The following are some of the unbiblical doctrines that the Catholic Church teaches and the Bible response to them:
A. Salvation by Works
The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace alone. “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9). Penance and good works can never atone for sins.
B. The Law of God Can Be Changed
The Catholic Church in its Catechism deleted the second commandment of God’s Law (Exodus 20) that talks about making images and statues (Exodus 20:4,5) and changed the fourth commandment from the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11) to the observance of the first-day of the week. God’s Law can never be changed or repealed (Luke 16:17). Jesus said, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” (Luke 16:17).
C. The Soul of Man is Immortal
The Bible states that only God has immortality (1 Timothy 6: 14-16). The soul or “spirit” are never referred to as immortal. People are mortal (Job 4:17), and none receive immortality until Jesus’ second advent (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).
D. Hell is Forever
The Bible teaches that sinners will be completely destroyed (put out of existence), both soul and body, in hell (Matthew 10:28). If they are put out of existence, then this cannot be an eternal process, as it has a definite end.
E. Baptism by Immersion is Not Necessary
Baptism by immersion is the only baptism taught in the Scriptures (Mark 1:9,10). It is a symbolized as a burial to believers (Colossians 2:12).
F. Sunday is God’s Holy Day
The Bible teaches that God’s holy day is the seventh day Sabbath, Saturday (Genesis 2:2, 3; Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:14-16) as did the apostles after Christ’s ascension (Acts 13:14, 42-44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4). The New Testament also states that the seventh day is God’s day of rest set up at creation and that if there was another day, Jesus would have mentioned it (Hebrews 4:1-10).
G. Confessing Sins to Priests
The Bible teaches that sins should be confessed only to God who forgives our sins (1 John 1:9).
H. Intercessions of the Saints
The Bible teaches, “there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
I. Adoration of Mary
Mary was a blessed woman with a high calling of delivering Jesus as a virgin. However, there is nowhere in the Bible that teaches that people are to ask her for intercession, as seen in the Catholic Hail Mary prayer. Jesus alone makes intercession for us. “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
The Bible teaches, “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30).
J. Purgatory
The doctrine of purgatory is not found in Scripture. The Bible teaches that when we die, we sleep until the resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) and that once we die, the next thing we will be involved in is the judgement (Hebrews 9: 27).
There are other unbiblical doctrines of the Catholic Church that go beyond the scope of this brief answer. Please ask God to guide you (Matthew 7:7), then search the Scriptures to find His truths (Acts 17:11).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
Disclaimer:
The contents of this article and website are not intended to be against any individual. There are many priests and faithful believers in Roman Catholicism who serve God to the best of their knowledge and are seen by God as His children. The information contained herein is directed only towards the Roman Catholic religio-political system which has reigned in varying degrees of power for nearly two millennia. This system has established an increasing number of doctrines and statements that directly go against the Bible.
It is our purpose to lay the clear Word of God before you, the truth-seeking reader, to decide for yourself what is truth and what is error. If you find anything here contrary to the Bible, do not accept it. But if you desire to seek for Truth as for hidden treasure, and find herein something of that quality and feel that the Holy Spirit is revealing Truth to you, please make all haste to accept it.
