Catholic should start reading their Bible. Moreover, every Catholics should study the faith deeply or else wolves in sheep clothing might drag them up in the pit.
There is a frenzy idea of being a Christian, and most of them would tell you that "Faith Alone" is necessary to salvation.
In my experience talking to well known Catholic Apologist, these and Sola Scriptura (Bible Alone/Scripture Alone) are not new. These were heresies that some of the Saints battled and won, and most of them lost their lives to Christ's original teaching.
The so-called Born Again Christians would tell you or asked you something like these: "Are you saved?" Or sometimes gave you a non-solicited advice in reading the Bible, and would tell you that these 5-verses are the ONLY thing you should know regarding your salvation.
My aim is to show you how they twist the Word of God to fit with their bellies... Here are the five verses that they used to lure people to damnation.
1. Ephesians 2: 8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through
faith, and this is not from you it is a gift of God; it is not from
works, so no one may boast.”
2. Mark 7:8 “You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
3. John 10:28-29”I gave them eternal life, and they shall never
perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the
Father’s hand”
4. I John 5: 13 “I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God”
5. Romans: 5: 1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
The verses above are used to justify faith alone or also known as SOLA FIDE. Except number 2. It denotes that God hates human traditions. If you are thrown with these Bible verses what would you do? Nominal Catholics would shy away with this kind of confrontation. A true follower of Christ would reason back to them. Remember what Saint Peter said in his writings.
In 1 Peter 3:15 he said "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be READY to give an EXPLANATION to anyone who asks you for a reason for
your hope,.." Our first Pope is telling us that we should be ready to give witness to our faith.
Examining their claims sound convincing, especially if you are not reading your Bible. Now those verses above is correct! Meaning those verses shows that faith is necessary to our salvation. Did you catch the twist? Right! I did not say "Faith alone is necessary", the word ALONE makes it wrong. You see in the Catholic Faith; Faith and Works are integral to man's salvation. You can not separate the other one to the next, or else it wouldn't stand.
Are Born-again are right when they say works are not needed in salvation? If we open our Bible turn to 1 Cor. 3:15 "But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved,* but only as through fire." In this verse, man are saved through fire by the judgment of his works.
Our Lord Jesus once said "You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end* will be saved."- Mat 10:22. Look at the under lined word; if you are just have faith not works how can you endure? Jesus statement are warning his disciples that their faith will be tested, and such tests need a person to endure suffering, and live as Christ did.
Another one came from the writing of St. Luke. In his Gospel Jesus said " blessed indeed will you be because of their inability
to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the
righteous.” Luke 14:14- It talks about paying off a deed. The verse before this talks about giving a banquet to those people who could not repay you back...Now that is works! Jesus assured us that we will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.
In Hebrew 10:6 it says "For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and
the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and
continuing to serve the holy ones."
Do we still need to explain this verse?
Lastly, we read what Saint James say about faith, in James 2: 14-17 "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?i If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to
them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them
the necessities of the body, what good is it?j So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
Further reading of this verse; in verse 18 to 19 St. James also added: "Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have
works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will
demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
19You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble." Look at the under lined words... The demons also believe and afraid of God. So if you only believe and not testifying it through works, it means your faith is as good as the faith of the demons itself.
Now about the No. 2 verse. It attacks the other pillar of Catholicism; "Tradition". The Holy Catholic Church stands in three pillars; Holy Majesternum, that is simply the authority of the Church, Holy Tradition, which are taught by the Apostles, and the Holy Scriptures, which is the product of the Oral Tradition.
Tradition and Scriptures can not be separate. Like the faith and works, it is one. Majesternum in the other hand is not above the other two, but it acts as its servant.
Anyway, Traditions are not banned by God. In reality, the Apostles taught about holding through Traditions. Saint Paul, in his letters to the Thessalonians he wrote: "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the
traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a
letter of ours." - 2 Thess. 2:15 .
In the same letter Saint Paul wrote: " We instruct you, brothers, in the name of [our] Lord
Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly
way and not according to the tradition they received from us.* For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you," - 2 Thessolonians 3:6-7 . These verses clearly states that Traditions taught by the Apostles are not illegal.
But where this ill minded anti- Tradition sprung from? The verse Matthew 15:3 is correct, nothing is wrong about it. The problem how ever is the way it was used by heretics. They assume that all traditions are forbidden by God, but its not. The next verses will shed light on it.
In verse 4 it says " For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother shall die.’ - this is part of the Law of God given to Moses. Now the Pharisee's add something to nullify the Law.
In verse 5-6 it reads "But you say, ‘Whoever says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is dedicated to God, need not honor his father.’ You have nullified the word of God for the sake of your tradition” - this is clearly turning away against the Law. Children no longer need to take care their parents once that such "help" is dedicated only to God. That is hypocrisy! That commandment did not came from God, but from the Pharisees. As much as they wish to collect more, they form this new instructions.
Another thing is the ritual that they do. The washing of hands before eating is not part of the Law Moses receive from Mt. Sinai. That is a man-made tradition, made to fit their wants.
Lastly, Saint Paul wrote to Timothy and he said: "And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well"
2 Timothy 2:2.
Now come to think about it? What are those teachings of Paul? Timothy knows much better than the letters of Paul. Those unwritten teachings are taken cared for by the Apostles' disciples. These teachings are the Traditions in which every Catholics follows.
