Open Letter To Roman Catholics
Dear Friend,
We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: THAT IS THE TRUTH.
That is Scripture. God, by His Apostle Paul, said so, in 2 Thes 2:13.
Most Roman Catholics would consider that to mean being born into, or converted to, being a Roman Catholic. However, in spite of the Christian terms that are used, it is wise to question if Vatican Roma’s religion is Christian? Yes, the capital “S” Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Truth, AND BELIEF of THE TRUTH is what sanctifies the Christian. What sanctifies the Roman Catholic? Should such a question be answered from the Scriptures, or from the Catechism?
I would like to acknowledge our common belief in Christ Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of mankind. That certainly is the
foundation of our faith, and a wonderful truth that we share. I thank God that we are on the same page regarding Jesus being the Son of God.
Anyone who is brought up in a Catholic home, with parents who were Catholic, have a lot in common with me. I know about the Catholic Church from personal experience growing up with parents who were devout Catholics. I have also done much additional
research, and consulted other Catholic friends, I have read much of both Catholic and non-Roman Catholic literature on the Roman Catholic religion. I have also studied much history related to the Church of Vatican Roma. Though not all Catholic Churches are alike, the conclusions are general, and not Church specific.
The other truth that I believe we share is that the Bible is the Word of God, and inspired by the Spirit of God, to instruct us on how we are to live our lives and finally enter God’s heaven when our life on this earth is over.
I have noticed that the majority of Catholics will pay much more attention to the teachings of men living among them, more so than the Word of God. Personally, I feel that the Bible is the ultimate authority on spiritual matters. Let me explain to you why I feel this way and you can decide for yourself if it makes sense or not, and please let me know.
SO WHY TRUST ONLY WHAT THE BIBLE HAS TO SAY?
After Jesus rose from the dead, He told the twelve Apostles EXACTLY that in Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
But Jesus did not leave them to their own knowledge and abilities, but gave the Apostles the Holy Spirit to guide them in speaking and writing the Bible. Jesus told the Apostles in John 14:25-26
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Jesus went on to say to the Apostles - Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. John 16:13-15.
When He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide YOU into ALL TRUTH. He will not speak on His own, He will speak only what He hears. He shall glorify Me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. He will bring glory to Me (Jesus) by taking what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.
The Apostles went forth, guided by the Holy Spirit and wrote what we know today as the New Testament. This is evident by the writers themselves giving a salutation at the beginning or end of the book, (or letter) in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul, spoke of the Bible to Timothy, when he explained to him in 2
Timothy 3:16; All scripture is inspired by God (or God Breathed) and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ALL Scripture is given for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, that the man or woman of God may be THOUROUGHLY EQUIPPED for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16) Therefore God inspired the Apostles to write the New Testament, and that work and special calling of the Apostles was unique, and not transferable. It will be their 12 names on the 12 foundations of New Jerusalem.
Many religious leaders throughout history have claimed to be directly inspired by God, but do not have the accompanying miracles to confirm the words they speak and write, as the Apostles did. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In
my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (Mark 16:17-20).
When Jesus was praying for His disciples and all those who would believe in Him, He prayed for the Father to sanctify us in John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. I see there not just a DEFINITION of TRUTH but the only means to PROVE the truth, otherwise truth is simply received or rejected. For God IS God, God can NOT Lie, and God does Not Change. The Apostle Paul gave us to KNOW those are the IMMUTABLE foundations and facts of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heb 6:17 - Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
It seems obvious to me that Jesus, who has ALL authority, has given that authority to His Apostles through the Holy Spirit. They in
turn were inspired by the Spirit of God to write what we know today as the New Testament.
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
1 Cor 4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Why list those things written by the Apostles John and Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit? Because they are explicit THAT WE, you and me, CAN understand what God wants us to KNOW and DO, simply by reading His inspired word, THE Holy Bible.
If the bible is THE Holy Bible it will have ONLY what Jesus taught to be the CANNON of the Scriptures. If a church father says otherwise he would be wrong in contradicting Jesus. Yes, Jesus clearly did teach there were 39 books in the Old Testament and
NO apocrypha. By definition, the unknown origin of the Apocrypha means that Apocrypha can NOT be scripture. Everyone knows the New Testament has 27 books meaning there are 66 books INSPIRED by God, in THE Holy Bibile. Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Yes, that is the SAME 39 books even the Jews recognize as the cannon of Old Testament Scripture.
Yes, we know the New Testament is solid and complete with the 27 books of the New Testament. What should we think of bibles that would have more or less than 66 books? The Apostle John gave a very explicit answer to that - For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues
that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. The Apostle Peter is quite
explicit in answering that as well - 2 Pet 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
By way of what the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostles Peter and John write in those verses it seems very clear to me that God tells us that He has given us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness. That sounds to me like we already have all that we need to live a godly life. Traditions and Magisteriums are therefore superfluous at best, and if they would dare contradict rather than to confirm the Word of God, they should be condemned. Does it seem that way to you? Jer 16:19 O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
So when we seek out what God wants from us, regardless of what any Priest or Bishop or whoever else may have told us, the ultimate authority we all will be judged by, will be Jesus and His Inspired Word. In Fact that is exactly what Jesus said in John 12:48 - He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. So Jesus, who is God manifested in the flesh to destroy the works of the devil, confirmed what Peter & John said there - He who rejects Me and does not receive MY word, has one who judges them. The word I spoke is what will judge them in the last day.
It came as quite a shock that it is not our religious leaders, whose words will judge us in the final judgment, but the words of Christ. Those Words of God, are inspired written, preserved, and even purified seven times in THE Holy Bible. It is those Words of God, which we must KNOW and DO, because those are the words by which all will be judged on the last day. The words of the Holy Bible are the words that we should heed and have as our final authority. When those words are confirmed we rejoice, and when they are perverted, twisted, wrested, or contradicted we will not be agreeable and tolerant about such being done under any guize of religion, even if the Name of Jesus is used.
What does the word of God say in relation to what the Roman Catholic Church teaches? There may be important things for us to learn. The Bible itself in 1 Pet 4:11 - If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do
it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
If our faith is based upon The Lord Jesus Christ, whose name is called the Word of God, then we should teach or speak of Christian things based on how Jesus and His Apostles defined them and taught them in the New Testament.
While most Catholics would probably say they believe the bible, at the same time, most at this point would feel uneasy because - Have I been to Seminary? They have trusted what the priest says about these things all of their life. Most Roman Catholics would be inclined to point out how much respect he has for his priest and all of the clergy up to and including the pope. I understand this. I too have been in that place of being very Catholic and at the same time not knowing where to find things in the Bible. Most all Catholics have trusted all their spiritual instruction to the Priest and Catechism classes. Probably the majority of Roman Catholics are intimidated by the idea of reading THE Bible and not really even know WHY they have such feelings.
A child can understand the word of God. No child of God should be intimidated or brainwashed NOT to read and study the word of God. It makes plain good sense to read the Word of God to find out, and actually KNOW, what God said first hand. Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. How better can we do that other than to read what God said for ourselves?
Anyone can read and understand the Bible. It just takes a willingness to want to really KNOW first hand, what God has said in His Word. If we will seek, then we shall find. We know Jesus said that. So let us seek, and we shall find. On the last day will we be judged by the priest's word, or the bishop or pope's word, or by the Word of God? RED LETTER WORDS - John 12:48 - He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
I hope you can understand why I feel it is so important to encourage you to look at the scriptures together with me, and to know what you think when you have seriously considered the scriptures and what Jesus and the Apostles have to teach on the following spiritual matters.
We both know many Catholics believe that the Catholic Church is the first church to exist. Many believe it is the only true church. Many Roman Catholics believe that it is not really possible for someone to go to heaven unless they were a member of the Catholic Church. I understand that the word Catholic means Universal. Still, we are to speak “as the oracles of God” (1Peter 4:11), calling Biblical things by Biblical names. There are many names for the Lord’s church in the Bible, such as church of God, church of the First Born, the church at Jerusalem, church of Christ, church at Antioch. In THE Bible we can not find the words Catholic Church. The Apostle Peter opened his second epistle to the church saying the church was ALL that have like precious faith with us.
The best science and history reveals the truth that on Wednesday, Nissan 14, in 30AD, Jesus Christ died a death by torture on a Roman cross outside of the walls of Jerusalem. The most well documented and well established fact of all history is that 3 days and nights after that death on that Wednesday of Nissan 14, that He was resurrected on Nissan 17. He met with his disciples, one gathering had over 500 eye witnesses, for 40 days before He ascended into heaven, 10 days before Pentecost.
In Acts Chapter 2, Peter preached the first sermon after the death of Jesus, on the day of Pentecost, after which 3000 souls were baptized it says, And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. All that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:42-47). Was the church that God was adding them to, the Catholic Church? According to the scriptures, the church is simply called the church.
Someone once said History is His Story, meaning Jesus, of course. Maybe that is part of why I do enjoy seeking and studying true history. Any encyclopedia or truthful history sources show that the Roman Catholic Church was founded by Constantine the Great, who was the first pope, and retained his title of Pontifus Maximus, Supreme Pontiff, high priest of paganism. He was a brilliant politician and set about to unite the empire by applying Christian terms to his Roman Mithraism, a form of pagan Babylonian sun god religion complete with Queen of Heaven worship, and Mythra or Tamuz birthday celebration on December 25, and spring fertility goddess worship at spring solstice.
If one will seek he will find the truth that the Roman Catholic Church did not get founded until around 320 AD, when Constantine, the Emperor of Rome, embraced Christianity and made it the religion of the Roman Empire. Not only history, but actually the structure, practice, and doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church give witness to this origin. This began the union of church and state.
The fact that there is one church is true. Jesus said he would build His church (singular) (Matthew 16:18). And Ephesians 4:4, says there is One Body; and Colossians 1:18 says that Jesus is the head of the Body, the church. Therefore, there is indeed one true church, of which Jesus is the head. No man can be the head of this one true church because of what is made so clear in 1 Tim 2:5 and many other passages. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
The church that Jesus established BEGAN about one third of the way through the FIRST Century, not the fourth or fifth century. The church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ and established by the Apostles was made up of grown people who believed in Christ as the Savior and were baptized. Paul makes this clear in Romans chapter six.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Christian baptism marks the death of the old carnal man and the union of resurrection life in Christ being part of His body called the Church. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Jesus has ONE Body in this earth. And those who think
themselves more sanctified because of their observance, or their traditions, or
their hierarchies, or holier than thou for any reason, ARE NOT IN THAT ONE Body.
Messiah does NOT have multiple bodies. God has ONE ECHAD Body. For by ONE
Spirit, Echad - For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we
be Jews or Gentiles. Yes, indeed the pope has a bad future as the second beast
false prophet of the antichrist prince.
According to the Word of God, the pope has NO special authority over the church. Yeshua HATES the Nicolaitan spirit behind popery and priestcraft. No church is made special, or has unique authority in dealing with man's spiritual life. The only church with TRUE spiritual power and authority, is a church founded on Jesus THE Messiah, whose name is called the Word of God. If a man is the head of a church, it can have no real TRUE spiritual power and authority.
The pope is be the head of the antichrist, new world order, global religion of TOLERANCE. The only people not to be tolerated are those “not authentically human” Jews, and REAL Commandment KEEPING Christians, who will stand together with, and support Israel and the Jewish people. Such support of Israel and the Jews is simple obedience to the one born in Bethlehem, THE Lamb of God, who was crucified on Wednesday, Nissan 14, 30AD, for the crime of being born King of the Jews.
The Nicolaitan spirit behind popery is something Jesus HATES, and says so directly and explicitly in Rev 2:6&15. It is time to say to anyone caught up in a religion in which any man believes his word is better, or even equivalent to the Word of God - Come out of her, and from such withdraw thyself.
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Rev 17:1-6 & 18:4)
Doctrines, very simply,
are teachings. Teachings, or doctrines, are either true or false. A true
doctrine can NOT be divisive in a
harmful way, though true doctrines are just as divisive in a helpful way, as
false doctrines are divisive in a harmful way. Only false
doctrines can be harmful. Maybe this will help you see why we are commanded to
mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye
have learned; and avoid them. There is a most certain eternal payday coming. To
them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and
immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not OBEY
the TRUTH, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and
anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of
the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to
the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with
God.
The real Jesus is the one who IS The Truth personified. His name is called the
Word of God. The Lord's prayer, not the model prayer where He taught us the
pattern for prayer, but the Lord's prayer, which He prayed while He was in such
agony that He literally was sweating blood, is found in John 17. It is in that
prayer where we see the best definition of the truth which may possibly be
found. Jesus, who IS God the Son, who is the I AM who taught Torah to Moses, who
IS come in the flesh, was praying to His Father God. Here is that perfect
definition of truth - the truth that can sanctify us before God - John 17:17
Sanctify them through thy truth: THY WORD IS TRUTH.
God IS God. God can NOT
Lie. God does NOT change. Jesus Christ the SAME yesterday, today, and forever.
The Truth does not change. THY WORD IS TRUTH. So we see then, the real Jesus,
the Jesus who real believers in the truth know, is the One who is God the Son,
who IS come in the flesh, as the perfect sin offering, and to destroy the works
of the devil. This real Jesus, who is the Truth, can only be known in truth, by
those who seek the truth.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 18:36-37 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom
were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered
to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto
him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this
end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear
witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
2 Th 2:13-15 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he
called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have
been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
People who say that Jesus does not cause divisions do NOT know the real Jesus.
Beware of those who would say we must have unity at any cost. Beware of those
who would claim to be Christians who would say that we should be tolerant for
the sake of unity. That is what the leader of the largest cult in the world
says. Such so-called tolerance, IS the antichrist religion of the last days, the
great falling away from THE Faith. Beware of those would say we must be in one
accord no matter what.
True doctrine does NOT
divide in a harmful way. Only false doctrine will divide in a harmful way. True
doctrine will bring true unity. False doctrine can only unite and compromise
with the devil, the father of lies. It is a mark of antichrist nature to
tolerate false doctrine, which is the basis of unity of the father of lies, and
NOT unity with THE Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ.
It was pure, passionate, genuine, love when Jesus told the religious leaders in
Mat 23:33 - Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the
damnation of hell?
Luke 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay;
but rather division:
John 7:43 So there was a division among the people because of him.
John 9:16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because
he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do
such miracles? And there was a division among them.
John 10:19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these
sayings.
Everywhere Jesus went there was DIVISION. For He is the Truth personified, and
the truth offends. Love MUST be based in and on The Truth. For God is Love, and
Jesus is The Truth, and the Holy Spirit, is the Spirit of Truth. Remember how
truth is defined - John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: THY WORD IS
TRUTH.
Christians may give offense but they do not take offense. Christians take action
but they do not react. What Jesus do you mean, is a vital question for every
believer in Christ. We should first of all, ask it of ourselves, testing our own
beliefs about Jesus.
2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own
selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye
be reprobates?
1 Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
The current Roman Catholic Catechism as of today
still says:
Paragraph
460 -
The Word
became flesh to make us "partakers of the
divine nature": "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of
God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word
and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God." "For the Son of
God became man so that we might become God." "The only-begotten Son of God,
wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made
man, might make men gods."
THAT IS LUCIFERIAN – and NOT Christian – Lucifer Satan the devil said in Gen 3:5
- shall be as gods.
And how about Paragraph 841 – The Church's
relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes
those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the
Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they
adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day." THAT SIMPLY IS
NOT CHRISTIAN.
Psa 138:2 - I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Read what God said for yourself. Do not trust anyone but the Holy Spirit and the more sure word of God found in the KJV Holy Bible. Do Not be discouraged. Of all times ever, the time to earnestly contend for THE FAITH WHICH WAS ONCE DELIVERED UNTO THE SAINTS is NOW, in this antichrist war on the saints. No matter how large the majority against us may become, KNOW that Christian unity does NOT include co-laboring for the moral good of society with CULTS even if they deceitfully use the name of Jesus.
Very truly yours,
Jim Searcy