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The Gospel According to Rome: Comparing Catholic Tradition and the Word of God
When Catechism of the Catholic Church broke onto the N.Y. Times bestseller list, its astonishing success confirmed the overwhelming interest of Catholics and Protestants in understanding modern Catholicism. Has the recent openness among denominations affected Catholic teachings? In the new spirit of cooperation, is there any reason why Catholics and Protestants should remain divided?
This powerful and insightful examination of the Catholic Church provides:
a side-by-side comparison of Scripture with the first new worldwide Catholic catechism in 400 years a summary of how modern Catholicism views grace, works, and heaven 24 ways the Catholic plan of salvation still stands in contrast to biblical truth a balanced overview of how the authority structure of the Roman Catholic Church compares with that of the New Testament church an explanation of how participation in the Mass and other sacraments is inconsistent with faith in Christ as SaviorClear, accurate, significant information to know and share�The Gospel According to Rome
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 22, 2015
I read primarily Part 3 about Mary, in preparation for a ladies' study about her. This part was very informative, and eye-opening to me about just how much emphasis Catholics place on Mary. I appreciate that he quotes liberally from the Roman Catholic writings to let them speak for themselves. The book was written by a former Catholic. His current doctrinal beliefs are somewhat different than my own, which comes through in some places (he does believe in original sin, for instance, and I do not), but I found what I read to be helpful overall.
September 12, 2024
A FORMER CATHOLIC EXAMINES CATHOLICISM "BIBLICALLY"
James G. McCarthy (born 1952) is also the author of 'The Gospel According to Rome,' 'Conversations With Catholics,' 'Talking with Catholic Friends and Family,' and coauthored 'Letters Between a Catholic and an Evangelical.' He also produced the video, 'Catholicism: Crisis of Faith.'
He wrote in the Prologue to this 1995 book, "My family are Catholics, Irish Catholics, as far back as anyone can remember... My own wedding was performed by three priests---my three uncles and our local pastor... I appreciate the education I received from teachers who really cared... Despite their best efforts, however, I did not know God or the biblical way of salvation... I learned of the finished work of Christ and of God's free offer of salvation... I trusted Christ as my Savior. Two years later I left the Roman Catholic Church. It was the most painful decision I have ever had to make. But ... I realized that I had no alternative. I have written this book because I owe a debt, a debt of love to my Catholic family and friends and the millions of sincere Catholics whom they represent... Why should you read this book? Because it contains important information from the Bible about the Roman Catholic Church that you need to know." (Pg. 11-12)
He notes, "The Roman Catholic Church annually baptizes about 16 million children under the age of seven years old. Most are only a few weeks old. As they grow up, the Church teaches these children that original sin has been removed from their souls and divine life resides within them. Consequently, most Catholics go through life confident that they are right with God and on the road that leads to heaven. Their confidence, however, is unwarranted, for the Scriptures teach that lost sinners are justified by faith, not baptism." (Pg. 29)
On using 2 Maccabees 12:39-46 to justify the belief in Purgatory, he observes, "the passage makes no direct reference to purgatory. As the Church's primary proof for the doctrine of purgatory, 2 Maccabees 12 is surprisingly obscure. Second, the passage is internally inconsistent. It says that the slain 'had gone to rest in godliness'... Yet the dead warriors were idolators who had been judged by God for their sin. They died in their guilt. Third, there is nothing in the law of Moses that would indicate that offerings for the dead were ever an authentic part of the Jewish faith." (Pg. 109)
He argues, "Determined to find biblical support, some Roman Catholic scholars argue that the New Testament office of ELDER and the Roman Catholic PRIESTHOOD are one and the same. This view has even found its way into some Roman Catholic translations of the Bible... In each of these verses the word translated 'priests' is the plural form of the Greek word 'presbuteros,' meaning 'older man' or 'elder.' The Scriptures teach that the apostles 'appointed elders... in every church' (Acts 14:23), not priests. Titus was to 'appoint elders in every city' (Titus 1:5), not priests. And sick Christians were to 'call for the elders of the church' (James 5:14), not the local priest. The New Testament word for priest is 'hierus.' It is not found in any of the three passages quoted above from the Catholic Douay Rheims Bible." (Pg. 171-172)
He argues, "Roman Catholic proponents, aware that Matthew's used of the word 'petra' [in Mt 16:18] does not help their cause, counter by arguing that Jesus taught in Aramaic not Greek... The inspired New Testament Scriptures were written in Greek, not Aramaic. What Jesus might have said in Aramaic is conjecture... [if] the Aramaic is clear but the Greek inadequate or confusing, why did not the Holy Spirit simply import that Aramaic words?... Or why did not the Holy Spirit just repeat the word 'petros,' as Catholic defenders speculate He did in the Aramaic?" (Pg. 242)
This a detailed, relatively non-polemical evangelical examination of Catholicism, that will be of great interest to anyone looking for such treatments.
James G. McCarthy (born 1952) is also the author of 'The Gospel According to Rome,' 'Conversations With Catholics,' 'Talking with Catholic Friends and Family,' and coauthored 'Letters Between a Catholic and an Evangelical.' He also produced the video, 'Catholicism: Crisis of Faith.'
He wrote in the Prologue to this 1995 book, "My family are Catholics, Irish Catholics, as far back as anyone can remember... My own wedding was performed by three priests---my three uncles and our local pastor... I appreciate the education I received from teachers who really cared... Despite their best efforts, however, I did not know God or the biblical way of salvation... I learned of the finished work of Christ and of God's free offer of salvation... I trusted Christ as my Savior. Two years later I left the Roman Catholic Church. It was the most painful decision I have ever had to make. But ... I realized that I had no alternative. I have written this book because I owe a debt, a debt of love to my Catholic family and friends and the millions of sincere Catholics whom they represent... Why should you read this book? Because it contains important information from the Bible about the Roman Catholic Church that you need to know." (Pg. 11-12)
He notes, "The Roman Catholic Church annually baptizes about 16 million children under the age of seven years old. Most are only a few weeks old. As they grow up, the Church teaches these children that original sin has been removed from their souls and divine life resides within them. Consequently, most Catholics go through life confident that they are right with God and on the road that leads to heaven. Their confidence, however, is unwarranted, for the Scriptures teach that lost sinners are justified by faith, not baptism." (Pg. 29)
On using 2 Maccabees 12:39-46 to justify the belief in Purgatory, he observes, "the passage makes no direct reference to purgatory. As the Church's primary proof for the doctrine of purgatory, 2 Maccabees 12 is surprisingly obscure. Second, the passage is internally inconsistent. It says that the slain 'had gone to rest in godliness'... Yet the dead warriors were idolators who had been judged by God for their sin. They died in their guilt. Third, there is nothing in the law of Moses that would indicate that offerings for the dead were ever an authentic part of the Jewish faith." (Pg. 109)
He argues, "Determined to find biblical support, some Roman Catholic scholars argue that the New Testament office of ELDER and the Roman Catholic PRIESTHOOD are one and the same. This view has even found its way into some Roman Catholic translations of the Bible... In each of these verses the word translated 'priests' is the plural form of the Greek word 'presbuteros,' meaning 'older man' or 'elder.' The Scriptures teach that the apostles 'appointed elders... in every church' (Acts 14:23), not priests. Titus was to 'appoint elders in every city' (Titus 1:5), not priests. And sick Christians were to 'call for the elders of the church' (James 5:14), not the local priest. The New Testament word for priest is 'hierus.' It is not found in any of the three passages quoted above from the Catholic Douay Rheims Bible." (Pg. 171-172)
He argues, "Roman Catholic proponents, aware that Matthew's used of the word 'petra' [in Mt 16:18] does not help their cause, counter by arguing that Jesus taught in Aramaic not Greek... The inspired New Testament Scriptures were written in Greek, not Aramaic. What Jesus might have said in Aramaic is conjecture... [if] the Aramaic is clear but the Greek inadequate or confusing, why did not the Holy Spirit simply import that Aramaic words?... Or why did not the Holy Spirit just repeat the word 'petros,' as Catholic defenders speculate He did in the Aramaic?" (Pg. 242)
This a detailed, relatively non-polemical evangelical examination of Catholicism, that will be of great interest to anyone looking for such treatments.
September 13, 2015
Informative and insightful. I personally appreciate the Truth taught in this book when so much deception from Roman Catholicism doctrine has lead such wonderful people astray.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews