Our Focus in Evangelizing Catholics

[Our Focus in Evangelizing Catholics by Jason Hauser Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries]: "Recently we received an email from a faithful evangelist that has been dialoguing with a few students at a university Catholic center. After going through the Gospel, it became clear to him that these young Catholics had a very different interpretation of Scripture. He sent us an email requesting more information on the history of Catholic hermeneutics. His hope was that, if he could get to the root of the problem of where Rome strayed, he could clearly point it out to them. While the history of how Rome came to adopt different positions is an interesting study, I believe it is a distraction from our primary focus.

It is helpful to remember that this is a spiritual battle (
Eph. 6:12). Catholics need their eyes and hearts opened which can only come by the power of God and His Word (Acts 16:14; Rom. 10:17; 2 Cor. 3:14, 4:3-4). They will want to argue interpretation, history and theology, but what they really need is a mirror held up to them to expose their sin and point them to the cross. Jesus alone did what they never could do (Gal. 3:22). Catholics will want to get out of Scripture and talk about everything else because Scripture is not their strength. They believe they have history and authority on their side. No logical argument or historical event will change a Catholic's mind. It is not a matter of one who is "almost a Christian but with a wrong allegiance," but rather one who is spiritually dead, lost in sin and nullifying grace by his self-righteous works (Rom. 11:6; Eph. 2:1-3). We must respectfully show them these truths (1 Pet. 3:15).

I saw this principle so clearly during a conversation I overheard at a local health and wellness event. An overweight man began asking a top cardiologist about the finer details of how plaque functions in the arteries and about new procedures to remove it. The doctor quickly recognized that such details were irrelevant in light of the greater problem at hand. After starting to respond to the question, the doctor turned from the diagram to this man and told him very bluntly and compassionately that what he should be focusing on instead is what he is eating. He quickly exposed his unhealthy diet and pleaded with him to make major changes. Likewise, the Catholics we evangelize are standing on the brink of eternity. If we talk about history, interpretational matters, and other secondary differences, we are distracted from sharing the power of the Gospel.
Read entire article."

 

Response to comment [from a "Christian"]: "There should be no schism in the body. Quit trying to cause one."

 

We are saved by grace alone (Eph 2:8-9), through faith alone (Eph 1:13; 2Ti 1:10), in Christ alone (Isa 45:21,22; 59:16; Ac 4:12). Roman Catholics deny this (Jude 1:11).

See:

Roman Catholicism

As a reminder Jamie is 18 on
Satan Inc (TOL Heretics List ) in the 'Jesus is not God' people (Non-trinitarians) category.

 

 

Our Focus in Evangelizing Catholics