ROME vs. BIBLE

THREE DOCTRINES

“Little children,
Make sure no one deceives you.”
(1 John 3:7)

Overview

Please note, it’s not my job to tell anybody what to believe.

My job is to simply present what the Bible teaches in order to compare it to what the Roman Church teaches, and then encourage people to decide for themselves what to believe.

This book will use God’s Word as found in the Bible as the standard, and will also lean on recorded History for support.

There are many millions of precious Catholics who have only been taught from the Roman Church perspective (which has never encouraged members to study the Bible on their own).

However, in the Bible, we find the Apostle Paul praising those Christians who would eagerly listen to all they were being taught in church, but, would then go home and “Search the Scriptures” to see (and confirm) if what they were being taught was true …

“The Bereans were more fair-minded
than those in Thessalonica,
in that they received the Word (heard the sermons)
with great eagerness
but then SEARCHED the Scriptures daily
to find out whether these things (being taught)
were true.”
(Acts 17:11)

Even though there are a number areas where the Bible and the Roman Church differ in doctrines and teachings, we will only present a few of those major doctrines that are easy to understand, which should help keep things short and simple.

We will do our best to let the Roman Catholic Church, Popes, and Vatican sources speak for themselves, whenever possible, in order to accurately present their teachings.

We will also step back to allow God’s Word, as found in the Bible, speak for itself.

The objective of this study is to present a simple side by side comparison which even a teenager could understand.

Keeping this in mind, let’s also note what God’s Wisdom, as found in the book of Proverbs, teaches us …

“Any story sounds true
until someone tells the other side
and sets the record straight.”
(Proverbs 18:17 TLB)

Comparing Roman Church & Bible Doctrines

Where to Start?

The question is where to start and how to present such a comparison in a limited space so the average reader can be left without any “reasonable doubt” as to some important and major differences between the Roman Church and the Bible.

So, we will limit ourselves to only three doctrines which reveal that Biblical Doctrine and Roman Doctrine do differ …

#1. Calling any church leader “Father” or “Pope”

            “Do not call anyone  (any religious leader)
            here on Earth your ‘father’;
            For only ONE is your Father,
            HE (God) who is in Heaven.”
            (Matthew 23:9)

Yet, the Roman Church requires Catholic followers to call their priests “Father” and their High Priest “Poppa” (Pope).

#2. Graven (“Man-Made”) Images as Objects of Worship

“Thou shalt NOT make unto thee any graven image,
or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above,
or that is in the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth”
(Exodus 20:4)

“You shall make you NO idols nor graven image,
neither rear you up a standing image,
neither shall you set up ANY image of stone in your land,
to bow down unto it:
For I am the LORD your God.”
(Leviticus 26:1)

“Being then God’s offspring,
we ought NOT to think that the Divine Being
is like gold or silver or stone,
or an image (or painting) formed
by the art and imagination of man.”
(Acts 17:29)

“Lest ye corrupt yourselves,
and make you a graven (man-made) image,
the likeness of ANY figure,
the likeness of Male (Peter) or Female (Mary)”
(Deuteronomy 4:16-19)

Yet, we now find the Roman Vatican (and most Roman churches) filled with “graven” images, paintings, and statues.

The most famous sculptures (graven images) in the Vatican which families will see as they tour this regal Roman Catholic house of worship, include those of: Roman Emperors, many fully naked men, the multi-breasted Goddess Artemis of Ephesus (with bull testicles), the Roman god Hercules, and “Antinoos” a homosexual lover of the Roman Emperor Hadrian … (https://TheRomanGuy.com/italy-travel-blog/italy-travel-blog/vatican-city/vatican-museums/most-famous-sculptures-at-the-vatican)

Also, the famous statue of “Peter” in the Roman Vatican is actually older than the Apostle Peter, for (even as they admit) it was originally worshiped as the Roman Sun-god Jupiter, whom the Roman Church simply renamed “Peter.”

The Roman Church also did the same thing with the sculpture of “Mary” in the Vatican, which was originally worshiped as the Roman Goddess of Sex and Love Venus, whom the Roman Church simply renamed “Mary.”

This is because the Roman Church has deleted the Second Commandment which forbade “Graven Images” (sculpted, painted, or engraved), and then they divided the 10^th (and last) “Thou Shalt Not Covet” into two Commandments …

The Roman Church’s “10 Commandments”

THE BIBLICAL 10 COMMANDMENTS:	ROMAN CATHOLIC 10 COMMANDMENTS:
You shall have no other gods before Me	I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything 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:	You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (They deleted the Biblical Second Commandment)
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain	Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy	Honor your father and your mother
Honor your father and your mother	You shall not kill
You shall not murder	You shall not commit adultery
You shall not commit adultery	You shall not steal
You shall not steal	You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor	You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife
You shall not covet	You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods

Added to this, we find the Roman Church also commands those Doctrines (Rules) which they have added to the Bible as “Dogma” must be obeyed as “equal” to God’s Word.

Yet, the Bible clearly warns …

“I testify to everyone who hears
the words of the prophecy of this book:
If anyone ADDS to them,
God will add to him the plagues
which are written in this book;
and if anyone TAKES AWAY from the words
of the book of this prophecy,
God will take away his part
from the tree of life and from the holy city,
which are written in this book.”
(Revelation 22:18-19)

“You shall NOT add to the Word
which I am commanding you,
nor take away from it,
that you may keep the commandments
of the Lord your God which I command you.”
(Deuteronomy 4:2)

“Do NOT add
to God’s (“His”) Words
Or He will reprove you,
and you will be proved a liar.”
(Proverbs 30:6)

And, Jesus Himself sternly warns (in Mark 7:7-8) …

“In vain do they worship Me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
You (religious rulers) leave the commandment of God
and hold to the tradition of men (including Popes) …
thus making void the word of God”
(Mark 7:7-8)

#3. Our Path to Heaven (Salvation)

Here lies the defining difference between what Bible-believing Christians (“Protestants”) believe and what Roman Catholics are taught to believe, and it reflects the deep chasm between the great simplicity found in God’s Word which has been given so even a child can understand the Gospel (the “good news” of how we are saved into Heaven), and the complexities and confusion found in the Roman Church’s teaching on how one can have assurance that they (or a loved one) will go to Heaven after they die …

The Greek word “Gospel” literally means “Very good news” concerning our Salvation (into Heaven) through Jesus Christ.

How can something be very good news if nobody can understand it??!!

THE QUESTION IS: “HOW Do We Go To Heaven?”

The Bible’s Answer:

“For God so loved the World
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him
should NOT perish (in Hell)
but have everlasting life (in Heaven).
For God did not send His Son
into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him
might be saved (into Heaven).
He who believes in Him
is NOT condemned (to Hell);
but he who does not believe
IS condemned already.“
(John 3:16-18)

We are also clearly told what the “Gospel” says …

“Now I would remind you, brothers,
of the Gospel I preached to you,
which you received, in which you stand,
and BY which you are being saved,
if you hold fast to the Word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you
as of first importance what I also received:
That Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures,
that He was buried,
that He was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures”
(1 Corinthians 15:1-3)

And to the sincere and earnest cry heard in Acts 16:30:

“What must I do to be saved?”
(Acts 16:30)

God answers this question (through the Apostle Paul):

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you WILL be saved!”
(Acts 16:31)

But, WHAT Must We Believe??!!

– We must believe Jesus IS the Son of God

– He suffered and died on the Cross for all our sins

– He lovingly laid down His life to save us (from Hell)

– He powerfully rose from the dead the third day

– He is the only One who can save us into Heaven …

Then, what does God’s Word (the Bible) say about having to ADD anything to God’s “free gift” of life in Heaven?

“For by God’s GRACE (getting something we don’t deserve)
you have been SAVED (into Heaven)
through FAITH (in Jesus Christ).
And this is NOT your own doing;
It is the GIFT of God,
NOT of works,
lest anyone should boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9) (Faith saves us … Works add rewards!)

God Promises that Life in Heaven is a “Free Gift”

In the book of Romans (His “letter to Roman Catholics”), God lovingly and clearly promises that eternal life in Heaven is offered to every man and woman on Earth as a “free gift!”

In fact, we find God repeats this THREE TIMES in Romans in a single chapter, so that everyone will know life in Heaven is offered as a “free gift” and that no one (and no “religion”) can ever add any “works,” or “price,” or anything beyond simply believing in (and loving) Jesus Christ!!!

“Having been justified (which means all of our sins forgiven) by faith … the free gift (of life in Heaven) is not like the offense (Adam’s sin in the Garden). For if by the one man’s (Adam’s) offense many (all Mankind) died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many (all who believe) … For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation (Hell), but the free gift (of life in Heaven) which came from many offenses resulted in justification (all of our sins forgiven) … Even so through One Man’s righteous act (on the Cross), the free gift (of life in Heaven) came to all men, resulting in ALL our sins forgiven (justification).” (Excerpted from the book of Romans 5:5, 15-19)

So, the Bible’s answer to “How do we go to Heaven” is clear and very easy to understand (if we believe in God’s Word).

The Roman Catholic Church Answer:

“How Do Catholics Get To Heaven?”
(https://catholicsbible.com/how-do-catholics-get-to-heaven/)

“Salvation (going to Heaven) does NOT stop at simply ‘believing’ and being baptized. It also includes your words and deeds (works) … That’s why a person in friendship and Grace with God and who does good deeds (good works) may still earn a spot in Heaven …” (emphasis added)

“Catholic 101: How Are We Saved?”
(https://thejesuitpost.org/2021/02/catholic-101-how-are-we-saved)

“It is a question worth pondering over. Have we been saved? What does it mean to be saved? And what does the Church teach about Salvation?”

“Given the plethora of Church teaching, you might be shocked to find out: The Catholic Church does NOT endorse one particular understanding of Salvation. (Gasp!) It’s shocking, I know.”

“That’s not to say that the Church doesn’t have a lot to say about our salvation and how it is worked out. It does!”

“But as much as we seek to uncover truth, we also have to understand the mystery of God’s work in our life …”

“It’s too large a task to explore the entirety of (Roman Catholic) Church teaching on Salvation, but this article will offer a few helpful insights to reflect on.”

“We profess in the Nicene Creed that Jesus came “for us…and for our salvation.” Okay, so salvation is all about Jesus.”

“That’s the essential starting point. But there are lots of ways to go from there.”

“How exactly does Christ save us? The creed does not elaborate on any particular model of salvation. Consequently, a variety of models exist from different theologians who have tried to make sense of this complicated concept. Many of these models overlap and can be seen as complementary rather than mutually exclusive.”

“The working out of our Salvation (going to Heaven) through Jesus’s death and resurrection remains a mystery.”

<END OF ROMAN CATHOLIC ANSWER>

NOTE: This “mystery” as promoted by the Roman Catholic Church creates “confusion” as to how one goes to Heaven, which then creates “doubt” as to whether a person (or a loved one) will go to Heaven when they die.

To the Roman Church this “doubt” is a good thing!!

This doubt which they have now been fostering for over a thousand years has steadily allowed the Roman Church to become the wealthiest entity in the history of all Mankind!!

The “Toll Booth” which the Roman Church has carefully placed across God’s path to Heaven has been a very lucrative one (and, like the Roman Mafia, they do defend their turf)!

In order to “protect” their vast revenue stream here is what “Roman Church Law” now threatens against ALL who will believe we are saved by faith (as the Bible teaches) …

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

COUNCIL OF TRENT SIXTH SESSION

celebrated on the thirteenth day of January, 1547

DECREE CONCERNING JUSTIFICATION

CHAPTER XVI:

THE FRUITS OF JUSTIFICATION, THAT IS, THE MERIT OF GOOD WORKS,

AND THE NATURE OF THAT MERIT

Canon 9. “If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his own will, let him be anathema.”

Note: The word “anathema” means a strong curse (or during the Roman Inquisition “roasted alive” with their families).

These “laws” which were enacted by Roman Popes led to the imprisonment, torture, and death of millions of Bible-believing Christians whom the Roman Church still calls “Heretics” and “Protestants,” and have never been rescinded.

A later chapter documents the history of Roman Inquisitions.

Also, whenever we hear the Pope’s call worship Mary , as we find in this report from Vatican News …

“Pope Francis: Mary is the road we must travel to reach Jesus”
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-01/pope-mary-is-the-road-we-must-travel-to-reach-jesus.html

Let’s now hear what Jesus Himself says on this matter …

“And Jesus’ mother and brothers came, and standing outside they sent to Him and called Him.
And a crowd was sitting around Him,
And they said to Him,
“Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.
“And He (Jesus) answered them,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking about at those who sat around Him,
He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
For whoever does the will of God,
he is my brother and sister AND mother.”
(Mark 3:31-35)

This short study answers these questions …

WHY did the Roman Church only teach in Latin for so many years while most Catholics didn’t understand Latin?
WHY did the Roman Church outlaw owning a Bible?
WHY were millions of “Protestants” (mainly ex-Catholics) imprisoned and killed for owing (and believing) the Bible?

Grace and Shalom

ADDITIONAL STUDIES:

Rise of Rome & The Roman Church

The Roman Church Is ALREADY A Kingdom

The TWO “Beasts”: Antichrist

The “Woman” Who RIDES The Beast

Rome vs. Bible: Three Doctrines

Rome vs. Bible: Who IS The Rock?

Rome vs. Bible: A Final Comparison

Dark History Of Roman Popes

Unholy Quotes From The Vatican

Warnings From Early Protestant Leaders