What Roman Catholics Find When They Study Their Own Bible

 
When we say “their” Bible, we have reference to the Roman Catholic New American Bible published by Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington D.C. with the encouragement of Archbishop Cicognani, Delegate to the United States.
 
Roman Catholics are taught many things. They are often told about the contents of their Bible. If they would study it for themselves, they would find that their Bible encourages investigation and reading.
 
They would find ‑ that they are admonished by Christ Himself to “Search the Scriptures” (John 5:39); that people are liable to make mistakes if they do not know the Scriptures (Matt. 22:29); that those are blessed who read the Scriptures (The Apocalypse 1:3); and that “All Scripture inspired of God is profitable to teach” (2 Tim. 3:16). 
 
They would find ‑ that their Bible is the only rule of life and that no man has right or authority to make any church laws contrary to it, nor dare they add to or take from it. “For I testify to every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of the prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book” (The Apocalypse 22:18,19).”Every word of God is fire tried: He is a buckler to them that hope in Him. Add not any words to His words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar” (Prov. 30:5,6).
 
They would find ‑ that there is no Bible record of Peter being in Rome at any time, hence no apostolic succession. Paul never built upon another man’s foundation, so that is evidence no apostle had been in Rome before him (To the Rom. 15:20). In writing to the Romans in A.D. 58 he salutes twenty‑six people and never mentions Peter. Peter writing from A.D. 60‑63 was then in Babylon (I Pet. 5:13). Paul writing to Timothy in the last year of his life says, “Only Luke is with me” (2 Tim. 4:9‑12). Not a word about the apostle Peter. Finally, it is further proven that Peter was the apostle of the circumcision and worked among the Jews, while Paul was the apostle to the uncircumcision and worked among the Gentiles, therefore, it was the Lord’s will that Paul, not Peter, go to Rome (To the GO. 2:7‑8; The Acts 23: 11).
 
They would find ‑ that Peter (also called Simon), who is claimed to be the first pope, was a married man (St. Mark 1:29‑3 1).
 
They would find ‑ that Zachary was a married priest (St. Luke 1:5,13). Also that bishops were permitted to marry (I Tim. 3:1‑4) and that to forbid marriage is not sound doctrine (I Tim. 4:1‑3).
 
They would find ‑ that their Bible forbids bowing down and the worship of images, pictures or relics (Exo. 20:3‑5).
 
They would find ‑ that God only can forgive sins (St. Mark 2:7).
 
They would find ‑ that there is no mention made of purgatory or prayers for the dead, but that if men are ever fitted for heaven, they must be before death or not at all. “After death, the judgment” (To the Heb. 9:27). Abraham could not help the dead (St. Luke 16:19‑3 1). David knew it was no use praying for the dead (2 Sam. 12:16,19,22,23).
 
They would find ‑ that their Bible forbids them to call any man “father” as a religious title. “And call none your father upon earth; for one is your Father who is in heaven” (St. Matt. 23:9).
 
They would find ‑ that the Gospel is free “without money and without price.” No charges should be made for it (St. Matt. 10:7,8).
 
They would find ‑ that there is only one Mediator between God and men, and that this Mediator is neither Mary the mother of Jesus according to the flesh, nor some priest, but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. “For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5,6). “But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just”(1 St. John 2:1‑3). “Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by Him this man standeth here before you whole. Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved” (The Acts 4:10,12).
 
They would find ‑ that Christ is the only way of salvation and that no man‑made system of religion can take the place of, or even assist God’s way of saving sinners. “Jesus saith to him: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me” (St. John 14:6). “Him, who knew no sin, He hath made sin for us, that we might be made the justice of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
 
They would find ‑ that a person can be saved and know it in this life, that a person can realize and experience peace in his heart and have the assurance of his sins forgiven. These precious facts come to us only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed blood on the cross. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (To the Eph. 1:7). “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of the tradition of your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled” (1 of St. Pet. 1:18, 19). “Who his own self bore our sins in his body upon the tree; that we, being dead to sins, should live to justice by whose stripes you were healed” (I Pet. 2:24). Also read Isa. 53:4‑6; Gal. 3:13; St. John 6:37; 2 Cor. 5:21; To the Col. 1:20‑22).
 
They would find ‑ that when men and women die, they go to either heaven or hell; and that it is an eternal Place, a state of conscious joy, or torment from which there is no deliverance (St. Luke 16:19‑31; St. Matt. 25:41,46).
 
They would find ‑ that the hope of the church is not earthly power and greatness, but a path of suffering as her rejected Lord suffered; and to wait for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal, visible manner as He once left this earth, and that He may come at any moment. “And if I shall go, and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also” (St. John 14:3). “Who also said: Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, as you have seen Him going into heaven” (The acts 1:11). “Watch ye therefore, because you know not what hour your Lord will come. Wherefore be you also ready, because at what hour you know not the Son of man will come” (St. Matt. 24:42,44).
 
In conclusion ‑ We would advise Catholics to read their Bibles and find the simple way of salvation as revealed therein. The Bible itself declares the way is so plain that “fools shall not err therein” (Isa. 35:8). We are more and more convinced that the need of the day is to search the unchanging Scriptures. Let us see if what bishops, priests, ministers and teachers tell us is the truth or not. In Apostolic days, this was done. “Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness, daily searching the Scriptures, whether these things were so” (The Acts 17:11). They who do not preach and teach the Gospel as it is found in the Scriptures are under the curse of God and should not be received into the house. “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a Gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema (accursed)” (To the Gal. 1:8, 9). “If any man come to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house nor say to him, God speed you”(2 of St. John 10‑11).
 

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