ARE WE SAVED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?

Matthew 19:25-26, “When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

According to Jesus Christ in the scriptures, it is impossible for man to save himself, but it is possible for God to save man.

There is a dangerous false doctrine today that is leading multitudes of Catholics to hell, and that is the claim that salvation is only available to members of the Catholic Church. According to them, no one outside the Catholic Church is saved.

“The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism explains: ‘For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained.’” -1994 Official Roman Catholic Catechism, p. 215, no. 816

According to the scriptures, a church is a congregation or assembly. It is NOT the building itself. Hebrews 2:12 uses the word “church”, while Psalm 22:22, quoted in Hebrews, uses the word “congregation.” This is NOT a translation error, it is a synonym. The same applies to the word “assembly.”

Psalm 22:22, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.”

Hebrews 2:11-12, “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”

Therefore, since the Catholic “Church” claims that it is the source of salvation for sinners, it is essentially saying that you cannot be saved if you are not part of the Catholic CONGREGATION, or ASSEMBLY.

Friends, this is nothing more than a heretical doctrine of a religious club. The scriptures do NOT teach us to join a congregation in order to be saved! Rather, the scriptures teach that we are saved only by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ!

John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

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.”

Acts 4:10-12, “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

It is Jesus Christ who is the mediator between God the Father and man, NOT a religious congregation!

1 Timothy 2:3-6, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 

CATHOLIC DOCTRINES OF MARY REFUTED

Mary is NOT the “Mother of God.” She gave birth to Jesus in the flesh, yes, but given that Jesus is God, he existed long before she did!

Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Hebrews 11:3, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

Mary recognized Jesus Christ as God and her Saviour. If Mary was truly as godlike as the Catholic Church claims her to be, she would have no need for a Saviour! She even admitted her “low estate”!

Luke 1:46-50, “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.”

Though Mary indeed fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy of the virgin birth, she did NOT remain a virgin! After Jesus was born in the flesh, she had other children.

Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Matthew 1:22-25, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

Matthew 13:54-56, “And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?“

Mary never performed any miracles, only Jesus did. Surely if the Catholic Church spake the truth, Mary should have performed miracles in the scriptures. Notice also that Jesus did not give her any special honors or praise.

John 2:1-8, “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.”

When the wise men came to see Jesus, they worshipped him, and him ONLY. They did NOT worship Mary! The scripture does NOT say, “they worshipped them”!

Matthew 2:11, “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

Mary was afraid of the angel Gabriel when he appeared unto her. Clearly she had NO power or dominion over the angels!

Luke 1:28-30, “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.”

Mary never ascended to heaven, only Jesus did. There is not ONE scripture that testifies of Mary’s so-called “assumption” into heaven!

Luke 24:51, “And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.”

Acts 1:10-11, “And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:14, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”

NOWHERE in the word of God is it stated that Mary intercedes for mankind. Jesus is the mediator, and him only! He is our advocate and our intercessor.

1 Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

Hebrews 7:22-25, “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

1 John 2:1-2, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

The thief on the cross did not trust in Mary for his salvation. He believed on Jesus Christ!

Luke 23:39-43, “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

The Catholic Church claims to be the church established by Jesus Christ, yet they rob him of his glory at every turn, choosing instead to glorify a woman who was a sinner like the rest of us. Woe unto the Catholic Church!

Deuteronomy 11:16-17, “Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the LORD’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.”

Psalm 40:4, “Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”

THE CATHOLIC OMISSION

Deuteronomy 4:2, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”

In the scriptures it is made clear several times that we are not to add to God’s word or take away from it. Many false teachers, religions, and bible versions are guilty of this, and the Catholic Church is no exception.

Recently, I visited the website Beginning Catholic. There is a section titled, “Essential Freedom: Catholic Ten Commandments.” This section contains a list of the ten commandments according to the Catholic Church. So where is the omission? Let us look at the list of commandments according to this Catholic site.

1. “I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.”
2. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”
3. “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.”
4. “Honor your father and your mother.”
5. “You shall not kill.”
6. “You shall not commit adultery.”
7. “You shall not steal.”
8. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
9. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.”
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

To the untrained, and unlearned, eye, there does not appear to be anything missing. Oh, but there is! Let us look at the scriptures to determine what the Catholic Church has omitted from their list of commandments.

Exodus 20:1-17, “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”

Though the Catholic Church has a second commandment, it is NOT the second commandment according to the scriptures. The second commandment, according to the scriptures, is Exodus 20:4-6, which says, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”

The Bible clearly condemns making any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven or earth, and bowing down to it in addition. Why would the Catholic Church omit this commandment from the Bible? Because Catholicism is a religion of graven images! (In browsing the aforementioned section, it should be noted that there is absolutely NO admission of this omission. How deceitful!)

The commandment against covetousness is NOT two, it is ONE. The Catholic Church split the last commandment into two and renumbered them to hide the fact that they omitted the commandment against images.

The ten commandments are repeated in Deuteronomy 5, and the commandment against images is there as well. That is TWO witnesses against the Catholic Church’s omission!

Deuteronomy 5:6-21, “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Neither shalt thou commit adultery. Neither shalt thou steal. Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour. Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”

MATRONITA/MARY, QUEEN OF HEAVEN

In the scriptures, God chastised the Jews for worshipping the queen of heaven (a pagan goddess), and declared that they provoked themselves to confusion.

Jeremiah 7:17-19, “Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?”

The Jews living in Egypt were warned by the Lord not to do those abominations which he hates. However, they did not hearken unto him, nor unto Jeremiah the prophet.

Jeremiah 44:1-5, “The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein, Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers. Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.”

Rather, they continued to worship other gods, adopting the customs of the heathen nations. This caused severe punishment for them.

Jeremiah 44:15-27, “Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men? Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind? So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day. Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows. Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth. Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.”

Why does this matter? Because the Catholic Church, which claims to be Christian (but is, in fact, Judaic and Babylonian), refers to Mary as the queen of heaven. (See Catholic Answers, National Catholic Register, and others.)

We have seen from different Jewish historical sources that the Catholic Church was indeed created by Jews and NOT the Lord Jesus Christ or his disciples. Given the Jews’ history of worshipping the queen of heaven, it would naturally follow that they would bring this heathen doctrine into the Catholic Church which they created. Today, the Jewish queen of heaven is called Matronita (matron; mother); she is also called Shekinah. (A name which is NOT found in the Hebrew Old Testament!)

Hebrew Catholic Athol Bloomer notes an interesting parallel between the Kabbalah’s Matronita and the Catholics’ Mary:

“Matronita or the Matron is seen in Kabbalah as a Queen (see Ginsburg p. 102). The Matronita is seen as the Mother of Israel or People of God… Matronita in Kabbalah is also seen as a warrior Queen who commands the hosts of Heaven. She is the defeater of Israel’s enemies both spiritual and physical. Matronita is also seen as the mother of Metatron. Thus Matronita is an image of both Mother Church and the Mother of God. Raphael Patai in his book The Hebrew Goddess shows the similarities between the Jewish concept of Matronita and the Virgin Mary of Christianity. This role of Mary is also seen in the Jewish concept of the Sabbath Bride/Queen. Matronita is closely associated with the Sabbath in the Kabbalah.” -Athol Bloomer, excerpt from article “Eucharist & Jewish Mystical Tradition - Part 3”

In other words, Catholics do not worship Mary because it was commanded in scripture: They worship Mary because they are ignorant of the scriptures AND the fact that the Catholic Church was established by unbelieving Jews. Make no mistake: Jesus did not refer to Mary as a queen in the scriptures, nor did his disciples Peter, John, and ESPECIALLY not Paul! Mary is not given any significance in the scriptures other than fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy of the virgin birth of Christ. Jesus Christ ALONE is the mediator between God the Father and mankind!

1 Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: A CREATION OF THE PHARISEES

In at least two places of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Church’s Jewish roots are openly admitted.

Catechism 1093 states:

“In the sacramental economy the Holy Spirit fulfills what was prefigured in the Old Covenant. Since Christ’s Church was ‘prepared in marvelous fashion in the history of the people of Israel and in the Old Covenant,’ the Church’s liturgy has retained certain elements of the worship of the Old Covenant as integral and irreplaceable, adopting them as her own: notably, reading the Old Testament; praying the Psalms; above all, recalling the saving events and significant realities which have found their fulfillment in the mystery of Christ (promise and covenant, Exodus and Passover, kingdom and temple, exile and return).”

Catechism 1096 states, “A better knowledge of the Jewish people’s faith and religious life as professed and lived even now can help our better understanding of certain aspects of Christian liturgy. For both Jews and Christians Sacred Scripture is an essential part of their respective liturgies: in the proclamation of the Word of God, the response to this word, prayer of praise and intercession for the living and the dead, invocation of God’s mercy. In its characteristic structure the Liturgy of the Word originates in Jewish prayer. 

The Liturgy of the Hours and other liturgical texts and formularies, as well as those of our most venerable prayers, including the Lord’s Prayer, have parallels in Jewish prayer. The Eucharistic Prayers also draw their inspiration from the Jewish tradition. The relationship between Jewish liturgy and Christian liturgy, but also their differences in content, are particularly evident in the great feasts of the liturgical year, such as Passover. Christians and Jews both celebrate the Passover. For Jews, it is the Passover of history, tending toward the future; for Christians, it is the Passover fulfilled in the death and Resurrection of Christ, though always in expectation of its definitive consummation.”

This is an eye-opening revelation when one considers that the Catholic Church claims to be the church established by Jesus Christ with Peter as “the rock.” One should also consider that it was the unbelieving Jews who opposed the apostles and disciples of Christ at every turn in the book of Acts. Also consider that the unbelieving Jews (the Pharisees and the Sadducees) vehemently opposed Jesus Christ during his ministry on earth, and they held to the traditions of the elders rather than the word of God.

Matthew 15:1-9, “Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

Mark 7:1-13, “Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”

Brant Pitre, Ph.D., of the Notre Dame Seminary, stated:

“There are many parallels between ancient Jewish liturgy and the Mass, especially the Jewish Passover and the Jewish hope for the new manna of the Messiah. Both these aspects of ancient Jewish practice and belief can shed light on Catholic Eucharistic practice and belief, revealing that there is much more in common between ancient Judaism and present-day Catholicism than there might seem at first glance.” —Brant Pitre, Ph.D., “The Jewish Roots Of The Mass”, Notre Dame Seminary

Given the Catholic Church’s admission of holding to the old covenant, which was done away in the Lord Jesus Christ, she has admitted that she is indeed a creation of the Pharisees, the unbelieving Jews, and has NOT been established by Jesus Christ! According to the book of Hebrews, the old covenant has been replaced!

Hebrews 7:11-19, “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.”

Hebrews 8:6-13, “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”

 The Sin of Idolatry!

THE TRUTH ABOUT CATHOLICISM

Matthew 7:16-20, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

As the Lord Jesus said in the scriptures above, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. If the tree is corrupt, so is the fruit. If the tree is corrupt, so are the roots.

It is commonly known among thorough researchers that Catholicism is not Biblical Christianity, but rather, it is Babylonian paganism with “Christian” labels. What is not as well known, however, is that Catholicism also has roots in Judaism! Yes, dear friends, you read that correctly: Catholicism is a false religion with Judaic, Babylonian roots!

The Catholic Encyclopedia, found on the website New Advent, explains the connection:

“The Eucharist was always celebrated at the end of a service of lessons, psalms, prayers, and preaching, which was itself merely a continuation of the service of the synagogue. So we have everywhere this double function; first a synagogue service Christianized, in which the holy books were read, psalms were sung, prayers said by the bishop in the name of all (the people answering ‘Amen’ in Hebrew, as had their Jewish forefathers), and homilies, explanations of what had been read, were made by the bishop or priests, just as they had been made in the synagogues by the learned men and elders (e.g., Luke 4:16-27).” —excerpt from “Liturgy”, The Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent

In other words, the Eucharist is a continuation of SYNAGOGUE services, NOT church services! The Catholic Encyclopedia is essentially admitting that the Eucharist (commonly called the “Mass”) is not a Christian creation, it is a Judaic creation. The Catholic Encyclopedia also explains the meaning of the word “liturgy”:

“The meaning of the word liturgy is then extended to cover any general service of a public kind. In the Septuagint it (and the verb leitourgeo) is used for the public service of the temple (e.g., Exodus 38:27; 39:12, etc.). Thence it comes to have a religious sense as the function of the priests, the ritual service of the temple (e.g., Joel 1:9, 2:17, etc.). In the New Testament this religious meaning has become definitely established. In Luke 1:23, Zachary goes home when ‘the days of his liturgy’ (ai hemerai tes leitourgias autou) are over. In Hebrews 8:6, the high priest of the New Law ‘has obtained a better liturgy’, that is a better kind of public religious service than that of the Temple.” -excerpt from “Liturgy”, The Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent

In other words, Catholic liturgy is based on Judaic liturgy. The Jewish Virtual Library agrees:

“During this period there was a revival of Hebrew studies in Rome, centered around the local yeshiva, Metivta de Mata Romi. A number of well-known scholars, Rabbi Kalonymus b. Moses and Rabbi Jacob ‘Gaon’ and Rabbi Nathan B. Jehil (who wrote a great Talmudic dictionary, the Arukh), contributed to Jewish learning and development. Roman Jewish traditions followed those practiced in the Land of Israel and the liturgical customs started in Rome spread throughout Italy and the rest of the world.” —excerpt from “Virtual Jewish World: Rome, Italy”, Jewish Virtual Library

Provided here is the testimony of Roy Schoeman, a man who converted from Judaism to Catholicism. In his interview with Seattle Catholic, dated December 15th, 2003, he freely admits that Catholicism is a “continuation of Judaism.”

“As a Jew coming to the Catholic Church, it was natural for me to find the relationship between Judaism and the Catholic Church among the most interesting things in the world. It was obvious to me that for a Jew to enter the Catholic Church wasn’t a matter of conversion at all, but was rather simply coming into the fullness of Judaism — into the form that Judaism took after the coming of the Jewish Messiah. Although Catholics are aware of this in principle, they often don’t think of the Catholic Church as the continuation of Judaism after the Messiah. I found it an extremely interesting topic, and was surprised at how excited many Catholics became at thinking of it that way. It’s everywhere you look. It’s obviously in the Sacrifice of the Mass and the way the Mass is prefigured in Jewish ceremonial worship. It’s in the role that the Old Testament, Jewish Scripture have in Catholic theology and the structure of the Catholic Faith.” —Roy Schoeman, excerpt from “Interview with Roy Schoeman”, Seattle Catholic

Roy Schoeman reiterates that the Mass (Eucharist) is prefigured in Jewish worship. This means that, Biblically speaking, the Catholic Mass is NOT the same as the Lord’s supper: it is quite the opposite! The Catholic Mass is not Christian, it is Judaic!

An article to come will show the similarities between Catholicism and Judaism regarding the priesthood, traditions, liturgy, and so on.

It is not my intention to condemn or bash Catholics, but rather to expose the truth of this false religion, that it is NOT based on the Bible, and it was NOT established by the Lord Jesus Christ; it is based on Judaism and other Babylonian mystery religions. See “The Two Babylons” by Alexander Hislop and “Solving The Mystery Of Babylon The Great” by Edward Hendrie.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.”