St. Paul was talking about the Sacraments

1. St. Paul’s teaching is precisely the teaching of the Catholic Church which is so beautifully expounded in the documents of the Council of Trent.
   Lets go back.
   1. The Council of Trent was gathered, in part, to respond to Luther’s errors. One of those errors was the doctrine of justification by faith alone. I think everyone here would agree with me on this point, right?
   2. Luther’s doctrine of faith alone is based primarily upon a misunderstanding of St. Paul’s teaching that we are justified by faith without the deeds of the law (Rom 3:28). That is, in fact, why he added the word “alone” to that verse. I think the Catholics here would agree with me on that point also, right?
   Notice that the Council did not respond by juxtaposing St. James teaching of justification by faith and works against St. Paul’s teaching. No. Its almost as though they forgot all about it. But they didn’t. They merely ignored it. They realized that St. Paul was not here reiterating St. Jame’s teaching, which is also a valid teaching. The Council focused upon justification which occurs in Baptism (Trent 6, Ch. IV).
   Why?
   Because they realized that St. Paul was not talking about justification by faith and works, but about justification that occurs in the Sacraments. The washing of regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Here is the teaching of the Catechism on the Sacraments:
   740 These “mighty works of God,” offered to believers in the sacraments of the Church, bear their fruit in the new life in Christ, according to the Spirit. (This will be the topic of Part Three.)
   1127 Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify. They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies. The Father always hears the prayer of his Son’s Church which, in the epiclesis of each sacrament, expresses her faith in the power of the Spirit. As fire transforms into itself everything it touches, so the Holy Spirit transforms into the divine life whatever is subjected to his power.
   This is why later, the Council also says:

   CHAPTER VII
   IN WHAT THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE SINNER CONSISTS, AND WHAT ARE ITS CAUSES

   This disposition or preparation is followed by justification itself, which is not only a remission of sins but also the sanctification and renewal of the inward man through the voluntary reception of the grace and gifts whereby an unjust man becomes just and from being an enemy becomes a friend, that he may be an heir according to hope of life everlasting.[30]

   The causes of this justification are:
   the final cause is the glory of God and of Christ and life everlasting; the efficient cause is the merciful God who washes and sanctifies[31] gratuitously, signing and anointing with the holy Spirit of promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance,[32] the meritorious cause is His most beloved only begotten, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when we were enemies,[33] for the exceeding charity wherewith he loved us,[34] merited for us justification by His most holy passion on the wood of the cross and made satisfaction for us to God the Father, the instrumental cause is the sacrament of baptism, which is the sacrament of faith,[35] without which no man was ever justified finally, the single formal cause is the justice of God, not that by which He Himself is just, but that by which He makes us just, ….

   Luther’s sin was not in saying, “faith alone”. Many Catholics before him used that terminology, but they used it correctly. Realizing that we are justified by God in the Sacraments. Not by any work in our part.
   
   Luther’s error was confusing the justification which occurs in the Sacraments by faith apart from works, with the forensic justification by faith and works to which we will all be subject when we stand before the Judgment seat of Christ. He concluded that the new dispensation of Jesus Christ, by grace, eliminated the need to keep the Commandments in order to be just in the eyes of God.
   
   I know its a bit more complicated than that, but that is the way I summarize it.
   
   However, faith alone is not what St. Paul meant.  Since he teaches that only they who do the law will be justified (Rom 2:13). He understands that God only sheds His mercy upon the righteous, folks (Ex 20:6; Tit 3:5; Rev 22:12-15).
   
    To summarize. St. Paul is right. We are not justified by our works. This is what St. Paul meant. The faithful man, who does righteous works, is justified by the mercy of God in the washing of regeneration which is the Sacrament of Baptism (Titus 3:5; Trent VI, Ch. VIII).
   
   Those who do not do righteous works in accordance with God's will, are not included in the formula for salvation.  They are in the group headed for condemnation (Matt 25:31-46).
   
    Sincerely, De Maria

The Catholic Church is the religion which God organized in order that we might worship Him

de Maria March 28, 2013 at 12:00 AM

Peter Pereira March 25, 2013 at 1:03 PMA dictionary definition of “religion” would be something similar to “belief in God or gods to be worshipped, usually expressed in conduct and ritual; any specific system of belief, worship, etc., often involving a code of ethics.” In light of this definition, the Bible does speak of organized religion,

Agreed.

but in many cases the purpose and impact of “organized religion” are not something that God is pleased with.

The only organized religions to which God is opposed in Scripture, are those which worship other gods. Do you have any evidence that God opposes organized efforts to worship Him?

In Genesis chapter 11, perhaps the first instance of organized religion, the descendants of Noah organized themselves to build the tower of Babel instead of obeying God’s command to fill the entire earth. They believed that their unity was more important than their relationship with God. God stepped in and confused their languages, thus breaking up this organized religion.

Good example of what I’m talking about. You have also admitted that they “disobeyed” God. Therefore, God was opposed to this organization.

In Exodus chapter 6 and following, God “organized” a religion for the nation of Israel. The Ten Commandments, the laws regarding the tabernacle, and the sacrificial system were all instituted by God and were to be followed by the Israelites. Further study of the New Testament clarifies that the intent of this religion was to point to the need for a Savior-Messiah (Galatians 3; Romans 7). However, many have misunderstood this and have worshipped the rules and rituals rather than God.

I don’t know of any who worship the rules and rituals. The rules in the Catholic Church are to ensure obedience to God. And the rituals are to ensure proper worship of God.

Throughout Israel’s history, many of the conflicts experienced by the Israelites involved conflict with organized religions. Examples include the worship of Baal (Judges 6; 1 Kings 18), Dagon (1 Samuel 5), and Molech (2 Kings 23:10). God defeated the followers of these religions, displaying His sovereignty and omnipotence.

Exactly. God organized a true religion to oppose the world’s false religions.

In the Gospels, the Pharisees and Sadducees are depicted as the representatives of organized religion at the time of Christ. Jesus constantly confronted them about their false teachings and hypocritical lifestyles. In the Epistles, there were organized groups that mixed the gospel with certain lists of required works and rituals. They also sought to put pressure on believers to change and accept these “Christianity plus” religions.

Christianity plus? You mean like this one?
James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Galatians and Colossians give warnings about such religions. In the book of Revelation, organized religion will have an impact on the world as the Antichrist sets up a one-world religion.

All the while, the Catholic Church which Jesus organized will oppose all those who worship the anti-Christ and all those who bring about heresies and errors. Scripture says:
Ephesians 3:10
King James Version (KJV)
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

In many cases, the end result of organized religion is a distraction from the intent of God.

On the contrary, the religion which God organized does not distract from but focus upon, God.

However, the Bible does speak of organized believers who are part of His plan. God calls these groups of organized believers “churches.” The descriptions from the book of Acts and the Epistles indicate that the church is to be organized and interdependent. The organization leads to protection, productivity, and outreach (Acts 2:41-47). In the case of the church, it could better be called an “organized relationship.”

Religion is a relationship with God.

Religion is man’s attempt to have communion with God.

True Religion is God’s revelation instructing man how to have communion with Him:
1 Corinthians 11:24
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

The Christian faith is a relationship with God because of what He has done for us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There is no plan to reach God (He has reached out to us—Romans 5:8). There is no pride (all is received by grace—Ephesians 2:8-9). There should be no conflict over leadership (Christ is the head—Colossians 1:18). There should be no prejudice (we are all one in Christ—Galatians 3:28). Being organized is not the problem. Focusing on the rules and rituals of a religion is the problem.

Disobedience is the problem. God made rules and established rituals. Obey Him:
Hebrews 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Sincerely,

De Maria

Rebuttal to anti-Catholic article was not posted

A fellow who recently posted here, Glenn Chatfield, invited me to his blog to read some of his anti-Catholic articles.  He said:

Catholics do indeed worship Mary, and ascribe to her the characters of God, as I PROVE here: 

https://watchmansbagpipes.blogspot.com/2010/06/mary-mother-of-church-is-not-mary-of.html

Well, I went there and when I rebutted his claims, he refused to post them.  

Glenn E. Chatfield said...
To my readers:
I have received a 3-part comment from a Catholic apologist..... I will not be posting his comments.

I'm not surprised.  For those of you interested it is.  It only addresses one of his claims, the idea that Mary had several children and Jesus, many brothers.

On the contrary, Scripture is clear that the brothers and sisters of Jesus are actually His cousins. One of the problems with Sola Scriptura is that everyone interprets the Scriptures according to their own ability. Therefore, Sola Scripturists never consider cultural and historical circumstances in regards to translations. For a Sola Scripturist, a "brother" is always a "brother of the womb". Never mind that they, themselves, call each other "brothers in Christ" all the time. And they speak of "Brother Joe" and "Sister Jane" all the time.
Let us go examine the Scriptures on this matter. Are you game? Here we go:

Did Jesus have any brothers?
According to some, Scripture attests that Jesus had brothers, sons of Mary. They base their opinion on this verse:

Matthew 13
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude:

However, these brothers and sisters in Christ, fail to realize that the word "brother" has meant much more than "brothers of the womb" from time immemorial. Good friends call themselves "brothers" even today. And a closer examination of Scripture proves that James, Joseph, Simon and Jude are sons of another Mary, not Jesus' mother, but Jesus' aunt.

First, we see that Jesus' mother has a "sister". From Catholic Tradition, we know that Jesus' mother is an only child. So, her sister is really a cousin or other close kin:

John 19 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.

We also note that this Mary is always mentioned with Mary Magdalen. The two must have been close friends:

Mark 16 1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus.

Note that in this verse she is not called Mary of Cleophas, but Mary the mother of James.

Mark 15 40 And there were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joseph, and Salome:

Here she is the mother of James and Joseph and Salome. The mention of Salome explains the "sisters" of Jesus. Since Mary the sister of Mary His Mother is also His sister or kin.

Matthew 27 56 Among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Luke 24 10 And it was Mary Magdalen, and Joanna, and Mary of James, and the other women that were with them, who told these things to the apostles.

Sometimes she is called "the other" Mary.

Matthew 27 61 And there was there Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre.

OK, so far we've established that James and Joseph are the sons of the other Mary. Not of Jesus' mother. What about Simon and Jude?

Luke 6 16 And Jude, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor.

Well, Jude is the brother of James. He says so himself:

Jude 1 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James: to them that are beloved in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.

And, although Simon the Zealot is rarely mentioned, when he is mentioned, he is always grouped with either James or Jude.

Luke 6 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes,

Acts Of Apostles 1 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James.

If we review the listing of Apostles, we will see that the Apostle mentioned as Thaddeus must be Jude and Simon the Zelotes must be Simon the Cananean:

Mark 3 16 And to Simon he gave the name Peter: 17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: 18 And Andrew and Philip, and Bartholomew and Matthew, and Thomas and James of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananean:19 And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Matthew 10 2 And the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, 3 James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, 4 Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Acts Of Apostles 1 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James.

Luke 6 13 And when day was come, he called unto him his disciples; and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named apostles). 14 Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes, 16 And Jude, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor.

So, we see that James, Joseph, Jude and Simon are related to Jesus. But they are not the sons of Mary, but her distant kin and thus also Jesus kin.

The necessity of good works for salvation - discussion with Jesse

To understand this discussion between Jesse and I, one must understand that Jesse is trying to refute Calvinism with Protestant doctrine.  Unfortunately for Jesse, he doesn't realize that Protestant doctrine logically leads to Calvinist thinking.  Calvin did not come up with these things in a vaccuum.  The groundwork was already laid down by Luther. If good works have nothing to do with salvation, then double predestination must be true.  Double predestination is the idea that God creates some people for hell and some for heaven.  And, according to that Protestant teaching, there's nothing people can do to change what God has ordained.  Ever heard of "irresistible grace"?  Note that both Calvin and Luther, deny free will.

But, I digress.  Let's move on to the ongoing discussion.

Hi Jesse,

In a recent discussion, on your blog you said to me.

June 26, 2018 at 8:07 PM
De Maria,
I'd love to respond thoroughly, but cannot. It is far beyond the scope of this article to refute your misinterpretations of Scripture. Also, much of what I
would have to say would be repetition from previous discussions. In short, the "doers" of the law are "justified" because their hearts have been changed (Romans 2:14-15). God looks at our works in judgement because they are the evidence of our faithfulness to Him. The conclusion of Paul's entire argument is that works cannot save us (Romans 3:27-28). So it is evident that you have misapplied Scripture.

To which I say:

I'd love to respond thoroughly, but cannot.

I know.  Because Scripture refutes you.

It is far beyond the scope of this article

No, it isn't.  Calvinists agree with you and their conclusion is a logical deduction of their false teachings.  They believe in double predestination.  Therefore, there is neither merit, nor value nor necessity of works.  

Your conclusion that salvation is not merit based is illogical since you believe that one must have faith in order to be saved.  Faith is a meritorious work in God's eyes.

to refute your misinterpretations of Scripture.

It is you who misunderstands and misinterprets Scripture.

Also, much of what I would have to say would be repetition from previous discussions.

Which previous discussions?  Provide a link so I can see what you said.

In short, the "doers" of the law are "justified" because their hearts have been changed (Romans 2:14-15). 

They were justified BY GOD because they did good deeds. Look at the previous 12 verses.

God looks at our works in judgement because they are the evidence of our faithfulness to Him. 

Exactly!  God looks at our works in judgment in order to determine if they are meritorious.  Look at what He says to Abraham.

Genesis 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THIS THING.

The conclusion of Paul's entire argument is that works cannot save us (Romans 3:27-28). 

Only if you take the verse out of context.  Do you really think that Scripture contradicts itself?  Do you really believe that St. Paul, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit, would say one thing in one verse and contradict himself a few paragraphs later?

Here is what St. Paul says over and over again:

Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

1 Corinthians 6:8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.  9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

So it is evident that you have misapplied Scripture.

On the contrary, Scripture is clear that God requires us to do good works. The righteous, do good and God will save them.  The evil, commit evil and God will punish them.  It's that simple.  That is the Teaching of Scripture.  That is the Teaching of the Catholic Church in Scripture.