A Little Light Reading.
THE COMING ONE WORLD CHURCH.
Gary Gibbs
One Christmas, a rabbi from Russia vis-
ited an American family as part of a
cultural exchange program. His host family
wanted to treat him to a new culinary experi-
ence, so they took him out one evening to their
favorite Chinese restaurant. After the meal, the
Chinese waiter brought each of them a little
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Christmas gift. It was a small, brass Christmas
tree ornament that was stamped with the
words “Made in India.”
They all laughed at the irony of receiving
a “Made in India” gift from a Chinese restau-
rant. But suddenly, everyone stopped chuck-
ling when they noticed tears rolling down
the rabbi’s cheeks. Had they offended him in
some way?
“Nyet,” the rabbi replied. “I was shed-
ding tears of joy to be in a country in which a
Buddhist gives a Jew a Christmas gift made by
a Hindu.” 1
Such peaceful co-existence and affirma-
tion doesn’t happen often between religious
faiths. Even today, religious differences fre-
quently escalate into fierce war. It’s no wonder
that many people want to dismantle the reli-
gious “Berlin Wall” that exists between faiths.
In no other community is this truer than
within Christianity. Even though all Christian
churches profess faith in Jesus as the Son of
God, they have not been able to find a way
to form a single, united group. For near-
ly two thousand years, doctrinal differences
have splintered Christians into hundreds of
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independent denominations. But many within
Christianity desire to reverse this.
Foremost in the crusade for Christian
reunification is the pope. During the last few
years he has been doing all he can to pave
the way for a single world church. Vatican
spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls reports that
the pope “is pushing hard on the accelerator
toward unity.” 2
One of the road signs along the pope’s
autobahn to unity are his confessions to non-
Catholics. While conducting Mass in the Czech
Republic, Pope John Paul II said, “Today, I, the
pope of the church of Rome, in the name of
all Catholics, ask forgiveness for the wrongs
inflicted on non-Catholics during the turbu-
lent history of these peoples.” 3
And this isn’t the only confession. He
is also trying to bridge the gap between the
Catholic and Orthodox churches. He says,
“men of both sides were to blame” for the con-
flict that erupted between their churches in the
11th century. 4
The pope’s confessions have found a favor-
able response. Pennsylvania State University
professor William Petersen remarks: “He’s
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bringing the church into the 20th century.
You’ve had statements from the early popes
that the Roman Church can never err.” 5
Pope John Paul II is not only making ver-
bal overtures; he has also committed himself
in print in three highly publicized works. In
his letter “Orientale Lumen” (“The Light of the
East”) he writes: “The sin of our separation is
very serious. … How can we be fully credible
if we stand divided?” “These divisions must
give way to rapprochement and harmony. The
wounds on the path of Christian unity must
be healed.” 6
The twelfth encyclical of John Paul’s papacy
is dedicated to the subject of Christian reunifi-
cation and is appropriately entitled “Ut Unum
Sint” (“May They All Be One”). The pope calls
it his “contribution to this most noble goal,”
which is “to increase the unity of all Christians
until they reach full communion.” 7
And in his book Crossing the Threshold
of Hope, John Paul says it is his desire to see
Christian unity achieved within the next few
years—before we reach the new millennium.
“By the year 2000 we need to be more united,
more willing to advance along the path toward
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the unity for which Christ prayed on the eve of
His passion.” 8
Without question, a united Christian
church is a very worthy goal. It was Jesus’
great burden just before He died. He prayed,
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them
also which shall believe on me through their
word; That they all may be one; as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also
may be one in us: that the world may believe
that thou hast sent me” (John 17:20, 21).
While none should fault the pope for seek-
ing unity, several questions must be carefully
considered. What is the true source of disunity
within the Christian church? One Vatican
insider suggests, “The main obstacle is not
doctrine, but history with all its prejudices.” 9
But is this an accurate evaluation? Do the
differences stem merely from prejudice, or
is it doctrinal? And, if it is doctrinal, which
doctrines are in question? Furthermore, where
Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox doctrines
differ, which body will adjust their beliefs to
appease the others? And most important of
all, how does the Bible instruct God’s people to
achieve true unity?
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The pope is already anticipating some
of these questions. In “Ut Unum Sint,” he
identifies five key doctrines that need further
study before we “reach full communion”: the
relationship of Scripture and tradition, the
church’s authority, the ordination of priests,
the sacrament of the Eucharist, and the role of
the Virgin Mary. 10 While this is a good start,
there are numerous other areas that must also
be covered before unity of any degree can be
reached. But for now, let’s briefly look at each
of these five doctrines to see what the Catholic
Church teaches and what must transpire if a
united world church is ever to become more
than a dream in the night.
Scripture Versus Tradition
Admiral Byrd, the famous explorer, knows
death is only minutes away. He’s caught out-
side in an unforgiving blizzard at the South
Pole. Snow swirls around him like a dancing
sheet. The temperature, well below zero, chills
him to the bone. His limbs stiffen and threaten
to freeze. The cold is painful.
But all is not hopeless. He knows that he is
within 100 yards of the warmth and security of
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his hut. But how to find the hut is the problem.
Everywhere he looks there is the same snow
and ice. White. Everything is white. There
isn’t a single landmark. If only he could find
one to use as a central reference point, then
he could navigate to find the hut. But without
it, he might head in the wrong direction to
certain death. “A man can’t last long out here,”
he thinks.
Byrd knows there is no time for panic.
Calmly he assesses the situation. In his hand is
the 10-foot pole he always carries. It is his only
chance. He sticks the pole in the snow and
then ties his brightly colored scarf to it. Then
he strikes out to find his hut, first in one direc-
tion and then in another—but always keeping
the pole with the waving scarf in sight. Three
times he returns to the pole, and on the fourth
excursion he discovers his hut and stumbles
into its warmth.
Our world is like trackless Antarctica
in a blizzard. The devil blinds the minds of
humanity “lest the light of the glorious gos-
pel of Christ … should shine unto them”
(2Corinthians 4:4). We are lost in sin, but
there is a place of safety—heaven. It is out
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there. And it is not too far distant. That is, if a
person can find the straight and narrow path
that leads to it.
Just how do we find this path? We need
a reference point. We need an inerrant guide
that can lead us through all the twists and
turns and the ups and downs of life. But there
is one danger. If the thing we use as our refer-
ence point slips either to the left or to the right,
then we are sure to stray and die.
Catholic and Protestant churches have
disputed the identity of this reference point
for centuries. The Catholic Church teaches
that the guide to heaven consists of the Bible
and nearly two thousand years of church tra-
dition. “We find the truths revealed by God
in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. …
Both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition
are the inspired word of God, and both are
forms of divine revelation.” 11
Protestants, however, believe the Bible
alone must form the basis for faith and practice.
In fact, this was a major issue in the Protestant
split from the Catholic Church in the 15th cen-
tury. John Wycliffe, John Huss, Jerome, Martin
Luther, and many other Protestants began as
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faithful Catholics. But while in pursuit of a
closer relationship with God they discovered
the practices of their church often contradict-
ed the clear teachings of the Bible.
The ensuing conflict was more than a
battle of ideologies. These men had tried to
live by the authority of tradition and person-
ally found it bankrupt. Luther had a tortured
conscience. Painful penances and fastings
threatened to rob him of life itself. He didn’t
find peace until he discovered the plan of sal-
vation clearly presented in the Bible as a gift to
all who believe. Somehow the traditions of the
church had obliterated this most vital truth.
For centuries it taught that salvation could
be had by penance, pilgrimage, and payment.
Salvation by faith as the free gift of God had
been completely forgotten. Clearly tradition
and Scripture were at odds—a fact that was not
lost on the Protestants. A fact for which Luther
was willing to die.
In Worms, Germany, Luther stood before
an august assembly of bishops, prelates, priests,
and noble men to answer for his strange “new”
doctrine of salvation as a free gift to those who
accept Christ as their Savior. When commanded
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to renounce his “heretical” teachings, he said,
at peril to his life, “Unless I am refuted and
convicted by testimonies of the Scriptures or
by clear arguments (since I believe neither the
pope nor the councils alone, it being evident
that they have often erred and contradicted
themselves), I am conquered by the Holy
Scriptures quoted by me, and my conscience is
bound in the Word of God. I can not and will
not recant anything, since it is unsafe and dan-
gerous to do anything against the conscience.
Here I stand. God help me.” 12 Tradition or
Scripture. Luther had drawn the Mason-Dixon
line for the Protestant Reformation.
In 1545, the Catholic Church finally con-
vened the Council of Trent in Austria to answer
the questions raised by the Protestants. What
will it be, tradition or Scripture? The answer
came near the conclusion of the meetings.
“Finally, at the last opening on the eighteenth
of January, 1562, all hesitancy was set aside.
The archbishop of Reggio made a speech in
which he openly declared that tradition stood
above Scripture. The authority of the church
could not therefore be bound to the authority
of the Scriptures.” 13
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Like a sledgehammer striking a wedge in
a block of dry wood, a split was created that
has never been mended. But now, nearly four
hundred and fifty years later, the pope is call-
ing for reunification. And he accurately states
that this issue of Scripture versus tradition
must be resolved.
So what is correct? Is it Scripture and tra-
dition, or Scripture alone? Certainly the best
source for an objective answer to this dilemma
is the Word of God itself. What does the Bible
say about tradition?
It teaches several things. First, traditions
that are in harmony with God’s Word are
to be respected. “Therefore, brethren, stand
fast, and hold the traditions which ye have
been taught, whether by word, or our epistle”
(2 Thessalonians 2:15).
Secondly, not all traditions are pleasing to
God. “Howbeit in vain do they worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men. … Full well ye reject the commandment
of God, that ye may keep your own tradition”
(Mark 7:7–9). Traditions that replace God’s
commandments are vain worship. They reveal
contempt for God’s authority.
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Lastly, God has promised to rid His church
of unscriptural traditions. “Thus have ye made
the commandment of God of none effect by
your tradition.” “Every plant, which my heav-
enly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted
up” (Matthew 15:6, 13).
We cannot depend upon the traditions of
men. They are often an erring guide. And not
surprisingly so. Humans are erring. Even while
trying our best, we make mistakes of mam-
moth proportion.
For centuries Protestant churches have
claimed that Catholicism follows numerous
unscriptural traditions. Is this charge accurate?
If you are a Catholic, this question is doubly
important. You love God and desire to please
Him. But fellow believers say that many of
your church’s doctrines are not found in the
Bible. Your pope also acknowledges that this
is a serious issue that needs study. And he says
it must be resolved if we are to answer Jesus’
prayer for unity among Christians.
Therefore, you will want to ask your-
self this very important question. Does the
Catholic Church really have many unscriptur-
al traditions? Yes, unfortunately it does. This
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may be hard to accept, but it is true. Cardinal
John Henry Newman made this candid admis-
sion: “The use of temples, and these dedicated
to particular saints, and ornamented on occa-
sions with branches of trees; incense, lamps,
and candles; votive offerings on recovery from
illness; holy water; asylums; holy days and
seasons, use of calendars, processions, bless-
ings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the
tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the
east, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesi-
astical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison … are all of
pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption
into the Church” (emphasis mine). 14 Many
Catholic doctrines are of pagan origin and are
not found in the Bible.
But, wait. Catholics need not feel that this
is an unkind thrust against them. This is not
just a Catholic issue. Protestants also hold
many unscriptural traditions that contradict
clear teachings of the Bible. This fact has not
been missed by some Catholics.
Notice the following Catholic challenge
to Protestants to be consistent with their
“Scripture alone” maxim. “The Bible does
not contain all the teachings of the Christian
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religion, nor does it formulate all the duties of
its members. Take, for example, the matter of
Sunday observance, the attendance at divine
services and the abstention from unnecessary
servile work on that day, a matter upon which
our Protestant neighbors have for many years
laid great emphasis. Let me address myself to
my dear non-Catholic reader:
“You believe that the Bible alone is a
safe guide in religious matters. You also
believe that one of the fundamental duties
enjoined upon you by your Christian faith
is that of Sunday observance. But where
does the Bible speak of such an obligation?
I have read the Bible from the first verse
of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation,
and have found no reference to the duty
of sanctifying the Sunday. The day men-
tioned in the Bible is not the Sunday, the
first day of the week but the Saturday, the
last day of the week.
“It was the Apostolic Church [i.e. Catholic
Church] which … changed the observance
to the Sunday. … In observing the Sunday
as you do, is it not apparent that you are
really acknowledging the insufficiency of
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the Bible alone as a rule of faith and reli-
gious conduct, and proclaiming the need
of a divinely established teaching author-
ity which in theory you deny?” 15
John A. O’Brien’s logic is glaringly accu-
rate. If Protestants are going to insist that
Catholics return to the Bible, then they must
do the same. And back to the Bible we all must
go—Catholics and Protestants.
God’s Word is the only true founda-
tion for consensus of faith. Catholics must
stop defending their position that tradition
and Scripture are of equal authority. And
Protestants must surrender their unscriptural
traditions and truly live by “every word” of
God (Matthew 4:4). We should all keep the
Bible’s Saturday Sabbath along with every
other teaching of God’s Word. Only as we
Christians are honest with God’s truth can
we hope to positively impact an unbelieving
world for eternal good.
Church Authority
India has a problem. They worship rats.
And their worship is literally consuming them.
Tens of thousands of rats overrun certain
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cities. They race across floors; feasting on
anything they can sink their teeth into. Rats
are especially revered and worshipped at the
temple of Karni Mata. Here the furry critters
leap onto the platform where food is placed
for them. They eat while the priest serenades
them with hymns and plays cymbals. These
well-cared-for rats reproduce prolifically. And
few Indians will kill them, fearing that in so
doing they will kill their god’s companion.
But the rats have introduced something
worse than more rats. They’ve brought the
plague. Hundreds have died as a result. But
since the Indians won’t kill the varmints, the
plague continues to spread.
The issue of what we worship is crucial
in all cultures. This is why the Catholic posi-
tion on the authority of the Church and pope
is so sensitive with non-Catholics. Catholic
catechisms teach that church authority refers
to the infallibility of the pope. “When the pope
in his official capacity, with the fullness of his
authority, as successor of St. Peter and head of
the church on earth, proclaims a doctrine of
faith or morals binding on the whole Church,
he is preserved from error. It is to be noted that
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three conditions are required: (1) The pope
must speak ex cathedra, i.e., from the Chair
of Peter in his official capacity; (2) The deci-
sion must be binding on the whole Church;
(3) It must be on a matter of faith or morals”
(emphasis mine). 16 These infallible doctrines
of the pope are “certainly true and binding in
conscience on all the faithful.” 17
So what should we believe regarding the
pope’s authority? Catholics and Protestants
must turn to the Bible to form their opin-
ions. Here we’ll find that Scripture teaches no
human is infallible. “For all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Even those who have been specially called to
holy service are fallible. History is an eloquent
witness to the foibles of church leaders, includ-
ing popes. The apostle Peter himself fell into
sin numerous times (see Matthew 16:21–23;
Luke 22:54–62; and Galatians 2:11–14).
Now, the church must have leaders. But
every thing they teach as truth must be tested
by Scripture. The Bible never teaches that spir-
itual leaders have periods where they speak ex
cathedra. There is no special chair or office
from which they can proclaim infallible truth.
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But the Bible does tell us to test our leaders by
the Word. The believers in Berea were com-
mended for being “more noble than those
in Thessalonica, in that they … searched the
scriptures daily” to see if Paul’s teachings were
in accord with God’s Word (Acts 17:10, 11).
The Bible also warns us against spiritual
leaders who are used by Satan to lead many
astray. “Of your own selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away dis-
ciples after them” (Acts 20:30). Infallibility is
a dangerous doctrine. If we ascribe it to any
man, we make ourselves very vulnerable to
deception. Therefore, “Beloved, believe not
every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are
of God: because many false prophets are gone
out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
How are we to “try the spirits?” Isaiah 8:20
says, “To the law and to the testimony: if they
speak not according to this word, it is because
there is no light in them.” They are to be tested
by the Bible. When Paul warned the church
to beware of leaders who introduce erroneous
teachings, he said to test them by the Word.
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God,
and to the word of his grace, which is able
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to build you up, and to give you an inheri-
tance among all them which are sanctified”
(Acts 20:32 emphasis mine). We can be safe
only as we test every declaration of truth by
God’s Word.
Now the pope may be a good man with
noble intentions. Nevertheless, all that he says
and advocates must be tested by the Holy
Bible. No human has carte blanche infallibility.
For centuries, popes have claimed infallibility
as direct successors of Peter, who they believe
was the first pope. But according to Scripture,
Peter was not established as a pope. He wasn’t
even the leader of the early church councils—
James was (see Acts 15:1–22).
Another problem with the papacy is that it
runs counter to God’s truth. Popes have great
power. People bow before them. They confess
their sins to them. Popes live amid great pomp,
splendor, and riches. They have been some of
the most powerful men who have ever lived.
But when one studies the Bible for examples of
men of God, we find a much humbler model.
Our Lord Himself taught that those who desire
rich robes and to sit in high places are not fol-
lowing Him (Matthew 23:1–12).
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Clearly, the Bible never claims for church
leaders what the papacy claims for itself. The
papacy, therefore, is an unbiblical position. If
consensus of faith is to be achieved, then all
Christians will need to get back to the Bible.
The claims made regarding the powers and
rights of the papacy will need to be officially
renounced. The pomp and splendor should
also be traded for Jesus’ example of humility.
The pope has indicated he is willing to
explore some change in the function of the
papacy. While not promising to surrender his
ultimate authority over the church, he has said
that he would seek “to find a way of exercising
the primacy which, while in no way renounc-
ing what is essential to its mission, is nonethe-
less open to a new situation.” 18
What possible new situation could the
Vatican be considering? The president of the
Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Promotion of
Unity of Christians has suggested that the pope
may act as a mediator in religious disputes.
Unfortunately, it seems the pontiff is only
considering not insisting that Protestants
accept the doctrine of papal infallibility. What
he will settle for is to be the final mediator in
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doctrinal disputes between Christians. But this
is still unacceptable to those who desire to take
their faith from the Bible. No single human
can claim the power to be the final word on
doctrine and morals. Every believer must
study the Scriptures for himself to determine
what God would have him do.
When there is a controverted point of doc-
trine, the question can come to an assembly of
representatives of the church for their humble
study of God’s Word to see what Scripture
truly teaches. Many minds working together
to find God’s will is always a lot safer than one
man being in charge of determining truth.
But even in religious assemblies, we see
the weakness of man. Many Christian con-
vocations have made declarations that run
counter to Bible truth. What should believers
do in such cases? They should follow what
the Bible teaches. Many American Catholics
are already following their own convictions
to some degree. Catholicism officially teaches
that nearly all forms of birth control are
sin. But most American Catholics disagree.
Thereby they too deny the absolute, infallible
authority of the pope.
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The authority of the church is a crucial
question, and the pope is correct in tagging
it for discussion. But until he reverses the
supremacy and primacy of the papacy, apostol-
ic succession, and the authority of the church
to be the sole interpreter of Scripture, no unity
can be achieved with those believers who want
to remain true to the Bible. Christianity cannot
unite around a fallible human, no matter how
noble a person he may be. Only as we humbly
submit ourselves to God and His Word will we
be able to come together.
The Ordination of Priests
We now come to the third doctrine iden-
tified by Pope John Paul II. What does the
Catholic Church teach about the ordina-
tion of priests? Official Catholic teaching is
that priests are ordained to have the power
to forgive sins. 19 Some American Catholics
may disagree with this representation. They
may be honestly unaware of this doctrine.
Nevertheless, it is true. Here are a few excerpts
from official Catholic sources.
“An authorized priest …
Gabriel Says the words ‘I
absolve you from your sins.’ … All bishops
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and priests have the power to forgive sins
or absolve sins.” 20
“Who has the power to forgive sin today?
All bishops and priests of the Catholic
Church can forgive sin. … What do you
have to do to have your sins forgiven? You
have to be truly sorry for them and confess
them to a Catholic priest.” 21
Sometimes American Catholics defend
the confessional by comparing it to going to
a counselor or psychologist. They claim the
priest does not actually forgive sins, but simply
plays the role of a counselor.
However, when the pope speaks about
priests, he refers to the official Catholic posi-
tion and not the “corrupted,” Americanized
version. The Church tries to make its official
teaching clear in its catechisms. “Does the
priest merely pray that your sins will be for-
given? No, acting as God’s instrument and
ordained minister, he truly forgives the sins.” 22
“This is not a mere ritual repetition or psy-
chological exercise.’’ 23 “Does the priest really
forgive your sins? … the priest really forgives
your sins. The priest does not merely ‘pray
away’ your sins.” 24
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This Catholic teaching is based on John
20:23: “Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins
ye retain, they are retained.” A correct under-
standing of this verse requires reading the
context. Before telling the disciples about the
remission of sins, Jesus said, “As my Father
hath sent me, even so send I you.” The dis-
ciples were to go to the world in a way similar
to which Jesus was sent to our world.
How did the Father send Jesus to our
world? Jesus said, “For I have not spoken of
myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave
me a commandment, what I should say, and
what I should speak” (John 12:49). “I do noth-
ing of myself; but as my Father hath taught
me, I speak these things” (John 8:28). “I came
down from heaven, not to do mine own will,
but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38).
Jesus was sent not to speak His own words
or teach His own doctrine or to do His own
will. He came to speak the Father’s word and
will and sent His disciples to do the same.
Like an ambassador, the disciples were to tell
others about the will and word of the Person
they represented. “God … hath given to us
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the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them; and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God did beseech you by
us; we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye recon-
ciled to God” (2Corinthians 5:18–20, empha-
sis mine). Notice that the power to actually
forgive sins was not given to the disciples as
priests, but only the word of reconciliation as
ambassadors. Ministers and believers can only
pass on the word of truth that Jesus has recon-
ciled the sinner to Himself if they will confess
and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. We
have the right to invite and urge people in
behalf of Jesus to come to Him. But the actual
ability to read the heart and to grant forgive-
ness is something only the Almighty can do.
So how is it that “whosesoever sins ye
retain, they are retained”? Whenever an unbe-
liever does not accept a believer’s call to repen-
tance, then we have caused them to retain their
sins. “To him that knoweth to do good, and
doeth it not, to him it is sin” (1 James 4:17). “If
ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now
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ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth”
(John 9:41). Sin remains and is retained when
a sinner has encountered truth and has refused
to repent and accept it.
So when the disciples took truth to people
and they refused to accept it, their sins were
retained. “If I had not come and spoken
unto them, they had not had sin: but now
they have no cloak [margin: excuse] for their
sin” (John 15:22). “And whosoever shall not
receive you, nor hear your words, when ye
depart out of that house or city, shake off the
dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall
be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and
Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for
that city” (Matthew 10:14, 15). On the other
hand, if people accept the good news of sal-
vation in Christ, then their sins are forgiven
by God.
Man is on dangerous ground when he tries
to usurp God’s prerogatives. No one should ever
say the words used by the priests in the Catholic
sacrament of penance: “I absolve you from your
sins.” Only God can forgive sin. “Who is this
which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive
sins, but God alone” (Luke 5:21)? “Blasphemy,”
ComingOneWorldChurch.indd 26 6/9/09 3:42:01 PM Coming! One World Church 27
the Bible calls it. Strong language we would do
well to remember!
Sin requires the death penalty be paid.
Whenever we sin and confess to God, Jesus
applies the blood of His death on the cross to
our account. He alone can read the heart and
apply the blood accordingly. We do not have
this power. We don’t know if a person is truly
sincere and desirous of transformation. We
misjudge others all the time.
There is a danger in accepting humans
as our mediators with God. God regards only
one Mediator. “For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus” (1Timothy 2:5). For humans to
take the place of this Mediator is presumptu-
ous. This is trying to take the place of Jesus
and God. And no good Catholic or Protestant
Christian wants this to happen.
One cannot find any indication within the
biblical record that the apostles exercised the
authority supposedly conferred upon them to
forgive sins. They certainly would have done
it if they had understood Jesus’ words in the
manner the Catholic Church teaches. Neither
does the Bible refer to the Catholic Church’s
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confessional. There is no record of sinners
going to the apostles to confess their sins and
receive forgiveness. Yet, we do read numerous
instances of the disciples directing people to
God for forgiveness. “Repent therefore of this
thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the
thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee”
(Acts 8:22, emphasis mine).
Associated with the ordination of the
priest is celibacy. According to the Catholic
catechism, “The basis for clerical celibacy is
the example of Christ and His apostles.” 25
Does the Bible really teach that priests are
to remain unmarried and celibate for life?
Admittedly, Jesus was celibate. But He did not
command this for all who should follow Him
in ministry. He called Peter to be an apostle,
and Peter was married. “[Peter’s] wife’s mother
lay sick of a fever” (Mark 1:30).
Although it is recommended for those
who choose it, celibacy is not a requirement
for ministry. Jesus says that there are those who
“have made themselves eunuchs for the king-
dom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive
it, let him receive it” (Matthew 19:12). The
apostle Paul highly recommended celibacy.
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He saw it as an opportunity to care only
for the things of God (1Corinthians 7:32).
But he also says this is his opinion and not
a direct command from God. “I speak this
by permission, and not of commandment”
(1Corinthians 7:6). Furthermore, Paul did
not forbid marriage. “If thou marry, thou hast
not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not
sinned” (1Corinthians 7:28).
The Catholic position is not as flexible as
that of Paul. “By Church law a Catholic priest
in the western Church is obligated to live a life
of celibacy [no marriage].” 26 The dilemma the
pope finds himself in is that he forbids that
which God clearly permits. Many Catholics,
recognizing this, are trying to get their church
to change this teaching. But the pope has indi-
cated it will not change.
A church in Georgia once installed chimes
to play hymns over a loudspeaker for the
townspeople to hear during supper. Every
evening the chimes faithfully played their
sweet music. But a nearby turkey farmer was
not soothed by the sound. It seemed that the
chimes disturbed his turkeys during their
evening feeding. The birds just wouldn’t eat
ComingOneWorldChurch.indd 29 6/9/09 3:42:02 PM 30 Coming! One World Church
while the music played, and they were not get-
ting fat for the market. Discussions between
the farmer and church deteriorated. Pretty
soon things became quite ugly. The farmer
tried to silence the loudspeaker on the steeple
by shooting it. In retaliation church mem-
bers sneaked into the turkey pens at night,
spooking the birds and giving them one more
reason not to eat. Only after the birds had a
complete nervous breakdown and the church
steeple was peppered with bullet holes did
the two parties finally come to an agreement
that met both their needs. The church played
the chimes at a different hour and the farmer
called a cease-fire. 27
Resolving doctrinal differences does not
need to become a shouting match and cer-
tainly not a shooting match. Both the pope and
Protestants agree that the Catholic doctrine of
the ordination of priests must be resolved. And
it must be done in light of Bible truth. Teachings
regarding the priest’s ability to forgive sins,
apostolic succession, and celibacy will need to
be radically changed to come into harmony with
the Bible. This is the only wise thing to do if we
are to answer Jesus’ prayer for Christian unity.
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The Eucharist
Four children were born to a family in
Amman, Jordan. Each birth certificate said
the child was a girl. And for 13 years the fam-
ily believed this. But when the oldest child
reached puberty, “she” started revealing male
characteristics. The teenage “girl” grew facial
hair, her voice broke, and she developed a male
physique. Doctors examining Mohammed
diagnosed him with a rare genetic defect
that left him appearing to be female when in
reality he was male. Apparently, during his
development in the womb his male organs
never descended.
Mohammed’s three younger siblings
were also diagnosed with the same defect.
Fortunately, all the children were successfully
operated on and are now males. The day of
their transformation was one of great celebra-
tion. The girls, now turned boys, cut their
long hair, removed their jewelry, and wore
boys’ pajamas. And their jubilant grandmother
Fatima Netasha said, “I had six granddaugh-
ters and two grandsons, and now I have six
grandsons and two granddaughters. I thank
God and the doctor.” 28
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Sometimes things aren’t as they appear.
This is what is at the heart of the contro-
versy over the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper.
Protestants view the bread and grape juice as
symbols of Jesus’ body and blood. But accord-
ing to Catholic teaching the bread and wine
aren’t what they appear to be—mere bread and
wine. Instead, they are literally the real body,
blood, and person of Jesus.
Official Catholic teaching is unambigu-
ous. “The Eucharist is a sacrament which real-
ly, truly, and substantially contains the body
and blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus
Christ under the appearances of bread and
wine.” 29 “After consecration, this sign contains
the whole Christ, his body and blood, his
soul and divinity.” 30 “Christ is present in the
Eucharist … with all his physical properties,
hands and feet and head and human heart.
He is present with his human soul, with his
thoughts, desires, and human affections.” 31
Another difference between Catholic
and Protestant beliefs is that of relevance.
Protestants view the service as a holy ritu-
al in which people voluntarily participate.
However, the Catholic Church teaches that
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“The Eucharist is necessary for salvation.” 32
This is because of their view that the benefits
of the cross can be had only by partaking of
Jesus’ “literal” body as found in the bread.
Follow this to its logical conclusion. The
only bread that can be Jesus’ body is bread
that has had the special prayer and bless-
ing of the Catholic priest. No priest means
no changing of the bread into the body of
Christ. No body of Christ means no salva-
tion. A Protestant pastor cannot do what the
Catholic priest can with the bread. Only the
priest has the power conferred upon him to
command God to come down from heaven
and enter the bread. Therefore, if people are
going to be saved, they must go to a Catholic
Church to receive the Eucharist. Furthermore,
in order to receive the Eucharist they must
first become a Catholic. “The person who is
receiving instructions in preparation for full
membership in the Catholic Church should
participate in the Mass but may not receive
Holy Communion.” 33
What did Jesus mean when He said in
Matthew 26:26–28, “Take, eat; this is my body.
… Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood”?
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Did He really mean that His literal body and
blood were present in the bread and wine? The
disciples knew this wasn’t what He referred to.
They had heard Him speak like this before.
Jesus once said, “I am the living bread which
came down from heaven: if any man eat of this
bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that
I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the
life of the world. … Except ye eat the flesh of
the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have
no life in you” (John 6:51–53).
On that day, many who listened inter-
preted Jesus’ words very literally. They thought
He advocated salvation by cannibalism. They
were shocked. Jesus knew their thoughts, so
He clarified what He meant. “It is the spirit
that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit,
and they are life” (John 6:63). Jesus says His
life is contained in His words. To eat His Word
means to read and meditate upon its meaning.
When we apply Jesus’ teachings to our life,
then we’ve truly eaten His Word. The Catholic
teaching of the Eucharist misses this point.
Instead, what Jesus intends to be spiritual is
taken literally.
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Another controverted point regarding the
Eucharist concerns the wine. In the Catholic
communion service, only the priests drink
it. This teaching came into the Church at the
Council of Constance, a.d. 1414–1418, and is
not taught in God’s Word. When Jesus took the
cup, He gave it to all those present, saying, “This
cup is the new testament in my blood: this do
ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me”
(1Corinthians 11:25 emphasis mine; See also
Matthew 26:27,28). The blessing of this service
is for every believer, not just priests.
Yes, the pope is right again. The Eucharist
needs to be studied. Imagine what blessings
can come to Christianity if we all return to
Bible truth. United on the clear teachings of
God’s Word, we can be a powerful witness to
unbelievers. But before unity can be reached,
we must also resolve another doctrinal dif-
ference the pope said must be resolved—the
Virgin Mary.
The Virgin Mary
The Lawrence Welk Show had its televi-
sion premier in 1955 and launched Welk into
becoming what Life magazine called “the most
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popular musician in U.S. history.” But things
weren’t always so rosy for Lawrence Welk.
Once, after playing his accordion for a dance,
he overheard one of the band members remark,
“Did you get a load of that accordionist? If I
had to play every night with him, I’d go back to
jerking sodas.” 34 At the time, it appeared Welk
might be a failure, but he continued to play
and finally landed his television show. Though
many would rate him as an average musician,
40 million people tuned in to his program
faithfully every Saturday night. Quite a large
following for an ordinary musician!
To many Christians, Mary, though
extremely blessed to be the mother of Jesus, was
still just an ordinary human. In the Catholic
Church, however, she “is honored and loved
second only to God Himself.” 35 Because the
pope is well aware that this reverence for Mary
is a major block in the road to unity, he has put
it on the list for discussion. And Protestants
have some very good reasons to raise objec-
tions to this Catholic belief.
The Bible is very clear that Jesus is our
Savior. No other person can atone for our sins.
So to God alone should we pray. It is Jesus
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“who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
Yet, Catholic catechisms contain numerous
prayers to Mary pleading for her to make
intercession for our sins. The very popular
Hail Mary prayer says, “Holy Mary, Mother of
God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour
of our death.” 36
The Hail Holy Queen prayer addresses
Mary as mankind’s advocate. “Hail Holy Queen,
Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and
our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished
children of Eve; to you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears!
Turn, then most gracious Advocate, your eyes
of mercy towards us, and after this, our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb,
Jesus. … O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, o
holy Mother of God. That we may be made
worthy of the promises of Christ.”37 The Bible,
however, says that there is no advocate for man
other than Jesus. “We have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1John 2:1).
The second problem with the Catholic
doctrine of Mary is called the Immaculate
Conception. This teaches that Mary was
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“conceived without sin.” 38 “Not only was she
free from the slightest stain of actual sin, but by
a singular miracle of divine grace she was free
also from original sin, with which all the other
children of Adam are born into this world. It
was eminently fitting that she … should be
undefiled by even that slight shadow of Adam’s
fall. To her alone, among all the members of
the race, was granted this singular immunity
… the Immaculate Conception [refers] … to
the conception of Mary in the womb of her
mother without the stain of original sin.” 39
Unfortunately, this teaching finds no sup-
port in the Bible. It was only recently pro-
claimed as a dogma of the Catholic faith in
1854. 40 The Bible unequivocally declares that
“all have sinned, and come short of the glory
of God” (Romans 3:23). Only one person ever
lived a life of perfect sinlessness—Jesus. He
“was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
So why does the Catholic Church teach
that Mary never sinned? Simply because if
Jesus was sinless, then they feel that His
mother had to be sinless. But it is a mistake
to assume that just because Jesus’ mother was
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a sinner, He had to be born a sinner. You see,
Jesus received from His mother a body “in the
likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3). But He
received from His Father a divine spirit and
mind. Jesus’ body, degraded by the effects of
four thousand years of sin, did not control
His actions or sully His character. Though
His sinful flesh provided a launching pad for
temptation, His divine nature recoiled from
it. He chose not to heed temptation’s slightest
whisper. Therefore, He was without sin.
If Jesus had been born of a sinless mother,
then He couldn’t be the sympathizing Savior
that He is. It is because He did receive “the
likeness of sinful flesh” from Mary that He is
“touched with the feeling of our infirmities”
(Hebrews 4:15). He is our Mediator and heav-
enly Priest by virtue of this very fact. He under-
stands us because He was tempted from His
flesh. “Wherefore in all things it behooved him
to be made like unto his brethren, that he might
be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for
the sins of the people. For in that he himself
suffered being tempted, he is able to succour
them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:17,18).
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The Immaculate Conception veils the
compassion of Jesus. This is why Mary is
often prayed to as a mediator and interces-
sor. Catholic catechisms portray her as one
who understands our weaknesses better than
Christ. “She is our Mother, near and dear to
us, loving us with all the warmth of a mother’s
love. As the little child frightened by the
shadows of night finds safety in his mother’s
arms, so will we in time of temptation find a
safe refuge by fleeing to the outstretched arms
of Mary our Mother. If we will but clasp the
loving hand of our Mother, stretched out to
aid us in every danger, our uncertain foot-
steps will be guided safely to that golden lad-
der upon whose rungs we will climb step by
step, to the very throne of her Son and Savior,
Jesus Christ.” 41
The Catholic teaching of the Assumption
of Mary is another area of concern. This
declares that Mary was taken to heaven before
her body decomposed in the grave. “It was
eminently fitting that the body of the chaste
and Immaculate Mother of God was not per-
mitted to undergo disintegration and putrefac-
tion but was assumed into heaven.” 42
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Given the burial process in Bible days, this
would have had to happen very soon after her
death. Four days after Lazarus’ death, his sis-
ters expected his dead body would be decom-
posed. “By this time he stinketh: for he hath
been dead four days” (John 11:39). Therefore,
according to Catholic teaching, for Mary not
to “undergo disintegration and putrefaction”
we must conclude she was taken to heaven
within four days.
Again the Bible does not teach this. It is
a new doctrine of the Catholic Church. “This
belief … was formally defined as a dogma
of the Universal Church by Pope Pius XII
on November 1, 1950.” 43 Instead, the Bible
declares that all who die go to the grave to
sleep in the dust until the return of Christ.
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of
the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt”
(Daniel 12:2; see also Ecclesiastes 9:5,10;
Psalms 146:4; 13:3).
Catholics need to re-examine their doc-
trines c
A Little Light Reading.
THE COMING ONE WORLD CHURCH.
Gary Gibbs
One Christmas, a rabbi from Russia vis-
ited an American family as part of a
cultural exchange program. His host family
wanted to treat him to a new culinary experi-
ence, so they took him out one evening to their
favorite Chinese restaurant. After the meal, the
Chinese waiter brought each of them a little
ComingOneWorldChurch.indd 1 6/9/09 3:41:59 PM Coming! One World Church
Christmas gift. It was a small, brass Christmas
tree ornament that was stamped with the
words “Made in India.”
They all laughed at the irony of receiving
a “Made in India” gift from a Chinese restau-
rant. But suddenly, everyone stopped chuck-
ling when they noticed tears rolling down
the rabbi’s cheeks. Had they offended him in
some way?
“Nyet,” the rabbi replied. “I was shed-
ding tears of joy to be in a country in which a
Buddhist gives a Jew a Christmas gift made by
a Hindu.” 1
Such peaceful co-existence and affirma-
tion doesn’t happen often between religious
faiths. Even today, religious differences fre-
quently escalate into fierce war. It’s no wonder
that many people want to dismantle the reli-
gious “Berlin Wall” that exists between faiths.
In no other community is this truer than
within Christianity. Even though all Christian
churches profess faith in Jesus as the Son of
God, they have not been able to find a way
to form a single, united group. For near-
ly two thousand years, doctrinal differences
have splintered Christians into hundreds of
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independent denominations. But many within
Christianity desire to reverse this.
Foremost in the crusade for Christian
reunification is the pope. During the last few
years he has been doing all he can to pave
the way for a single world church. Vatican
spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls reports that
the pope “is pushing hard on the accelerator
toward unity.” 2
One of the road signs along the pope’s
autobahn to unity are his confessions to non-
Catholics. While conducting Mass in the Czech
Republic, Pope John Paul II said, “Today, I, the
pope of the church of Rome, in the name of
all Catholics, ask forgiveness for the wrongs
inflicted on non-Catholics during the turbu-
lent history of these peoples.” 3
And this isn’t the only confession. He
is also trying to bridge the gap between the
Catholic and Orthodox churches. He says,
“men of both sides were to blame” for the con-
flict that erupted between their churches in the
11th century. 4
The pope’s confessions have found a favor-
able response. Pennsylvania State University
professor William Petersen remarks: “He’s
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bringing the church into the 20th century.
You’ve had statements from the early popes
that the Roman Church can never err.” 5
Pope John Paul II is not only making ver-
bal overtures; he has also committed himself
in print in three highly publicized works. In
his letter “Orientale Lumen” (“The Light of the
East”) he writes: “The sin of our separation is
very serious. … How can we be fully credible
if we stand divided?” “These divisions must
give way to rapprochement and harmony. The
wounds on the path of Christian unity must
be healed.” 6
The twelfth encyclical of John Paul’s papacy
is dedicated to the subject of Christian reunifi-
cation and is appropriately entitled “Ut Unum
Sint” (“May They All Be One”). The pope calls
it his “contribution to this most noble goal,”
which is “to increase the unity of all Christians
until they reach full communion.” 7
And in his book Crossing the Threshold
of Hope, John Paul says it is his desire to see
Christian unity achieved within the next few
years—before we reach the new millennium.
“By the year 2000 we need to be more united,
more willing to advance along the path toward
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the unity for which Christ prayed on the eve of
His passion.” 8
Without question, a united Christian
church is a very worthy goal. It was Jesus’
great burden just before He died. He prayed,
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them
also which shall believe on me through their
word; That they all may be one; as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also
may be one in us: that the world may believe
that thou hast sent me” (John 17:20, 21).
While none should fault the pope for seek-
ing unity, several questions must be carefully
considered. What is the true source of disunity
within the Christian church? One Vatican
insider suggests, “The main obstacle is not
doctrine, but history with all its prejudices.” 9
But is this an accurate evaluation? Do the
differences stem merely from prejudice, or
is it doctrinal? And, if it is doctrinal, which
doctrines are in question? Furthermore, where
Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox doctrines
differ, which body will adjust their beliefs to
appease the others? And most important of
all, how does the Bible instruct God’s people to
achieve true unity?
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The pope is already anticipating some
of these questions. In “Ut Unum Sint,” he
identifies five key doctrines that need further
study before we “reach full communion”: the
relationship of Scripture and tradition, the
church’s authority, the ordination of priests,
the sacrament of the Eucharist, and the role of
the Virgin Mary. 10 While this is a good start,
there are numerous other areas that must also
be covered before unity of any degree can be
reached. But for now, let’s briefly look at each
of these five doctrines to see what the Catholic
Church teaches and what must transpire if a
united world church is ever to become more
than a dream in the night.
Scripture Versus Tradition
Admiral Byrd, the famous explorer, knows
death is only minutes away. He’s caught out-
side in an unforgiving blizzard at the South
Pole. Snow swirls around him like a dancing
sheet. The temperature, well below zero, chills
him to the bone. His limbs stiffen and threaten
to freeze. The cold is painful.
But all is not hopeless. He knows that he is
within 100 yards of the warmth and security of
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his hut. But how to find the hut is the problem.
Everywhere he looks there is the same snow
and ice. White. Everything is white. There
isn’t a single landmark. If only he could find
one to use as a central reference point, then
he could navigate to find the hut. But without
it, he might head in the wrong direction to
certain death. “A man can’t last long out here,”
he thinks.
Byrd knows there is no time for panic.
Calmly he assesses the situation. In his hand is
the 10-foot pole he always carries. It is his only
chance. He sticks the pole in the snow and
then ties his brightly colored scarf to it. Then
he strikes out to find his hut, first in one direc-
tion and then in another—but always keeping
the pole with the waving scarf in sight. Three
times he returns to the pole, and on the fourth
excursion he discovers his hut and stumbles
into its warmth.
Our world is like trackless Antarctica
in a blizzard. The devil blinds the minds of
humanity “lest the light of the glorious gos-
pel of Christ … should shine unto them”
(2Corinthians 4:4). We are lost in sin, but
there is a place of safety—heaven. It is out
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there. And it is not too far distant. That is, if a
person can find the straight and narrow path
that leads to it.
Just how do we find this path? We need
a reference point. We need an inerrant guide
that can lead us through all the twists and
turns and the ups and downs of life. But there
is one danger. If the thing we use as our refer-
ence point slips either to the left or to the right,
then we are sure to stray and die.
Catholic and Protestant churches have
disputed the identity of this reference point
for centuries. The Catholic Church teaches
that the guide to heaven consists of the Bible
and nearly two thousand years of church tra-
dition. “We find the truths revealed by God
in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. …
Both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition
are the inspired word of God, and both are
forms of divine revelation.” 11
Protestants, however, believe the Bible
alone must form the basis for faith and practice.
In fact, this was a major issue in the Protestant
split from the Catholic Church in the 15th cen-
tury. John Wycliffe, John Huss, Jerome, Martin
Luther, and many other Protestants began as
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faithful Catholics. But while in pursuit of a
closer relationship with God they discovered
the practices of their church often contradict-
ed the clear teachings of the Bible.
The ensuing conflict was more than a
battle of ideologies. These men had tried to
live by the authority of tradition and person-
ally found it bankrupt. Luther had a tortured
conscience. Painful penances and fastings
threatened to rob him of life itself. He didn’t
find peace until he discovered the plan of sal-
vation clearly presented in the Bible as a gift to
all who believe. Somehow the traditions of the
church had obliterated this most vital truth.
For centuries it taught that salvation could
be had by penance, pilgrimage, and payment.
Salvation by faith as the free gift of God had
been completely forgotten. Clearly tradition
and Scripture were at odds—a fact that was not
lost on the Protestants. A fact for which Luther
was willing to die.
In Worms, Germany, Luther stood before
an august assembly of bishops, prelates, priests,
and noble men to answer for his strange “new”
doctrine of salvation as a free gift to those who
accept Christ as their Savior. When commanded
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to renounce his “heretical” teachings, he said,
at peril to his life, “Unless I am refuted and
convicted by testimonies of the Scriptures or
by clear arguments (since I believe neither the
pope nor the councils alone, it being evident
that they have often erred and contradicted
themselves), I am conquered by the Holy
Scriptures quoted by me, and my conscience is
bound in the Word of God. I can not and will
not recant anything, since it is unsafe and dan-
gerous to do anything against the conscience.
Here I stand. God help me.” 12 Tradition or
Scripture. Luther had drawn the Mason-Dixon
line for the Protestant Reformation.
In 1545, the Catholic Church finally con-
vened the Council of Trent in Austria to answer
the questions raised by the Protestants. What
will it be, tradition or Scripture? The answer
came near the conclusion of the meetings.
“Finally, at the last opening on the eighteenth
of January, 1562, all hesitancy was set aside.
The archbishop of Reggio made a speech in
which he openly declared that tradition stood
above Scripture. The authority of the church
could not therefore be bound to the authority
of the Scriptures.” 13
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Like a sledgehammer striking a wedge in
a block of dry wood, a split was created that
has never been mended. But now, nearly four
hundred and fifty years later, the pope is call-
ing for reunification. And he accurately states
that this issue of Scripture versus tradition
must be resolved.
So what is correct? Is it Scripture and tra-
dition, or Scripture alone? Certainly the best
source for an objective answer to this dilemma
is the Word of God itself. What does the Bible
say about tradition?
It teaches several things. First, traditions
that are in harmony with God’s Word are
to be respected. “Therefore, brethren, stand
fast, and hold the traditions which ye have
been taught, whether by word, or our epistle”
(2 Thessalonians 2:15).
Secondly, not all traditions are pleasing to
God. “Howbeit in vain do they worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men. … Full well ye reject the commandment
of God, that ye may keep your own tradition”
(Mark 7:7–9). Traditions that replace God’s
commandments are vain worship. They reveal
contempt for God’s authority.
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Lastly, God has promised to rid His church
of unscriptural traditions. “Thus have ye made
the commandment of God of none effect by
your tradition.” “Every plant, which my heav-
enly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted
up” (Matthew 15:6, 13).
We cannot depend upon the traditions of
men. They are often an erring guide. And not
surprisingly so. Humans are erring. Even while
trying our best, we make mistakes of mam-
moth proportion.
For centuries Protestant churches have
claimed that Catholicism follows numerous
unscriptural traditions. Is this charge accurate?
If you are a Catholic, this question is doubly
important. You love God and desire to please
Him. But fellow believers say that many of
your church’s doctrines are not found in the
Bible. Your pope also acknowledges that this
is a serious issue that needs study. And he says
it must be resolved if we are to answer Jesus’
prayer for unity among Christians.
Therefore, you will want to ask your-
self this very important question. Does the
Catholic Church really have many unscriptur-
al traditions? Yes, unfortunately it does. This
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may be hard to accept, but it is true. Cardinal
John Henry Newman made this candid admis-
sion: “The use of temples, and these dedicated
to particular saints, and ornamented on occa-
sions with branches of trees; incense, lamps,
and candles; votive offerings on recovery from
illness; holy water; asylums; holy days and
seasons, use of calendars, processions, bless-
ings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the
tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the
east, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesi-
astical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison … are all of
pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption
into the Church” (emphasis mine). 14 Many
Catholic doctrines are of pagan origin and are
not found in the Bible.
But, wait. Catholics need not feel that this
is an unkind thrust against them. This is not
just a Catholic issue. Protestants also hold
many unscriptural traditions that contradict
clear teachings of the Bible. This fact has not
been missed by some Catholics.
Notice the following Catholic challenge
to Protestants to be consistent with their
“Scripture alone” maxim. “The Bible does
not contain all the teachings of the Christian
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religion, nor does it formulate all the duties of
its members. Take, for example, the matter of
Sunday observance, the attendance at divine
services and the abstention from unnecessary
servile work on that day, a matter upon which
our Protestant neighbors have for many years
laid great emphasis. Let me address myself to
my dear non-Catholic reader:
“You believe that the Bible alone is a
safe guide in religious matters. You also
believe that one of the fundamental duties
enjoined upon you by your Christian faith
is that of Sunday observance. But where
does the Bible speak of such an obligation?
I have read the Bible from the first verse
of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation,
and have found no reference to the duty
of sanctifying the Sunday. The day men-
tioned in the Bible is not the Sunday, the
first day of the week but the Saturday, the
last day of the week.
“It was the Apostolic Church [i.e. Catholic
Church] which … changed the observance
to the Sunday. … In observing the Sunday
as you do, is it not apparent that you are
really acknowledging the insufficiency of
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the Bible alone as a rule of faith and reli-
gious conduct, and proclaiming the need
of a divinely established teaching author-
ity which in theory you deny?” 15
John A. O’Brien’s logic is glaringly accu-
rate. If Protestants are going to insist that
Catholics return to the Bible, then they must
do the same. And back to the Bible we all must
go—Catholics and Protestants.
God’s Word is the only true founda-
tion for consensus of faith. Catholics must
stop defending their position that tradition
and Scripture are of equal authority. And
Protestants must surrender their unscriptural
traditions and truly live by “every word” of
God (Matthew 4:4). We should all keep the
Bible’s Saturday Sabbath along with every
other teaching of God’s Word. Only as we
Christians are honest with God’s truth can
we hope to positively impact an unbelieving
world for eternal good.
Church Authority
India has a problem. They worship rats.
And their worship is literally consuming them.
Tens of thousands of rats overrun certain
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cities. They race across floors; feasting on
anything they can sink their teeth into. Rats
are especially revered and worshipped at the
temple of Karni Mata. Here the furry critters
leap onto the platform where food is placed
for them. They eat while the priest serenades
them with hymns and plays cymbals. These
well-cared-for rats reproduce prolifically. And
few Indians will kill them, fearing that in so
doing they will kill their god’s companion.
But the rats have introduced something
worse than more rats. They’ve brought the
plague. Hundreds have died as a result. But
since the Indians won’t kill the varmints, the
plague continues to spread.
The issue of what we worship is crucial
in all cultures. This is why the Catholic posi-
tion on the authority of the Church and pope
is so sensitive with non-Catholics. Catholic
catechisms teach that church authority refers
to the infallibility of the pope. “When the pope
in his official capacity, with the fullness of his
authority, as successor of St. Peter and head of
the church on earth, proclaims a doctrine of
faith or morals binding on the whole Church,
he is preserved from error. It is to be noted that
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three conditions are required: (1) The pope
must speak ex cathedra, i.e., from the Chair
of Peter in his official capacity; (2) The deci-
sion must be binding on the whole Church;
(3) It must be on a matter of faith or morals”
(emphasis mine). 16 These infallible doctrines
of the pope are “certainly true and binding in
conscience on all the faithful.” 17
So what should we believe regarding the
pope’s authority? Catholics and Protestants
must turn to the Bible to form their opin-
ions. Here we’ll find that Scripture teaches no
human is infallible. “For all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Even those who have been specially called to
holy service are fallible. History is an eloquent
witness to the foibles of church leaders, includ-
ing popes. The apostle Peter himself fell into
sin numerous times (see Matthew 16:21–23;
Luke 22:54–62; and Galatians 2:11–14).
Now, the church must have leaders. But
every thing they teach as truth must be tested
by Scripture. The Bible never teaches that spir-
itual leaders have periods where they speak ex
cathedra. There is no special chair or office
from which they can proclaim infallible truth.
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But the Bible does tell us to test our leaders by
the Word. The believers in Berea were com-
mended for being “more noble than those
in Thessalonica, in that they … searched the
scriptures daily” to see if Paul’s teachings were
in accord with God’s Word (Acts 17:10, 11).
The Bible also warns us against spiritual
leaders who are used by Satan to lead many
astray. “Of your own selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away dis-
ciples after them” (Acts 20:30). Infallibility is
a dangerous doctrine. If we ascribe it to any
man, we make ourselves very vulnerable to
deception. Therefore, “Beloved, believe not
every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are
of God: because many false prophets are gone
out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
How are we to “try the spirits?” Isaiah 8:20
says, “To the law and to the testimony: if they
speak not according to this word, it is because
there is no light in them.” They are to be tested
by the Bible. When Paul warned the church
to beware of leaders who introduce erroneous
teachings, he said to test them by the Word.
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God,
and to the word of his grace, which is able
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to build you up, and to give you an inheri-
tance among all them which are sanctified”
(Acts 20:32 emphasis mine). We can be safe
only as we test every declaration of truth by
God’s Word.
Now the pope may be a good man with
noble intentions. Nevertheless, all that he says
and advocates must be tested by the Holy
Bible. No human has carte blanche infallibility.
For centuries, popes have claimed infallibility
as direct successors of Peter, who they believe
was the first pope. But according to Scripture,
Peter was not established as a pope. He wasn’t
even the leader of the early church councils—
James was (see Acts 15:1–22).
Another problem with the papacy is that it
runs counter to God’s truth. Popes have great
power. People bow before them. They confess
their sins to them. Popes live amid great pomp,
splendor, and riches. They have been some of
the most powerful men who have ever lived.
But when one studies the Bible for examples of
men of God, we find a much humbler model.
Our Lord Himself taught that those who desire
rich robes and to sit in high places are not fol-
lowing Him (Matthew 23:1–12).
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Clearly, the Bible never claims for church
leaders what the papacy claims for itself. The
papacy, therefore, is an unbiblical position. If
consensus of faith is to be achieved, then all
Christians will need to get back to the Bible.
The claims made regarding the powers and
rights of the papacy will need to be officially
renounced. The pomp and splendor should
also be traded for Jesus’ example of humility.
The pope has indicated he is willing to
explore some change in the function of the
papacy. While not promising to surrender his
ultimate authority over the church, he has said
that he would seek “to find a way of exercising
the primacy which, while in no way renounc-
ing what is essential to its mission, is nonethe-
less open to a new situation.” 18
What possible new situation could the
Vatican be considering? The president of the
Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Promotion of
Unity of Christians has suggested that the pope
may act as a mediator in religious disputes.
Unfortunately, it seems the pontiff is only
considering not insisting that Protestants
accept the doctrine of papal infallibility. What
he will settle for is to be the final mediator in
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doctrinal disputes between Christians. But this
is still unacceptable to those who desire to take
their faith from the Bible. No single human
can claim the power to be the final word on
doctrine and morals. Every believer must
study the Scriptures for himself to determine
what God would have him do.
When there is a controverted point of doc-
trine, the question can come to an assembly of
representatives of the church for their humble
study of God’s Word to see what Scripture
truly teaches. Many minds working together
to find God’s will is always a lot safer than one
man being in charge of determining truth.
But even in religious assemblies, we see
the weakness of man. Many Christian con-
vocations have made declarations that run
counter to Bible truth. What should believers
do in such cases? They should follow what
the Bible teaches. Many American Catholics
are already following their own convictions
to some degree. Catholicism officially teaches
that nearly all forms of birth control are
sin. But most American Catholics disagree.
Thereby they too deny the absolute, infallible
authority of the pope.
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The authority of the church is a crucial
question, and the pope is correct in tagging
it for discussion. But until he reverses the
supremacy and primacy of the papacy, apostol-
ic succession, and the authority of the church
to be the sole interpreter of Scripture, no unity
can be achieved with those believers who want
to remain true to the Bible. Christianity cannot
unite around a fallible human, no matter how
noble a person he may be. Only as we humbly
submit ourselves to God and His Word will we
be able to come together.
The Ordination of Priests
We now come to the third doctrine iden-
tified by Pope John Paul II. What does the
Catholic Church teach about the ordina-
tion of priests? Official Catholic teaching is
that priests are ordained to have the power
to forgive sins. 19 Some American Catholics
may disagree with this representation. They
may be honestly unaware of this doctrine.
Nevertheless, it is true. Here are a few excerpts
from official Catholic sources.
“An authorized priest … [says] the words ‘I
absolve you from your sins.’ … All bishops
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and priests have the power to forgive sins
or absolve sins.” 20
“Who has the power to forgive sin today?
All bishops and priests of the Catholic
Church can forgive sin. … What do you
have to do to have your sins forgiven? You
have to be truly sorry for them and confess
them to a Catholic priest.” 21
Sometimes American Catholics defend
the confessional by comparing it to going to
a counselor or psychologist. They claim the
priest does not actually forgive sins, but simply
plays the role of a counselor.
However, when the pope speaks about
priests, he refers to the official Catholic posi-
tion and not the “corrupted,” Americanized
version. The Church tries to make its official
teaching clear in its catechisms. “Does the
priest merely pray that your sins will be for-
given? No, acting as God’s instrument and
ordained minister, he truly forgives the sins.” 22
“This is not a mere ritual repetition or psy-
chological exercise.’’ 23 “Does the priest really
forgive your sins? … the priest really forgives
your sins. The priest does not merely ‘pray
away’ your sins.” 24
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This Catholic teaching is based on John
20:23: “Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins
ye retain, they are retained.” A correct under-
standing of this verse requires reading the
context. Before telling the disciples about the
remission of sins, Jesus said, “As my Father
hath sent me, even so send I you.” The dis-
ciples were to go to the world in a way similar
to which Jesus was sent to our world.
How did the Father send Jesus to our
world? Jesus said, “For I have not spoken of
myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave
me a commandment, what I should say, and
what I should speak” (John 12:49). “I do noth-
ing of myself; but as my Father hath taught
me, I speak these things” (John 8:28). “I came
down from heaven, not to do mine own will,
but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38).
Jesus was sent not to speak His own words
or teach His own doctrine or to do His own
will. He came to speak the Father’s word and
will and sent His disciples to do the same.
Like an ambassador, the disciples were to tell
others about the will and word of the Person
they represented. “God … hath given to us
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the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them; and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God did beseech you by
us; we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye recon-
ciled to God” (2Corinthians 5:18–20, empha-
sis mine). Notice that the power to actually
forgive sins was not given to the disciples as
priests, but only the word of reconciliation as
ambassadors. Ministers and believers can only
pass on the word of truth that Jesus has recon-
ciled the sinner to Himself if they will confess
and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. We
have the right to invite and urge people in
behalf of Jesus to come to Him. But the actual
ability to read the heart and to grant forgive-
ness is something only the Almighty can do.
So how is it that “whosesoever sins ye
retain, they are retained”? Whenever an unbe-
liever does not accept a believer’s call to repen-
tance, then we have caused them to retain their
sins. “To him that knoweth to do good, and
doeth it not, to him it is sin” (1 James 4:17). “If
ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now
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ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth”
(John 9:41). Sin remains and is retained when
a sinner has encountered truth and has refused
to repent and accept it.
So when the disciples took truth to people
and they refused to accept it, their sins were
retained. “If I had not come and spoken
unto them, they had not had sin: but now
they have no cloak [margin: excuse] for their
sin” (John 15:22). “And whosoever shall not
receive you, nor hear your words, when ye
depart out of that house or city, shake off the
dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall
be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and
Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for
that city” (Matthew 10:14, 15). On the other
hand, if people accept the good news of sal-
vation in Christ, then their sins are forgiven
by God.
Man is on dangerous ground when he tries
to usurp God’s prerogatives. No one should ever
say the words used by the priests in the Catholic
sacrament of penance: “I absolve you from your
sins.” Only God can forgive sin. “Who is this
which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive
sins, but God alone” (Luke 5:21)? “Blasphemy,”
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the Bible calls it. Strong language we would do
well to remember!
Sin requires the death penalty be paid.
Whenever we sin and confess to God, Jesus
applies the blood of His death on the cross to
our account. He alone can read the heart and
apply the blood accordingly. We do not have
this power. We don’t know if a person is truly
sincere and desirous of transformation. We
misjudge others all the time.
There is a danger in accepting humans
as our mediators with God. God regards only
one Mediator. “For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus” (1Timothy 2:5). For humans to
take the place of this Mediator is presumptu-
ous. This is trying to take the place of Jesus
and God. And no good Catholic or Protestant
Christian wants this to happen.
One cannot find any indication within the
biblical record that the apostles exercised the
authority supposedly conferred upon them to
forgive sins. They certainly would have done
it if they had understood Jesus’ words in the
manner the Catholic Church teaches. Neither
does the Bible refer to the Catholic Church’s
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confessional. There is no record of sinners
going to the apostles to confess their sins and
receive forgiveness. Yet, we do read numerous
instances of the disciples directing people to
God for forgiveness. “Repent therefore of this
thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the
thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee”
(Acts 8:22, emphasis mine).
Associated with the ordination of the
priest is celibacy. According to the Catholic
catechism, “The basis for clerical celibacy is
the example of Christ and His apostles.” 25
Does the Bible really teach that priests are
to remain unmarried and celibate for life?
Admittedly, Jesus was celibate. But He did not
command this for all who should follow Him
in ministry. He called Peter to be an apostle,
and Peter was married. “[Peter’s] wife’s mother
lay sick of a fever” (Mark 1:30).
Although it is recommended for those
who choose it, celibacy is not a requirement
for ministry. Jesus says that there are those who
“have made themselves eunuchs for the king-
dom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive
it, let him receive it” (Matthew 19:12). The
apostle Paul highly recommended celibacy.
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He saw it as an opportunity to care only
for the things of God (1Corinthians 7:32).
But he also says this is his opinion and not
a direct command from God. “I speak this
by permission, and not of commandment”
(1Corinthians 7:6). Furthermore, Paul did
not forbid marriage. “If thou marry, thou hast
not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not
sinned” (1Corinthians 7:28).
The Catholic position is not as flexible as
that of Paul. “By Church law a Catholic priest
in the western Church is obligated to live a life
of celibacy [no marriage].” 26 The dilemma the
pope finds himself in is that he forbids that
which God clearly permits. Many Catholics,
recognizing this, are trying to get their church
to change this teaching. But the pope has indi-
cated it will not change.
A church in Georgia once installed chimes
to play hymns over a loudspeaker for the
townspeople to hear during supper. Every
evening the chimes faithfully played their
sweet music. But a nearby turkey farmer was
not soothed by the sound. It seemed that the
chimes disturbed his turkeys during their
evening feeding. The birds just wouldn’t eat
ComingOneWorldChurch.indd 29 6/9/09 3:42:02 PM 30 Coming! One World Church
while the music played, and they were not get-
ting fat for the market. Discussions between
the farmer and church deteriorated. Pretty
soon things became quite ugly. The farmer
tried to silence the loudspeaker on the steeple
by shooting it. In retaliation church mem-
bers sneaked into the turkey pens at night,
spooking the birds and giving them one more
reason not to eat. Only after the birds had a
complete nervous breakdown and the church
steeple was peppered with bullet holes did
the two parties finally come to an agreement
that met both their needs. The church played
the chimes at a different hour and the farmer
called a cease-fire. 27
Resolving doctrinal differences does not
need to become a shouting match and cer-
tainly not a shooting match. Both the pope and
Protestants agree that the Catholic doctrine of
the ordination of priests must be resolved. And
it must be done in light of Bible truth. Teachings
regarding the priest’s ability to forgive sins,
apostolic succession, and celibacy will need to
be radically changed to come into harmony with
the Bible. This is the only wise thing to do if we
are to answer Jesus’ prayer for Christian unity.
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The Eucharist
Four children were born to a family in
Amman, Jordan. Each birth certificate said
the child was a girl. And for 13 years the fam-
ily believed this. But when the oldest child
reached puberty, “she” started revealing male
characteristics. The teenage “girl” grew facial
hair, her voice broke, and she developed a male
physique. Doctors examining Mohammed
diagnosed him with a rare genetic defect
that left him appearing to be female when in
reality he was male. Apparently, during his
development in the womb his male organs
never descended.
Mohammed’s three younger siblings
were also diagnosed with the same defect.
Fortunately, all the children were successfully
operated on and are now males. The day of
their transformation was one of great celebra-
tion. The girls, now turned boys, cut their
long hair, removed their jewelry, and wore
boys’ pajamas. And their jubilant grandmother
Fatima Netasha said, “I had six granddaugh-
ters and two grandsons, and now I have six
grandsons and two granddaughters. I thank
God and the doctor.” 28
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Sometimes things aren’t as they appear.
This is what is at the heart of the contro-
versy over the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper.
Protestants view the bread and grape juice as
symbols of Jesus’ body and blood. But accord-
ing to Catholic teaching the bread and wine
aren’t what they appear to be—mere bread and
wine. Instead, they are literally the real body,
blood, and person of Jesus.
Official Catholic teaching is unambigu-
ous. “The Eucharist is a sacrament which real-
ly, truly, and substantially contains the body
and blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus
Christ under the appearances of bread and
wine.” 29 “After consecration, this sign contains
the whole Christ, his body and blood, his
soul and divinity.” 30 “Christ is present in the
Eucharist … with all his physical properties,
hands and feet and head and human heart.
He is present with his human soul, with his
thoughts, desires, and human affections.” 31
Another difference between Catholic
and Protestant beliefs is that of relevance.
Protestants view the service as a holy ritu-
al in which people voluntarily participate.
However, the Catholic Church teaches that
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“The Eucharist is necessary for salvation.” 32
This is because of their view that the benefits
of the cross can be had only by partaking of
Jesus’ “literal” body as found in the bread.
Follow this to its logical conclusion. The
only bread that can be Jesus’ body is bread
that has had the special prayer and bless-
ing of the Catholic priest. No priest means
no changing of the bread into the body of
Christ. No body of Christ means no salva-
tion. A Protestant pastor cannot do what the
Catholic priest can with the bread. Only the
priest has the power conferred upon him to
command God to come down from heaven
and enter the bread. Therefore, if people are
going to be saved, they must go to a Catholic
Church to receive the Eucharist. Furthermore,
in order to receive the Eucharist they must
first become a Catholic. “The person who is
receiving instructions in preparation for full
membership in the Catholic Church should
participate in the Mass but may not receive
Holy Communion.” 33
What did Jesus mean when He said in
Matthew 26:26–28, “Take, eat; this is my body.
… Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood”?
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Did He really mean that His literal body and
blood were present in the bread and wine? The
disciples knew this wasn’t what He referred to.
They had heard Him speak like this before.
Jesus once said, “I am the living bread which
came down from heaven: if any man eat of this
bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that
I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the
life of the world. … Except ye eat the flesh of
the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have
no life in you” (John 6:51–53).
On that day, many who listened inter-
preted Jesus’ words very literally. They thought
He advocated salvation by cannibalism. They
were shocked. Jesus knew their thoughts, so
He clarified what He meant. “It is the spirit
that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit,
and they are life” (John 6:63). Jesus says His
life is contained in His words. To eat His Word
means to read and meditate upon its meaning.
When we apply Jesus’ teachings to our life,
then we’ve truly eaten His Word. The Catholic
teaching of the Eucharist misses this point.
Instead, what Jesus intends to be spiritual is
taken literally.
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Another controverted point regarding the
Eucharist concerns the wine. In the Catholic
communion service, only the priests drink
it. This teaching came into the Church at the
Council of Constance, a.d. 1414–1418, and is
not taught in God’s Word. When Jesus took the
cup, He gave it to all those present, saying, “This
cup is the new testament in my blood: this do
ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me”
(1Corinthians 11:25 emphasis mine; See also
Matthew 26:27,28). The blessing of this service
is for every believer, not just priests.
Yes, the pope is right again. The Eucharist
needs to be studied. Imagine what blessings
can come to Christianity if we all return to
Bible truth. United on the clear teachings of
God’s Word, we can be a powerful witness to
unbelievers. But before unity can be reached,
we must also resolve another doctrinal dif-
ference the pope said must be resolved—the
Virgin Mary.
The Virgin Mary
The Lawrence Welk Show had its televi-
sion premier in 1955 and launched Welk into
becoming what Life magazine called “the most
ComingOneWorldChurch.indd 35 6/9/09 3:42:02 PM 36 Coming! One World Church
popular musician in U.S. history.” But things
weren’t always so rosy for Lawrence Welk.
Once, after playing his accordion for a dance,
he overheard one of the band members remark,
“Did you get a load of that accordionist? If I
had to play every night with him, I’d go back to
jerking sodas.” 34 At the time, it appeared Welk
might be a failure, but he continued to play
and finally landed his television show. Though
many would rate him as an average musician,
40 million people tuned in to his program
faithfully every Saturday night. Quite a large
following for an ordinary musician!
To many Christians, Mary, though
extremely blessed to be the mother of Jesus, was
still just an ordinary human. In the Catholic
Church, however, she “is honored and loved
second only to God Himself.” 35 Because the
pope is well aware that this reverence for Mary
is a major block in the road to unity, he has put
it on the list for discussion. And Protestants
have some very good reasons to raise objec-
tions to this Catholic belief.
The Bible is very clear that Jesus is our
Savior. No other person can atone for our sins.
So to God alone should we pray. It is Jesus
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“who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
Yet, Catholic catechisms contain numerous
prayers to Mary pleading for her to make
intercession for our sins. The very popular
Hail Mary prayer says, “Holy Mary, Mother of
God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour
of our death.” 36
The Hail Holy Queen prayer addresses
Mary as mankind’s advocate. “Hail Holy Queen,
Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and
our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished
children of Eve; to you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears!
Turn, then most gracious Advocate, your eyes
of mercy towards us, and after this, our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb,
Jesus. … O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, o
holy Mother of God. That we may be made
worthy of the promises of Christ.”37 The Bible,
however, says that there is no advocate for man
other than Jesus. “We have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1John 2:1).
The second problem with the Catholic
doctrine of Mary is called the Immaculate
Conception. This teaches that Mary was
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“conceived without sin.” 38 “Not only was she
free from the slightest stain of actual sin, but by
a singular miracle of divine grace she was free
also from original sin, with which all the other
children of Adam are born into this world. It
was eminently fitting that she … should be
undefiled by even that slight shadow of Adam’s
fall. To her alone, among all the members of
the race, was granted this singular immunity
… the Immaculate Conception [refers] … to
the conception of Mary in the womb of her
mother without the stain of original sin.” 39
Unfortunately, this teaching finds no sup-
port in the Bible. It was only recently pro-
claimed as a dogma of the Catholic faith in
1854. 40 The Bible unequivocally declares that
“all have sinned, and come short of the glory
of God” (Romans 3:23). Only one person ever
lived a life of perfect sinlessness—Jesus. He
“was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
So why does the Catholic Church teach
that Mary never sinned? Simply because if
Jesus was sinless, then they feel that His
mother had to be sinless. But it is a mistake
to assume that just because Jesus’ mother was
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a sinner, He had to be born a sinner. You see,
Jesus received from His mother a body “in the
likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3). But He
received from His Father a divine spirit and
mind. Jesus’ body, degraded by the effects of
four thousand years of sin, did not control
His actions or sully His character. Though
His sinful flesh provided a launching pad for
temptation, His divine nature recoiled from
it. He chose not to heed temptation’s slightest
whisper. Therefore, He was without sin.
If Jesus had been born of a sinless mother,
then He couldn’t be the sympathizing Savior
that He is. It is because He did receive “the
likeness of sinful flesh” from Mary that He is
“touched with the feeling of our infirmities”
(Hebrews 4:15). He is our Mediator and heav-
enly Priest by virtue of this very fact. He under-
stands us because He was tempted from His
flesh. “Wherefore in all things it behooved him
to be made like unto his brethren, that he might
be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for
the sins of the people. For in that he himself
suffered being tempted, he is able to succour
them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:17,18).
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The Immaculate Conception veils the
compassion of Jesus. This is why Mary is
often prayed to as a mediator and interces-
sor. Catholic catechisms portray her as one
who understands our weaknesses better than
Christ. “She is our Mother, near and dear to
us, loving us with all the warmth of a mother’s
love. As the little child frightened by the
shadows of night finds safety in his mother’s
arms, so will we in time of temptation find a
safe refuge by fleeing to the outstretched arms
of Mary our Mother. If we will but clasp the
loving hand of our Mother, stretched out to
aid us in every danger, our uncertain foot-
steps will be guided safely to that golden lad-
der upon whose rungs we will climb step by
step, to the very throne of her Son and Savior,
Jesus Christ.” 41
The Catholic teaching of the Assumption
of Mary is another area of concern. This
declares that Mary was taken to heaven before
her body decomposed in the grave. “It was
eminently fitting that the body of the chaste
and Immaculate Mother of God was not per-
mitted to undergo disintegration and putrefac-
tion but was assumed into heaven.” 42
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Given the burial process in Bible days, this
would have had to happen very soon after her
death. Four days after Lazarus’ death, his sis-
ters expected his dead body would be decom-
posed. “By this time he stinketh: for he hath
been dead four days” (John 11:39). Therefore,
according to Catholic teaching, for Mary not
to “undergo disintegration and putrefaction”
we must conclude she was taken to heaven
within four days.
Again the Bible does not teach this. It is
a new doctrine of the Catholic Church. “This
belief … was formally defined as a dogma
of the Universal Church by Pope Pius XII
on November 1, 1950.” 43 Instead, the Bible
declares that all who die go to the grave to
sleep in the dust until the return of Christ.
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of
the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt”
(Daniel 12:2; see also Ecclesiastes 9:5,10;
Psalms 146:4; 13:3).
Catholics need to re-examine their doc-
trines c
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