The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Anjela Paje of Spokane, WA, from the tape, GC 1301-X, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 26." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1983. All Rights Reserved.
Questioner
My brother and his wife are both Christians, and they went to Biola
University [Christian college], and my brother taught at Biola. In the last
three years, he started teaching at a Catholic high school, and he feels that
I’m really narrow-minded about Catholics. And, in particular, he feels that many
of the priests that he knows at this high school actually have salvation. My
question is, can a Catholic priest actually be saved and remain a Catholic
Priest?
John MacArthur's Answer
Not if he believes the Catholic system. If he doesn’t, if he doesn’t accept
their baggage. If he believes his salvation is provided only through grace by
faith in Jesus Christ, he could be saved. But, if he accepts the full sweep of
Catholic dogma, there’s no way. He has cluttered up the simplicity of salvation
with a works/righteousness system. But, there are priest in the system, as you
know...Catholicism tolerates its dissidents. It absorbs them, and, therefore,
perpetuates its system. It doesn’t expel them. That’s why it lasts so long. And,
there are, within the system, those priests who have come to an understanding.
Do you know Martin Luther never left the Roman Catholic Church? Never! He stayed
in the system. But, he rejected the corruption of the doctrine of salvation.
Questioner
Now, they started going to a reformed church in Paramount. Do you know anything
about the reformed churches that are off-shoot of Dutch reform?
John MacArthur's Answer
You mean, he’s teaching in a Catholic school and going to a reformed church?
Questioner
Yeah!
John MacArthur's Answer
He’s going to really be schizoid because the reformed people are death on
the Roman Catholic Church.
Questioner
Well, is it, is it like Dutch reformed church?
John MacArthur's Answer
Yes, a reformed church basically finds its roots in the reformation. And, it
traditionally goes back to John Calvin. There can be a lot of different kinds of
reformed churches. Unfortunately, many reformed churches are dead. Many of them
believe in a sort of a covenantal salvation, believing in infant baptism--it
brings their children into the family of the redeemed, and it depends on what
reformed church it is. It depends on whether you mean reformed in the sense that
they adhere to a reformed doctrine of theology, or whether reformed in the
traditional denominational sense, which probably is rather dead, and without an
understanding of really the spirit-controlled life, and the things that we know
to be basic in Christian faith. They would deny a place for Israel. They would
affirm that there’s no Millennial Kingdom. That all the promises to Israel are
resolved in the church and so forth.
Questioner
Well, he likes the church because the guy wears a robe?
John MacArthur's Answer
It sounds to me like he’s rebelling. Sounds to me like he’s going through a
time of rebelling against his roots. There was something in his early experience
in Christianity that was unfulfilling to him and disillusioning to him. He was
unwilling to accept. I don’t know where he’s at, but very often when people
react against the freedom of an Evangelical kind of Bible Church orientation,
such as what Biola would be, they go to a more high church experience. I don’t
know why, but I hope, if it’s a reformed church, that they exalt Christ. Most
would. And, that they have a straight doctrine of Salvation.
Questioner
He feels that Grace doesn’t know what worship is. I’ve sent him your book on
worship.
John MacArthur's Answer
Has he reacted to it?
Questioner
Well, he got it in the mail, and he put it aside. I read the book, and I told
him that it’s a book that I need to read at least twice a year.
John MacArthur's Answer
Well, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink, right?
So, if you give ‘em what you think he needs, that’s a good start.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
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