True Church vs. Counterfeit Churches (Series)

Roman Catholicism — Authority and the Gospel

Roman Catholicism stands apart from the other groups we have looked at. Unlike Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Roman Catholic Church officially affirms the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, and the Virgin Birth. We share the ancient creeds (Nicene and Apostles’) with them.

However, the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century occurred because the Reformers realized that while Rome held to the person of Christ, its official teaching had obscured the work of Christ and the authority of His Word.

The differences are not merely matters of style or liturgy; they strike at the heart of how a sinful person is made right with a holy God.

---

1. The Issue of Authority: Sola Scriptura vs. The Three-Legged Stool

Who has the final say in the life of the church?

The Roman Catholic View

Rome teaches that authority rests on a “three-legged stool”:

1. Scripture
2. Sacred Tradition (teachings passed down orally or through practice)
3. The Magisterium (the teaching office of the Church, led by the Pope)

In this system, the Church stands over the Bible as its authoritative interpreter. They argue that because the Church discerned the canon (the list of books), the Church has authority over the book.

The Biblical View (Sola Scriptura)

The Bible claims to be the unique, God-breathed authority. The church did not create the truth; the church was created by the truth (the gospel message). The church “recognized” the inspired books; it did not give them their authority.

• 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV): “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…”
• Mark 7:8 (NIV): Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for elevating tradition: “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

The Difference: If the Bible says “X” and Tradition says “Y,” a Protestant submits to the Bible. A faithful Roman Catholic must accept the Church’s interpretation that harmonizes them, effectively placing the Church above the plain reading of Scripture.

---

2. The Issue of Justification: Imputed vs. Infused Righteousness

This is the central debate of the Reformation. “Justification” is the legal verdict where God declares a sinner “not guilty” and “righteous.”

Justification is of utmost importance for every sinner because it determines their eternal destiny—either heaven or hell. According to the Bible, all humanity stands guilty before a holy and righteous God due to sin (Romans 3:23). Justification, however, refers to God’s legal declaration where He forgives a sinner’s guilt and credits them with righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24-26). This is crucial because, without justification, a person remains condemned before God and faces the eternal punishment of hell (Romans 6:23).

Justification by faith ensures that sinners are reconciled with God, granted peace with Him (Romans 5:1), and given the hope of eternal life in heaven. It is a one-time act of God’s grace, not dependent on human works, but on believing in the atoning death and resurrection of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). For anyone who rejects this free gift of justification, the Bible warns of eternal separation from God’s presence (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Thus, justification is the foundation of salvation and central to a person’s eternal destiny.

The Roman Catholic View: Infused Righteousness

Rome teaches that grace is infused (poured) into the sinner’s heart, starting at Baptism. This grace enables you to do good works, and by cooperating with this grace, you actually become righteous inside. Eventually, based on this internal righteousness, you are justified.

• The danger: Your standing before God depends partly on your own holiness and performance. If you sin, you lose some of that grace and must restore it through sacraments (penance). This is why official Catholic teaching denies that a believer can have “assurance of salvation”—because you don’t know if you will have done enough by the end.

The Biblical View: Imputed Righteousness (Sola Fide)

The Bible teaches that when we trust Christ, His perfect righteousness is imputed (credited) to our account. It is a legal exchange: He took our sin; we got His righteousness.

• Romans 4:5 (NIV): “However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV): “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

The Difference:

While the Roman Catholic Church does teach that salvation requires God’s grace and faith, they adamantly deny that grace and faith are sufficient on their own. By adding human works and the Church’s sacraments to the equation, the Council of Trent officially placed a curse on the biblical Gospel of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

In other words:

• Catholicism: God justifies you because you are becoming good (Process).
• Biblical Christianity: God justifies you because Christ is good, and you are united to Him by means of faith in Him alone, a faith given to you by God (Declaration).

---

3. The “Five Solas” (The Reformation’s Guardrails)

The Reformers summarized the gospel with five “alones” (Latin: sola) to protect against adding human effort to salvation.

Sola (Alone)	Biblical Teaching	The Catholic Addition
Sola Scriptura	Scripture alone is our final authority.	Scripture + Tradition + Magisterium.
Sola Fide	Faith alone is the instrument of salvation.	Faith + Works of love + Sacraments.
Sola Gratia	Grace alone saves us (gift).	Grace is the fuel, but we must do the work.
Solus Christus	Christ alone is our Mediator.	Christ + Mary & Saints (as intercessors) + Priests.
Soli Deo Gloria	Glory to God alone.	Glory is divided when human merit plays a role.

---

4. Common Questions and Objections

Objection: “Are you saying Catholics aren’t Christians?” Response: We are discussing the official theology of the Roman Catholic Church. There are undoubtedly individuals within the Catholic Church who truly trust Jesus alone for their salvation, despite what their church officially teaches. However, the system of doctrine obscures the gospel of grace.

Objection: “James 2:24 says ‘a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.'” Response: We must read James in context. Paul (Romans 3-4) speaks of how a man is justified before God (legal standing). James speaks of how a man is justified before men (evidence). James is arguing that true faith will always produce fruit. We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone—it results in good works, fueled by love. Jesus said, “if you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15).

Objection: “Why does it matter if it’s ‘infused’ or ‘imputed’?” Response: First, it matters for your peace of conscience. If your justification depends on your own “infused” goodness, you can never know if you have done enough. You live in fear. If your justification depends on Christ’s “imputed” perfection, you have peace with God (Romans 5:1) because Christ’s work is finished.

It also matters for salvation for the same reason that Paul, in Romans 10:1-4, expresses his heartfelt desire for the salvation of his fellow Jews who were zealous for God but pursued a righteousness based on their own works rather than submitting to the righteousness provided by God. Paul explains that they sought to establish their own righteousness (which aligns with the notion of “infused” righteousness, where a person relies on their own goodness for justification) instead of trusting in the righteousness of Christ, which is “imputed” to believers through faith.

Paul contrasts these two approaches: self-righteousness versus righteousness through faith in Christ. He emphasizes that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes. If salvation depends on infused righteousness (personal goodness and works), then people are left striving in vain, unable to meet the perfect standard of God. But if righteousness is imputed—credited fully from Christ by faith—then salvation is based solely on Christ’s finished work, granting peace with God and true salvation.

---

Conclusion: The Finished Work

The beauty of the biblical gospel is found in Jesus’ last words on the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30).

The Roman Catholic system, with its Mass, purgatory, and penance, functionally suggests, “It is started… now you finish it.”

We invite our Catholic friends to put down the burden of trying to earn their way to heaven and to rest entirely in the sufficient righteousness of Jesus Christ.

• Titus 3:5 (NIV): “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”