Understanding Your Catholic Neighbor
Introduction
The Roman Catholic Church claims its roots in Christ’s declaration to Peter – “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…” (Matt. 16:18). According to Catholic tradition, the apostle Peter founded the church of Rome, and his leadership among the apostles resulted in the Roman Church gaining supremacy over all other churches. After enduring centuries of persecution, the church received official sanction from the Roman government when Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and made it the state religion. The bishop of Rome was viewed as speaking and acting in Peter’s stead, so anyone in that office was given authority over church doctrine and practice.Other factors led to the rise and prominence of the Roman Catholic Church. Beliefs were codified, churches were established, and leaders rose in power over the religious affairs of Europe. The Catholic Church dominated European life in the Middle Ages, and eventually spread its influence into the Americas and beyond as the centuries progressed. While we can learn much from the history of the Catholic Church, we will focus in this lesson on how to answer Catholic questions about our faith. When we talk to our Catholic neighbors, questions may come up about what we believe. In this lesson, we will look at some typical questions that may arise in these conversations and some ways to respond.
What is the difference between Catholics and Baptists?
Many Catholics have positive views on Baptist and Protestant churches because they believe in Jesus and follow the Bible. But they wonder why Baptists feel the need to attend a different church than Catholics if they believe the same thing. You can respond by affirming that Catholics and Baptists share many beliefs in common; the deity of Christ and the authority of Scripture are two examples. However, several key differences make the two beliefs distinct.First, we differ on the authority for church beliefs. Catholics believe that the Bible is not the only authority for truth. Added to the Bible are church tradition and the decrees of the pope. Baptists believe that authority for church beliefs and practice are only found in the Bible. Historic traditions and church hierarchies do not inform the decisions of Baptists churches.Second, we differ on the doctrine of salvation. The Catholic Church teaches that people can know that they are saved, but not with absolute certainty. They can prepare for the afterlife by believing on Jesus and following church teachings, including the sacraments. This puts the responsibility on people to retain their salvation through faith in and obedience to Christ.Baptists believe that people can do nothing to earn salvation. A person can follow the teachings of their church and the Bible perfectly, and yet still not be saved. The only way a person is saved is by God’s grace, which he showed to us by giving his Son Jesus to die on the cross. By doing this, Jesus made it possible for people to be forgiven of sin and have eternal life apart from their own efforts. People can only be saved by trusting in Christ’s work of dying for our sins and rising again; no good works are required for salvation.
On what points do Catholics and Baptists agree?
Catholics and Baptists share many similar beliefs. Both groups accept the Bible as inspired of God, which means he used people to write down his exact words that he spoke to them. Since the Bible is God’s Word, it is without error, and we can trust its authority over our lives and the function of the church.Another area of agreement between Catholics and Baptist is the doctrine of God. Both groups believe that while God is one being, he is also three distinct persons; Christians call this the Trinity. Though this term is not found in the Bible, the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is taught throughout the Scriptures.The deity of the Son, Jesus Christ, is especially important because it is another key area of agreement. Catholics and Baptists affirm that Jesus, though he is God, came to earth as a man and lived a perfect life free from sin. They believe he was executed by Roman crucifixion, and three days later, he came back to life. By doing this, he provided deliverance for mankind from his sinful condition. They also believe Jesus resides in heaven today with the Father, and he will come again someday to bring every believer to himself.
If we both believe the Bible, why do we attend different churches?
Even though both Catholics and Baptists claim to follow the Bible, we believe differently about important elements of Bible doctrine. This is shown by the Catholic acceptance of other authorities for faith and practice in addition to the Bible, while Baptists follow the Bible exclusively. Catholics argue that the Bible nowhere teaches the exclusivity of its authority. They believe that Christians also answer to church traditions and church leaders (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6; 1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Tim 1:13-14; 2:2).These verses can be explained without resorting to the establishment of new traditions. When the apostle Paul refers to traditions, he is speaking about his teachings on the gospel and its practical applications for the Christian life. He is not referring to a separate set of religious guidelines that he taught apart from the Bible. Everything he taught about the gospel and Christian living was in full accord with what the Bible already said.Furthermore, Paul never equates the ideas of religious leaders or organizations with inspired Scripture. On the contrary, he taught that the one foundation stone of the church is the person of Jesus Christ, and the teachings of the apostles and prophets as found in the Bible provide the rest of the foundation structure (Eph. 2:20). This means that church leaders do not have equal say with the Bible on church matters. Believers follow the teachings of apostles and prophets because God inspired them to write his words down. No apostles exist today, and no more revelation is needed. Therefore, no other authority exists for the church except the Bible.
Do you accept the authority of the Pope to make decisions for the church?
The Catholic concept of papal authority comes from Christ’s words to Peter in Matthew 16:18. They interpret this verse to mean that Jesus intended Peter to lead the disciples because he is the “rock” upon which the church is built. Since Peter was designated by Christ as the leader of the church, anyone who succeeds his position as the bishop of Rome would bear this responsibility. The decisions of the pope for the church are considered “infallible, binding pronouncements,” although this does not mean that every single word he speaks is free from error. Catholics believe that Christ ultimately protects the church and the pope from error.Baptists do not accept the authority of the pope because we interpret Matthew 16:18 differently than the Catholic Church. Many Baptists believe that when Jesus talks about the church being built on a “rock,” he is referring to Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (Matt. 16:17). This means that the church is not founded on Peter’s leadership, but on a believer’s profession of faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.We should not apply a false standard of infallibility to Peter’s decisions. In fact, in the following verses, we see Jesus rebuking Peter because he tried to keep Jesus from going to the cross (Matt. 16:22-23). Peter, along with the other apostles, was a sinner saved by grace. This passage does not assign any special position or spiritual privileges to Peter or any of his successors. Furthermore, the rest of the New Testament does not indicate that Peter received or expected any kind of special treatment from the rest of the apostles.
Do you venerate the virgin Mary like the Catholic church? Why or why not?
Baptists believe that God used Mary for a special purpose, to give birth to the Messiah apart from any physical relationship with Joseph. While it is clear that she was “highly favored” of God, Scripture gives no indication that she was immaculately conceived. This refers to the Catholic belief that God removed Mary’s sin nature when she was born. Catholics view Mary very highly for this reason, and that is why they honor her by venerating statues of her.While Mary was a special individual, she was not immaculately conceived. In her own words, Mary spoke about her need for God as a Savior and admitted her “lowly state” before him (Luke 1:47-48). If she was born without sin, what need would she have of salvation from God? Mary was born a sinner like anyone else, but God used her to give birth to Jesus.It is not wrong to recognize Mary as an important Bible personality, but Christians should not venerate her by making statues of her, nor should they pray to her as an intercessor between Jesus and believers. The only intercessor that Christians need to interact with God in prayer is Jesus Christ; Mary has nothing to do with prayer (1 Tim. 2:5).
What do you believe about the Mass?
What Catholics call the Mass, Baptists refer to as the Lord’s Supper, the Lord’s Table, or Communion (1 Cor. 10:16; 11:20). Baptists believe that when Jesus invited the disciples at the Last Supper to “eat” his body and “drink” his blood, he was speaking figuratively. It is clear from the gospel accounts that Jesus intended for this ordinance to be observed by his disciples “in remembrance” of his sacrifice for sins on the cross (Matt. 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20). Paul repeats this idea of remembrance when he instructs the Corinthians how to observe the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-26).Jesus used a metaphor to help his disciples remember what he was about to accomplish for them on the cross. The use of metaphor is common in Scripture. Unless we have good reason from the text to think otherwise, we should assume that Jesus is speaking of his body and blood metaphorically. Another good reason to conclude that Jesus is speaking figuratively is that he refers to the juice as “the fruit of the vine” (Matt. 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18). If the juice is simply juice, then we can assume the same about the bread. The elements do not transform into the literal body and blood of Christ, as the Catholic Church teaches. They are powerful pictures that should remind every believer of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice for sins.Many Catholics point to Jesus’ teaching in John 6 to support the view that the bread and juice become his literal body and blood (John 6:53-56). This is not a feasible interpretation on several accounts. First, Jesus is not talking at all about the Lord’s Supper in this passage. The bread he would break with his disciples at the Last Supper is not even in view. Moreover, Catholics assume that Jesus is talking about the juice when he refers to drinking his blood, but juice is not mentioned at all in this chapter. Second, the gospel of John does not even record Jesus talking about the bread and the juice at the Last Supper. John makes no connection between Jesus’ teaching in John 6 and the commissioning of the Lord’s Table ordinance.Finally, as in the gospel accounts of the Last Supper, it is clear in John 6 that Jesus is speaking figuratively to the crowd about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Jesus’ statements must be understood in context. He refers to himself as the Bread of Life in this passage, meaning that those who believe on him will experience fulfillment and never lack for their spiritual needs (John 6:35). So, when Jesus refers to eating and drinking in this passage, he is speaking about believing on him for salvation. The Lord’s Table is not part of the discussion.One of the more troubling Catholic beliefs is that the Lord’s Table repeats the sacrifice of Christ every time it is held. Catholics believe in the “real presence” of Christ in the Mass. They believe Christ is actually present in the Mass because the bread and wine transform into his body and blood. This means that every time Mass is offered, Jesus offers himself again as a sacrifice. This belief is contradictory to what the Bible teaches, that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was a one-time event that never needs to be repeated (Heb. 9:28; 10:10, 12, 14). Baptists do not accept the Catholic understanding of the Lord’s Table because it contradicts the biblical teaching that Jesus only needed to die once, and no church practices should seek to repeat this event.
What do you believe about purgatory?
Baptists and Catholics differ on this important point about the afterlife. Purgatory, according to Catholic doctrine, is an intermediary place that believers must enter before they go to heaven. In purgatory, believers suffer for any sins they committed on earth that were never confessed. Baptists do not believe purgatory is a biblical concept. They believe the only two eternal destinies possible for people are heaven and hell.Many Catholics see purgatory in passages that refer to heaven and the trying of our works by fire (1 Cor. 3:13, 15; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 21:27). Once again, Baptists would interpret these passages differently. 1 Corinthians 3 explains what will happen to the works that believers do for Christ here on earth. Those works will be tested by fire, and the works that do not withstand the test are burned up. This is not referring to an intermediary place in which believers must reside before entering heaven.It is true that nothing unclean can enter heaven. But we must remember the Bible’s view of every believer: he experiences full forgiveness and justification when he places his dependence on Christ for salvation (Rom. 5:1, 9-10; 8:1; 1 Cor. 6:11). The believer no longer has to worry about being acceptable to God in order to enter heaven. By trusting in Jesus alone, he has received full cleansing from sin so that he is fit to enter the Lord’s presence.Purgatory also calls into question the sufficiency of Christ’s death for sins on the cross. Forgiveness of sin only comes through the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:22; 1 John 1:7). The Bible is clear that his sacrifice was a sufficient payment for the sins of the whole world (Rom. 5:18; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 1 John 1:7; 2:2). Since his payment was sufficient, no believer will need to endure any kind of suffering for his sins after death. In other words, Christ’s work on the cross makes purgatory unnecessary, because a believer has already been fully cleansed from all sin.
Do you baptize infants in your church? Why or why not?
In the NT, Jesus commissioned his disciples to spread the gospel to all people, including baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Baptists and Catholics agree that baptism is a church practice, but we differ on who can be baptized and what it accomplishes.First, the NT teaches that baptism is an ordinance for people who have trusted in Jesus alone for salvation (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 35-38; 10:47-48; 16:30-34). People can make this decision at any stage of life. An infant, however, is unable to do so. Furthermore, no verses in the NT indicate that a baby can or should be baptized. That is why Baptists do not baptize babies. They are not capable of trusting Jesus until they understand the gospel story and can make the choice to believe it. This does not exclude young children from being baptized, but in a Baptist church, they must believe on Jesus before they can be baptized.Second, it is important to understand what baptism accomplishes. The Roman Catholic Church, along with many churches, believes that baptism washes away sin. But this is not taught in the Bible. People who received baptism in the NT were already saved; they had made a choice to trust in Jesus alone to forgive all of their sin. This tells us that salvation precedes baptism. The ordinance of baptism is a public demonstration of one’s faith in Christ. It pictures how a believer, upon salvation, is dead, buried, and raised into new life through Christ. Forgiveness of sin is not accomplished through baptism.
Can you know for sure that you are saved?
The Bible’s answer to this question is a resounding “yes.” God wants us to know for sure that our sins are forgiven, and we have eternal life (1 John 5:13). Many religions cloud the answer to this vital question. But God provides a simple solution. Catholics believe that a Christian can know he has eternal life, but only if he is obedient to God’s commands, including the decrees of the Roman Catholic Church.The question here is obvious: how does anyone know if they are good enough? Even the best of Catholics do not always follow the commands of the Bible, so they can never really be sure whether heaven awaits them after death. If we base the assurance of our salvation on our performance, we are on shaky ground, and we will never have confidence about the afterlife.The NT is clear that no good works, in any measure, can earn an individual a right standing with God (Rom. 3:20; 4:5; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9). Jesus’ work on the cross completely paid the penalty for sin; people have nothing left to pay since Jesus paid it all (Rom. 6:23; John 19:30). He offers his salvation as a gift to those who will completely depend on him to save them. None of our good works – church attendance, baptism, prayer, confession, etc. – can earn God’s favor. Only when we call out to Jesus to save us from our sin can we be assured that we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life (John 3:16; 5:24; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:13).
Assignment
- Memorize Romans 4:5
- Short Answer Question: Suppose you have a Catholic coworker you are trying to witness to. You have shared your faith, including your belief in the Bible and the death and resurrection of Christ. Your coworker then asks you: “Since we both believe the Bible and what it says about Jesus, what’s the difference between what you believe and what I believe?” For the quiz, be prepared to write a brief paragraph (3-5 sentences) explaining how you would answer this question from your coworker.
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