I’m going to strive for brevity today. I want to talk about false teachings and false teachers again. Please know – from the depths of your soul – that if anyone asks you to avoid reading the Bible, they are a false teacher. Please know – from the depths of your soul – that if anyone asks you to avoid sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are also a false teacher. This is not my opinion, it’s the truth. It’s a way of controlling you, your knowledge, and your wisdom (or lack thereof). I’m sorry but The Pope is Wrong.
The Pope is Wrong in His Doctrine
Please forgive me if you are one of my Catholic friends. But the standing doctrine of the Catholic Church is that all interpretation of scripture is to be done by the Pope, Bishops, and Priests. In turn, this encourages Catholics to avoid reading and interpreting scripture for themselves. Actually, that’s exactly what happened during the reformation. Catholic Priests and others actually read the Bible and discovered that the Bibles’ doctrine was in opposition to Catholic doctrine. This caused the splitting of the church and the formation of Protestant religions.
The Pope is Wrong About Proselytizing
Pope Francis, told students that “the Church does not grow out of proselytizing,” but rather “out of attraction” and one’s life “witness.” Further stating that “if someone says he is a disciple of Jesus and comes to you with proselytism, he is not a disciple of Jesus.” This makes absolutely no sense. Biblically speaking, it’s absurd. Jesus himself told his disciples to go and share the Gospel. Furthermore, we, as Christians, who are also disciples of Christ are compelled to share the Gospel. So, in order to further illustrate this fact, let’s reconcile proselytizing with the Bible.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
The Pope is Wrong
These verses are straightforward and literal. Anyone that has actually read the Bible would come to the conclusion that sharing the Gospel, in order to gain followers (proselytes), you must share the Gospel (proselytize). It’s the only logical and Biblical conclusion. I personally doubt that Pope Francis has read the entire Bible. Because I would hate to think that he is purposefully deceiving Catholics and Protestants through unbiblical dogma. We need to pray for both his enlightenment and salvation because he has said so many things that make me doubt his salvation. I’m sharing all of this in love, hoping that you examine Biblical scripture and decide for yourself. Have a blessed year.