Roman Catholicism versus the Biblical View of Mary, the mother of Jesus

Luke 1:47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

Since Roman Catholicism places such an emphasis on the role of Mary in its theology, we want to consider what the Bible teaches about Mary, the mother of Jesus.

What the Bible presents to us about Mary
Mary is the mother of Jesus with regards to his humanity.  Anyone who is either Roman Catholic or a reader of its history, theology and practice, may be surprised to note that Mary is only mentioned in five places in the Bible.  Furthermore, of the 27 books of the New Testament, Mary only appears in the first five.  Below is a summary of those biblical references:

1. Mary and the Infancy narratives of Matt 1:18-25 and Luke 1-2. 
In Matthew's account, even though Christ is described as being conceived in her virgin womb as a fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14; yet we read nothing of Mary herself have been conceived without sin (what Catholics call "the immaculate conception). 

Luke's account gives us statements that point to the inportance of Mary, but certainly not to the degree that Roman Catholicism ascribes her.1  Even in Luke 1:42-43, where we see Elizabeth refer to Mary as "mother of my Lord", that term is in reference to her as the carrier of the Messiah, God made in human flesh. 

Furthermore, in Luke 1:47 Mary's response to Elizabeth's song records these words: "And my spirit hath rejoice in God my Saviour".  Mary is acknowledging Christ as her Savior, clearly indicating that she was in need of the Savior as much as anyone else - negating the notion that she was sinless.    

2. Mary at Jesus' First Miracle - John 2:1-11 
In Jesus' first miracle or "sign", Mary has accompanied Jesus to the wedding  of Cana.  In this scene, Mary's role is secondary, and Christ's primary.  Within the episode Jesus gives Mary a respectful but firm admonition to not interfere, since "his time had not yet come". (John 2:4)  If Mary was the "co-mediatrix" as claimed by the Roman Catholic Church, surely her appeal to help out at the wedding would had moved Christ to instant action.  Yet it was not Mary's suggestion that moved Jesus to aid in the need for wine. (John 2:3-4)  Jesus Himself chose to help in obedience to the timing and leading of His heavenly Father. 

3. Mary and the family of Jesus - Matthew 12:46; Mark 3:21,31
Throughout the course of Jesus' life and minstry, Mary would play an diminishing role.  Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, who has given Mary an increasingly exalted title and position, the scriptures tend to go in the opposite direction.  In this third mention of Mary,  Jesus' earthly family is numbered among the rest of Jesus' disciples.  As He goes further into his mission, you begin to see Mary's influence decrease even more.

4. Mary at the cross - John 19:25 
If there was any chance for Mary to function as a sharer in the redemption of humanity, as so claimed by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, surely this episode in the Gospels would be it.  Jesus on the cross assigns the care of His mother in the flesh to the Apostle John.  Certainly despite her decreasing role throughout the Gospel accounts, Jesus still gives her the respect and dignity befitting her.  However, there is no exalted status or assigning of near-divine devotion like we see in Roman Catholic teaching.2  Jesus went to the cross all alone and bore the wrath of God alone. 

5. Mary on the day of Pentecost - Acts 1:14
In this final appearance of Mary, the mother of Jesus, we see her numbered among the 120 gathered in the upper room following Jesus' ascension.  In this text she is viewed no higher than the others, aside from the honorable mention out of respect.  After this verse, Mary's role in the early church is never mentioned again.  Unlike the Roman Catholic System, we see no evidence whatsoever of the Apostles nor the early church leaders of the first two centuries advocating devotion to Mary.3  It wasn't until the second to third century that we begin to see feasts dedicated to her. 

Having now surveyed the biblical record on Mary, the mother of Jesus, we can draw some definite conclusions:

A. First, Mary was never an exalted figure, but was shown respect due to her carrying the humanity of the Lord. 

B. Second, despite her special role, Mary's influence diminishes with every appearance in the Biblical record. 

C. Third, Mary passes off the Biblical record in quiet obscurity. 

D. Fourthly, the Apostles and early church leaders never sanctioned feasts, celebrations or devotion to Mary.  Thus when compared to Roman Catholicism, the Bible once again paints a different picture from the teaching and theology espoused by the Roman Catholic System. 
End Notes_________________________
1. The early church had called Mary by the more biblical title "Christ-bearer".  However the title "God-bearer" was officially sanctioned by the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D.  Although meant to preserve the humanity and Deity of Christ, the title came to be used very shortly as a springboard into the growing formation of the Marian Cult.  By the days of this council, much of the Catholic system was celebrating feasts of Mary.

2. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph #971, we read the following sample of the over-the-top devotion associated with Mary:

"All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs.... This very special devotion ... differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.

3. Three modern day examples will suffice to show the over-the-top view of Mary's role in contrast to the Apostles treatment of her.  First, the Roman Catholic Church convened a council called "Vatican I" 1869-1870, wherein they asserted the doctrine of Mary's immaculate conception (her sinlessness from conception).  In that council the Catholic church also asserted that when the Pope sat on his throne in the Vatican, and made authoritative statements (along with the College of Cardinals - the Majesterium), he was termed to be speaking forth infallible truth.  Thus in 1950, the Pope issued a declaration of Mary's bodily Assumption in Heaven (in simlitude to ther ascension of Jesus).  In the Vatican II council of 1967, as well as the current Catechism of the Catholic Church, we see no alteration to the affirmation of these two doctrines held by Roman Catholicism.  Both doctrines of course are alien to scripture, and were never championed by the apostles. 

Roman Catholic View of the Bible Books

Revelation 22:18 "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book"

Yesterday we explored the Roman Catholic viewpoint on the nature of biblical authority.  We saw that they equated church tradition and the papal heirarchy (called the Majesterium) with scripture.  In contrast, we discovered that from Jesus onward, the true Gospel is based upon the truth of sola scriptura or the unique and binding authority of scripture.  Though lesser authorities like tradition, doctrinal statements and reason have their place, nevertheless all forms of authority are answerable to the scriptures. 

Today I want us to continue looking at Roman Catholicism, probing further into its viewpoint of scripture.  Roman Catholicism has a different looking Bible than the Bible's you may find in Christian bookstores or all other churches.  Does it hurt to have additional books other than the 66 books we have in most Bibles?  Why did The Roman Catholic Church feel it necessary to add other books?  Below we will attempt to answer some of those questions.

The Catholic list of Bible books versus the regular (protestant and historic Christian) list of Bible books
The 66 books were the only ones recognized as verbally inspired by the ancient Jews and early Christians
To be specific in this blog, when we say that the Roman Catholic Church has added to the Bible, we are specifically referring to the Jewish books written in the 400 year period between Malachi and Matthew.  These books are termed "the apocrypha", meaning "that which is hidden".  Though the Apocrypha were valued mainly for their historical value or readability among the Jews and early Christians, nonetheless they were never regarded by either as divinely inspired.

Early Jewish and Christian leaders record the list of the books recognized by the church as products of Divine inspiration.  The words and contents of the 39 books in our English Bibles, covering Genesis to Malachi, comprised the original Hebrew/Aramaic Old Testament.  The familiar 27 books of our New Testaments, composed in Greek by the Apostles in the first century, were listed in the earliest documents stretching back to the first three centuries following the age of the Apostles.  Interestingly enough, not one time do we find the "Apocrypha" among the Jewish nor Christian listing of the books deemed "Divinely inspired".1

Below is a summary list of the universally agreed upon Old and New Testament Books, equalling out to 66 books in our English Bibles:
Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesistes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah & Malachi.  = 39 books

New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1,2,3 John; Jude, then Revelation.  = 27 books

The Roman Catholic Church's decision to include the Apocrypha in their official list of the inspired Bible Books
Though used occassionally by God's people throughout the ages, the Apocrypha never achieved the official recognition of "Divine inspiration" until nearly 1600 years after their composition.  As we noted already, some of the Apocrypha are valuable as historical records of the events occuring in the 400 year period between Matthew and Malachi.  However some of the books taught a salvation of faith plus works (i.e The Apocryphal Book of Tobit) and other doctrines not found in the other 66 books, such as prayers for the dead. 

In order for the Catholic Church of the Middle Ages to maintain the doctrines it had picked up in the centuries of development, as well as to defend itself against the Protestant Reformation, a Church Council met in the middle of the 16th Century.  This Council's aim was to make a series of authoritative declarations that supported the Roman Catholic System and denounced groups like the Protestants and Baptists.  Among those decisions was the identification of the Apocrypha as verbally inspired literature. 2 

This was a strategic move on the Roman Catholic Church's part, since in viewing its teaching Heirarchy and church tradition as equal with scripture, declaring a group of books to be on par with the 66 books meant it could argue its position as being Biblical.   

Does the Roman Catholic Church Today still believe the Apocryphal books to be equal with the other 66 books?
On page 34 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, one can view a listing of 73 books regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as sacred scripture.  By regarding seven of the Apocryphal books as inspired, even with the changes introduced in the mid-sixties under the historic Vatican II meetings of the Catholic Church, the group still has chosen to add to scripture.  So sadly, Roman Catholicism has retained its position which in light of Church and Jewish History is a "Johnny-Come-Lately" position.3 

Why does this matter?
If a group is going to claim itself to be the arbiter of divine truth, it needs to make sure that its resources are trustworthy.  Even among the Apocrypha themselves there is denial of their divine inspiration. 4 Nonetheless, the Catholic Church claims otherwise.  In Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:2 and the passage quoted at the beginning of today's blog, we see a curse that comes with adding to the scripture.  It is dangerous to claim a book to be inspired that neither history, nor God's people, nor even the book itself ever claimed.  

In most early confessions of faith in both Baptist and Protestant churches, lists of the Bible books were made to remind the readers of the fact that only the 66 books can be termed the Word of God.  When we add to scripture, we lose far more than can be ever gained.  To add to the scripture is to lose the Gospel.  May the Lord help us to remain steadfast and loyal to His Word.   

Endnotes____________________
1 The Jewish Historian Josephus in his work "Against Apian", records a listing of the Bible books which we today would identify as the 39 Old Testament books of our English Old Testaments.  Some of the books in their original composition were bound into single volumes, making the number appear less.  Thus, for instance, Ezra & Nehemiah were one volume, and 1 & 2 Chronicles were one volume.  When the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek, the Jews took these books, without changing the wording, and made them from two volumes into four, since they were quite cumbersome to carry around.  Nonetheless all the words and meaning were not lost. 
The Early Christians began listing the New Testament books within a century after the Apostles.  Documents such as the Muritorian Canon and Athanaisius' Easter letter of 397 A.D, wherein he lists all 27 books, show a consistent pattern of recognition.  The Roman Catholics have never added to the New Testament part of the Bible, only the Old Testament, which is the point of our discussion.

2. This church council was called the "Council of Trent".

3. The Council of Trent officially recognized the Apocrypha as sacred scripture in 1546 A.D.  Roman Catholics will sometimes refer to these books as the "deutero-canonical books", meaning "second canon".  The fact that Vatican II in their historical meetings never departed from this position, nor the current edition of the Catholic Catechism, demonstrates the consistent, albeit erroneous view of Roman Catholicism on the addition of these books.

4. The Apocryphal Book of 1 Macabees, which is a historical record of the Jewish Rebellion against the evil Antiochus Epiphanes of 168 b.c, records that there was no open vision from the Lord in those days. 

Roman Catholicism's view of Authority versus the Bible

2 Timothy 3:15 “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

To remain faithful to the Gospel, the areas of faith, the Bible and Jesus Christ must match the scriptures.  This matching is done when we understand faith, the Bible and Jesus Christ to each be necessary, sufficient and exclusively ordained by God for salvation.  In today’s blog we want to consider the nature of the scripture’s authority.

As we will discover, just like the matter of saving faith, the Roman Catholic Church would say that the Bible is necessary for both the beginning and continuation of faith, however the Bible by itself is not sufficient nor exclusively the only source that is binding upon the consciences of men.

The Nature of Spiritual Authority in Roman Catholicism versus the Bible

A quick history lesson

In the sixteenth century a monk by the name of Martin Luther protested the Roman Catholic Church over the issue of its appealing to the masses to purchase extra merits for attaining favor with God (i.e selling of indulgences).  The Roman Catholic Church had come to teach that from the grace achieved from the saints of the past, such grace, added to Christ’s accomplished merit on the cross, existed in an overflowing manner.  Such grace, called “an indulgence”, was available at a price. 

The Catholic Church viewed itself as having the authority to dispense salvation, thus placing its tradition on equal par with the Bible.  Beginning with Martin Luther, others in his wake joined in this protest, thus beginning the birth of the “Protestant Reformation” on October 31, 1517 (called “Protestantism” since they protested against the Catholic Church on much of its theology of salvation and church practice).

Fast forwarding some 450 years later, the Roman Catholic Church made some historic updates to its system at a historic event called “Vatican II”.  The current Catechism of the Catholic Church is a fruit of that historic event. Does Roman Catholicism still retain much of its viewpoint about spiritual authority like it did in Martin Luther’s day?  Does it still view its own tradition and teaching authority of the papal system as equally binding and infallible along with sacred scripture?  Lets find out.

Roman Catholicism’s equating of scripture, tradition and the Papacy

Picture a three-stranded rope as representing Roman Catholicism’s view of supreme spiritual authority: The Bible, the Papal Heirarchy and Church Tradition.  This was the system articulated in Martin Luther's day.  Did Vatican II really change that viewpoint?  Consider this quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"It is clear therefore that, in the supremely wise arrangement of God, sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium (The Papal heirarchy) of the Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the others. Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls." 1

The Biblical view of spiritual authority: The Bible Alone  uniquely binds the consciences of men and is without error

One of the truths reaffirmed from the Protestant Reformation was the assertion of sola scriptura or the Bible alone.  This little phrase did not negate the valuable need for doctrinal statements nor give permission to ignore the wisdom of other Christians from the past 2,000 years of church history.  Rather what it did was affirm the Bible's unique status as having "binding authority" upon the hearts of  human beings, something of which neither doctrinal confessions, church policies nor any other secondary sources do not possess.

The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message has this to say about the roles of tradition and scripture: “Baptists are a people of deep beliefs and cherished doctrines. Throughout our history we have been a confessional people, adopting statements of faith as a witness to our beliefs and a pledge of our faithfulness to the doctrines revealed in Holy Scripture.”2  With that statement made, the Baptist Faith and Message makes this important clarification: “That the sole authority for faith and practice among Baptists is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Confessions are only guides in interpretation, having no authority over the conscience.” 3

How Baptist Churches view various authorities and the Bible versus the Roman Catholic View

The belief in “scripture alone” entails viewing the Bible as the sole inerrant and infallible authority that binds the consciences of human beings.  Pastors and the church constitutes spiritual authority in the sense of providing the Christian the spiritual food and necessary equipping for carrying forth the gospel.  However only the Bible uniquely informs all Christians as to what is final in matters of life, salvation and eternity.  A pastor or a church has delegated authority that derives from Christ's authority excercised through the agency of sacred scripture.   In contrast to Roman Catholicism, which teaches an equality between the Bible, Tradition and the Papal system, the Bible Alone is unique. 

Was Jesus’ view of spiritual authority “sola scriptura” or more like the Roman Catholic System?
In Jesus’ day the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees had developed an elaborate system of laws and rules that they viewed as on equal footing with the Old Testament.  When Jesus would deal with that system, he would contrast his teaching from scripture to their system.  When referencing their system, he would use the phrase: “it has been said”. (compare Matthew 5:21,27,31).  However whenever He was making an authoritative statement, or quoting scripture, He would use the phrases: “but I say” or “it is written”. (Matthew 5:22,28,32) 

Did Jesus value things like tradition?  He must have, otherwise he would not had celebrated a post-biblical festival like the Feast of Hanukkah that many believed he did in John 10:22.  However he never believed tradition to be equal, binding nor infallible.  In Matthew 5:18 Jesus states - “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”  Jesus Christ clearly taught and lived by the ultimate authority of the Bible, since He Himself fulfilled its expectations and provided the basis for its declarations. 

Believing in sola scriptura or "the Bible alone" spells the only way of fidelity to the true Gospel 

Scripture alone has this quality of enduring long after tradition has changed or human authorities have passed on and off the scene.  Jesus clearly taught the primacy of scripture and its unique role.  May those who name the name of Christ take seriously this pattern which lies at the heart of the Gospel – namely the Bible Alone is the final authority on all matters of faith, history, practice and eternity. 

End Notes__________________

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Article 2, Part Three, Paragraph # 95.

2. 2000 Baptist Faith and Message

3. 2000 Baptist Faith and Message

Roman Catholicism's view of saving faith

Galatians 1:6-7 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
 
We have been studying marks of the true Gospel. In yesterday's blog we identified three doctrines that comprise the core of the Gospel: saving faith, Jesus Christ and the Bible. All religions, ideologies and philosophies must be judged in light of how they handle the issues of saving faith, Christ and the Bible.

Should Roman Catholics be evangelized?

As a Southern Baptist minister, my first response to this question would be with a follow-up: "are not all people proper subjects for evangelism"?  There are people in Baptist churches who don't believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ - thus anyone who fails to do so is a proper subject of evangelism.  Roman Catholics are to be told the Gospel of Jesus Christ, since they, like all other people, need to hear the Good news of Jesus Christ.  A historical and theological examination of Roman Catholic doctrine and practice will reveal where they stand on faith, Christ and the scriptures. If anyone of these areas are wrongly handled, then abandonment of the Gospel has occurred.

Why Roman Catholicism does not teach the true Gospel

The Roman Catholic Church uses similar words like other groups claiming fidelity to the True Gospel. However when discussing the three issues of faith, Christ and the Bible, you will quickly discover how different they really are.  Today we want to see what the Roman Catholic Church teaches about saving faith.

Where Roman Catholicism stands on the issue of faith in salvation

The Late Dr. D. James Kennedy classified all religions under three headings relative to the matter of faith: Those that are works alone, those that are faith plus works and thirdly, the Gospel, which teaches salvation received by faith alone.1  To be fair, I've often heard the Roman Catholic Church characterized as teaching a "works-only" salvation while groups such as the Southern Baptist Convention teaches salvation by grace through faith. The reason this is inaccurate is because Roman Catholic theology does teach the necessity of faith in salvation. In fact the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes this statement: “Believing in Jesus Christ and in the Only One who sent Him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation.” 2  However the issue with Roman Catholicism is that it denies that faith by itself is sufficient for receiving the gift of salvation, which is in direct conflict with the biblical teaching of salvation being received by grace alone through faith alone.  Roman Catholicism teaches salvation as being received in a "faith-plus-works" system, beginning with baptism and ongoing participation in the various church rituals (called sacraments). 

Roman Catholicism does not believe that faith alone is sufficient for receiving salvation

The big point of contention has to do with how the Roman Catholic Church views the sufficiency of faith by itself for receiving salvation. As we labored a couple of days ago, the true Gospel views faith alone as necessary and sufficient for receiving the gift of salvation. (Romans 10:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) It is also the exclusive means ordained by God for receiving salvation in Jesus Christ.

According to Roman Catholic teaching, faith by itself is not enough, and rather must be accompanied by additional actions. Consider this quote: "Through baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God.” 3    Baptism then is required as additional to faith in order to receive salvation in the Roman Catholic system. Later on the Catholic Catechism states:

“The sacraments of initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist– lay the foundations of every Christian life. The faithful are born anew by baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity."4

Thus we could summarize reception of salvation in Roman Catholic teaching as follows: by faith and baptism is one converted to faith.  By ongoing participation in the Roman Catholic system can one increasingly gain ground in continual understanding of what it means to be made right with God through Christ. 

What does the Bible teach about the necessity, sufficiency and exclusivity of faith in salvation?

John 1:12-13 states – “12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”  Furthermore Ephesians 2:8-9 plainly notes: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

One of the reasons I am part of the Southern Baptist Convention is because of its biblical stance on the necessity, sufficiency and exclusivity of faith alone as the means of receiving salvation.  The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message notes –

“Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.”5

Any group that advocates faith not being the necessary, sufficient nor the exclusive means ordained by God to receive salvation is not preaching the true Gospel.  All three of those traits (necessity, sufficiency and exclusivity) must be included when communicating the biblical understanding of saving faith.  Tomorrow we will explore what The Roman Catholic Church teaches about the Bible and spiritual authority.  

End Notes_________________________
1. From a preaching series that Dr. Kennedy preached entitled "Truths that Transform".  Dr. Kennedy developed an incredible evangelistic tool called "Evangelism Explosion" that was used widely in many churches, including Southern Baptist churches. 

2. Catechism of the Catholic Church.  page 44.
This is the official doctrinal statement of the Roman Catholic Church.  It was produced in 1992, with a revised edition in 2005. 

3. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Page  312

4. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Page 311

5. Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
This is the official doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention.  The document is found on the Southern Baptist Website at www.sbc.net  A valuable feature on this website is being able to compare the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message to older statements, such as the 1963 and 1925 versions, which are available in a side by side comparison. 

The Core of the Gospel:Christ, the Scriptures & Faith

1 Corinthians 15:1-5 1Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

What constitutes the core of the Gospel?
In the above text we see presented the fundamental truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Three areas are presented that provide starting points for knowing the God of the Bible: Salvation by grace through Faith Alone; Jesus Christ and The Scriptures. 

1. Salvation is received by Grace through Faith Alone. 15:1-2
The Gospel is received only one way - by faith alone. (John 1:12)  It is God's grace which delivers the divine gifting of faith, whereby the sinner is positioned to make a decision of trust in Jesus Christ.  All belief systems claiming to provide salvation must affirm not only the necessity of faith, but the sufficiency of it.  Faith by itself is enough to receive the gift of eternal life.  Faith alone is the exclusive means ordained by God whereby a sinner is reconciled and credited by God with Christ's righteousness. Once declared righteous, God also declares me to be a son by adoption, and reconciled unto Himself. (Romans 8:14-16) From the starting point of saving faith, I walk in progressive obedience and desire for God, or what we call sanctification. (Romans 6:12-13)  We are saved by grace through faith alone, and true conversion results in a working faith that is never alone. (James 2:14-26)

2. Salvation is in Christ alone. 15:3-5
The Gospel centers around one Person as both the source and object of saving faith - Jesus Christ.  Christ's death, burial, resurrection and appearances are the focus of this text.  More could be brought in from other scriptures: namely His human life before His crucifixion, His Eternal Deity prior to His taking on humanity, and then His ascension into Heaven.  Christ is returning again in a literally, bodily return, a truth spoken of in over 200 places in scripture. 

Jesus Christ is not only fully man is but also fully God.  Along with the the belief of there being One God, Christians assert the full Deity of Jesus Christ.  He perfectly and visibly reveals the Father, with whom He shares the same, undivided nature.  Furthermore, along with God the Son, Christians assert the full Deity and Personality of the Holy Spirit.  He functions as the third Person of the Trinity who enjoys equal fellowship in sharing the One, undivided nature with the Father and the Son. (Matthew 28:18-20; John 14:9-23; Acts 5:4-5; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18; Revelation 4)  Jesus Christ is our gateway to the Divine Reality of the Trinity. (Ephesians 2:18)

3. Salvation is understood from the scripture alone. 15:3-5
This description of the Gospel is saturated with references to the Bible.  We see the Bible referenced as "the Gospel that was preached", "the word" and twice we see the Bible called "the scriptures".  Salvation cannot take place without the presence, preaching or explanation of the scriptures to the hearer. (Romans 10:8-16)  In fact faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)  The Word of God, centering on Christ, and commanding men to repent, believe and then walk out their faith in subsequent obedience to the Lord who first called them, is the Christian's lamp and light. (Psalm 119:105)

Only when we are right on all three can we say we are being faithful to the Gospel
In order to get the Gospel right, you have to be certain about the roles of faith, Christ and the scriptures.  Any deviation, addition or deletion from any one of these areas will fail the test of what doctrinally defines the core of the Gospel.

When a person is brought to saving faith, they may not fully comprehend these truths in all their detail - yet there will be a fundamental understanding as provided by the Holy Spirit.  True saving faith acknowledges that God is addressing them through the Bible, that Christ alone can save and that by faith alone can they receive the  gift of salvation. 

Once converted, the Christian builds the remainder of their Christian life from those three starting points, which comprise the core of the Christian faith.  The circumference of the Christian life, though ever growing and expanding in understanding and obedience, operates from this core.  May you and I today make it our business to know these three areas as much as we can: namely the roles of saving faith, Christ and the scriptures.

Identifying the marks of a different gospel

Galatians 1:6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel

Debates about cars - differences of degree or kind?
I recall as a kid getting in friendly debates over which was better: Ford or Chevy.  We would banter back and forth for hours - extolling the merits of Mustangs versus Camaros.  We had our differences, however these were differences of degree.

Now what would had happened if in the midst of our friendly skirmishes I would had blurted out: "Well I know one thing, a Stealth Bomber is better than Ford or Chevy", then the conversation would had come to an abrupt end.  Why?  Because the Stealth Bomber is a different kind of machine.  It has no business in the discussion, since our conversation is about cars.  That would had been an example of being a "difference of kind". 

Now that simple illustration points out what is meant when we say "differences of degree" versus "differences of kind".  When Paul states here in Galatians about a "different Gospel", the Greek word for different is speaking of a "difference of kind".  In other words, the message being touted about at the church of Galatia was not really a Gospel at all.

What constitutes a "different Gospel"
Yesterday we noted three marks of the True Gospel: namely its necessity, sufficiency and exclusivity.  In noting five particular elements: Grace, Faith, Christ, Scripture and God's Glory - we used the word "alone" after each.  Each of these are necessary for salvation.  Each one is also sufficient by itself and each one is exclusively declared by God as fundamental to the Spirit's work of applying the work of Christ to the unbeliever. 

Whether we are speaking of particular parts of the Gospel, or the whole message, the True Gospel will consistently bear these three marks.  A false or "different" gospel will fall short in at least one, if not all of these areas.  Any group that promotes a false gospel cannot be considered part of true biblical Christianity as so defined by Galatians and the other 65 books of the Bible.   Three examples below will be given:

1. Mormonism is a false or "different" gospel.  It claims faith is necessary, but not sufficient.  The Bible's sufficiency as divine revelation is denied, since it adds three other sets of writings by Joseph Smith.  Christ is not viewed as Divine nor is salvation received by grace alone through faith alone.  1 

2. Paganism, Witchcraft or Paranormalism is a false or "different" gospel.  In all three of these areas it overtly demonstrates its non-saving value.  It denies the need for any centralized writing, let alone scripture.  It believes that human beings, with the potential to harness the forces of nature, are sufficient in and of themselves to discover their ultimate purpose.  It denies the existence of an all powerful God, who is Triune in His identity and the source of salvation.  Christ of course is not even a factor in this belief system, since no sin is viewed as having been done.2 

3. Jehovah Witness is a false or "different" Gospel.  It claims that the Bible is the Word of God, however by attaching so much prominence to the authority of its headquarters - the Watch Tower and Tract Society, it renders the Bible to be less necessary and insufficient.  Faith is rendered insufficient, since one must witness and do good works to maintain assurance of being included in the final tally of the redeemed.  As much as Jehovah witnesses claim to be exclusive in their teaching, they have cut themselves off from the True Gospel, rehashing an ancient heresy that denies the Deity of Jesus Christ and His physical bodily resurrection and return. 3

__________Endnotes

1. The Mormons have three other writings other than the Bible that they claim to be equally inspired: "The Book of Mormon"; "The Doctrine and Covenants"; "The Pearl of Great Price". 

2. This is a worldview that is popularly known by the name "Wicca" and is popularized in movies and T.V shows

3. Jehovah Witnesses are a modern day revival of a 4th century heresy called Arianism, which was condemned as heretical in 325 A.D.  

What marks the True Gospel

Galatians 1:11-12 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

The battle for the Gospel
Every age and every generation must never cease in defining, communicating and defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:27) The Gospel of Jesus Christ speaks of both an event that had to occur and an experience that must take place for men, women, boys and girls to be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:15-21)

The Gospel communicates both an Event and Experience
The event of the Gospel is defined most clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, which states: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures".  It is in Christ's death, burial and resurrection that we discover the supreme event of salvation.  In the Gospel we find the event of salvation from the Bible Alone, in Christ alone.  The experience that must occur is described in Ephesians 2:8-9  "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."  This experience of salvation is received by faith alone as a result of God's Grace working in the heart of a person. (John 3:16; Romans 10:8-10)

The Essence of the True Gospel is captured by it being Necessary, Sufficient and Exclusive in all of its parts and the sum of its whole
When we say that this event and experience must occur in order for people to be right with God, we are speaking of the necessity of Christ's accomplished work and the reception of such work by grace alone through faith alone.  Secondly, when we use the word "alone" we are pointing to the sufficiency of Grace, Faith, Christ, the Bible and God's Glory in rendering a person right with God.  Thirdly, when we specify the event and experience of salvation by Grace, from Christ, the Bible and for God's glory and reception of such by faith, we are indicating the exclusive nature of salvation. 

Thus the Gospel message advocated by the Apostle Paul and the nearly 40 biblical authors bears forth these three marks in all its elements: Necessity, Sufficiency and Exclusivity.  In breaking down this three-fold description of the essence of the true Gospel, we can see these essential marks threading their way through five Gospel truths:

1. By Grace Alone.  God's choice to freely reveal and act on and in the sinner's life (i.e Grace) reveals it's necessity for salvation.  Grace by itself is the sufficient starting point, being that God, not man is the author of salvation.  Then of course it is exclusively Grace, not man's effort, nor nothing with man, that motivates God toward the sinner.  (John 1:12-13; Ephesians 2:8; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3)

2. Through Faith Alone    Faith is necessary in order to receive Christ's act and accomplishment of salvation.  As a result of Grace, faith alone is deemed the sufficient means of experiencing the saving benefits of Christ's event of salvation applied by the Holy Spirit.  Faith by itself being necessary and sufficient is also the exclusive means by which the experience of salvation in Jesus Christ is received.  (John 1:12; Romans 3:23-24, 5:1; Ephesians 2:9; Titus 3:5)

3. In Christ Alone    Christ's coming to earth to take upon himself humanity, live a perfect life, die a substitutionary death, be buried and rise from the dead was necessary for the grounds of salvation.  All that Christ acted and accomplished is sufficient apart from human effort.  Then of course Christ alone is the exclusive way to God, with no other religion or merit of human goodness being accepted by God.  (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5)

4. As revealed by the Bible Alone Without ignoring the importance of insights from Christians of all ages who have relied on its words, The Bible alone is necessary to reveal the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Bible is the sufficient source for binding men and women to the necessity of repentance and converted men and women to pursuit of Christ-likeness. Then of course the Bible, over against all other books, creeds or human opinion is the exclusive Book of God, without error, rightly entitled "The Word of God". (Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21)

5. For the Glory of God alone    The Gospel necessarily reveals the wonderful purpose of salvation - God's visible and uncontested display of His goodness (i.e His glory).  God's glory is the sufficient goal of both creation, providence, salvation and the end of history.  Then of course God's glory is the exclusive reason for which God created the world, works forth salvation and the soon return of Jesus Christ.  (Romans 11:33-36; Revelation 19:5-6, 21-22)