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3. “Catholics believe that even the Bible itself comes to us through the
Tradition of the Apostles, and that, therefore, SCRIPTURE and TRADITION
are the two sources of God's revelation to us.”3
If
a person accepts this premise, they are subject to whatever the Roman Catholic
hierarchy dispenses and are totally unable to obey this command from Almighty
God:
1 Thessalonians 5:21 But test all things;
hold fast that which is good.
They cannot possibly be like the Bereans whom God commended:
Acts 17:11 Now these were of a nobler character
than those of Thessalonica and they received the word with great eagerness,
studying the Scriptures every day, to see whether these things were so.
The
Bible quickly dispels this Roman Catholic false position:
2Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and useful for
teaching, for reproving, for correcting, for instructing in justice; That the
man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work.
The
so-called Jehovah’s Witnesses have the dictates of their hierarchy in Brooklyn,
New York. The Seventh Day Adventists have the extra-Biblical teachings of their
latter day prophetess, Ellen G. White. The Mormons have their extra-Biblical
latter day revelation via the Book of Mormon, etc. and their prophet in Salt
Lake City. The Roman Catholics have extra-Biblical Traditions and “later
documents produced by the Church councils and in papal decrees.”4
These extra-Biblical man made teachings are not equivalent to the
inspired word of God. Only by comparing these teachings with the word of God may
we determine their correctness or error.
Sometimes John 21:25 is quoted in an attempt to prove
that we need more than what is written in the scriptures.
John 21:25 There are however many other things that
Jesus did; but if every one of these should be written, not even the world
itself, I think, could hold the books that would have to be written. Amen.
The
honest reading of a few verses a little earlier in the book of John dispels this
error.
John 20:30-31 Many other signs also Jesus worked in the sight of his disciples,
which are not written in this book: But these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may
have life in his name.
The
Pharisees had a similar position as Rome on the subject of traditions. Note
Christ's rebuke to the Pharisees (and the Romanists) in the following verses.
Matthew 15:9 And in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrine the precepts of men.”
Mark 7:9 And he said to them, “Well do you nullify
the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition!
Likewise the apostle Paul warned against the traditions of men.
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one deceives you
by philosophy and vain deceit, according to human traditions, according to the
elements of the world, and not according to Christ.
When the Lord refuted Satan, He used the scriptures (Matthew 4). When the
Lord rebuked the Sadducees, he used the scriptures (Matt 22:29). When the
Lord overcame the Pharisees, He used the scriptures (Matt 22:34-36).
Likewise, when the Lord reproved some of His disciples, He referred them to
the scriptures (Luke 24:25-27).
The
Bible “closed the book” on additional revelations for the church age. It alone
is the measuring stick for all spiritual teachings.
2Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and useful for
teaching, for reproving, for correcting, for instructing in justice; That the
man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work.
Therefore the Popes' added doctrines are fallacious.
1090...Rosary
1215...Transubstantiation
1215...Auricular confession to priests
1854...Immaculate Conception
1870...”Infallibility of the Pope”
1950...Assumption of Mary
3Karl
Keating, Catholics, Fundamentalists, and the Bible, (Los Angeles,
Franciscan Communications), p.2
4Karl Keating, p.2
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