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Who
is The Final Authority?
In recent years, there has been
a merging of Roman Catholicism with traditional Protestantism.
Many on both sides now claim those in the other camp as their
Christian brothers and sisters. This was unheard of several years
ago, but today:
Roman Catholic clergy
appear regularly on Christian television, promoting unity between
Catholics and Protestants.
Christian radio stations
broadcast Roman Catholic programs.
Christian bookstores carry
a variety of material appealing to Roman Catholics.
Have the two sides, in fact,
merged? Are they both now preaching the same message? Do both hold
the same cardinal doctrines?
To discover the answer to these
questions, I began an exhaustive study of the 1994 Catechism
of the Catholic Church. Using this particular Catechism was
important for two reasons:
1. This catechism is the
official source for all Roman Catholic
doctrine. No one can deny that it contains the actual teachings of
the Roman Catholic church.
2. Published in 1994, this is
the first new catechism in over 400 years. Therefore you can be
assured that you are reading the current teachings of the Roman
Catholic church, not what it may have taught three hundred years
ago.
In this book, we will examine 37
of the most critical Roman Catholic doctrines, then let the facts
speak for themselves.
You will not find personal
opinions or philosophies presented here. This is strictly a
declaration of true Roman Catholic doctrine and how those
doctrines compare with the Bible. You must draw your own
conclusions and make your own decisions.
Neither is this a book of
judgment or condemnation. Its sole purpose is to help you better
understand Catholic doctrine so you will be prepared when you
stand before God for judgment, as we all must do after death:
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"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but
after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27
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My heart breaks at the thought
of anyone hearing Jesus proclaim the following words to them on
that day:
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"I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity." Matthew 7:23
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Yet the Bible reveals that the
Lord will proclaim those very words to many religious
people. Knowing this, it is vital that you not blindly follow
anyone. Learn these Roman Catholic doctrines for yourself so you
will be able to face God with confidence.
The Bible maintains that it
is the one and only final authority, while Catholicism teaches
that three final authorities exist. The 1994 Catechism of the
Catholic Church declares:
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"It is clear therefore that, in the supremely wise
arrangement of God, sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and
the Magisterium of the Church are so connected and associated
that one of them cannot stand without the others. Working
together, each in its own way, under the action of the one
Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation
of souls." (Pg. 29, #95)
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According to this passage, the
Scriptures, church tradition (teachings handed down through the
ages), and the Magisterium (the task of giving an authentic
interpretation of the Word of God) are all equal in importance.
(See also Pg. 25, #82.)
According to Catholic doctrine,
church tradition and the magisterium are just as much the Word of
God as are the written Scriptures:
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"Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put
down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit. And
(Holy) Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God
which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord
and the Holy Spirit. " (Pg. 26, #81)
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The obvious question is, what
happens when these three "final authorities" disagree
with each other? The Catechism gives this answer:
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"The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the
Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of
Tradition, has been entrusted to the living, teaching office
of the Church alone. This means that the task of
interpretation has been entruste d to the bishops in communion
with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome." (Pg.
27, #85)
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It is important to note that
when the Catechism explains that the task of interpreting the Word
of God was entrusted to the "Church," it is referring
exclusively to the Roman Catholic church. Such is the case
throughout the Catechism. "The Church" always refers to
the Roman Catholic church.
The Catechism repeats the same
doctrine using different words:
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"For, of course, all that has been said about the
manner of interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the
judgment of the Church which exercises the divinely conferred
commission and m inistry of watching over and interpreting the
Word of God." (Pg. 34, #119)
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Therefore, the Catechism
concludes that the one final authority is not the Bible, but the
current teaching of the Catholic church, since she is the only one
qualified to provide an "authentic in-terpretation" of
God's Word.
Does the Bible agree?
If the Bible, tradition and the
teachings of the Catholic church are all, in fact, the Word of
God, then the Bible will concur with this teaching. Unfortunately
for Catholicism, it does not . In fact, quite the contrary is
true. God declares in the Bible that His written Word always has
been, and always will be - perfect:
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"Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of
thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."
Psalm 119: 160
"The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried
in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep
them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this
generation for ever." Psalm 12:6-7
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The Bible boldly declares that
it is the only
final authority:
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"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word
is truth." John 17:17
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In the book of Revelation, God
delivers this blistering warning about tampering with His written
Word:
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"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words
of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add
unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are 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 the things which
are written in this book." Revelation 22:18-19
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The Apostle Paul advises Bible
readers how they should react to those who teach doctrines
contrary to God's written Word:
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"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause
divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine
which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they
that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own
belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts
of the simple." Romans 16:17-18
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Paul admonishes true believers
to avoid anyone who teaches doctrines
contrary to the written Scriptures. He also reveals the
consequences of believing such false teachings:
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"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto
you, let him be accursed."
Galatians 1:8
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Then Paul immediately repeats
himself:
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"As we said before, so say I now again, If any man
preach any other gospel unto you
than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
Galatians 1:9
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Thus, when Catholic doctrine
contradicts God's written Word, those who side against the Holy
Scriptures will be "accursed."
The writer of Proverbs delivers
the same stern warning to anyone who would dare change the written
Word of God:
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"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them
that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his
words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a
liar." Proverbs 30:5-6
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God's Word is settled
forever
God pronounces that His Word was
written once and has been forever settled:
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"For ever, O Lord, thy word
is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89
"But the word of the Lord endureth for
ever..." 1 Peter 1:25
"... the word of our God shall stand for
ever." Isaiah 40:8
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
for ever." 1 Peter 1:23
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God's Word is perfect
God's Word can't change because
it's perfect just the way it is:
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"The law of the LORD is perfect,
converting the soul..." Psalm 19:7
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Catholicism claims that only the
leadership of the Catholic church can properly interpret the
written Word, but the Bible disagrees:
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"... no prophecy of the scripture is of
any private interpretation. For the prophecy
came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21
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Where does God want people to
obtain their doctrine... from a priest - or from the Bible?
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"All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
2 Timothy 3:16
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Paul is not alluding to the
magisterium or church tradition here because the previous verse
reads:
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"And that from a child thou hast known the holy
scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 3:15
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Since the Catholic church was
not yet in existence when Paul penned these words, he could not
have been referring to the teachings of Catholicism.
Did God give away His
authority?
As these and hundreds of other
scripture verses make plain, God never gave anyone the authority
to add to or change His Word. It's perfect and complete, just as
He wrote it.
One of the first questions you
must answer for yourself is, "Did God violate all these
Scriptures by giving the pope and the Catholic church the right to
change His Word, though He said He never would?"
The Pharisees
While Jesus walked the earth, He
publicly rebuked the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day:
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"Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the
commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men..." Mark
7:7-8
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Jesus was upset that the
Pharisees had elevated their tradition above God's Word because He
knows that the Word of God leads people to eternal life, while the
traditions of men lead people to eternal destruction.
Though these religious leaders
obeyed all the rules of their religion, look what Jesus said
awaited them:
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"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye
escape the damnation of hell?"
Matthew 23:33
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When the Pharisees asked Jesus
why His disciples transgressed the traditions of the elders, Jesus
answered them with a question of His own:
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"Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by
your tradition?" Matthew 15:3
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Jesus always elevated the
Scriptures above traditions:
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"Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not
knowing the scriptures, nor the
power of God." Matthew 22:29
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God's unchanging Word has always
been the final authority, never the traditions of men:
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"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and
vain deceit, after the tradition of men,
after the rudiments of the world, and not after
Christ." Colossians 2:8
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Christians in New Testament
times knew what the final authority was:
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"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in
that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the scriptures daily, whether
those things were so." Acts 17:11
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To determine if what they had
heard was true, these people went to the final authority, the
written Scriptures. Jesus says of His Words:
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"... If a man love me, he will keep my
words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him. He
that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings..." John
14:23-24
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Consider these words from the
Apostle Paul:
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"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing,
because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of
us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in
truth, the word of God..." 1
Thessalonians 2:13
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When Paul preached the Word of
God to these people, it was not Catholic doctrine because
Catholicism didn't exist yet.
Conclusion
God doesn't change (Malachi 3:6)
because He is perfect. His Son, Jesus, doesn't change (Hebrews
13:8) because He is perfect. Why, then, should God's perfect Word
keep changing?
As you read the remainder of
this book, you will be forced to decide which you believe is the
final authority: God's written Word, or the teachings and
traditions of the Catholic church.
Your decision will become
critical as you discover that God's Word and the teachings of
Catholicism are diametrically opposed on every doctrine we will
examine.
Will you side with the words of
God or the traditions of men?
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"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my
words shall not pass away." Matthew 24:35
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