By Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, BA, MA, DD

I. GOLDEN TEXT.

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

LESSON NOTES:

I. DOCTRINES DISAPPROVED.[1] The Bible teaches and demands doctrinal agreement and speaks of it as "The pillar and ground of truth" (1 Timothy 3:15. 4:13). In Ephesians 4, Paul stresses the unity of the Church of God and gives further emphasis in verse 15: “That we be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine." The apostle admonishes the Corinthians, that they "All speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among them" (1 Corinthians 1:10). In 1 Timothy 6:3-5, Paul gives a stern judgment. "If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmising, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness; from such withdraw thyself." Unity in doctrine then is evidently regarded as of the greatest importance to the well-being of the Church. Unity in doctrine, therefore, involves the confession of a common dogma. Dogma is defined as "Church proclamation, so far as it really agrees with the Bible as the Word of God." Therefore, anyone who teaches doctrine contrary to the dogma of the Church should be dealt with according to Titus 3:10.

Titus 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

II. IT HAS BEEN ALLEGED THAT THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHES THE FOLLOWING:[2] My responses are in red.

1. Peter was the first pope, therefore, apostolic succession. This is contrary to the Bible or history for there is no record of Peter ever being in Rome According to Gal. 2:7-8 and Acts 23:1. Peter was the Apostle of the circumcision and worked among the Jews while Paul, not Peter, went to Rome. However this is not a salvation issue.

2. Peter was a married man (Mark 1:29-31, yet they forbid their priests to marry. (Lev. 1:5, 13; I Tim 4:1- 4; II Tim. 4:1-3). This also is not a salvation issue.

3. Worship of image or relics. This is contrary to Exodus 20:3-5. Catholics actually do not worship images or relics. These are merely items to set the atmosphere or a point of contact (much as we use dim lights, anointing oil, graphics on big screens, etc).

4. Purgatory and prayers for the dead. This is contrary to Hebrews 9:27. Concerning prayers, read St. Luke 16:19-31. Abraham could not help the dead; David knew it was no use praying for the dead (II Samuel 12:16. 19, 22-23). This is not Scriptural; but it also not a Heaven or Hell issue.

5. Proper name or title for priest is "Father." This is contrary to St Matthew 23:9. This is not a salvation issue. We have used similar titles, like, “Dad Mason,” “Dad Bostick,” etc.

6. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is used as a Mediator between God and man. This is contrary to 1 Timothy 2:5-6; I John 2:1-3; Acts 4:10, 12; John 14:6; 2 Cor. 5:21.

III. WHAT ARE HEAVEN AND HELL ISSUES IS JESUS AND SALVATION. Closely related is the belief regarding God and the Bible. But, it is the belief regarding Jesus and Salvation that many movements began to err.

1 Peter 2:7-8 ⁷Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, ⁸And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

IV. WHAT IS A CREED?[3] It is a, “A formal statement of Christian beliefs.” There is nothing wrong with a creed to summarize your beliefs; as long as it is in harmony with the Bible. The ancient church had creeds and also songs that emphasized their beliefs. Once such ancient creed is found in …

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

V. ROMAN CATHOLICS ACCEPT TWO ANCIENT CREEDS WHICH ARE BOTH ORTHODOX AND SCRIPTURAL. My comments are in red.

A. THE APOSTLES' CREED. The first versions of it appeared around 1,600 years ago.

I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church, catholic here means “universal”
the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

B. THE NICENE CREED.[4] This is also over 1,600 years old.

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

and of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation,

he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered, died, and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in fulfillment of the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge

the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he

is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic

and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism

for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come.

VI. REPUTED CONTROVERSIAL BELIEFS.

A. INFALLIBILITY AND THE POPE.

1. The Magisterium or Teaching Authority of the Church. Questionable beliefs are in red.

By the Magisterium we mean the teaching office of the Church. It consists of the Pope and Bishops. Christ promised to protect the teaching of the Church : "He who hears you, hears me; he who rejects you rejects me, he who rejects me, rejects Him who sent me" (Luke 10. 16). Now of course the promise of Christ cannot fail: hence when the Church presents some doctrine as definitive or final, it comes under this protection, it cannot be in error; in other words, it is infallible. This is true even if the Church does not use the solemn ceremony of definition. The day to day teaching of the Church throughout the world, when the Bishops are in union with each other and with the Pope, and present something as definitive, this is infallible. (Vatican II, Lumen gentium # 25). It was precisely by the use of that authority that Vatican I was able to define that the Pope alone, when speaking as such and making things definitive, is also infallible. Of course this infallibility covers also teaching on what morality requires, for that is needed for salvation.

2. THIS IS CONTRARY TO WHAT PAUL TAUGHT.

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

3. IT IS ALSO CONTRARY TO WHAT JAMES TAUGHT.

James 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

4. AND IT IS CONTRARY TO WHAT JOHN TAUGHT.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

5. THE WORD IS PERFECT; WE ARE NOT.

Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

2 Corinthians 4:7 New Living Translation.[5] We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

B. VENERATION OF MARY.[6] [7] [8]Catholics do not pray to the saints. But, they ask the departed saints to pray for them; much as we ask prayer partners to pray for us. They feel that Mary is the closest to God; so they constantly ask her to send their requests to Jesus and He to the Father. This is really all unscriptural. Consider the following beliefs. The red shows the part that is not Scriptural.

1. SUMMARY OF MARIAN DOCTRINE. Good points are underlined. False teaching is in red.

The Catholic Church teaches that by a free decision of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary was elevated to become the Mother of His Son Jesus Christ and Jesus' worthy associate in redeeming mankind. She was prepared for this role by being preserved by God's grace from all sin, original and personal, throughout her entire life, and was rewarded at the end of her life for her cooperation with God's plan by being taken up, body and soul, into Heaven, where she reigns with her Son as Queen of the Universe, and whence she distributes to men all the graces which, with, through and under her Son, she helped to merit on Calvary.

2. MARY AND HER SON. Scriptural parts are underlined.

However, Catholics do not at all make Mary equal to her Son, for He is true God, and she, though the most exalted of all creatures, is still only that-a creature. Only Jesus Christ, because he is both God and man, can be the perfect Mediator between God and men, and could offer to the Father a sacrifice of infinite value on behalf of the human race of which he was fully a member. The sacrifice which He offered was completely sufficient to redeem mankind; Mary's cooperation was added not out of any necessity, but completely out of the marvelous generosity of our heavenly Father, His great love for us and for her. Finally, only Jesus Christ is Redeemer and Mediator by his own power. In all things, Mary works with, through, and under to her Son, completely dependent on Him.

3. EVER VIRGIN.

So this was a virginal conception, that is, without the intervention of a man. Both Matthew and Luke make this clear. If we believe the Gospels, we will understand that readily. The teaching of the Church, already in the oldest creeds, which call her "ever-virgin," tells us she remained a virgin during and after His birth. Some have tried to say the teaching on her virginity was not physical, but just a way of expressing her holiness. But it is more than that: Vatican II (Lumen Gentium # 57) wrote that His birth "did not diminish, but consecrated her virginal integrity." That word "integrity" refers to physical condition. Therefore when the Gospels speak of the "brothers and sisters" of Jesus, they do not mean other children of Mary. The Hebrew words were very broad, could cover any sort of relationship. For that matter, modern English uses these words even more broadly for members of fraternities and sororities.

4. ASSUMPTION AND QUEENSHIP.

At the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken up (assumed) into heaven, body and soul. Pius XII, in defining the Assumption, explained that "Just as the glorious resurrection of Christ was an essential part and final sign of this victory [over sin and death by Calvary] so that struggle [Calvary] which was common to the Blessed Virgin and her Son, had to be closed by the glorification of her virginal body". That is, the struggle, a work common to the two was a common cause. It brought Him glorification; it had to bring the same to her. (In all this it is understood she is subordinate to Him, and really depends on Him for all her ability to do anything at all). As a result, just as He is now King of the Universe, she is Queen of the Universe. "And her kingdom is as vast as that of her Son and God, since nothing is excluded from her dominion" (Pius XII, Bendito seia, May 13, 1946).

5. SPIRITUAL MOTHERHOOD.

On the floor of the Council, Pope Paul VI declared Mary Mother of the Church. This was not entirely new. Pius XII, in a message to the Marian Congress of Ottawa, Canada, on July 19, 1947 said: "When the little maid of Nazareth uttered her fiat to the message of the angel... she became not only the Mother of God in the physical order of nature, but also in the supernatural order of grace, she became the Mother of all, who... would be made one under the Headship of her Son. The Mother of the Head would be the Mother of the members."

6. THE CORONATION OF MARY IN HEAVEN

What is the purpose of all the mysteries of Christ? To be the pattern of our supernatural life, the means of our sanctification, the source of all our holiness. To create an eternal and glorious society of brethren who will be like unto Him. For this reason Christ, the new Adam, has associated with Himself Mary, as the new Eve. But she is, much more than Eve, "the Mother of all the living," the Mother of those who live in the grace of her Son. And since here below Mary was associated so intimately with all the mysteries of our salvation, at her Assumption into heaven Jesus crowned her not only with glory but also with power; He has placed His Mother on His right hand and has given her the power, in virtue of her unique title of Mother of God, to distribute the treasures of eternal life. Let us then, full of confidence, pray with the Church: "Show yourself a Mother: Mother of Jesus, by your complete faith in Him, our Mother, by your mercy towards us; ask Christ, Who was born of you, to give us life; and Who willed to be your Son, to receive our prayers through you."

C. PURGATORY. This is found in a book that the Roman Catholic Church accepts as Scripture. However, Holiness-Pentecostal churches do not accept this book nor the doctrine as Scripture.

2 Maccabees 12:38-45 Good News Translation (GNT)[9]

38 After the battle Judas led his men to the town of Adullam. It was the day before the Sabbath, so they purified themselves according to Jewish custom and then observed the holy day. 39 By the following day it was urgent that they gather up the bodies of the men who had been killed in battle and bury them in their family tombs. 40 But on each of the dead, hidden under their clothes, they found small images of the gods worshiped in Jamnia, which the Law forbids Jews to wear. Everyone then knew why these men had been killed. 41 So they praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge, who reveals what is hidden, 42 and they begged him that this sin might be completely blotted out. Then, Judas, that great man, urged the people to keep away from sin, because they had seen for themselves what had happened to those men who had sinned. 43 He also took up a collection from all his men, totaling about four pounds of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. Judas did this noble thing because he believed in the resurrection of the dead. 44 If he had not believed that the dead would be raised, it would have been foolish and useless to pray for them. 45 In his firm and devout conviction that all of God's faithful people would receive a wonderful reward, Judas made provision for a sin offering to set free from their sin those who had died.

D. GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.[10] Surprisingly there is a belief in the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Roman Catholic Church.

In the "charismatic" category we find both the ordinary gifts--e.g, the gift to be a good parent or a good teacher--and the extraordinary gifts, those which are or seem miraculous, such as the gifts of healing, tongues, or miracles.

VII. WHAT DO CATHOLICS BELIEVE ABOUT THE BIBLE, GOD, JESUS AND SALVATION? Error is marked in red.

A. HOW CATHOLICS VIEW THE BIBLE AND SOME QUESTIONABLE BELIEFS.[11] Questionable statements and erroneous doctrine is in red.

1. WHO STARTED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?

We are the original Christian Church, which began when Jesus himself when he said to the Apostle Peter, “You are the rock on which I will build my church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Every pope since then has been part of an unbroken line of succession since Peter, the first pope.

2. WHAT DO CATHOLICS BELIEVE ABOUT THE BIBLE?

Catholics believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. From the beginning of Christianity, the Catholic Church defined the canon of Scripture – the books you find in every Christian Bible – and defined what it meant to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Through the centuries, it’s the Catholic Church that preserved the Bible, as well as many other written works, through its monasteries and libraries.

3. WHAT DOES THE CHURCH MEAN BY “SACRED TRADITION”?

In the early Church, the Gospel was preached by those who had known Christ, or who had known his Apostles. The Apostles handed on their preaching and writing to all generations through bishops, who continue to preach the truth revealed in the Gospel. This living transmission of the Word of God is called tradition, which is distinct from Scripture, but closely tied to it. Tradition infuses the entire life of the Church, and along with Scripture, comprises the deposit of the Word of God.

4. WHAT HAPPENS AT A CATHOLIC MASS?

Early in the history of the Church, there was the belief that when Jesus said at the Last Supper, “Take this and eat – this is my body; take this and drink – this is my blood,” he was giving us the gift of his real presence in the form of bread and wine. We call this the Eucharist – a name that comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving. The Catholic Mass is a Eucharistic celebration and a celebration of God’s word in Scriptures.

5. WHY DO CATHOLICS TELL THEIR SINS TO A PRIEST?

The sacrament of reconciliation (also called penance or confession) was created by Jesus himself when he said, "‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:21–23). The idea of confessing our sins to another person is also in the Bible. In James 5:18, the Apostle tells us, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” The sacrament of reconciliation is known in the Church as a sacrament of healing.

6. WHY DO CATHOLICS PRAY TO SAINTS?

We believe that holy men and women who have come before us still pray for us and aid us. We call them saints, and many of our churches are named for them. When we pray to saints, we ask for their intercession (the same way you’d ask your family or friends to pray for you), so that God hears not only our prayers, but also the saints’ prayers on our behalf.

B. GOD.[12]

We firmly believe and unreservedly confess that there is only one true God, eternal and immeasurable, almighty, unchangeable, incomprehensible and ineffable, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons but one absolutely simple essence, substance or nature. The Father is from none, the Son from the Father alone, and the Holy Spirit from both equally, eternally without beginning or end; the Father generating, the Son being born, and the holy Spirit proceeding; consubstantial and coequal, co-omnipotent and coeternal; one principle of all things, creator of all things invisible and visible, spiritual and material; who by his almighty power at the beginning of time created from nothing both spiritual and material creatures, that is to say angelic and earthly, and then created human beings composed as it were of both spirit and body in common. (Profession of Faith, Fourth Lateran Council, 1215)

C. JESUS.[13]

So, following the saintly fathers, we all with one voice teach the confession of one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: the same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man, of a rational soul and a body; consubstantial with the Father as regards his divinity, and the same consubstantial with us as regards his humanity; like us in all respects except for sin; begotten before the ages from the Father as regards his divinity, and in the last days begotten for us and for our salvation from Mary, the virgin God-bearer as regards his humanity; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten, acknowledged in two natures which undergo no confusion, no change, no division, no separation; at no point was the difference between the natures taken away through the union, but rather the property of both natures is preserved and comes together into a single person and a single subsistent being; he is not parted or divided into two persons, but is one and the same only-begotten Son, God, Word, Lord Jesus Christ, just as the prophets taught from the beginning about him, and as the Lord Jesus Christ himself instructed us, and as the creed of the fathers handed it down to us (Council of Chalcedon, 451).

D. SALVATION.[14]

In obedience to His heavenly Father, Jesus Christ freely offered himself to the Father as a sacrifice for the redemption of all mankind. This redemption has three basic aspects. 1) Because Jesus is God, His sacrificial death on the cross (an outward sign of His perfect obedience) was an action of infinite moral value, and so was pleasing to God. Since it was an offering made in the name of the whole human race, this sacrifice restored mankind to God's friendship, which had been lost by sin. 2) As an an of perfect obedience which would not have taken place if man had not sinned, Jesus's death more than compensated for the damage done to the objective moral order by sin, which is disobedience of God's law. 3) Thus, Jesus's death on the cross formed the basis for a new covenant between God and man. Man's part of the covenant consists in the redemptive work of Christ, who acted on behalf of all men. God, in return, has promised to all men an abundance of His grace. Through this grace, if we do not refuse it by sin, we receive a share in God's own life, and so become His adopted sons and daughters, co-heirs with Christ of eternal glory in heaven.

1. BUT HERE IS WHERE THINGS GET OFF TRACK. Error is listed in red.

From the fact that the Church is God's means of giving grace, is it is clear that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church. This truth has even been defined by the Church more than once, e.g., in the Council of Florence in 1442. However we must take care to understand this teaching the way the Church understands it. We just saw that the Church claims the exclusive authority to interpret both Scripture and Tradition.

Clearly, it is this Divine Word, or the Spirit of Christ, the Divine Word, that writes the law on their hearts, i.e., makes known to them what they should do. If they follow that, although they do not know that that is what they are following, yet objectively, they do follow the Logos, the divine Word. And so St. Justin was right in calling them Christians. We can add that St. Paul in Romans 8:9 makes clear that if one has and follows the Spirit of Christ, he "belongs to Christ." But, to belong to Christ is the same as being a member of Christ, and that is the same as being a member of the Church. Not indeed by formal adherence, but yet substantially, enough to satisfy the requirement of substantial membership. Indeed, Vatican II even wrote (LG # 49): "All who belong to Christ, having His Spirit, coalesce into one Church."

So, St. Paul was right: God does take care of them; St. Justin was right too: they can be Christians without knowing it. Otherwise, God would be sending millions upon millions to hell without giving them any chance at all, if they lived far from places where the Church was known, e.g., in the western hemisphere before 1492.

That fact that salvation is possible in this way does not mean that there should be no missions or attempts to bring back the Protestants. Richer and more secure means of salvation are to be had with formal explicit adherence to the Catholic Church. Therefore we need to make every effort. In regard to Ecumenism, it is good to keep in mind a rule from Vatican II, in its Decree on Ecumenism (# 11): "It is altogether necessary that the complete doctrine be clearly presented. Nothing is so foreign to true Ecumenism as that false peace-making in which the purity of Catholic doctrine suffers loss, and its true and certain sense is obscured."

VIII. PRAYER FOR SALVATION. As we close, if you have not received this Jesus pray this simple prayer:

"Father, I know that I have sinned against You. Please forgive me. Wash me clean. I promise to trust in Jesus, Your Son. I believe that He died for me—He took my sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. I believe that He was raised from the dead. I surrender my life to Jesus today.

"Thank You, Father, for Your gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Please help me to live for you. In Jesus' name, Amen."