God's Written Word of Truth

The Light of God's Written Word

Topics

Catechism of the Catholic Church( 1994)

The Bible only is the Standard for Truth

".scripture cannot be set aside"  John. 10:35. (All Scripture quotations are from Catholic the New Jerusalem Bible)

"Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth."  John. 17:17

"Nothing beyond what is written' is true of us:'' 1 Cor 4:6

"To his words make no addition, lest he reprove you and account you a liar."  Proverbs. 30:6

"All scripture is inspired by God and useful for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be upright" 2 Timothy  3:16-17

"God will always be true even if no human being can be relied on." Romans 3:4

The Basis
of Truth

Truth is based on Scripture,
Tradition, & the Pope

"Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together and communicate one with the other."  Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) Para 80

And [Holy] Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit.  CCC Para 81

"As a result the [Roman Catholic] Church...does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone.  Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence."  CCC Para 82

"The Supreme Pontiff, in virtue of his office, possesses infallible teaching authority when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful...he proclaims with a definitive act that a doctrine of faith or morals is to be held as such."  CCC Para 891

Salvation is by Grace Alone Through Faith

"All are justified by the free gift of his grace through being set free in Christ Jesus."  Romans 3:24

"Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit.."  Ephesians 2:8, 9

"It was by one man's offence that death came to reign over all, but how much greater the reign in life of those who receive the fullness of grace and the gift of saving justice, through the one man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17

"I am not setting aside God's grace as of no value; it is merely that if saving justice comes through the Law, Christ died needlessly."  Galatians 2:21

Salvation
by Grace
Alone

For Salvation Grace becomes merely a help and is given through the
sacraments of the Church

The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation. 'Sacramental grace' is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament.  CCC Para1129

"One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience."  CCC Para 1493

"Grace is the help God gives us to respond to our vocation of becoming his adopted sons.  It introduces us into the intimacy of the Trinitarian life."  CCC Para2021

Faith is the Gift of God,
by the Word of God

 "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake."  Philippians 1:29

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  Romans 10:17

Faith is God-given and sustained

Faith comes through the Mother Church

"It is the Church that believes first, and so bears, nourishes and sustains my faith."  CCC Para 168

"Believing" is an ecclesial act. The Church's faith precedes, engenders, supports and nourishes our faith. The Church is the mother of all believers. 'No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother'"  CCC Para 181

In Salvation the Lord Jesus Christ Alone Mediates

"For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and humanity, himself a human being, Christ Jesus,"  I Timothy. 2:5

"for of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved."  Acts 4:12

One
Mediator

In Salvation "Mary" Also Mediates

"Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation.... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the [Roman Catholic] Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix."  CCC Para 969

God Hates Idolatry

"You shall not make yourself a carved image.You shall not bow down to them or serve them." Exodus. 20:4-5

"He revealed his covenant to you and commanded you to observe it, the Ten Words which he inscribed on two tablets of stone.  Hence, be very careful what you do.  Since you saw no shape that day at Horeb when Yahweh spoke to you from the heart of the fire,  see that you do not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the shape of anything whatever: be it statue of man or of woman,"  Deuteronomy 4:13, 15-16

".we have no excuse for thinking that the deity looks like anything in gold, silver or stone that has been carved and designed by a man." Acts 17: 29

Idolatry

The Roman Catholic Church Rationalizes Idolatry

"The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols.  Indeed, the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype, and whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it."  CCC Para 2132

"Basing itself on the mystery of the incarnate Word, the seventh ecumenical council at Nicaea (787) justified.the veneration of icons - of Christ, but also of the Mother of God, the angels, and all the saints.  By becoming incarnate, the Son of God introduced a new 'economy' of images."  CCC Para 2131

God is the Only All Holy One and
the Only Source of Holiness

"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."  Isaiah. 6:3

"Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name?  For Thou only art Holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee..."  Revelation. 15: 4

"There is none holy as the Lord:  for there is none beside Thee:  neither is there any rock like our God."  1 Samuel.2:2

"I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." Isaiah 42:8 

God: 
The only Holy One

Mary is also the All-Holy One and
the Source of Holiness

"By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the 'Mother of Mercy,' the All Holy One." CCC Para 2677

"From the [Roman Catholic] Church he learns the example of holiness and recognizes its model and source in the all-holy Virgin Mary...." CCC Para 2030

"The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God 'the All-Holy' (Panagia), and celebrate her as 'free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature'" CCC Para 493