Mother...of Abominations of the Earth

Temple Baptist Church - 10-3-2021

Revelation 17:5

 

A.  We have been studying the end-time religious system that God called "the great whore … MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS."  These are God's words, not the words of this preacher.  We all know what time it is spiritually as the Rapture is eminent and the Tribulation Period or Jacob's Trouble or Daniel's Seventieth Week is near.  This tells us that both the political system of antichrist and the religious system of the false prophet are already in place.

 

B.  Tonight, I want to finish verse 5.  "MOTHER … OF ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."  What makes this end-time religious system an abomination to God? 

 

Abomination – to detest, to stink, a word that is associated with idolatry.  Idolatry is the position of holding to things that are placed above God's Word and, therefore, above God.

 

Idolatry - the worship of idols.  A clear disregard for the First Commandment, found in Exodus, chapter 20:

 

Exodus 20:4  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

 

C.  Most Roman Catholics will argue with what I am about to put forth because most Roman Catholics are not even that familiar with what their denomination teachers.  Roman Catholicism is also in a state of constant change as it must change its "face" along with our changing world to stay both relevant and acceptable to the people it controls. 

 

D.  When the Roman Catholic Church takes too much "flack" over their anti-Bible teachings, they try to publicly explain these discrepancies away while maintaining their implementation within the Roman Catholic Church.  If you want to see and know what Roman Catholicism is, just cross the border into Mexico, a third world country, and you will see the absolute control that it has over the people along with the absolute fear it generates among the people.

 

E.  There is no way to properly cover this subject completely as there are many "abominations" found in Roman Catholicism and to deal with them all would takes many volumes of books.  to even fully know.  So many are hidden within the different "councils" of the Roman Catholic Church and are constantly in a state of change. 

 

Catholic ecumenical councils include 21 councils over a period of some 1900 years, which met for the purpose of defining doctrine, reaffirming truths of the Faith, and eradicating heresy.  These doctrines and definitions changed throughout history.  These councils were assemblies of patriarchs, cardinals, residing bishops, abbots, male heads of religious orders, and other juridical persons.  These people are nominated by the pope.

Ecumenical refers to "a solemn congregation of the Catholic bishops of the world at the invitation of the Pope to decide on matters of the Church with him".  Today the Catholic church accepts 21 councils as ecumenical, while other Christian communities have made different judgements.

 

F.  I know that this takes up a lot of time and space, but to understand to some degree this end-time religious system, we must understand that it is man-made and in a constant state of change.

 

G.  Roman Catholicism is filled with "abominations" because of the doctrines that it teaches.  As Bible believers, we have only one authority for both faith and practice, the King James Bible.  The Bible is right and if you disagree with it, you are wrong.  Period!

 

1.  Its Power is flawed.  To further understand the hierarchy of the Roman Church, we need to understand that Roman Catholicism has a three-fold authority:  The Pope, the Church, and then—both last and least—a perverted Catholic "bible."  Its authority is flawed; therefore its doctrine and teachings are flawed.

 

The Pope - x cathedra is a Latin phrase, meaning not "from the cathedral," but "from the chair." The phrase does have religious origins though: it was originally applied to decisions made by Popes from their thrones. According to Roman Catholic doctrine, a Pope speaking x cathedra on issues of faith or morals is infallible. The Pope is the authority.

 

The Councils - If these "Councils" were Bible based, they would not be found in a state of constant change.  These councils are the authority.

 

The Bible – the Roman Catholic hierarchy determines what the Bible means, not what it says.  The old "doctrine of the Nicolaitans" or "clergy over the laity" which God hates is the foundation of the church.  The bible is not the authority as it must conform to the previous two authorities.  Roman Catholics are not taught to read through the Bible, they are taught to learn the Catechism (synonyms are dogma and propaganda) of the Roman Catholic Church as defined by their "councils" and popes.

 

1 Corinthians 13:8-10  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.  (9)  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  (10)  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

 

2.  Its Priesthood is flawed.  In the Old Testament, a priest represented man to God.  In the New Testament, we find the individual priesthood of the believer as Jesus Christ was "the atonement" (Romans 5:11).  Roman Catholicism still operates under the Old Testament ceremonial law which was fulfilled in Christ Jesus.  In the New Testament church, we find no priests!  During the transitional period between Old and New Covenants, God used apostles, not priests.  As the priest represented man to God, the apostle represented God to man.  Believers can now go directly to God the Father through the High Priest, Jesus Christ.  The Catholic priesthood has also been flawed for years through pedophilia.  Sodomite priests have molested children, been caught, and the Roman Catholic Church has spent millions if not billions of dollars covering for this horrific sinfulness while simply moving these priests around to other places. 

 

Hebrews 9:11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

 

Revelation 1:5-6  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,  (6)  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 

3.  Its Pope is flawed.  Though just a man, the pope is referred to as the "Vicar of Christ" – Latin – Vicarius Christi).  This is title of the pope implying his supreme and universal primacy, both of honor and of jurisdiction, over the Church of Christ. The word "Vicar" means priest, thus making the elected Pope the High Priest of the Roman Catholic Church.  The Pope is the head of the church while the Bible teaches that Christ is the Head of the Church.  Biblical bishops or pastors are His under shepherds whom God has chosen to rule under God and according to the Bible: not as lords over God's heritage.

 

Ephesians 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

 

1 Peter 5:2-3  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;  (3)  Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

 

4.  Its Teaching is flawed.  A salvation that is works based upon an Old Testament priesthood along with sacraments, infant Baptism, a wrong resolution of sinfulness, etc.  I had pages of information at this point and realized that to fundamentally cover the doctrinal flaws of this religious system would take weeks.  Roman Catholicism is a system of works.

 

a.  Baptism's removal of sin.

 

b. Grace in its sacraments.

 

c.  Penance for sinfulness.

 

d.  Re-crucifixion in its Mass and Eucharist. 

 

e.  Idols and veneration.

 

f.  Mariology.  Mary as the "Mother of God" instead of the mother of the physical body of Christ.  The virgin Mary as co-redemptrix, mediatrix, and advocate.  The Assumption of Mary is the ascending of Mary’s, the mother of Jesus Christ, bodily into heaven at the end of her life on Earth. The perpetual virginity of Mary:  the doctrine that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was a virgin ante partum, in partu, et post partum—before, during and after the birth of Christ while the Bible teaches her life with Joseph as one of physical consummation with her other children named. This is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. 

 

5.  Its Eternity is flawed.  Purgatory for the sinner as payment for sins which brought about indulgences (the original pay for play), which allowed the sinner to continue in sin if he was rich enough to pay money.  Hell is punishment for sins, not payment.  Eventually you would get sins paid for and get out.  Limbo for the unbaptized children that die while still in a state of innocence.

 

Conclusion:  The list of unbiblical principles and foundations of Roman Catholicism would take a book to both define and explain.  Thus, enough said!