Apologetics for the Masses #217 - The Slick Gospel (cont'd)

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General Comments

Hey folks, I want to start off this week by offering an apology, and an explanation, to all those who send me questions, or who ask for help with an email exchange they are having with some non-Catholic, and who never get an answer. I've been getting tons of questions sent in lately, and I would love to be able to answer every single one of them, or give all those who need it some private "coaching" for their apologetics discussions, but it is simply physically impossible to do so. I know those who have been with me for a while know this, but for those of you who don't, I work 1 full-time and 4 part-time jobs, and the Bible Christian Society is not my full-time job...I wish it was. My full-time job is with the Diocese of Birmingham. For those of you who have worked for the Church, you know that the pay is not the greatest in the world, which is why I need all the part-time jobs. Anyway, because of my work situations, the amount of time I have to answer individual questions is exceedingly limited...which is why I started this newsletter in the first place several years ago, so that people could find answers to their questions without me having to individually answer so many of them.

I am, however, able to answer some questions that come in, but they are usually the questions that only require a very short answer. Many of the questions, though, while they might only take 30 seconds to type out and send to me, might take me 30 minutes to an hour (or more!) to answer. Again, I would gladly take the time if I had the time, but when you consider that I can get as many as 40 or 50 apologetics-related questions each week, well...you're talking some serious time there. I could easily spend 3-4 hours a day, every day, just answering questions that folks have sent in, and never get to all of them.

The other thing is, 90% of the people who send me questions, or who ask for help with an apologetics discussion they are in, have never donated a penny to the Bible Christian Society...which is a phenomenon that I find rather...well, puzzling, actually. It's kind of a catch-22 that I find myself in. I understand that there are folks in dire financial straits who cannot give, and I'm not talking about them, but if even 20% or 30% of the people who send me questions would make a donation, rather than just 10%, I could probably quit one or two of my other jobs, which would allow me to spend more time answering questions and offering private apologetics "coaching." But, they don't, so I can't. Shoot, if I could get up to 50% or so making donations, I could probably make the Bible Christian Society my full-time job again and go part-time at the Diocese. Now, some of you might be thinking, "John, just offer your services to individuals for a fee, and that way you kill two goliaths with one stone - people get helped and the apostolate brings in more money." I actually tried that once. For a couple of months a few years ago, whenever someone would send in a question, and it was someone who had never made a donation, I asked them if they would be willing to make a donation based on the amount of time it took me to answer their question - I think the suggested donations ranged from $10 (for 15 minutes or less) to $50 (for more than an hour). I have never received so many hateful emails from people! "How dare you ask for money to answer a question about matters of faith!" sums up the sentiment of the dozens and dozens of replies I received. So, I canned that idea. Although, what I try my best to do, is to put the questions of those who do make donations at the front of the line. I can't guarantee to answer them, but I do my best...I feel it's a matter of justice and fairness to those who financially support this apostolate to put them at the front of the line.

So, I guess all of that is just a long way of saying: To those of you who write to me asking for help, looking for answers, and you never hear back from me...I apologize. I sincerely do. I would love to be able to answer every single question asked, but there is just not enough time in the day for me to be able to do it, and I hope you can understand that. Thousands of emails each year, and just one of me to answer them. I appreciate you reading the newsletter and the fact that you seem to be learning from it and want more, but if it comes down to answering apologetics questions vs. spending time with my wife and kids, family is going to win almost every time. So, I will simply suggest you take advantage of all of the free apologetics materials on our website to help you find answers to your questions - for example, maybe start reading through the archived editions of this newsletter and see if your questions haven't already been answered somewhere. And, keep reading the newsletter because, who knows, your question might wind up in one of the issues. You might also want to join the "John Martignoni and the Bible Christian Society" Facebook page and post a question or two there. The folks on the page can be very helpful. And, through all of it, please know that I keep all of you in my prayers!

Introduction

Okay, this week I am going to wrap up with Mr. Matt Slick and "The Gospel of Roman Catholics." This is the 2nd half of his article, which I've been dealing with in the last two newsletters, having dispatched the first half of the article in Issues #213 and #214. I will pick up with my analysis at the part that begins with, "Are you tired of the works requirement?"

Challenge/Response/Strategy

Matt Slick

The Gospel for Roman Catholics

The Gospel for Roman Catholics is the same as for anyone else and it is obtained by grace through faith in believing and trusting in Jesus alone, who is God in flesh, for the forgiveness of sins. Salvation is not found in a true church. Salvation is not found in being good. Salvation is not found in good works. Salvation is not found in a sincere heart. Salvation is not found in making up for past sins by efforts of restoration, or penance, or indulgences. You can never do enough to please God.

Because God is so infinitely holy and righteous, and because we are sinners, we are incapable of pleasing God by anything that we do. In fact, our righteous deeds are considered filthy rags before God (Isa. 64:6). You can do nothing to earn forgiveness or keep forgiveness. Salvation before God is not administered to us through an earthly priest in the Catholic church by the sprinkling of water, or giving of penance, or recitation of formula prayers. Salvation for the Christian is not kept through the effort of the person who hopes and tries and worries about being good enough to stay saved.

Such error can only lead to despair and hopelessness and a desperate and unwarranted dependence on the Roman Catholic Church as the only means by which salvation can be distributed and maintained. In this error, people far too often seek to work their way to heaven by being good, by doing what the Catholic church teaches them to do, by prayers to Mary, by indulgences, by the Rosary, and by a host of other man-made works. Remember, in the RCC, salvation is through the Church and its sacraments, not through Jesus alone, by faith alone. This is exactly how the cults of Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witnesses work who both teach that true salvation is found only in their church membership and in following the revelation and authority of their church teachers and traditions.

Are you tired of the works requirement?

In great contrast to the position of the Roman Catholic Church, if you want to be forgiven of your sins, once and for all, then you need to come to Christ (Matt. 11:28). You need to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior (John 1:12; Rom. 10:13). You need to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins (John 14:14), and trust in Him alone and in nothing that you can do. Remember, your good deeds have no merit before God (Isa. 64:6). Furthermore, if you have faith, it is because that faith is the work of God (John 6:28-29). If you believe, it is because God has granted that you believe (Phil. 1:29). It is not because you were baptized, or have been good, or have been sincere. It is all of God. The Lord must receive all the glory for salvation because it completely and totally rests in Him. Salvation rests in Christ alone and it is received by faith apart from works.

Please read the following scriptures carefully.

        "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Rom. 3:23).
        "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Rom. 6:23).
        "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed," (1 Pet. 2:24).
        "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him," (2 Cor. 5:21).
        "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it," (John 14:14).
        "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29"Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls," (Matt. 11:28-29).
        "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name," (John 1:12).
        "I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly," (Gal. 2:21).
        "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law," (Rom. 3:28).
        "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness," (Rom. 4:3).
        "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness," (Rom. 4:5).
        "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life," (1 John 5:13).

A suggested prayer

This suggested prayer is not a formula, but a representation of biblical principles by which you might better understand the true gospel and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. It is not a formula derived from Sacred Tradition or Stamped with the seal of the Roman Catholic Church's approval. Its principles are derived from scripture: we are sinners; God is Holy; we cannot earn salvation; salvation is a free gift; prayer to Christ; Jesus is the only way; receiving Christ; faith; etc.

"Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner and that I have offended you by breaking your Holy Law. I confess my sins to you Lord and ask forgiveness from you and do not ask anyone else to be forgiven of my sins against you. I acknowledge who you are, God in flesh, creator, humble Lord, who bore my sins in Your body on the cross and I come to you alone and trust you alone, by faith, that you will forgive me completely of my sins so that I will have eternal life. I ask you Lord to come into my heart, to be my Lord, to forgive me of my sins. Lord I trust in you alone, in the work of the cross alone and not in any church, not in any saint, not in Mary, not in any priest, but in you alone. Lord, Jesus, I receive you, and come to you, and ask you to forgive me and justify me by faith as I trust in you alone. Thank you.

If you are a Roman Catholic and have trusted in Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins, then welcome to the body of Christ. Welcome to salvation and the free gift of forgiveness in Jesus.

Next, I strongly recommend that you read the Bible regularly, talk to Jesus daily in prayer, and seek to find a church that teaches and focuses on Jesus as Lord, Jesus as Savior, and sticks to the Bible alone.

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Matt Slick

Are you tired of the works requirement?

My Comments

My first thought, Mr. Slick, upon reading this was: Yes, I am tired of it...I am tired of people claiming that Catholics believe in a "Works Salvation!" I am tired of seemingly intelligent people claiming that the teaching of the Catholic Church is opposed to the teaching of Jesus Christ...opposed to the teaching of Scripture. When, in truth, the teaching of the Catholic Church is not opposed to the teaching of Jesus Christ, as it IS the teaching of Jesus Christ. When, in truth, the teaching of the Catholic Church is not opposed to the teaching of Scripture, as it IS the teaching of Scripture. In truth, what the teaching of the Catholic Church is opposed to is the twisted scriptural interpretations of men who answer to no authority other than themselves...men who grant themselves the authority to essentially declare their own private, fallible interpretations of the Bible as being infallible. Such as you have done. Let me ask you, Mr. Slick - could any of your interpretations of the Bible possibly...just possibly...be wrong? Any of them? You won't answer me, will you? You won't answer because if you say, "Yes, they could be wrong," then you open the door to the possibility that the Catholic Church is right. And we can't have that, can we? But, you can't say, "No, none of my interpretations of the Bible could be wrong," because then you would be saying you are infallible in your interpretation of Scripture, yet you believe no man to be infallible. What is one to do, Mr. Slick, when one is presented with a question from a Catholic that one cannot, or will not, answer?

Now, turning to the specifics of your argument, if it could be called such, you state that if you want your sins forgiven, you need to "come to Christ," and that you need to "receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior," and that you need to "ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins," and "trust in Him alone and in nothing that you can do." First of all, for someone who believes in salvation by faith alone, that's a whole lot of things that you laid out there that we have to "do," isn't it? I thought we didn't have to "do" anything...that God did everything for us? Yet, you say we need to "come" to Jesus, "receive" Jesus, "ask" Jesus, and "trust" Jesus. I guess it's not salvation by faith alone, is it? It's salvation by faith, and by coming, and by receiving, and by asking, and by trusting, right?

Furthermore, you state these things in such as way as to make your readers think that this is something contrary to Catholic teaching. Yet, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting the Council of Trent, says the following: "The satisfaction that we make for our sins, however, is not so much ours as though it were not done through Jesus Christ. We who can do nothing ourselves, as if just by ourselves, can do all things with the cooperation of 'Him who strengthens' us (Phil 4:13). Thus man has nothing of which to boast, but all our boasting is in Christ (1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17; Gal 6:14)...in whom we make satisfaction by bringing forth 'fruits that befit repentance,' (Luke 3:8). These fruits have their efficacy from Him; by Him they are offered to the Father; and through Him they are accepted by the Father," (CCC #1460). Paragraph 1470 of the Catechism: "In converting to Christ through penance and faith, the sinner passes from death to life and 'does not come into judgment,'" (Jn 5:24). How, after reading those paragraphs - and many, many others that say the same things, and more, about our dependence on Christ - from the official teachings of the Catholic Church, can you dare to say that Catholics do not believe we do not need to come to Christ, or receive Christ, or ask Christ, or trust in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and for our salvation? Have you bothered to read very much of the Catechism, or do you simply grab a quote here and one there and rip it from its context to make it say what you want it to say?

Regarding your statement that our "good deeds have no merit before God (Isa 64:6), I dealt with that gross misinterpretation of Scripture in my last newsletter and will not repeat myself here, except to say that you are wrong. I would like to focus for a minute, though, on the next Scripture verse you cite - John 6:28-29. "Then they said to Him, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?' Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'" Are you not aware that Scripture is calling the act of faith a "work"? Yes, it is a work that we do by the grace of God...it is indeed a "work of God"...but it is a work that "we do," according to verse 28. God does not have faith for us. WE have to cooperate with the grace He sends us, and WE have to have faith. It is a work WE do. It is also a work of God in that it is a good work done by His grace. That is what separates the saved from the unsaved, not something that God does for us, because God wants all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4), and since He wants all men to be saved, He would have faith for all men if it was something that He alone did without our cooperation, but it's not. It is something that the saved person does, by the grace of God, that the unsaved person doesn't do - he believes. Believing is a work that WE must DO. A work that has merit before God.

You then go on to say that we do not have faith because we were baptized, or because we are good. That is absolutely true. The problem is, the Catholic Church nowhere teaches that one will automatically have faith just because he has been baptized, or that he will have faith because he is "good." You have created a strawman argument. We do believe, however, that one is saved through Baptism, just as it says in the Bible: "Baptism, which corresponds to this, now SAVES you," (1 Ptr 3:21). Do you believe what the Bible says, Mr. Slick, or not? "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit [Baptism], he cannot enter the Kingdom of God." Do you believe that, Mr. Slick, or not? What does being "born of water and the Spirit" mean, if not Baptism, where Jesus was baptized with water and the Spirit descended upon Him? You also stated, "The Lord must receive all the glory for salvation because it completely and totally rests in Him." I agree with the statement on the surface of it, but I have to disagree with your intent, as you seem to be saying that we are completely passive in our salvation; yet, you just stated a sentence or two earlier that there are several things we have to do in order to be saved. So, Mr. Slick, do we need to trust, to ask, to repent, to receive or not? I don't think you really have thought this all out very well.

Finally, you said that salvation "is received by faith apart from works." First of all, the entire quote is "by faith apart from works of law," (Rom 3:28). You seem to want to leave out that last phrase, "works of law." But, either way, as Catholics, we agree with that statement. The works of law cannot now, nor could they ever, save a man. Nor can a man be saved by simply doing good works...of any kind. No one can "work" their way to salvation. And that it is through faith that we are saved, but nowhere does the Scripture say that salvation is by faith "ALONE," which is the false teaching you are trying to peddle here. I recommend, Mr. Slick, that you go back and read through the Catechism...all of it...before you try to tell Catholics, and others, what it is we believe and don't believe. Furthermore, I suggest that instead of deciding for yourself, and all by yourself, what a particular word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph from the Catechism means, maybe you just might want to ask a Catholic if you are interpreting something in their belief system in the correct way. That would be an honest and fair and just thing to do, wouldn't it, Mr. Slick. That would be the Christian thing to do, wouldn't it? I would be happy to help you understand what it is we teach, and why we teach it, should you ever be interested in actually seeking understanding, rather than casting stones.

Matt Slick

Please read the following scriptures carefully.

My Response

As a Catholic, I agree with every single one of those Scripture verses. Every single one! However, you will please forgive me, Mr. Slick, if I disagree with your private, man-made, fallible, non-authoritative interpretation of those verses. And, I would ask that you please read the following Scriptures carefully:

John 5:28-29, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”

Ezekiel 33:13-16, “Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and commits iniquity , none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in the iniquity that he has committed he shall die. Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right...and walks in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right, he shall surely live.”

Rom 1:5, “Jesus Christ our Lord through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name."

1 John 2:3, “And by this we may be sure that we know Him, if we keep His commandments."

Rom 2:13, “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.”

James 2:24, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

James 2:20, Do you want to be shown, you foolish fellow, that faith apart from works is barren?

Mt 7:21, “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father…”

Mt 19:16-17, “And behold, one came up to [Jesus] saying, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?...If you would enter life [Jesus said], keep the commandments.”

Heb 12:14, “Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord…”

Phil 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…”

Eph 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Lk 9:23, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up His cross daily and follow me."

Rev 22:12, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every man for what he has done.”

Mt 3:10, “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Mt 7:19, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Mt 25:31-46, “...Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me..."

1 Ptr 1:17, “And if you invoke as Father Him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.”

Rom 2:6, "For He will render to every man according to his works...”

James 2:12-13, “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy...”

Rev 20:13, “And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done.”

Mt 16:27, “For the Son of Man is to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay every man for what he has done.”

Mt 12:36-37, “I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

2 Cor 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.”

Some Scripture verses emphasize faith when it comes to salvation. However, that does not necessarily imply that it is faith alone that saves us. Some Scriptures emphasize works when it comes to salvation. However, that does not necessarily imply that it is works alone that save us. Your twisted interpretations of Scripture, Mr. Slick, result in an either-or scenario. Either faith, or works. You cause Scripture to contradict itself. Whereas the Catholic Faith's understanding of Scripture, in perfect harmony with Scripture, results in a both-and scenario. Both faith, and works...all by the grace of God.

Matt Slick

A suggested prayer

If you are a Roman Catholic and have trusted in Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins, then welcome to the body of Christ. Welcome to salvation and the free gift of forgiveness in Jesus.

My Response

I love it! This formula prayer I'm about to give you is not a formula. Really?! You can be sadly comical, Mr. Slick. But, I do agree with the scriptural "principles" that you have laid out - we are sinners, God is holy, we cannot earn salvation, and so on.. Every Catholic, who is truly Catholic, agrees with them. Now, I know it is some sort of slap at the Catholic Church, but I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Slick, when you say, "...and [I] do not ask anyone else to be forgiven of my sins against you." What? You do not ask anyone else to be forgiven of your sins? How could someone else be forgiven of your sins? What crazy idea about Catholicism do you have that prompts you to put such a statement in a "prayer?"

Finally, I will close by commenting on two last things that you include in your prayer. First, you state that you do not trust in "any church." That is exactly right. You do not trust in any church. By your own words you condemn yourself. You trust in yourself and you yield authority to no one over you. You have set yourself up in the high places to judge all others as condemned who disagree with you. Does not Scripture tell us that the church is the Body of Christ? And that it is the Bride of Christ? Yet, here you are saying you have no trust in any church, not even the church founded by Jesus Christ. If you don't trust the Church Jesus founded, then how can you honestly say you trust in Christ? And if you do not trust the Church founded by Jesus Christ, pray tell why would you expect anyone to trust you?

Second, I find it exceedingly sad that you would include an insult directed against the Virgin Mary in a supposed "prayer" to Jesus. You do not "trust" Mary? Really? Let me ask you this, Mr. Slick, did Jesus trust in Mary or not? Do you believe Jesus did not trust in His own mother? Your hatred of all things Catholic causes you to say things that you have apparently not thought through very clearly. I would ask you to take some time to really think about, and pray about, the points that I have made here. And I am sincere in my statement that if you truly wish to understand what the Catholic Church teaches and why it teaches it, so that you may honestly agree or disagree with any given teachings, rather than your gross caricatures of Catholic teaching, I would be happy to help you with that process. But if you choose to simply throw stones...if you choose to hate...then please know that I, and my readers, will be praying for you.

Summary

Alright, that's it for my treatment of Mr. Slick's article. Hopefully, it has been of some use to many of you. Next issue we move on...have a great week!