Roman Catholics & Evangelicals - Where We Disagree Part 3
Well, folks, this is the last week focusing on the areas of agreement and disagreement between Roman Catholics and Protestants. You can go back and read part 1 and part 2 to get caught up if you missed. As you can see there are some important areas of agreement and many pivotal areas of disagreement. This week, we'll look at the last of these areas of disagreement: Mariology and Purgatory.
Mariology - Catholics hold Mary, the mother of Jesus, in high esteem. They first believe Mary was a virgin before, during, and after Jesus' birth. Protestants and Catholics agree on Mary's virginity before Jesus' birth. Catholics believe Jesus' birth caused her no pain and no change in her womb or hymen. Catholics view of her permanent virginity is drawn from Scripture (Luke 1:34), tradition, and reason. Protestants use Scripture and common sense reject Catholics position.
Next is the immaculate conception. Catholics believe Mary was free from the "stain of original sin." Catholics hold to various causes: the efficient cause, the formal cause (sanctifying grace), the meritorious cause, and the final cause. Catholics use Scripture (Genesis 3:15, Luke 1:28, 42), tradition, and reason to defend immaculate conception. After Aquinas Protestants have rejected the immaculate conception based on Scripture (Genesis 3:15, Luke 1:28, 41), the rejection of the immaculate conception by many Catholic theologians, and Catholics weak reason.
Next Catholics view Mary as sinless and without propensity to sin. Catholics use Scripture (Luke 1:28) and tradition. Protestants reject a sinless Mary because of Scripture (Luke 1:46, 2:22-24), the inaccurate rendering of Scripture, and many Church Fathers rejected a sinless Mary.
Another disagreement is over the bodily assumption of Mary into Heaven. Catholics use Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:23, Matthew 27:52-53, Luke 1:28) and speculative arguments. Protestants reject Catholics use of Scripture for the possibility rather than probability. Speculative arguments to rely on heavy assumption rather than explicit Scripture. Last, tradition appeared near the seventh century.
Catholics contend Mary plays a role of mediator, "mediatrix", between mankind and God. She mediates graces by the incarnation and by her intervention in Heaven. Catholics use Scripture (John 19:26) and weak tradition. Protestants reject all claims based on Scripture (1 Tim 2:5, John 10:1-11; Hebrews 1:2-3) and the conflicts in Catholic mariology.
The last major contention of mariology is Mary's veneration. Catholics hold Mary above another "creature, angels, or saints." Catholics use Scripture (Luke 1:28, 42; 11:27), tradition beginning in the third century, and analogy by being the ideal Christian. Protestants find no Scriptural text to support their view. The tradition is late and weak; and the analogies hold no proof. Here too lies problems for the Catholic veneration of relics. Catholics rely on tradition for the practice. Protestants rejects this practice from Scripture (Exodus 20:4-5, Genesis 19:1, 23:7, 33:3).
Purgatory - The Council of Trent made Purgatory an infallible dogma of the Catholic church. Such infallible doctrine is: 1) purification before entering Heaven; 2) purification involves pain; and 3) purification can be impacted by prayers of the living. Purgatory is a temporary experience to cleanse one from venial sins. Catholics use Scripture (Matthew 12:32, 1 Corinthians 3:15, Matthew 5:26), the apocrypha (2 Maccabees 12:42-46), and tradition of the cleansing fire. Protestants reject purgatory for several reasons: 1) it denies the sufficiency of the cross, 2) it rejects the immediacy of Heaven and Hell after death.
Catholics believe saints can build up a treasury of merit for the dead, which helps dispense undeserved mercy. Catholics use Scripture (Exodus 32:32, Job 1:5, 2 Corinthians 12:15, Colossians 1:24) and tradition. Protestants reject Catholics misinterpretation of Scripture. Tradition produced abuses such as buying of indulgences, which Luther rejected wholly.
Last Catholics belief individuals should pray to and for the dead. The main passage used by Catholics is the apocryphal 2 Maccabees 12:42-46. Scriptural support is pulled from 2 Timothy 1:18, 1 Timothy 2:1, Matthew 17:3. Tradition is used heavily in the defense of this dogma. Protestants reject praying to dead because : 1) God is to be the only focus of our prayers, 2) it is idolatry, 3) it is witchcraft, 4) it denies Christ as mediator, and 5) it conflicts with intervention of the Holy Spirit. Protestants reject praying for the dead because: 1) it is inconsistent with separation of death, 2) it opposes David's example, 3) it counters the example of Christ, and 4) and opposes the sacrifice of Jesus.
And that wraps up where Roman Catholics and Evangelicals disagree. There are some great areas of disagreement which need to be examined. As an evangelical, I stand by sola Scriptura: Scripture alone. Scripture interprets Scripture, therefore the Bible is the final authority not man or tradition.
I believe it is now the responsibility of both Catholics and Evangelicals to unite on many fronts. Some are the sacredness of life, the sacredness of sexuality, and the sacredness of the soul. I pray we now stand with Christ - no matter the cost.
Mariology - Catholics hold Mary, the mother of Jesus, in high esteem. They first believe Mary was a virgin before, during, and after Jesus' birth. Protestants and Catholics agree on Mary's virginity before Jesus' birth. Catholics believe Jesus' birth caused her no pain and no change in her womb or hymen. Catholics view of her permanent virginity is drawn from Scripture (Luke 1:34), tradition, and reason. Protestants use Scripture and common sense reject Catholics position.
Next is the immaculate conception. Catholics believe Mary was free from the "stain of original sin." Catholics hold to various causes: the efficient cause, the formal cause (sanctifying grace), the meritorious cause, and the final cause. Catholics use Scripture (Genesis 3:15, Luke 1:28, 42), tradition, and reason to defend immaculate conception. After Aquinas Protestants have rejected the immaculate conception based on Scripture (Genesis 3:15, Luke 1:28, 41), the rejection of the immaculate conception by many Catholic theologians, and Catholics weak reason.
Next Catholics view Mary as sinless and without propensity to sin. Catholics use Scripture (Luke 1:28) and tradition. Protestants reject a sinless Mary because of Scripture (Luke 1:46, 2:22-24), the inaccurate rendering of Scripture, and many Church Fathers rejected a sinless Mary.
Another disagreement is over the bodily assumption of Mary into Heaven. Catholics use Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:23, Matthew 27:52-53, Luke 1:28) and speculative arguments. Protestants reject Catholics use of Scripture for the possibility rather than probability. Speculative arguments to rely on heavy assumption rather than explicit Scripture. Last, tradition appeared near the seventh century.
Catholics contend Mary plays a role of mediator, "mediatrix", between mankind and God. She mediates graces by the incarnation and by her intervention in Heaven. Catholics use Scripture (John 19:26) and weak tradition. Protestants reject all claims based on Scripture (1 Tim 2:5, John 10:1-11; Hebrews 1:2-3) and the conflicts in Catholic mariology.
The last major contention of mariology is Mary's veneration. Catholics hold Mary above another "creature, angels, or saints." Catholics use Scripture (Luke 1:28, 42; 11:27), tradition beginning in the third century, and analogy by being the ideal Christian. Protestants find no Scriptural text to support their view. The tradition is late and weak; and the analogies hold no proof. Here too lies problems for the Catholic veneration of relics. Catholics rely on tradition for the practice. Protestants rejects this practice from Scripture (Exodus 20:4-5, Genesis 19:1, 23:7, 33:3).
Purgatory - The Council of Trent made Purgatory an infallible dogma of the Catholic church. Such infallible doctrine is: 1) purification before entering Heaven; 2) purification involves pain; and 3) purification can be impacted by prayers of the living. Purgatory is a temporary experience to cleanse one from venial sins. Catholics use Scripture (Matthew 12:32, 1 Corinthians 3:15, Matthew 5:26), the apocrypha (2 Maccabees 12:42-46), and tradition of the cleansing fire. Protestants reject purgatory for several reasons: 1) it denies the sufficiency of the cross, 2) it rejects the immediacy of Heaven and Hell after death.
Catholics believe saints can build up a treasury of merit for the dead, which helps dispense undeserved mercy. Catholics use Scripture (Exodus 32:32, Job 1:5, 2 Corinthians 12:15, Colossians 1:24) and tradition. Protestants reject Catholics misinterpretation of Scripture. Tradition produced abuses such as buying of indulgences, which Luther rejected wholly.
Last Catholics belief individuals should pray to and for the dead. The main passage used by Catholics is the apocryphal 2 Maccabees 12:42-46. Scriptural support is pulled from 2 Timothy 1:18, 1 Timothy 2:1, Matthew 17:3. Tradition is used heavily in the defense of this dogma. Protestants reject praying to dead because : 1) God is to be the only focus of our prayers, 2) it is idolatry, 3) it is witchcraft, 4) it denies Christ as mediator, and 5) it conflicts with intervention of the Holy Spirit. Protestants reject praying for the dead because: 1) it is inconsistent with separation of death, 2) it opposes David's example, 3) it counters the example of Christ, and 4) and opposes the sacrifice of Jesus.
And that wraps up where Roman Catholics and Evangelicals disagree. There are some great areas of disagreement which need to be examined. As an evangelical, I stand by sola Scriptura: Scripture alone. Scripture interprets Scripture, therefore the Bible is the final authority not man or tradition.
I believe it is now the responsibility of both Catholics and Evangelicals to unite on many fronts. Some are the sacredness of life, the sacredness of sexuality, and the sacredness of the soul. I pray we now stand with Christ - no matter the cost.
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