WEBVTT 00:02.660 --> 00:06.180 If you have your Bibles, I'd like you to open them, if you will, to the Gospel 00:06.180 --> 00:07.200 according to St. Matthew. 00:07.620 --> 00:12.160 The Gospel according to St. Matthew, chapter 16. 00:12.440 --> 00:13.860 Matthew, chapter 16. 00:16.480 --> 00:20.580 There is here one of the most interesting dialogues in the Bible between the Lord 00:20.580 --> 00:24.140 Jesus Christ and His Apostles. 00:25.140 --> 00:29.920 And it is a passage often quoted by the Roman Catholic Church as proof of its 00:29.920 --> 00:32.800 authority to represent Jesus Christ. 00:32.920 --> 00:34.500 Matthew, chapter 16. 00:36.300 --> 00:41.120 When Jesus came to the coast of Caesarea Philippi, verse 13, He asked His 00:41.120 --> 00:45.480 disciples, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? 00:46.380 --> 00:51.000 They said, Some say you're John the Baptist, some say Elijah, others Jeremiah, 00:51.300 --> 00:52.080 or one of the prophets. 00:53.040 --> 00:57.060 But Jesus said to them, But whom do you say that I am? 00:57.060 --> 01:03.700 And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living 01:03.700 --> 01:04.260 God. 01:05.180 --> 01:10.500 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, 01:10.940 --> 01:16.860 for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven. 01:17.300 --> 01:22.940 And I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, 01:22.940 --> 01:27.280 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 01:27.820 --> 01:32.740 I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever shall be bound 01:32.740 --> 01:34.500 on earth shall be bound in heaven. 01:34.780 --> 01:37.780 Whatsoever shall be loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 01:38.340 --> 01:44.080 Then ordered He His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the 01:44.080 --> 01:44.500 Christ. 01:45.100 --> 01:49.920 This particular passage is quoted by the Roman Catholic Church and has been quoted 01:49.920 --> 01:55.560 consistently historically as proof of their ultimate authority, that is their 01:55.560 --> 02:01.360 right to speak in the name of God, and that Peter was indeed the first Papa, 02:02.000 --> 02:06.200 or the Bishop of Rome, and the Sovereign of the Church. 02:06.740 --> 02:11.880 Now they have carried this doctrine to almost unbelievable lengths historically. 02:12.240 --> 02:15.200 And I'd just like to quote what they have to say on the subject. 02:15.200 --> 02:19.400 And I think it's very important that we recognize that there are differences that 02:19.400 --> 02:20.260 do persist. 02:20.820 --> 02:25.320 There are Roman Catholics who are true Christians, who love the Lord Jesus Christ 02:25.320 --> 02:27.040 and trust Him as their Savior. 02:27.540 --> 02:31.840 I believe that they are Christians not because of the Roman Catholic Church, 02:32.140 --> 02:38.440 but despite the Roman Catholic Church and the things which it has added to biblical 02:38.440 --> 02:39.020 theology. 02:39.020 --> 02:44.140 When the Lord Jesus Christ encountered the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the 02:44.140 --> 02:52.940 scribes, He said to them, You do make void the command of God through your 02:52.940 --> 02:53.960 traditions. 02:54.980 --> 03:01.120 And by adding their traditions, they had watered down the truth of God's 03:01.120 --> 03:01.400 word. 03:01.840 --> 03:05.580 I believe this is true classically of Roman Catholic theology. 03:05.580 --> 03:11.100 It is not the core of Catholicism which disturbs us, because they confess the 03:11.100 --> 03:15.720 Trinity, the Deity of Christ, the virgin birth, the perfection of our Lord, 03:16.020 --> 03:19.940 His miracles, His vicarious death on the cross, His bodily resurrection, 03:20.420 --> 03:24.140 salvation through Him alone, the resurrection from the dead, ascension into 03:24.140 --> 03:29.080 heaven, our great High Priest before the Father after the order of Melchizedek. 03:29.340 --> 03:33.360 They believe also in the second coming of Jesus Christ, the establishment of the 03:33.360 --> 03:38.300 kingdom of God on earth, and they loudly maintain that they have always believed in 03:38.300 --> 03:43.040 justification by faith, as notes in the current Catholic Bibles indicate. 03:43.740 --> 03:48.640 So, they believe in this, as well as in eternal judgment, and in bliss for the 03:48.640 --> 03:49.540 redeemed in heaven. 03:50.160 --> 03:56.180 Now, that basic outline of Christian theology is not the core of Catholicism 03:56.180 --> 04:00.880 which disturbs, any more than it was the core of the Pharisees that disturbed the 04:00.880 --> 04:01.820 Lord Jesus Christ. 04:01.820 --> 04:07.360 Because He said, unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes 04:07.360 --> 04:10.020 and the Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. 04:10.400 --> 04:15.200 Which meant that the scribes and Pharisees really had it made in terms of their 04:15.200 --> 04:17.540 keeping to the letter of the law. 04:18.360 --> 04:23.420 But added to the letter of the law were their traditions. 04:24.900 --> 04:31.200 The traditions of men, the theories and comments of men, the ideas of men were 04:31.200 --> 04:32.840 added to God's word. 04:33.300 --> 04:33.780 What happened? 04:34.180 --> 04:40.880 There was instantaneous progressive dilution, so that the truth was watered 04:40.880 --> 04:45.180 down, and Jesus could turn to them and say, look what you're doing. 04:46.440 --> 04:52.760 You are arguing for the validity of the law, and destroying the spirit of the law 04:52.760 --> 04:54.700 by adding human tradition. 04:55.380 --> 04:58.240 I believe this is what has happened in Roman Catholic theology. 04:58.240 --> 05:03.980 I know because I attended Roman Catholic parochial schools, I graduated from a 05:03.980 --> 05:08.640 Roman Catholic school, I have had associations over the years with priests 05:08.640 --> 05:13.620 and Catholic theologians, I have asked all the right questions, I think, and I have 05:13.620 --> 05:14.280 gotten the answers. 05:14.560 --> 05:18.300 I've compiled all this material, and there are many fine books on the 05:18.300 --> 05:18.560 subject. 05:18.720 --> 05:22.740 We have a complete list of books at Christian Research Institute on 05:22.740 --> 05:26.680 Catholicism and Protestantism, in which we urge interested Protestants 05:26.680 --> 05:28.920 and Roman Catholics to peruse. 05:29.740 --> 05:33.460 The point I'm trying to make is, there's no hostility on the part of 05:33.460 --> 05:40.160 Protestantism to historic Catholic theology, classic Catholic theology, 05:40.340 --> 05:44.860 because in the beginning there was only one universal church. 05:45.340 --> 05:51.160 The Apostles' Creed clearly states, I believe in the holy Catholic church. 05:51.160 --> 05:56.340 It does not say Roman Catholic, it says Catholic, which meant the 05:56.340 --> 05:57.220 universal church. 05:58.040 --> 06:00.760 There were many bishops of the church. 06:01.580 --> 06:06.100 Each one was called Papa, from which we get our word, Pope. 06:06.860 --> 06:09.300 Each one had his own diocese. 06:09.500 --> 06:16.640 He was the ruling teacher, following apostolic order, where Paul sent Titus to 06:16.640 --> 06:16.900 Crete. 06:16.900 --> 06:22.540 And he said, I appointed you to ordain elders at all the churches. 06:23.100 --> 06:28.060 Titus was the first bishop, or ruling teacher, of Crete. 06:28.740 --> 06:36.360 Under him came the pastors, teachers, evangelists, and those constructed the 06:36.360 --> 06:38.320 authority of the early church. 06:38.740 --> 06:42.920 This upsets the Baptists when you say this, but nevertheless, it's classical 06:42.920 --> 06:43.720 theology. 06:43.720 --> 06:47.580 That's exactly what church history indicates took place. 06:48.320 --> 06:56.240 Now, authority gradually centralized when Christianity was recognized as the state 06:56.240 --> 06:59.820 religion by Constantine, emperor of Rome. 07:00.100 --> 07:04.360 And he used it as a political means to fuse the empire together. 07:04.360 --> 07:11.920 Rome was falling apart, so the church was used as the mortar of a new empire to hold 07:11.920 --> 07:13.160 it all together. 07:13.620 --> 07:17.140 You can read all of this in Philip Schopp's History of the Christian Church, 07:17.520 --> 07:21.340 Lars Qualben on the Christian Church, Kenneth Scott La Tourette. 07:21.660 --> 07:24.200 All the great church historians have cataloged this. 07:24.280 --> 07:28.880 Even Roman Catholic historians have given us this information. 07:29.480 --> 07:31.320 There's no doubt about its background. 07:31.320 --> 07:37.520 But we must understand what the Roman Church claims for its pontiff. 07:38.600 --> 07:44.500 Jolly John XXIII was a marvelous public relations man for the Roman Catholic 07:44.500 --> 07:44.860 Church. 07:45.320 --> 07:47.160 I believe he was a sincere Christian. 07:47.900 --> 07:50.920 I believe the Lord did tell him to call an ecumenical conference. 07:51.400 --> 07:53.320 I believe he did have a vision of Christ. 07:53.840 --> 07:58.640 I believe he went against all odds in the entire Vatican to bring it about. 07:58.640 --> 08:02.880 And since that time, the windows were opened in the church, as John said, 08:03.180 --> 08:05.900 and some fresh air and some light got in. 08:06.560 --> 08:10.160 Unfortunately, the bats haven't gotten out of the belfry yet. 08:10.600 --> 08:13.960 But nevertheless, still, John made a great move. 08:14.480 --> 08:18.700 The popes who succeeded him haven't made much of a move at all. 08:18.980 --> 08:24.740 And the one that now occupies the seat of Peter is desperately trying to bring them 08:24.740 --> 08:30.800 back again under the realm of Pius XII, who was one of the classic authoritarian 08:30.800 --> 08:32.600 popes of history. 08:32.920 --> 08:40.340 So, let us understand that we are Protestants, protesters against the 08:40.340 --> 08:47.080 authority of the Bishop of Rome, against his right as supreme pontiff or 08:47.080 --> 08:53.620 sovereign over the church, that we do not feel as Protestants we answer to him or to 08:53.620 --> 08:59.800 the Church of Rome, but we answer instead to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God and 08:59.800 --> 09:01.500 our conscience before the Lord. 09:02.100 --> 09:05.760 That was the difference between Protestantism and Catholicism. 09:06.220 --> 09:09.380 One is the submission to a man, Bishop of Rome. 09:09.860 --> 09:15.200 The other is submission to God, the Holy Spirit, and to the authority of 09:15.200 --> 09:15.820 Holy Scripture. 09:16.180 --> 09:17.180 There is the difference. 09:17.180 --> 09:21.400 Now, should there be any doubt, before I deal with Matthew 16, 09:21.700 --> 09:26.600 let me draw your attention to what the popes themselves have said on the subject. 09:27.400 --> 09:33.160 In the bull of Pope Boniface VIII, entitled Unum Sanctum, which any Catholic 09:33.160 --> 09:40.780 reference book will give you, he states, We declare, affirm, define and pronounce 09:40.780 --> 09:47.000 it to be necessary to salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman 09:47.000 --> 09:47.680 pontiff. 09:48.780 --> 09:53.940 Should there be any doubt about what he meant, in case you can't understand 09:53.940 --> 10:01.840 English, Cardinal Manning, in authority on papal bulls and decrees, said that this 10:01.840 --> 10:08.160 is, quote, infallible and beyond all doubt an act. 10:08.540 --> 10:09.880 Ex cathedra. 10:10.320 --> 10:10.860 Close quote. 10:11.020 --> 10:16.580 That means, from the chair of Peter, faith and morals, the statement has been 10:16.580 --> 10:16.920 made. 10:16.920 --> 10:22.100 And the statement is, we affirm, define, declare and pronounce it to be 10:22.100 --> 10:25.880 necessary to salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman 10:25.880 --> 10:26.420 pontiff. 10:28.580 --> 10:31.040 They who are with me are with the church. 10:31.640 --> 10:34.680 They who are not with me are out of the church. 10:35.080 --> 10:38.220 They are out of the way of the truth and the life. 10:38.220 --> 10:44.080 Let men well understand this, that they be not deceived or led astray by soi-disant 10:44.080 --> 10:44.680 Catholics. 10:45.020 --> 10:48.120 That's by Catholics who are not telling the truth. 10:48.680 --> 10:54.000 Who desire and teach something quite different from what the head of the church 10:54.000 --> 10:54.860 teaches. 10:55.280 --> 10:55.780 Close quote. 10:56.240 --> 10:59.780 You notice that he lifted John chapter 14 verse 6 for himself. 11:00.200 --> 11:02.660 I am the way, the truth and the life. 11:03.060 --> 11:06.920 So, that was a declaration never rescinded. 11:06.920 --> 11:08.320 What is a vicar? 11:08.900 --> 11:13.260 A vicar is, quote, a deputy, one who acts for another. 11:13.700 --> 11:15.520 In this case, Jesus Christ. 11:16.140 --> 11:21.040 I alone, despite my unworthiness, he says, act in the name of Jesus Christ. 11:21.300 --> 11:22.880 You are with me, you are with Christ. 11:23.080 --> 11:24.980 You are not with me, you are not with Christ. 11:24.980 --> 11:33.160 I would like the present pope to issue another edict in which he said that this 11:33.160 --> 11:34.420 wasn't ex-cathedra. 11:35.040 --> 11:37.220 It didn't come as an infallible decree. 11:38.280 --> 11:39.820 Olly, olly, oxen free. 11:40.480 --> 11:45.960 All of you separated brothers are going to be considered part of the body of Christ. 11:46.040 --> 11:49.380 Now, if we could just get something official like that, then we could offset 11:49.380 --> 11:51.520 Pius IX and Boniface VIII. 11:51.520 --> 11:55.560 But you don't hear anything on that subject from Rome. 11:55.760 --> 12:01.520 And the reason you don't is because one suspects that they haven't really altered 12:01.520 --> 12:03.160 the opinion at all. 12:03.480 --> 12:09.140 Again, the Roman Catholic Catechism, lesson two on the church, clearly states 12:09.140 --> 12:15.020 that the church is the congregation of all those who profess the faith of Christ and 12:15.020 --> 12:19.160 partake of the same sacraments and are governed by their lawful pastors under one 12:19.160 --> 12:20.380 visible head. 12:20.380 --> 12:21.120 Close quote. 12:21.340 --> 12:22.280 Who is the visible head? 12:22.800 --> 12:26.560 The Bishop of Rome, the representative of the Apostle Peter. 12:27.580 --> 12:30.340 Jesus Christ rules, governs, and preserves the church. 12:30.620 --> 12:31.440 But how does he do it? 12:31.840 --> 12:35.700 Through the ministry of his Apostles and their successors. 12:35.900 --> 12:37.260 Who is the visible head of the church? 12:37.500 --> 12:42.500 Our Holy Father the Pope, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ on earth, visible head of 12:42.500 --> 12:42.960 the church. 12:43.460 --> 12:44.360 Other name for the Pope? 12:44.820 --> 12:48.540 Sovereign Pontiff, Father of Christendom, His Holiness. 12:48.540 --> 12:49.660 Close quote. 12:50.680 --> 12:55.540 One need only read the 17th chapter of the Gospel of John, chapter 11, to realize the 12:55.540 --> 12:56.360 error of this. 12:57.500 --> 13:04.480 Jesus Christ, in his great high priestly prayer to the Father, said, Holy Father, 13:05.120 --> 13:10.960 keep through thine own name those whom thou hast sanctified, the ones that you 13:10.960 --> 13:11.720 have given me. 13:11.860 --> 13:13.820 Keep through thine own name. 13:14.620 --> 13:15.360 Whose name? 13:15.940 --> 13:16.600 God's name. 13:17.020 --> 13:17.520 What name? 13:17.520 --> 13:19.220 Holy Father. 13:19.420 --> 13:24.260 The only person designated Holy Father from the lips of the Lord Jesus is His 13:24.260 --> 13:24.820 Father. 13:26.080 --> 13:26.820 His Father. 13:27.380 --> 13:31.420 Not the successors of Simon Peter, allegedly. 13:31.800 --> 13:34.940 Now, that brings us face to face with what Peter said. 13:35.460 --> 13:38.040 And I think we must go to Scripture to ascertain this. 13:38.620 --> 13:40.160 The argument goes this way. 13:40.160 --> 13:45.280 I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, 13:45.580 --> 13:50.040 and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 13:50.740 --> 13:58.000 Catholic theology teaches, and the Pope pronounces, dogmatically, that this refers 13:58.000 --> 14:00.120 to Peter and his successors. 14:00.760 --> 14:04.180 And that therefore, he has the keys of the kingdom of heaven. 14:04.860 --> 14:07.940 The power to bind and loose are the keys of the kingdom. 14:08.440 --> 14:09.040 Peter has it. 14:09.040 --> 14:13.260 He is unique, and he is the sovereign pontiff. 14:13.380 --> 14:16.360 The first one consecrated by Christ personally. 14:16.780 --> 14:17.440 That's the argument. 14:18.180 --> 14:22.680 I'm not going to get into grammar on rock, because that's been worked over by 14:22.680 --> 14:25.720 experts, and I am not a grammarian in Greek. 14:26.240 --> 14:29.400 I read it, but that doesn't make me a Greek grammarian. 14:29.720 --> 14:35.480 I would like to bypass all of the unnecessary gobbledygook which surrounds 14:35.480 --> 14:36.680 this type of argument. 14:36.680 --> 14:41.420 And I would like to go to the heart of the argument on what is called a hermeneutical 14:41.420 --> 14:46.320 basis, which means the interpretation of the passages that deal with this subject. 14:46.680 --> 14:50.640 And there is only one that deals with the subject directly. 14:51.520 --> 14:55.080 So when you are talking with Roman Catholics, a good approach is this. 14:55.920 --> 15:00.440 Who is the one person that ought to have understood what Jesus said? 15:01.260 --> 15:05.320 Who is the one person in context that should have known the meaning? 15:05.320 --> 15:06.280 Answer? 15:07.220 --> 15:10.380 Peter, because Jesus was talking to him. 15:11.220 --> 15:12.540 Thou art Peter. 15:12.800 --> 15:15.340 Upon this rock I will build my church. 15:15.620 --> 15:19.260 Well, if Peter doesn't understand what Jesus is talking about, believe me, 15:19.460 --> 15:21.080 the successors of Peter don't know. 15:21.860 --> 15:23.460 So it's got to be Peter. 15:24.020 --> 15:27.440 Now, did Peter understand what Jesus was talking about? 15:27.960 --> 15:29.780 One suspects that he did. 15:29.780 --> 15:32.720 So I want you to keep your finger in Matthew 16. 15:32.880 --> 15:35.880 I want you to move over to 1 Peter, chapter 2. 15:36.200 --> 15:37.600 1 Peter, chapter 2. 15:37.980 --> 15:40.740 A passage not read frequently in Roman Catholic churches. 15:41.340 --> 15:46.580 And in a moment you will see clearly the reason why it has a distinct lack of 15:46.580 --> 15:47.060 popularity. 15:47.760 --> 15:49.040 1 Peter, chapter 2. 15:49.980 --> 15:51.840 Peter answers the question. 15:52.560 --> 15:58.380 Laying aside all malice, guile, hypocrisy, and envy, and evil speaking, 15:58.980 --> 16:04.020 as newborn babies desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 16:04.580 --> 16:06.920 if you have tasted that the Lord is good. 16:07.840 --> 16:16.900 To whom, that's the Lord, verse 4, coming a living stone, rejected indeed by 16:16.900 --> 16:21.080 men, but chosen by God, and perfect. 16:22.180 --> 16:32.120 You also are living stones, built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, 16:32.640 --> 16:38.980 to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 16:38.980 --> 16:45.260 Therefore, it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief, 16:45.420 --> 16:55.240 get this, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believes on 16:55.240 --> 16:58.760 him shall not be ashamed. 16:59.960 --> 17:04.840 Please notice, this is a direct quote from Isaiah 28, verse 16, which is considered 17:04.840 --> 17:06.400 to be Messianic. 17:06.400 --> 17:15.820 Peter says, God prophetically told us, he was going to lay in Zion, the heavenly 17:15.820 --> 17:24.020 city of God, Zion, a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes 17:24.020 --> 17:28.200 on the cornerstone will never be ashamed. 17:29.560 --> 17:33.160 Now, was Peter that cornerstone? 17:33.900 --> 17:35.540 Not according to Peter. 17:36.600 --> 17:40.580 Unto you, therefore, which believe, he, Christ, is precious. 17:41.140 --> 17:45.860 But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected, 17:46.100 --> 17:52.540 that's Messiah, the same is made the head of the corner, not Peter, Christ, 17:53.260 --> 17:56.840 a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. 17:56.840 --> 18:01.820 Even to them which stumbleth the word being disobedient, whereunto also they 18:01.820 --> 18:02.940 were appointed. 18:03.180 --> 18:07.180 But you're a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 18:07.380 --> 18:12.280 a peculiar people, I'll say we are, that you should show forth the praises of 18:12.280 --> 18:17.680 him that called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in times past 18:17.680 --> 18:22.620 were not a people, but now are the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, 18:22.800 --> 18:27.060 but now have obtained mercy, dearly beloved. 18:27.500 --> 18:30.720 Oh, listen, Peter was a great saint. 18:31.520 --> 18:34.800 And Peter is explaining what Jesus meant, very simply. 18:35.140 --> 18:36.020 Who is the rock? 18:36.340 --> 18:36.740 Christ. 18:37.160 --> 18:38.360 What's the church built on? 18:38.720 --> 18:39.180 Christ. 18:39.620 --> 18:40.560 Who are you to believe on? 18:40.880 --> 18:41.360 Christ. 18:41.700 --> 18:44.620 If you trust in Christ, you're not going to be ashamed. 18:44.880 --> 18:46.820 If you trust in Peter, you're going to blush forever. 18:48.380 --> 18:55.760 Because he started out with the glorious statement, I don't know him, I never heard 18:55.760 --> 18:56.100 of him. 18:57.620 --> 19:01.480 And then he swore, I have no idea what he said, but I'm sure being a fisherman he 19:01.480 --> 19:02.220 had quite a vocabulary. 19:04.440 --> 19:06.060 And he swore, I don't even know him. 19:06.980 --> 19:07.700 That's the first pope. 19:09.620 --> 19:11.720 Now you will be ashamed if you believe in him. 19:12.640 --> 19:15.300 If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you'll never be ashamed. 19:16.060 --> 19:19.160 Now, Peter is backed up by Paul. 19:19.940 --> 19:22.540 Ephesians 2 verse 20, write it down. 19:23.200 --> 19:27.020 You have been built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, 19:27.480 --> 19:30.940 Jesus Christ the chief cornerstone. 19:31.840 --> 19:34.740 Peter and Paul together forever. 19:35.200 --> 19:35.980 Who's the foundation? 19:36.460 --> 19:36.900 Christ. 19:37.160 --> 19:37.800 Who's the rock? 19:38.060 --> 19:38.440 Christ. 19:38.620 --> 19:39.260 Who's the stone? 19:39.520 --> 19:39.940 Christ. 19:40.300 --> 19:40.920 End of argument. 19:42.020 --> 19:43.440 Now go back to Matthew 16. 19:43.440 --> 19:46.480 I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, a rock. 19:47.540 --> 19:54.560 And upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail 19:54.560 --> 19:55.580 against it. 19:55.840 --> 19:56.980 What about the keys of the kingdom? 19:57.400 --> 19:59.000 The power to bind, the power to loose. 19:59.220 --> 19:59.880 They're Peter's. 20:00.500 --> 20:01.640 Yeah, but they're ours too. 20:02.240 --> 20:03.720 Matthew chapter 18. 20:04.220 --> 20:06.960 Whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound. 20:07.100 --> 20:08.580 Whatever you shall loose shall be loosed. 20:08.640 --> 20:09.660 On earth or heaven. 20:10.120 --> 20:11.340 Pray that this may be the case. 20:11.340 --> 20:12.940 The power to bind and loose. 20:13.300 --> 20:13.960 Matthew 18. 20:14.020 --> 20:16.300 18 belongs to believers. 20:17.580 --> 20:20.120 Disciples as well as apostles. 20:20.860 --> 20:26.500 Now once we put these together, and we look carefully at the passages of 20:26.500 --> 20:26.740 Scripture. 20:27.160 --> 20:30.980 We see immediately who the foundation of the church is. 20:31.260 --> 20:34.340 The foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ. 20:35.000 --> 20:37.920 And He, Jesus said, who is the greatest among you. 20:37.920 --> 20:41.120 Matthew 23.9 is the servant of all. 20:41.720 --> 20:46.820 Well if He is, and if the Master washed the feet of His disciples, then we should 20:46.820 --> 20:50.020 expect the same kind of example from the history of the papacy. 20:50.380 --> 20:52.700 We have not received that example. 20:53.080 --> 20:57.140 We have received flowing robes, large churches built on the backs of 20:57.140 --> 20:57.420 people. 20:58.680 --> 21:03.920 We have seen the terrible disparity between the profession of Christianity and 21:03.920 --> 21:04.840 the practice of it. 21:04.840 --> 21:09.800 Simply visit the countries where Rome rules, and you will see it for yourself. 21:10.560 --> 21:15.360 The American Catholic is a different breed of cats from the Irish Catholic, 21:15.680 --> 21:18.240 the Spanish Catholic, the Italian Catholic. 21:19.060 --> 21:19.700 Different. 21:20.480 --> 21:25.620 Because there you find the theology I'm talking about now, today. 21:26.140 --> 21:33.160 Just as much is alive as when Boniface VIII, and when the popes of yesteryear 21:33.160 --> 21:35.700 wrote it and said it had to be believed. 21:36.440 --> 21:41.060 You must understand, what you're seeing in this country is not pure Roman Catholic 21:41.060 --> 21:41.680 theology. 21:41.960 --> 21:46.880 What you are seeing in this country is a watered-down version adapted to the 21:46.880 --> 21:50.840 American mind, so that the Americans will live with it. 21:51.560 --> 21:53.360 Rome is a great chameleon. 21:53.840 --> 21:57.340 She changes color on whatever surface you place her. 21:57.340 --> 22:02.980 Here in this country, she cannot do the things she does in Spain and Italy and 22:02.980 --> 22:03.440 survive. 22:03.880 --> 22:04.980 And so she is different. 22:05.520 --> 22:10.240 The face is different, but underneath, the theology remains unchanged. 22:10.820 --> 22:14.460 The statement, we never change, is true. 22:15.160 --> 22:16.780 They never change on the basics. 22:17.360 --> 22:18.600 They will change on the peripherals. 22:19.200 --> 22:22.420 Never on the centrality, the authority of the papacy. 22:22.420 --> 22:28.800 Now, next week, when I discuss the papacy further, we will discuss papal decrees. 22:29.200 --> 22:32.720 We will discuss how you can point out to Roman Catholics that they're literally 22:32.720 --> 22:36.180 damned by one pope, and then redamned by another one. 22:36.560 --> 22:38.500 Damned if they do, damned if they don't. 22:38.940 --> 22:43.340 We will also go into the history of the papacy, to the first Vatican Council of 22:43.340 --> 22:44.180 1870. 22:44.460 --> 22:49.980 And we will spell out in detail what scripture has to say on the evolution of 22:49.980 --> 22:51.640 an infallible pope. 22:51.640 --> 22:54.220 But let us learn what history has to say. 22:54.800 --> 23:01.020 Before the year 590 A.D., with the ascension of Gregory I, there was no 23:01.020 --> 23:03.040 centralized Roman authority. 23:03.720 --> 23:08.380 It was not until the 10th century, when the Eastern and Western churches 23:08.380 --> 23:14.140 split, that there was anything known as the Roman Catholic Church. 23:14.720 --> 23:20.420 10th century of the Christian era, a thousand years after the fact. 23:20.420 --> 23:25.080 We will go into this historically, using Roman Catholic sources, so there 23:25.080 --> 23:26.740 will be no doubt about the subject. 23:27.080 --> 23:31.720 And we must understand, this is not an attack upon Roman Catholics. 23:32.460 --> 23:36.160 This is a critique of the differences which persist. 23:36.920 --> 23:40.380 Roman Catholic theology and Protestant theology. 23:41.140 --> 23:45.180 If you are a devout Christian, who takes his Bible seriously, 23:45.640 --> 23:49.100 you want to know why you believe what you believe. 23:49.100 --> 23:51.840 You just don't want to take things for granted. 23:52.280 --> 23:55.420 So, if you didn't get all these notes, get the tape. 23:55.920 --> 23:59.800 We are going to have 5 or 6 weeks of this, or as long as I think is necessary, 24:00.040 --> 24:02.300 for you to get educated on where we are. 24:02.840 --> 24:08.200 And in response to Jack Chick and Alberto Rivera, who have accused me of being soft 24:08.200 --> 24:13.040 on Roman Catholicism, I would draw to their attention that this material was all 24:13.040 --> 24:19.560 printed by Walter Martin in the year 1958, before either one of them were Christians. 24:20.340 --> 24:24.140 I therefore would draw to their attention, before they criticize their Christian 24:24.140 --> 24:28.980 brothers, they should do their homework, which I might add, in most cases, 24:29.240 --> 24:30.200 they haven't. 24:30.680 --> 24:34.360 I do not do this series in response to Jack Chick or Rivera. 24:34.740 --> 24:37.340 If I wanted to, I would have done that a long time ago. 24:37.340 --> 24:42.560 I do it because many people in this class, and elsewhere, have asked for contemporary 24:42.560 --> 24:44.600 information on Catholic theology. 24:44.880 --> 24:45.720 We're going to get it. 24:45.940 --> 24:47.320 We're going to get it in the light of the Bible. 24:47.920 --> 24:49.660 And we're going to love Roman Catholics. 24:50.480 --> 24:55.420 But we are going to be on guard as Protestants, lest we think there are no 24:55.420 --> 24:56.060 differences. 24:56.460 --> 24:58.120 There are lots of differences. 24:58.600 --> 25:04.040 And Jesus Christ and his gospel are a very major part of those differences. 25:05.980 --> 25:08.000 Why did Christ found the Church? 25:08.480 --> 25:13.540 Christ founded the Church to teach, govern, sanctify, and save all men. 25:14.040 --> 25:17.240 By what means does the Church sanctify and save all men? 25:17.780 --> 25:22.780 The Church sanctifies and saves all men by means of the Mass, the Sacraments, 25:23.400 --> 25:27.000 special blessings and devotions to save their souls. 25:27.780 --> 25:29.940 Catholics must believe all the teachings of the Church. 25:30.300 --> 25:32.620 Two, keep the commandments of God and the Church. 25:32.620 --> 25:35.940 Three, pray to God and are worthy to receive the Sacraments. 25:37.340 --> 25:41.960 That is from the Catholic Catechism as to how one obtains salvation. 25:42.700 --> 25:45.300 What a contrast this is to the Apostle Paul. 25:46.040 --> 25:52.400 When encountering the Philippian jailer in Acts chapter 16, the man cries out to him, 25:52.940 --> 25:56.060 What must I do to be saved? 25:56.720 --> 26:02.560 And Paul says, The Church sanctifies and saves all men by means of the Mass, 26:02.820 --> 26:06.060 the Sacraments, and special blessings and devotions to save their souls. 26:06.380 --> 26:09.220 You must believe all the teachings of the Church, keep the commandments of God and 26:09.220 --> 26:11.740 the Church, pray to God and are worthy to receive the Sacraments. 26:12.500 --> 26:12.860 Close quote. 26:13.180 --> 26:13.940 I don't think so. 26:14.480 --> 26:16.860 I think you get a very clear-cut statement from the Apostle Paul. 26:17.840 --> 26:22.280 And Paul said, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. 26:22.700 --> 26:23.500 And your whole house. 26:24.400 --> 26:25.060 Simple gospel. 26:25.060 --> 26:30.700 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the same Apostle said, I deliver unto you the gospel. 26:31.400 --> 26:36.040 Christ was delivered for our offenses, died for our sins, and rose for our 26:36.040 --> 26:36.340 justification. 26:36.940 --> 26:37.600 That's the good news. 26:38.140 --> 26:41.900 God appeared in human flesh, died for our sins, and rose from the dead for our 26:41.900 --> 26:42.480 justification. 26:42.940 --> 26:43.460 Clear as crystal. 26:44.280 --> 26:48.020 Multiple passages teach us what New Testament salvation is. 26:48.340 --> 26:49.700 It is the gift of God. 26:50.100 --> 26:51.660 The wages of sin is death. 26:51.880 --> 26:53.040 Romans 6, 23. 26:53.040 --> 26:57.880 The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 26:58.460 --> 27:01.860 So the Christian receives salvation as a gift. 27:02.640 --> 27:07.140 Ephesians 2 reminds us, It is by grace you have been saved. 27:07.280 --> 27:08.540 It's a past tense in the Greek. 27:09.300 --> 27:13.800 Not by yourselves, not by your works, but through faith. 27:15.020 --> 27:16.200 Lest any man should boast. 27:16.280 --> 27:20.160 You're not going to get there by faith and works or any combination of it. 27:20.160 --> 27:24.680 You're going to get there by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ. 27:25.020 --> 27:31.240 And then you will produce good works in your life to testify to the existence of 27:31.240 --> 27:32.000 that salvation. 27:32.280 --> 27:33.540 That's the purpose of works. 27:33.720 --> 27:37.540 To testify to the existence of saving faith. 27:38.460 --> 27:39.920 Roman Catholic Catechism. 27:40.580 --> 27:42.960 Are all people bound to belong to the Catholic Church? 27:43.300 --> 27:43.560 Answer. 27:44.020 --> 27:47.380 All are bound to belong to the Church, and he who knows the Church to be the true 27:47.380 --> 27:49.540 Church and remains out of it cannot be saved. 27:49.540 --> 27:52.020 Why are all bound to belong to the Church? 27:52.200 --> 27:55.640 All are bound to belong to the Church because Christ founded it for all nations, 27:55.780 --> 28:02.100 for all times, and it alone possesses the means that is necessary for salvation. 28:03.120 --> 28:06.400 What is meant by the meaning of the saying, outside the Church there is no 28:06.400 --> 28:06.900 salvation? 28:07.560 --> 28:07.960 Answer. 28:08.320 --> 28:12.500 This means that whoever through his own fault willfully remains outside the true 28:12.500 --> 28:14.100 Church will not be saved. 28:14.920 --> 28:15.860 I think we're lost. 28:18.000 --> 28:23.700 Because willfully, by our own fault, we choose to reject Roman Catholic 28:23.700 --> 28:24.180 theology. 28:24.960 --> 28:28.400 And according to the Catechism, that excludes us from the Kingdom of God 28:28.400 --> 28:31.740 except, as I pointed out last week, by the doctrine of invincible ignorance. 28:32.400 --> 28:36.600 If you are so incurably stupid that you cannot understand that the Roman Catholic 28:36.600 --> 28:41.000 Church is the one true, holy, apostolic Church, then you will be saved because of 28:41.000 --> 28:41.560 your ignorance. 28:43.220 --> 28:47.960 Not, I should say, despite your rejection of them and because of your ignorance. 28:48.460 --> 28:51.760 Now, there are many other quotations which I think are valuable. 28:52.120 --> 28:55.780 I take the time to make them so that we will not get the idea that this is a 28:55.780 --> 28:56.820 Protestant opinion. 28:57.700 --> 29:01.700 The American Ecclesiastical Review, Roman Catholic publication, quote, 29:01.980 --> 29:06.160 No one can have a real objective right to practice any but the true religion. 29:06.160 --> 29:11.480 And Catholics believe that Catholicism is the only true religion which God commands 29:11.480 --> 29:12.720 all men to accept. 29:13.420 --> 29:18.660 Every other religion is false and opposed to God's plan for man's salvation. 29:19.180 --> 29:19.700 Close quote. 29:20.080 --> 29:26.740 So, I'm quoting these things so that you get some idea of the concept in which the 29:26.740 --> 29:33.460 average Roman Catholic grows and matures in the educational process of the Church. 29:33.460 --> 29:35.540 It is a closed system. 29:36.180 --> 29:39.470 Absolute thought control enforced by fear. 29:40.260 --> 29:43.940 If you do not, then you will not inherit. 29:44.520 --> 29:46.760 I can remember when I was going to Roman Catholic parochial school. 29:47.460 --> 29:51.180 Everybody was in mortal terror to get to confession on Saturday. 29:51.780 --> 29:53.060 Did it change anybody's life? 29:53.220 --> 29:53.480 No. 29:53.720 --> 29:54.900 Did anybody stop sinning? 29:55.120 --> 29:55.480 No. 29:55.780 --> 29:57.280 Were they just as bad Saturday night? 29:57.600 --> 29:57.960 Worse. 29:59.260 --> 30:00.380 Then why did they go? 30:00.440 --> 30:05.160 Because they were regimented to believe that if they didn't go, they'd be guilty 30:05.160 --> 30:05.840 of mortal sin. 30:06.480 --> 30:09.360 If they didn't confess mortal sin, they couldn't take the sacrament and 30:09.360 --> 30:11.800 therefore they could end up in hell rather than purgatory. 30:12.560 --> 30:17.420 So the entire system was fortified by this concept of fear. 30:18.020 --> 30:22.480 Now, as Christians, what ought our attitude to be? 30:23.820 --> 30:27.080 It ought to be an attitude of gratitude. 30:28.000 --> 30:29.640 An attitude of joy. 30:30.400 --> 30:36.280 Because God has delivered us from this system into the glorious liberty of the 30:36.280 --> 30:36.940 sons of God. 30:37.480 --> 30:41.080 We are not the descendants of this papacy. 30:41.900 --> 30:43.120 Nor do we wish to be. 30:43.980 --> 30:45.640 We do not wish its sacraments. 30:46.380 --> 30:48.100 We do not wish its dogmas. 30:49.300 --> 30:51.700 We worship only Jesus Christ. 30:51.700 --> 30:53.980 King of kings and Lord of lords. 30:54.300 --> 30:56.460 Redeemer and savior of lost men. 30:56.980 --> 30:59.360 We reject a corrupt church. 31:00.300 --> 31:02.060 A backslidden church. 31:02.500 --> 31:03.740 An apostate church. 31:04.480 --> 31:08.660 And reach out to her people with the love of Christ. 31:09.320 --> 31:11.140 Holding forth Holy Scripture. 31:12.040 --> 31:16.580 And standing upon the liberty wherein Christ has set us free. 31:17.280 --> 31:21.800 Let us not think that Rome has changed her basic positions. 31:22.080 --> 31:23.040 She has not. 31:23.720 --> 31:25.600 Her catechisms are essentially the same. 31:26.220 --> 31:29.000 Her dogmas, uncompromising. 31:29.680 --> 31:33.460 It is the same Roman Catholic Church as at the Council of Trent. 31:33.960 --> 31:39.180 Only carefully adapted to American Protestant culture. 31:39.920 --> 31:47.900 It is a Roman Catholic Church which today threatens Protestantism in various parts 31:47.900 --> 31:48.400 of the world. 31:48.920 --> 31:50.980 Whenever she gains the upper hand. 31:51.760 --> 31:58.160 Spain, Central America, Latin America, Italy, Ireland. 31:59.440 --> 32:05.860 Bastions of Roman Catholicism are known for their marked intolerance of 32:05.860 --> 32:06.240 Protestantism. 32:06.860 --> 32:11.560 For their unwillingness to let Protestants build churches or only a restricted number 32:11.560 --> 32:12.260 are permitted. 32:13.340 --> 32:17.180 And still we are told that the church has adapted to the 20th century. 32:17.700 --> 32:22.320 No, the church has adapted to the necessity of survival in the 20th century 32:22.320 --> 32:23.760 as she always has. 32:24.240 --> 32:26.400 But she has never changed the position. 32:27.240 --> 32:29.040 Peter is not the first Pope. 32:29.700 --> 32:35.220 Nor does he have the power, his descendant that is, have the power to legislate for 32:35.220 --> 32:35.620 Christians. 32:36.580 --> 32:42.660 When he tells you that he thanks the Virgin Mary for sparing his life when he 32:42.660 --> 32:43.460 is assassinated. 32:44.300 --> 32:47.440 And yet he is the vicar of Jesus Christ by profession. 32:48.420 --> 32:52.980 Then I think it is time to realize that is the kind of leadership we do not wish to 32:52.980 --> 32:53.260 follow. 32:53.260 --> 32:56.380 And we wish to discourage other people from following. 32:56.960 --> 33:03.000 Let us not forget the Bull Unum Sanctum of Boniface VIII. 33:03.340 --> 33:04.520 I read it last week. 33:04.880 --> 33:06.120 I close with it now. 33:07.700 --> 33:16.220 We define, declare, affirm, and pronounce it to be necessary to salvation for every 33:16.220 --> 33:19.700 human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff. 33:21.220 --> 33:26.940 Pius IX, who was made the first infallible Pope, said, I alone, despite my 33:26.940 --> 33:31.020 unworthiness, am the successor of the apostles, the vicar of Jesus Christ. 33:31.360 --> 33:35.920 I alone have the mission to guide and direct the ship of Peter. 33:36.440 --> 33:38.840 I am the way, the truth, and the life. 33:39.660 --> 33:41.640 They who are with me are with the church. 33:42.020 --> 33:44.840 They who are not with me are out of the church. 33:45.600 --> 33:48.140 They are out of the way, the truth, and the life. 33:48.140 --> 33:54.300 Let men well understand this, that they be not deceived or led astray by swarthy 33:54.300 --> 33:59.900 stone Catholics, who desire and teach something quite different from what the 33:59.900 --> 34:01.740 head of the church teaches. 34:02.380 --> 34:02.960 Close quote. 34:03.320 --> 34:03.880 So be it. 34:04.180 --> 34:10.360 If that's what the head of the church teaches, let us be glad that on a door of 34:10.360 --> 34:20.460 a chapel, Wittenberg, over 500 years ago, an Augustinian monk had the courage to 34:20.460 --> 34:31.960 nail a large strip of paper, which said, in effect, I dissent, I disagree, 34:32.920 --> 34:41.980 I protest, and argued for a return to the apostles and the rock of Holy Scripture, 34:42.660 --> 34:46.200 on which all truth rests. 34:46.920 --> 34:54.380 Our Father, we thank Thee that we have a heritage that comes through blood and 34:54.380 --> 34:58.020 suffering, and which we must never take for granted. 34:58.720 --> 35:01.400 We thank You for this opportunity to serve You. 35:02.040 --> 35:05.800 We praise You and thank You for setting us free. 35:06.700 --> 35:09.380 We pray for our Roman Catholic friends and brethren. 35:10.300 --> 35:16.280 We pray for Him who is the Bishop of Rome, that Thy Holy Spirit may illumine them, 35:16.400 --> 35:19.200 that they may see Thy Word as the supreme authority. 35:20.260 --> 35:23.860 Sanctify us and them through Thy truth, Father. 35:24.300 --> 35:26.100 Thy Word is truth. 35:26.540 --> 35:29.560 In Jesus' name, with praise and thanksgiving, we ask it. 35:29.560 --> 35:30.040 Amen. 35:33.500 --> 35:35.220 This is the end of side one. 35:35.720 --> 35:38.060 Please fast-forward the tape and turn the cassette over. 35:40.990 --> 35:46.990 Will you open your Bibles with me to the Gospel according to St. Mark, chapter 7. 35:47.250 --> 35:48.250 Mark, chapter 7. 35:51.780 --> 35:53.860 I'd like you to read a few verses from the Word of God. 35:53.960 --> 35:56.780 We talk on Roman Catholic tradition and the Bible. 35:57.780 --> 35:59.020 Roman Catholic Church. 36:00.640 --> 36:03.380 Catholic Bible and Tradition. 36:06.680 --> 36:08.740 What does the word tradition mean? 36:09.940 --> 36:13.420 According to the definition of the Roman Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15, 36:13.600 --> 36:14.240 page 7. 36:15.100 --> 36:15.400 Quote, 36:30.180 --> 36:36.000 As an example of this, the Catholic Encyclopedia, quote the 20th chapter of 36:36.000 --> 36:37.760 John, verse 30. 36:38.280 --> 36:39.800 This is the example that they're citing. 36:40.280 --> 36:41.500 John 20, verse 30. 36:44.240 --> 36:50.220 In the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 36:50.880 --> 36:55.660 They also quote 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse 15. 37:07.050 --> 37:09.220 2 Thessalonians 3, verse 6. 37:14.240 --> 37:19.960 Every brother who walks disorderly and not after the tradition which he received from 37:19.960 --> 37:20.860 us. 37:21.820 --> 37:26.640 Roman Catholic Church rests upon two pillars according to its theological 37:26.640 --> 37:27.220 teaching. 37:27.880 --> 37:31.360 The pillar of scripture and the pillar of tradition. 37:32.560 --> 37:35.900 Now, what is this tradition that they are referring to? 37:35.900 --> 37:42.980 It is oral tradition from the apostles, they claim inspired equally by the Holy 37:42.980 --> 37:43.400 Spirit. 37:43.800 --> 37:50.000 Which was given to the early church and transmitted through the sea or the chair 37:50.000 --> 37:54.780 or controlling wing of the church of Rome through Peter. 37:55.140 --> 37:58.180 Who was, by their affirmation, the first pope. 37:58.440 --> 38:02.240 Now, we've already discussed that and pointed out that Peter did not consider 38:02.240 --> 38:03.460 himself the first pope. 38:03.460 --> 38:08.620 Said that Christ was the rock and that our faith should be in Christ and not in him. 38:08.820 --> 38:11.760 So, I think that's been covered quite thoroughly. 38:12.100 --> 38:15.080 But what we're dealing with here is another argument. 38:15.340 --> 38:19.720 If you talk to a Roman Catholic theologian or the average well informed Roman 38:19.720 --> 38:20.100 Catholic. 38:20.440 --> 38:22.540 They will say to you, which came first? 38:22.940 --> 38:24.660 The Bible or the church? 38:25.380 --> 38:27.340 Now, if you say the Bible, you're in trouble. 38:28.260 --> 38:33.280 Because it was the early Christian church that collected all of the books of the 38:33.280 --> 38:39.720 Bible and sifted through all of the material which was present. 38:40.280 --> 38:45.160 And tested it by the writings of the apostles, which they knew to be genuine. 38:45.920 --> 38:52.300 And eventually, at the Council of Carthage, we had the canon of scripture as 38:52.300 --> 38:53.540 we have it today. 38:53.540 --> 39:00.080 Except that the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in 1546 added the 39:00.080 --> 39:03.340 books which the Jews rejected in the first century. 39:04.140 --> 39:05.440 The apocryphal books. 39:05.940 --> 39:10.580 Otherwise, the canon of scripture is identical in the Old Testament to the 39:10.580 --> 39:11.360 Jewish canon. 39:11.820 --> 39:14.440 That is, the Protestant Bible's Old Testament. 39:14.840 --> 39:19.040 And the New Testament is identical to the Roman Catholic version itself. 39:19.420 --> 39:22.060 They have added apocryphal books. 39:22.060 --> 39:29.960 But, what's really important is that tradition did precede the Bible. 39:30.940 --> 39:34.500 Oral conversations and transmissions of the gospel. 39:34.960 --> 39:41.320 But they forget that the gospel was inscripturated or in writing before the 39:41.320 --> 39:42.520 fall of the temple. 39:43.160 --> 39:48.160 With the exception of 1st, 2nd, 3rd John and the book of Revelation. 39:49.020 --> 39:52.340 All the rest of the books of the New Testament and the canon of the Old 39:52.340 --> 39:54.580 Testament already were established. 39:55.020 --> 40:02.580 So, though they talk about tradition being important, and it is, it must always be 40:02.580 --> 40:07.740 tested by what is known to be the authoritative word of God. 40:08.320 --> 40:13.980 Don't jump down on tradition because there's lots of tradition which has 40:13.980 --> 40:16.160 spiritual content and meaning. 40:16.160 --> 40:21.360 For instance, the tradition of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. 40:22.120 --> 40:26.220 That's nowhere enjoined upon the church in the first century of the Christian era. 40:26.660 --> 40:32.520 But, December 25th was settled upon because it was a Roman feast day. 40:33.300 --> 40:38.500 And therefore, by bringing in the celebration of the birth of Christ to 40:38.500 --> 40:45.400 rival the feast day, the Christian church wiped out the pagan festival of 40:45.400 --> 40:45.960 Saturnalia. 40:46.640 --> 40:48.000 That's tradition. 40:48.840 --> 40:53.760 So, traditionally we keep December 25th as the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ. 40:53.880 --> 40:57.000 But we don't know when Christ was born. 40:57.620 --> 41:00.220 It could have been July, it could have been December, it could have been any 41:00.220 --> 41:00.440 time. 41:01.740 --> 41:03.660 But the fact remains, He was. 41:03.660 --> 41:09.860 And that is the fact of the incarnation and culminating in the cross and the 41:09.860 --> 41:10.320 resurrection. 41:10.680 --> 41:11.680 Our redemption. 41:12.580 --> 41:17.700 So, understand that tradition preceded the New Testament documents. 41:18.420 --> 41:25.060 But all tradition is to be tested by the scriptures. 41:25.860 --> 41:30.420 You don't test scripture and conform scripture to tradition. 41:30.420 --> 41:36.080 Now, the word itself, paradosis in Greek, means that which goes along with, 41:36.360 --> 41:37.420 alongside of. 41:38.780 --> 41:45.380 When the Apostle Paul said that we were to pay attention to the traditions which you 41:45.380 --> 41:51.460 have been taught, whether by word or by epistle, he never taught that tradition 41:51.460 --> 41:53.280 replaced the epistle. 41:54.240 --> 41:55.400 That's very important. 41:56.060 --> 41:58.480 The scriptures tested everything. 41:58.480 --> 42:04.960 Every opinion, every theory, every tradition was subject to holy scripture. 42:05.540 --> 42:08.400 That was the viewpoint of the early Christian church. 42:08.720 --> 42:12.740 And in fact, that was the viewpoint of the church fathers for the first five 42:12.740 --> 42:14.600 centuries of the Christian era. 42:15.120 --> 42:17.720 Tradition was subject to scripture. 42:18.500 --> 42:25.660 However, when power centralized in Rome, political power and religious power 42:25.660 --> 42:27.860 followed the centralization. 42:27.860 --> 42:31.120 Then things really began to change. 42:31.780 --> 42:38.940 And traditions came into the church which had no bearing whatsoever on biblical 42:38.940 --> 42:39.800 theology. 42:40.080 --> 42:41.600 I mentioned some of these to you. 42:42.220 --> 42:43.260 Prayers for the dead. 42:43.960 --> 42:46.300 The veneration of angels and dead saints. 42:47.080 --> 42:49.400 The exaltation of the Virgin Mary. 42:50.540 --> 42:54.640 The different dress of the priesthood and the laity. 42:54.640 --> 42:56.900 The doctrine of purgatory. 42:58.220 --> 43:02.140 Prayers directed to Mary, dead saints and angels. 43:03.040 --> 43:07.080 Holy water mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by a priest. 43:07.600 --> 43:08.120 Tradition. 43:09.000 --> 43:10.680 Baptism of bells. 43:11.340 --> 43:13.180 Canonization of dead saints. 43:13.960 --> 43:15.400 Celibacy of the priesthood. 43:15.880 --> 43:16.580 The rosary. 43:17.180 --> 43:18.580 The sale of indulgences. 43:19.540 --> 43:27.300 All of these were traditions that came into the church and became dogmas of the 43:27.300 --> 43:27.560 church. 43:27.680 --> 43:30.280 That the church taught as if they were scripture. 43:31.120 --> 43:37.240 However, it remained for the Council of Trent in 1545, after the Protestant 43:37.240 --> 43:44.520 Reformation, to declare that tradition was of equal authority with the Bible. 43:44.520 --> 43:51.880 After that, they proclaimed the Immaculate Conception of Mary and then the famous 43:51.880 --> 43:56.000 Syllabus of Errors by Pope Pius IX. 43:56.600 --> 43:59.860 You are probably not even aware as a Protestant of the Syllabus of Errors. 44:00.800 --> 44:07.200 The Roman Catholic Pontiff, Pius IX, the first infallible Pope as of 1870, 44:07.200 --> 44:16.460 declared that religious freedom, conscience, freedom of speech, 44:17.260 --> 44:22.880 press, and scientific discoveries which are disapproved by the Roman Catholic 44:22.880 --> 44:26.140 Church are to be condemned. 44:27.220 --> 44:33.000 This was asserting the Pope's temporal authority over all civil rulers. 44:34.060 --> 44:40.480 And from there to condemn the public school system, Pius XI, proclaim the 44:40.480 --> 44:45.740 Assumption of the Virgin of Mary into Heaven in 1950, and proclaim Mary the 44:45.740 --> 44:49.500 Mother of the Church by Paul VI in 1965. 44:50.350 --> 44:57.180 If you add to that the following traditions, monks, nuns, monasteries, 44:57.720 --> 45:04.340 convents, 40-day Lent, Holy Week, Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, All Saints 45:04.340 --> 45:12.750 Day, etc., etc., etc., including St. Christopher, who was declared to be 45:12.750 --> 45:14.970 fraudulent in the 1960s. 45:15.290 --> 45:21.350 And in one fell swoop of the papal pen, they removed at least three or four 45:21.350 --> 45:26.910 hundred at that time, people who were called saints that people were praying to. 45:27.130 --> 45:30.730 We had a big Catholic church in our neighborhood named St. Philomena's. 45:31.690 --> 45:33.610 And they found out that Philomena was a phony. 45:34.970 --> 45:37.250 And that was the end of St. Philomena. 45:38.370 --> 45:41.130 St. Christopher allegedly carried the Christ child. 45:41.530 --> 45:45.630 Of course, that's very difficult for a person to grasp because Christopher is a 45:45.630 --> 45:46.210 Greek name. 45:46.430 --> 45:49.990 And what would a Greek be doing in a Jewish story carrying Jesus? 45:50.290 --> 45:51.930 They didn't think about that one either. 45:52.150 --> 45:54.070 But when they did, they abolished that. 45:54.430 --> 45:59.490 And for a long time the tradition was that you could not eat meat on Friday. 46:00.670 --> 46:02.950 You had to eat fish, to a tradition. 46:02.950 --> 46:08.410 And then, of course, pressure was placed on the church and Vatican II. 46:08.750 --> 46:11.010 And all of a sudden, it was no longer a sin. 46:11.830 --> 46:16.290 God made no distinction between fish protein and animal protein as of Vatican 46:16.290 --> 46:16.610 II. 46:16.910 --> 46:20.830 Up until that time, he took a great dim view of eating meat on Friday. 46:22.430 --> 46:26.430 Now, all of these strike us as somewhat humorous. 46:26.530 --> 46:30.710 But more than that, they strike us as downright contradictory. 46:30.710 --> 46:35.890 So that's why I thought it would be good to look at Mark chapter 7 for just one 46:35.890 --> 46:36.250 moment. 46:36.670 --> 46:42.450 Jesus speaking to the Pharisees about the abuse of tradition. 46:42.950 --> 46:46.890 Now notice, as Protestants, we are not against tradition. 46:47.530 --> 46:51.930 As long as tradition is in accord with Holy Scripture. 46:52.430 --> 46:54.910 When it is not, we reject it. 46:55.910 --> 46:58.410 But notice very carefully what the Scripture says. 47:00.210 --> 47:03.630 The Lord Jesus Christ spoke to the Pharisees. 47:03.830 --> 47:08.250 For the Pharisees and all the Jews, verse 3, except they wash their hands 47:08.250 --> 47:11.610 often, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders. 47:11.810 --> 47:12.990 That's the word tradition there. 47:13.670 --> 47:14.630 The tradition of the elders. 47:14.970 --> 47:18.490 The Pharisees and all the Jews, except they wash their hands often, 47:18.670 --> 47:21.370 do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders. 47:21.850 --> 47:24.190 So it was a form of worship. 47:24.190 --> 47:29.450 Again, verse 8, laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition 47:29.450 --> 47:30.010 of men. 47:30.490 --> 47:35.750 As the washing of pots and cups and many other such things do you do. 47:36.490 --> 47:41.270 Verse 5, your disciples walked not according to the tradition of the elders, 47:41.490 --> 47:43.510 but eat bread with unwashing hands. 47:44.050 --> 47:49.190 Now, I just want to concentrate briefly upon that one very important fact. 47:49.830 --> 47:57.510 They took normal traditions, and through these normal traditions, ended up adding 47:57.510 --> 47:58.650 to the word of God. 47:59.390 --> 48:04.850 And when Jesus Christ finally dealt with it in all of its fullness, he did not 48:04.850 --> 48:06.510 hesitate to make this statement. 48:06.790 --> 48:14.790 Verse 13, you make the word of God invalid through your tradition which you have 48:14.790 --> 48:18.330 delivered, and many such things do you do. 48:18.330 --> 48:26.390 So Christ's view of tradition was, it was dispensable if it contradicted or 48:26.390 --> 48:28.270 added to the scriptures. 48:28.670 --> 48:33.350 It's very important to understand that when we start adding tradition as equal 48:33.350 --> 48:39.510 authority with scripture, we are violating Proverbs 30, verses 5 and 6. 48:39.510 --> 48:45.790 Where we're there instructed by the Holy Spirit, add not to his word, lest he 48:45.790 --> 48:48.830 reprove you, and you be found a liar. 48:49.850 --> 48:53.950 As I've listed all the things that the church brought in, I think you can see 48:53.950 --> 48:57.630 quite clearly we are not dealing with biblical authority. 48:58.130 --> 49:02.830 We are dealing with papal authority opposed to biblical authority. 49:02.830 --> 49:08.850 Tradition is not to be rejected, says Paul, because it consistently 49:08.850 --> 49:11.350 expounds divine truth. 49:11.910 --> 49:14.950 But tradition that came from apostles is one thing. 49:15.830 --> 49:20.790 Tradition that comes from men who have made a habit of contradicting themselves 49:20.790 --> 49:27.290 for a thousand years is not to be given equal authority with the word of God. 49:27.770 --> 49:31.510 Therefore we test all these things by the scripture. 49:31.510 --> 49:39.310 We are not antagonistic to Roman Catholics for their faith, because the basic faith 49:39.310 --> 49:40.030 we share. 49:40.970 --> 49:47.450 We're antagonistic to the additions to that faith in the name of authority and 49:47.450 --> 49:47.950 tradition. 49:48.350 --> 49:53.210 When it in fact does exactly what the Lord Jesus warned the Pharisees of. 49:53.530 --> 49:59.370 It makes null and void the faith of the gospel through that tradition. 49:59.370 --> 50:03.330 However, right now we've summed up a couple of things that are important about 50:03.330 --> 50:03.750 tradition. 50:03.870 --> 50:08.050 First of all, the word itself, paradosis, in Greek means to simply go 50:08.050 --> 50:10.350 alongside of something. 50:10.930 --> 50:17.990 And the Bible is the word of God, and what goes along with the Bible is what 50:17.990 --> 50:20.310 the early church called tradition. 50:20.310 --> 50:25.950 Now there are references to tradition in New Testament theology, and there's just 50:25.950 --> 50:29.850 no way that you can possibly escape it, nor should we want to. 50:30.550 --> 50:36.130 Colossians 2.8, the Apostle Paul warns against the wrong kind of tradition. 50:36.830 --> 50:43.190 He says that we are not to be led astray by the traditions of men. 50:43.690 --> 50:48.650 We're not supposed to be in any way corrupted by false traditions. 50:48.650 --> 50:54.270 After the basic elements or traditions of the world, and not after Christ. 50:54.710 --> 50:58.270 For in Christ dwells all the fullness of God in human flesh. 50:58.610 --> 51:00.390 Colossians 2.8 and 9. 51:01.130 --> 51:06.990 Then, the Apostle also tells us of another kind of tradition that we are to pay 51:06.990 --> 51:07.750 attention to. 51:08.070 --> 51:11.590 You find it in 2 Thessalonians 2.15. 51:11.590 --> 51:16.370 So if you open your Bible to that, we can review these passages and then move 51:16.370 --> 51:19.570 on to the conclusion of the lecture on tradition. 51:20.090 --> 51:28.970 In 2 Thessalonians 2, the Apostle writing to this young, virile, tremendously 51:28.970 --> 51:35.390 dedicated church that suffered persecution for its willingness to serve Christ, 51:35.390 --> 51:39.990 the following words, 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 15. 51:40.970 --> 51:48.650 Therefore, brothers, stand fast and hold the tradition which you have been taught, 51:48.990 --> 51:52.590 whether by word or our epistle. 51:53.390 --> 51:58.590 So, Paul acknowledges there is such a thing as Christian tradition. 51:59.270 --> 52:05.730 That which goes along with the word of God, that which may be mentioned in the 52:05.730 --> 52:09.970 word of God, whether it's by word of mouth or actually in the scripture itself, 52:10.390 --> 52:16.530 Paul says, if it's consistent with the word of God, hang on tight to it. 52:17.070 --> 52:20.250 Now, Roman Catholic theology rests on two foundations. 52:20.890 --> 52:26.190 It rests upon the pillar of scripture and the pillar of tradition. 52:27.430 --> 52:36.130 Protestantism rests only upon the pillar of scripture, but it considers tradition, 52:36.410 --> 52:41.430 so long as tradition does not contradict the scriptures. 52:42.210 --> 52:46.010 We have nothing, for instance, against the tradition of December 25th. 52:46.990 --> 52:54.070 It's a pagan feast day, the pagan Saturnalia, which was taken over by the 52:54.070 --> 52:58.490 Christian church, not by the Roman Catholic church, and recognized as a 52:58.490 --> 53:01.290 celebration of the birthday of our Lord. 53:01.630 --> 53:03.730 We accept that tradition. 53:04.430 --> 53:10.270 We accept traditions in the Christian calendar consistently, such as Lent, 53:10.610 --> 53:12.030 which is a tradition. 53:12.690 --> 53:13.390 What does it mean? 53:13.450 --> 53:17.530 It means you prepare for Easter by fasting and prayer. 53:17.830 --> 53:21.570 It's not biblically enjoined, but it's a tradition. 53:21.570 --> 53:23.850 Nothing wrong with that tradition. 53:24.530 --> 53:29.650 So, the Christian who knows his Bible and her Bible doesn't have anything against 53:29.650 --> 53:32.350 tradition that is in accord with scripture. 53:33.170 --> 53:38.630 Where we reject tradition is where tradition contradicts the scriptures. 53:39.290 --> 53:45.590 And that's exactly why I read the list of individual traditions to you in Roman 53:45.590 --> 53:46.450 Catholic theology. 53:46.450 --> 53:53.410 To show you that these are the things we don't accept because they are non-biblical 53:53.410 --> 53:54.290 tradition. 53:55.250 --> 54:02.590 Purgatory, baptism of bells, canonization of dead saints, celibacy of the 54:02.590 --> 54:08.150 priesthood, tradition as equal authority with the Bible, infallibility of the 54:08.150 --> 54:14.850 papacy, the assumption of Mary into heaven, and some 35 other traditions, 54:15.350 --> 54:17.670 limbo, prayers for the dead, etc. 54:18.810 --> 54:21.150 Christian Church doesn't recognize these. 54:21.650 --> 54:25.070 The reason we don't recognize them is because the Protestant Christian Church 54:25.070 --> 54:28.510 doesn't recognize them, is because they contradict the scriptures. 54:29.290 --> 54:33.030 So, make this a basic rule of thumb when you're talking with Roman Catholics. 54:34.030 --> 54:40.150 Disarm them by saying, I'm not against tradition. 54:41.010 --> 54:43.790 I don't oppose tradition. 54:44.370 --> 54:50.890 But, I believe in testing all tradition by the scripture. 54:51.830 --> 54:54.890 Because the scripture is acknowledged as the word of God. 54:55.430 --> 55:00.550 So, if something contradicts the scripture, you know immediately it is not 55:00.550 --> 55:02.950 consistent with God's word, and you reject it. 55:04.230 --> 55:07.930 Now, once you lay that foundation in talking to a Roman Catholic, before you 55:07.930 --> 55:12.570 start discussing the Bible and authority and so forth, you have disarmed them 55:12.570 --> 55:15.390 because they've been taught that Protestants want nothing to do with 55:15.390 --> 55:15.830 tradition. 55:16.410 --> 55:16.950 Not true. 55:17.570 --> 55:21.330 We acknowledge tradition as long as tradition is in accord with scripture. 55:21.330 --> 55:27.430 Often Roman Catholics will say to you, well, the church is the one responsible 55:27.430 --> 55:28.110 for the Bible. 55:28.410 --> 55:30.830 The church is the one responsible for tradition. 55:31.470 --> 55:36.590 So, the church came first, not the Bible, and we should listen to the church. 55:37.670 --> 55:42.250 That sounds like a very valid argument because historically the church did come 55:42.250 --> 55:43.310 before the New Testament. 55:43.830 --> 55:47.870 But, it forgets that the Old Testament came before the church. 55:47.870 --> 55:55.530 And therefore, when the gospel was preached, the people of Christ's time 55:55.530 --> 56:02.930 tested what the apostles said, and what Jesus said, by the Old Testament 56:02.930 --> 56:03.430 scriptures. 56:04.570 --> 56:08.970 If you read the book of Acts, you'll find the apostle Paul in Acts chapter 17, 56:10.450 --> 56:16.630 stating that the Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonians. 56:16.630 --> 56:18.650 The Thessalonians were very noble people. 56:19.170 --> 56:26.450 More noble than the Thessalonians because they tested the preaching of the gospel, 56:26.870 --> 56:29.270 what Paul told them, by the scriptures. 56:29.970 --> 56:35.170 They went to the Old Testament scriptures and searched them to find out if those 56:35.170 --> 56:35.750 things were true. 56:36.850 --> 56:42.430 They were commended by the apostle for testing his own words. 56:43.450 --> 56:44.350 You think about that for a minute. 56:44.350 --> 56:48.890 Here's the apostle to the Gentiles, the greatest of all the apostles. 56:49.190 --> 56:51.650 The most powerful and gifted of all the apostles. 56:51.950 --> 56:53.630 And he preaches at Berea. 56:54.250 --> 57:00.690 The Bereans listen to him and go home and open up their Bibles and check out what he 57:00.690 --> 57:01.350 has to say. 57:01.650 --> 57:05.930 And then they come back the next day and say, By George, you're right, Jesus is the 57:05.930 --> 57:06.270 Messiah. 57:06.410 --> 57:07.230 And they get saved. 57:07.810 --> 57:09.570 But not before they did what? 57:10.970 --> 57:13.710 Tested even the apostle. 57:15.330 --> 57:20.750 Tested even the kerygma, the message, the gospel, by scripture. 57:21.410 --> 57:25.990 So, we admit the church came before the New Testament scriptures. 57:27.370 --> 57:29.710 But the Old Testament scriptures preceded that. 57:30.570 --> 57:36.830 And therefore, recognize the fact that although the New Testament church brought 57:36.830 --> 57:43.590 together what we call the New Testament scriptures today, they accepted only those 57:43.590 --> 57:47.470 things which were consistent with Old Testament theology. 57:47.850 --> 57:51.710 If it was not consistent with the Old Testament, they didn't accept it. 57:52.450 --> 57:54.930 That's a very important rule to remember. 57:55.650 --> 58:01.770 So, in biblical teaching, 2 Thessalonians 2 must be remembered. 58:01.770 --> 58:06.510 There are such things as traditions, some of which originated with the 58:06.510 --> 58:06.870 apostles. 58:07.690 --> 58:12.610 But how will you know if the tradition is apostolic? 58:13.270 --> 58:15.730 How will you know if the tradition is genuine? 58:16.530 --> 58:18.570 How will you know if the tradition is from God? 58:19.390 --> 58:22.090 Answer, 1 Thessalonians 5. 58:22.750 --> 58:26.350 Test all things, hold tight to what's good. 58:26.850 --> 58:27.670 How do you know it's good? 58:28.390 --> 58:28.870 Scripture. 58:29.610 --> 58:31.270 Test by Scripture. 58:31.690 --> 58:34.030 So we test every church by Scripture. 58:35.170 --> 58:39.270 The Roman Catholic Church tells us that we should test the cults by Scripture. 58:40.430 --> 58:42.090 I've been told that by Catholic theologians. 58:42.390 --> 58:44.510 I was told that by Bishop Fulton Sheen. 58:45.790 --> 58:48.550 You'll find it in Catholic books, theology books. 58:50.110 --> 58:54.210 The cults contradict the Scriptures, says the Catholic Church. 58:54.210 --> 58:54.870 Right. 58:55.490 --> 59:00.110 So the Catholic Church uses the Scripture to reject the cults. 59:00.190 --> 59:00.530 Correct? 59:01.890 --> 59:09.330 Then we must use the Scripture to test the cults and every church, not excluding the 59:09.330 --> 59:10.510 Roman Catholic Church. 59:11.030 --> 59:17.350 If the Apostle Paul was subject to test, so is John Paul II. 59:18.390 --> 59:24.810 If the Apostle Paul was subject to analysis by the Bereans, so is John Paul 59:24.810 --> 59:28.250 by the Orange Countyites and the Californians. 59:28.670 --> 59:33.130 In other words, before we believe it, we test it. 59:33.710 --> 59:36.550 We're not just talking about a change of political parties. 59:37.270 --> 59:39.450 We're talking about the destiny of our souls. 59:40.050 --> 59:43.530 That is far too important to leave in the hands of theologians. 59:44.350 --> 59:49.490 Far too important to leave in the hands of priests, ministers, or religious leaders. 59:50.090 --> 59:55.710 That's safe only in your hands and in the light of the Word of God in the hands of 59:55.710 --> 59:56.570 Jesus Christ. 59:56.750 --> 59:57.490 That's all. 59:58.350 --> 59:59.990 Otherwise, we're all in trouble. 01:00:00.550 --> 01:00:02.730 That's what makes us Protestant. 01:00:03.130 --> 01:00:08.930 We protest against being thought for by somebody else. 01:00:09.210 --> 01:00:10.030 That's the difference. 01:00:10.030 --> 01:00:13.570 I do not wish to be thought for by somebody else. 01:00:14.370 --> 01:00:19.950 Now, Scripture mentions another form of tradition which we are warned against. 01:00:20.650 --> 01:00:25.830 You'll find that in Matthew chapter 15, verses 2, 3, and 6. 01:00:25.870 --> 01:00:29.910 You may write these down, Matthew chapter 15, verses 2, 3, and 6. 01:00:30.710 --> 01:00:37.690 And Mark chapter 7, verses 3, 5, 8, 9, and 13. 01:00:37.690 --> 01:00:41.450 Mark 7, 3, 5, 8, 9, and 13. 01:00:42.490 --> 01:00:49.970 Mark 7, the Lord Jesus Christ told us to beware of the tradition and the teachings 01:00:49.970 --> 01:00:54.230 of the Sadducees and the Pharisees and the scholars of that day. 01:00:54.870 --> 01:00:56.470 He warned the Jews against it. 01:00:56.930 --> 01:01:02.390 Now, what was the great danger that accompanied human tradition? 01:01:02.390 --> 01:01:08.470 There is an overriding danger to accepting human tradition. 01:01:08.870 --> 01:01:09.750 What is it? 01:01:10.090 --> 01:01:14.510 Now, you'll find it in Mark's gospel, chapter 7, verse 13. 01:01:15.910 --> 01:01:20.850 You make the word of God null and void. 01:01:21.550 --> 01:01:23.790 Mark that in your Bible because that's the meaning of the Greek. 01:01:23.790 --> 01:01:32.730 You make the word of God null and void through your tradition, which you have 01:01:32.730 --> 01:01:33.290 delivered. 01:01:33.430 --> 01:01:34.470 In other words, it came from men. 01:01:34.990 --> 01:01:36.190 You delivered it, not God. 01:01:36.850 --> 01:01:39.710 And many such things do you do. 01:01:40.650 --> 01:01:41.930 Mark 7, 13. 01:01:42.250 --> 01:01:43.870 There is a danger from tradition. 01:01:44.050 --> 01:01:46.370 There's a blessing from it and a danger from it. 01:01:46.630 --> 01:01:51.450 Blessing in that if it goes along with the word of God, it can be spiritually 01:01:51.450 --> 01:01:52.130 uplifting. 01:01:52.930 --> 01:02:01.090 Danger, if it contradicts the word of God, it nullifies the scripture and throws in 01:02:01.090 --> 01:02:03.250 doubt your entire Christian foundations. 01:02:04.110 --> 01:02:12.470 So, says Christ to the Jews, your tradition makes null and void God's word. 01:02:13.310 --> 01:02:18.070 That's scary, but it's exactly the warning from the Holy Spirit. 01:02:18.990 --> 01:02:24.070 And then, finally, Paul tells us, 1 Corinthians 11, 23. 01:02:25.210 --> 01:02:27.110 1 Corinthians 15, 3. 01:02:28.390 --> 01:02:32.910 That tradition is part of the Christian message. 01:02:33.890 --> 01:02:37.510 There's no reason why we cannot recognize it as such. 01:02:38.650 --> 01:02:44.230 He said, I received from the Lord Jesus what I delivered to you. 01:02:44.230 --> 01:02:50.830 In other words, he, without getting it from scripture, received personally from 01:02:50.830 --> 01:02:53.470 Christ something that went along with the scriptures. 01:02:54.530 --> 01:02:55.690 The communion service. 01:02:56.290 --> 01:02:57.590 He wasn't present at the Last Supper. 01:02:58.470 --> 01:02:59.710 But he said, the Lord told me this. 01:03:01.190 --> 01:03:02.850 So at the Lord's Supper, do this. 01:03:03.590 --> 01:03:03.910 Why? 01:03:04.750 --> 01:03:10.970 The Lord's Supper, says Paul, as I'm telling it to you, came along from Christ 01:03:10.970 --> 01:03:11.630 to me. 01:03:12.570 --> 01:03:16.290 Unfortunately, it doesn't rest just upon the fact that Paul said it. 01:03:16.970 --> 01:03:19.910 It rests upon the fact that it is inscripturated. 01:03:20.070 --> 01:03:23.710 You find it in the Synoptic Gospels, exactly as Paul said it. 01:03:23.790 --> 01:03:25.570 But he didn't have access to that at the time. 01:03:27.610 --> 01:03:31.310 So, one final note of conclusion on the subject of tradition. 01:03:32.290 --> 01:03:35.930 In John, chapter 20, verse 30. 01:03:36.910 --> 01:03:39.590 There appears an all-encompassing statement. 01:03:39.910 --> 01:03:41.190 John 20, 30. 01:03:42.810 --> 01:03:45.390 Many other things Jesus did. 01:03:46.670 --> 01:03:47.650 Got that? 01:03:47.910 --> 01:03:54.010 Many other things Jesus did, and he said, that are not recorded in this book, 01:03:54.270 --> 01:03:54.790 says John. 01:03:55.410 --> 01:03:58.770 But these are written that you may believe. 01:03:59.490 --> 01:04:04.710 Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the believing you might have life in 01:04:04.710 --> 01:04:05.110 his name. 01:04:05.890 --> 01:04:13.730 It's very clear from John 20, that tradition existed in the church on the 01:04:13.730 --> 01:04:19.830 basis of the Apostles saying, we heard Jesus say this, A, B, C, D. 01:04:20.190 --> 01:04:24.070 I don't have any doubt about the fact there were many things they repeated that 01:04:24.070 --> 01:04:24.770 Jesus said. 01:04:25.070 --> 01:04:27.770 They are not recorded in the Bible. 01:04:28.550 --> 01:04:33.090 Alright, the next logical question is, well, maybe the Roman Catholic Church is 01:04:33.090 --> 01:04:33.470 right then. 01:04:34.190 --> 01:04:38.750 Because, if these things weren't recorded in the Bible, and they were passed on by 01:04:38.750 --> 01:04:42.970 tradition, then we would have to accept that tradition along with the Bible. 01:04:44.250 --> 01:04:46.430 No, not at all. 01:04:47.450 --> 01:04:54.930 Because, the tradition which was delivered was recognized by the church of the time 01:04:54.930 --> 01:04:57.150 as consistent with the Bible. 01:04:58.150 --> 01:05:00.190 We will apply the same test. 01:05:02.170 --> 01:05:04.490 I'll go through that again, so you won't mistake it. 01:05:04.910 --> 01:05:09.270 The church that existed at the time, the early Christian church, received 01:05:09.270 --> 01:05:09.890 traditions. 01:05:11.090 --> 01:05:14.790 They checked the traditions by scripture. 01:05:15.270 --> 01:05:18.870 They accepted them because they were consistent with what God had said. 01:05:19.590 --> 01:05:22.110 We are to do exactly the same thing today. 01:05:22.890 --> 01:05:27.090 So, if the Roman Catholic Church says, Purgatory is an apostolic tradition. 01:05:28.230 --> 01:05:31.510 Limbo is an apostolic tradition passed on by the church. 01:05:32.190 --> 01:05:34.670 Our response is, let's test it out. 01:05:35.650 --> 01:05:36.870 Do we find Purgatory? 01:05:37.030 --> 01:05:38.450 Do we find Limbo in Scripture? 01:05:38.950 --> 01:05:39.450 No. 01:05:40.570 --> 01:05:43.450 Does the doctrine of Purgatory and the doctrine of Limbo contradict Scripture? 01:05:44.130 --> 01:05:44.730 Yes. 01:05:45.750 --> 01:05:49.910 Then it cannot be apostolic doctrine because the apostles will never contradict 01:05:49.910 --> 01:05:50.310 Scripture. 01:05:51.070 --> 01:05:51.190 Never. 01:05:52.730 --> 01:05:54.790 And that's how we know the difference. 01:05:55.910 --> 01:05:59.790 We know because Scripture does not controvert itself. 01:06:00.370 --> 01:06:03.630 God does not talk out of both sides of His mouth. 01:06:04.490 --> 01:06:09.330 He does not speak as the Indian expression says, with forked tongue. 01:06:10.010 --> 01:06:11.710 He speaks consistently. 01:06:12.370 --> 01:06:16.290 So, when anybody ever tells you this is tradition, believe it. 01:06:17.290 --> 01:06:20.370 Test it by Scripture, which is believable. 01:06:21.190 --> 01:06:24.990 When somebody quotes John 20, 30 to you, as Roman Catholics are prone to do, 01:06:25.430 --> 01:06:29.130 many of the things Jesus did, which are not recorded here, say, Amen. 01:06:29.810 --> 01:06:30.630 That's true. 01:06:31.310 --> 01:06:34.430 Many things Jesus did and said are not recorded here. 01:06:34.850 --> 01:06:38.250 There's only one way we can find out if they're true. 01:06:39.030 --> 01:06:41.270 Does it agree with what is recorded here? 01:06:43.290 --> 01:06:46.790 And if it doesn't, scrap it. 01:06:47.250 --> 01:06:50.590 Because it is not biblical theology. 01:06:51.510 --> 01:06:56.010 As Protestants, we do not despise tradition. 01:06:57.090 --> 01:07:02.610 As Protestants, we recognize there is a body of traditional truth that came down 01:07:02.610 --> 01:07:03.570 from the early church. 01:07:04.570 --> 01:07:10.130 As Protestants, we test it by Scripture to ascertain its validity. 01:07:11.010 --> 01:07:16.170 And once we see that it is consistent with Scripture, we accept it as spiritually 01:07:16.170 --> 01:07:18.430 uplifting and instructive. 01:07:19.030 --> 01:07:27.510 But we do not accept from Rome a dictate that something is true because Rome 01:07:27.510 --> 01:07:31.110 affirms it is biblical tradition. 01:07:31.110 --> 01:07:39.750 We test Rome as Rome herself tests the cults by Holy Scripture. 01:07:40.350 --> 01:07:46.450 And we find out then if we are dealing with truth or with what Jesus warned us 01:07:46.450 --> 01:07:46.750 about. 01:07:47.210 --> 01:07:48.970 What Paul warned us about. 01:07:48.970 --> 01:07:52.430 The empty elements of this world. 01:07:53.230 --> 01:07:55.410 The vain traditions of men. 01:07:56.150 --> 01:07:59.510 After the basic elements of mankind. 01:08:00.270 --> 01:08:02.390 And not after Christ. 01:08:02.390 --> 01:08:09.310 For in Christ, the living word, and in the Bible, the written word, 01:08:09.950 --> 01:08:13.530 God has spoken for the last time. 01:08:14.170 --> 01:08:17.950 And has revealed, finally, the faith. 01:08:18.590 --> 01:08:21.610 Once for all delivered to the saints. 01:08:22.470 --> 01:08:24.190 Our Father, bless Thy word. 01:08:25.250 --> 01:08:28.910 That it may reach out, strengthen, encourage, and bless us. 01:08:29.590 --> 01:08:31.750 That we may grow in grace and in Thy knowledge. 01:08:32.270 --> 01:08:34.250 And exalt Thy Son, Jesus. 01:08:35.270 --> 01:08:38.310 Whom we are, whose we are, and whom we serve. 01:08:39.410 --> 01:08:40.910 Send us with Thy benediction. 01:08:41.830 --> 01:08:43.870 Bless us as we go forth to serve Thee. 01:08:44.170 --> 01:08:47.370 And use us that men may see in us Thy power and Thy grace. 01:08:47.750 --> 01:08:50.430 And be born into Thy kingdom through Christ our Lord. 01:08:51.380 --> 01:08:51.730 Amen. 01:08:54.590 --> 01:08:58.790 For further information on this subject, remember that the Christian Research 01:08:58.790 --> 01:09:02.830 Institute offers a wide selection of books, fact sheets, statements, 01:09:03.290 --> 01:09:07.790 CRI prospective transcripts, and other user-friendly resources that will help you 01:09:07.790 --> 01:09:08.850 to become better equipped. 01:09:09.550 --> 01:09:16.390 Just write CRI, Box 500, San Juan Capistrano, California, 92693. 01:09:16.390 --> 01:09:21.950 Or you may call 714-855-9926.