Catholic Teachings Examined After the Death of Pope Benedict XVI

The Death of Pope Benedict XVI and the Protestant Response

All right, so I apologize to those who are expecting a lesson from Matthew chapter 3. At the last moment I decided to do something else because there's a pretty big story in in the news concerning Christianity or the church or if you want to call it that what do you think I'm referring to?

Well, it's the death of Pope Benedict the 16th. Now, the only reason I'm doing this is because many there have been many Protestants and evangelicals who have come out and they have made statements about Pope Benedict.

Basically saying what a great man he was and that he is with the Lord right now in heaven. Now I don't want to come out and say that I know where he is or act as though I'm the judge of his soul.

But.

For a person to say that a Pope is in heaven like it's well, of course he is. Of course, the Pope is in heaven. Tells you that things have really changed in Protestantism and evangelical Christianity, what's the obvious problem with this?

Well since the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s, you remember when we watched that movie a couple years ago on Martin Luther. Remember that since the Protestant Reformation? It's been understood that Rome has a different gospel they said about the Protestants that the Protestants were damned and that the Protestants had a different gospel and the Protestants said the same thing about Rome that Rome had a different gospel.

So what is The gospel, let's just turn to the book of Romans. This is kind of ironic. That Paul the Apostle Paul writes to the church at Rome, of course back in the first century. It was not The Roman Catholic Church, I believe that was a development that happened slowly over time.

But of course they claim to be what they claim to be the one true Church. If that's true, then we should all be Catholic.

But.

The issue really is over the gospel. So what does Paul say? To the church at Rome. Turn to Romans chapter 4. Paul says. What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found? According to the flesh.

For if Abraham was justified by works He has something to boast about but not before God for what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. So how was Abraham saved?

By faith. Right was it by works. No, it was by faith. Turn back to Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3 verse 28 Paul. After spending three chapters talking about the sinfulness of man He says. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by what?

Faith. Apart from the deeds of the law. So the major difference the issue of the Protestant Reformation is that the Catholic Church said the gospel was salvation by faith plus works and The Protestants said Martin Luther said no salvation is by faith alone so that's the issue is Salvation by faith alone.

Is that the gospel or is the gospel salvation by faith plus works? Now again, I I've heard people say Protestants and evangelicals they have said that the Pope is a great man. He's he's with the Lord today.

He's in heaven. How on earth do they know that? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would assume that the Pope if anybody that the Pope would believe the teachings of the Catholic Church. Now I don't want to come out and say that the Pope isn't in heaven because I don't really know that either.

Theoretically, he could have repented on his deathbed. He could have. I I don't see this as their teaching. But maybe in his heart he truly was trusting in Jesus Christ alone for his salvation. I think that would contradict much of his writings, but.

You know.

I can't point is I can't say that he's not in heaven any more than they can say that he is in heaven. But the deeper issue here is the gospel and I'm convinced that many Protestants and evangelicals Don't really understand what the gospel is if they think it's an automatic that of course popes die and go to heaven.

Do you see the concern? Something has happened. I want to read you some some statements from Protestant leaders throughout the centuries so things have obviously changed and if you have a question or comment, feel free to Raise your hand.

I want this to be a discussion. I think this is worth. It's kind of a rare thing when a Pope dies and of course he resigned. That's the first Pope in 500 years that resigned the new Pope. The world loves the new Pope.

So the Catholic Church is making serious inroads into evangelical Christianity some of the top Evangelical leaders have praised the Pope and he saved he's a Christian. He's our Pope and just Surprising statements.

Protestant Reformers on the Papacy

Okay. Here are some statements from Christian leaders throughout the century. You ready? Remember? This is not me. I'm not anti Catholic. I love Catholics. Catholics are just like anybody else. Catholicism though as a belief system.

I don't think it's in line with the teachings of Scripture. But these are not my quotes. Martin Luther, we know Martin Luther. He's the great Protestant Reformer the one who started it all back in the 1500s.

Martin Luther said that the papacy is the seat of the true Antichrist. It's a pretty strong again, that was Martin Luther. The papacy is the seat of the true Antichrist John Knox who is familiar with John Knox.

I believe he is the one who Founded or at least the Presbyterians descend from John Knox another great reformer of the church. He's considered that John Knox says if the Pope is not the Antichrist then nothing is.

That was John Knox. There's a statement by Charles Wesley. Wesley made similar statements about the Pope being The Antichrist not like the Antichrist of the end times. But like the seat of Antichrist like he's a false Christ.

And you know when the Pope comes into a country people go and they bow down they get down on their hands and knees. They kiss his feet. They kiss his ring. They If they bow to him, they that that is an act really that only Jesus would deserve.

And then John MacArthur. He said the Roman Catholic Church is a front for the kingdom of Satan. That's John MacArthur. Okay. Now I realize that some of you sitting here. There might be one of you might be offended by some of this like this is this is just too much.

So there might be somebody online watching. Who thinks this is a little much? But these are the leaders of Protestantism fast fast forward until today. Man like Rick Warren who's familiar with Rick Warren when Rick Warren was interviewed after the election of Pope Francis he he said he was interviewed by the Catholic network EWTN you've seen this on the cable channels.

He said to the man Raymond Arroyo. Who's now on Fox News? He said he referred to the Pope as our new Pope. And I when I heard that I thought what do you mean our new Pope. Rick Warren is a Southern Baptist.

So, what does he mean by our new Pope? But he said that Pope Francis he said is doing everything right? So Rick Warren then flew to the Vatican and met with Pope Francis and shook his hand and they had a grand old time.

The clear implication by that meeting is that They think that each other are Christians. I mean, that's the way it would seem on the surface. Joel Osteen has said similar statements the Pope. This is a direct quote.

The Pope is Fantastic. So I just as a contrast the Pope is fantastic. Compared to Martin Luther the papacy is the seat of the true Antichrist. Can you see the difference our new Pope? Spurge. I think I messed the Spurgeon quote up.

I think it was if The papacy cannot be called the seat of Antichrist and nothing else can or say something along those lines. But all these guys basically are of the same Viewpoint now any what's your first impression about all this is your reaction like well I didn't realize there's that big of a difference or are you like.

Well, yeah, obviously this is true, what's your reaction give me some of your input.

Yeah.

Teach the Word of God and the only way for salvation is through faith. But God doesn't want us to do good work, right?

Right and that's the big difference. We would say that good works are the evidence of salvation. But they believe that works are required for salvation. I think this may be the the biggest difference other than the gospel, which is obviously all that really matters in the end.

When we talk about receiving Christ. What are we talking about if you had to explain what it means to receive Christ? How would you explain that?

Okay.

So you're receiving Christ meaning you believe in him that he died on the cross for my sins. He rose again, and I'm trusting in Christ. I receive Christ in that I believe in him. I think that's how Evangelicals would explain receiving Christ.

Do you know what the Catholic Church teaches? What does it mean to receive Christ? As far as Rome is concerned. Well, if you've seen the little wafer. Where the priest hands out and they come up and he puts it in their mouth or in their hand when they eat the wafer.

That is receiving Christ. So we have a totally different idea of what it means to receive Christ. We believe it means you trust in him believe the gospel to them. Christ is in the wafer. They believe that the Eucharist the bread and the wine Contain the body soul and divinity of Christ.

That's why they bow when they come into the church and they do the genuflect. Before they get into the pew they believe God is in that little box and that that wafer that cracker that is literally Christ and That's how they receive Christ and eternal life through the sacraments of the church.

Again that's totally different from what we believe. All right, let's turn to John chapter 3 and here's the thing if you say. Well, yeah, we already get this Members of Morris Corner Church. I already understand all this.

It's not really necessary. Well, if I never if I never said another word or whoever the next pastor is here. Whenever that is if they never said another word over time people would start to believe what everybody else in the world believes.

That well, yeah, there's some differences, but really all just Christians, you know, it's there's not really that big of a difference. That's the popular viewpoint today. So it's necessary to spend a time like this and to discuss these things because if people are never taught this.

Unless they're researching it on their own there. You're never gonna know. So the only reason we believe the way we believe is this is what we've been taught. Or you just study the Bible for yourself, maybe and you see the clear differences, but look at John chapter 3.

This is another Major issue of what does it mean to be born again? To us being born again is everything. What does he say John chapter 3? Starting in verse 3 Jesus answered and said to him Nicodemus most assuredly I say to you unless one is what?

Born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So what does it mean to be born again? Well, it's the same thing as trusting in Christ or receiving Christ. You believe in the death burial and resurrection you trust in Jesus for salvation and you are born again.

By faith you are saved. God through the Holy Spirit regenerates your dead spirit. You become a child of God. That's what it means to be born again that you now have the spirit of the Living God Inside of you because you believe the gospel.

What does the Roman Catholic Church teach and what it means to be born again? Well, I'll give you a little hint and they would base this on Verse 5 Jesus answered most assuredly I say to you unless one is born of water.

And the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. So what did they say it means to be born again? It means you're baptized. So when the little two-week-old baby is, you know. The spoon of water is drizzled on the baby's head that baby gets born again when it's baptized.

So again, we have a completely different idea of what it means to receive Christ. We have a completely different understanding of what it means to be born again. And we have two different Gospels one salvation by faith alone.

Rome's gospel is salvation by faith. Plus works. I just want to read a statement from the Council of Trent. This is the council the Catholic Church Formed brought together during the time of the Reformation.

Here's what they said. The Catholic Church said in the Council of Trent. If anyone says that the faith which justifies is nothing else. But trust in the divine mercy which pardoned sin because of Christ.

Or that it is trust alone or faith alone by which we are justified. Let him be anathema or let him be accursed. So in this declaration the Catholic Church. Officially and with their declarations. This is like written in stone.

This can never be changed. Rome anathema ties the gospel. So just to paraphrase this if you believe that you're saved by faith alone in Christ. You're damned you're accursed and and some of you are old enough to remember back in the 19.

What 50s 1960s Catholics pretty much hated Protestants and you're all going to hell and Protestants. Look the Catholics and you're all going to. Wasn't that the way it was? Okay. Now I'm glad it's not that way anymore.

I believe in being kind to people. I don't. I wouldn't want the the vicious nature of it. And of course you go back even further. Protestants and Catholics were killing each other. And they were at war one nation.

Protestant nation against the Catholic nation. So I'm glad things have improved in that sense. But really this is a matter of eternal life. This goes to the core of the gospel now when you hear or think of the Catholic Church, what do you think of?

We all know there's differences, but what do you think of what are some of the. Some of the differences that come to mind. Okay, so you have to go to the priest to get absolution and what do they call the priest Father.

Okay. Now can that priest forgive sin. See and here's another major difference when we seek forgiveness. Where do we go? Yeah, we pray to God and we do it through Christ, but we ask for God's forgiveness.

They're going to a man to receive forgiveness and they actually believe in that confessional booth that. In a sense the priest acts as Jesus Christ. And he's called father and the the Pope, you know what the term Pope means Father.

Yeah, Pope simply means father and he's called the Holy Father, which is a title really only. Well, it should be reserved for God. I mean God is the only Holy Father but what else do you think of. So there's the priest Who forgives sins.

What else? Okay the rituals right now there's nothing really wrong necessarily with if you want to have incense in your church and you want to kind of. You know bow and go from place to. I don't. I don't know there's anything wrong with that necessarily.

But the whole idea of the mat where you're referring to is the mass and the mass. Is believe they believe it is a real sacrifice. So Jesus is being represented or re-sacrificed on the Roman altar. When Jesus was killed the first time it was on a Roman cross now in the mass.

He's being re-sacrificed.

On.

The altar so the the cup is his literal blood.

The.

The cracker is his literal body and he's being in a sense re-sacrificed for the forgiveness of sin. That's the teaching of the mass. So all the ceremony revolves around the Eucharist and the Lord's Supper.

What else do you think of? Praying to Mary. I mean this should be an obvious no-no Mary was the human woman. She's a great woman. That's that's fine. But how would Mary hear your prayers? Really? She's not God.

How would she hear your prayers? So they have to believe that Mary can hear. Probably thousands tens of thousands. Maybe even millions of people all over the world day after day are praying to Mary. They have to believe that she hears all these prayers.

How would she do that unless they gave to her the attributes of deity? That's the problem. They they venerate Mary. They really worship her they will bow to statues of her but Mary is seen as a co-mediator.

Or mediatrix with Christ. Whereas the Bible say there is one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus. But to the Catholic Church, they have many mediators. Mary is a mediator. The Pope is a mediator.

Do you know when Popes die? There will be people now praying to Pope Benedict the 16th. You know whenever they canonize him maybe even before that people pray to dead Popes. And Saints right? Yeah, and the Saints are mediators.

So they have all these different mediators. So the priest is basically a go-between you can't go directly to God you have to go through him. And you have to go through their priests not just any minister any Christian minister has to be one of their priests.

So they in that sense, they're kind of keeping people at arm's length. You can't come to God, which is totally untrue. You can come to God through faith in Jesus. But they have all these barriers and roadblocks set up.

Joyce you had a hand up. What do you think of? Okay, Mary, right? Right, graven images. So we have a different list of Ten Commandments. Our commandments have no other gods before me. What's commandment number two?

Do not make unto thee any graven images. Well, they they skip that one. And then then you only have nine so they break coveting into two. So you shall not covet your neighbor's wife nor your neighbor's goods.

But yeah, they they do not believe in that prohibition against graven images. Obviously because their churches are filled with statues that people bow and pray to. I mean that should be an obvious issue.

What else what else do you think of?

A lot of Catholics I know believe if they give money to the church, they're going to heaven.

Right, right. And this is also incorporated in the mass. When a mass is held, if you give money, you can get your deceased loved one's name attached to the mass. And if you have enough masses held for that person that can get them out of purgatory that much quicker.

You know where the Pope resides in St. Peter's Basilica that massive structure in Vatican City. You realize that was built off the back of the poor in Europe. People salesmen would go around Europe and say, hey, you know, your grandmother is suffering in the flames of purgatory right now.

Don't you want to get her out? Well, if you get give so much money, the more money you give. They would give what is called an indulgence and they were basically it's not buying your way into heaven. But you're buying your loved one's way out of purgatory, which is I mean, it's just sick.

I don't sorry. That's just all that is. I know this isn't the popular thing to do. The popular thing these days is to just, hey, let's pray for unity. Let's all join together. Let's set aside our differences.

But if you really believe the teachings of Scripture, you can't look at Catholicism in biblical Christianity and say it's the same thing. Because it's not. Now, does that mean?

Yes, go ahead.

Oh, I was just going to go on with your original list about things that we recognize the Catholics. One thing that they're recognized by is crossing themselves, right?

Crossing themselves.

Especially at a baseball game or where they're doing anything, they cross themselves first.

Right. Yeah. And there's a special way to do it left to right or I think it's left to right or right to left. You know, I mean, to me, that's probably the least of my concerns. But yeah, that would identify somebody as a Roman Catholic if they if they cross themselves.

But that kind of goes to the ritual thing that they think they're saved. Many Catholics, not all, but many believe they're saved because I did this. I cross myself I go to church.

I give money I eat the bread.

I do this. I well, that's not really how a person to say. That's not the gospel. You're saved by faith alone. So in the Protestant Reformation, there were the five soul. Who's heard of the five solas of the Reformation?

So there's grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, Scripture alone in the glory. And it's all to the glory of God alone. So these are the five solas of the Reformation. What's another big difference? We believe it's all about the Bible alone is our final authority.

They think they think the Pope can make a decree in his words are just as authoritative as Scripture. So they believe the Bible. They would say we believe the Bible, too. But we also have the Pope and what his what he teaches.

And the magisterium of the church. So they have three sources of authority. The Bible, the Pope, and the magisterium of the church. And we're going to look at a list where clearly the teachings of the church contradict the Bible.

Scripture, Authority, and the Catholic Church

Larry and then Mark.

And often the priest will tell the people not to read the Bible. But listen to what he says the Bible means.

Right. Yeah. And I want to be fair I thought about certain things to say and then well, well, that applies to evangelicals, too. So I'm not going to give them a hard time. That's true for a lot of Protestants and evangelicals.

They listen to what the preacher says and they're not basing it off them. So that's that's something that's true for both. But historically, Catholics were for a long time discouraged from reading the Bible.

The attitude is you can't understand it. Don't read the Bible for yourself. Just, you know, believe what we tell you. Well, that's problematic.

Mark, there's several differences between the Catholic Bible.

Right. The the Catholic Bible contains the Apocrypha. So I forget if it's an extra 14 books I think it's an extra 14 or 12 or whatever it is. Yeah, they have several additional books that we do not believe are inspired.

So, yeah, the Catholic Bible is bigger than than our 66 books. I see another hand. Did you have? OK, let's look at some of the differences. And, you know, I I think a person can hear enough truth in the Catholic Church to be saved.

I actually think that is possible. They have many of the correct beliefs about Jesus and his person and his. But at some point it's either clouded by all of their tradition or there's some teachings that are just heretical.

But in theory, someone could go to a Catholic church where they do read from the Bible. They do say a lot of things that are true. And they have a lot of teachings about Christ and the virgin birth and the resurrection.

That in theory, a person could be saved by hearing this truth in the Catholic Church. I just have to believe the Holy Spirit would lead them out. That's always been my position. I still believe that. But OK, here are some obvious differences.

Let's compare what the Catholic Church teaches to the Bible. We already mentioned a couple of these Catholics are instructed to call the priest father. Well, in Matthew 23 verse 9 Jesus said, do not call anyone on earth your father.

For one is your father who is in heaven. So they say, call the priest father. Jesus says, do not call anyone father. That's a clear contradiction. Now, they'll respond. They have responses to everything.

They have professional apologists who defend all of this stuff. But they will often respond. Well, Mike, you call your dad father, right? Well, here's the difference. He actually is my father. The Catholic priest is not my father or anyone else's father.

Matter of fact, to them, it's a sin for him to be a father. And this is another thing. That the Catholic Church absolutely forbids Priests and bishops to be married. The Pope, something everybody knows about the Pope.

He's not married. Well, they're supposedly celibate. Whether they're actually celibate, only God knows. But that's the teaching that the bishops, the popes, the priests. They're not allowed to get married.

What does the Bible say? Well, the apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 3, 1 and 2. If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife.

So according to Paul, not only can they be married. But Peter, who was the first pope, supposedly. Correct me if I'm wrong, didn't Jesus heal Peter's mother-in-law? Well, what does that tell you? And Paul said at one point.

Don't we have the right to take a believing wife with us? See, Paul and Barnabas were celibate. And he said, all the other apostles are married. Why couldn't we do that if we wanted to? So Peter and all the apostles were married.

So that's another difference. And if you think of one, feel free to add it. The priests claim to have the power to forgive sin. So when you go into the confessional. They absolve you of your sin. What does the Bible say?

Mark 2, verse 7. Well, this is in question form. But who can forgive sins but God alone? Well, that's a rhetorical question. All the Jews understood. Everybody in the Bible understood. Only God can forgive sin.

So how is it that the priest claims to have this power to forgive sin? Catholics pray and bow in front of statues. Exodus 20, we already referenced this. The Ten Commandments say. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.

You shall not bow down to them. The Catholic Church teaches. You are saved by faith and works. Or faith working together with your works. Ephesians 2, 8 and 9 says. For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of works. Lest any man should boast. Another contradiction. When praying the rosary. The same prayers are offered again and again and again. Have you seen someone pray the rosary?

They're saying the same thing again and again and again and again and again. What did Jesus say? In Matthew 6, verse 7 Jesus said. And when you pray. Do not use vain repetitions. As the heathen do. So this is kind of a heathen.

Or a.

It's a pagan concept. That, you know, you think that God's gonna hear you. Because you. You say the same thing enough times. Or do these incantations to get God's attention. That's not the way it works.

The Catholic Church. Here's the big one that. Well, we alluded to it. The Catholic Church teaches purgatory. Does the Bible teach purgatory? Well, I'd like to know where it is.

If it.

If the Bible does teach purgatory. Well, what did Paul say? 2 Corinthians 5, verse 7. We are confident, yes. Well pleased, rather to be Absent from the body. And to be, what? Present with the Lord. So according to the apostle When a person dies When a believer dies, they go into the presence of the Lord.

Well, the Catholic Church Teaches that, no. If you are redeemed Then you go to purgatory. And you might be there for Thousands and thousands of years. Being purged from your sin. Matter of fact, they would appeal To 1 Corinthians chapter 3.

This is being saved As it were, through fire. Remember that passage. They believe that the flames In purgatory, it's like Gold in the Refiner's fire, that all the dross Comes off and you're purified in purgatory.

That's not what the Bible teaches. Absent from the body. Present with the Lord. Okay, the Catholic Church teaches that the Pope is what? What is the Pope? He is the head Of the Church. That's a well known title for the Pope.

He's the head of the Church. What does the Bible say? Colossians 1 18. And he, that is Christ Is the head of the body. The Church. So all these statements that I read by Luther. And I think there's one by John Calvin.

And Wesley and John Knox. And Charles Haddon Spurgeon and John MacArthur. And all these leaders throughout History. Their issue in calling the Pope the Antichrist. Or the papacy being the seat Of Antichrist.

Is that he is an imitation of Christ. Matter of fact. Another title for the Pope is the Vicar of Christ. Do you know what the term Vicar of Christ means? He is the One who stands in the place Of Christ.

That's what Antichrist means. Antichrist Is not someone who is opposed to Christ. Although the Antichrist Is opposed to Jesus, that's true. But the term.

Antichrist.

Means one who is In place of Christ, you know when the Final Antichrist comes You know what he's going to do. He's going to claim to be who? Christ, he's going to claim To be the Lord and that's Essentially what the Pope has done, he has usurped The authority of Christ Claiming to be the Holy Father, the head of the Church He has the power to forgive sin And all the rest.

So the Protestants Weren't just being mean, they weren't Just trying to insult the guy, I mean this is a Matter of Biblical Doctrine, now if you don't care about Doctrine and all you care about is unity And getting along then.

You know you're probably upset with me right now Guys like me aren't supposed to Exist anymore, you know we've All supposed to have died and the next generation Is going to usher in this worldwide Unity, well that day will come.

But there's still a few of us Left.

So.

If I ever.

Mark this down, if I ever Affirm the Catholic Church As a true church or affirm their Gospel as efficacious for Salvation, mark it down, I have gone Apostate, I have departed from the faith.

You're fired.

Yes.

But.

You would be surprised how many Evangelical ministers In their heart of hearts They're getting a little squishy On this but It's because you really have To kind of stand against the tide. It's much easier to just Go with the flow or at least remain Quiet and not address It.

But if we really Believe the truth of Scripture Again we have to admit that this is not what the Bible teaches, alright the Catholic Church claims that Mary remained A virgin for life.

Well.

In Mark chapter 6 Verse 3 they said about Jesus Is this not the Carpenter, the son of Mary And the brother of James Joses, Judas and Simon. And are not his sisters here With us as well. So according to the Gospels Jesus Said brothers and sisters so.

The idea that they teach Mary was A virgin for life is just Bizarre and they have All sorts of weird Teachings about that. But why Do they teach that. Because Mary is Like a goddess. Because Catholics refer to Mary As what.

So the Pope Is the Holy Father he's got The title of God basically. And what do they call Mary Holy Mother right.

Yeah.

There's another term though Queen of Heaven Queen of Heaven. But do you know the Bible actually talks About the Queen of Heaven.

In.

Jeremiah 7 18 Jeremiah writes This is actually God Speaking through the prophet The children gather wood The fathers kindle the fire And the women need dough To make cakes for the Queen of Heaven And they pour out drink Offerings to other gods That they may provoke me To anger.

So this is What God says that they are Worshipping the Queen of Heaven Which was a Babylonian goddess And this is what Catholicism Is it is. They have a lot of truth. I'll say that they have a lot of truth But it's a blending of Christianity with Pagan religion so there's the Babylonian Mystery religion Queen of Heaven and they just take Christianity And Paganism just mix them together.

When.

The Emperor Constantine Took power and he He can supposedly Converted to Christianity and that Point the Roman Empire started To adopt Christianity as the Official religion of the Roman Empire. All they did was take the Greek Gods And they just kind of baptized Them and now they're called Peter and Paul and you know the statue For the Queen of Heaven we'll call her Mary The statue of Zeus.

That's now Peter. All they did was Baptize all these Pagan beliefs and traditions And idols and now they just called it by Christian Names. That's all they did. The Catholic Church teaches people How to pray to Mary and the saints we already Mentioned this first Timothy 2 5 for there Is one God and one mediator between God And men the man Christ Jesus.

We mentioned the Catholic Church forbids priests And bishops to Mary. One last thing the Catholic Church has taught That certain foods are not To be eaten on certain days. Again I don't know that they do this anymore.

But it was pretty common you know. There's actually restaurants on Friday they'll have the soup of the day and It's clam chowder or something. You know why restaurants Do that Right fish on Friday who remembers this.

Yeah fish on Friday. You can't eat certain Meats and they had all these rules about What you can and cannot Eat. Well wouldn't you Know the Apostle Paul addressed that as Well first Timothy 4 1 Through 3 he says now the Spirit expressly says that in Latter times some will Depart from the faith giving heed To deceiving spirits And doctrines of demons Speaking lies in hypocrisy Having their own conscience Seared with a hot iron Forbidding to marry And commanding to abstain From foods which God created To be received with thanksgiving By those who believe and know the Truth.

So when the Apostle Paul says That in latter days people are going to teach Doctrines of demons What does he identify as these Doctrines of devils Forbidding people to marry Which is what they do to their clergy And abstaining from certain Foods which they do with fish on Friday so you know at some Point you just have to say This this is not Christianity.

This is a corruption Of Christianity and God bless those Protestant Reformers who you know we wouldn't agree With everything they taught and believed. But I do believe that Luther And Calvin and all Of these men.

I do believe they were right On the gospel.

So.

Is Luther.