Saints

by Terry Wane Benton The term “saint” has been hijacked to mean something different from the way the Bible uses the term. Today, you can hear churches exalt a “Christian” after death to the status of a “saint.” This is not according to scriptural usage. Sometimes, we may hear someone say something like, “I’m a…

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The Appeal of Catholicism Among Young Men and Lessons for Churches of Christ: Confronting the Vacuum Left by the Progressive Movement

by Gregory Alan Tidwell In recent years, an unexpected trend has surfaced: young men under thirty (Gen-Z) are increasingly turning to Catholicism. At first glance, this shift appears counterintuitive. With its traditions, hierarchical structure, and strict doctrines, Catholicism seems an unlikely refuge for a generation celebrated for its openness, diversity, and rejection of dogma. Yet,…

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Joseph’s Four Dreams

by Jarrod Jacobs When reading about the birth of Christ, I saw something I had not seen before. Namely, the Bible records Joseph’s four dreams before and after Christ’s birth. Below, we will list the occasions of Joseph’s dreams and then comment on them. (Please read the context of these Bible references on your own.)…

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Pope Claims There Are Many Ways to Reach God

Source: “Pope Francis stirs controversy with interreligious remarks,” The Pillar, 13 September 2024. “All religions are a path to reach God. They are – I make a comparison – like different languages, different idioms, to get there. But God is God for everyone, and since God is God for everyone, we are all children of…

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The Bible on Roman Catholicism

by Zeke Flores A while back, I read a shared post by a Catholic priest. He was angered by “a sea of stupid articles, idiotic commentary and boneheaded op-eds about the Catholic Church, by people who have no clue what they’re talking about.” He went on to rant about “the number of misinformed articles I’ve…

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Did the Catholic Church edit Matthew 28:19?

Question: What baptismal proclamation was used in your baptism? Probably you were baptized, “In the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Do you know that this Baptismal Proclamation is not the original text commanded by Jesus Christ as in Matthew 28:19? The Roman Catholic Church has edited and replaced…

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The Development of Papal Power

By Andy Sochor Unmasking Sophistry, October-December, 2023, Vol. 3, No. 4 The pope is arguably the most influential religious figure in the world today. Yet there was a time when the one who occupied this office was even more powerful than the current pope. He would not only be the highest-ranking member of the Roman…

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Saints

by Webb Harris, Jr. Guardian of Truth XXXII: 13, pp. 402-403, July 7, 1988 The Problem of Avoided Terms It is fundamental to a proper understanding of divine revelation that we appreciate that the “popular” definitions of many words common to the Scriptures differ from the intended ideas of the inspired writers. The term “saint”…

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Did you see that Pope Francis told Catholics not to convert nonbelievers?

Question: Did you see that Pope Francis told Catholics not to convert nonbelievers? Answer: I’m not a fan of Roman Catholic beliefs, but I also believe that people’s positions should be accurately presented. The claim that appeared in numerous places, such as the World Net Daily, said, “Pope warns followers of Jesus not to convert…

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My wife refuses to be intimate with me

Question: I have been married for almost 15 years. I love her to the end of the world. She is going through menopause and it’s been two years since entering her. We have had years of good sex that didn’t involve intercourse but all of a sudden she said it’s a sin and I am frustrated.…

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What Is “A Different Gospel?”

by Jefferson David Tant In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches, in the beginning, he deals with a serious problem in the churches concerning which he has knowledge, and that is “a different gospel.” “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for…

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The Bible Is Understandable

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Bible-Is-Understandable.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 119:97-112   I.         When it comes to religion, people seem to prefer having a mystery             A.        Those in leadership of many denominations prefer it because people depend on them for answers.             B.        Those in the ranks of denominations are satisfied having others tell them what they need to know.             C.        The problem…

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Praying for the Dead

by Wayne Jackson via The Christian Courier Whenever someone we love dies — in old age or tragically before their prime — our hearts cannot but anguish with those who are suffering soul-tearing losses. Some children have lost one or both parents. Husbands and wives have been robbed of loving mates. Others will never see…

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Innocent Statues or Idolatry?

by Mike Thomas Consider the following quote by Bob Stanley, written in response to the claim that Catholics practice idolatry when honoring statues and images in religion: “That is what some say that Catholics do. Why do they say that? What is their reference? Where is their documented proof? Show me the genuine Catholic documents…

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The Rise of Catholicism

by Julius C. Nwankwo Unmasking Sophistry, vol. 1, no. 2, July-September 2021 The history of God’s people in the Old Testament is a history of faithfulness, apostasy, and restoration. This is also true of the church. Next to a study of the Bible, church history is the most valuable study for a Christian. In this…

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What are the books opened in Revelation 20:12?

Question: Good day. I have an argument with a Catholic defender on social media about Sola Scriptura. I used Revelation 20:12 that the written word will judge us in the last days. But he said that the books opened are not the Bible but the record of men’s deeds. What are the books opened in…

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Is stigmata real or a hoax?

Question: Is stigmata real or a hoax? Answer: Stigmata is the appearance of marks, wounds, or pains located on the body where the wounds of Christ during the crucifixion would have appeared. These were first reported during the middle ages and those who report having them are most often Roman Catholics. Interestingly, the vast majority…

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The Bible in English

by Jefferson David Tant One of the great blessings we have is that we have the Bible, God’s Word, in the language of the common people — English. And we are thankful for those who provided this for us at a high cost. The story behind the translation is an interesting story. The very first…

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Do I need to confess some sins to a Roman Catholic priest to be forgiven?

Question: Hello Jeffrey! I’ve been studying Christianity once again and found out that there are two kinds of sins at the Roman Catholic Church — ‘venial’ and ‘mortal’. I found out that if one commits a mortal sin then it must be confessed in front of a priest in order to be completely forgiven. That…

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Commenting on the Catholic Church

by Zeke Flores I recently read a shared post on Facebook written by a Catholic priest who is angered by “a sea of stupid articles, idiotic commentary and boneheaded op-eds about the Catholic Church, by people who have no clue what they’re talking about.” He goes on to rant about “the number of misinformed articles…

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Pope Tells Christians Not to Evangelize

Source: Thomas D. Williams, PH.D., “Pope Francis Tells Christians Not to Try to Convert Nonbelievers,” Breitbart, 22 December 2019. Source: “Visit to the ‘Pilo Albertelli’ Classic High School in Rome: Dialogue of the Holy Father Francis with the Students”, Vatican Publishing House, 20 December 2019. “Pope Francis told Christian high school students this weekend they…

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Confidence in the Canon

by Allen Dvorak “The Lost Books of the Bible! Are you missing books from your Bible?” It is not uncommon to see such advertisements in the supermarket rags or at bookstores. Sometimes they hint at the idea that there has been some deliberate and/or covert effort to exclude certain books from the New Testament. Americans…

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Was Mary the mother of God?

Question: I do not recite Hail Mary nor do I agree with it. But I talked to a person and we came to the topic of Hail Mary. I pointed out that “Mother of God” is never seen in the Bible and expressed an inappropriate meaning. He stated that Elizabeth called Mary “mother of my…

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How do I convince a Roman Catholic that infant baptism is wrong?

Question: A Catholic and I debated the topic of infant baptism. He used the argument of “household” referring to babies as well. When I told him that households could mean teens or servants he said that he would rather follow the practice of infant baptism followed by earlier Christians 2000 years ago. He then argued…

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If Christ Built Only One, Where Did They All Come From?

by Jefferson David Tant At the beginning of the gospel age, there was but one church, and now, 2000 years later, according to some reports, there are over 1,200. How did this happen? People wonder where they all came from. Is this division and confusion what Christ intended? Let’s examine this situation to see just…

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Why Baptize Infants?

by Whit Sasser “Baptizing” infants is practiced in the Roman Catholic church and some of the Protestant denominations as well. But why would one need to subject a baby to such? They are not sinners. Sin cannot be inherited (Ezekiel 18:20). Sin is not passively received but a violation of God’s will (I John 3:4).…

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Gluttony

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Gluttony.mp3 by Jeffrey Hamilton Text: Numbers 11:4-34   I.         Someone, reading an article on the Roman Catholic teachings of the seven deadly sins, was surprised to find that gluttony included “eating too soon, eating with condiments, eating too expensively, and eating with pleasing the palate in mind.”             A.        He wrote to ask, if such were true in…

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What is the reasoning behind infant baptism?

Question: There is a Catholic whom I talk to and he told me that the reason for baptizing infants is for the opportunity for them to put on the body of Christ if they were to pass away before reaching the age of accountability. They also say that Paul went into the households and baptized…

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Rituals Don’t Cancel Sin

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/RitualsDontCancelSin.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 58:1-14   I.         Men get into their minds that they need to make God listen to them             A.        Like a child holding his breath, they believe that if they suffer, then God will listen             B.        There were false religions based on self-inflicted pain to gain their god’s attention – I Kings…

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Monk at the Monastery

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MonkAtTheMonastery.mp3 by Alan Feaster

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What is the penance for adultery?

Question: Hello, I would like to know what is the penance for adultery. If forgiveness is possible, does the “forgive and you shall be forgiven” apply? Answer: The idea that there are acts of penance done for sins is not taught in the Bible. It is merely a Roman Catholic tradition. See: Do we have to…

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The Split of the Catholic Churches

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/SplitOfTheCatholicChurches.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Matthew 23:1-12 I.         Very shortly after the first century, one elder in the church became the chief elder and took on the title of bishop to distinguish himself from the other elders.             A.        Even though elder and bishop refers to the same duty – Titus 1:5,7             B.        By the third…

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The Apostles’ Creed

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ApostlesCreed.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: John 17:11-23   I.         Every once in a while someone will ask what is our statement of faith.             A.        Back when we were home schooling, we were wanting to get involved with a local group, but they wanted us to sign a statement of faith             B.        Another name for a…

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Corruption in Church Organization

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/0020/01/CorruptionInChurchOrganization.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Acts 20:17-35   I.         Equality of members (first century)             A.        The early church was marked by the equality of its members – Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11             B.        As Jesus prayed, the desire was for all Christians to be one – John 17:20-21             C.        There were different duties, but the people were…

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I want to jump and lavish in God’s glory

Question: I’m a Roman Catholic and I finally fully accepted Jesus into my life after 15 years of me just saying I believe in him and still turning my back and obeying the world. I am continuously growing and deepening my relationship with him. I go to a Christian school and my best friend is…

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