GUEST ARTICLE

Roman Catholic
and Orthodox Churches

(REFUTED WITH THE WORD OF GOD)

INTRODUCTION:
Please refer to the "bold" parts of the verses below for a better
understanding of the passages of scriptures listed.

MARY

MEN HONORED & WORSHIPPED CHRIST, NOT MARY

(Mat 2:11) And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Jesus Christ is the focus of attention in the scripture - not Mary.

MARY WAS A SINNER & NEEDED A SAVIOUR

(Luke 1:46-47) And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Nowhere does the Bible ever mention an immaculate conception of Mary.

MARY IS NOT OUR MOTHER, NEW JERUSALEM IS

(Gal 4:26) But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Even though the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches
claim to be "Mother" churches.
Biblically there is no such thing as a "Mother" church on this earth
other than the one found in Revelation 17.

WORD OF GOD IS BLESSED ABOVE MARY

(Luke 11:27-28) And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Notice that Jesus did not say blessed are they that hear and obey Mary.

WORD OF GOD

GIVEN TO JEWS, NOT ORTHODOX OR CATHOLICS

(Rom 3:1-2) What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

Both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches
claim to be guardians of the scriptures.

HOLY FATHER

CALL NO MAN FATHER

(Mat 23:8-9) But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

Beware of any man that calls himself, "father."

(John 17:11) And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

The ONLY time "Holy Father" is mentioned in the Bible is deals with God, not a pope.

JESUS CHRIST

ONLY ONE MEDIATOR

(1 Tim 2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Read the verse again. It says ONE mediator not several.
Not Mary, not the saints or some pope or priest in a church.

SAINTS

DO NOT PRAY TO SAINTS

(Job 15:15) Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

TRADITION

JESUS WARNED ABOUT PUTTING TRADITION ABOVE OR
ON EQUAL BASIS WITH THE WORD OF GOD

(Mat 15:8-9) This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

(Mark 7:6-7) He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

(Col 2:8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

IMAGES

IDOLS - WHAT DOES GOD SAY?

(Exo 20:3-5) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.

(Lev 26:1) Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

(Deu 5:7-9) Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

(Deu 4:16) Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female.

(Deu 16:22) Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.

(Num 33:52) Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:

(Psa 135:15-17) The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

(2 Cor 10:4-5) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, (root word here is images) and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

(1 Cor 10:14) Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

(1 John 5:21) Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

--Michael E. Todd

http://www.1timothy4-13.com/files/bible/catholic.html