passages which have received an authentic interpretation either by the sacred writers themselves, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost (as in many places of the New Testament), or from the Church, under the assistance of the same Holy Spirit, whether by her solemn judgment or her ordinary and universal magisterium –to interpret those passages in that identical sense, and to prove, by all the resources of science that sound hermeneutical laws admit of no other interpretation. In the other passages, the analogy of faith should be followed, and Catholic doctrine, as authoritatively proposed by the Church, should be held as the supreme law; for seeing that the same God is the author both of the Sacred Books and of the doctrine committed to the Church, it is clearly impossible that any teaching can by legitimate means be extracted from the former, which shall in any respect be at variance with the latter. Hence it follows that all interpretation is foolish and false which either makes the sacred writers disagree one with another, or is opposed to the doctrine of the Church.” (Page xviii)
“For although the studies of non-Catholics, used with prudence, may sometimes be of use to the Catholic student, he should nevertheless, bear well in mind–as the Fathers also teach in numerous passages –that the sense of Holy Scripture can nowhere be found incorrupt outside of the Church, and cannot be expected to be found in writers who, being without the true faith, only gnaw the bark of the Sacred Scripture and never attain its pith.” (Page xix)
To read PART 1 click HERE
For PART 2 click HERE
For PART 3 click HERE
For PART 4 click HERE
For PART 5 click HERE
For PART 6 click HERE
For PART 7 click HERE
For PART 8 click HERE
For PART 9 click HERE
For PART 10 click HERE
For PART 11 click HERE
For PART 12 click HERE
For PART 13 click HERE
For PART 14 click HERE
For PART 15 click HERE
For PART 16 click HERE
For PART 17 click HERE
For PART 18 click HERE
For PART 19 click HERE
For PART 20 click HERE
[As I have mentioned in some previous posts in this series, in order to get this entire series finished in a timely manner, from now on I will be trying to keep my comments very brief and will mainly be making them in the introduction and closing sections of these posts. I will, however, continue to keep the focus on Scripture which is where it should be. I am also trying very hard (but not succeeding) to limit these posts to no more than 5000 words which makes it rather difficult sometimes. For those of you who have busy schedules and do not have the time to read lengthy posts, I will continue to highlight just some of the many troubling things in turquoise, the extremely troubling things I will highlight in red, where the Catholic church has added to Scripture with their teachings I will highlight in amethyst, and some things that are Biblical I will highlight in blue in order to quickly bring these things to your attention. Emphasis on certain words that I have put in bold print throughout this post is mine.]
INTRODUCTION TO PART 21
In PART 21 of this series we will be covering the second half of page 625 to the end of page 672 of the Catechism Of The Catholic Church (CCC). This portion of the CCC focuses more on the Sixth Commandment as well as on the remainder of the Ten Commandments.
Once again, here is a chart that compares the ten commandments as they are presented in Catholicism compared to how they are presented to us in Scripture. Note the changes that have been made by the Catholic church (it has been said that this was done by Augustine), and which commandment was omitted (#2), and how the tenth commandment was split in two to form the 9th and the 10th commandments of the Catholic church:
Among some of the things that are discussed in this next section of the CCC are as follows: Chastity, homosexuality, fidelity, adultery, divorce, sexual abuse, theft, gambling, respect for creation, more regarding the social doctrine of the [Catholic] Church (social justice), bearing witness to the truth, bearing false witness, lies, sacred art, and coveting someone’s goods or someone’s spouse. Since most of their teachings in this particular section of the CCC line up with Scripture I will just be highlighting some of the troubling things as well as where the Catholic church have added their teachings (based on “Tradition”) to Scripture, thus distorting — and even *nullifying *(read Mark 7:6-8,13) — the truth of God’s Word and leading precious Catholics away from Jesus instead of to Him.
Let’s begin:
Chastity and homosexuality
Para 2357
“Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction towards persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms throughout the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave “depravity,”(140) tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.”(141) They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved. (140 – Cf. Gen 19:1-29; Rom 1:24-27; 1 Cor 6:10; 1 Tim 1:10)(141 – CDF, Persona humana 8).
III. THE LOVE OF HUSBAND AND WIFE
Para 2360
Sexuality is ordered to the conjugal love of man and woman. In marriage the physical intimacy of the spouses becomes a sign and pledge of spiritual communion.
IV. OFFENSES AGAINST THE DIGNITY OF MARRIAGE
Adultery
Para 2380
Adultery refers to marital infidelity. When two partners, of whom at least one is married to another party, have sexual relations–even transient ones–they commit adultery. Christ condemns even adultery of mere desire.(170) The sixth commandment and the New Testament forbid adultery absolutely.(171) The prophets denounce the gravity of adultery; they see it as an image of the sin of idolatry.(172) (170 – Cf. Mt 5:27-28). (171 – Cf. Mt 5:32; 19:6; Mk 10:11; 1Cor 6:9-10). (172 – Cf. Hos 2:7; Jer 5:7; 13:27)
Para 2381
Adultery is an injustice. He who commits adultery fails in his commitment. He does injury to the sign of the covenant which the marriage bond is, transgresses the rights of the other spouse, and undermines the institution of marriage by breaking the contract on which it is based. He compromises the good of human generation and the welfare of children who need their parent’s stable union.
Divorce
Para 2382
The Lord Jesus insisted on the original intention of the Creator who willed that marriage be indissoluble.(173) He abrogates the accommodations that had slipped into the old Law.(174) (173 – Mt)(174 – Cf. Mt 19:7-9)
Para 2384
Divorce is a grave offense against the natural law. It claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death. Divorce does injury to the covenant of salvation, of which sacramental marriage is the sign. Contracting a new union, even if it is recognized by civil law, adds to the gravity of the rupture; the remarried spouse is then in a situation of public and permanent adultery:
If a husband, separated from his wife, approaches another woman, he is an adulterer because he makes that woman commit adultery; and the woman who lives with him is an adulteress, because she has drawn another’s husband to herself.(177 – St. Basil, Moralia 73, 1: PG 31, 849-852).
Other offenses against the dignity of marriage
Para 2388
Incest designates intimate relations between relatives or in-laws within a degree that prohibits marriage between them.(180) St. Paul stigmatizes this especially grave offense: “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you…for a man is living with his father’s wife…In the name of the Lord Jesus…you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh…”(181) Incest corrupts family relationships and marks a regression toward animality. (180 – Cf. Lev 18:7-20). (181 – 1Cor 5:1, 4-5)
Para 2389
Connected to incest is any sexual abuse perpetrated by adults on children or adolescents entrusted to their care. The offense is compounded by the scandalous harm done to the physical and moral integrity of the young, who will remain scarred by it all their lives, and the violation of responsibility for their upbringing.
Para 2393
By creating the human being man and woman, God gives personal dignity equally to the one and the other. Each of them, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity.
Para 2400
Adultery, divorce, polygamy, and free union are grave offenses against the dignity of marriage.
III. THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH
Para 2420
The Church makes a moral judgment about economics and social matters “when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls requires it.”(199 – GS 76 § 5).
ARTICLE 7
THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT
Para 2427
Human work proceeds directly from persons created in the image of God and called to prolong the work of creation by subduing the earth, both with and for one another.(209) Hence work is a duty: “If any one will not work, let him not eat.”(210) Word honors the Creator’s gifts and talents received from him. It can also be redemptive. By enduring the hardship of work in union with Jesus, the carpenter of Nazareth and the one crucified on Calvary, man collaborates in a certain fashion with the Son of God in his redemptive work. He shows himself to be a disciple of Christ by carrying the cross, daily, in the work he is called to accomplish.” (211) (209 – Cf. Gen 1:28; GS 34; CA 31). (210 – 2 Thess 3:10; cf. 1 Thess 4:11). (211 – Cf. Gen 3:14-19).
Para 2442
The Church’s social teaching comprises a body of doctrine, which is articulated as the Church interprets events in the course of history, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, in the light of the whole of what has been revealed by Jesus Christ.(201) This teaching can be more easily accepted by men of good will, the more the faithful let themselves be guided by it. (201 – Cf. SRS 1; 41).
[MY NOTE: The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are sufficient to guide us into all truth; we do not need any new teachings; the canon is closed!
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the man who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good work.”(2 Timothy 3:16,17 – SHLCNT)
“The Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you.” (John 14:26)]
VI. LOVE FOR THE POOR
Para 2446
St. John Chrysostom vigorously recalls this:
“Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.”(238) The demands of justice must be satisfied first of all; that which is already due in justice is not to be offered as a gift of charity.”(239) (238 – St. John Chrysostom, Hom.in Lazaro 2, 5: PG 48, 992). (239 – AA 8 § 5)
Para 2460
The primordial value of labor stems from man himself, its author and beneficiary. By means of his labor man participates in the work of creation. Work united to Christ can be redemptive.
ARTICLE 8
THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
Para 2464
The eighth commandment forbids misrepresenting the truth in our relations with others. This moral prescription flows from the vocation of the holy people to bear witness to their God who is the truth and wills the truth. Offenses against the truth express by word or deed a refusal to commit oneself to moral uprightness: they are fundamental infidelities to God and, in this sense, they undermine the foundation of the covenant.
I. LIVING IN THE TRUTH
Para 2465
The Old Testament attests that God is the source of all truth. His Word is truth. His Law is truth. His “faithfulness endures to all generations.”(254) Since God is “true,” the members of his people are called to live in the truth.(255) (254 – Ps 119:90; cf. Prov 8:7; 2 Sam 7:28; Ps 119:142; Lk 1:50). (255 – Rom 3:4; cf. Ps 119:30).
II. TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTH
Para 2471
Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he “has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth.”(265) The Christian is not to “be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord.”(266) (265 – Jn 18:37). (266 – 2 Tim 1:8).
III. OFFENSES AGAINST TRUTH
Para 2476
False witness and perjury. When it is made publicly, a statement contrary to the truth takes on a particular gravity. In court it becomes false witness.(275) When it is under oath, it is perjury. Acts such as these contribute to condemnation of the innocent, exoneration of the guilty, or the increased punishment of the accused.(276) They gravely compromise the exercise of justice and the fairness of judicial decisions. (275 – Cf. Prov 19:9). (276 – Cf. Prov 18:5).
Para 2484
The gravity of a lie is measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. If a lie in itself only constitutes a venial sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave injury to the virtues of justice and charity.
Para 2486
Since it violates the virtue of truthfulness, a lie does real violence to another. It affects his ability to know, which is a condition of every judgment and decision. It contains the seed of discord and all consequent evils. Lying is destructive of society; it undermines trust among men and tears apart the fabric of social relationships.
VI. TRUTH, BEAUTY, AND SACRED ART
Para 2500
The practice of goodness is accompanied by spontaneous spiritual joy and moral beauty. Likewise, truth carries with it the joy and splendor of spiritual beauty. Truth is beautiful in itself. Truth in words, the rational expression of the knowledge of created and uncreated reality, is necessary to man, who is endowed with intellect. But truth can also find other complementary forms of human expression, above all when it is a matter of evoking what is beyond words: the depths of the human heart, the exaltation of the soul, the mystery of God. Even before revealing himself to man in words of truth, God reveals himself to him through the universal language of creation, the work of his Word, of his wisdom: the order and harmony of the cosmos–which both the child and the scientist discover–“from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator, “for the author of beauty created them.”(289) (289 – Wisdom 13:3,5).
Para 2502
Sacred art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God–the surpassing invisible beauty of truth and love visible in Christ who “reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature,” in whom “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”(296) This spiritual beauty of God is reflected in the most holy Virgin Mother of God, the angels, and saints. Genuine sacred art draws man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God, Creator and Savior, the Holy One and Sanctifier. (296 – Heb 1:3; Col 2:9).
NOTE: When we turn to art and images in order to experience God through our emotions, this leads to desiring unbiblical, mystical, spiritual experiences as ways to come to know God and will lead us astray! (Lord willing, I will be writing some posts in 2021 regarding the focus on mysticism in Catholic teachings). God has given us His very Word in which He has revealed Himself to us, and He also gave us His only begotten Son through whom He revealed Himself to us! We have been given all that we need in order to come to know Him! We just need to set aside some time to study His Word in order to know Him and His Word better so that we will not be deceived by the many false teachings that have permeated so many churches these days!
ARTICLE 9
THE NINTH COMMANDMENT
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s.(298)
Every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”(299) (298 – Ex 20:17). (299 – Mt 5:28).
Para 2514
St. John distinguishes three kinds of covetousness or concupiscence: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life.”(300) In the Catholic catechetical tradition, the ninth commandment forbids carnal concupiscence; the tenth forbids coveting another’s goods. (300 – Cf. 1 Jn 2:16).
I. PURIFICATION OF THE HEART
Para 2517
The heart is the seat of moral personality: “Out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication…”(304) (304 – Mt 15:19).
II. THE BATTLE FOR PURITY
Para 2520
Baptism confers on its recipient the grace of purification from all sins. But the baptized must continue to struggle against concupiscence of the flesh and disordered desires. With God’s grace he will prevail.
NOTE: The Catholic church may teach that baptism gives grace to purify one from sin, but the Word of God clearly says that it is the blood of Jesus Christ alone that purifies us from sin and provides salvation for us:
“When Christ went through the tent and entered once and for all into the Most Holy Place, he did not take the blood of goats and calves to offer as sacrifice, rather, he took his own blood and obtained eternal salvation for us. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of the burnt calf are sprinkled on the people who are ritually unclean, and makes them clean by taking away their ritual impurity. Since this is true, how much more is accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make our consciences clean from useless works, so that we may serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:12-14)
“Indeed, according to the Law, almost everything is made clean by blood; and sins are forgiven only if blood is poured out.” (Hebrews 9:22 – SHLCNT)
“Now this is the message that we have heard from his Son and announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness at all in him. If, then, we say that we have fellowship with him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions. But if we live in the light–just as he is in the light–then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us clean from every sin.” (1 John 1:7)
Let’s continue on:
Para 2527
The Good News of Christ continually renews the life and culture of fallen man; it combats and removes the error and evil which flows from the ever-present attraction of sin. It never ceases to purify and elevate the morality of peoples. It takes the spiritual qualities and endowments of every age and nation, and with supernatural riches it causes them to blossom, as it were, from within; it fortifies, completes, and restores them in Christ.”(315) (315 – GS 58 § 4).
ARTICLE 10
THE TENTH COMMANDMENT
Para 2534
The tenth commandment unfolds and completes the ninth, which is concerned with concupiscence of the flesh. It forbids coveting the goods of another, as the root of theft, robbery, and fraud, which the seventh commandment forbids. “Lust of the eyes” leads to the violence and injustice forbidden by the fifth commandment.(318) Avarice, like fornication, originates in the idolatry prohibited by the first three prescriptions of the Law.(319) The tenth commandment concerns the intentions of the heart; with the ninth, it summarizes all the precepts of the Law. (318 – Cf. 1 Jn 2:16; Mic 2:2). (319 – Cf. Wisdom 14:12)
Para 2538
The tenth commandment requires that envy be banished from the human heart. When the prophet Nathan wanted to spur King David to repentance, he told him a story about the poor man who had only one ewe lamb that he treated like his own daughter and the rich man who, despite the great number of his flocks, envied the poor man and ended by stealing his lamb. Envy can lead to the worst crimes.(323) “Through the devil’s envy death entered the world.” (324) (323 – Cf. Gen 4:3-7; 1 Kings 21:1-29). (324 – Wisdom 2:24)
III. POVERTY OF HEART
Para 2544
Jesus enjoins his disciples to prefer him to everything and everyone, and bids them “renounce all that [they have]” for his sake and that of the Gospel.(334) Shortly before his passion he gave them the example of the poor widow of Jerusalem who, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.(335) The precept of detachment from riches is obligatory for entrance into the Kingdom of heaven. (334 – Lk 14:33; cf. Mk 8:35). (335 – Lk 21:4).
IV. “I WANT TO SEE GOD”
Para 2550
On this way of perfection, the Spirit and the Bride call whoever hears them” to perfect communion with God:
There will true glory be, where no one will be praised by mistake or flattery, true honor will not be refused to the worthy, nor granted to the unworthy; likewise, no one unworthy will pretend to be worthy, where only those who are worthy will be admitted. There true peace will reign, where no one will experience opposition either from self or others. God himself will be virtue’s reward; he gives virtue and has promised to give himself as the best and greatest reward that could exist… “I shall be their God and they will be my people…” This is also the meaning of the Apostle’s words: “So that God may be all in all.” God himself will be the goal of our desires, we shall contemplate him without end, love him without surfeit, praise him without weariness. This gift, this state, this act, like eternal life itself, will assuredly be common to all.”(345 – St. Augustine, De civ. Dei 22, 30: PL 41, 801-802; cf. Lev 26:12; cf. 1 Cor 15:28).
Para 2556
Detachment from riches is necessary for entering the Kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
CLOSING COMMENTS
Once again, if you read through this entire post you will probably agree with me when I say: Yes, Catholicism does indeed teach many moral and Biblical things. However, I hope that by now you are beginning to realize that it’s when they add their own teachings to Scripture that are derived from Tradition and the supposed infallible teachings of popes in matters of faith and morals when they speak “ex cathedra” (from the chair ), do they begin to deviate from the Biblical gospel and render it powerless to save! Any teaching that does not line up with the truth of God’s Word should be rejected! Catholics are taught to place their trust in the Catholic church and the sacramental system of the Catholic church — especially the Sacrifice of the Mass — to save them. However, our only hope for the forgiveness of sins and an eternity spent in heaven and not in the fires of hell, is found in placing one’s trust in:
Jesus Christ’s sinless life that He lived in our place, His willingness to die on the cross in our place taking upon Himself the full wrath of God that we deserve for our sins, His burial, and His glorious resurrection from the dead in bodily form three days later, as being completely sufficient to save us! Anything else is “another gospel” that has no power whatsoever to save us from sin and from the wrath of God.
So, dear Catholic, once again I must present you with this extremely important question that you must answer before God:
“Are you going to believe the Word of God (His infallible Word, the Bible) or the word of man?” (Tradition and teachings of the Catholic church, many of which do not line up with Scripture).
Dear reader, whether you are a Catholic, a Mormon, one of many Jehovah’s Witnesses — or whatever religion or spiritual belief you may have — I strongly urge you to test what you are being taught against what the Word of God has to say to see if what you are being taught is true or not, because your eternal destiny truly does depend upon in whom and in what you place your trust in.
RELATED SCRIPTURES
“You shall not add to the word that I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it: keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. “(Deuteronomy 4:2 – Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible)
“What I command thee, that only do thou to the Lord: neither add any thing, nor diminish.” (Deuteronomy 12:32 – Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible)
“I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge all men, living and dead: because of his coming and of his Kingdom, I command you to preach the message, to insist upon telling it, whether the time is right or not; to convince, reproach, and encourage, teaching with all patience. The time will come when men will not listen to the true teaching, but will follow their own desires, and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear. They will turn away from listening to the truth and give their attention to legends.”(2 Timothy 4:1-4)
“I am jealous for you just as God is; you are like a pure virgin whom I have promised in marriage to one man only, who is Christ. I am afraid that your minds will be corrupted and that you will abandon your full and pure devotion to Christ–in the same way that Eve was deceived by the snake’s clever lies. For you gladly tolerate anyone who comes to you and preaches a different Jesus, not the one we preached; and you accept a spirit and a gospel completely different from the Spirit and the gospel you received from us!” (2 Corinthians 11:2-4 – SHLCNT)
“I am surprised at you! In no time at all you are deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ, and are going to another gospel. Actually there is no “other gospel,” but I say it because there are some people who are upsetting you and trying to change the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel that is different from the one we preached to you, may he be condemned to hell! We have said it before, and now I say it again: if anyone preaches to you a gospel that is different from the one you accepted, may he be condemned to hell!” (Galatians 1:6-9)
“He that believeth in the Son, hath life everlasting; but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him “(John 3:36 – Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible)
NOTE: Please keep in mind that the Word of God also says that the demons believe and they know who Jesus is, and they tremble, but they will not be saved! (Read James 2:19, Matthew 8:28,29, Mark 1:24, Luke 4:34, ) True Biblical belief means: to commit to; to rely upon; to trust in completely.(Read John 6:28,29, Acts 16:31, )
Let’s continue on with more related Scriptures:
“I, John, solemnly warn everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to his punishment the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes away anything from the prophetic words of this book, God will take away from his share of the fruit of the tree of life, and his share of the Holy City, which are described in this book.”(Revelation 22:18,19 – SHLCNT)
“For I testify to every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18,19 Douay-Rheims Catholic Version)
[NOTE 1: I added the Douay-Rheims translation of this verse, as well, because I found it troubling that the Sacred Heart League Catholic version had changed the words book of life to the tree of life, and wanted to bring that to your attention.]
[NOTE 2: Although this very strong warning is specifically written regarding adding to or taking away from God’s Word in the Book of Revelation, it should still fill anyone who is even considering the idea of adding to or taking away from any part of God’s Word with a deep and healthy fear of God and fear for their eternal destination!]
I will end with these final Bible verses that show the exclusivity of Christianity and Jesus Christ as being our only Savior and Mediator between God and mankind, and only name that we can call upon (not the virgin Mary, not any saint, not any pope, not any church or religious organization), and how He is our only hope in order to presently have complete assurance of salvation because these teachings come from the infallible Word of God:
“Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6)
“Salvation is to be found through him alone; for there is no one else in all the world, whose name God has given to men, by whom we can be saved.” (Acts 4:12 – SHLCNT)
“For there is one God, and one who brings God and men together, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself to redeem all men.”(1 Timothy 2:5,6 – SHLCNT)
“He that believeth in the Son, hath life everlasting; but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36 – Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible)
“We believe the witness that men give; the witness that God gives is much stronger, and this is the witness that God has given about his Son. So whoever believes in the Son of God has this witness in his heart; but whoever does not believe God has made a liar out of him, because he has not believed what God has said as a witness about his Son. This, then, is the witness: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write you this so that you may know that you have eternal life–you that believe in the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:9-13 – SHLCNT)
Mary Dalke - Living4HisGlory
Living4HisGlory 