Confession
Confession to a Priest
Catholics teach that we must confess to a priest. In fact, if a Catholic sins a certain offensive sin and does not confess to a priest before death, then according to the Catholics, the person does not get to go to heaven with Jesus. In the Old Testament, the Jews went to a priest to confess their sins; the priest was behind a curtain, where the sinner could not cross. However, when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Through Jesus, we are reconciled to God. We go directly to God when we sin. We ask God to forgive us in the name of Jesus. Jesus intercedes for us, Romans 8:34. Jesus is our high priest. See Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14,15; 5:10; 6:20; 7:26,27, 28; 8:1; 9:7, 11, 25.
Matthew 27:51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
There is quite a bit to unpack here, so I shall do my best.
As far as death before confession and going to hell, that is only if the sin is an unrepentant grave sin. Such as murder, adultery, etc. The key is "unrepentant," meaning the person has no intent of ceasing or repenting of said grave sin.
Matthew 27:51 is a physical fulfillment of a prophecy made by Christ. It is not a destruction of confession. This event demonstrates that the destruction of the temple was a direct fulfillment of Christ, not the result of a common earthquake (hence, tearing from top to bottom, vs bottom to top).
So, Matthew 27:51 has nothing to do with confession. To say it does is an addition of clarification when no such claim is made within Scripture. As for the passages from Hebrews, none of those have anything relating to the negating of confession.
Yes, Romans 8:34 is entirely true. But, that does not negate the command of Christ in John 20. Jesus gave the Apostles the power to forgive and retain sins. This is imputed to them by Jesus/God, Himself. (Note: they will only forgive sins that would be forgiven in heaven, as they are bound by the Divine Will of Christ/God)
How do you explain John 20:23?
Infant Baptsim
Due to length, I will address each point as it is brought up in this post of yours.
Infant baptism is not biblical
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit....An infant cannot repent.
Where does Peter clarify that one must repent first? Sure, it is listed first. But, Christ said to "Baptize and teach." (Matthew 28:19) How can one be baptized without being taught first, given your clarification?
The way to salvation changes by infant baptism, it is not biblical. Catholics perform infant baptisms; they preach this falseness, which is a damaging blow to those needing the truth, those who want Jesus to save them.
Any Scriptural evidence that gives the explicit clarification about the age to baptize?
If not, it would appear that you are adding to Scripture.
Many Catholics try to use Matthew 19:13-14 to support their false doctrine of infant baptism.
13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
If the disciples were baptizing infants, as the Catholics claim, why do you think the disciples rebuked the people who brought the little children?
Why do you think Christ corrected the Apostles?
A more adequate biblical proof for infant baptism is the comparison to circumcision. The manner with which the Jews were entered into the Old Covenant, was circumcision. When was this usually carried out? As infants. Likewise, the manner in which one enters into the New Covenant is baptism. So, paralleling with the Old Covenant, which God ordained, when would make the most sense to carry out this act? Infancy.
You see, infant baptism is not biblical. In fact, infant baptism goes against the Word of God.
Again, please provide this clarification as it is given in Scripture.
Recall, entire households were baptized (Acts 16). Were infants not in any household? Were children not in any household? If so, where again is this revelation made?
Forbidding Marrying
Forbidding marrying
Catholics forbid their Nuns, Priests, Cardinals, Bishops, and Popes not to marry. The word of God tells us those teachings are teachings taught by demons. In addition, the Catholics teach to abstain from meat on Good Friday that is not from the scriptures.
1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
Here, you are taking practices and conflating them as doctrines.
Catholics only forbid religious orders to marry, if they have taken
vows to do so. Abstinence from sex and physical relationships for religious orders is a practice. Granted, it is a near universally practiced practice. This practice is done so that these persons can focus entirely on their calling. Likewise, husbands and wives cannot enter into religious orders, while married, since their calling is to be spouses and parents, as outlined in their vows.
Also, you are making 1 Timothy fit within your belief. Keep in mind, Timothy is a priest, ordained by Paul. The abstinence that Catholics, whether religious orders or not, are acts of self-sacrifice (not commandments from the Church), in order to enhance relationships with God. Is giving up such things in order to deepen one's relationship with God/Christ, sinful?
Catholic Traditions
Catholic Traditions
When Popes add teachings to the Bible, they call this man-made teachings “Tradition.”
False. Tradition is a truth or practice of belief held since the times of the Apostles. Popes cannot add to the Bible. This is made explicitly clear, as their job is to preserve the Scriptures, as they were given to the Church by God.
The Bible says the foundation was laid by the Apostles, and the Prophets, and Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. See Ephesians 2:20. No Pope or Bishops can add to God’s word. The foundation has been laid.
When the Apostles taught the Gospel, God also testified to what they said, God testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. See Hebrews 2:4; Galatians 3:4-6; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Romans 15:19; Acts 19:11; Acts 8:13; Acts 2:22.
When the Popes add teachings to the Christian beliefs that are not in the Bible…there are no signs and miracles from God to testify to the validity of those teachings. Furthermore, the teachings Popes add to the Bible, they contradict God’s word.
No Pope or Bishop has added to God's Word. The canon of Scripture is closed. That is a Catholic doctrine.
If you have an example, please provide it.
The oral Tradition of the Catholics is not biblical, and it is against the Word of God.
So, the Apostles did not orally teach things not recorded in Scripture?
Peter and the other apostles said: “We must obey God rather than men! (See Acts 5:29)
See what Jesus say about tradition from men.
Matthew 15:3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
Matthew 15:6 he is not to ‘honor his father ‘with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
Mark 7:8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”
Mark 7:9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
Mark 7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
Every single one of these quotes is reference to traditions that are in conflict with the Hebrew traditions. Note, that every single time, these traditions are made in order to promote individual vanity over devotion. These are all referencing practices not handed down in Mosaic Law.
I can expound more if I need to, but I think that you get the gist.
Mary and the Saints
Praying to Mary and the “Saints”
Catholics teach us to pray to Mary and the other “Saints”. However, there is only one Mediator between God and man, and that is Jesus, 1 Timothy 2:5.
It is wrong to pray to Mary. It is wrong to say the Rosary. Catholics even teach that we should pray to Saints, but we are not to pray to Saints. We can ask others to pray for us, but we are not to pray to others.
Catholics pray to Mary and ask her to go to Jesus with their request. They also do this with the Catholic saints.
I think your key misunderstanding here is in vocabulary and terminology.
What does "pray" mean? It comes from Latin "precari," which means to ask, entreat, or petition. So, you "asking" someone to "pray" for you = you "praying" to someone to "ask" for you. Prayer = petition.
So, when you use 1 Timothy 2:5 as proof of Christ being the sole Mediator between God and Man, as a means of disproving Intercession of the Saints, you should likewise use that as disproving asking another person to "pray" for you (If you wish to be intellectually consistent). The Intercession of Saints is attained by "prayer" to them. This is not worship. Just as Intercession by fellow brothers and sisters is "prayer" to them. Also, not worship.
Does it not stand to reason, accepting the immortal nature of the soul, that those who are in heaven are much more capable to pray and intercede for us to Christ, than those still mortal among us? This logic is why Catholics ask Saints, and Mary in particular, to take our prayers to Christ.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 2:5.
We do NOT go through Mary and Saints to get to Jesus and God! I hope you really do carefully consider these scriptures.
If you are asking others to pray for you, then you are introducing other mediators, thus going through mortal figures to get to Jesus and God.
Teachings about Mary
There is something about Mary
Teachings about Mary
Catholic Popes teach Catholics to elevate Mary. There is no such command in the Bible, nor are there any examples of such an act in the Bible. Mary would not want to be exalted in such a way. In fact, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” Jesus replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” See Luke 11:27-28. Does that sound like Jesus wanted Mary exalted to the level that the Catholic Church has exalted her? No. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” Jesus replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” See Luke 8:20-21. Does it sound like Jesus wants us to elevate and worship his mother? No!
I agree that Mary did not seek to be exalted in any way. That is part of being Full of Grace.
Jesus did not come to this world to be a husband, or a father, or a son to Mary. Jesus came to this world to save us. When Jesus was on the cross, Jesus called Mary “woman,” and gave her to one of his disciples.
John 19:26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,”
So, why did Jesus do this? Jesus spoke very little while on the Cross. Does it not make logical sense that each of the things He spoke would be of great importance and revelation?
So, if Mary is no more than mere mortal woman, of no significant, why this phrase "Behold your mother," and "behold your son?" John would have known Jesus' teachings regarding widows, poor, destitute, sick, etc. So, we can eliminate Jesus hammering home a teaching that John would have already known quite well. It only would stand to infer a greater point; that Mary was
The Mother.
Catholics believe Mary never had sexual intercourse with her husband Joseph. However, Joseph and Mary promised each other to get married, and this planned marriage was before Mary and Joseph knew that Mary was carrying the Son of God. If Mary had plans to marry a man…surely she had in mind to have a marriage bed.
Okay, so they were engaged to be married. But, when the angel announced the coming of Christ via conception of the Holy Spirit, Mary said "how can this be, for I know not man?" If you were engaged, and someone told you that you would soon conceive and bear a child, would you question how that could be?
Logic would stand that Mary was not planning on having children, since her response was not just directed at the present, but also the future.
Eucharist
Real Blood and Body in the wafer
Here are scriptures to show that there is not real presence in the bread and wine. John 6:60-64. Catholics believe that the priest can turn wafers into Jesus’ real body. A special box holds these wafers, the supposed body of Christ. There is even a service called Adoration, whereas parishioners can come to church, sit, and pray near the box of wafers, that box that they believe has the real body of Jesus. Catholics believe they can turn wine into the blood of Jesus. Jesus died once—on the cross, and the blood of Jesus shed once—on the cross. Jesus is not in a wafer. No one is turning the wafer into the body of Christ. No one is turning wine into Jesus’ blood.
Catholics believe that the Lord’s Supper is a sacrifice, a sacrifice every Mass where the priest turns the wafers into Jesus’ body. Catholics believe they are experiencing a miracle when the priest does this. No wonder Catholic teachings are that missing a Mass is sin. However, read what the word of God says. The word of God tells us that Jesus is the Sacrificial Lamb. In the Old Testament day after day every priest performs his religious duties again and again, offering the same sacrifices. However, when Jesus offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, see Hebrews 10:12. Did you hear that? Jesus offered for ALL time ONE SACRIFICE for sins. Jesus is not in a wafer, he is at the right hand of the Father.
By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy, see Hebrews 10:14. By “one sacrifice,” not a daily or weekly sacrifice of turning the wafers into the body of Christ, over and over again, by many priests all over the world.
We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, see Hebrews 10:10. How hard is that for anyone to understand that we have been made holy THROUGH the BODY of Jesus Christ ONCE for all?
Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself, see Hebrews 9:24-26. Jesus has appeared ONCE for ALL, not again and again in a wafer.
This is a very deep topic and might take longer to explain. I would like to address this at a later time, if that is okay.
