Comparing the Catholic Catechism with the Bible
Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38, “What is truth?” It’s a great question and we all should ask it at some point in our lives.
Little did Pilate know that Jesus had just prayed the following to God the Father before being betrayed by Judas in John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
Psalm 119:105 “ Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path .”
Proverbs 6:23 “For the commandment is a lamp ; and the law is light ; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.”
Let’s shine the light of God’s Word onto the Catechism of the Catholic Church to see if they are in agreement or disagreement. You be the judge…
The Roman Catholic Church teaches the following regarding images and idols…
Paragraph 2132 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it." The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone:
Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.
The Bible says…
Exodus 20:4-5 “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image , or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them , nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” [This is the second commandment which the Catholic Catechism skips over completely. The Catechism divides the tenth commandment, Thou shalt not covet, into two separate commandments in order to get to ten commandments while leaving the second commandment out completely. One needs to ask why?]
Lev. 26:1 “Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.”
Deut. 16:22 “Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.”
Isa. 42:8 “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”
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The Roman Catholic Church teaches the following regarding confessing sins to a priest…
Paragraph 1493 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience.
Paragraph 1461 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the ministry of reconciliation, bishops who are their successors, and priests, the bishops' collaborators, continue to exercise this ministry. Indeed bishops and priests, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all sins "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
The Bible says…
Mark 2:7 “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only ?”
Luke 5:21 “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone ?” [note: the scribes and Pharisees were speaking of Jesus here…who is God. They knew it was blasphemy for a man to say he could forgive sins.]
Hebrews 4:14-16 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need .”
The Roman Catholic Church teaches the following regarding the sacraments and baptism…
Paragraph 1129 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation .
Paragraph 1257 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation . He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism , but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.
Paragraph 1263 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church By Baptism all sins are forgiven , original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.
The Bible says…
Jesus himself didn’t baptize: Luke 19:10 “ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost .”
John 4:2 “Though Jesus himself baptized not , but his disciples.”
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The apostle Paul wasn’t sent to baptize: 1 Cor. 1:17 “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel : not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”
1 Cor. 15:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved , if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” [note: no mention of baptism by the Apostle Paul here when he clearly defines “the gospel” by which we can be saved.]
The thief on the cross was never baptized yet entered paradise: Luke 23:42-43 “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise .”
Only blood washes away sin, not baptism waters: Heb. 9:22 “ And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission .”
Col. 1:13-14 “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood , even the forgiveness of sins .”
1 Peter 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ , as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
The salvation of God is a free gift, not by works: Eph. 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works , lest any man should boast.”
Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness [such as baptism or any of the sacraments] which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”
Matthew 7:22-23 “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works [such as baptism or any of the sacraments] ? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
If the removal of sin were possible by God instituting some new law such as baptism, Christ would not have needed to die: Gal. 3:21 “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life [such as baptism or any of the sacraments], verily righteousness should have been by the law .”
The Roman Catholic Church teaches the following regarding Mary…
Paragraph 494 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Thus, giving her consent to God's word, Mary becomes the mother of Jesus. Espousing the divine will for salvation wholeheartedly , without a single sin to restrain her , she gave herself entirely to the person and to the work of her Son
Paragraph 411 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Furthermore many Fathers and Doctors of the Church have seen the woman announced in the Protoevangelium as Mary, the mother of Christ, the "new Eve". Mary benefited first of all and
Page 3 uniquely from Christ's victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life .
Paragraph 966 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory [she did not die], and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death." The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians:
In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death .
Paragraph 969 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation . . . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix .
Paragraph 2677 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the "Mother of Mercy," the All-Holy One . We give ourselves over to her now, in the Today of our lives. And our trust broadens further, already at the present moment, to surrender "the hour of our death" wholly to her care .
The Bible says…
There is only one Mediator and her name isn’t Mary: 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus .”
We have an Advocate , but her name isn’t Mary: 1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous .”
Mary was a self admitted sinner in need of a Savior just like the rest of us: Luke 1:46-47 “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour .”
Romans 3:10-12 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one [this includes Mary] : There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one .”
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned , and come short of the glory of God.”
Because Mary was a sinner like the rest of us, she must have died which contradicts “The Assumption of Mary” doctrine: Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Ezekiel 18:20 “ The soul that sinneth, it shall die .”
There is only one way back to the Father, and it’s not through Mary according to the scripture: Acts 4:10-12 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the
Page 4 stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved .”
John 14:6 “ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me .”
The Roman Catholic Church teaches the following regarding salvation and the “Mother” Catholic Church…
Paragraph 181 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Church is the mother of all believers. "No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother."
Paragraph 868 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Church is catholic: she proclaims the fullness of the faith. She bears in herself and administers the totality of the means of salvation .
The Bible says…
Psalm 3:8 “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD : thy blessing is upon thy people.”
Psalm 37:39 “But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD : he is their strength in the time of trouble.”
Psalm 68:20 “He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death .”
Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God . Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
1 John 5:11-13 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son [not in the church, but in the Son] . He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life , and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Colossians 3:1-4 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God . When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
The Roman Catholic Church teaches the following regarding the Eucharist…
Paragraph 1374 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend." In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained ." "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present .
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Paragraph 1393 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Holy Communion separates us from sin. The body of Christ we receive in Holy Communion is "given up for us," and the blood we drink "shed for the many for the forgiveness of sins." For this reason the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins .
Paragraph 1367 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice : "The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different." "And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner. . . this sacrifice is truly propitiatory."
The Bible says…
The OT priests never offered an unbloody sacrifice for sins: Hebrews 9:7 “But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood , which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.”
Cain offered an unbloody sacrifice that was rejected, while Abel offered a bloody sacrifice which was accepted by God: Genesis 4:2-5 “And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD . And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect . And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”
Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins forever, therefore there is no need for a perpetual weekly sacrifice: Hebrews 10:10-14 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins : But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever , sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
The Roman Catholic Church teaches the following regarding Purgatory…
Paragraph 1030 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
Paragraph 1031 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire.
The Bible says…
2 Cor. 5:8 “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body , and to be present with the Lord .”
Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain .”
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John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also .”
1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God , and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that , when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is.”
John 10:27-30 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish , neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.”
Romans 5:8-9 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished [We broke God’s Law…the 10 commandments, but Jesus paid our fine in His life’s blood. There is nothing left to pay and this is why Jesus said “It is finished.”] : and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
The Roman Catholic Church teaches the following regarding Tradition…
Paragraph 97 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God .
The Bible says…
Colossians 2:8 “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 .”
Matthew 15:3,8-9 “But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition ?... This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men .”
Mark 7:8-9, 13 “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, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do…. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition , which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
Deut. 4:2 “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”
Proverbs 30:6 “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”
John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
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Miscellaneous teachings of the Roman Catholic Church…
Calling priests “Father”:
The Bible says in Matthew 23:9, “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” [the context of this verse is call no man your father “in a spiritual sense”…not forbidding someone calling their birth parent “father”.]
The celibacy of the Priesthood and the forbidding of eating meat on Fridays during Lent:
The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:1-6, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith , giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils ; Speaking lies in hypocrisy ; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry , and commanding to abstain from meats , which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ , nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine , whereunto thou hast attained.”
The faithful should pray the same prayers over and over (i.e. the Rosary):
The Bible says in Matthew 6:5-7, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. ”
Acts 5:29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men .”
Speaking of Jesus Christ, the Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:10 that he has “abolished death , and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” How can this be?
Well, there’s some Bad News and some Good News…
There’s more to our existence than just this life on earth. What about eternity? We can all afford to make mistakes in this life, but when it comes to our eternal destination, none of us can afford to be wrong! So how do you know where you’ll spend eternity? You can find out by asking yourself if you have kept God’s moral Law, the Ten Commandments: Have you ever told a lie? (White lies, half truths, and exaggerations are still lies.) Have you ever stolen anything? (The value is irrelevant.) Have you ever taken God’s name in vain? That’s called blasphemy. Have you ever looked at another person with lustful desires? Jesus said, “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). If you have done these things, then God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer-at-heart. What will you say on Judgment Day? Your conscience confirms that you are guilty. If you are found guilty of breaking God’s Laws, your punishment will be eternity in Hell. Does that concern you? It should. There is good news, though! God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, who came to this earth to suffer and take God’s wrath for your sin upon Himself. He suffered and died on a cross, taking your punishment. Think of the cross this way, it was a legal transaction…you broke God’s Law, and Jesus paid your fine! That’s God’s gift to you! You cannot earn a gift—you can only accept it with gratitude. In order to accept this gift, God commands you to repent (turn from your sins) and place your faith in Jesus Christ alone to save you. Stop trusting in your own “goodness” or “religious works” to save you, and start trusting in Jesus Christ the Savior…just as you would trust a parachute to save you when you jump out of an airplane. When you call upon His name and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14), He is mighty to save and will freely give you the gift of eternal life right now (1 John 5:13). Then your eternal destination will
Page 8 be certain—Heaven. If you’re not sure how to talk to God about this, make Psalm 51 your prayer right now. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope it helped you on your search for Truth.
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2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
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