Not Everyone who says "Lord, Lord.."

I have had some questions lately as to why I believe the Catholic doctrine is false, and I have put together the answers and decided to post them so that I don't have to answer it repeatedly. There are many Catholic teachings with which I disagree, though not all of them I would call false doctrine, and not all of them are matters I would consider to be pertinent to salvation. I have covered here just the handful of verses that talk about false teachers.

Q: How can you say that Catholics have false teachings when they believe in Jesus? I don't understand how people can be so hateful toward such loving and devoted people...

A: I also have no hatred toward Catholics, and I so wish to see them brought to salvation. But I do believe they are blinded and deceived, and their salvation is not dependant on Christ ALONE as the Bible teaches, but through a series of other hoops and other people. They are sincere, but in my studying, they are sincerely wrong. And maybe all Catholics do not agree with these teachings, but they have declared themselves part of a church that holds to them as true, so it is "guilt by assocication" even if they don't live by it.

If you read through history before the reformation, especially in the time of the crusades, catholics generally did what they were told out of blind faith. After the reformation and the World Wars and women's liberation, and a host of other cultural upheavals, the church started to change.

You brought up the debate on another page that cites 1 John 4, which states we will know true believers by their profession or denial of the truth that Christ came in the flesh. And that is one way to determine. Someone is obviously not teaching truth if they do not teach Christ for who he really was. But that is not the whole of determining it. James 2:19 tells us that even the demons admit to who Christ is, so we cannot take one verse out of context and use it to determine true and false doctrine. We have to, in fact, weigh the teachings against the whole of scripture to see if it fits. Here are a few that I believe answer the question of whether the Catholic doctrine can be reconciled to the Bible:


1 Timothy 4:1-3 "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; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
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."

*Catholics do not allow their priests to marry, admitting that it is a doctrine of man and not expressly forbidden in the Bible

*Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent. It used to be every Friday through the year, but this is an example of one of the many tenants that chaged due to pressure from Catholics who wanted a more 'normal' life.


2 Peter 2:1-2 "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."

*I think this verse speaks of the 'apostasy' the Catholic church has had to embrace in order to allow all other churches to be saved, even if it is a defunked salvation, as well as leaving the door open for those who have never believed on Christ to be saved by default. There cannot be levels of salvation. They have made Christ's sacrifice of no merit. Here is a very scary but interesting read about the 'one world church' theory being played out before our eyes. What about 1 John 2:23?


Acts 17:10-11 "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

*This says that we will know false doctrine if we cannot find it in the scriptures!
Note how the argument at the other site keeps going to the Catholic Catechism, or the church cannon, or the pope. I have not seen actual scriptural backing for these things being discussed. In fact, as I looked for links that had the info in them so I would not have to re-type everything out of the Catechism book, that was all I found in articles defending the teachings.


Ephesians 4:14-15 "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."

*I believe this is not just a warning to watch out for false doctrines, but also a way to recognize them. At the end of 15, he says that Christ should be the head of the church. Not a man. Previously in the chapter he talks about how teachers have been sent, but that they are not to be the head, Christ is. It is false teaching to place a man in the role of head of the church. Christ is head.


2 Corithians 11:12-13 "But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ."

This whole chapter talks about following false doctrine, but especially 12-15 for me, where he is saying that men who come and say they have equal revelation with the apostles who were chosen by God and heard his voice were false prophets. The Roman church claims that each pope is chosen by God to be a 'prophet' and that is why they give him the power to change the Word.



1 Timothy 1:3-7 "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm."

Paul warns here about those who would worry about geaniologies, or more like family name status (like Kennedy or Rockefeller) or the supposed AGE of their church as a way to know that it is the right church. But Paul says that your background means nothing to whether you are teaching the truth. As an interesting side note, the Catholic popes are required to chose a new name upon the moment of their 'installment' so that they are a party of the previous lines of church fathers (geaniology!). This is also why nuns are Sister Mary ______, after the mother of Christ.



Titus 1:10-11 "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake."

This passage from Titus talks about those who would make up their own teachings for the sake of making money. Like paying for a mass to get someone out of an imaginary demi-hell? The story of the rich man and Lazarus is our proof that we get one chance, and when we die, our chance is over. There is no having the living pray us out of our situation, and there is no scripture that teaches pergatory. And if a priest is sacrificing everythign to live for Christ, why should people have to pay for masses? Do nuns get paid for their hours of prayer? I thought the popint was a lif eof poverty for the sake of Christ.


Romans 16:17-18 "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

I hear this one explained in light of Catholic teachings as their use of so many 'extras' being the stumbling blocks in the way of people finding the truth. They have extra books, extra requirements for salvation, extra prayers, extra large churches (when the money should be going to the poor at the Bible says) and on and on. Can you honestly find a verse to back up the extra practices of Catholicism?


2 Timothy 3:5 "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

They will have a form of godliness but deny its power. That to me sounds a lot like 'Christ died, but we still have to work for our salvation and then spend some time in a semi-torturous state to pay for our sins'. There is not enough faith in the power of Christ over sin.


Matthew 7:15-16 "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"

This one has been used to try and prove to me that the Catholic church must be true because they are very charitable and give so much to disaster relief. But what fruits is Jesus talking about here? It can't simply be good deeds, because there are many people who donate money, time, and talents to charity, and are still atheists or agnostics. He didn't say by their deeds we would know them, but by their fruit. We are told that the fruits of a spirit-filled Christians (and we HAVE to be filled with the spirit to truly be Christians) are "...love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance..." (Galatians 5:22-23). The main ones that jump out at me are joy and peace.

When you teach a doctrine that tells people that cannot truly know they are saved, and that they will have to be punished for their sins regardless of the sacrifice of Christ to cover sins, how can they possible have peace?

We have peace and joy because of the ASSURANCE of our salvation:

Luke 1:76-79 "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 7:48-50 "And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Now these men were about to face persecution, struggle, and death. What possible peace could he have been talking about? Not of the world, as he stated, but intheir assurance that he was coming to take them to heaven with him. John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Hebrews 10:22 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."


Ephesians 2:13-15 "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace."

Acts 2:27-28 "Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance."

Romans 5:11 "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."