Study: Roman Catholicism (9/13/26)
Introduction (4 min – 00:00–00:04)
Goal of study...
1 Peter 3.15 | but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (CSB)
Ground rules...
We are not claiming to know the heart of every Roman Catholic.
Individual Catholics are enormously diverse.
- Some are devout and knowledgeable.
- Some are nominal Catholics.
- Some attend Mass only occasionally.
- Some know the Catechism well.
- Some know almost nothing about Catholic doctrine.
- Some may trust almost entirely in religious ritual.
- Some may have heard and personally trusted the biblical gospel despite confusion in other areas.We should evaluate individual people by what they actually believe.
Similar Answers
Imagine asking a Baptist and a Catholic:
- “Do you believe in God?”
- Both say yes.
- “Do you believe in the Trinity?”
- Both say yes.
- “Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God?”
- Both say yes.
- “Do you believe Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead?”
- Both say yes.
- “Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?”
- Both may say yes.
- “Do you believe salvation is by grace?”
- Both may say yes.At first, you might wonder:
So what exactly is the disagreement?
Well, Roman Catholicism demonstrates why sharing the same vocabulary does not necessarily mean sharing the same theology.
I. The Roman Catholic Church (4 min – 00:04–00:08)
The Title
Roman
Today this refers to...
Centered in Rome...
Led by the Bishop of Rome, the pope.
After 1054, "Rome" also helped distinguish the "Catholic Church" from the "Orthodox Church."
Catholic
Universal
The use in the Nicene Creed refers to the universal not Roman Catholic church.
"We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church."
Church
Visible (organized and identifiable) body of Christians, living and dead.
Brief and Fair History
Caesarea Philippi
The Scripture account...
Matthew 16.13 | When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (CSB)
Matthew 16.14 | They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (CSB)
Matthew 16.15 | “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” (CSB)
Matthew 16.16 | Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (CSB)
Matthew 16.17 | Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. (CSB)
Matthew 16.18 | And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (CSB)
Matthew 16.19 | I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.” (CSB)
Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 881
The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the “rock” of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church (cf. Mt 16:18-19); he instituted him shepherd of the whole flock (cf. Jn 21:15-17). “The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head” (LG 22). This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church’s very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.
Bishops
Very early, a bishop was simply what we call a pastor.
We say there are three New Testament titles for a pastor:
Elder (πρεσβύτερος)
Overseer (ἐπίσκοπος)
Bishop (a Middle English word)
Pastor (ποιμήν)
Shepherd
As time went on, bishops came to exercise authority over more than one congregation.
By the early second century, the bishop was primarily the chief pastor and overseer of the Christians in a particular city and its surrounding congregations.
Over time, because the Rome possessed enormous influence, the Bishop of Rome became a central figure.
By the way, the word "pope" comes from πάππας meaning "father."
It became to be used of bishops...
Although the it was much later that it became attached particularly to the bishop of Rome.
Constantine and the Imperial Church (AD 313 onward)
Christianity legalized/tolerated.
Imperial support transformed the church's public position.
Bishops became increasingly important public figures.
Major episcopal centers such as Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch gained greater regional authority.
Council of Nicaea, AD 325
Canon 6 itself assumes substantial regional authority for Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch.
Leo the Great (bishop of Rome, AD 440–461)
Claimed that Peter's authority continued uniquely in the Bishop of Rome.
Gregory the Great (bishop of Rome, AD 590–604)
Acted as both a bishop and a chief executive.
Gregory the Great was one of the first bishops of Rome to function in ways that begin to look recognizably like the later medieval papacy.
Growth of Papal Authority (AD 600–1000)
Charlemagne, the Frankish king who built a large Western European empire, crowned emperor by Pope Leo III in AD 800.
The East-West Rupture
AD 1054 is the traditional date of the Great Schism, although the separation of East and West developed over centuries and continued to harden afterward.
Roman Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
Post Schism Medieval Period (AD 1000–1500)
Indulgences (11th century)
Marian Devotion (11th century)
Crusades (beginning in AD 1095)
Penitential System (AD 1215)
Transubstantiation (AD 1215)
Thomas Aquinas (AD 1225–1274)
Inquisition (AD 1231)
Purgatory (AD 1274)
Sacramental System (12th century)
Treasury of Merit (AD 1343)
*A word about dates...
Protestant Reformation (1517–1648)
A protest from within that led to the Protestant movement.
The main focus of the debate was...
Authority
Salvation
Key figures
Martin Luther
John Calvin
Council of Trent (1545–1563)
Clarified Catholic doctrine on:
Scripture and tradition,
Original sin,
Justification,
Sacraments,
The Mass,
Penance,
Numerous Other Disputed Doctrines
Formally defined Catholic positions on disputed doctrines and explicitly rejected central Protestant claims.
Anathemas...
Vatican I (1869–1870)
Papal infallibility defined as when the pope speaks ex cathedra on faith and morals.
Vatican II (1962–1965)
Mass in the vernacular...
James Leo Garrett Jr.
Southern Baptist theologian James Leo Garrett attended the final session of Vatican II in 1965 as an invited guest of the Vatican’s Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity.
Today
The first English translation of the modern Catechism of the Catholic Church was published in 1994.
The Roman Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian body, with about 1.4 billion baptized Catholics worldwide.
It is led by Pope Leo XIV, the 267th pope and Bishop of Rome. His pontificate began in 2025.
II. Roman Catholic Beliefs (9 min – 00:08–00:17)
Authority
Catholicism teaches that God's revelation has been handed down through:
Sacred Scripture
The written Word of God.
Sacred Tradition
The apostolic faith handed down within the life and teaching of the Church.
Catholics do not mean merely "old customs" when they speak of Tradition.
The Magisterium
The Church's authoritative teaching office.
Exercised by the bishops in communion with the Bishop of Rome, the pope.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §95
"It is clear therefore that, in the supremely wise arrangement of God, sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the others. Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls."
Catechism of the Catholic Church §97
"Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God."
=*=Catechism of the Catholic Church §100=*=
"The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him."
Catechism of the Catholic Church §86
"Yet this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it. At the divine command and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it listens to this devotedly, guards it with dedication and expounds it faithfully. All that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed is drawn from this single deposit of faith."
Justification and Grace
Catholicism teaches that salvation begins with God's grace, not with man's ability to earn salvation.
Grace is free and undeserved.
But Catholicism understands justification to include both:
The forgiveness of sins.
The inward renewal and transformation of the sinner.
In Catholic teaching, justification is ordinarily conferred through BAPTISM.
Sanctifying grace is infused into the person.
God does not merely declare the sinner righteous.
He makes the sinner inwardly righteous through grace.
After justification, the Christian must cooperate with God's grace.
Good works performed in grace can possess genuine merit before God.
They can contribute to growth in grace and the attainment of eternal life.
However, Catholicism explicitly denies that anyone can merit the initial grace of justification.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1989
“Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1992
"Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men. Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy. Its purpose is the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life."
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1993
Justification involves “cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §2010
“No one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification.”
Sacraments
Catholicism recognizes seven sacraments:
Baptism.
Confirmation.
Eucharist.
Penance or Reconciliation.
Anointing of the Sick.
Holy Orders.
Matrimony.
Catholics do not understand the sacraments merely as symbols or public testimonies.
They are means through which Christ actually communicates grace.
The sacrament both signifies grace and, when properly administered, actually conveys the grace it signifies.
Catholic theology speaks of the sacraments acting ex opere operato.
Their effectiveness ultimately rests upon Christ's work rather than the personal holiness of the priest administering them.
At the same time, the spiritual fruit received can depend upon the disposition of the recipient.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1127
“The sacraments confer the grace that they signify.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1131
The sacraments are “efficacious signs of grace” through which “divine life is dispensed to us.”
The Mass and the Eucharist
The Eucharist stands at the center of Roman Catholic worship.
Catholicism teaches the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
After the priest consecrates the bread and wine:
The substance of the bread becomes the body of Christ.
The substance of the wine becomes the blood of Christ.
The outward appearances of bread and wine remain.
This change is called transubstantiation.
Catholics therefore believe that Christ is actually present:
Body.
Blood.
Soul.
Divinity.
The Mass is also understood as a sacrifice.
Catholics do not teach that Jesus is crucified again at every Mass.
They teach that Christ's once-for-all sacrifice on Calvary is sacramentally made present in the Eucharist.
The sacrifice of the cross and the Eucharistic sacrifice are therefore understood as the same sacrifice offered in different manners.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1324
“The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1374
Christ is “truly, really, and substantially” present in the Eucharist.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1367
“The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice.”
Penance and Confession
Catholicism distinguishes between:
Venial sin
Sin that wounds the believer's relationship with God but does not destroy sanctifying grace.
Mortal sin
Grave sin committed with sufficient knowledge and deliberate consent.
Mortal sin results in the loss of sanctifying grace.
Because serious sin can occur after Baptism, Catholicism teaches the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.
It ordinarily involves:
Contrition
Sorrow for sin.
Confession
Confessing grave sins to a priest.
Absolution
The priest pronounces forgiveness in Christ's name.
Satisfaction or penance
Performing acts intended to repair the damage caused by sin.
Catholicism does not teach that the priest forgives by his own power.
Christ is believed to have entrusted his authority to forgive sins to the apostles and their successors.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1446
Penance provides a means to “recover the grace of justification.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1456
“Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1496
Through Penance, “the penitent recovers grace.”
Mary and the Saints
Catholicism formally distinguishes between:
Adoration or worship
Owed to God alone.
Veneration
Honor given to the saints.
Special veneration of Mary
Because of her unique role as the mother of Christ.
Catholicism teaches several doctrines concerning Mary that go beyond what Protestants generally affirm:
Mary is the Mother of God.
Meaning the one she bore is truly God the Son.
Mary remained a perpetual virgin.
Mary was immaculately conceived.
She was preserved from original sin from the first moment of her conception.
Mary remained free from personal sin.
Mary was assumed bodily into heaven at the completion of her earthly life.
Catholics also believe that the saints in heaven remain united with Christians on earth.
The saints intercede for believers.
Catholics therefore ask Mary and other saints to pray for them.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §491
Mary was “preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §969
Mary is invoked as “Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §956
The saints in heaven “do not cease to intercede with the Father for us.”
Catholic teaching nevertheless insists that Marian devotion “differs essentially from the adoration” given to God. §971
Purgatory and the Last Things
Catholicism teaches:
Death.
A particular judgment immediately following death.
Heaven.
Hell.
The resurrection of the dead.
The final judgment.
The eternal state.
Catholicism also teaches Purgatory.
Purgatory is not a second opportunity for an unbeliever to be saved.
Those in Purgatory are considered among the saved.
They died in God's grace and friendship.
But they still require purification before entering the fullness of heaven.
This is connected to the Catholic distinction between:
The eternal punishment of sin.
The temporal consequences or punishment that may remain after the guilt of sin has been forgiven.
Catholics therefore believe Christians may assist the dead through:
Prayer.
The Eucharistic sacrifice.
Almsgiving.
Indulgences.
Works of penance.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1030
Those undergoing this purification are “assured of their eternal salvation.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1031
Purgatory is the “final purification of the elect.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1032
The Church offers prayers for the dead, especially “the Eucharistic sacrifice.”
Assurance
Catholicism does teach Christians to have genuine hope and confidence in God.
Despair is considered sinful.
Christians should trust God's mercy and expect him to provide the grace necessary to persevere.
But Catholicism does not teach that everyone who has once received saving grace necessarily remains in that state permanently.
A baptized and justified person can commit mortal sin.
Mortal sin results in the loss of sanctifying grace.
If unreconciled, mortal sin can result in final condemnation.
Saving grace can be restored through repentance and, ordinarily, the Sacrament of Penance.
Catholic assurance is therefore normally expressed as:
Hope in God's mercy.
Confidence in God's grace.
Perseverance in faith and charity.
Remaining in a state of grace.
It is not the Baptist doctrine that the justified believer's final salvation cannot be lost.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §2090
“Hope is the confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1861
Mortal sin results in “the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §2005
“We cannot therefore rely on our feelings or our works to conclude that we are justified and saved.”
Deuterocanonical Books (Apocrypha)
The Roman Catholic Bible contains 73 books:
46 books in the Old Testament.
27 books in the New Testament.
Protestant Bibles contain 66 books:
39 Old Testament.
27 New Testament.
The principal additional Old Testament books accepted by Rome are:
Tobit.
Judith.
Wisdom of Solomon.
Sirach or Ecclesiasticus.
Baruch.
1 Maccabees.
2 Maccabees.
Catholic Old Testaments also contain additional material in Esther and Daniel.
Protestants have traditionally called these writings the Apocrypha.
Catholics generally call them the Deuterocanonical books.
Catholicism regards them as inspired Scripture, not merely useful religious literature.
This issue connects directly to the previous discussion of authority.
Catholicism teaches that the Church, through apostolic Tradition, authoritatively recognized the biblical canon.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §120
“It was by the apostolic Tradition that the Church discerned” which writings belong in Scripture.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §120
The canon “includes 46 books for the Old Testament” and 27 for the New.
III. Where We Agree On Beliefs (3 min – 00:17–00:20)
The nature of agreements and disagreements...
We do not honor truth by pretending disagreements do not exist.
But neither do we honor truth by pretending agreements do not exist.
Let's begin with agreements...
Roman Catholicism officially affirms:
One God.
The Trinity.
Father,
Son,
Holy Spirit.
The full deity of Jesus Christ.
The full humanity of Jesus Christ.
The virgin conception/birth of Christ.
The sinlessness of Christ.
The historical crucifixion of Jesus.
Christ's sacrificial death for sin.
His bodily resurrection.
His ascension.
His future return.
The Holy Spirit is divine.
Human beings are sinners in need of salvation.
Salvation is impossible apart from divine grace.
Christ's death is foundational to our salvation.
There is a real heaven.
There is a real hell.
There will be final judgment.
Scripture is inspired by God.
Christian moral truth is objective rather than culturally invented.
IV. Decisive Differences (13 min – 00:20–00:33)
Significance
There is more shared ground here than most of you assume...
And the differences that remain are more serious than most of you assume.
Both things are true.
Differences
Authority. Is Scripture sufficient?
Both Catholics and Baptists affirm that Scripture is inspired by God.
The disagreement is not over whether the Bible is God's Word.
The disagreement is whether Scripture is the sufficient and final infallible authority for Christian faith and doctrine.
Roman Catholicism says no.
Scripture must be received together with Sacred Tradition.
Scripture and Tradition must be authoritatively interpreted by the Magisterium.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §82
The Church “does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §95
“Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the others.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §100
“The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church.”
Protestants historically affirm sola Scriptura.
Scripture alone is the final, infallible standard by which every doctrine and every teacher must be judged.
This does not mean:
We reject church history.
We reject creeds and confessions.
We reject teachers.
Every Christian simply invents his own interpretation.
It means that all of those authorities remain subordinate and corrigible beneath the Word of God.
The church does not stand over Scripture as its final interpreter.
The church stands under Scripture as its servant.
The Bereans even examined the teaching of an apostle by the Scriptures.
Acts 17.11** | The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (CSB)
Paul describes Scripture as sufficient to equip God's servant completely.
2 Timothy 3.16–17 | All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (CSB)
So the decisive question is:
When Scripture and an authoritative church tradition appear to conflict, which one has the final word?
We believe:
The Word of God judges the church.
The church does not judge the Word of God.
Justification. Declared righteous or made righteous?
Both Catholics and Baptists believe:
We are sinners.
We cannot save ourselves.
Christ died for our sins.
Salvation is impossible apart from God's grace.
The disagreement is over what happens when God justifies a sinner.
Roman Catholic theology includes within justification:
Forgiveness.
Sanctification.
An inward renewal of the person.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1989
“Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1992
God “makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy.”
Catholic justification therefore involves an actual inward righteousness produced by God's grace.
Initial justification is ordinarily conferred in Baptism.
The justified person then cooperates with grace.
Growth in righteousness, obedience, merit, and perseverance belong within this saving process.
Historic Protestant theology distinguishes justification from sanctification.
Both are works of God's grace.
Both belong to salvation.
They must never be separated.
But they must not be confused.
Justification
God declares the believing sinner righteous because of Christ.
It concerns our standing before God.
Sanctification
God progressively makes the justified sinner holy.
It concerns our growth in holiness.
The righteousness by which we stand accepted before God is not our gradually improving righteousness.
It is the righteousness of Christ credited to us through faith.
Romans 4.5 | But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness. (CSB)
Notice the astonishing language:
God “justifies the ungodly.”
He does not wait until the ungodly person has become inwardly righteous enough to justify him.
Paul describes his hope as possessing a righteousness that is not his own.
Philippians 3.9 | and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. (CSB)
So the decisive question is:
Is justification God's declaration that the sinner is righteous in Christ, or does justification include the process by which the sinner is inwardly made righteous?
We believe:
God declares us righteous because of Christ.
Then the God who justifies us begins the lifelong work of making us more like Christ.
The finished work of Christ
Catholics and Baptists both affirm that Jesus:
Died once for all.
Offered himself for our sins.
Accomplished redemption on the cross.
We should therefore not say:
“Catholics believe Jesus has to be crucified again every Sunday.”
Catholicism explicitly denies that.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1545
“The redemptive sacrifice of Christ is unique, accomplished once for all.”
But Catholicism also teaches that Christ's sacrifice is sacramentally made present in the Mass.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1367
“The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice.”
Catholic teaching also says that even after the guilt of sin has been forgiven:
Temporal punishment may remain.
Satisfaction may remain.
Penance may be necessary.
Indulgences may remit temporal punishment.
Final purification may occur in Purgatory.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1473
“The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains.”
This raises a central Protestant concern:
What exactly remains to be satisfied after Christ has fully borne the believer's sin?
The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes the finality of Christ's work.
Hebrews 10.10 | By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (CSB)
Hebrews 10.14 | For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified. (CSB)
Hebrews 10.18 | Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. (CSB)
From a Protestant perspective, the problem is therefore not simply that Catholics speak about the cross.
They do.
The issue is whether the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ completely satisfies God's justice for the believer.
We believe:
Christ does not merely begin the payment for our sin.
Christ does not provide a sacrifice that must subsequently be supplemented by our satisfaction.
Christ bore the full penalty of our sin.
His righteousness is sufficient.
His sacrifice is sufficient.
His work is finished.
Jesus' cry from the cross captures the heart of it:
John 19.30 | When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. (CSB)
Assurance and the ground of confidence
Catholicism does teach Christians to:
Trust God.
Hope in his mercy.
Depend upon his grace.
It would be unfair to say Catholics are taught simply to live in constant uncertainty and fear.
But Catholic theology also teaches that a person who has genuinely received sanctifying grace can subsequently lose that grace through mortal sin.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1861
Mortal sin results in “the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace.”
If that mortal sin remains unreconciled:
The person can finally be lost.
Catholicism can therefore speak strongly of hope, but differently from the Baptist doctrine of perseverance and eternal security.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §2005
“We cannot therefore rely on our feelings or our works to conclude that we are justified and saved.”
Baptists likewise do not teach assurance based upon:
Our feelings.
Our goodness.
Our ability to live a perfect Christian life.
Our assurance rests first upon something outside of us:
Christ's finished work.
Christ's righteousness.
Christ's promises.
God's faithfulness.
Our changed life provides important evidence of salvation.
But our changed life is not the ground of salvation.
Jesus says of his sheep:
John 10.28 | I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. (CSB)
Paul grounds our confidence in God's saving action:
Romans 8.30 | And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified. (CSB)
John says believers can actually know:
1 John 5.13 | I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (CSB)
This does not produce careless Christianity.
Genuine faith perseveres.
Genuine salvation produces fruit.
Scripture repeatedly commands self-examination.
But the Christian's deepest confidence is not:
“I think I have remained sufficiently righteous.”
It is:
“Christ is sufficient.”
So the decisive question is:
Where does my confidence before God finally rest?
We believe:
Not in the strength of my grip on Christ, but ultimately in the strength of Christ's grip on me.
Mediation
Perhaps the most important point to establish first is that Catholicism does affirm that Christ is the unique mediatorbetween God and man.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1544
Christ is the “one mediator between God and men.”
But Catholicism believes Christ's unique mediation allows other forms of participating or subordinate mediation.
This includes the ministerial priesthood.
Catholic priests exercise a sacramental priesthood distinct from the common priesthood of believers.
They administer sacraments.
They pronounce sacramental absolution.
They offer the Eucharistic sacrifice.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1545
Christ's priesthood “is made present through the ministerial priesthood.”
Catholicism also teaches the intercession of the saints.
Christians may ask departed saints to pray for them.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §956
The saints “do not cease to intercede with the Father for us.”
Mary receives a particularly significant mediatorial role.
Catechism of the Catholic Church §969
Mary is invoked as “Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.”
Again, Catholic theology immediately qualifies this.
Mary's role does not compete with Christ.
It derives entirely from Christ.
Catechism §970 specifically insists that Mary's role does not diminish Christ's unique mediation.
Protestants appreciate that qualification.
But we still ask:
Where does the New Testament direct the Christian to go?
Scripture gives a remarkably simple answer:
1 Timothy 2.5 | For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus. (CSB)
Because Christ is our great High Priest:
Hebrews 4.16 | Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. (CSB)
Every believer therefore has direct access to God through Christ.
We do not need an earthly priest to mediate our access to God.
We do not invoke departed saints to carry our prayers to God.
We do not need Mary to make Christ more approachable.
Christ himself:
Is our High Priest.
Is our Advocate.
Is our Intercessor.
Is our Mediator.
And every believer belongs to the priesthood of God's people.
1 Peter 2.9 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession... (CSB)
So the decisive question is:
Does Christ's unique mediation give every believer sufficient and immediate access to the Father?
We believe:
We come to God through Christ.
We confess our sins through Christ.
We pray through Christ.
We approach the throne of grace through Christ.
And Christ is enough.
V. Confusing Vocabulary (3 min – 00:33–00:36)
What to Know About Vocabulary
One reason conversations between Catholics and Baptists can be confusing is that we often use the same Christian words but mean somewhat different things by them.
So when a Catholic uses familiar language, do not assume either agreement or disagreement.
Ask, “What do you mean by that?”
Vocabulary
Grace
Catholic: God's undeserved gift that is imparted to the believer, especially through the sacraments.
Sanctifying grace can be received, increased, lost through mortal sin, and restored.
Baptist: God's undeserved favor toward sinners and his saving action in Christ.
Same word, but the Catholic sacramental framework changes how grace is understood and received.
Justification
Catholic: Forgiveness and inward transformation by which the sinner is made righteous.
Baptist: God's once-for-all declaration that the believer is righteous in Christ.
Transformation follows in sanctification.
Faith
Catholic: Faith is necessary, but saving faith exists within a larger life of grace, love, sacraments, obedience, and perseverance.
Baptist: Faith is personal reliance upon Christ alone for salvation.
Good works follow saving faith rather than contribute to the basis of justification.
So both may say, “We are saved by faith,” while meaning something importantly different.
Saved
A Catholic may say:
“I was saved in Baptism.”
“I am being saved.”
“I hope to be finally saved.”
A Baptist commonly says:
“I was saved when I trusted Christ.”
The question is:
“What happened when you were saved, and what is your confidence that you will finally be saved?”
Born Again
Catholic: Ordinarily identifies regeneration with Baptism.
Baptist: Usually refers to the Spirit's work of regeneration accompanying personal repentance and faith.
Therefore a Catholic may sincerely say:
“Yes, I have been born again.”
But mean, “I was baptized.”
Church
Catholic: The visible, historic, sacramental church governed by bishops in communion with the pope.
Baptist: The church is ultimately the people who have been regenerated through faith in Christ, expressed locally in congregations of believers.
So “belonging to the Church” carries very different implications.
Gospel
Both can speak of:
Christ.
The cross.
Resurrection.
Grace.
Forgiveness.
But we must ask:
How does the sinner receive the benefits of Christ's work?
For us, the heart of the gospel invitation is:
Repent and trust in Christ alone.
Merit
Do not hear the Catholic word merit as though Catholicism simply teaches:
“Be good enough and earn heaven without God's grace.”
Catholic theology says merit itself is possible only because of God's prior grace.
But it nevertheless teaches that works performed in grace can truly merit an increase of grace and eternal reward.
The Protestant concern is:
Does anything we do contribute to the righteousness by which we are accepted before God?
We answer:
Our acceptance before God rests entirely upon Christ and his righteousness received through faith.
VI. How to Share the Gospel (5 min – 00:36–00:41)
Posture
Curiosity before correction...
Questions before verdicts...
Questions to Ask
"Tell me about your background. Were you raised Catholic, or did you come to it later?"
"What do you personally believe a person must do to be right with God?"
"If you died tonight, what would give you confidence that God would receive you?"
"What do you believe actually happened at the cross?"
Things to Listen For
Uncertainty about standing before God. That is an open door, not a weakness to exploit.
Genuine love for Christ that has never been connected to a finished work. That is a soul closer than they think.
Family loyalty. For many Catholics, leaving is not a doctrinal decision but a betrayal of grandparents. Take that seriously and do not belittle it.
Gospel
There are some important differences between how I understand the Bible and how you may have been taught to understand it.
I don't want to pretend those differences don't matter.
But I think there is something we can agree on:
We both want to know how a person can be right with God.
And we want the answer to be the same gospel that Jesus' apostles, men like Paul and Peter, taught in the New Testament.
May I show you from the Bible how they explained that gospel?
Romans 6.23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (CSB)
VII. Assignment... (1 min – 00:41–00:42)
Things to Pray For
Gospel Clarity
Soft Hearts
Something to Do
Pray for one Roman Catholic friend.
Ask a curios question of Roman Catholic friend.