Today I listened to a debate on whether the Roman Catholic Doctrine of the Mass is biblical. Now most evangelicals misunderstand the Mass and therefore reject it on straw man arguments. Christians ought not to be judging before they know the facts about another person's beliefs.
The debate was a little different in that the RC used Hebrews 7 and 9 in order to demonstrate that the sacrifice is a perpetual sacrifice and needs to be redemonstrated over and over again. I noticed two errors the RC made. First, was the assumption of the treasury of merit being imposed on the text. It was simply an assumption that the speaker had and the author of Hebrews nowhere teaches. Neither debater even addressed this issue which I thought to be so obvious.
Second, it takes away the object of faith. What I mean is, Jesus finished the work at the cross. He actually bought His people. He does not represent His purchase over and over again. He does not repurchase someone who may have "lost" their salvation. Jesus either bought you, or He did not. Therefore, when Jesus purchases His people, there is a past action with a present condition.
In conclusion, the Mass can never take away sins. The writer of Hebrews speaks of Christ having perfected those who draw nigh unto God. So the question is, are you perfected by the finished work of Christ, or are you still trying to get perfected through some man-made system.
Weekend A La Carte (December 21)
20 hours ago
2 comments:
Howie,
The point of confession is not to "take away sins" as you put it. The point is to ask gods forgivness for your sins. Jesus told his apostils "As my father sent me, so I send you. For those who sins you forgive, they are forgivin. For those who sins you retain, they are retained." These are the words of Jesus. Jesus told His apostle Simon Peter to start the Catholic (which means univeral) church. The rituals of Mass, were set up by Jesus's direct apostle. Jesus spoke to Peter even after his death. So we should assume that Peter had the correct guidance.
A priest hears sins as a representive of god not as god himself. While a catholic confesses. the priest prays for the confessor.
"Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, and this will cure you" James 5:16
I was not actually speaking about "confession" but about the Mass itself. The Mass does take away present sins according to Rome's theology.
The Roman definition of the Mass was unheard of for a thousand years. Therefore to argue that Peter believed in the Mass as defined by Roman Catholics today is historically untenable.
This is what happens when The Scriptures are overread with the ultimate authority of Rome.
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