The Protestant Bible theologian asked the Roman Catholic priest, “Do you feel that a person can go to heaven apart from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?” The priest replied, “Definitely.” Handing him a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible, the theologian then asked the priest to cite a book or a chapter or a verse where it teaches such a belief. Omitting to take the Bible, the priest told him, “I’m not limited to the Bible.” Whilst he said the Bible is important and that he reads Scripture every day, of equal importance to him are reason, logic, common sense, church history, Church Tradition, personal feelings and opinions.
There’s nothing new here of course. Roman Catholicism has never limited itself to the Bible; if it did so, there would be no such thing as Roman Catholicism! Although he was academically very clever and quoted a lot from Scripture, like others who say they are, “not limited to the Bible,” the Catholic priest gave evidence that he was spiritually dead. It was written all over him reminding me of the late David Wilkerson’s comment about religious people, “There’s nothing more pathetic than the flesh trying to be holy.” The reality is, those who do limit themselves to the Bible discover there’s no limit to how God might reveal Himself through the Scriptures therein. They discover too that God teaches how to reason, use logic and common sense from a divine perspective.
Using divine reason, logic and common sense, Christians limiting themselves to the Bible see how unreasonable, illogical and senseless it is not to do so. For example: praying for the dead fits the latter category. At the end of physical life, a person dies and goes either to heaven or hell. So why bother praying for them? If they’re in heaven they don’t need prayer; if they’re in hell, every prayer is a wasted prayer! Veneration of angels, dead saints, and the use of images is unreasonable, illogical and senseless. Worse: it is blasphemous! It’s a violation of the First and Second Commandments. You shall have no other gods before Me and You shall not make any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above…… Exodus 20:3-4.
Setting blasphemy aside for a moment, prayers dedicated to Mary, dead saints and angels is unreasonable, illogical and senseless. The Bible shows us only God answers prayers; Mary and the saints don’t have that ability and neither do angels. God may send an angel as an answer to prayer but that will be the extent of that angel’s ministry. Celibacy of the priesthood is unreasonable, illogical and senseless. But it does fit with what the Bible reveals about it. Firstly, there’s no such thing as a Roman Catholic-style priesthood in the New Testament and celibacy or forbidding to marry was birthed from doctrines of demons, lies, hypocrisy and a conscience seared with a hot iron 1 Timothy 4:1-3.
Auricular Confession of sins to a priest instead of to God is unreasonable, illogical and senseless. Nowhere in the Bible is that taught or commanded. The New Testament tells us all born-again believers are priests – a royal priesthood in fact! 1Peter 2:9. Jesus Christ Himself has made us kings and priests to His God and Father……. Revelation 1:6; 5:10. As such, we approach God directly and confess our sins to Him alone. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9. Catholic priests of course quote numerous Scriptures to bolster their position on this matter, however, all we have to remember is that we are the legitimate priests not them!
Adoration of the wafer is unreasonable, illogical and senseless. When a priest blesses the bread or wafer during the Mass, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that the bread then literally becomes the body of Christ. The same applies to the wine; it literally becomes the blood of Christ. Once again, numerous Scriptures are used to support their doctrine – too many to mention here. But there’s one important Scripture they will never use to support it and it’s the one we must use to reject it. It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life John 6:63. Just as Jesus used physical concepts to teach spiritual truths in His parables, He did the same when teaching at the Last Supper.
Another serious issue regarding the Mass that makes it unreasonable, illogical and senseless: It is a re-sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins that He died for, once for all when He offered up Himself Hebrews 7:27. When once the decision is made not to limit oneself to the Bible, look where you can end up! Could Jesus Christ receive a greater slap in the face than this? Forget their many counter-arguments and limit yourself to the Bible on this matter. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all……. Romans 6:10. Again: So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many Hebrews 9:28. Again: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God…….. 1 Peter 3:18.
Church Tradition declared of equal authority with the Bible is unreasonable, illogical and senseless. In practice, their tradition supplants the Bible. What’s been mentioned here so far gives some witness to that! That was Jesus’ problem with the Pharisees and scribes when He was on the earth. The Jewish Talmud was the standard by which they interpreted Scripture instead of being the other way round. That’s why Jesus called them Hypocrites!……. These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men Matthew 15:7-9. Again: For laying aside the commandments of God, you hold the tradition of men Mark 7:8.
No wonder the priest answered, “Definitely!” when asked if a person can go to heaven apart from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. What else is he going to say? That’s the natural outcome of one who believes Roman Catholic Church Tradition is equal to the Bible. Just as He accused the Jewish leadership, so will the Lord Jesus accuse Roman Catholic leadership of making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you handed down. And many such things you do Mark 7:13. A few more of Catholicism’s many such things: the Rosary, monks, nuns, monasteries, convents, Lent, Purgatory, Extreme Unction, Apocryphal books, infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals, the bodily ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven.
Quote: “Scripture, which is God-breathed, never speaks of any other God-breathed authority. It never authorizes us to view tradition on an equal or superior plain of authority. It makes the claim of inerrancy for itself. It never acknowledges any other infallible source of authority.” – John MacArthur. Yes, Paul the apostle did speak of traditions, but only those the church first heard from his mouth, which he was now confirming by letter. It was the same truth he was referring to when he wrote and told the church to stand fast and hold the traditions you were taught, whether by word or our epistle 2 Thessalonians 2:15. To suggest otherwise is to accuse the Holy Spirit of being schizophrenic!
Regardless of the claims of Roman Catholicism, sola Scriptura is to be the born-again Christian’s stand at all costs. Our spiritual, mental and moral stability, plus our legitimate power and authority comes from nowhere else. We don’t have to argue this for the sake of silly arguing, but we need to know it when we come up against Satan the devil and his demonic cohorts. Our battle is spiritual not physical – we win!. All (Bible-only) Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Those treating Church Tradition as equal to the Bible, mistreat the Bible!
“I’m not limited to the Bible.” If that were merely the belief of one man, the only harm done is to himself. But when a church leader says that, look at the harm he does to the people under his charge. And I’m not only referring to the Roman Catholic Church now, for there are multitudes of “Protestant” leaders saying the same thing with no Church Tradition in mind. Personal feelings and opinions are what motivate them and that’s why much of what they preach and teach is unreasonable, illogical and senseless as well. You don’t want to limit God in your life? Then limit yourself to the Bible and marvel in the ways He reveals Himself. Every word of God is pure…….. Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar Proverbs 30:5-6. Did I not say to you that if you believe you would see the glory of God? John 11:40.