Who would you believe if you discovered that this document misstated facts and misrepresented and misinterpreted both Catholic teaching and Biblical passages?
He's right about one thing. It's impossible to believe his teachings of men and the Word of God.
Here we go...Right off we have Mr. Gendrons gross misinterpretation of the Word of God.
Where in that verse, does sit say what he says it does? Remember, he just tried to teach you that "The Bible teaches Scripture has authority over the
church.", yet where is that? The fact is that it's not there.
The verse says,
2nd Timothy 3:16-17
[16] All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
[17] that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.It nowhere even infers that the Bible if the ultimate authority that Gendron says it does. It says that it is profitable...not all sufficient, nor even self interpreting.
Gendron conveniently fails to include a very important and relevant verse from the same author (St. Paul) to the same person. Take note:
1st Timothy 3:15
[15] if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.What does St. Paul tell Timothy is "the pillar and ground of the truth"? The scriptures? No indeed...he tells Timothy (and us), that the Church is where the authority lies.
So..is Gendron's allegation correct? No, it's not.
Let's have a look at these verses.Romans 8:[30] And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Romans 4:[5] And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.There are several fatal flaws in this bit. For one, he misrepresents Catholic teaching and does so without any documentation showing that that is an authentic Catholic teaching. Let's see what the Catechism says...
I. JUSTIFICATION 1987 The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ" and through Baptism:34 But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves as dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.35
1988 Through the power of the Holy Spirit we take part in Christ's Passion by dying to sin, and in his Resurrection by being born to a new life; we are members of his Body which is the Church, branches grafted onto the vine which is himself:36 [God] gave himself to us through his Spirit. By the participation of the Spirit, we become communicants in the divine nature. . . . For this reason, those in whom the Spirit dwells are divinized.37
1989 The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."38 Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. "Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.39 1990 Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God's merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals. 1991 Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or "justice") here means the rectitude of divine love. With justification, faith, hope, and charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us. 1992 Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men. Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy. Its purpose is the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life:40 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.41
1993 Justification establishes cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom. On man's part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent:When God touches man's heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God's grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God's sight.42
1994 Justification is the most excellent work of God's love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit. It is the opinion of St. Augustine that "the justification of the wicked is a greater work than the creation of heaven and earth," because "heaven and earth will pass away but the salvation and justification of the elect . . . will not pass away."43 He holds also that the justification of sinners surpasses the creation of the angels in justice, in that it bears witness to a greater mercy.1995 The Holy Spirit is the master of the interior life. By giving birth to the "inner man,"44 justification entails the sanctification of his whole being:So...is Mike Gendron telling the truth about what the Church teaches about justification? Again...Indeed not.
He goes on to take a swing at the sacrament of Confession, but, here again is he telling the truth about Catholic teaching? from the Catechism section that he cited.
The sacrament of forgiveness 1446 Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as "the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace."47 1447 Over the centuries the concrete form in which the Church has exercised this power received from the Lord has varied considerably. During the first centuries the reconciliation of Christians who had committed particularly grave sins after their Baptism (for example, idolatry, murder, or adultery) was tied to a very rigorous discipline, according to which penitents had to do public penance for their sins, often for years, before receiving reconciliation. To this "order of penitents" (which concerned only certain grave sins), one was only rarely admitted and in certain regions only once in a lifetime. During the seventh century Irish missionaries, inspired by the Eastern monastic tradition, took to continental Europe the "private" practice of penance, which does not require public and prolonged completion of penitential works before reconciliation with the Church. From that time on, the sacrament has been performed in secret between penitent and priest. This new practice envisioned the possibility of repetition and so opened the way to a regular frequenting of this sacrament. It allowed the forgiveness of grave sins and venial sins to be integrated into one sacramental celebration. In its main lines this is the form of penance that the Church has practiced down to our day. 1448 Beneath the changes in discipline and celebration that this sacrament has undergone over the centuries, the same fundamental structure is to be discerned. It comprises two equally essential elements: on the one hand, the acts of the man who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit: namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction; on the other, God's action through the intervention of the Church. The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. Thus the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial communion. 1449 The formula of absolution used in the Latin Church expresses the essential elements of this sacrament: the Father of mercies is the source of all forgiveness. He effects the reconciliation of sinners through the Passover of his Son and the gift of his Spirit, through the prayer and ministry of the Church:God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and the resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.48Furthermore he wrongly infers that Confession is not scriptural. This idea is refuted in my blog article Catholic Confession .As for his allegation about works and justification, he again conveniently neglects to give any reference to clearly relevant passages such as
Matthew 25:[31] "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
[32] Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
[33] and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
[34] Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
[35] for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
[36] I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
[37] Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?
[38] And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?
[39] And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?'
[40] And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'
[41] Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;
[42] for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
[43] I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'
[44] Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?'
[45] Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.'
[46] And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Regeneration
The Bible teaches man is regenerated at the baptism
of the Spirit. For we were all baptized by one
Spirit into one body (1 Cor. 12:13). From the beginning
God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying
work of the Spirit and through belief in the
truth (2 Thes. 2:13).
Catholicism teaches baptism of water is the sacrament
of regeneration (1213). The water of Baptism
truly signifies our birth into the divine life (694).[/quote]Here Gendron proceeds to do one of the very worst examples of scriptural cherry picking I've ever had the misfortune to see. He tells us that, "The Bible teaches man is regenerated at the baptism
of the Spirit. For we were all baptized by one
Spirit into one body (1 Cor. 12:13)."But let's look at that verse.
1 Corinthians 12:[13] For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and all were made to drink of one Spirit.Now, (and this is very important!) take a look at the context of 1st Corinthians chapter 12. and tell me that what he's stated here is actually what St. Paul was talking about. The fact is that it's not...not even close. I urge you to read it in its context and see for yourselves.
Let's look at his other scripture citation.2 Thessalonians 2:[13] But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
Again, does this say what he tells us it says in this tract? Not at all, and this verse in no way conflicts with Catholic teaching as he alleges does it? Salvation
The Bible teaches man is saved by God’s unmerited
grace. For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can
boast (Eph. 2:8-9).
Catholicism teaches man is saved by meriting the
graces needed for salvation. We can merit for ourselves
and for others the graces needed for the
attainment of eternal life (2010).[/quote]First, let's take a look at his catechism citation in context to see if what he's alleging accurately reflects Catholic teaching.[quote]III. MERIT You are glorified in the assembly of your Holy Ones, for in crowning their merits you are crowning your own gifts.59 2006 The term "merit" refers in general to the recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members, experienced either as beneficial or harmful, deserving reward or punishment. Merit is relative to the virtue of justice, in conformity with the principle of equality which governs it. 2007 With regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on the part of man. Between God and us there is an immeasurable inequality, for we have received everything from him, our Creator. 2008 The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. The fatherly action of God is first on his own initiative, and then follows man's free acting through his collaboration, so that the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of God, then to the faithful. Man's merit, moreover, itself is due to God, for his good actions proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit. 2009 Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God's gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us "co-heirs" with Christ and worthy of obtaining "the promised inheritance of eternal life."60 The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness.61 "Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due. . . . Our merits are God's gifts."62 2010 Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God's wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions. 2011 The charity of Christ is the source in us of all our merits before God. Grace, by uniting us to Christ in active love, ensures the supernatural quality of our acts and consequently their merit before God and before men. The saints have always had a lively awareness that their merits were pure grace.After earth's exile, I hope to go and enjoy you in the fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for your love alone. . . . In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you with empty hands, for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is blemished in your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in your own justice and to receive from your love the eternal possession of yourself.63So...based upon the very first sentence as well as the context of his citation, is his allegation true? No...it's not.
The truth is that catechism is speaking about our intercessory prayers meriting God's mercy and intervention for the conversion of others. If this were not true, then why would any Christian pray for another's salvation? I can't think of a single Christian community that does not do so, Can you?
The Bible teaches man is saved for good works. For
we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God prepared in advance
for us to do (Eph. 2:10).
Catholicism teaches man is saved by good works.
In this way they attain their own salvation and
cooperate in saving their brothers (1477).Continuing...let's look at his scripture verse, keeping in mind that(as John Martignoni often says, "Catholics have no problem at all with what that verse says."
Ephesians 2:[10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.The NAB which he seems to like puts it this way.
For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them. Now let's take a look at his catechism citation in its context.
In the Communion of Saints 1474 The Christian who seeks to purify himself of his sin and to become holy with the help of God's grace is not alone. "The life of each of God's children is joined in Christ and through Christ in a wonderful way to the life of all the other Christian brethren in the supernatural unity of the Mystical Body of Christ, as in a single mystical person."86 1475 In the communion of saints, "a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things."87 In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin. 1476 We also call these spiritual goods of the communion of saints the Church's treasury, which is "not the sum total of the material goods which have accumulated during the course of the centuries. On the contrary the 'treasury of the Church' is the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ's merits have before God. They were offered so that the whole of mankind could be set free from sin and attain communion with the Father. In Christ, the Redeemer himself, the satisfactions and merits of his Redemption exist and find their efficacy."88 1477 "This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable, and even pristine in their value before God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission in the unity of the Mystical Body."89So... is that contrary to the Bible? By no means, but more important, does his citation actually support what he alleges in his tract? So...does this allegation have "merit". No..it does not.The Bible teaches man is saved for all eternity. And
you also were included in Christ when you heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
Having believed, you were marked in him with a
seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit
guaranteeing our inheritance. (Eph. 1:13-14).
Catholicism teaches man is saved only until the
next mortal sin is committed. Those who die in a
state of mortal sin descend into hell (1035).Here's his scripture citation. [13] In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, [14] which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Notice what verse 14 actually tells us. "...until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. " and NAB is even more clear, "which is the first installment 8 of our inheritance toward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory."
Here we clearly see a scriptural basis for possible loss of salvation... "until we acquire", and "the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption" showing us that salvation is not the single event that is preached by so many n-Cs (Who REALLY Preaches "A Different Gospel"?), but a process that consists of ever deepening conversion. CA has several excellent articles that speak to this.
- Are Catholics Born Again?
- Born Again - The Bible Way
- Assurance of Salvation?
- Grace: What It Is and What It Does
- Mortal Sin (Fathers)
- The Necessity of Baptism
- Reward and Merit (Fathers)
1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."617 The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs. 1036 The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few."618 Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed, we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed, and not, like the wicked and slothful servants, be ordered to depart into the eternal fire, into the outer darkness where "men will weep and gnash their teeth."619 1037 God predestines no one to go to hell;620 for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance":621Father, accept this offering
from your whole family.
Grant us your peace in this life,
save us from final damnation,
and count us among those you have chosen.622Furthermore Revelation plainly shows us that one can lose ones salvation.Apocalypse 3:[5] He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
Blotting out ones name from the Book of Life would mean that it had to be in there to begin with, right? Those who are saved are those whose names are written in the Book of Life, right?The Bible teaches salvation is offered to those outside
the church. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors
as though God were making His appeal
through us, be reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20).
Catholicism teaches salvation is offered through
the Church. Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition,
the Church is necessary for salvation. Anyone refusing
to enter it or remain in it cannot be saved (846).[/quote]This is one of his weakest scriptural arguments in this tract because here he uses a verse that we Catholics have no problem at all with to support his argument that we call all people to salvation in His Church. But let's look at CCC 846 in its context. Full context here.
"Outside the Church there is no salvation" 846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.336 847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.337 848 "Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."338
The Bible teaches that all sins are purified by the
blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7).
Catholicism teaches some sins are purified by the
fires of Purgatory. They undergo purification in
Purgatory, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to
enter the joy of heaven (1030-31).[/quote]Actually we Catholics are not alone in this belief as this article from my blog shows. Biblical and Jewish Traditional Beliefs About Purgatory
To me it's not so hard to comprehend. if I'm going to the wedding supper of the Lamb wouldn't I prepare myself accordingly?(See Matthew 22:1-14)We "wash up" before earthly meals...how much more so to feast with the Holy Trinity in the Kingdom of God?!
Saints and Priests
The Bible teaches man becomes a saint when the
Spirit baptizes him into the body of Christ.
(Eph. 4:11-12).
Catholicism teaches man becomes a saint only if
the Pope canonizes him. This occurs when he
solemnly proclaims that they practiced a heroic
virtue and lived in fidelity to God's grace (828).[/quote]11 4 And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, 5 for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, 6 to the extent of the full stature of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. 15 Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, 7 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body's growth and builds itself up in love.There's the context of his passage which again points up the process of the Christian faith and then even goes on to speak of precisely what we find here in Gendron's tract. Just look at verse 14.
Most of you already see the gross misrepresentation of Catholic teaching he's set up as a straw man argument, but here's CCC 828 anyway to make it all the more clear.
828 By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by solemnly proclaiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God's grace, the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models and intercessors.303 "The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church's history."304 Indeed, "holiness is the hidden source and infallible measure of her apostolic activity and missionary zeal."305Moreover, there are a number of saints who have never been canonized. The archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael just for instance, and there are others. (See Can I pray to Abraham?)
The Bible teaches every Christian is a priest and a
member of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).
Catholicism teaches every man needs a priest for salvation.
Catholic priests guarantee that Christ is acting
in the sacraments which are necessary for salvation
(1120-29).There is, as most of you know, a difference between the priesthood of all believers and the ministerial priesthood. Most n-Cs share a defacto belief in this or else they would never refer to their ministers as being "called" to that vocation, now would they?
CA has a good response to this.
What is the difference between the Common Priesthood and Ministerial Priesthood?
How do I explain the different types of priesthood?
Q:“ My Protestant friends point to 1 Peter 2:9 and say, "Look, we are all priests. You don't need to go to a priest to confess your sins." How do I answer? ” A: In a sense we are all priests. But this title is not what bestows the power to forgive sins. God sent Jesus to forgive sins, and Jesus conferred the power to forgive sins on the apostles when he said, "‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:21-23). This power to forgive sins has been passed on to the apostles’ successors and to priests ordained to the ministerial priesthood through the sacrament of holy orders.
Catholics recognize the difference between the priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood:
Priesthood: (1) Of the faithful: The priestly people of God. Christ has made of his Church a "kingdom of priests," and gives the faithful a share in his priesthood through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. (2) Ministerial: The ministerial priesthood received in the sacrament of holy orders differs in essence from this common priesthood of all the faithful. It has as its purpose to serve the priesthood of all the faithful by building up and guiding the Church in the name of Christ, who is head of the Body. (Cardinal Levada’s glossary)Look also at Romans 15:16 where St. Paul clearly speaks of himself as a priest.
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in performing the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the holy Spirit.
The Lord's Supper
The Bible teaches the Lord’s Supper is a memorial.
"Do this in remembrance of me" (1 Cor. 11:24-25).
Catholicism teaches the Lord’s Supper is a sacrifice.
The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist
are one single sacrifice...the same Christ who offered
Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the
cross is contained and offered in an unbloody manner
(1367).This is just sad...I will respond with one of the first articles that I wrote (here at CAF no less) and put up on my blog. The Eucharist IS Scriptural
CCC 1367 and its context reads as follows and is well worth the reading.
The sacrificial memorial of Christ and of his Body, the Church 1362 The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the making present and the sacramental offering of his unique sacrifice, in the liturgy of the Church which is his Body. In all the Eucharistic Prayers we find after the words of institution a prayer called the anamnesis or memorial. 1363 In the sense of Sacred Scripture the memorial is not merely the recollection of past events but the proclamation of the mighty works wrought by God for men.184 In the liturgical celebration of these events, they become in a certain way present and real. This is how Israel understands its liberation from Egypt: every time Passover is celebrated, the Exodus events are made present to the memory of believers so that they may conform their lives to them. 1364 In the New Testament, the memorial takes on new meaning. When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ's Passover, and it is made present the sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present.185186 "As often as the sacrifice of the Cross by which 'Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed' is celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried out." 1365 Because it is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice. The sacrificial character of the Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution: "This is my body which is given for you" and "This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood."187 In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he "poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."188 1366 The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the cross, because it is its memorial and because it applies its fruit:[Christ], our Lord and God, was once and for all to offer himself to God the Father by his death on the altar of the cross, to accomplish there an everlasting redemption. But because his priesthood was not to end with his death, at the Last Supper "on the night when he was betrayed," [he wanted] to leave to his beloved spouse the Church a visible sacrifice (as the nature of man demands) by which the bloody sacrifice which he was to accomplish once for all on the cross would be re-presented, its memory perpetuated until the end of the world, and its salutary power be applied to the forgiveness of the sins we daily commit.189 1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: "The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different." "And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner. . . this sacrifice is truly propitiatory."190 1368 The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of the Church. The Church which is the Body of Christ participates in the offering of her Head. With him, she herself is offered whole and entire. She unites herself to his intercession with the Father for all men. In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ's sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his offering. In the catacombs the Church is often represented as a woman in prayer, arms outstretched in the praying position. Like Christ who stretched out his arms on the cross, through him, with him, and in him, she offers herself and intercedes for all men. 1369 The whole Church is united with the offering and intercession of Christ. Since he has the ministry of Peter in the Church, the Pope is associated with every celebration of the Eucharist, wherein he is named as the sign and servant of the unity of the universal Church. The bishop of the place is always responsible for the Eucharist, even when a priest presides; the bishop's name is mentioned to signify his presidency over the particular Church, in the midst of his presbyterium and with the assistance of deacons. The community intercedes also for all ministers who, for it and with it, offer the Eucharistic sacrifice:Let only that Eucharist be regarded as legitimate, which is celebrated under [the presidency of] the bishop or him to whom he has entrusted it.191 Through the ministry of priests the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful is completed in union with the sacrifice of Christ the only Mediator, which in the Eucharist is offered through the priests' hands in the name of the whole Church in an unbloody and sacramental manner until the Lord himself comes.1921370 To the offering of Christ are united not only the members still here on earth, but also those already in the glory of heaven. In communion with and commemorating the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, the Church offers the Eucharistic sacrifice. In the Eucharist the Church is as it were at the foot of the cross with Mary, united with the offering and intercession of Christ.1371 The Eucharistic sacrifice is also offered for the faithful departed who "have died in Christ but are not yet wholly purified,"193 so that they may be able to enter into the light and peace of Christ: Put this body anywhere! Don't trouble yourselves about it! I simply ask you to remember me at the Lord's altar wherever you are.194 Then, we pray [in the anaphora] for the holy fathers and bishops who have fallen asleep, and in general for all who have fallen asleep before us, in the belief that it is a great benefit to the souls on whose behalf the supplication is offered, while the holy and tremendous Victim is present. . . . By offering to God our supplications for those who have fallen asleep, if they have sinned, we . . . offer Christ sacrificed for the sins of all, and so render favorable, for them and for us, the God who loves man.195 1372 St. Augustine admirably summed up this doctrine that moves us to an ever more complete participation in our Redeemer's sacrifice which we celebrate in the Eucharist: This wholly redeemed city, the assembly and society of the saints, is offered to God as a universal sacrifice by the high priest who in the form of a slave went so far as to offer himself for us in his Passion, to make us the Body of so great a head. . . . Such is the sacrifice of Christians: "we who are many are one Body in Christ" The Church continues to reproduce this sacrifice in the sacrament of the altar so well-known to believers wherein it is evident to them that in what she offers she herself is offered.196All this shows that Gendron refuses to accept the plain sense of scripture when it comes into conflict with his personal interpretations.
The Bible teaches that believers receive Jesus once,
spiritually, in the heart. God... put his Spirit in our
hearts as a guarantee (2 Cor. 1:22).
Catholicism teaches Catholics receive Jesus physically,
frequently, in the stomach. The body, blood...soul and
divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ...is truly, really and
substantially contained in the Eucharist (1374-78).This is also answered by the article on my blog linked above. The New Testament and the writings of the Early Church Fathers are very clear. The Eucharist IS Scriptural
Condemnation
The Bible condemns anyone who perverts the Gospel
including the Roman Catholic clergy. If we or an angel
from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one
we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
(Gal. 1:6-9).
Catholicism condemns with over 100 anathemas
those who believe the Bible instead of the Canons of
the Council of Trent. These condemnations are still in
effect today.I think I answer this pretty well in my article Who REALLY Preaches "A Different Gospel"? Mike Gendron preaches that different and deficient gospel and so I would fear for my soul were I he.
As for the anathemas he speaks of, I'll let Jimmy Akin supply the response to that since it is very clear and concise.Anathema (This Rock: April 2000)
These thirteen teachings of Roman Catholicism
demonstrate how the traditions of men can nullify
and oppose the Word of God (Mark 7:7-13).So...has he proved his allegations? I think not
In fact, I believe he has done more to condemn himself that any damage he might have done to our most holy Catholic faith. Has he been honest in his remarks and allegations?
Having seen all this, does he present as someone whose preaching one might trust?
For the devout and knowledgeable Catholic the answer is a definitive NO.[quote]True saving faith is granted by God as people hear and believe His Word (Rom. 10:17) Eternal life can be received only as a gift of God’s grace, through faith
in Jesus Christ. Accordingly, we must come to the
cross of Christ with empty hands of faith, leaving
everything behind, except our sins (2 Cor. 5:21).I'm not going to bother with this part as it's just Gendron sermonizing. I can see a coupe of iffy aspects even of that.
For other publications contrasting Roman
Catholicism with Christianity contact:
Evangelist Mike Gendron
PO Box 940871
Plano, TX 75094
Phone: 972-495-0485
www.pro-gospel.org
Bible quotes:
The New American Bible for Catholics.
Catechism references:
Catechism of the Catholic Church,
@ 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference. Oh, by all means send them to me. I can probably refute them too, and post it all on the internet so that people will know better than to listen to you about the Catholic faith.
