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I was on another messageboard browsing and came across a post by a former Catholic who said he learned more in two years about Christ on this certain messageboard than he did in 38 years of being a Catholic. It sounds to me as if he didn't pay attention during mass and during religious ed. He challenged Catholics to read the first two chapters of Galatians (which I have before) so I read them last night along with the rest of Galatians.
This person is convinced that Rome is preaching a perverted Gospel because :
A) The Church teaches that faith and works are necessary for salvation even though Galatians says we are justified by faith and not by the works of the law: yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. Galations 2:16
Justification and salvation are two different things. We are made righteous when we believe. We then take that faith and put it into action, undergoing the salvation process. Now, what exactly are the works of the law that Paul is talking about? The OT laws that Jews had to follow. What he's saying here is that WITHOUT faith, you can't do enough to please God because Christ is the New Covenant. I just get irritated when people think that the Church teaches that works without Christ are fine.
What this argument ignores, and I have found it typical of people when they try and debunk Catholicism, is that they leave out verses that support the Churches teachings. From Galatians 5:
13] For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another.
[<B>14</B>] For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."[<B>15</B>] But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another.
[<B>16</B>] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. [<B>17</B>] For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. [<B>18</B>] But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.
We are free from the Old Covenant laws and now live under the New Convenant. What is the New Covenant? The old law fulfilled by Christ who commanded us to love our neighbors. So it isn't works of the law, but rather works of the Spirit. You can not just believe and then not act on your faith. This is very clear, to me anyway, from the above verses.
Chapter 6 goes on to further strenghthen the Church's teaching of Faith AND Works: [<B>2</B>] Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. And [<B>8</B>] For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.[<B>9</B>] And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. [<B>10</B>] So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Very, very clear. Put your faith into action. I re-iterate verse 10: Let us do good to all men. Justified by faith, yes. Saved by faith alone? No.
B) The papacy can't be infallible because Paul showed Peter he was wrong! "But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, 'If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?'" Galatians 2:14
If you don't understand the doctrine of Papal Infallibility, I could see how you might fall for this. Peter wasn't preaching anything different than what Christ preached. He was eating with the non-circumcised (the Gentiles) until the Jews showed up. Out of fear of what the Jews would do, he withdrew from their tables! It has nothing to do with faith or morals! This does not show Peter erred with the Gospel.
So my point in this thread is to hopefully reach someone who may be having doubts about what it is that the Catholic Church teaches. No, we do not ignore the Bible. Obvisouly the Church's teachings regarding Salvation are right in line with what Paul is preaching about in Galatians.
This person is convinced that Rome is preaching a perverted Gospel because :
A) The Church teaches that faith and works are necessary for salvation even though Galatians says we are justified by faith and not by the works of the law: yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. Galations 2:16
Justification and salvation are two different things. We are made righteous when we believe. We then take that faith and put it into action, undergoing the salvation process. Now, what exactly are the works of the law that Paul is talking about? The OT laws that Jews had to follow. What he's saying here is that WITHOUT faith, you can't do enough to please God because Christ is the New Covenant. I just get irritated when people think that the Church teaches that works without Christ are fine.
What this argument ignores, and I have found it typical of people when they try and debunk Catholicism, is that they leave out verses that support the Churches teachings. From Galatians 5:
13] For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another.
[<B>14</B>] For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."[<B>15</B>] But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another.
[<B>16</B>] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. [<B>17</B>] For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. [<B>18</B>] But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.
We are free from the Old Covenant laws and now live under the New Convenant. What is the New Covenant? The old law fulfilled by Christ who commanded us to love our neighbors. So it isn't works of the law, but rather works of the Spirit. You can not just believe and then not act on your faith. This is very clear, to me anyway, from the above verses.
Chapter 6 goes on to further strenghthen the Church's teaching of Faith AND Works: [<B>2</B>] Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. And [<B>8</B>] For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.[<B>9</B>] And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. [<B>10</B>] So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Very, very clear. Put your faith into action. I re-iterate verse 10: Let us do good to all men. Justified by faith, yes. Saved by faith alone? No.
B) The papacy can't be infallible because Paul showed Peter he was wrong! "But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, 'If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?'" Galatians 2:14
If you don't understand the doctrine of Papal Infallibility, I could see how you might fall for this. Peter wasn't preaching anything different than what Christ preached. He was eating with the non-circumcised (the Gentiles) until the Jews showed up. Out of fear of what the Jews would do, he withdrew from their tables! It has nothing to do with faith or morals! This does not show Peter erred with the Gospel.
So my point in this thread is to hopefully reach someone who may be having doubts about what it is that the Catholic Church teaches. No, we do not ignore the Bible. Obvisouly the Church's teachings regarding Salvation are right in line with what Paul is preaching about in Galatians.
