We pray that God will raise up faithful men among the
Lausanne II delegates who will raise the Scriptural issues
involved in AD 2000 ecumenical evangelism and demand that
this International Congress which claims to be evangelical
publicly refuse cooperation with Roman Catholics and all
others who preach a false gospel. Note the following official
statement of the USA Catholic Bishops and observe that they
are not afraid to warn about the supposed errors of
fundamentalists; why should Bible-believers hesitate to warn
about Roman Catholic heresies!
A PASTORAL STATEMENT
FOR CATHOLICS ON
BIBLICAL FUNDAMENTALISM
This is a statement of concern to our Catholic brothers
and sisters who may be attracted to Biblical Fundamentalism
without realizing its serious weaknesses. We Catholic
bishops, speaking as a special committee of the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops, desire to remind our faithful
of the fullness of Christianity that God has provided in the
Catholic Church.
Fundamentalism indicates a person's general approach to life
which is typified by unyielding adherence to rigid doctrinal
and ideological positions--an approach that affects the
individual's social and political attitudes as well as
religious ones. Fundamentalism in this sense is found in
non christian religions and can be doctrinal as well as
biblical. But in this statement we are speaking only of
Biblical Fundamentalism, presently attractive to some
Christians, including some Catholics.
Biblical Fundamentalists are those who present the Bible,
God's inspired Word, as the only necessary source for
teaching about Christ and Christian living. This insistence
on the teaching Bible is usually accompanied by a spirit that
is warm, friendly and pious. Such a spirit attracts many
(especially idealistic young) converts. With ecu-menical
respect for these communities, we acknowledge their
proper emphasis on religion as influencing family life and
workplace. The immediate attractions are the ardor of the
Christian community and the promises of certitude and of a
personal conversion experience to the person of Jesus Christ
without the need of church. As Catholic pastors, however, we
note its presentation of the Bible as a single rule for
living. According to Fundamentalism, the Bible alone is
sufficient. There is no place for the universal teaching
Church--including its wisdom, its teachings, creeds and other
doctrinal formulations, its liturgical and devotional
traditions. There is simply no claim to a visible, audible,
living, teaching authority binding the individual or
congregations.
A further characteristic of Biblical Fundamentalism is
that it tends to interpret the Bible as being always without
error, or as literally true, in a way quite different from
the Catholic Church's teaching on the inerrancy of the Bible.
For some Biblical Fundamentalists, inerrancy extend seven to
scientific and historical matters. The Bible is presented without
regard for its historical context and development.
In 1943 Pope Pius Xll encouraged the Church to promote
biblical study and renewal, making use of textual criticism.
The Catholic Church continued to study the Bible as a
valuable guide for Christian living. In 1965 the Second
Vatican Council, in its Constitution on Divine Revelation,
gave specific teaching on the Bible. Catholics are taught to
see the Bible as God's book--and also as a collection of
books, written under divine inspiration by many human beings.
The Bible is true--and to discover its inspired truth we
should study the patterns of thinking and writing used in
ancient biblical times. With Vatican 11 we believe that ';the
books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching firmly,
faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put
into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation"
(Constitution on Divine Revelation, no. 11 ). We do not look
upon the Bible as an authority for science or history. We see
truth in the Bible as not to be reduced solely to literal
truth, but also to include salvation truths expressed in
varied literary forms....
Our Catholic belief is that we know God's revelation in the
total gospel. The gospel comes to us through the
Spirit-guided Tradition of the Church and the inspired books:
"This sacred Tradition, therefore, and Sacred Scripture of
both the Old and New Testament are like a mirror in which the
pilgrim Church on earth looks at God" (Constitution on Divine
Revelation, no. 7).
A key question for any Christian is: Does the community of
faith which is the Lord's Church have a living Tradition
which presents God's Word across the centuries until the Lord
comes again? The Catholic answer to this question is an
unqualified "yes." That answer was expressed most recently in
the Constitution on Divine Revelation of the Second Vatican
Council. We look to both the Church's official teaching and
Scripture for guidance in addressing life's problems. It is
the official teaching or magisterium that in a special way
guides us in manners of belief and morality that have
developed after the last word of Scripture was written. The
Church of Christ teaches in the name of Christ and teaches us
concerning the Bible itself.
The basic characteristic of Biblical Fundamentalism is that
it eliminates from Christianity the Church as the Lord Jesus
founded it. That Church is a community of faith, world wide,
with pastoral and teaching authority. This non-church
characteristic of Biblical Fundamentalism, which sees the
Church as only spiritual, may not at first be clear to some
Catholics. From some Fundamentalists they will hear nothing
offensive to their beliefs, and much of what they hear seems
compatible with Catholic Christianity. The difference is
often not what is said--but in what is not said. There is no
mention of the historic, authoritative Church in continuity
with Peter and the other apostles. There is no vision of the
Church as our mother--a mother who is not just spiritual, but
who is visibly ours to teach and guide us in the way of
Christ.
Unfortunately, a minority of Fundamentalist churches and
sects not only put down the Catholic Church as a "Man-made
organization" with "man-made rules," but indulge in crude
anti-Catholic bigotry with which Catholics have long been familiar.
We believe that no Catholic properly catechized in the
faith can long live the Christian life without those elements
that are had only in the fullness of Christianity: the
Eucharist and the other six sacraments, the celebration of
the Word in the liturgical cycle, the veneration of the
Blessed Mother and the saints, teaching authority and history
linked to Christ and the demanding social doctrine of the
Church based on the sacredness of all human life.
It is important for every Catholic to realize that the Church
produced the New Testament, not viceversa. The Bible did not
come down from heaven, whole and intact, given by the Holy
Spirit. Just as the experience and faith of Israel developed
its sacred books, so was the early Christian Church the
matrix of the New Testament. The Catholic Church has
authoritatively told us which books are inspired by the Holy
Spirit and are, therefore, canonical. The Bible, then, is the
Church's book. The New Testament did not come before the
Church, but from the Church. Peter and the other apostles
were given special authority to teach and govern before the
New Testament was written. The first generation of Christians
had no New Testament at all--but they were the Church then,
just as we are the Church today.
A study of the New Testament, in fact, shows that
discipleship is to be a community experience with liturgy and
headship ;and demonstrates the importance of belonging to the
Church started by Jesus Christ. Christ chose Peter and the
other apostles as foundations of his Church, made Simon Peter
its rock foundation and gave a teaching authority to Peter
and the other apostles. This is most clear in the Gospel of
Matthew, the only Gospel to use the word church. The history
of twenty Christian centuries confirms our belief that Peter
and the other apostles have been succeeded by the Bishop of
Rome and the other bishops, and that the flock of Christ
still has, under Christ, a universal shepherd.
For historical reasons the Catholic Church in the past did
not encourage bible studies as much as she could have. True
printing (the Latin Bible was the first work printed) was not
invented until the mid fifteenth century, and few people were
literate during the first sixteen centuries of Christianity.
But in the scriptural renewal the Church strongly encourages
her sons and daughters to read, study and live the Bible. The
proclamation of the Scriptures in the liturgical assembly is
to be prepared for by private bible study and prayer. At the
present time two decades after Vatican 11, we Catholics have
the tools needed to become Christians who know, love and live
the Holy Bible. We have a well-ordered Lectionary that opens
for us the treasures of the books of the Bible in a
three-year cycle for Sunday and Holy Day Masses, and a more
complete two-year cycle for weekday Masses. Through the
Lectionary the Catholic becomes familiar with the Bible
according to the rhythm of the liturgical seasons and the
Church's experience and use of the Bible at Mass. We have
excellent translations (with notes) in The New American Bible
and The Jerusalem Bible. We have other accurate translations
with an imprimatur. We have an abundance of commentaries,
tapes, charts and bible societies....
In areas where there is a special problem with
Fundamentalism, the pastor may consider a Mass to which
people bring their own Bibles and in which qualified lectors
present a carefully prepared introduction and read the
text--without, however, making the Liturgy of the Word a
bible study class.... We need to educate--to reeducate--our
people knowingly in the Bible so as to counteract the
simplicities of Biblical Fundamentalism.
A similar Roman Catholic warning concerning the dangers
of fundamentalism was issued by the Bishop's Conference of
the Philippines on Jan. 24,1989, no doubt in anticipation of
any discussions which might arise out of the Lausanne 11
Conference July 11-20 in Manila. These Catholic leaders made
it clear that, in warning about fundamentalism, they did not
refer to "mainline Churches like the Lutherans, Episcopalians,
Methodists, and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines,"
but rather to those fundamentalists whose "literal interpretation
of Biblical passages ... is then used to aggressively attack
Catholic teachings and practices like our teaching on the
Blessed Virgin Mary and our veneration of sacred images."
Our prayer is that the faithful Latin American brethren
who issued their Statement of Concern at the Singapore
Consultation in January, and others will introduce and demand
action on a similar statement in Manila. Evangelicals all
around the world who believe that there is only one Gospel _
and that all other gospels are false and under God's
curse--need to declare their position without rancor but
without equivocation. Manila could become a modern "Mt.
Carmel" if leaders, in the spirit of Elijah, would publicly
oppose the present day "prophets of Baal" represented by the
Roman Catholic Orthodox-Ecumenical-Evangelical-Charismatic
coalition.
Most of the world's major evangelical leaders will be at
Manila including Billy Graham and Bill Bright who are
scheduled to bring major addresses. Most members of the
Lausanne 11 Committee, headed by Leighton Ford and Thomas
Wang are major promoters of the AD 2000 ecumenical evangelism
program, but the time has come for all concerned to take a
public stand on this important issue. Every truly born again
person needs to decide which side they are on--which way they
are going. To evangelize the world by AD 2000 would be a
curse, not a blessing--a gift to Satan, not to Christ--if the
gospel preached is not the one true, pure Gospel of salvation
by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. This is a
tremendously important consideration!
It is time for every faithful Christian leader, pastor,
evangelist, and missionary to declare "all the counsel of
God" concerning the "grievous wolves" from without, and those
from within who speak "perverse things." We must watch, warn,
and then commend believers "to God and the Word of His
grace." Acts 20:26-32.
Biblical concern for the spiritual welfare of
Roman Catholics, Orthodox, liberal Protestant and others who
preach a false gospel is not demonstrated by joining hands
with them in evangelism as though we were already "one in
Christ"--it can only be manifested by lovingly and clearly
giving them the true Gospel, knowing the Word of God, coupled
with the convicting and converting work of the Holy Spirit can
produce the Scriptural new birth. That's what we desire.
--M. H. Reynolds, Jr.
The simple Gospel message from the Bible reveals the
following important facts:
You need to be saved
Romans 3:10,23--"There is none righteous, no, not one.... For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Hebrews 9:27--"It is appointed unto men once to die, but
after this the judgment."
Revelation 20:15--"And whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Romans 6:23--"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
You cannot save yourself
Ephesians 2:8,9--"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."
Titus 3:5--"Not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us...."
Romans 3:20--"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall
no flesh be justified in his sight...."
Jesus Christ came to save you
John 3:16--"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
1 Timothy 1:15--"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners...."
1 Peter 3:18--"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins,
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God...."
You can be saved today
Romans 4:24,25--"But for us also, to whom it [the
righteousness of God] shall be imputed, if we believe on him
that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was
delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification."
Romans 10:9,13,17--"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved....For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved....So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God."
Acts 16:31--"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt
be saved...."
Trust Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour today.
Then join in telling this Good News to others! This is
Biblical evangelism! This is the one true Gospel1!
Fundamental Evangelistic Association
P. Q Box 6278--Los Osos, California 93412../