Many people that leave the Catholic Church , only think that they know the Faith but most never understood its history,and strrutural foundation, many claim they never had the Holy Bible read to them, if they would have listen they would have heard the Bible being read to them at every Mass they attended.
I was thinking about becoming a priest. Then I got saved. That is when I started studying the Bible. Most of the doctrines that I studied in the Bible contradicted what I had been taught all my life in the RCC. The biggest difference is that:
1. Salvation is by faith, whereas the RCC always and to this day teaches salvation is by works. Every religion in the world teaches salvation is by works, and every religion in the world is sending people to hell because of it. Salvation by faith, by faith in Christ alone, is the only way to salvation and the RCC rejects the basic foundational truth.
2. Salvation is personal. When I found Christ, I didn't find a religion, I found a relationship. It was
Someone that saved me, not Something (like the RCC), which the RCC claims. This is the other big mistake that the RCC makes. Without the RCC a person cannot be saved.
Now pay attention here. That is not Christianity's claim.
That is the claim of the RCC and every false cult that has existed ever since.
Read the Book of Acts , it looks exactly like the Catholic Church today considering the times back then.
Okay, let's look at the book of Acts and see how it looks:
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41)
--The word was preached (see context), the word was heard, the word was received (they were saved), and after that they were baptized.
After salvation and baptism, there was now the local church at Jerusalem. What did they do?
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)
1. Most important was doctrine. That is first. They continued steadfastly in doctrine.
2. Fellowship. They gathered together. Fellowship with other believers is important. Going back to verse 41, these people were all first saved, and then baptized (not the other way around).
3. Then they had the Lord's Table.
4. Then they prayed.
The only difference between that and a Baptist service is that we may not have the Lord's service as much as they did, especially at that time, for they were meeting every day. But then the average Catholic doesn't go to mass every day either.
Note also: This was very informal. There is absolutely no liturgy here. It is informal teaching. The bulk of it is teaching (doctrine). Then fellowship. There is no liturgy in fellowship. You get together and meet each other and try to get to know people, and know their needs. That is what fellowship is. It is impossible to have fellowship and liturgy at the same time.
There may be some "ceremony" in the Lord's Table.
And then there was a time of prayer. This too could have been very informal. Prayer is not to each other, but always to God. He alone is to be praised.
--There is no similarity between this and the RCC at all.
How about here:
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (Acts 20:7)
--That is about six hours of preaching right there. They did celebrate the Lord's Table. That, maybe would have taken half an hour, but the rest was preaching.
When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. (Acts 20:11)
--Eutychus was healed, they broke bread, ate, and again he preached for at least five more hours. Does that sound like the good old RCC Mass to you--eleven or so hours of preaching. I have never heard of the Catholics doing that. I have been in all night prayer meetings, all day preaching meetings, in some of our Baptist churches.
But the priests usually give a dainty little homily, a sermonette of sorts, and is sure not to step on anyone's feet, is always politically correct.
--No. The Mass is not like the NT service in any way, shape or form.
Scripture reveals this Church to be the one Jesus Christ built upon the rock of Saint Peter (Matt. 16:18).
That is what your literature tells you to say. But it is not true.
First, Peter (petros) means stone.
Second (petra) means massive rock. Jesus would build his church upon the Rock, the chief cornerstone, Himself. Peter would be but a pebble in that church. To be sure he would be one of the foundational stones, but the Bible itself declares Christ as the chief cornerstone, and all the apostles and prophets are equal in value in making up the rest of the foundation.
And are built upon
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Ephesians 2:20)
By giving Peter the keys of authority (Matt. 16:19), Jesus appointed Peter as the chief steward over His earthly kingdom ( Isaiah. 22:19-22).
The keys have nothing to do with Isaiah. The keys represent knowledge.
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13)
--The door to the kingdom of heaven was shut to the common man because the Pharisees, who had the key (of knowledge), the way of salvation, had not taught the people.
Look again:
Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. (Luke 11:52)
--This time it is the lawyers that he points out. They have done the same thing.
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
They will not enter into heaven; and those that were going to enter in, they hindered. Jesus cursed them ("woe unto you.")
Jesus also charged Peter to be the source of strength for the rest of the apostles (Luke 22:32)
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Luke 22:32)
Context!! Jesus was telling Peter he was going to deny him. He is giving him encouragement. He tells him that He has prayed for him that his faith will not fail him. He tells him this, at this time, to give him words of encouragement. You have it all wrong. Otherwise, Peter could have become the greatest failure ever!
and the earthly shepherd of Jesus' flock (John 21:15-17).
No, that is not what it says. "If you love me, feed my sheep." The same message is repeated three times. Don't read anything more into this than what is written. This same message is for every pastor. Every pastor is to feed his sheep. There is nothing special here. In fact Peter repeats the same truth in Acts 20 as he speaks to the Ephesian elders, telling them to feed the flock at Ephesus, and he also gives the same advice in his epistles. It was general advice to a spiritual leader, as Peter was supposed to be, but was not (at that moment) acting like one.
Jesus further gave Peter, and the apostles and elders in union with him, the power to bind and loose in heaven what they bound and loosed on earth. (Matt. 16:19; 18:18).
Do you just cut and paste from a Catholic source or do you actually read what you paste? Be truthful.
The context is local church discipline. If you had read the passages you would have seen that for yourself. It has nothing to do with Peter. Peter is not even mentioned in Matthew 18.
This teaching authority did not die with Peter and the apostles, but was transferred to future bishops through the laying on of hands (e.g., Acts 1:20; 6:6; 13:3; 8:18; 9:17; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22; 2 Tim. 1:6).
The authority was never given to the apostles. It was given to local churches as per Mat.18:17. Verse 18 does not refer to apostles. It refers to the members of the church.
And if he shall neglect to hear them,
tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to
hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. (Matthew 18:17)
--It is the local church that makes the decision, and the local church that is referred to in verse 18. You didn't even read the passage did you. It was just a lousy cut and paste job.
So is the rest of your post.