The S.O.S. Lesson Materials
 Answers to Catholic Questions

ON PREJUDICE TO WARDS THE BIBLE
Catholics are urged to read the Bible, as the following official state­ments made by Catholic leaders demonstrate:

  1. There is a challenge to read and study, pray over and live the written Word of God. We, your bishops, have decided to proclaim 1989 as the National Bible Year!" (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philip­pines, Tagaytay City, Jan.27, 1989)
  2. Pope Pius X declared, "The more we read the Gospel the stronger our faith becomes."
  3. Our desire for all the church' children is that being saturated with the Bible, they may arrive at the all-surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ. (Spiritus Paraclitus, Sept. 15, 1920)
  4. Pope Leo XIII said, "Ignorance of the Bible means ignorance of Christ." (JESUS said, "Search the Scriptures... they testify on my behalf" -JOH 5:39)
  5. Inerrancy is a necessary consequence of inspiration. The Bible does not and cannot contain error. (Encyclical "Spiritus Paraclitus,1920)
ABOVE ALL, Jesus, the Head of the Church said: WHOEVER IS OF GOD HEARS EVERY WORD GOD SPEAKS. THE REASON YOU DO NOT HEAR IS THAT YOU ARE NOT OF GOD!" John 8:47

ON MASS - RC DEFINITION: It is the "unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ. The mass is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross." If Christ is offered again, as they claim, then the Scriptures below are not true! There are 200,000 daily masses, worldwide.

THE BIBLE SAYS:

HEB. 7:27 For this He did once. ROM 6:10
(1PE 3:18)		 Once for all..
9:11-15 Entered once for all. 1PE 1:18-19 Redeemed not with perishable things
9:24-28 Not to be offered again and again    
10:10-14 Just one sacrifice for all times!    
10:15-18 No longer any sacrifice for sin!    

ON PURGATORY - RC DEFINITION: It "is a state in which those suffer for a time who die guilty of venial sins, or without having satisfied for the punishment due to their sins."

THE BIBLE SAYS: LUK 23:39-43 No purgatory! Saints did not expect to go there!

  1. Christ bore all the suffering, punishment, penalty for our sins. He died in our stead: 1PE 2:21-24; ROM 5:8; 2CO 5:21; COL 2:13-14; ISA 53:4-6,12
  2. Complete satisfaction for all sins (past, present & future) has been made to God, for us, through Christ at Calvary! ISA 53:10-12; JOH 1:29; 2CO 5:18-21; HEB 10:10,14; COL 1:19-20; 1JO 3:5
  3. God does not accept any other cleansing, purging, sacrifice or atonement for sin besides Christ's shed blood at Calvary: HEB 9:11-14, 22 Without shedding of blood, no forgiveness. HEB 9:26-28; ROM 3:24-25; ROM 5:8-9; EPH 1:7; REV 1:5
  4. There is no 2nd Chance! LUK 16:19-31; HEB 9:27

ON PRIEST OR FATHER

DEFINITION: Priest - One who draws nigh to God for us!
THE BIBLE SAYS:

  • MAT 23:9 Call no one on earth (spiritual) father. "Holy Father" is God's Title alone.
  • 1JO 2:1 Our Advocate! We come to God through Him, HEB 7:25.
  • 1PE 2:4-10 All believers who have come to Jesus (not just a few) are called to be "priests" and can come to draw nigh to God! JAM 4:7-8

    • THE POPE - RC CONCEPT:
    The Vicar of the Son of God, "Vicarius Filii Dei" or one who takes the place of Jesus on earth! Pope has been called "Our Holy Father" and "Our Most Holy Lord” Encyclical Letter: Pope Leo XIII; Pope Pius X).
    THE BIBLE SAYS:

  • JOH 16:7-8, 12-15 But Jesus said clearly that His Vicar is the Holy Spirit! 14:16-17,26 15:26
  • 1PE 5:1-4 Peter was not Pope, just a fellow Elder (a Title held by many in the church: 2JO 1:1 ACT 15:2,4,6,22, 23.) Peter was not a Lord!
  • EPH 4:5 ACT 10:16 PHI 2:11 Jesus alone is Lord!
  • EPH 1:22, 4:15, 5:23 Jesus is The Head of the Church! Also COL 1:18, 2:19.
    1. Peter did not exercise authority as Pope: Examples ACT 8:14 (They were sent..); 15:1-21 Where James' advice, not Peter's comments is followed in the final decision made by the whole church!
    2. The early church did not recognize singular papal authority! ACT 10:25-26 16:4 21:17-19, 25 GAL 1:15-17, 2:6-9,11-14

    ON MARY & THE SAINTS

    1. Mother of Jesus (not mother of God, for God has no mother, and the Title misleads because God is in 3 Persons). JOH 2:1-3 ACT 1:14
    2. Perpetual Virginity: MAT 1:25, JOH 7:1-5 (w/ PSA 69:9), GAL 1:19, MAT 12:46-50, 13:55-56, MAR 6:3 (These were not cousins of Jesus as the catholic would like us to believe. Bible uses different word for cousins, COL 4:10.)
    3. Immaculate Conception: ROM 3:10-12, 23 5:12, 1JO 1:8, ECC 7:20, LUK 1:47 2:22-24 (note that Mary has to offer a pair of doves, one of which is for a sin offering: LEV 12:8)
    4. Veneration: LUK 11:27-28 – A chance for Jesus to endorse Mary but He did not..
    5. Use of LUK 1:28, 42,48-49 Not a ground for veneration: these statements are used for other people as well (JDG 5:24, and plenty of blessed people in the Bible)

    MEDIATOR / MEDIATRIX:

    1TI 2:5 How many Gods? How many mediators? HEB 12:24
    JOH 6:37, 44, 65 Who brings us to Jesus?
    JOH 14:6 Who brings us to the Father? 1JO 2; HEB 2:18; 7:25
    Story in JOH 2:1-11 never suggests Mary's power to intercede!

    God alone can answer prayer because He has the characteristics and the ability to answer prayer. He is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. Jesus is God and therefore can hear our prayers. HEB 7:25 ROM 8:34 JOH 14:13 Not so with saints and Mary. If they are present every where (omnipresent), and knows all things (omniscient), and has all power to perform extra-ordinarily (omnipotent), then they must be gods! Since they are not, they cannot hear our prayers!

    CELIBACY - RC TEACHING: Celibacy for their priests/nuns.
    THE BIBLE SAYS:
  • LUK 1:5, Priests have wives.
  • 1CO 7:25-28 Not a sin to marry.
  • MAT 8:14,15 ; 1CO 9:4-6 Peter was married
  • 1CO 7:8-9 Better to marry than to burn!
  • 1TI 3:1-5 Church leaders are tested in their family.
  • 1TI 4:1-3 Celibacy is taught by demons.

    • THE ROCK - Is the Rock Christ? Or Peter? Who is the foundation of the true church?

    FORGIVENESS OF SINS/CONFESSIONS MAT 16:19, 18:18 Statement was not only given to Peter! JOH 20:22-23 Said to all disciples not just to a few! How did those disciples interpret Jesus' words? Did they exercise the power of forgiving sins by hearing confessions, and granting pardon or absolution? If the RC priests are correct then the disciples were wrong! 1JO 1:7-9; MAR 2:7,10 (Jesus has power to effect forgiveness!) ACT 2:37-38; 16:30-31.