ARTICLES

Catholicism Exposes Catholicism

FORMER JESUIT, NOW BAPTIST PREACHER, INTERPRETS BIBLE AS 'SELF-INTERPRETING BOOK'

(M)y name is Bart and (this is) my wife Ruth and we specialize in Roman Catholic evangelism, by God's grace, doing that now for about 25 plus years....

So tonight we want to deal with some of the basic differences between the Roman Catholic religion, the Roman Catholic theology, and New Testament theology. Next week, I'd like to deliver the story of God's grace in my life. Why today I'm no longer a Roman Catholic priest and maybe you know Catholic people who are very objective and open to scripture. If you would like to bring a priest, go ahead. Maybe a nun. But that will be next Tuesday night....

And this is why we witness to Catholic people, as we love Catholic people. I believe we must deal with this number one issue: where is final authority? Again, is it in some religious institution or is it in the pure wheat of God's holy word, the pure wine of God's holy word, the Bible? And you remember Second Timothy, chapter 3, at verse 16 and 17, read this: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works." I really believe that when we take the totality of God's holy word--now I don't mean just text grabbing, I don't mean vandalizing the word of God or mistreating or misinterpreting the word the God--when we take the.... totality of God's holy word, allowing the Bible to expound the Bible, then we see, do we not, that this is a complete revelation. It's complete, it's authentic, it's reliable, it's efficient, and it is sufficient.... Now my beloved friends, do not think, please, that the Church of Rome does not have the Bible. She does.... In fact, Roman Catholicism teaches that She is "the mother of the Bible." Did you know that? She is a mother of the Bible, the custodian of the Bible, and the infallible interpreter. So Catholicism indeed has a Bible, however; she makes it very clear that she is the final court of appeal, not the Bible.... (A)s I said earlier Catholicism has the Bible but please don't forget she has what is known as "Tradition" with a big "T" which is said to have equality with the Bible. Now frankly I don't find any biblical support (for that) whatsoever.... I don't believe we have permission to supplement objective truth as found in the canonical books (with) The Catechism of the Catholic Church. This is the most primary source today for the Roman Catholic religion. In fact we have a few copies back there in case you are interested.... Folks, Catholicism accepts God. It accepts the deity of Christ. It is Trinitarian. It accepts the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all these wonderful truths. But you see down through the ages, Rome has added and added and added and added and added to the scriptures so that over a period of time, there's been a very subtle departure which I think should make it very clear to you and me tonight that Catholicism is not Christian.... It is another gospel. Because it rejects the Bible as the final court of appeal....

And you may say, "well, Bart, don't misrepresent the Roman Catholic religion." No, I don't. I believe that would be a poor testimony. Let Catholicism speak for herself. Catholicism exposes Catholicism. That's why I brought all these books here tonight.... These are major primary Roman Catholic sources. They endorse what I am saying tonight about the Roman Catholic religion. For example, from this book right here, "The Glories of Mary," by Saint Alphonsus Liguouri, who is said to be not only a doctor of the church but a Roman Catholic saint. Right here it says that "Mary is our salvation, Mary is our help, Mary is our mediatrix." You see, beloved, that is another gospel and I say that tonight with a broken heart...

Folks, I was a Catholic priest in good standing for ten years, twelve to get ready. I'll tell you more about it next week, Lord willing. But 12 to get ready, 10 as a Catholic priest in good standing. But as I was getting closer and closer toward ordination, folks, I was in ecstasy, it was like too good to be true, wow! "Now I will offer sacrifice for my people," because by definition--Catholic definition--"I am a mediator." But the Bible makes it so clear that there's only one high priest, there's only one advocate with the Father. As it says in John chapter 2, verse 1, that's Christ. There's only one mediator, only one mediator...

And again, it's tragic to have to say tonight that the Roman Catholic Church has curses--these are "anathemas"--has curses for those who say it is the Bible alone, it is Christ alone and it is faith alone and it it's grace alone. Folks, there are almost a hundred and twenty-five curses--and I said that one time on radio and a Roman Catholic priest heard the program and he called the radio station and they gave him some radio time, only for him to discover that the Council of Trent, these curses from the Council of Trent back in the sixteenth century have never been retracted....

The "Holy Eucharist" --now there's nothing wrong with the word "eucharist," good Greek word, you know--but they're referring to the sacrifice of the Mass which is not in the Bible. "The Holy Eucharist is essential to eternal life" and so again, my beloved, when we realize that the Holy Spirit is the infallible interpreter of the scripture and that indeed the Bible is a self-interpreting book, then we discover, do we not, that it is the scripture alone. It is Christ alone....

I think we have not quite thirty minutes so maybe I said something that was heretical, maybe something wasn't clear, whatever you want to ask please. Just feel free

...1ST WOMAN: Please explain the "125 curses," is that something historical, 'cause it's not in the news right now?

BREWER: What was that question?

1ST WOMAN: The 125 curses against the Evangelical....

BREWER: There are--from the Council of Trent, back in the sixteenth century--there were almost 125 curses consigning people to eternal damnation if they reject official Catholic dogma. Suppose you should say, "oh, I don't believe in purgatory" or "I don't believe that there's seven sacraments dispensing sanctifying grace," or "I don't believe in the primacy of Peter"--in other words, "I don't believe that Peter was the first papa, the first pope." These are the....

1ST WOMAN: I hope before the course is over that you address some of the beliefs of the Catholics and then show in the Bible why we don't believe--for instance, through the scripture, why we don't believe in purgatory--or address specific things because you're losing me because you're speaking in generalities and I don't know anything about the Catholic Church.

BREWER: Okay. The request is that we would deal with some of the Roman Catholic teachings in light of scripture at a future time, next, well really, the Lord willing, will you be back next week? We will cover some of the major Catholic teachings....

1ST MAN: I just have a rejoinder to what she had to say. I'm Roman Catholic and I think for everyone's benefit, I could for five minutes give an explanation of why we believe certain things, why we believe in purgatory, why we believe in the Holy Eucharist, why we think Tradition helps us understand the scriptures. So if you were open to it, I would be more than happy to stand for five minutes and just give the Catholic explanations. I think it might be beneficial just to get it from both angles....

BREWER: The Bible makes it perfectly clear to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.... There's only heaven in the Bible and there's hell. And again, to propagate or promote purgatory you would have to wrest, you would have to wrest the scripture or as it says in the Greek, you would have to torture the scripture.... That's why over and over again tonight I've said, we must--like Paul wrote to the Corinthians--we must allow the Bible to interpret the Bible....

2ND WOMAN: You're saying that the Bible alone is our final judge, and yet we use systematic theologies, we use Calvin's "Institutes," we use commentaries, we use extra things to help us interpret the Bible. What is the difference between that and say catechisms or other helps that Catholics use to interpret the Bible. What's the difference?

BREWER: Okay. What validates Evangelical leaders, all these authors of different books and all, and what's the difference between them and let's say.... "Tradition"? Well, see, Evangelicals say it's the Bible alone.

2ND WOMAN: But they add to it with theology books. I went to Bible college. I read those books.

BREWER: Well, I know in Deerhorn Valley where we are, we have thousands of books and I happen to be a glutton for books. So I mean there's nothing intrinsically wrong with precious men writing theological books and what-have- you, but when you get a religious denomination like Rome who says "we have the Bible but there's another source of divine revelation." That's the distinction right there.... "Oh we have the Bible, but there is also Tradition with a big T." Apostolical Tradition and Ecclesiastical Tradition. And no one even heard of these traditions until pious monks came along in the eighth and ninth centuries. They had nothing else to do but three square meals, take a siesta and read and study and write and really manufacture teachings that absolutely conflict with the scripture. Whether it's purgatory or Mariology or whatever. So that is the difference between biblical theology and Roman Catholicism....

3RD WOMAN: I have been a Protestant all my life and right now I'm about to join the Catholic Church because I believed that "sola scriptura" (scripture alone) and I actually studied the Bible.... read it and studied. I have three lexicons and a Hebrew lexicon.... I have studied and studied. Through my studies my husband and I came to understanding of the scripture different from the majority of Protestants and we wrestled, wondering,, are we being influenced by Satan?... And about a year ago I sent away for some books just to learn more about the Catholic religion, because my daughter is going to USD and I did not want her to become Catholic and so I thought I better find out what the Catholic Church teaches, so I'll be able to answer questions. I read a book of Catholic apologetics explaining how to explain the Catholic faith to you, a Protestant, and it made a lot of sense. I know what you're saying, you know, what you said tonight. But when you hear their explanation, it's not as weird and bizarre as you might think and I was shocked and quite annoyed that I had been misled about what they believed. So anyway I came here tonight partly to, you know, give somebody one more shot at me, you know, to see if you can convince me not to join the Catholic Church. I know what they teach, and so what you're saying--if you don't know what they're saying and their understanding of it, it sounds like they're really heretical--but when you understand their understanding--and I think everyone should look into their understanding--of what the Catholic Church teaches from the Catholic point of view--not from a Catholic who doesn't know his faith, but what they actually believe--and I've fallen in love with the Catholic Church.

BREWER: Whoa! Again, thank you, that's well taken. As I said earlier, its very philosophical, ontological, metaphysical, traditional, very sensual, a religion of rites and ceremonies. Actually, as I said here earlier tonight, also political, psychological.... And so, it's very impressive, but I wonder if you are looking at it through the eyes of scripture...

1ST MAN: I feel like you've really misrepresented the Catholic Church on a lot of things and I think you're a very sincere man and you wanted to reach us but I can't feel like these people will go home having a better understanding of the Church because you've misrepresented us on so many things. And you've ignored me the first time I talked and if we're wrong using the Bible, the best thing would be to have me give our explanation, 'cause you'll see how silly it is...

2ND MAN: Sir, I think if you wanted to offer an opportunity for these people to come to your Catholic Church, why don't you do that? You came here to listen to Mr. Brewer; he was a Jesuit priest for 12 years. He has all this material back here and if you want to invite these people to go to your church and to listen I think that would be the fair way to do it. Our time is just about up....