withallyourmind.net

This is Part 8 of my series discussing the relationship between evangelicals and Roman Catholics. I have pointed out many areas of agreement and am now continuing to show areas of disagreement. Today, I quickly discuss doctrinal differences on ecclesiology and Mariology.

Regarding ecclesiology, the Catholic teaching is that the church is not merely an invisible mystical body, but also a visible organization on earth headquartered in Rome. Evangelicals disagree in several areas, including the visibility, unity, priestly authority, and constituency of the Church. The dogma that the Catholic Church is the one true visible church united under the Pope and that the church has priestly power to transform the bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ and the special power to forgive sins is unsupported in Scripture and also lacks any kind of unanimity among the church Fathers. Catholic attempts to use scripture to support these teachings wrench the texts from their contexts and offer no real support. These irrevocable teachings of the Roman Church are unacceptable to evangelicals.

MacKenzie and Geisler claim:

For many Protestants, Mariology and Mariolatry are almost synonymous.

However, evangelicals can and do affirm that she is the most blessed among women, that Christ was conceived in her while she was a virgin, and that by virtue of that conception she is, in a sense, “the Mother of God.” However, the Catholic dogmas of the perpetual virginity, immaculate conception, sinlessness, bodily assumption, mediatorship, and the veneration of Mary and her images are rejected. The belief of Mary’s perpetual virginity is not a huge stumbling-block to evangelicals, but is rejected by most due to clear references in Scripture to his brothers and sisters, as well as the implication of Matthew 1:25 that Mary had sexual relations after the birth of Christ (among other arguments). In 1854, Pope Pius IX infallibly pronounced the dogma that Mary, from the moment of her conception was preserved free from all stain of original sin. Evangelicals reject this teaching on the basis that the three main texts (Gen 3:15, Luke 1:28, and Luke 1:41) used by Catholics to support this dogma fail to support it. The teaching that Mary was free from personal sin during her whole life is not only unsupported in Scripture, but is opposed in Scripture. In fact, in Luke 1:46, Mary affirmed her need for a Savior. Roman Catholic dogmas, over time, reveal a progressive glorification of Mary, to the point where she is virtually deified by many. Catholicism teaches that she was bodily assumed into heaven and venerated as Mediatrix (a mediator of grace) and “Queen of Heaven.” Catholics admit that there is no direct scriptural proof of this doctrine, but affirm its possibility and probability. Evangelicals declare no such probability exists. The Mediatorship of Mary conflicts with the Protestant belief in the uniqueness of Christ’s atonement. Scriptural support is totally lacking.

The most repugnant aspect of Mariology for evangelicals is the veneration of Mary. Nothing in Scripture supports the claim that Mary should be venerated above all creatures but below God or that prayers should be offered to her. Mary was not exalted above all women, but among all women. The Bible clearly forbids the veneration of any creature. We are to worship only God. Mariolatry is idolatry.

In my next post, I will discuss purgatory and provide a few closing comments on this series.