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Is Catholicism by Definition Christianity?

Writer's picture: Michelle HaymanMichelle Hayman

Today, I’ll be exploring an important question: Is Catholicism, by definition, true Christianity? Many assume that because Catholicism claims to follow Christ, it automatically aligns with biblical Christianity. But when we examine its teachings and compare them with Scripture, do they truly reflect the Gospel of Jesus Christ? In this post, we’ll dive into key beliefs, biblical doctrines, and historical context to determine whether Catholicism fits the definition of authentic Christianity.


To answer this question fairly, we need to define what Christianity truly is. One way to do this is by examining various authoritative sources. Let’s take a look at how The Oxford Dictionary, The Cambridge Dictionary, and even The Roman Catholic Church’s own encyclopedia define Christianity. By comparing these definitions with the core teachings of Catholicism, we can determine whether it aligns with the biblical foundation of the Christian faith.


Oxford Dictionary:"Christianity is the religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus Christ, or its beliefs and practices."

Cambridge Dictionary:"Christianity is the religion that is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the belief that he was the Son of God."

Catholic Encyclopedia:"Christianity is that system of religious belief and practice which was taught by Jesus Christ and His Apostles, preserved by tradition, and promulgated by the Church."


The Roman Catholic Church (RCC) acknowledges the teachings of Jesus Christ, yet at the same time, it undermines key biblical doctrines that are foundational to true Christianity. While Catholicism may profess belief in Christ, it ultimately denies the supreme authority of Scripture, distorts divine revelation, and replaces the true Gospel with man-made traditions. Furthermore, its teachings on justification and salvation are not in alignment with what Christ and the Apostles preached in the Scriptures.

Simply affirming doctrinal orthodoxy on certain points does not equate to authentic Christianity. The essential question is not whether an institution accepts Christ’s teachings in name, but whether it remains faithful to the Gospel as presented in Scripture. Christianity is not merely about acknowledging Jesus but about adhering to His Word in its fullness, without alteration, addition, or contradiction. Any system of belief that contradicts the biblical message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone must be carefully examined against the Word of God.


When we look more closely, it becomes apparent that Catholicism ultimately fails to uphold even its own standards, as it does not preserve genuine doctrinal unity. Throughout history, numerous popes have openly contradicted one another on essential theological and doctrinal issues, leading to deep inconsistencies within the Church. Rather than maintaining a consistent foundation of truth, Catholicism has been marred by ongoing disputes, doctrinal reversals, and countless controversies that undermine its claim to divine authority. Furthermore, under the broad umbrella of Catholicism, we find various competing factions—ranging from modernist and liberal Catholics to conservative and mystical Catholics—each with differing interpretations of Church teachings. For instance, even on a fundamental doctrine such as papal infallibility, there is no universal agreement among all Catholics.

Despite its outward appearance of unity, the Catholic Church falls far short of true doctrinal consistency.


If you were to ask the average Catholic how they expect to attain heaven, their response would often focus on their own efforts—how many Masses they have attended, how much penance they have performed to atone for their sins, or their adherence to the Church's sacraments. Rarely do they emphasize the finished work of Christ on their behalf, the very foundation of salvation according to Scripture (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

This raises a fundamental question: What was the purpose of Christ’s excruciating suffering and death if sinners still believe they can earn their own salvation through human effort? Why would He endure hours of agony on the cross if, in the end, salvation was something to be merited rather than received by grace? The very notion that a priest has the power to forgive sins or that a person can contribute to their own redemption contradicts the heart of the Gospel message.

Moreover, how many Catholics today are more willing to heed the words of a pope—a man dressed in fine linen, living in grandeur—than the teachings of Jesus Christ, who hung bloodied on a cross for their salvation? The apostles, who faithfully preached the Gospel, were brutally martyred for their faith, yet their words are often ignored in favour of Church tradition. Christ Himself warned against elevating man-made doctrines above God’s Word (Mark 7:7-9), yet the Catholic Church continues to uphold teachings that shift the focus from Christ’s sufficiency to human rituals and religious hierarchy. In doing so, it distorts the true path to salvation and misleads countless souls into trusting in their own righteousness rather than in the saving power of Jesus Christ alone.


The Roman Catholic Church presents a fundamentally different Christ, a different Mary, and even a different understanding of the Godhead. By elevating Mary to the status of Co-Mediatrix and Co-Redeemer, Catholicism all but introduces her as a fourth member of the Trinity—an idea that has no biblical basis and directly contradicts God’s Word (1 Timothy 2:5). Instead of recognizing Christ as the sole mediator between God and man, the Catholic Church places Mary in a role of intercession and redemptive power that Scripture never attributes to her.

Moreover, the Catholic Church preaches a different gospel, one that is a blend of faith and works for salvation, rather than the biblical truth that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 1:6-9). Their source of authority is also different, relying on the declarations of a human institution rather than the divine revelation of Scripture. They promote a salvation based not on faith in Christ’s finished work, but on participation in sacraments administered by the Church. Instead of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit through God’s Word, they foster a system that instills fear and dependency on the institution of the Church and its illegitimate priesthood.

Yet Scripture makes it clear that all true believers in Christ are part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), not a hierarchy ruled by a select class of "ordained" men—ordained by whom, exactly? By other fallible men within the same system, perpetuating their own authority? The irony is glaring: a self-proclaimed divine institution, supposedly guided by infallibility, yet reliant on human appointment, human traditions, and human decrees to validate its so-called sacred authority. The Catholic priesthood, which claims authority over believers’ access to God, is an unscriptural invention that denies the direct relationship every Christian is meant to have with Christ.


If the Roman Catholic Church rejects the teachings of Christ and His apostles, then how can it ever claim to be the continuation of apostolic succession? Apostolic succession, by definition, should mean preserving and teaching the doctrines passed down by the apostles. However, as demonstrated, the Catholic Church denies biblical doctrine in favour of its own traditions and man-made decrees. If it fails to uphold the very teachings it claims to succeed from, then it cannot possibly be the one true Church. A church that deviates from the Word of God, distorts the Gospel, and elevates human authority over divine revelation is not following the faith established by Christ and His apostles, but rather a counterfeit system masquerading as Christianity.

So, are Catholics truly Christians? No—they are Catholics. While they may profess belief in Christ, the system they adhere to distorts His identity, His gospel, and His teachings. True Christianity is rooted in the biblical gospel, not in the traditions of men (Colossians 2:8). The Catholic Church, by adding human doctrines and institutional authority to the simple truth of the Gospel, leads its followers away from the biblical faith rather than into it.


Simply accepting the doctrine of the Trinity and certain biblical teachings does not equate to truly following the teachings of Christ and His apostles. A belief system must be fully grounded in the Gospel and the authority of Scripture to be considered genuinely Christian. But does Catholicism provide its followers with the biblical assurance of salvation? No, it does not. Even the Roman Catholic Church itself teaches that salvation can be lost and must be regained through penance, sacraments, and ongoing participation in the Church’s prescribed rituals.

But is this teaching biblical? Absolutely not. Scripture clearly teaches that salvation is a free gift of grace, secured by Christ’s finished work on the cross, and that true believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:38-39; John 10:28-29). The idea that salvation must continually be "earned back" contradicts the very essence of the Gospel. If the Catholic Church preaches a salvation that is dependent on human effort, then how can it rightly be called Christian?

Furthermore, how is it Christian to believe that God's divinely inspired teachings—His very Word, which is perfect and infallible—somehow require refinement, correction, or expansion by a man-made institution led by fallible sinners? This is the blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14). If divine revelation is perfect because it originates from an infallible God, then how could sinful men, by altering and corrupting its teachings, make it more perfect? The very thought is absurd.

Yet millions have fallen for this deception, accepting the claim that the Catholic Church has the authority to "complete" or "perfect" God's revelation through its traditions, councils, and papal decrees. But Scripture warns against adding to or taking away from God's Word (Revelation 22:18-19; Deuteronomy 4:2). The Catholic Church, by exalting its own authority above Scripture and distorting the simple message of salvation by faith, has led many away from the true Gospel.

True Christianity is not about adherence to religious institutions or rituals—it is about faith in Christ, reliance on His sacrifice, and trust in the sufficiency of God's Word. Any system that claims otherwise, no matter how outwardly religious it appears, is a departure from biblical truth.


Are Catholics truly saved? That depends—do they personally seek out and follow the teachings of Christ and His apostles as revealed in Scripture, or do they submit unquestioningly to what their Church’s so-called "infallible" authorities dictate? Do they place their faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or do they rely on the traditions and sacraments prescribed by the Catholic Church for their salvation?

A critical distinction must be made: True salvation, according to the Bible, comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10). It is not dependent on human institutions, rituals, or the decrees of religious leaders. Scripture teaches that those who are truly saved are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11), who convicts, sanctifies, and assures them of their eternal security in Christ. But what does the Catholic Church offer in place of this biblical truth?

Rather than encouraging direct communion with God through Jesus Christ, Catholicism directs its followers to a confessional booth, where they confess their sins to a man in a robe rather than to the Son of God, who hung bloody on the cross to wash away their sins. Instead of pointing people to the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ, the Church insists that believers must undergo repetitive acts of penance, as if Christ’s atonement were not enough. Instead of encouraging believers to approach God directly in faith (Hebrews 4:16), they are taught to depend on priests as intermediaries—despite the clear biblical teaching that there is only one mediator between God and man: Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5).


So, are Catholics saved? If they trust in Christ alone for their salvation, then yes. But if their faith is in the Catholic Church, its sacraments, its priests, or its traditions, then they are placing their trust in a system that contradicts the Gospel. True salvation is not found in religious institutions or human authorities—it is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the one and only Saviour who alone has the power to forgive sins and grant eternal life.


The doctrine of purgatory is one of the greatest theological errors propagated by the Roman Catholic Church. At its core, it proposes that after death, a believer who has not achieved complete sanctification must endure a state of temporary suffering to purge remaining sins before entering heaven. This teaching directly contradicts the nature of sin, the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement, the finality of divine judgment, and the biblical understanding of justification and sanctification. If we examine the Scriptures without the influence of human tradition, it becomes abundantly clear that sin results in eternal separation from God, and purgatory is a doctrine that is entirely foreign to biblical teaching.


Sin is not merely an imperfection that can be "purified" over time. It is a direct transgression against the infinite holiness of God. The nature of God’s holiness is absolute and unchanging; He cannot tolerate the presence of sin in any degree. Isaiah 6:3 proclaims, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." This thrice-repeated declaration emphasizes the infinite and perfect holiness of God, which stands in direct opposition to human sinfulness. Habakkuk 1:13 further reinforces this by stating, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity."

Because God is eternal and infinitely holy, any sin against Him carries an eternal consequence. The idea that sin can be gradually "purified" through temporary suffering contradicts the reality that sin demands eternal separation from God. The punishment for sin is not a temporary state of suffering but rather a fixed and final destiny apart from the presence of God. This is made clear in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, which declares that the wicked shall be "punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." If sin could be purged over time, then God’s justice would be temporary and incomplete, yet Scripture affirms that the wages of sin is death, not temporary purification (Romans 6:23).


Purgatory proposes that after death, the soul enters a temporary state where sins are further expiated through suffering. However, this idea contradicts the finality of divine judgment as presented in Scripture. Hebrews 9:27 states unequivocally, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." The sequence presented here is straightforward: death is immediately followed by judgment. There is no intermediate state where purification occurs. If purgatory were real, this verse would have stated that after death comes a period of purification followed by judgment, but it does not. Instead, it presents death as the final moment before eternal judgment is rendered.

Jesus Himself made it clear that there are only two possible eternal destinies: eternal punishment or eternal life. In Matthew 25:46, He states, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." The contrast in this passage is absolute. There is no mention of a third category of souls who will suffer temporarily before entering heaven. The fate of every soul is determined at death, not after a period of purification.

This truth is reinforced in Luke 16:19-31, where Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Upon death, Lazarus is immediately carried into paradise, while the rich man finds himself in torment. The rich man pleads for relief but is told, "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." This passage decisively disproves purgatory because it demonstrates that once a person dies, their fate is sealed with no possibility of transition from suffering to glory. If purgatory were real, Abraham would have told the rich man to wait until his sins were purged, but instead, the message given is one of irreversible finality.


At the heart of the doctrine of purgatory is the denial of the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice. Purgatory assumes that sin still needs to be purged after death through human suffering, as if Christ’s atonement was incomplete. However, the Bible teaches that Christ’s work on the cross was full and final, requiring nothing to be added. Hebrews 10:14 declares, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." The phrase "perfected for ever" leaves no room for an additional purging process. If Christ’s sacrifice truly perfects forever, then there is nothing left to be purified after death.

Jesus Himself proclaimed the completion of salvation when He declared in John 19:30, "It is finished." These words signify that the full price for sin was paid in His suffering and death. If purgatory were real, then Christ’s declaration would be false because it would imply that sinners must still suffer after death to complete what Christ supposedly left unfinished. Yet Scripture affirms in Colossians 2:13-14 that "having forgiven you all trespasses," Christ "blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." If all sins have been forgiven and the penalty fully paid, then purgatory is unnecessary and contradicts the very Gospel itself.


The doctrine of justification in Scripture is instant and complete at the moment of faith in Christ, not an ongoing process that continues after death. Romans 5:1 states, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Justification means that the believer is declared righteous before God, fully accepted, and in complete peace with Him. If purgatory were real, then believers would not yet be at peace with God, because they would still be required to suffer before attaining His presence. This directly contradicts Romans 8:1, which states, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." If there is no condemnation, then why would believers have to suffer for their sins after death?


If Christ’s sacrifice fully atoned for sin, then purgatory is not just unnecessaryit is an accusation against God Himself. To claim that believers must still suffer for their sins is to call God a liar, for He declares, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). If all sin is cleansed, what remains to be purified? If “It is finished” (John 19:30), what is left to be done?

Purgatory nullifies the Gospel by rejecting justification by faith and reinstating the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). It makes God’s promise of full redemption false, Christ’s suffering insufficient, and salvation incomplete. But God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). If purgatory is true, then Christ is dead in vain (Galatians 2:21). The real lie is not in Scripture—but in those who preach another gospel.


The very system designed to offer "hope" actually enslaves its followers to an endless cycle of striving, fear, and uncertainty, leaving them in a constant state of never knowing if they have done enough. But the law does not justify—it condemns. Thus, by teaching purgatory and works-based justification, Catholicism nullifies grace, denies the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement, and keeps its adherents under the very curse from which Christ came to set them free. But the Bible clearly teaches that our righteousness comes solely from Christ, not from our own efforts. 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." If we are already counted as righteous in Christ, then there is no sin left to purge after death.


Purgatory is not only absent from Scripture, but it also directly opposes biblical truth. It undermines the severity of sin, denies the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement, contradicts the finality of divine judgment, and rejects the doctrine of justification by faith. The only true doctrine regarding the fate of the soul after death is that a person is either eternally saved or eternally condemned. Purgatory is nothing more than a human invention designed to keep people in bondage to a religious system, rather than freeing them through the truth of the Gospel. Only in Christ is there true salvation, complete forgiveness, and eternal security. Any doctrine that teaches otherwise is a satanic deception.


The doctrine of the Treasury of Merit is not merely a theological misstep—it is the final stage in a systematic corruption of the Gospel, where the righteousness of Christ is supplanted by a marketplace of human merit, controlled not by God, but by an ecclesiastical hierarchy. It is the logical consequence of rejecting the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement, distorting the concept of righteousness, and commodifying salvation for the financial and political benefit of the Roman Catholic Church.

At its core, the Treasury of Merit is a denial of biblical justification, for it replaces salvation by grace through faith with a system where spiritual merit is accumulated, stored, and distributed as a commodity. It is the culmination of a long series of theological distortions, beginning with the denial of immediate judgment after death, the fabrication of purgatory, and the subsequent veneration of saints. Once it was established that souls in purgatory could benefit from the intercession of others, it was only a matter of time before the Church invented a divine "treasury" from which merits could be drawn in exchange for indulgences.


The doctrine of the Treasury of Merit stands as the most calculated and systematic corruption of biblical salvation, a doctrine that fundamentally alters the nature of grace, the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement, and the justice of God. It is not merely an error but a deliberate distortion of the Gospel, designed to consolidate religious power by creating a divine economy controlled by the Catholic Church. It turns the righteousness of Christ and the supposed righteousness of saints into a transferable spiritual currency, with the Church acting as the banker, distributing salvation according to its own decrees. This doctrine is not only a direct assault on biblical soteriology, but an affront to the very character of God, making Him subject to human control.

At its foundation, the Treasury of Merit presupposes that salvation is not truly by grace alone, but rather a commodity that can be accumulated, stored, and distributed by human authority. It introduces a counterfeit system of righteousness, one that directly opposes the biblical teaching that Christ alone is the source of merit and that salvation is a free and complete gift of God. If Christ’s righteousness is all-sufficient, then there can be no need for additional righteousness from saints. If salvation is a gift, then it cannot be something that is controlled, stored, or transferred between individuals. Yet the Catholic Church, by constructing this system, has transformed grace into a transaction, placing itself in the position of the divine mediator rather than Christ.


The very concept of a treasury of surplus merit is built upon a logical impossibility. The Bible is explicit in its teaching that no one has personal righteousness before God. Every person is born in sin, inherently unrighteous, and completely incapable of achieving merit apart from divine grace. The idea that saints have accumulated “extra” righteousness beyond what was necessary for their own salvation contradicts the most fundamental teachings of Scripture. Romans 3:10 states, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” If no one is righteous by their own merit, then how can any human being produce a surplus of righteousness to be distributed to others? The entire premise collapses under its own weight.

Even if one were to accept the Catholic argument that saints performed extraordinary good works, this still does not lead to transferable merit. Righteousness, in biblical teaching, is not a substance that can be divided and allocated; it is a legal standing before God, given not by works but by faith. Romans 4:5 makes this clear: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” The righteousness that saves is not something earned, stored, or transferred—it is a declaration of justification by God, received only through faith in Christ. By introducing the idea that righteousness is a commodity that can be distributed, the Catholic Church reduces salvation to a system of debt and repayment, undermining the biblical doctrine of imputed righteousness.


The concept of a treasury controlled by the Church also presents an unresolvable theological contradiction regarding the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement. If Christ’s sacrifice was truly once for all” as Hebrews 10:14 states—“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified”—then how can additional merit be needed from Mary and the saints? The very existence of a Treasury of Merit implies that Christ’s sacrifice was not enough, that some people needed to go beyond what He accomplished, and that this additional righteousness must now be dispensed by human authority. This is not simply error; it is blasphemy, for it denies the very words of Christ on the cross—‘It is finished’ (John 19:30). If righteousness could be stored up by saints, then why did Christ have to die? If grace can be distributed by men, then why is it called grace?


The practical implications of this doctrine reveal its true function—not as a means of salvation, but as a means of control. By establishing itself as the custodian of grace, the Catholic Church ensured that believers were permanently dependent upon the institution rather than on Christ alone. The doctrine of purgatory had already created a spiritual crisis—the fear that most believers would die in an imperfect state, requiring purification through suffering. Once this fear was established, the Church then presented itself as the only institution capable of alleviating this suffering. If souls in purgatory could benefit from additional righteousness, and if this righteousness could be applied through the authority of the Church, then the faithful were left with only one course of action—submitting to the Church’s system of indulgences.

Indulgences were not merely spiritual acts; they became a financial industry, where grace was effectively sold to those who could afford it. The Catholic Church claimed that by purchasing indulgences, believers could draw from the Treasury of Merit to reduce their own suffering in purgatory or that of their deceased loved ones. The theological absurdity of this is staggering, for it suggests that salvation can be secured through monetary exchange, a practice that directly contradicts the words of Isaiah 55:1“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Salvation is explicitly stated to be without price, yet the Catholic Church turned it into a currency-based system, where grace was dispensed at a cost, with the Church acting as the gatekeeper of divine blessings.

This system did not merely affect the doctrine of salvation; it redefined the entire structure of divine justice. 


If righteousness could be transferred from one person to another, then the personal accountability of every individual before God was obliterated. Ezekiel 18:20 states, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” Yet the Treasury of Merit teaches the exact opposite—that righteousness and sin can be redistributed among the faithful, allowing some to escape judgment through the merits of others. This is not divine justice; it is a theological Ponzi scheme, where righteousness is collected and dispensed at the discretion of a human institution.


The ultimate irony of the Treasury of Merit is that it turns the very concept of grace into bondage. Instead of offering believers freedom in Christ, it placed them under an endless system of merit accumulation, indulgence purchasing, and dependence on the Church for their ultimate salvation. Instead of declaring that salvation is secure in Christ, it left believers in constant uncertainty, fearing that they had not acquired enough merit to avoid suffering. Instead of exalting Christ as the sole Mediator, it created a spiritual bureaucracy, where grace was controlled, measured, and sold by human mediators.

This system stands as the most damning indictment of Roman Catholic theology, for it reveals the logical conclusion of a works-based system—that grace ceases to be grace, righteousness becomes a product, and salvation is no longer a free gift but a transaction. It is the ultimate deception, for it claims to offer relief from sin while simultaneously enslaving people to a system that ensures they will never have peace.


The Bible presents a radically different Gospel—one where Christ alone is sufficient, where salvation is secure, where grace is freely given, and where righteousness is imputed through faith, not earned or transferred. The Treasury of Merit is not merely unbiblical—it is a direct attack on the Gospel itself. 


So by its own definition:


Catholic Encyclopedia:"Christianity is that system of religious belief and practice which was taught by Jesus Christ and His Apostles, preserved by tradition, and promulgated by the Church."


Is the Roman Catholic Church, Christian?


Not even close!


But the answer to that question determines not only what you believe but where you will spend eternity, you decide.


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