"If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in divine mercy, which remits sins for Christ's sake, or that it is this confidence alone that justifies us, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA" (Trent, Session 6, Canon 12).

"If anyone says that the good works of the one justified are in such manner the gifts of God that they are not also the good merits of him justified; or that the one justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit an increase of grace, eternal life, and in case he dies in grace, the attainment of eternal life itself and also an increase of glory, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA" (Trent, Session 6, Canon 32).

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, emphasis mine).

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7, emphasis mine).

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight" (Romans 3:20).

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24, emphasis mine).

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:28, emphasis mine).

"If anyone says that baptism is optional, that is, not necessary for salvation, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA" (Trent, Session 7, Canon 5).

It is clear that Paul makes a distinction between the gospel and baptism; a distinction the Roman Catholic Church will not make. The Bible teaches that water baptism is associated with the gospel, but it is not part of the gospel.

"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" (Acts 10:44-47, emphasis mine).

 It is clear that Cornelius and the other Gentiles had received (past tense) the Holy Ghost, the promise of what is to come (Ephesians 1:13-14), but were not yet baptized in water.

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30).

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:1-2).

"If anyone denies that sacramental confession was instituted by divine law or is necessary to salvation; or says that the manner of confessing secretly to a priest alone, which the Catholic Church has always observed from the beginning and still observes, is at variance with the institution and command of Christ and is a human contrivance, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA" (Trent, Session 14, Canon 7).

"If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA" (Trent, Session 6, Canon 30).

The Bible does say, however:

"but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11).

"the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

"Wherefore [Jesus] is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

"This treasury also includes the truly immense, unfathomable and ever pristine value before God of the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, who following in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by His grace have sanctified their lives and fulfilled the mission entrusted to them by the Father. Thus while attaining their own salvation, they have also cooperated in the salvation of their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body" (Pope Paul VI,  Indulgentiarum Doctrina, 1967).

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

"the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18).

"There is neither appeal nor recourse against a decision or decree of the Roman Pontiff" (1983 Code of Canon Law, Canon 333).

"Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff" (Pope Bonafice VIII, Unam Sanctam, November 18, 1302).

"The Roman Pontiff judges all men, but is judged by no one" (Unam Sanctam).

"That which was spoken of Christ...'Thou hast subdued all things under His feet,' may well seem verified in me. I have the authority of the King of kings. I am all in all and above all, so that God, Himself and I, the Vicar of God, have but one consistory, and I am able to do almost all that God can do. What therefore, can you make of me but God?" (Unam Sanctam).

It can be demonstrated that the "rock" of Matthew 16:18 is not Peter.

Every single use of the word "rock" in the Bible figuratively is a direct reference to God: (Deuteronomy 32:4; 32:15; 32:18; 32:30; 32:37; 1 Samuel 2:2; 2 Samuel 22:2; 22:3; Psalm 18:2; 18:31; 18:46; 28:1; 31:2; 31:3; 42:9; 62:2; 62:6; 62:7; 71:3; 78:35; 89:26; 92:15; 94:22; 95:1; Isaiah 8:14; 17:10) and then in the New Testament: (Romans 9:33; 1 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Peter 2:8 and 1 Corinthians 3:11).

It was a very common Jewish expression (and still is) to call God "my rock and my redeemer," "the rock of my salvation" etc.

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (Greek: petros), and upon this rock (Greek: petra) I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18).

Given the overwhelming precedence of "Rock" referring to God, Jesus is contrasting Himself and Peter. Peter is a stone, just as every Christian is a lively stone (1 Peter 2:5), but, in contrast, Jesus is the "chief corner stone, elect, precious" (1 Peter 2:6).

When we consult the complete counsel of Scripture, the overwhelming Old Testament and New Testament references to "Rock" meaning God make the point clear that the church of Jesus Christ is not built on Peter, but built on the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Jesus did not say  touto gignetai ("this has become" or "is turned into"), but  touto esti ("this signifies, represents" or "stands for") (the New Testament was written in Greek.) It is obvious that Jesus' meaning was not literal but symbolic!" (Green).

"Understood literally, what Jesus said would be highly objectionable since it would involve cannibalism and a use of blood that was strictly forbidden in the Law (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 7:26, 27; 17:10-14; Deut. 12:23, 24)" (New Geneva Study Bible).

"It is not necessary to take these phrases physically. Jesus' words need not be taken in the sense of ingesting his actual physical body and blood. Jesus often spoke in metaphors and figures of speech. He called the Pharisees "blind guides" (Matt. 23:16) and Herod a "fox" (Luke 13:32). Roman Catholic scholars do not take these terms literally. Neither do they understand Jesus to be speaking physically when he said, "I am the gate" (John 10:9). There is, therefore, no necessity to take Jesus in a literal, physical way when he said, "this is my body," or, "eat my flesh." Jesus often spoke in graphic parables and figures, as he himself said (Matt. 13:10-11)" (Geisler, N. L., & Rhodes, R.,  When Cultists Ask: A Popular Handbook on Cultic Misinterpretations).

If the wafer and wine physically change into Jesus' actual flesh and blood, then: 

• 2 hours after Mass, does every faithful Catholic excrete our Lord in their bathroom?
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• What happens to the hosts that aren't eaten? Is the Lord stored in a pantry until the next day?
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"Hence the Mass, the Lord's Supper, is at the same time and inseparably: a sacrifice in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated" (Vatican II).

"The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: 'The victim is one and the same: the same [Christ] now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered Himself on the Cross; only the manner of offering is different.' 'And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the Cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner... this sacrifice is truly propitiatory" (The Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, 1367).

"Nor yet that [Jesus] should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many" (Hebrews 9:25-28, emphasis mine).

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Hebrews 10:10-14, emphasis mine).

"Indeed, since the Eucharistic Mystery was instituted out of love, and makes Christ sacramentally present, it is worthy of thanksgiving and worship. And this worship must be prominent in all our encounters with the Blessed Sacrament... Adoration of Christ in this sacrament of love must also find expression in various forms of eucharistic devotion: personal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, Hours of Adoration, periods of exposition?short, prolonged and annual (Forty Hours)?eucharistic benediction, eucharistic processions, eucharistic congresses" (Pope John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae (On The Mystery And Worship Of The Eucharist), February 24,1980).

Interestingly, this commandment "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image" is taken out of the official Roman Catholic list of "The Ten Commandments." Instead, the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet" is split into two: "Thou shalt not covet your neighbor's wife" and "thou shalt not covet your neighbor's goods" so that the list will still add up to ten.

"Immaculate in every respect; innocent, and verily most innocent; spotless, and entirely spotless; holy and removed from every stain of sin; all pure, all stainless, the very model of purity and innocence; more beautiful than beauty, more lovely than loveliness; more holy than holiness, singularly holy and most pure in soul and body; the one who surpassed all integrity and virginity; the only one who has become the dwelling place of all the graces of the most Holy Spirit. God alone excepted, Mary is more excellent than all, and by nature fair and beautiful, and more holy than the Cherubim and Seraphim. To praise her all the tongues of heaven and earth do not suffice" (Pope Pius IX,  Ineffabilus Deus - The Immaculate Conception  , December 8, 1854).

Former Nun, Mary Ann Collins, appropriately asked: "If Mary were sinless, then why would she need a savior?" (Mary Ann Collins, Mary Worship? A Study of Catholic Practice and Doctrine, http://www.bereanbeacon.org/articles/mary_worship.htm)

She also pointed out: "The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was first introduced by a heretic (a man whose teachings were officially declared to be contrary to Church doctrine). For centuries this doctrine was unanimously rejected by popes, Fathers and theologians of the Catholic Church. (William Webster, The Church of Rome at the Bar of History, pp. 72-77)" (Collins).

"The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God "the All-Holy" (Panagia), and celebrate her as ?free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature'. By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long" (Catechism, 493).

Please note that "all have sinned." This includes Mary.

"Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest" (Revelation 15:4, emphasis mine).

The Bible teaches that God alone is holy. Mary is excluded.

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10, emphasis mine).

"'Till' (until) means that after that point, Joseph did 'know' (have sexual relations with) Mary. (See Genesis 4:1 where Adam 'knew' Eve and she conceived and had a son.)" (Collins).

"And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?" (Matthew 13:54-56, emphasis mine).

"Holy Mary, Mother of God: With Elizabeth we marvel, 'And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?' Because she gives us Jesus, her son, Mary is Mother of God" (Catechism, 2677).

"With equal truth may it be also affirmed that, by the will of God, Mary is the intermediary through whom is distributed unto us this immense treasure of mercies gathered by God, for mercy and truth were created by Jesus Christ. Thus as no man goeth to the Father but by the Son, so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother" (Pope Leo XIII,  Octobri Mense, Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, On the Rosary, September 22, 1891).

"In whom [Jesus} we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him" (Ephesians 3:12).

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus : Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time" (1 Timothy 2:5-6).

"Wherefore [Jesus] is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

"By the fullness of grace which confers on her the most illustrious of her many titles, the Blessed Virgin is infinitely superior to all the hierarchies of men and angels, the one creature who is closest of all to Christ. 'It is a great thing in any saint to have grace sufficient for the salvation of many souls; but to have enough to suffice for the salvation of everybody in the world. is the greatest of all; and this is found in Christ and in the Blessed Virgin'" (Pope Leo XIII,  Magnae Dei Matris - On the Rosary, September 8, 1892).

"The intercession of the saints. 'Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness.... They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus.... So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped'" (Catechism, 956).

"How, then, can a human being such as Mary hear the prayers of millions of Roman Catholics, in many different countries, praying in many different languages, all at the same time? Let any priest or layman try to converse with only three people at the same time and see how impossible that is for a human being... The objections against prayers to Mary apply equally against prayers to the saints. For they too are only creatures, infinitely less than God, able to be at only one place at a time and to do only one thing at a time. How, then, can they listen to and answer thousands upon thousands of petitions made simultaneously in many different lands and in many different languages? Many such petitions are expressed, not orally, but only mentally, silently. How can Mary and the saints, without being like God, be present everywhere and know the secrets of all hearts?" (Loraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, pp. 142-143).

On the one hand, Rome says the Word of God is infallible and our only authority, but when we look at what Rome means by that, we discover: 

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• Only through the Roman Catholic Magisterium can anyone rightly interpret the Word of God.

"Here is the 'three-part' view of authority found so often in Roman Catholic writings: the Scriptures, tradition, and the Magisterium (the Church's teaching power). Since the Magisterium defines the extent of the Scriptures (by defining the canon), claims sole right of interpretation of the Scriptures, tells us what is and what is not tradition, and defines doctrines on the basis of self-defined tradition, in reality we see that the only one of the three 'legs' of this system that is not defined by one of the other is the Magisterium itself" (James R. White, The Roman Catholic Controversy, p. 74).

In practice, the Roman Catholic Church has elevated its Magisterium above the Word of God.

"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever" (Psalm 12:6-7).

"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name" (Psalm 138:2).

God has placed His Word above even His own name, and the Roman Catholic Church has placed its Magisterium above God's Word.

"With our hearts we believe and with our lips we confess but one Church, not that of the heretics, but the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church, outside which we believe that no one is saved" (Pope Innocent III, December 18, 1208).

"He scatters and gathers not who gathers not with the Church and with Jesus Christ, and all who fight not jointly with Him and with the Church are in very truth contending against God" (Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical, Sapientiae Christianae, January 10, 1890).

The Catholic Church maintains that it is the same Church it has always been, dating back to the Apostles. But this is plainly not the case.

(List taken from Steve Rudd, Roman Catholic Doctrinal Evolution, http://www.bible.ca/cath-new-doctrines.htm,  and Loraine Boettner, preface to the fifth edition of his book, Roman Catholicism) 

It is common for members of the Roman Catholic Church to claim that they are born-again saved Christians. The following are questions to ask a member of the Roman Catholic Church who claims to be truly saved:

1. When were you converted?

2. How were you converted?

3. To what, or to whom, were you converted?

4. What do you believe now that you did not believe before your conversion?

5. What does it mean to be saved?

6. On what Scriptural promises do you base your salvation?

7. What does it mean to be born again?

8. Are you sure today that if you die tomorrow, or at any time in the future, you will be in heaven immediately after death?

9. What do you believe about Purgatory?

10. What do you believe about the Mass?

11. Do you still participate in the Mass?

12. Do you believe that to miss Mass voluntarily on Sunday would be a mortal sin, so that if you did not confess it before you died, you would not go to heaven?

13. Do you believe that any sinner can be saved who dies without trusting in Jesus Christ alone for the salvation of his soul and forgiveness of his sins?

14. Do you believe that Mary and Roman Catholic saints can help you get to heaven?

15. How do you believe that the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ is applied to your soul?

16. Have you told your priest you have been saved (converted)?

17. Do you believe you will still go to heaven if you leave the Roman Catholic Church, receive believer's baptism and join a fundamental Protestant church?

18. When and where do you plan to do this?

"As these questions, and others you can think of, are discussed in detail, you will quickly see that the person is trusting in his work, merits, baptism, confirmation, sacraments, or something besides - or plus - Jesus Christ and not in Christ and Christ alone. He can then be shown the difference between his unbiblical form of salvation and the saving faith of the Bible" (18 Questions For "Saved" Roman Catholics, http://www.biblebelievers.net/Romanism/kjc18qst.htm).