THE CATHOLIC CHURCH CONTINUES TO ABANDON BIBLICAL TRUTH
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 1:41PM NOTRadio This article was written by Jason Carlson of Christian Ministries International
Courtesy of Worldview Weekend
The British Newspaper, The Times, reported an alarming story on October 5th. The story was titled, "Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible".[i] The story reports that as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council document which explains the role of Scripture in God's revelation, the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has published a new document titled The Gift of Scripture that instructs parishioners to be aware that certain parts of the Bible are not actually historically true.
According to The Times, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor and Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the two most senior Catholics of Great Britain wrote the forward to the document. They say that those who study Scripture should not expect to find "total accuracy" in the Bible. The Cardinals also state, "We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical precision." As an example of this position, The Gift of Scripture tells believers that the first 11 chapters of Genesis should not be considered "historical", but at best they may contain "historical traces". This document makes it clear that the Catholic Church's position on Genesis 1-11 is that these chapters provide religious teaching, but they should not be described as historical records. The document states, "We should not expect total accuracy from the Bible in other, secular matters."
With the publishing of this document, the Catholic Church has continued in their long tradition of abandoning biblical truth. It was in 1547 AD at the Council of Trent that the Catholic Church replaced biblical authority with the man-made traditions of the Church[ii], thereby denying many central biblical teachings like Ephesians 2:8-9[iii] and Hebrews 10:10 & 14[iv]. Now the Catholic Church has continued in its practice of denying biblical truth by adding this teaching that "We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical precision."
I can imagine that much of the motivation for taking this position comes from a desire to remain relevant to those who've bought into the popular, but false idea of billions of years of evolution. However, this is a sadly misguided strategy. First of all, it is sad because there is simply no need to try to accommodate the creation account of Genesis to the flawed man-made theory of evolution. There's simply no solid evidence for macroevolution, whether you add God to the equation or not. Secondly, it is misguided because the Catholic Church is creating a precedent whereby anytime popular opinion goes against Scriptural teaching, the Church may simply cave in to the pressure. I don't think I need to elaborate any further on the dangers of where this could lead.
The Catholic Church is making a tremendous mistake in allowing popular opinion to dictate their view of what is and is not historical and true in Scripture. Could this be evidence of the end-times apostasy that Paul warned us about? In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Paul said, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." Is this not what the Catholic Church has done here? They aren't even trying to be subtle in their error; they've come out in this new document and openly stated that the Bible cannot be trusted as fully accurate and historical.
I can't help but think that the Catholic Church has strayed a long way from the bold and uncompromising biblical prophets of old… but then again, maybe the prophets of old don't live up to the Catholic Church's standards of "complete historical precision".
[i] Gledhill, Ruth. "Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible". The Times. UK, November 5, 2005. (www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1811332,00.html)
[ii] The official Catholic position is that Church tradition was elevated to equal status with biblical revelation. However, placing man-made traditions on an equal footing with God's word is essentially the same thing as replacing biblical authority with man-made traditions. For as we've seen throughout history, whenever Scripture doesn't agree with the Church's current perspective on a given issue, the Church simply has the luxury of ignoring the biblical teaching by citing their own man-made traditions.
[iii] "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
[iv] "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all… For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." (Hebrews 10:10, 14)
Distributed by www.worldviewweekend.com
Reader Comments (49)
There is no doubt that the Pope is the representative of God on this earth. This is Biblical, and there is Biblical evidence for it. Jesus Christ himself gave Peter (the first pope) the authority to perform excorcisms, and the Pope today still carries that authority. The pope was recently able to cure two men of their demon posession with his presence alone. That is proof point that the Pope is in and of himself the presence of God Almighty, otherwise, how could he perform such miracles? Chris, you should stop bashing Catholicism, and submit your life to the true Church.
Read the Story Here...
"The Church however beleives that there are God-ordained Traditions that go hand in with scripture."
" I.e there are two types of tradition. Sola Scriptura is a man-made tradition and so is sole fide in my view."
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'believes' and 'in my view' do not provide evidence of God ordaining RCC Traditions beyond the traditions recorded in God's inspired Holy Bible.
Gerald, Gerald.. How hard it must be to see the fallacies of that which you so strongly believe. May God have mercy and remove the scales from your eyes so that you might be able to see the truth. There are so many errors and corruptions in the RCC, it is a full time job for its hierarchy to cover them up and make it look right but when compared to the unchangeable Word of God they just dont measure up. Just what are the standards for verifying any doctrine according to the RCC anyway?
Acts. 17:11 These were more noble then thoes in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, whether those things were so. All men err and are liars. There is none righteous, no not one. If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Matt. 15:14 We do much better to follow God and his written word, then some mans ideas or words that can change on a daily basis with the winds of change.
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man.
Take a step of faith, and ask God about it on your knees in prayer and see what his Word says about it, instead of following some mans ideas.
“Sola Scriptura is a man-made tradition and so is sole fide in my view."
If we followed that logic we might conclude that “The Trinity” is a man-made tradition. No, The Trinity explains something clearly seen in the Bible. There are a ton of Catholics out there droning on and on about how “unsound” these doctrines are… impressive from a group that doesn’t read their Bibles. I grow tired of this kind of rhetoric; especially when I read the Bible to Catholics and see their eyes well up when they hear the beautiful promises of God – when they find out that their life long effort to get into heaven is a lie. “Repent and believe” is the command. The question is what are we to believe?
Gerald you are correct in saying that whether you answer our Popish accusations or not they are still true to us, but the same line of reasoning holds true for you too. In my opinion one doesnt need history, or anything else but to just look at what JP2 and Benedict 16 are doing and have done and one can discern they dont follow Jesus commands or teachings in the least. The fact that the history is there just confirms the awful blasphemous AntiChrist system and hierarchy. There is no way the Popish system is anything remotely close to what Jesus Christ taught and commanded. Perhaps we are wacko to follow Jesus Christ and his teachings, but truely I would rather be that then follow some man, who is blaspheming God here on earth. They made the Dark Ages happen by burning and destroying every printed copy of Gods Word they could get their dirty hands on, and killing everyone in the way who didnt accept trans-substantiation or their authority. They woulnt even let a man hold his own opinion and be wrong if he was so inclined. They wanted and still want absolute control. They figure we ought to blindly follow them even if they lead their followers to hell fire. I can discern the whole system from top to bottom is Pagan and AntiChrist and clearly not Biblical or Christian or descendant from Jesus Christ or his teachings. The fruits of God convicting the common man to preach the Bible brought such great liberty and freedom in England and America that it amazes me that anyone should ever consider a return to the previous bonds. It even shut down Popery and its evil tenticles for just over 100 years, but these past 80 or 90 years they are slowly reigning the population back in. If it continues this way it wont be long before they will hold world rule again, and then I am sure it will be back to what they do best.. Inquisition. So yeah, perhaps we are wacko, but I just pray I have the strength to endure if and when they are ever in the process of taking my life too.
Oh, and the Pagans and the Roman Emperors were murdering and killing believers right from the start. The true believers were living and dying for their faith a couple centuries before the Emporers ever claimed to be Christian and hold direct descendent of Peter. No, sadly the Popish system is a false system and is AntiChrist. I think they should take the warning Jesus Christ gave the Pharisees of his day. He said Ye make the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. This people draw 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.
Gerald: "The Catholic position is NOT about man-made traditions. We agree that things like fasting rules and the days on the calander deemed as Lent etc. are man made traditions. These we do not claim to be equal with the Bible. The Church however beleives that there are God-ordained Traditions that go hand in with scripture. I.e there are two types of tradition. Sola Scriptura is a man-made tradition and so is sole fide in my view."
GS: No such distinction between man made or God ordained traditions is mention in Dei Verbum just the below statement that the RCC traditions are venerated in the same way as scripture. Again Gerald your twisting the truth to sell your false doctrines.
DEI VERBUM
CHAPTER II
HANDING ON DIVINE REVELATION
Therefore both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence.
It is written:
Lev_22:31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
Hi Wallace,
You are so right when you said this:
"If it continues this way it wont be long before they will hold world rule again, and then I am sure it will be back to what they do best.. Inquisition."
check out these images of the Catholic Nazareno sect, the inquisitors have not gone away.
Hooded Catholic Cult
Mike wrote, "There is no doubt that the Pope is the representative of God on this earth.... The pope was recently able to cure two men of their demon posession with his presence alone. That is proof point that the Pope is in and of himself the presence of God Almighty, otherwise, how could he perform such miracles?"
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2Cor 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Thess 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Thess 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Thess 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Thess 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Edit:
2Cor 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Cor 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Guy, thank you for your post, but it seems to me that you are the one being deceived. In fact, the entire protestant reformation was a Satanic deception designed to lead people away from the true Church. God gave sole authority to the Apostles and their successors (the Catholic Pope and their Bishops/Priests) and since Scripture has been corrupted by man, he also gave the Church the authority to interpret that Scripture. Of course, you see with your own eyes that the pope is able to perform miracles in Jesus name, yet you still don't believe. I appreciate your verses, but the verses you have mentioned all apply to your delusion. Again, if I were you, I would repent, and turn in faith to the only true Church that can save.
Mike wrote: "since Scripture has been corrupted by man, he also gave the Church the authority to interpret that Scripture. "
...............
Ironic, since RCC claims to have given the bible.
Do you believe we no longer have God's inspired Holy Bible?
Guy, we are getting off topic here, but to answer your question, our Holy Father has already commented on this as to what we believe about Scripture. Now, back to the original question, Your arguments for our Holy Father's excorcisms being a deception are totally false. This is completely Biblical, and it's also something you can see with your own two eyes. Why don't Protestants perform excorcisms? Could it be because you weren't given that authority from Jesus?
Mike wrote:
"Guy, we are getting off topic here,"
No we're not, since you're the one who introduced the concept of a corrupt bible; the question is, Do you believe we no longer have God's inspired Holy Bible?
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Mike wrote:
"our Holy Father has already commented on this as to what we believe about Scripture."
Don't wash; God has inspired and preserved His word, and has sent us the Holy Spirit to lead us to Christ as our mediator, advocate, confessor, redeemer, to the exclusion of the RCC pope and Mary.
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Mike wrote:
"Your arguments for our Holy Father's excorcisms being a deception are totally false. ..
Why don't Protestants perform excorcisms? Could it be because you weren't given that authority from Jesus?"
Signs and wonders were to confirm the apostles as messengers of the gospel of salvation through faith in Christ as the Son of God who was sent as Saviour and Redeemer.
Those apostles are now dead, no need to confirm anyone, since He has left us His insprired Holy Bible.
Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
2Cor 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
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Mke wrote:
"This is completely Biblical,"
Not biblical, but rather man-made RCC Tradition.
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Mike wrote:
"and it's also something you can see with your own two eyes."
2Cor 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight:
Mike, I want to say that your assertions are provably incorrect. 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. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: The claim you just made was that people are saved because they join a certain church. Now let me be very very clear. There is NO CHURCH on earth that can save a man. The ONLY one who can save a mans soul is the Virgin Born Son of God, who died on the cross of Calvary was buried and rose again. He is the only one who can make intercession to the Father for a mans sin. Not Mary, The Pope, or any other human being.
If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into a ditch.
Your verses prove my point exactly. Since the papacy is the the succession of the Apostles, the Pope carries the responsibilities of the Apostles. In know way, shape, or form, do your verses quoted above prove that the miracles performed by the Apostles ended with the original twelve. Of course they would be carried out until the end.
And Wallace, your assertions are also false. Of course Christ is the only name by which we must be saved, but it through his Church that grace is granted through faith in Him, and dispersed through His sacraments, mainly Baptism and the Eucharist. This is not only confirmed through tradition, but in Scripture as well. If you actually take the time to study RCC tradition, you will see that it does not in any way contradict Scripture, as it's intended meaning is interpreted by God's representative on earth, and his Holy Church. It is only through the false interpretations of the Protestant "church" that Scripture seems to contradict tradition.
Mike wrote:
"Your verses prove my point exactly. Since the papacy is the the succession of the Apostles,"
Scripture speaks of the twelve apostles, not a so-called succession of apostles.
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"tIn know way, shape, or form, do your verses quoted above prove that the miracles performed by the Apostles ended with the original twelve. "
Well, then it should be easy for you to provide scripture verses which claim a post-apostolic succession of signs and wonders, after the original twelve.
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Of course they would be carried out until the end.
Only by the Satan, antichrists, false prophets, and apparently RCC popes.
Getting a papist to answer a question is as successful as nailing Jell-O to a wall! :)
Hi Mike,
To answer your question about protestants preforming exorcisms you can check out the testimony of Doreen Irvine who was exorcised by a Baptist Pastor in England, all the details are in her book From Witchcraft to Christ. Now the Popes own spokesman Federico Lombardi is casting doubt on weather what Fr Amorth said happened actually happened the way he says in his book. You expect us to bow down and worship the Pope just because of Amorth story, not going to happen. First show me the video evidence that it happened (there must have been hundreds of cameras present) and then show me the video testimony's of the two men that were exorcised and then answer this question. If the Pope has this power to bind and loose then why doesn't he come down from his Roman Chariot and exercise all the people in the madhouses in Italy that are tormented with demons?
Now I totally disagree with the cessationist position that has been given above and also the Keys to bind and loose are passed on to the Pope from Peter position both are Jesuitical doctrines. The first is a lie from the Devil to disarm the Body of Christ and the second is just pure Catholic nonsense. Any Born Again child of God has the authority to bind and loose devils if they have faith as a grain of mustard seed.
Mat 17:14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
The cessationist doctrine is a one verse theology and that verse doesn't cover casting out devils.
1Co_13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Youtube link to Doreen's Testimony:
Doreen Irvine
Why yes I did, Gerald! *pats self on back*
I've raised 5 teenagers so I know all about nailing Jell-O. ;)
???
"Like nailing jelly to the wall” means something difficult-to-impossible. Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) coined the expression in April 1912:
I refuse to follow this site any longer because the host permits blasphemous individuals to address human sinful and powerless men as "father" and attribute deity to blatant sinners against the commandment of clear scripture. May the Lord have mercy on all of your souls and call you to repentance.
I do agree with you in part Dave,
NOTRadio need to ether make this a members only forum or switch off the comments. It is my strong opinion from the last few weeks of debating our friends that there real intention is to attack this site and waist our time. They are posting on Catholic forums for people to come and attack this site with Catholic Dogma and I don't think the attacks are going to stop any time soon because the Devil is not happy with truth being revealed. As for not following this site because some Catholic have chosen to attack it, I don't see the logic.
But yes something needs to be done.
God Bless
Your very own protestant pope, Billy Graham, has stated recently that he now believes in the RCC and that the Pope is representative of Christ on earth. For as much as BG represents protestantism, our Holy father represents the one and only true Church.
I wouldn't put too much water in your previous argument (for as anyone who's taken a class on Rhetoric will tell you that the "Appeal to Authority" is one of the weakest arguments you can put forward), Mike, or give much credence to Billy Graham being the "Protestant Pope" as you call him. Protestants -at least, knowledgeable Protestants- acknowledge that no human or institution has any authority regarding soteriology or doctrine in and of themselves; their authority is only legitimate insofar as they are in agreement (read: deducible) with/from Scripture. Billy Graham is subject to the same criticism and standard as any other man (which one can't say applies to the RCC). Luther was so wise as to say that it wasn't Apostolic Succession that mattered, but Apostolic Succession of DOCTRINE.
PS- Billy Graham IS in error.
"Your very own protestant pope, Billy Graham"
Mike I find it interesting that you should use that turn of phrase as Gerald and Tarls before you attacked Chris by calling him Pope Pinto. It strikes me as disrespectful of your very own belief system to use the term Pope in a derogatory way. If you believe that the Pope is in Christ place on earth then what you are saying is blasphemy against your Pope. Now I could use that term in a derogatory way because I believe the Pope is the Antichrist but for a Catholic to do the same is very odd.
As for Billy Graham, the man is Jesuit co-agitator and will have his part in the lake of fire for teaching another gospel.