"Roman Catholicism"

•In Gal. 4:9 and Col. 2:20, Paul calls works-based religious thinking “the elementary principles of the world,” i.e., that good works merit favor from God.

•RCC basically maintains a degree of orthodoxy in items like theology proper and Christology.

•The major errors of RCC concern soteriology—how one gets saved.

Major Theological Errors of RCC

Claim of apostolic succession

The Bible - Apostleship was a foundational gift that ceased in the first century (Eph. 2:20; cf. Acts 1:21; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7-8).

•Claim that pope (Papacy) has authority over all church/mankind

The Bible - Christ never passed any special authority to Peter, but He did give a gospel message that has absolute authority (Matt. 16:15-20).

Office of elder is identical to bishop, & is not a higher authority outside the local church (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 5:1-2).

The “chief shepherd” is Jesus (1 Pet. 5:3-4).

Claim that infant bap. removes sin

The Bible - The only thing that removes sin is personal trust in Jesus (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:35, 47; 7:38; 8:12; 10:7, 14; 11:25-26; 14:6; 15:1-3; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:13; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:4-7; 1 Pet. 2:24-25; 3:18ff.; ).

Claim that Mass is a literal sacrifice of Christ for sins

Claim that priest can absolve

Claim that sinners can pay for their own sin by personal penance or Purgatory

Claim that one who believes the Bible (grace alone, faith alone, etc.) is damned

Claim that Mass is a literal sacrifice of Christ for sins, that a priest can absolve sins, that sinners can pay for their own sin by personal penance or Purgatory, and that one who believes the Bible (grace alone, faith alone, etc.) is damned.

Trent: "The whole Christ is contained under each form" (sess. 13, canon 3: whoever participates in the Mass actually eats the flesh of Jesus Christ).

Corollary teaching at heart of Mass: Christ must perpetually suffer for sins ("A true and real sacrifice is offered to God in the Mass and Christ is given to us to eat," sess. 22, canon 1).

Trent is official church doctrine that has never been altered.

The Bible -

Jesus gave a single, perfect sacrifice that takes away all sin for all time for those who believe (Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 26, 28; 10:10, 12, 14; 1 Pet. 3:18).

The Bible -

Jesus gave a single, perfect sacrifice that takes away all sin for all time for those who believe (Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 26, 28; 10:10, 12, 14; 1 Pet. 3:18).