Ron Rhodes - Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

Eugene, Oregon 97402

Unless otherwise indicated Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Verses marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society.

Verses from the Apocrypha are taken from the New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

By Ron Rhodes

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Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics

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Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics

Copyright 2000 by Ron Rhodes

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

Rhodes, Ron.

Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics / Ron Rhodes.

p.cm.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN 978-0-7369-0208-2 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-3222-6 (eBook)

1. Catholic Church Controversial literature. 2. Evangelistic work. I. Title.

BX1765.2.R52 2000

282dc21

99-43335

CIP

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To the friends and supporters of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries

I am indebted to a number of individuals whose books and articles have been of great benefit in the researching and writing of this book: Norman Geisler, Ralph MacKenzie, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, James White, James McCarthy, and Ken Samples. I am very appreciative of the work these individuals have done in this fieldand I highly recommend their books (see the Bibliography).

Thanks also to Tom Ulrich, a former Catholic, who went through part of the manuscript prior to publication. I appreciate his suggestions.

My wife, Kerri, and two children, David and Kylie, deserve special mention. Thank you for your support and encouragement. As has always been true, my work of ministry would be impossible without you.

If you run into witnessing trouble, feel free to contact

Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries.

We will help you if we can.

Ron Rhodes

Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries

P.O. Box 80087

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

www.ronrhodes.org

Free newsletter available upon request.

Contents

The subject of witnessing to Catholics is one that is close to my own heart since I have friends and family who are members of the Roman Catholic Church. In view of that, I want to say right up front that I dont attack Roman Catholics in this book. Rather, it is my compassionate and heartfelt desire to help Catholics truly understand the wonderful gospel of Gods grace.

To be sure, this book contains strong biblical arguments against a variety of Roman Catholic doctrines. But the motivation behind these arguments is one of love. Like you, I want to see my Roman Catholic friends and family members in heaven.

Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics was written to provide helpful information that will enable you to witness effectively to Roman Catholics. My prayer is that God would use this book for His glory and for the extension of His kingdom.

Abounding grace is the hope of mankind.

A. W. Tozer (18971963)

V atican City is an ecclesiastical state. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. Within the walls of this city in Italy is a miniature nation that was built during the fourth century and rebuilt during the sixteenth century.

The city has its own banking system and coinage, its own stores, pharmacy, telephone system, radio station, and post office, as well as an army of over 100 Swiss Guards. The most imposing building within the walls of the city is St. Peters Basilica, which is said to cover the shrine of St. Peter the apostle. The city also includes the Sistine Chapel, the Pauline Chapel, the popes palace, five museums of antiquities, libraries, the archives of the Roman Catholic Church, and two art galleries. The city publishes its own newspaper, LOsservatore Romano . Various utilities and supplieswater, food, gas, electricity, and the likeare imported from outside the city.

The governance of the church is said to continue generation after generation via Peters successors, the popes.

Throughout history, under the leadership of various popes, many of the distinctive Roman Catholic doctrines emerged far after the first century. Here are a few notable dates:

A.D . 593belief in purgatory

A.D . 600prayer to Mary and the saints

A.D . 709the practice of kissing the popes foot

A.D . 995the canonization of dead saints

A.D . 1079celibacy of the priesthood

A.D . 1090praying the rosary

A.D . 1215transubstantiation and confessing sins to a priest

A.D . 1439belief in the seven sacraments.

Protestants, who believe the Bible alone is the final authority and source of divine revelation ( not tradition, and not the ex cathedra pronouncements of the popes), hold that such doctrines are human inventions and go against the teachings of Scripture. This will be demonstrated throughout the rest of the book.

Salvation and the Roman Catholic Church

Previous to Vatican Council II

This one true church is said to be the dispenser of the seven sacraments, which are necessary for salvation. We can immediately understand, then, why many Roman Catholics have historically said that to be faithful to God one must necessarily be faithful to Gods one true churchthe Roman Catholic Church.

Since Vatican Council II, however, all who are named Christian (including non-Catholics) are viewed as part of Gods family. Non-Catholics are now considered to be separated brethren. Vatican II concluded that the church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who

These separated brethren, however, are not in the most advantageous positionfor, as noted previously, Roman Catholicism represents the one true church on earth. After all, Romes bishops are allegedly the successors of Christs 12 apostles. And the Catholic pope has allegedly inherited the throne from Peter (see Matthew 16:18). Clearly, then, there can be no other true church than that of Rome. It is only in the Roman Catholic Church that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained.