working4christ2

**Church Militant** · #2 Today, 1:41 pm

Okay, the article that John is talking about is found at The Gospel for Roman Catholics | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry and I'll begin to post the article and we'll look at each part as needed.

Please feel free to offer any insights you might have. I have emailed John with a link to this thread so that he can use whatever he finds of value and perhaps help us along as well.

Quote:

The Gospel for Roman Catholics

by Matt Slick
This paper is written in two parts. The first explains and documents the Roman Catholic Church's position on justification. The second part presents the true gospel in contrast to the Catholic Church's position. If you want to go straight to the gospel presentation for Catholics, simply scroll down the page.

Because of the great emphasis on Sacred Tradition within the Catholic Church and because so many Roman Catholics appeal to the authority of the Roman Catholic Church, the Word of God is often placed after the Catholic Church itself in relation to authority. Because of this, many Catholics appeal to their works, in combination with the sacrifice of Christ as a means of being justified before God. The Council of Trent expresses this plainly:

"If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema." (Canon 14).

Placed after Matt? Not so. The fact is that authentic and authoritative Catholic documents place them on equal footing because without Sacred Tradition the Word of God is easily misinterpreted. History also shows us that the New Testament was oral and written Sacred Tradition until it was canonized by the early church in the 4th century. Therefore it is obvious to any objective observer that it was the authority of those same 4th century Catholics that we have a canon of scripture today. Since teh Bible as we have it was canonized by the early Catholic Church it makes it plain that it needed an authority outside of the Bible alone to do so, since the Bible nowhere tells us what writings belong within it.

Faith alone (or Sola Fide) is a new wind of doctrines of modern men that has only existed for about 500 years. It is not found in the Word of God or in the historically verifiable writings of the early church. The epistle of James, as well Our Blessed Lord Jesus' own words in Matthew 25:31-46 fly right the face of such doctrine.

**Church Militant** · #3 Today, 2:14 pm

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Justification is the legal declaration by God upon the sinner where God declares the sinner righteous in His sight. This justification is based completely and solely on the work of Christ on the cross. We cannot earn justification or merit justification in any way. If we could, then Christ died needlessly. "I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly," (Gal. 2:21). Because righteousness cannot come through the Law (through our efforts of merit), the Bible declares that we are justified before God by faith:

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law," (Rom. 3:28).
"For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness," (Rom. 4:3).
"But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness," (Rom. 4:5).
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," (Rom. 5:1).
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God," (Eph. 2:8).

However, in Roman Catholicism, justification by faith is denied.

"If any one shall say that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy pardoning sins for Christ's sake, or that it is that confidence alone by which we are justified ... let him be accursed," (Canon 12, Council of Trent).

Which are we to believe? The Roman Catholic Church or God's word?

How about both! Yes, we have nothing to offer that will save us, and that is the teaching of both the New Testament and Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of it this way.

Quote:

* Faith
1814 Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself. By faith "man freely commits his entire self to God."78 For this reason the believer seeks to know and do God's will. "The righteous shall live by faith." Living faith "work[s] through charity."79

1815 The gift of faith remains in one who has not sinned against it.80 But "faith apart from works is dead":81 when it is deprived of hope and love, faith does not fully unite the believer to Christ and does not make him a living member of his Body.

1816 The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it: "All however must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross, amidst the persecutions which the Church never lacks."82 Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation: "So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."83

Relevant footnotes:
78 DV 5.
79 Rom 1:17; Gal 5:6.
80 Cf. Council of Trent (1547): DS 1545.
81 Jas 2:26.
82 LG 42; cf. DH 14.
83 Mt 10:32-33.

Quote:

Furthermore, the RCC states that justification is received not by faith, but by baptism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says in paragraph, 1992, that "...justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith." This means that faith is not the instrument of obtaining justification; instead, it is an ordinance performed by a priest in the Roman Catholic Church.

Here we see a fairly typical cherry picking of the Catechism to mislead individuals as to what the Catholic Church actually teaches. The entire section is worthy of careful study and can be easily located at paragraph 1987 and following, but I'll post some highlights in my next post to demonstrate the level of misinformation that Slick has here offered.

**Church Militant** · #4 Today, 2:18 pm

1987 The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ" and through Baptism:34

But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves as dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.35

1988 Through the power of the Holy Spirit we take part in Christ's Passion by dying to sin, and in his Resurrection by being born to a new life; we are members of his Body which is the Church, branches grafted onto the vine which is himself:36

[God] gave himself to us through his Spirit. By the participation of the Spirit, we become communicants in the divine nature. . . . For this reason, those in whom the Spirit dwells are divinized.37

1989 The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."38 Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. "Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.39

1990 Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God's merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals.

1991 Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or "justice") here means the rectitude of divine love. With justification, faith, hope, and charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us.

1992 Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men. Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy. Its purpose is the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life:40

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.41

1993 Justification establishes cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom. On man's part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent:

When God touches man's heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God's grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God's sight.42

1994 Justification is the most excellent work of God's love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit. It is the opinion of St. Augustine that "the justification of the wicked is a greater work than the creation of heaven and earth," because "heaven and earth will pass away but the salvation and justification of the elect . . . will not pass away."43 He holds also that the justification of sinners surpasses the creation of the angels in justice, in that it bears witness to a greater mercy.

34 Rom 3:22; cf. 6:3-4.
35 Rom 6:8-11.
36 Cf. 1 Cor 12; Jn 15:1-4.
37 St. Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1,24:PG 26,585 and 588.
38 Mt 4:17.
39 Council of Trent (1547): DS 1528.
40 Cf. Council of Trent (1547): DS 1529.
41 Rom 3:21-26.
42 Council of Trent (1547): DS 1525.
43 St. Augustine, In Jo. ev. 72,3:PL 35,1823.

**Church Militant** · #5 Today, 2:24 pm

Does that support Slick's assertions? No...it does not, and it is sad to see this level of misinformation from someone who says he opposes what the Catholic Church teaches. as Bishop Fulton Sheen said...

“There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church.

There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church—which is, of course, quite a different thing.

As a matter of fact, if we Catholics believed all of the untruths and lies which were said against the Church, we probably would hate the Church a thousand times more than they do."

**Church Militant** · #6 Today, 2:35 pm

Quote:

Furthermore, baptism is only the initial grace along the road of justification. The Roman Catholic is to then maintain his position before God by his efforts.

"No one can MERIT the initial grace which is at the origin of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can MERIT for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary temporal goods," (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), par. 2027).

The problem here is that the RCC is teaching us to "merit for ourselves and for others all the graces need to attain eternal life." You cannot merit grace. Grace is unmerited favor. Merit is, according to the CCC, par. 2006, "...the recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members, experienced either as beneficial or harmful, deserving reward or punishment..." CCC 2006. This means that merit is something owed. By contrast, grace is something not owed. Therefore, the RCC is teaching contrary to God's word regarding grace and justification.

Again we need to look at the section of the Catechism which deals with merit and which Slick cherry picks to oppose.

Quote:

III. MERIT

You are glorified in the assembly of your Holy Ones, for in crowning their merits you are crowning your own gifts.59 2006 The term "merit" refers in general to the recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members, experienced either as beneficial or harmful, deserving reward or punishment. Merit is relative to the virtue of justice, in conformity with the principle of equality which governs it.

2007 With regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on the part of man. Between God and us there is an immeasurable inequality, for we have received everything from him, our Creator.

2008 The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. The fatherly action of God is first on his own initiative, and then follows man's free acting through his collaboration, so that the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of God, then to the faithful. Man's merit, moreover, itself is due to God, for his good actions proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit.

2009 Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God's gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us "co-heirs" with Christ and worthy of obtaining "the promised inheritance of eternal life."60 The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness.61 "Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due. . . . Our merits are God's gifts."62

2010 Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God's wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

2011 The charity of Christ is the source in us of all our merits before God. Grace, by uniting us to Christ in active love, ensures the supernatural quality of our acts and consequently their merit before God and before men. The saints have always had a lively awareness that their merits were pure grace.

After earth's exile, I hope to go and enjoy you in the fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for your love alone. . . . In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you with empty hands, for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is blemished in your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in your own justice and to receive from your love the eternal possession of yourself.63

Notice how I have highlighted paragraph 2007 in red. Again, does what we actually believe align with what Matt Slick alleges? Not at all.

Bonnie · #7 Today, 3:23 pm

Quote:

So, I took it upon myself to respond to his email as follows:
"Oh, goodness me! Of course it does...what was I thinking?! I meant to announce the conference I'm having with speaker Matt Slick:
Topic 1: The Gospel According to Matt Slick
Topic 2: Matt Slick Traces His Line of Authority Back to the Apostles
Topic 3: The Infallibility of Matt Slick
Topic 4: We're still working on topic #4, but I know it's going to be a good one...
Can I put you down for one reservation?
God bless!
John"

Topic #3 (with the appropiate name subbed for Matt's) is one we keep trying to explain to our Protestant friends - some are starting to get it. Just the other day one Protestant told my husband that Protestants have to stop starting up new churches every time they disagree with the old one.

**Church Militant** · #8 Today, 3:35 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonnie

Topic #3 (with the appropiate name subbed for Matt's) is one we keep trying to explain to our Protestant friends - some are starting to get it. Just the other day one Protestant told my husband that Protestants have to stop starting up new churches every time they disagree with the old one.

A real good point.

**Church Militant** · #9 Today, 3:46 pm

Quote:

The sad result is that in Roman Catholicism, justification before God is a process that is maintained by the effort and works of the Roman Catholic. This is a very unfortunate teaching since it puts the unbearable burden of works righteousness upon the shoulders of the sinner. By contrast, the Bible teaches that justification/salvation is by faith.

"But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness," (Rom. 4:5).
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," (Rom. 5:1).
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God," (Eph. 2:8).

But is this actually consistent with what we are taught by the Church? Naturally every faithful Catholic will say amen and alleluia to those verses because we agree 100% with what those verses say. We do not agree with Slick's personal interpretation of them though.

Bonnie · #10 Today, 4:00 pm

Quote:

By contrast, the Bible teaches that justification/salvation is by faith.

Does Mr. Slick ever make it to James 2:14-26? I have to admit that I have a hard time reading his stuff. I'm glad that people like you and John Martignoni do that hard work for people like me.

**Church Militant**

Okay...here's where we really see what John Martignoni calls ..
The Gospel According to Matt Slick

Quote:

The Gospel for Roman Catholics

The Gospel for Roman Catholics is the same as for anyone else and it is obtained by grace through faith in believing and trusting in Jesus alone, who is God in flesh, for the forgiveness of sins. Salvation is not found in a true church. Salvation is not found in being good. Salvation is not found in good works. Salvation is not found in a sincere heart. Salvation is not found in making up for past sins by efforts of restoration, or penance, or indulgences. You can never do enough to please God.

"Salvation is not found in a true church" ? Really? So then truth doesn't really matter and if there is a church that Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ actually founded and that has maintained both the Word of God and the authentic teachings of the apostles, we need not seek to join ourselves to that Church? that would mean then that the church that Christ founded is what? A mere suggestion? Yeah, right...

Quote:

Salvation is not found in being good.

As if that is something that is an authentic teaching of the Catholic Church.

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Salvation is not found in good works.

Is that what we believe? Nope.

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Salvation is not found in a sincere heart.

Which would more apply to your own salvation more than ours, since you are the one who basis it on your own sincere beliefs rather than the Word of God and the authentic teachings of the Christian church over the last 2,000 years.

Quote:

Salvation is not found in making up for past sins by efforts of restoration, or penance, or indulgences. You can never do enough to please God.

Again, Slick misrepresents what the Catholic Church authentically teaches since none of that is what we believe saves us.

working4christ2

Friday, May 10, 2013

Televangelist Peter Popoff Investigation--The Gospel According to Matt Slick

Televangelist Peter Popoff Investigation

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