I was listening to a pastor friend recently tell me about his partying mom who had passed on. He said, "My mom ran from Jesus in the church—having had her fill of the church.. away into the world, but I ran from the world ..having had my fill of it.. to Jesus and His Church." (He didn't fully know why she ran ...or if that church was all caught up into lame legalistic rules or not, or if they were decent loving Bible-believing Christians in there, but fortunately he did get to lead his mom to the Lord before she died).
I personally had a different experience. I've had a close friend (more than one loved one actually) run from a party life in the world deep into the worldly Catholic Church basically to another Jesus (one of their own making, that lets all people go to heaven), while I ran from deep in the party life of the world (of my own making) and the worldly Catholic church ..having had my fill of it ..to the Bible Jesus and His real Church. It wasn't the congragants that chased me off (I love the people), it was the doctrinal error and lack of life.
I'm not for dead religion; I'm for Jesus and having a relationship with Him based on love today! And I feel for some of my religious friends who are still seeking for moral stability and spiritual safety ..minus stern accountability… in what is very familiar to them at church or at the synagogue, even though their's is cold and dead. I feel for my Catholic friends too, "...However they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals" (2 Kin. 17:40).
I can't imagine how my Catholic friend's parents or some nun or priest has had such success in making my friend feel such a need for boring masses and useless traditions and rituals. I think some people are fond of the priestly vestments, candles, vaulted ceilings, stain glass windows—the appearance and smell of incense etc. Some even explain to me how the nostalgia there gives them something like warm and fuzzy feelings. Going to church might remind them of happier times in the past when the family and mom and dad were altogether. Perhaps some want to find solace from their inner guilt through doing good works, and others want to find a respectable position in society. Others merely want their children to learn what's right and wrong, so they will know to stay clear of that drug culture later. It can be a pride thing too, like the Pharisee who stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector" (Lk. 18:11).
Many religious people in our nation are rich in material things—many non-religious people too. Many Catholics tend to be very "self-sufficient" rather than looking to the Lord to meet all their needs as He would have them to do. I too was like that and went after destructive first world pleasures, but God intervened and saved me. I was bad to the bone wanting total independence from all rules and regulations. To me church seemed so cold-blooded, like nothing but rules and regulations, but there were contradictions and where was the power like I saw in the book of Acts. I am grateful that I did hear a little of the law read during my religious upbringing though. The Apostle Paul experienced this too saying, "the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" (Rom. 5:20). That verse explains exactly what happened in my drinking family with a few members and me—abounding grace rich and free!
Were you aware of how a Catholic pope (the last one) invited leaders of many different religions to the a Roman Catholic church in 1985, including tree worshipers with a prayer said publicly by a Buddhist monk to a Buddha statue set up on the altar there – it happened at Jubilee 2000. That is wrong and the Roman Catholic Church was a major player in preparations for that Jubilee 2000 event.
Did you know there are 242 Roman Catholic denominations worldwide (total—year 2000 numbers)? Of all the denominations, there are more than 33,000 of them total found in 238 different countries.(1) It would appear that by the year 2050 (if Christians aren't yet raptured as I believe they very well could be..), the estimated top ten Christian countries in the world will be: the USA, China, Brazil, Congo-Zaire, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Ethiopia, and Uganda (Johnson, 2005). Of course the center of gravity for global Christianity so to speak.. was in Europe for over a thousand years.
Being raised in the main Roman church denomination, I want my friends to understand that: A) I am not anti-Catholic or anti-religious-people. I'm not anti any people. I don't feel at all smug or better than anyone, but rather very confident in what I now believe and am grateful to literally be better off than many people who do not yet know Jesus in a personal way.
To this day, I enjoy fellowship with some Catholics that claim to be born again believers (real Christians – see John 3:3 in the Catholic Bible or in any Bible). It's not for me to judge who is not saved in the Catholic Church or in any church or outside a church. God sees the heart of man, not me. I am still a respectful learner and do not know it all and, B) I still enjoy friendships with many people in my old denomination–I love them and am for all those within this huge organization as well as those involved in other world religions… and C) God is of course also for all Catholics and Christ in fact stands ready to save any of them just like he did for me, if they are willing to humbly turn to Him in repentance and faith. All people obviously won't choose Christ and be saved, but God, "will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all" (1 Tim. 2:4-6).
Since God loves all of us the same and has made provision for our salvation in His only Son, Jesus Christ, who is God, who lived a sinless life and died on the cross for each one of us (and then popped-up out of the tomb alive after three days according to what the Scripture had already declared would happen, and having more than 500 eye witnesses of these facts)… since the Word of God is the highest authority above all churches and every other authority figure; above all organizations, above all peoples, and above all those in Catholic as well as other church leadership structures worldwide… since all people have blown it—we've all sinned (see Romans 3:23 and 6:23); since no religion or performance of good works can't save any of us.. since there is only one way to get right with God and to go to heaven after we die …according to what God has said (see 1 John 5:12,13)… since this Way that I'm talking about has a name (Jesus) and He is the most wonderful Person that I have ever met (a real experience that made me thoroughly clean inside), it really wasn't a hard choice for me at all.
I could go on an on, but some of my friends do not understand why I would ever leave what they call the first church. It was also shocking for my parents when I explained my reasons (but later my dad also left to go find a Christ-exalting Bible teaching church, as well).
In fact, some people have even asked me what there is in the teachings of the Roman church that I disagree with.
CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS - We are to call priests "father," (i.e., Father Flannery).
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES –
Matthew 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
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CATHOLIC TRADITION - Forbids priests to marry women (and according to their track record, likes to reassign [a.k.a. will relocates a pervert to another perish] priests who hit on little boys... more than any other so called church group).
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES -
It is devilish to forbid God's people to marry when He has given marriage to be received with thanksgiving. God has (and will again until Christ returns) call a Christian adult man to marry a Christian adult woman, but never outside of the faith and never will He call them to marry a person of the same sex. Denominations, churches, their leaders—anyone who gets in the way of men marrying women and forbids this, is overstepping their bounds, and churches are not to mandate that their ministers take vows to never marry. Homosexuality, incest and pedophilia are an abomination to the Lord.
1 Timothy
4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
2) Peter (who my Catholic friends call the first pope) was clearly married (remember the pope is supposedly continuing the apostolic line through Peter).
Matthew
8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
Mark
1:30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
Luke
4:38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
3) Paul, a great apostle, remained single; however he made it very clear that he could marry if he wanted to.
1 Corinthians 9:5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
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CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS – Mary never had other children after she physically delivered the Lord Jesus. Catholics teach that she is a perpetual virgin.
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES – Mary and Joseph indeed had multiple children. They other children were the Lord's half brothers and sisters… for their father was Joseph and their mother was Mary.
Matthew
13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
Mark
6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
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CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS - Mary is the Queen of Heaven.
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES – The Bible tells us that Mary was a sinner that needed God's forgiveness by grace and was favored. It does not teach that Mary is the queen of heaven or of any place. Look at how God has recorded her own declaration, "Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden" (Luke 1:47-48, emphasis mine). By calling Jesus her "Saviour," she was humbly admitting that she too is a sinner in need of One. Worshiping the queen of heaven according to the Scriptures (which is not the Mary of the Bible) is worshiping another god and it provokes the Lord to anger.
Jeremiah
7:17 Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
7:19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
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CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS - Mary is the mother of God.
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES - Mary is the mother of the earthly Jesus, not of God. Jesus pre-existed from everlasting as God (see John 1:1). When He came to redeem mankind, He laid aside His glory and was made like unto sinful man (without sin) so that He could take our punishment (Hebrew 2:9). God has no mother. He has lived from everlasting which means He had no beginning.
Isaiah
43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. [If Mary gave birth to God, she'd be God.]
Psalm
93:2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.
Micah
5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler [Jesus] in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Philippians
2:6 Who [Jesus], being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
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CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS – The Pope is to be called, Holy Father.
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES – The term "Holy Father" is only found one time in the entire Bible. It was when Jesus prayed to His Holy Father (God the Father) before He and His disciples went to the garden of Gethsemane. He referred to God the Father as Holy Father. It is blasphemous to call a man by God's title or name (biblically "Reverend" is also for God alone).
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.
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CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS – Asserts that their contrived teachings on Purgatory, nuns, and regarding popes is righteous.
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES – None of these subjects are mentioned in the Bible. Jesus never referred to purgatory, to nuns or to popes; in fact He taught about other types of leaders and about other places called Abraham's bosom, Heaven and Hell (many don't want to believe in the third place I mentioned but that doesn't make it go away). It is a sin to add teachings that go against what the Bible teaches.
Proverbs
30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
The pope is a man who takes upon himself honor which belongs to no human being. Even the very name by which he allows himself to be called (Holy Father) is highly presumptuous and blasphemous (see above).
One does not need the pope to determine what God's will is. The Bible says that God has given the Holy Ghost to each believer and that He (the Holy Ghost) guides and leads us into all truth. All a believer needs is the Bible and the Holy Ghost to know the will of the Lord. Papacy (or Papal Popery) has been treacherous, but worse, each pope has been the blind leading the blind. Jesus said that both will fall into the ditch. Catholics, come out of this system that cannot save and know Jesus for yourself, intimate and up-close.
NOTE: Purgatory is supposedly a place where a person is purified of sins--even popes supposedly go there. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the one that purifies us of our sins. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.... When a person dies their eternal home is sealed--heaven or hell--no in between. Hebrews 9:27 ...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
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CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS – Venerating (which means the same as worshiping) images is good. The pope even bows to statues of Mary, saints and in worship of the eucharist. Having statues of Mary or saints in your backyard, home and to have candles in the home to help with worship is what is encouraged by the Roman church.
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES – It is idolatry to venerate images. We are not even supposed to make them.
Exodus
20:4 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.
20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God...
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CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS - The mass is of God; that through transubstantiation, the wafer / host and the wine literally become the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ when the priest prays over them and by that receiving these things, you've received the person of Jesus into you as your Saviour.
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES - Jesus died once for sins, never to be repeated. He sits on the right hand of God and does not reappear in the mass as a mass of blood and flesh (bread and wine that is turned into Christ's actual flesh and blood). We are to receive the Person of Christ through repentance and faith (see John 1:12-13; John 3:3 - there is no wafer or chalice mentioned in that context).
Hebrews
10:12 But this man [Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
John
19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
1 Corinthians
11:24 And when he [Jesus] had given thanks, he brake it [bread], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come (not for the forgiveness of sins or to receive Jesus).
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CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS - A sinner is saved, in part, by good works.
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES - Good works are the fruits that grow out of already being saved. They do not make a person become "saved" spiritually. An apple does not make its tree an apple tree, it was already an apple tree before any apples appeared. When you see the apples; however, you know what kind of tree it is. If a person is saved, he will shew forth good works because he has the Spirit of Christ living in him. The good works don't make him saved ...only the blood of Jesus properly applied by trusting Jesus can do that.
I John
1:7b ...the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Acts 16:31b
...believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
Romans
3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
What about James 2:20 "faith without works is dead"?
The kind of faith that saves is a faith that shows forth the works of God. Even devils believe in Jesus and tremble (James 2:19). Many people believe in Jesus but they won't follow Him. They have a faith, but not the kind that saves. If a person has true faith in Jesus, the Holy Ghost dwells in him and will cause good works will show forth in his life. The good works confirm the faith by which the person was saved. James 2:21-23 uses Abraham as an example. Abraham believed God so when God asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham, out of his faith in God, offered up Isaac.
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CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS - The Church is founded on Peter (their first pope).
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES - Jesus Christ (the Rock) is the foundation of His Church--He is the Cornerstone. Peter (little stone) was a man like you and me. Jesus turned to Peter once and rebuked Satan in Matthew 16:23 when Peter first rebuked Jesus who was headed for the cross. When Cornelius tried to worship Peter, Peter responded, "Stand up; I myself also am a man" (Acts 10:26). The pope seriously needs to read, remember, and with holy fear take heed to Acts 10:26 when he has men bowing to himself and kissing his hand like he is worthy of worship.
1 Corinthians
3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Matthew
21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected [Jesus], the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
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CATHOLIC TRADITION SAYS - Confessing sins to a priest to gain forgiveness is appropriate. It also encourages people to petition saints and Mary in prayer.
WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES - We are to confess our sins and needs to God alone. He alone can forgive sins. You need Christ and no other go-between person.
I John
1:9 If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Matthew
6:9, 12 After this manner...pray ye: Our Father... forgive us....
1 Timothy
2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus [not Mary, not saints, not priests, not the pope];
I John
2:1, ...And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
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There are many other verses that could have been given here to refute these wrong teachings. There are also other doctrines of the catholic religion which could have been refuted (i.e., keeping the sacraments for salvation, the way explained for receiving the Holy Spirit, salvation through the catholic religion alone—salvation by grace plus works that are meritorious, penance, praying the rosary or for the dead or to saints, etc.).
I don't need a priest to read and interpret the Bible for me as I've been taught--a child can understand it. I don't believe that the pope can speak ex-cathedra—that his words are ever equal with the Word of God in authority as Catholic tradition teaches. Where does it teach that in the Bible? In 1950 when Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary as being an article of faith for Roman Catholics as he "spoke ex cathedra." But papal Infallibility is totally bunk and Mary never went up like Jesus did into the clouds. She has never been His Co-Redemptrix in our salvation. All popes have sinned (sometimes with nuns to produce kids) and do sin. Priests have sinned as well (sometimes with altar boys causing huge legal damages and even more severe ones to minors).
I've also found it interesting that the real Canon of Scripture says that when Jesus turned water into wine, that this was Christ's first miracle that He performed (see John 2:11), so the non-canonical Catholic teaching about Jesus' first miracle is totally bogus.
I simply don't believe in the books of the Apocrypha or extra-biblical gospels like that of "Thomas" are writings inspired by God …where the child Jesus is portrayed at play on the Sabbath day, forming little pigeons from clay; and then when a Jew complained to Joseph that the sacred Sabbath was being broken by this action, the divine child performs a miracle by clapping His hands and then the clay birds quickly flew away. That's merely a fictitious tale—it's rubbish! In the real Bible Jesus did miracles for a purpose …that helped people rather than senseless ones to entertain. The rest of Scripture doesn't contradict itself against what's written in different books of the Bible as the non-canonical writings do. The apocryphal books weren't and wouldn't be good enough for Jesus. I can't stand how the Roman Organization has added the fifteen books of the general Apocrypha to the Bible and then called it the canonical with the other Bible books. You've heard of these books:
- The First Book of Esdras
- The Second Book of Esdras
- Tobit
- Judith
- The Rest of the Chapters of the Book of Esther
- The Wisdom of Solomon
- Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach
- Baruch
- A Letter of Jeremiah
- The Song of the Three
- Daniel and Susanna
- Daniel, Bel, and the Snake
- The Prayer of Manasseh
- The First Book of the Maccabees
- The Second Book of the Maccabees
These books have been considered non-canonical, but they were slowly over the years regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as part of the real Bible, and were finally officially labeled as such. But the Historical Hebrew Religion, and the early Historical Christian Church that followed after Judaism, always understood that these writings were non-canonical.
It is quite clear that those who would like to have these books considered as Holy Canon do so because of their own weak traditions, and are not facing the facts objectively. Again, their strange beliefs are not at all supported by either the fundamental facts (which are self-evident in these writings), by what the Old Testament believers themselves historically called scripture, nor by early New Testament Church History.
During the Middle Ages the Catholic Church was practicing the selling of indulgences—you know about that I'm sure. This was a monetary payment of penalty which, supposedly, absolved a person of past sins for cash (or other types of payment) and or released them from that punishment place they call purgatory ..after their death. I've been to the city of Wittenberg which is the place where on October 31 in 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church. It was the selling of indulgences in this local and north of there that led him to post that Theses (a document challenging Roman Catholic authority in theological matters, including indulgences and many other areas) to that door.
Maybe you remember, Herr Johan Tetsil, one of the Pope's underling-teachers out on assignment in Germany. He used to proclaim, "Every time a coin in the coffer clings, another soul from purgatory springs." Luther was very outspoken in protesting such gospel-greed (I wish more would be today). Martin had been in the Word of God and it changed him radically! Tetsil and others were selling lots of expensive indulgences for the sake of the Pope building St. Peter's Cathedral. Yes, flagrantly immoral people were buying them as a non-stop ticket to heaven, in spite of their lack of faith or repentance. That's how many of the churches were built then, based on fear of "purgatory" a non-existent place. Teaching on purgatory says Christ's atonement wasn't sufficient. Sometimes today I wonder if some of the new Catholic places of worship, and non-Catholic mega-ministries and Christian TV networks have become modern day Cathedrals of sorts, with their overemphasis on money to keep them afloat, as they even employing alleged "gifts of the Spirit" regarding that $1000 gift you're to send them for a hundredfold blessing in return. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, but it seems the religious Tetsils are too.
You see, heresy is giving people non-nutritional instruction that hurts them, when deep inside they are hungry for nutritional teaching that will help them. Teachers aren't to ignore the warning of Paul: "that in us you might learn not to exceed what is written…." (1 Cor. 4:6). Listen, you can not love God at all if you do not love His truth!
Luther, one of the main Protestant Reformers, eventually arrived at the conclusion that relationship with God and salvation from God comes by grace alone through faith alone by Christ alone, not by any amount of good works, or belief in dogma, or economic propitiation. One's relationship to the divine is initiated by God and responded to by the repentant one seeking Him by faith. Therefore, Luther's theology placed him in square opposition to the Roman Catholic practice of selling indulgences (all real Christians stand against this teaching).
The Catholic religion has a history of perversion among their leadership and also of taking the money of poor widows in order to say masses for the dead (which does no one any good at all) and collecting the material possessions of nuns. In Italy, where the base of Roman Catholicism is, there is an often used saying that goes, "Without money, they don't sing the mass." That is really pitiful on several fronts: 1) mass is blasphemous and people who trust in it primarily are hell-bound 2) there's no such thing as purgatory and 3) the gift of God is without price.
In Conclusion: The Bible has authoritative clout and Catholic Traditions do not. People in different churches etc… often attempt to give man-made religious human traditions higher authority than God's Word. This was true of the Jews of Jesus' day. In refuting the errors of the Sadducees, the Scripture records the Lord saying, "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God" (Matthew 22:29). Christ Jesus continually castigated them and rebuked the Pharisees too because they made their traditions on a par with the Word of God—corrupting the very basis of truth by equating their traditions with God's Word. That is hugely wrong. So He declared to them in Mark 7:13 "You are making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such things do ye." Since Scripture alone is inspired, it alone is the ultimate authority, and it alone is the final judge of Tradition.
On man's traditions, Jesus says? "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? Ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites." —Jesus, (Matt. 15:3, 6, 7).
"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
The Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, identified truth with the written Word. In His great, high priestly prayer, He said, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." This was consistent with the declarations right through the Old Testament in which the Holy Spirit continually proclaims that the revelation from God is truth, as for example Psalm 119:142, "thy law is truth." There is no source other than Scripture alone to which such a statement applies. That source alone, the Holy Scripture, is the believer's standard of truth.
In the New Testament, it is the written word of God, and that alone, to which the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles refer as the final authority. In the temptation, the Lord Jesus three times resisted Satan, saying, "It is written" as for example, in Matthew 4:4, "he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." In stating "It is written," the Lord used the exact same phrase that is used in the Holy Bible forty six times. The persistence of the repeated phrase underlines its importance. The Lord's total acceptance of the authority of the Old Testament is evident in His words found in Matthew 5:17-18:
"Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily, I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled."
"If" you call yourself a Christian but don't view the Bible as authoritative, then you literally serve another Jesus other than the real One Who I serve.
Psalms 119:160
The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
2 Timithy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Colossains 2:8
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Messiah.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-11
…and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Mark 7:7-8
And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "For laying aside the commandment of Yahweh, you hold the tradition of men-- the washing of pitchers and cups, and MANY other such things you do."
Titus 1:14
… This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.
Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle.
2 Timothy 3:13-17
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith..
John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Revelation 22:18-19
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Isaiah 8:20
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." The truth is this: since God's written word alone is inspired, it and it alone is the sole rule of faith. It cannot be otherwise.
The Apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:20-21).
Here’s Why You Need To Believe the Bible More than Opinions or Man's Traditions
1. See the World Christian Encyclopedia by Barrett, Kurian, Johnson (Oxford Univ Press, 2nd edition, 2001). A denomination is defined in this Encyclopedia as an organized aggregate of worship centers or congregations of similar ecclesiastical tradition within a specific country; i.e. as an organized Christian church or tradition or religious group or community of believers, within a specific country, whose component congregations and members are called by the same denominational name in different areas, regarding themselves as one autonomous Christian church distinct from other denominations, churches and traditions. As defined here, world Christianity consists of 6 major ecclesiastico-cultural blocs, divided into 300 major ecclesiastical traditions, composed of over 33,000 distinct denominations in 238 countries, these denominations themselves being composed of over 3,400,000 worship centers, churches or congregations." (Barrett et al, volume 1, page 16, Table 1-5, emphasis added).
