Continuing Our Catholicism Discussion

Yes, it has been months, maybe even years since I last posted about my studies on Catholicism. But a friend of mine has been asking a lot of questions recently, so I've had to return to the old hobby horse. Since I've done the work already, I figured I'd share my findings with my many, many readers (sarcasm implied). My husband helped me with this particular endeavor, so don't give me all the credit.

The Major Differences between the Reformed Church and the Roman Catholic Church

(Catholic Catechism used http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm, Westminster used http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/ )

1. Scripture
The Reformed and the RCC differ on how they view the authority of the Scriptures. The RCC views the Bible as part of the Word of God. The Word of God, in the RCC’s view, consists of the Scriptures and Tradition. It’s important to remember that the RCC includes the Apocrypha in their editions of the Bible, an addition that has been roundly rejected by the Reformed. Tradition includes the conclusions of the ecumenical councils and the pronouncements of the Pope. More broadly, Tradition also includes the teaching of the saints. While the Reformed do not have any problem with Tradition per se, they explicitly reject the idea that Tradition has any standing next to the Holy Scriptures. For the Reformed, the Scriptures are the beginning and the end of the discussion on divinity. If a pious man’s words or practices disagree with Scripture, they are to be rejected.

Catholic Catechism: See paragraphs 77, 78, 82
Example: Paragraph 82 says, As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, "does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence."

Westminster Confession: See Chapter 1 (Of the Holy Scripture)
Example: Paragraph VI. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.

2. Justification
The RCC views Justification as a life-long process that requires the person to cooperate with God’s grace in order to bring that person into a righteous position before God. Moreover, it’s possible for someone to lose the grace that they have if they commit a heinous sin, thus having to start all over again via confession and penance. With this view of Justification, the RCC can offer no Catholic any sense of assurance of salvation. This misunderstanding also led to the development of the doctrine of purgatory, which is essentially a holding tank for people who were Christians but didn’t obtain the righteousness necessary to face God. Once they reach that righteousness (via the living’s prayers, Masses said, etc.), that person can then go to Heaven. The Reformed teach that Justification is a one-time event. When a person confesses faith in Christ, God views that person as righteous on the basis of Christ’s, not the person’s, obedience. The Reformed teach that the RCC mistakes Justification with Sanctification, which is a life-long process of becoming more holy. However, the holiness we achieve in this life (which is God’s gracious gift, anyway) does not make us right in God’s eyes. Only CHRIST can do that.

Catholic Catechism: See Paragraph 1446, also see Council of Trent (used this website http://www.carm.org/religious-movements/roman-catholicism/council-trent-canons-justification )
For example: Paragraph 1446, “Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as "the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace."47

Westminster Confession: See Ch. XI (Of Justification)
Example: Paragraph II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love.


3. Baptism
The RCC teaches that Baptism is the beginning of Justification. It washes away Adam’s sin and makes one able to obey God. Baptism, in their view, works apart from the faith of the person baptized. Technically, a baptized person is saved…until they sin! The Reformed teach that baptism admits one into the church, but only living faith in Christ will save you. In other words, baptism is of little value without a living faith in Christ.

Catholic Catechism: Paragraph 1263, 1266
Ex: Paragraph 1263 “By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. In those who have been reborn nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God.”

Westminster Confession: See Chapter XXVIII (Of Baptism)
Ex: Paragraph V (of Ch. XXVIII): Although it is a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated, or saved, without it: or, that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.