WHERE WAS MARY?

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WHERE WAS MARY?

Subtitle: If Mary was destined to be so important in the Salvation of mankind, then why was she excluded from the Last Supper and why did Jesus refrain from officially naming her as Co-Mediatrix as He addressed John from the cross?

I was contemplating the Roman term "co-redemptress" and had a few questions concerning this new wind of doctrine. If it was necessary for Mary to be present at all Roman masses, since she is a "co- redemptress" and "co-mediatrix", then why would Mary have been excluded from the Last Supper? Wouldn't have Jesus been setting up the standard by which all the churches of God should follow? Yet there is no mention of Mary's presence at what Rome says is the "institution" of the "sacrifice" of the mass! (It is impossible for the Last Supper to have been a "sacrifice" since Jesus was still alive - read Heb.9:16-17).

But now Rome wants everyone to believe that Mary's presence is a requirement that the church has always taught. We have the record of the early church in the New Testament, and there is no such scripture to support this blasphemous title. Yet, we are constantly hearing anti-scriptural doctrine from men who are devoid of spiritual discernment. A good case in point is a Catholic gentleman named Peter Lappin who wrote:

"All her life Mary exercised her salvific activity. At the crucifixion, Christ drew His mother into His suffering in order to associate her with His redeeming act. He received her dedication, love and merits and integrated her agony into His own person so that He could offer them to the Father for the salvation of mankind." (Call of the Ages, Petrisko, 294)

Now where in the scriptures does it say that Jesus offered up Mary's merits for the atonement of mankind? This is a blatant lie!!! Rome goes on to say:

"This liturgical emphasis on the Sorrows of Mary following the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross shows the primordial place given by the Church to Our Lady in the plan of Redemption and what place she should have in the devotion of Christians REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST AND THE TEARS OF HIS DEAR MOTHER."

The Bible is very clear that the New Testament is sealed in the blood...not tears! When Jesus prophesied at the Last Supper of His death, He said:

"...FOR THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this FRUIT OF THE VINE, until that day when I DRINK IT NEW with you in my Father's kingdom."(Matt.26:28-29) (Emphasis mine)

Where is the mention of Mary? Where is the mention of her "tears"? Why did Jesus neglect to mention His own mother's involvement in His sacrifice if it were so crucial to our salvation? The scriptures are clear:

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Again we go to the Bible as our source of all truth: "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (Eph.2:18) Rome adds another "spirit" and the Bible warns us about that (2 Cor.11:4) If any man preach any other gospel....let him be accursed (Gal.1:8

by Rebecca A. Sexton

CUTTING EDGE COMMENT:

This is one instance where we need to carefully examine the Scriptures to see how completely and blatantly the Catholics have lied when they say Jesus set matters up so that Mary was to be the Co-Mediatrix.

Let us first reexamine the blatant lie, which we quoted above. "At the crucifixion, Christ drew His mother into His suffering in order to associate her with His redeeming act. He received her dedication, love and merits and integrated her agony into His own person so that He could offer them to the Father for the salvation of mankind."

Let us now go to that crucifixion to see exactly what transpired.

The crucifixion is central to each of the four Gospels.

Matthew 27:31-66 -- Matthew presents Jesus' crucifixion with great horror that the Jews could have conspired to put their Messiah to death. But, Matthew also points "to Jesus as the royal Messiah who faced His destiny in complete control of the situation. Jesus' vindication was found not only in the rending of the veil and the centurion's testimony (Matt. 27:51,54 paralleling Mark) but in the remarkable raising of the Old Testament saints (vv. 52-53-53) which links the cross and the open tomb. For Matthew the cross inaugurated the last days when the power of death is broken, and salvation is poured out upon all people." [Holman Bible Dictionary]. Yet in all this account, Mary is mentioned only in verses 56 and 61, where Matthew just reports that they were there. Matthew makes no mention of Mary sharing the suffering of Jesus Christ or participating in His sacrifice for all the sins of the world.

Mark 15:20-47-- Mark also represented the national tragedy of Israel killing their Messiah for whom they had long awaited. But, Mark also "emphasized the messianic meaning, using the taunts of the crowds to 'save yourself' (15:30-31) as an unconscious prophecy pointing to the resurrection." [Holman Bible Dictionary] Again, Mary is only mentioned casually as being present at the cross, with no mention being made of her sharing the suffering of Jesus Christ or of participating in His sacrifice for all the sins of the world.

Luke 23:24-56 -- Luke has a most unique portrayal of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. He presents the entire episode as a glorious victory of God over Satan. Luke includes events which positively show the glory, the forgiveness, and reverence due Jesus during this blessed event. Luke omits the negative events of the earthquake and the drink offered to Jesus while He was dying. Where the other Gospel writers mentioned the taunts of the crowd before Jesus died, Luke reports that the crowd afterward went home "beating their breasts" in great anguish of spirit. While Mary is not even mentioned in this account, verse 49 states that the women who followed Him from Galilee were present at the crucifixion. We can see, from the other Gospel writers, that Mary, Jesus' Mother, was one of those women. However, again we see no reference to Mary participating in the suffering of Jesus Christ or in Jesus' all-important sacrifice.

John 19:1-42 -- John presents the most dramatic description of the crucifixion. Like Luke, John "presents an atmosphere of calm that characterizes the scene. At the core is Jesus' sovereign control of the whole scene. The cross becomes His throne. John noted that the inscription on the cross ("JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS") was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek (19:19-20), thereby changing it into a universal proclamation of Jesus' royal status. Throughout the account to the final cry, 'It is finished' (v. 30), Jesus was in complete control." [Holman Bible Dictionary]

Once again, Mary was mentioned casually as being present at the cross with the other women who had followed Jesus from Galilee. But, John adds another detail that demonstrates positively that Jesus did not have a Co-Mediatrix role planned for His Mother. Since John correctly demonstrates that Jesus was in complete control of the entire scene, as He fulfilled all the Father's demands for the Perfect Sacrifice for sins, and as He fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies, we can only conclude that Jesus would not have left out a most important element in the Redemptive Plan. If Jesus had planned for Mary to take this role, He would have ensured that her role would have come directly from His lips, either at the Last Supper or at the cross.

However, Mary was not even present at the Last Supper and Jesus never mentioned her to His disciples. But, John records the one instance that would have given Jesus the perfect opportunity to announce to His disciples, and to the entire world, that His Mother was going to be Co-Mediatrix.

In verses 26-27, Jesus looks down at His Mother and His Apostle, John. Let us see precisely what Jesus said. " When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."

In this passage, Jesus ensures that the Apostle John would take care of His Mother after His death. This concern over His Mother was definitely a Jewish distinctive, and Jesus took the opportunity to inform John that he was to take as good care of His Mother as if she were his own mother. Then, Jesus turned to His Mother and informed her that she was to allow John to take care of her. This is probably the reason the Apostle John was the only Apostle not to be martyred, and to die of old age.

But, if Jesus had intended for Mary to take such an important role as the Roman Catholic Church has invented for her, He most assuredly would not have let such a golden opportunity to announce this exalted position for His Mother. This fact makes Jesus' silence from the cross a deafening roar!

The only "source" for this special role for Mary comes from the Roman Catholic Tradition of the Fathers, a mere man-made role. Once again, we see that Roman Catholic theologians have deliberately created new doctrine out of thin air, in direct disobedience to God's commands to not add to, nor subtract from, His Holy Word! [Solemnly read Deuteronomy 4:2, and 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; and Revelation 20:18-19]

On Judgment Day, several billion Roman Catholic faithful will understand, for the first time, that God was extremely serious when He forbade any addition to, or subtraction from, His Bible. Only then, when it is too late to change one's eternal destiny, will these Roman Catholic faithful understand that they had placed their eternal destiny in the hands of unsaved, lying prophets.

If you are one of these faithful, we urge you to realize the folly of depending upon the word of men and of their traditions. Believe in Jesus Christ ALONE, both for Salvation and for paying the penalty for your sins! Believe only in the Holy Bible, and stop listening to the lying lips of Roman Catholic priests. Do not delay this personal decision. Your precious eternal soul is at stake.

David Bay

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but have come to realize His reality and want to accept His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can also do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you accept Him as Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that nothing will not hurt you spiritually. You will also know the greatest heart peace that the greatest God can give to one of His own children.

If you would like to become Born Again, and come to know this wonderful heart peace, turn to our Salvation Page now.

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The Bent Cross vs. Traditional Crucifix

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The Bent Cross Crucifix versus the Traditional Crucifix

Please notice the Crucifix that Pope John Paul II is holding up to the people, at left. Study it closely, and you will realize that it is not a Traditional Crucifix, as we show below. Rather, this Crucifix is known as a "Bent Cross". But, what does that mean? For the answer to that question, let us turn to a Roman Catholic author, Piers Compton, writing in his book, "The Broken Cross: Hidden Hand In the Vatican", Channel Islands, Neville Spearman, 1981. This Bent Crucifix is "... a sinister symbol, used by Satanists in the sixth century, that had been revived at the time of Vatican Two. This was a bent or broken cross, on which was displayed a repulsive and distorted figure of Christ, which the black magicians and sorcerers of the Middle Ages had made use of to represent the Biblical term 'Mark of the Beast'. Yet, not only Paul VI, but his successors, the two John-Pauls, carried that object and held it up to be revered by crowds, who had not the slightest idea that it stood for anti-Christ." (p. 72) On page 56 Compton prints a picture of the current Pope, John Paul II, holding this bent or broken cross, just as we have shown, at left. Therefore, Pope John Paul II is telling all the occultists the world over that he is not a Traditional Pope, but a Pope that is committed to carrying out the role of World Religious Leader as called for in the New World Order Plan. Another Roman Catholic author, Malachi Martin, makes this same claim - that Pope John Paul II is committed to the New World Order Plan in his book, "The Keys To This Blood". Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we have printed the Traditional Crucifix, to the right. As you can see, the cross here is not bent in any way, top or bottom. Further, the picture of Jesus Christ is a full figure without any kind of distortion or disfiguration! The Traditional Roman Catholic Crucifix is very, very different from the "Bent Cross", above. We Protestants have always objected to the Traditional Crucifix, because it holds Jesus Christ up to continual shame, which is forbidden in Hebrews 6:6. Indeed, this is the basis upon which we Protestants object to the entire Mass, but that is the subject of another article. As you can see, the Crucifix which Pope John Paul II is holding up to adoring crowds is not the Traditional Crucifx, but is the Satanic Bent, or Broken, Cross! This Bent Crucifix was created by Satanists to depict Antichrist and his Mark of the Beast! Very soon, you will see the appearance of a global leader, calling himself The Christ, who will claim to be Jesus Christ returned, the Jewish Messiah, and the Avatar figure for which all the major religions are awaiting, all in one man. This will be Antichrist. Then, very quickly thereafter, a global religious leader will step forward to aid the Antichrist; this religious leader will possess the same miraculous power of Antichrist. At this moment, the prophecy of Revelation 13:11-14 will be fulfilled; this global religious leader will be the Biblical False Prophet. The New World Order Plan calls for this global religious leader [False Prophet] to be the Roman Catholic Pope, whomever he is at the time; certainly, John Paul II's use of this Satanic Bent Cross is consistent with this part of the Plan. You have been forewarned. A picture is worth a thousand words, and this Bent Cross picture labels Pope John Paul II and the Roman Catholic Church.  To see other obvious Satanic symbols being openly used by the Roman Catholic Church, click here. "HOW CAN WE SURVIVE?" TRUSTING GOD'S PROMISES IN TIMES OF JUDGMENT If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but have come to realize His reality and want to accept His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can also do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you accept Him as Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that nothing will not hurt you spiritually. You will also know the greatest heart peace that the greatest God can give to one of His own children. If you would like to become Born Again, and come to know this wonderful heart peace, turn to our Salvation Page now. Return to What Saith Rome Read more at christian-truths2.blogspot.com

 

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VIRGIN MARY CALLED THE "QUEEN OF HEAVEN"

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THE VIRGIN MARY IS POPULARLY AND AFFECTIONATELY CALLED THE "QUEEN OF HEAVEN".

Subtitle: THIS TITLE IS SHOCKING AND DEMONSTRATES THAT THE ORIGIN OF THE WORSHIP OF THE VIRGIN MARY IS PAGAN, NOT BIBLICAL

NEWS BRIEF: "Among all the women who have ever lived, the mother of Jesus Christ is the most celebrated, the most venerated... Among Roman Catholics, the Madonna is recognized not only as the Mother of God, but also, according to modern Popes, as the Queen of the Universe, Queen of Heaven, Seat of Wisdom, and even the Spouse of the Holy Spirit." (Time Magazine, "Handmaid or Feminist?", December 30, 1991, p. 62-66).

Most Roman Catholic adherents cheerfully refer to the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Heaven and understand this term to one of endearment, love, and adoration. Is this title a Biblical term or a Pagan title? Is God pleased with this title, or is He mightily displeased? Let us look in Scripture.

1. "Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger." [Jeremiah 7:17-18] In this section of Jeremiah, God is telling Israel why He is about to physically destroy them as a nation. God is acting much like a Prosecutor who is informing the accused as to the charges against them. Notice that God is very angry that these people are preparing to worship the Queen of Heaven. He is saying that this worship of the Queen of Heaven is "provoking" Him to anger!

2. "As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?"

[Jeremiah 44:16-17] Here, we see that the people are defiantly refusing to obey God, and are continuing to worship this Queen of Heaven.

3. "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to thequeen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows." [Jeremiah 44:25] We see that God has finally gotten the message, that the people are going to worship this Queen of Heaven no matter what He says. Therefore, God tells them to go ahead with their rebellion, because He is going to totally destroy them. You can read the full account of this Divine Judgment in Jeremiah 44:1-20-29, and we encourage you to read it, for God never changes, and He would be just as enraged today about this idolatrous worship as He was then.

The question, then, is, who is this Queen of Heaven which the Israelites were worshipping, that provoked God to such anger? Fortunately, Jewish historical records tell us exactly what this Queen of Heaven was that so angered God.

First, let us examine the ancient Queen of Heaven. Most of this information is taken from Alexander Hislop's book, "The Two Babylons", 1917. Hislop traces the Babylonian worship of the Queen of Heaven back to the days following the death of Nimrod. The dating of this event is not known exactly, but seems to date 400+ years after the flood. After Nimrod's death, his wife, Semiramis, was determined to retain her power and wealth. She concocted the story that Nimrod's death was for the salvation of mankind. Nimrod was touted as "the woman's promised seed, Zero-ashta, who was destined to bruise the serpent's head, and in so doing, was to have his own heel bruised." (p. 58-59)

We can easily see that this story is a counterfeit to the true prophecy concerning Jesus Christ. To enable the Babylonian people to better worship this child, a woodcut portrait was created, depicting him in his mother's arms. The mother obviously drew her glory from her deified son. However, "the mother, in the long-run, practically eclipsed the son" in worship. The original picture obviously was meant to merely be a "pedestal for the upholding of the divine son...But, while this... was the design, it is a plain principle in all idolatries that that which most appeals to the senses must make the most powerful impression." (p, 74) The mother obviously created the most powerful visual impression, both because she was an adult and because she was so magnificently arrayed.

Once people began to worship the mother more than the child, Babylonian priests felt forced to issue an edict deifying the mother also. After the passage of still more time, "her son's birth was boldly declared to be miraculous, and therefore she was called ...the Virgin Mother." (p.76) "The highest titles were then bestowed upon her. She was called the Queen of Heaven. In Egypt, she was styled Athor, i.e., the Habitation of God to signify that in her dwelt all the 'fulness of the Godhead'". (p.77) From this pagan beginning, the story of the Virgin Mother ( Queen of Heaven) spread throughout the world. In:

* Egypt, she was called Athor (p77)

* Tibet and China, she was called Virgo Deipara (p77)

* Greece, she was called Hestia (Ibid)

* Rome, she was called Juno, or Dove. (p79).

Thus, we can see that this ancient Queen of Heaven was a Pagan counterfeit of the Virgin Mary. She was a Divine Mother that had given birth to a Divine Child! Of special note is the connection in Rome with the Dove. Why?

In Ancient Babylon, both the worship of the Virgin Mother and her symbol, the Dove, "identified her with the Spirit of all grace ...the Holy Ghost." (p. 79). Thus, the Pagan Trinity is God the Father, the Son, and the Virgin Mother. Indeed, the Roman Catholic Church has made this same claim, as Hislop noted, in the nineteenth century (p. 83). Hislop concludes, "The Madonna of Rome... is just the Madonna of Babylon. The Queen of Heaven in the one system is the same as the Queen of Heaven in the other." (Ibid)

If you cannot believe these facts, above, maybe you will believe the testimony of avowed Pagans in today's world. Listen to their testimony:

1) In his most blasphemous book, The Armageddon Script, Peter Lemesurier writes enthusiastically about the worship of the Great Mother Earth. He writes as though he is an astronaut in a spaceship in orbit around our planet. "As they rounded the barren lunar globe for the... last time, and the resplendent half-earth once again rose from behind that now familiar curved and rocky horizon, what they saw coming up to meet them was strangely familiar. An image straight out of the racial memory. A god out of the world of the archetypes. It was none other than the rounded form of the Great Mother, Earth herself, clad in the same flowering robes of shimmering blue and white that had been those of mother-goddesses of earth and sky throughout man's history - and not least his most recent mother-goddess, the Virgin Mary herself..." (p. 245-6).

Peter Lemesurier, as a Pagan worshipper, has no difficulty recognizing the truth that the worship of the Virgin Mary is ancient Pagan idolatry. Therefore, non-Christian Pagans the world over will have little difficulty accepting the worship of the Roman Catholic Virgin Mother.

2) Another New Age writer, China Galland, a practicing American Buddhist, has written a very revealing book entitled Longing For Darkness. Galland enthusiastically establishes the commonality between the Virgin Mary and other Pagan goddesses.

"Durga, the warrior queen... was the only one who could restore harmony and set the world at peace... the gods sang her praises, called her the Queen of the Universe..." Remember the Time Magazine, quoted above, which reports that one of the names by which the Virgin Mary is known is the Queen of the Universe? Galland continues:

"I had come to find the Buddha Tara, but instead I found the goddesses Durgan and Kali...Kali, the death-dealer and life-giver, the end and beginning of time. She was a deity of such proportions as I had heard only God the Father in Christianity described. The fact that Kali is dark and female turned my Catholic upbringing inside out... Some say she is black because black is the color in which all distinctions are dissolved, others say she is black because she is eternal night." (p. 27) These two goddesses are Hindu.

The Buddhist goddess, Tara, was the object of Galland's search as she traveled the Far East. However, she was startled when she discovered that there are Hindu texts that describe Kali as Tara." (p. 30) This discovery links Hinduism with Buddhism.

D -- Later, back in the United States, Galland discovered another New Age book entitled Mother Worship, by author Tara Doyle. This book reported the phenomenon of the Black Madonna in Switzerland. Galland records, "I didn't recall that there were any dark female divinities in Christianity. I thought they were unique to religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. I could remember virtually nothing about a dark or black Madonna despite my years of Catholic upbringing... A brief entry in Newsweek magazine caught my eye. The Virgin Mary was reported to be appearing in the barks of trees in... Poland. I was intrigued... It seemed to be such a similar phenomenon to what had been reported about the Tara ..I wondered what was going on in the spritus mundi, the spirit of the world, that reports of female deities literally emerging out of rocks and trees were surfacing in both East and West. The simultaneity was symbolically important..."(p. 49-50).

Later, Galland asks a Buddhist Master Teacher about the connection between these appearances, "I showed him the magazine clipping on the reported appearance of the Madonna in the bark of trees in Poland...[he replied] it is very similar to what we are talking about here. We have many occurrences like this in Tibetan Buddhism. We call it rangjung, it means self-arising ...These things appear because of the power and blessings of enlightened beings. Such beings work through the power of mental substance and the power of concentration..." (p. 65-66) Galland recounts her later meeting with the Dalai Lama. When she asks him about the Blessed Mother appearing in the bark of trees in Poland, he agrees that this phenomenon is Buddhist rangjung. (p. 95)

We should not be surprised that Satan is now causing female deities to appear all over the world at this moment in history. If this is indeed the end of the age, then it is time for Satan to draw together his prophesied church.

We encourage you to read CE1008, "Virgin Mary And Pagan Goddess Worship" for more details on this phenomena. Do not be deceived: the Roman Catholic worship of their Virgin Mary, whom they call the Queen of Heaven, is a rebirth of the Pagan worship of various Queens of Heaven throughout history, by various names. In each of these various countries, the Queen of Mother is a Virgin Mother who has given birth to a Divine Child. Further, the worship of the Catholic Queen of Heaven is precisely the same as the worship of the Queen of Heaven in Ancient Israel, as recorded in Jeremiah above.

God's reaction will also be the same: physical Judgment, destruction. What are you to do now that you know the truth? Listen to Jesus' Words, spoken at the End of the Age.

"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her [the evil system], my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Revelation 18:4-5

Just before Jesus' final destruction comes upon the evil system in the Great Tribulation Period Jesus calls one final warning to His people, to come out and be separate and ask forgiveness or they will be destroyed also. This warning applies to you if you are a practicing, believing Roman Catholic. Please carefully read all our articles, as we systematically seek to show you the total Paganism which comprises Roman Catholicism, a Paganism very cleverly hidden behind Christian concepts, words, and names. But, it is Paganism all the same.

May God Richly Bless You!

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but have come to realize His reality and want to accept His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can also do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you accept Him as Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that nothing will not hurt you spiritually. You will also know the greatest heart peace that the greatest God can give to one of His own children.

If you would like to become Born Again, and come to know this wonderful heart peace, turn to our Salvation Page now.

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THE BASIS FOR PURGATORY

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REVIEW OF THE BASIS FOR PURGATORY - Part 3

Subtitle: We shall examine the Biblical basis given by Roman Catholic theologians for the teaching on Purgatory. Then, we shall examine the REAL origin of this teaching.

In "What Is Purgatory?", Part 1, RC111, we quoted the Catechism basis for teaching Purgatory, but we shall again here give it so we can smoothly move into our current discussion.

" "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification..." (Catechism p.268, para #1030, 1031).

This is the main basis behind the Roman Catholic teaching of Purgatory. But, this Catechism is still the work of man; is there any Biblical basis for Purgatory? Catholic theologians point to Matthew 5:25-26 as the basis for Purgatory. Let us review that Scripture:

"Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." [Matthew 5:25-26. This "prison" thus implied in this Scripture is supposed to be Purgatory. The implication in this Scripture is also that, eventually, the prisoner will pay his final bill and be set free. This implication is held to be consistent with the teaching of Purgatory, that it is not eternal, and eventually, everyone will get out of it, and go on to Heaven, perfectly purified.

Catholic theologians also point to Jesus' enunciation of the Unpardonable Sin as proof for Purgatory. Let us quickly review this Scripture.

"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." [Matthew 12:32] This reference to two worlds is held to be proof of Purgatory.

This is the supposed Biblical basis for Purgatory. The remainder of the argument for Purgatory is based upon the Machabees, which are not recognized as Holy Scripture by any church in the world save the Roman Catholic Church, and upon Church Tradition, which is also unreliable because it was written by men, not God, and was written after the Apostles passed from the scene, thus closing the Canon. [See "Sola Scriptura", RC101a for full details]

Now, let us examine these two Scriptural texts, given above, to see if they really prove a Purgatory, or whether they are referring to another meaning. Matthew 5:25 does not refer to a Roman Catholic Purgatory, but tells us that a sinner is a debtor to God, His Creditor. The sinner is cast into prison until he pays the last penny, which is forever because he does not have the resources to pay the final bill. The word, "until" does not necessarily imply a definite or temporary period of time. In many passages of the Bible, the word, "until" clearly denotes that which is done, without any regard to the future. For instance, God says: "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Shall His Divine Son sit no longer after His enemies are subdued? Obviously not. Therefore, the word, "until" cannot be interpreted in Matthew 5:25 as denoting a limited period of time, i.e. Purgatory.

Even Matthew 12:32 does not prove purgatory; in fact, the expression "either in this world or in the world to come" does not imply that some sins are forgiven after death; however, it is a strong way of stating the truth that the unrepentant sinner will never be forgiven, as we see from the parallel passages of this Scripture (Luke 12:10, especially Mark 3:29). Even according to Roman Catholic teaching, this Scripture could not refer to Purgatory, because Jesus speaks here of forgiveness, of which there is none in Purgatory, where the debt must be paid to the last "penny", either by the pains of torment or by the payment of living relatives, or a combination of the two.

Very significantly. Catholic theologians have had to rest their main argument for Purgatory upon a book which is acknowledged by all the best scholars to be apocryphal and without Biblical value for the majority of Christian believers. In fact, this passage about offering money to pray for the dead is sufficient to prove the lack of Divine inspiration in this book of the Machabees. No other book of Holy Scripture contains this doctrine, which is fundamentally opposed to Christian teaching. In fact, ask yourself why God would ask living believers to pay money to relieve people in Purgatory. What good is money to God, Who is outside of the Earthly realm where money can do anyone any good? In fact, to whom will the money go? Obviously, it could only go to the Church officials living in the here and now. This whole idea of teaching that the paying of money can relieve the suffering of loved ones in Purgatory just smacks of a money scheme.

The doctrine of Purgatory is not only without Biblical proof, but it is against the clear and consistent teaching of Scripture. the Bible nowhere speaks of a temporary place of punishment after death for believers; however, it does clearly state that when the believer dies, he enters into rest, and returns to God, a state of existence that no living loved one can effect in any way.

"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours ..." [Revelation 14:13]

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." [Ecclesiastes 12:7]

Now read the text of the picture the Lord paints of the rich man and Lazarus, both of whom died and went immediately to their respective places. The unredeemed rich man went to Hell while Lazarus went to Heaven, also known as Abraham's Bosom. Even though the rich man pleaded with Abraham for some relief, Abraham refused to help him in any way, stating that a great gulf had been fixed between the two places, which prevented anyone from going to and forth, in either direction. Jesus gave no hint that the rich man would someday get out of Hell. Certainly, if Purgatory really existed, this story would have given Jesus the perfect opportunity to tell us about it. Do you realize that Jesus Christ preached more on Hell and punishment than all the other writers in the Bible added together? Yet, He nowhere gives us any indication of a place of punishment of limited time, after which the person goes to Heaven.

NO ONE CAN REDEEM HIS SOUL, NOR THAT OF HIS BROTHER

Of all the verses in the Bible that reveal the falsity of Purgatory, this verse, given below, reveals it completely. Listen carefully: "One cannot redeem oneself, to pay God a ransom. Too high the price to redeem a life; one would never have enough to stay alive forever and never see the pit." [Psalm 49:10, The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press].

The traditional King James Version is a little more clear: "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:" Yet, this is exactly what poor Roman Catholics are attempting to do as they pay good money to get their loved ones out of this supposed place called Purgatory!!

According to this Scripture, and other verses, no one can satisfy for the punishment due to our sins, since Jesus Christ our Savior has satisfied for us freely and completely, by His sacrifice on the cross. No works that we could possibly do on earth, even if we were a Mother Teresa, and certainly not Purgatory, can ever redeem our souls from foul sin. Our faith in Jesus Christ alone obtains forgiveness for us, not anything we can do. "For by grace are you saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the [free] gift of God. it is not from works, so no one may boast." [Ephesians 2:8-9, The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press]

"All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Jesus Christ." [Romans 3:23-24, The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press].

"For by one offering he has made perfect those who are being consecrated." [Hebrews 10:14, The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press]

"Hence, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." [Romans 8:1, The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press]. Please think carefully about this verse. Purgatory IS a condemnation, albeit supposedly temporary. But, the Bible says that there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! Jesus Himself told us this wonderful truth. "Whoever believes in Him [Jesus Christ, speaking of Himself] will not be condemned." [John 3:18, The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press]. Since Purgatory is a condemnation, it does not, indeed cannot, exist!

The invention of Purgatory is not based on the Bible, but it is based upon other inventions of the Roman Catholic Church, i.e., venial sin and temporary punishment of sin after death. According to Roman Catholic theologians, a person can commit two kinds of sins against God: mortal and venial. Mortal sin is a grave offense against the law of God or of the Church. It is called, "Mortal" because it kills the soul by depriving it entirely of sanctifying grace. Venial sin is a small and pardonable offense against God and the laws of the Church.

Then, this confusing and unscriptural doctrine continues: Two kinds of punishment are due to mortal sin: eternal (in Hell forever), and temporary (in Purgatory). Eternal punishment is canceled by the "sacraments" of Baptism and Extreme Unction, or by an act of perfect contrition with promise of confession.

Temporary punishment is not canceled by these sacraments, but by works of penance, by almsgiving, by paying a priest to say Mass, by indulgences, etc., which reduce the temporal punishment for mortal sins that would have to be suffered in Purgatory. Thus, even if all the mortal sins of a Roman Catholic are "forgiven" in confession by a priest, but the parishioner does not perform enough of these "good works", he will go to Purgatory and remain there in torture until his soul is completely purified.

Roman Catholic theologians attempt to prove the doctrine of venial sin and temporal punishment of venial and mortal sins after death, by quoting the following Scripture:

Jeremiah said of the Jews: "They did worse than their fathers." [Jeremiah 7:26, The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press]

Jesus said to Pilate: "For this reason, he who handed me over to you has the greater sin." [John 19:11, The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press]

In many other passages of the Bible, we also read that it is possible to sin and still remain just, but since no one can commit a mortal sin and be just at the same time, there must be some distinction between sins that kill the soul and change a man from being just to unjust, and other sins that a just man can commit and yet remain just. In Proverbs 24:16, we read, "For the just man falls seven times and rises again ..." [Proverbs 24:16, The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press]. And, in James 3:2, we read, "for we all fall short in many respects" [The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press].

Then, Jesus warned, "I tell you, on the day of judgment, people will render an account of every careless word they speak." [Matthew 12:36, The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press]

Thus, Catholic theologians have concluded that every careless or idle word surely cannot be a mortal sin, deserving of death.

BIBLE DRAWS NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN SINS

According to the Bible, there is no distinction drawn between mortal and venial sins. It is true that not all sins are equally heinous in character; at the same time, it is equally true that all sins bring death to the soul. The Jews did worse than their forefather; those who betrayed Jesus Christ committed a greater sin than did Pilate. But who would dare say that because of this, the early Hebrews and Pilate committed only easily pardonable or mere "venial" sins?

Certainly, the Apostle Paul makes no distinction between sins when he says, "The wages of sin is death." [Romans 6:23] Again, in Galatians 3:10, he says, "For all who depend upon works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law.' " [The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press] Then, in James 2:10, we read, "For whosoever keeps the whole law, but falls short in one particular, has become guilty in respect to it all." [The New American Bible, Catholic Bible Press]

The disobedience of Adam and Eve in eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden appears to be a very small sin. Yet, just as God warned, they ultimately died because of that sin, and death and sin were permanently introduced into the world by every person born. The consequences of their sin were absolutely ENORMOUS, MONSTROUS!! Therefore, the supposed distinction between mortal and venial sins is arbitrary and absurd. This distinction is totally without merit in either logic or Scripture.

But, when we look at the financial result of this teaching, we can see why the Roman Catholic Church is so interested in continuing to teach that there is a distinction between mortal and venial sins. The apostasy of the Church of Rome in this matter is rooted in its desire for money and power over people. The invention of venial sin made the teaching of Purgatory possible -- the fire of which does not consume the poor souls of departed loved ones, but rather keeps the coffers full of cash.

You see, it is absolutely impossible to make money out of the true Biblical teaching that there is no distinction between sins; that Hell for all eternity is for unbelievers and Heaven for all believers in the saving power of Jesus Christ. Souls safely in Heaven do not need the masses of priests on earth, and souls in Hell cannot be released by the ministrations of priests nor the burning of candles before the shrines of the Virgin Mary and the saints. But, if there are sins that make a man not good enough for Heaven, and yet not bad enough for Hell, then it is necessary to invent a place where those who die with venial sins unforgiven must go to be purged.

Then, the gold really accumulates in the Church coffers. It is easy to say that these souls in Purgatory cannot help themselves , nor can God help them; but, they can be helped by a priest on earth saying Mass for them. The offering for a Requiem Mass may be anything from $5 on up, depending on "how much the traffic will bear".

Purgatory is a gold mine for the Roman Catholic Church. But Purgatory would be of little value were it not for the magical distinction between mortal and venial sins, the teaching of the Bible notwithstanding. This false teaching casts great dishonor on the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Purgatory subtracts from the fullness, and the perfect nature, of Jesus' love for His church, plus it is a denial of the complete and sufficient nature of His sacrifice and His work as Intercessor. [See RC111a "Is There A Purgatory, Part 2", for thorough study on the wonderful fact that Jesus paid the FULL penalty of sin!]

The Roman Catholic Church cannot even take credit for being the first to invent this money making doctrine of Purgatory. Rather, we find that this teaching existed first in Ancient Paganism, from Babylon, to Greece, to Egypt and to Roman mythology. Pagan Rome had a feast of purification called "Sacrum Purgatorium". Reverend Alexander Hislop notes, in his book, "The Two Babylons": "Go wherever we may, in ancient or modern times, we shall find that paganism leaves hope after death for sinners who, at the time of their departure, were consciously unfit for the abodes of the blest. For this purpose, a middle state has been feigned, in which, by means of purgatorial pains, guilt unremoved in time may, in a future world, be purged away, and the soul be meet for final beatitude."

"In Greece ... Plato, speaking of the future judgment of the dead, holds out the hope of final deliverance for all, but maintains that, 'of those who are judged', some must first 'proceed to a subterranean place of judgment, where they shall sustain the punishment they have deserved'; while others, in consequence of a favorable judgment, being elevated at once into a certain celestial place, shall pass their time in a manner becoming the life they lived in a human shape.' "

"In pagan Rome, Purgatory was equally held up before the minds of men; but, there seems to have been no hope held out to any of exemption from its pains." [Alexander Hislop, "The Two Babylons", page 167].

"In Egypt, substantially the same doctrine of Purgatory was inculcated. But when once this doctrine of Purgatory was admitted into the popular mind, then the door was opened for all manner of priestly extortions. Egyptian prayers for the dead ever go hand in hand with Purgatory; but no prayers can be completely efficacious without the interposition of the priests; and no priestly functions can be rendered unless there be special pay for them. Therefore, in every land we find the pagan priesthood 'devouring widows' houses' and making merchandise of the tender feelings of sorrowing relatives, sensitively alive to the immortal happiness of the beloved dead." [Ibid, pages 167-168]

When I looked in the encyclopedia under "Purgatory", I discovered a link to Hinduism and Buddhism that I did not realize existed. "Hindus and Buddhists, who believe in the transmigration of souls, also believe in heavens and hells where those souls who are not immediately reborn, spend time, according to their deserts [works] before their next incarnation. These are, in effect, the equivalent of purgatory because they are temporal states in the soul's long progress toward eventual salvation." [The Encyclopedia Americana, International Version, Volume 23, "Purgatory" article, page 19, 1997]. Did you notice the words, "not immediately reborn" in this definition of the Pagan Purgatory of Hinduism and Buddhism? This term is exactly the teaching as to why a Catholic needs Purgatory, I.e., their souls are not yet purified enough to go right to heaven. Thus, you can add the false religions of Hinduism and Buddhism to the list of Pagan religions, above, that taught Purgatory. Purgatory IS PAGAN.

Thus, my dear Catholic friends, you can see two things as a result of reading these articles on Purgatory. First, you can see that Purgatory has no Biblical basis. Second, you can see that Ancient Mystery religions invented Purgatory several thousand years before the Roman Catholic Church began to espouse it. Purgatory is only one of many Roman Catholic teachings that originated in Ancient Paganism. But, this is certainly one major teaching that is Pagan, not Christian. All the Catholic Church did was resurrect this Pagan teaching with Christian names and with certain verses twisted to make them say what they never said.

The reality, as taught in Scripture, is far more blessed for the Born Again Christian, and far more serious for the unredeemed. The Redeemed, Born Again Christian, has had his sins completely forgiven and forgotten by Jesus Christ, and he most assuredly does not pass by any Judgment Bar, nor does he receive any Judgment whatsoever. Because Jesus' blood sacrifice also paid the sin debt fully, he passes immediately to Paradise, just as Jesus told the repentant thief on the cross! However, the unredeemed soul passes immediately into Hell, where he is tormented continually until the Great White Throne Judgment, where he will be judged according to his own works, deeds, thoughts, and motives. Then, he will be thrown alive into the fire of brimstone, for eternity, where his torment will never cease!

The Truth is the Best of all News on the one hand, and the Worst of all News on the other. The dividing point is the moment of physical death. Dear friend, we beg of you to understand the Biblical Truth we have just shared with you, and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, trusting in Him and His sacrifice ALONE for your salvation, not on any works the Catholic Church tells you that you must do, but upon His sacrifice ALONE.

Jesus paid the sin debt in full!

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." [John 8:32]

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but have come to realize His reality and want to accept His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can also do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you accept Him as Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that nothing will not hurt you spiritually. You will also know the greatest heart peace that the greatest God can give to one of His own children.

If you would like to become Born Again, and come to know this wonderful heart peace, turn to our Salvation Page now.

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IS THERE A PURGATORY? PART 2

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IS THERE A PURGATORY? PART 2

Subtitle: We examine the false teaching of Purgatory from two different aspects, from Jesus' statement on the cross, and from various Scripture.

When Jesus Christ hung on the cross, preparing to command His Spirit to leave his mortal body, thus officially establishing His Covenant, He uttered a statement that should refute, once and for all, the Roman Catholic teaching that Purgatory exists. In our article, "What About Purgatory? Part 1, RC111, we examined the reason Catholic theologians insist that a place like Purgatory must exist. Let us examine this reason as the beginning point for this discussion.

" "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification..." (Catechism p.268, para #1030, 1031).

Thus, we see that Roman Catholicism teaches that Jesus' death on the cross assured people of their ultimate, eternal salvation, but it did not perfectly purify their souls so they could immediately go into Heaven. In other words, people still have a burden of sin debt that had to be purified through the fires of punishment in Purgatory. Roman Catholic adherents must have to continue to WORK for their holiness!

Yet, Jesus told us, in no uncertain terms, that this teaching is as false as a $3 bill. Where and when did Jesus tell us that His blood sacrifice paid the full debt incurred from our sin(s)? He told this on the cross, just moments before He commanded His Spirit to leave! In fact, these words were the last recorded words of Jesus before His body died. Since secular law places very heavy emphasis on the Last Word and Testament of a person, we should place very heavy emphasis on Jesus' last Words. Listen to Him tell us that His blood sacrifice paid the FULL DEBT of sin.

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." [John 19:30] Jesus stated, "It is finished", just before He commanded His Spirit to leave His mortal body. This sentence, "It is finished", when we understand it fully, should convince you that Purgatory cannot exist, because this full meaning shows that Jesus' sacrifice paid the entire sin debt!!

When Jesus used the word, " finished", He used a Greek word for finished that is a commercial term that means the "debt is totally paid"!! It is Strong's Concordance word #5055. teleo, tel-eh'-o; from G5056; meaning "to end", i.e. "complete, execute, conclude, discharge a debt:--accomplish, make an end, expire, fill up, finish, go over, pay, perform." [Strong's Concordance, reported in Holman Bible Dictionary].

When a person in the old Roman Empire paid a debt totally, this word ( Tetelestai) was stamped on his statement, telling everyone that this debt had been totally paid! So, when Jesus said "It is finished", He used the commercial word that told everyone, for all time, that He had totally paid the sin debt! This word, " Tetelestai", is indelibly stamped on the account of everyone who accepts the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and becomes born again. Since there is no such thing as a "residue of sin" that needs to be purified, there is absolutely no reason for Purgatory to exist! Jesus' sacrifice paid the sin debt in FULL!

We see this Truth in other places in Scripture.

1) " For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14) Notice the word, "perfected" in this Scripture. Jesus' sacrifice was an offering to God that "perfects" the people who accept His sacrifice. This verse alone should convince you that the Roman Catholic teaching, that sin cannot be atoned for except by the "purging fires" of Purgatory, is totally false and without foundation. Once you realize the lie of the sin atonement that cannot be atoned by Jesus' sacrifice, you also will realize the lie of penance and indulgences!

2) "Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity ... He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy and loving-kindness ... You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" [Micah 7:18-19; Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary]

Notice that God promises to cast all our sins into the depths of the sea, where they will never again ever be seen. He does not cast them into shallow waters near the sea shore where they might wash up again, but into the depths of the sea, where they will never again be seen!

"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. "[Psalms 103:12] This is another precious promise that God will remove all our sin from us, forever. Notice, also, that once a person meets God's condition for forgiveness of sin, God will be as tender toward that person as a human father is tender toward his children. In Roman Catholicism, God is presented as an angry, avenging Deity, from whom all humans must cower, which is why we are supposed to need the intercession of the Virgin Mary! Jesus Christ is also presented as that avenging, Deity.

3) "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." [Isaiah 1:18] How much more wonderful of a promise can we get? When we meet God's conditions for forgiveness of sins [which is now through Jesus Christ], our sin stains will be washed as clean as white wool. Do you see any "residue" of sin that needs the purging of Purgatory fires? I do not, and God does not.

4) "Behold, it was for my peace that I had intense bitterness; but you have loved back my life from the pit of corruption and nothingness, for you have cast all my sins behind Your back." [Isaiah 38:17] How precious this promises truly is, to my heart! When our sins are forgiven through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God then casts all my sins behind His back. What a precious truth that, once God forgives sin through Jesus Christ, He then chooses to forget that we ever sinned! This deliberate forgetfulness of God is called, "Justification", because it "Justifies us before God", putting us in right standing before God. It also means that, once God Justifies us, it is "Just as though we had never sinned".

Do you see any sin punishment here that cannot be atoned by any other means than the Purgatory fires? I do not, and you should not, for there is no such place as Purgatory and no such thing as sin punishment that cannot be atoned by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. There is no "residue" of sin left over from the act of forgiveness that requires us to do penance in this life and Purgatory in the next life.

In the next article, we shall examine the Roman Catholic basis for teaching this false doctrine and then we shall study to see where this doctrine originated, if we cannot find it in Scripture. Friends, we urge you to carefully consider all our evidence that Roman Catholicism is a counterfeit Christianity that does not merit you giving your precious eternal soul for it.

May God Richly Bless You.

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but have come to realize His reality and want to accept His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can also do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you accept Him as Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that nothing will not hurt you spiritually. You will also know the greatest heart peace that the greatest God can give to one of His own children.

If you would like to become Born Again, and come to know this wonderful heart peace, turn to our Salvation Page now.

Return to What Saith Rome Read more at christian-truths2.blogspot.com

 

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