Are Catholics Saved? The Pope and the papacy - John MacArthur

The Pope and the Papacy

Selected Scriptures
 May 1, 2005

And for tonight, I want to talk about the Pope and the papacy because it’s been in the news so much. This isn’t really going to be a sermon; I’m just going to try to take you through a little bit of an understanding of it. I want to talk about the Pope himself, and then talk about the papacy in general.

And I want to tell you at the beginning what is at stake because what I am going to say will surely offend those who are devout Catholics; it will surely offend those who believe that Catholics are brothers and sisters in Christ. Some will read it as unkind and unloving, but nothing is more loving than the truth. To let somebody perish in a false system isn’t loving at all. To rescue people out of a damning and false religion is the only loving thing to do. And there’s a lot at stake here.

Not too many years ago, some evangelical Protestants got together – Chuck Colson and some others – Bill Bright and some others – and they met with some Roman Catholics, and they came up with a document called “Evangelicals and Catholics Together.” And in that document, they celebrated a common faith and a common mission. And they said, “We need to embrace each other and carry out this gospel mission together.” This was shocking, to put it mildly, to many – to all of those people who affirm clearly a biblical gospel. And there was immediately a counter to that and all kinds of things brought to bear upon the signers of ECT. Perhaps the most notable, at least in my experience, was a special private session called in Florida, where I was locked up with a very formidable group of people for a period of seven hours, including those on the other side – J. I. Packer, Charles Colson being the notable ones – Bill Bright from Campus Crusade. There was myself and R. C. Sproul, Michael Horton representing the biblical side and reformed theology. And for seven hours we talked about this. What is the gospel? Are the Catholics saved or not saved? That’s really important. It became a discussion of are the Anglicans saved or not saved? Is everybody who’s within quote-unquote Christendom automatically saved? Are they saved because they’re baptized? Are they saved because they quote-unquote believe in Jesus? It was a very heated discussion at many points.

What was at stake? I’ll tell you what was at stake. What was at stake is whether or not we evangelize Roman Catholics. That’s what’s at stake. One billion of them in the world. Are they a mission field, or are they our co-laborers for Christ. That changes everything. Everything.

On the other side, one of the leading evangelicals said, “I think it’s so wonderful that we can now see Catholics as Christians because that means millions and millions of people are Christians,” as if somehow by them deciding they were Christians they became Christians. I was absolutely incredulous; I almost fell off my chair.

[Steve-nmqy]

I grew up catholic and THEN I ACTUALLY READ THE NEW TESTAMENT. I am a catholic no more. I am a Christian "to the praise of His glorious grace!" Ephesians 1

[guypilotte]

The pope, Mary, priest, did not die on the cross for me, JESUS CHRIST ALONE DIED FOR US, and don't need them to forgive me for my sins CHRIST ALONE

[milocule]

It’s sad, I was a catholic all my life but as soon as I actually started reading the gospel of Christ that I had my eyes opened. I thank God for showing me the true way to salvation, thru his son Jesus Christ, that’s all you need.

[ellentracey]

I was Raised Catholic, and before I was even of age, I knew something was horribly wrong. No bible, Idol worship, latin mass, all the rituals that executed Jesus on a daily basis. Works based, they believed if a baby died it would go to he!! IM SAVED, I READ MY BIBLE, I LOVE JESUS, AND THE GOSPEL.

[tonyrussell]

I almost vomited after I cleaned my grandmother’s house after she passed when I found all the plaques she had that acknowledged her payment of money to this “church” to pray my grandfather out of “purgatory”. Diabolically evil to the core.

[jsmanski]

Please pray for me and my kids salvation and me overcoming addiction please!
Im not sure if im truely saved and i really need prayers

[redeuse]

The Papacy is: 1.) Unbiblical 2.) Unholy 3.) The biggest hoax ever foisted on the world.

[faithalone]

@ghmus7 *If Sola Scriptura is false, Jesus and Apostles must be all false teachers.*

*Jesus, APostles and NT CHurch all took doctrines from Scriptures Only. Not once they took doctrines from any other source. 180+ verses say so.*


you said
Sola scriptura is a totally wrong and destructive principal. Not from God and not taught in scripture.

[cattmahal]

The more I listen to Pastor John McArthur s sermons the more my eyes are open to the spiritual battles.

Thank you Lord for your mercy and love ❤️ 🙏🏼

[matthewjohnson]

He needs to do another about this current Pope

[NelsonJimenezjimmyjimmy]

Papacy is full of blasphemy as to be as God the father on Earth and has authority to for give sins on earth.

[anthonylee]

Revelation 18:4
King James Version
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

[lyndaembry]

Heavenly Father have mercy on all of us, bring them back to your hand🙏
Your will be done
Amen

[patrickmccarthy]

The believing thief who died next to Jesus, he didn't have a religion, too late for that, it was faith in Jesus got him into Heaven, justified by faith alone.

[ChristianMig]

Dear brothers and sisters who are Catholic, read your Bibles and ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment. Know the difference between God's word and man-made rules. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light. May God bless you.

[solaceboy]

The Roman Catholic Church is nothing more than a religious front for the Roman Empire.

[joanporter]

I woke up after reading Foxe’s “ Book of Martyrs”.

[lupelo]

I will not bow down to no man, to no man-made religion, to no statues...but to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ my King..!

[solafide]

​ @bridgefin *Yet Roman Catholics claimed "Roman pope = head of the Church". You are disproving Roman Catholic man made doctrines yourself. Hilarious.*

Who was the head of the church in Rome?
papacy, the office and jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome, the pope (Latin papa, from Greek pappas, “father”), who presides over the Holy See (the central government) of the Roman Catholic Church.

Was the pope always the head of the church?
The Pope is today considered the leader and figurehead of the Catholic Church, but it wasn't always that way. I know in Roman times there were four patriarchs who were considered the important leaders of the church in their regions: in Rome, Carthage, Alexandria and Constantinople.

When did the pope became head of the Catholic Church?
The creation of the term “papal supremacy” dates back to the 6th century, at the time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire, which was the beginning of the rise of the bishops of Rome to not just the position religious authority, but the power to be the ultimate ruler of the kingdoms within the Christian community ( ...

you said
The pope is not the head of the church. Jesus is

[littlelamb]

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
REVELATION 18:4