Not the Church Christ Built

Today, many profess faith in God while unknowingly walking in ways He never commanded. The modern Roman Catholic Church (RCC), though adorned with tradition and ritual, often departs from essential truths revealed in Scripture. Through the words of Isaiah and Jeremiah, we gain piercing insight into what pleases God; and what grieves Him. When we compare these biblical warnings to the teachings and practices of the RCC, a serious gap becomes visible. The question arises: Are Catholics being led into the truth that brings life; or into man-made tradition that separates them from God, all under the banner of a church that proclaims itself the one true Church?

Confession: To God or to Man?

One clear way the RCC diverges from biblical teaching is in the doctrine of confession. Catholics are taught to confess their sins to an earthly priest, who acts as an intermediary in granting absolution. But Scripture shows that sin is ultimately against God alone (Psalm 51:4). Why, then, are Catholics not encouraged to go directly to Him in repentance? Indeed, the Bible promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9); there is no biblical command to seek a human priest for forgiveness. In fact, Jesus is our only Mediator before God; “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5); and He alone is the High Priest who can truly reconcile us to the Father (Hebrews 4:14–16).

Even the true apostles; those who personally walked with Christ, witnessed His ministry, death, and resurrection; never forgave sins in their own authority, nor did Christ ever grant them the power to do so. They consistently preached that people must repent and believe the gospel. For example, Peter declared in Acts 2:38, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” Paul likewise said in Acts 20:21 that he testified “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Neither Peter, Paul, nor any other apostle ever said, “I forgive your sins” or claimed to possess such authority in themselves. Instead, forgiveness was always presented as something God grants upon sincere repentance and faith.

The claim that priests can absolve sins stems from a distortion of John 20:23, but even there, the apostles were to declare forgiveness based on the gospel, not dispense it by personal power. If the apostles; directly chosen by Christ; never claimed or exercised such power, then how can modern priests, who are not even eyewitnesses of Christ nor recipients of direct apostolic commission, claim to do what the apostles themselves never did? Furthermore, the concept of apostolic succession, as used by the RCC, is not found anywhere in Scripture. The “apostolic deposit” handed down was the doctrine of Christ and the gospel itself (Jude 3, 2 Timothy 2:2); not the authority to forgive sins or act as mediators.

“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you…” Isaiah 59:1–2 (KJV)

If sin separates us from God, what can a priest do to bridge that gap? Why go to a man, when we can go directly to the One against whom we have sinned? The RCC’s system of confession to priests subtly implies that God’s ear is too heavy or His hand too short to save us unless a human mediator steps in. God is ready and able to hear; it is our sin that is the obstacle, and only God Himself can remove it.

So then, why would Mary or the saints need to be intercessors also? Why do Catholics refuse to go directly to God, when Scripture never instructs us to approach anyone else for mercy, grace, or forgiveness? Hebrews 4:16 urges believers: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” There is no mention of Mary, angels, or saints standing between us and God. In fact, to seek other intercessors implies that Christ is not sufficient, that His role as Mediator is lacking.

To elevate Mary or saints as necessary intercessors is to add to God's perfect provision, as though His hand were indeed too short to save, or His Son’s sacrifice not enough to cleanse. But the God of Isaiah assures us: He is able. He hears. And He alone forgives.

“I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.” Isaiah 57:12 (KJV)

This verse cuts deeply. God is saying that our own attempts at righteousness and our works will not profit us. All the religious rituals and traditions we cling to cannot save. Yet Catholicism heavily emphasizes works, rituals, and sacraments as necessary for salvation. From penances to rosaries to weekly confession, Catholics are taught a system of human mediators and meritorious acts. Isaiah 57:12 stands as a stark warning that such works-based religion is futile in earning God’s favour. Only a genuine, repentant relationship with God can restore what sin broke – a relationship not dependent on human ordinance.

Sabbath: The Forgotten Commandment (forgive the repetition)

Another glaring discrepancy is the handling of the Fourth Commandment – the Sabbath. God’s commandment clearly designates the seventh day (Saturday) as the holy day of rest and worship (Exodus 20:8–10). This was never changed to Sunday anywhere in Scripture. Yet the Catholic Church (and most of Christianity) observes Sunday as a substitute for the biblical Sabbath. How did this change occur? Not by God’s command, but by human tradition. In fact, Catholic authorities openly admit that “the Catholic Church… transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday”, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.

What does God have to say about that?

“Blessed is the man that doeth this… that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.” Isaiah 56:2 (KJV)

“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day… then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD…” Isaiah 58:13–14 (KJV)

God promised blessing to those who keep His Sabbath holy. This is not just a ceremonial observance or a “Jewish custom,” as many claim. The Sabbath was not given at Sinai alone: it was established at Creation, before sin ever entered the world. “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:3). That blessing has never been revoked. When God gave the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath was the only commandment introduced with the word “Remember”; because mankind was already in danger of forgetting it.

To cast off the Sabbath is to cast off God's covenant sign; a grave act of rebellion, not mere doctrinal disagreement.

So if the Roman Catholic Church is so keen on doing things “in remembrance” of Christ—especially in reference to the Eucharist, where they claim to literally eat His flesh and drink His blood; then why are they not just as zealous to "remember" the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8)? Why such passion and solemnity for one command; based on their interpretation of Jesus’ words in Luke 22:19; yet such neglect for a command that God Himself explicitly wrote and sanctified?

Even more contradictory is the fact that their Eucharistic practice involves drinking blood, something forbidden in the Law. “Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood… for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof” (Leviticus 17:14). Yet this is embraced in full liturgical ceremony. On one hand, they cling to the “literal” interpretation of “this is my body… this is my blood”; but on the other, they spiritualize away “remember the Sabbath day [Saturday] to keep it holy”. One minute, they zealously exalt Scripture when it suits their imperial religion; the next, they turn a blind eye to God’s plain command when it conflicts with church tradition.

It reveals a double standard: Scripture is revered when it reinforces their rituals—but rejected when it challenges their man-made authority. This is exactly the hypocrisy Jesus rebuked in the Pharisees:

“Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9).

The question must be asked: Who truly honours Christ? Is it those who partake in ritual while ignoring God’s commands, or those who remember both His death and His holy Sabbath, as He instructed and modeled? Christ never broke the Sabbath; He fulfilled it. He said plainly, “The sabbath was made for man… therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath” (Mark 2:27–28). The Sabbath points not only to Creation, but to Christ’s completed work; a covenant sign of rest, holiness, and divine authority.

To disregard that is not just to forget a day; it is to forget the Lord of the Sabbath Himself.

“Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations… It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever” (Exodus 31:13, 17 KJV).

To break the Sabbath, then, is not merely to “choose a different day.” It is to reject God's sign, to break covenant, and to walk in disobedience to His revealed will. God called it a perpetual covenant (Exodus 31:16). The Sabbath was a test of loyalty; a day to cease from our own works and acknowledge that He alone is Creator and Sanctifier. To reject that is to cast off His authority.

Even in the New Testament, the Sabbath remains. Hebrews 4:9 declares, “There remaineth therefore a rest [Greek: ‘sabbatismos’—Sabbath-keeping] to the people of God.” Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16), not as a Jew fulfilling ceremony, but as the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28). His apostles, after the resurrection, continued in Sabbath observance (Acts 17:2; Acts 13:42,44). The idea that Sunday was ever declared holy by Christ or His apostles is absent from Scripture.

Yet the Roman Catholic Church boldly admits that it changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. This shift occurred not by divine command, but by human authority.

This is no light matter. By changing the day, the RCC effectively says it has authority to override God Himself. But Scripture says otherwise:

“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it” (Deuteronomy 4:2).“Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9).

When Catholics and Protestants alike accept Sunday observance merely on tradition, they participate in this rejection. And if the Sabbath is the sign of our covenant with God; as Scripture repeatedly affirms; then discarding it is a rejection of His covenant. It is spiritual adultery, a willful substitution of the authority of men in place of the commandment of the Almighty.

But the matter becomes even more grievous when we realize that the Roman Catholic Church not only breaks God’s covenant, but does so while claiming divine authority to override it. They trample the Sabbath, dismiss God's sign of holiness and sanctification, and sever the flow of blessings promised to His people; and yet, astonishingly, they then demand submission to the very institution that broke it. As pope Boniface VIII declared in his 1302 bull Unam Sanctam:

“We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.”

So let’s consider the sheer audacity of such a claim: The Catholic Church breaks the covenant, alters the commandments, and nullifies God's ordained day; and then dares to proclaim that we cannot be saved unless we submit to the one who committed the offense. What kind of absolute mind game is that? It's spiritual gaslighting. They break the law, then declare themselves the gatekeepers of heaven. They remove God’s sign of loyalty, then make their own tradition the new standard of obedience. This is the height of religious arrogance; a calculated replacement of divine authority with imperial power.

Let us not forget what God warned through the prophet Isaiah:

“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day… then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD” (Isaiah 58:13–14).

The blessing of God is linked to the keeping of His holy day, not ours. To ignore that is to walk in our own way, to follow the traditions of men rather than the voice of God. To honour His Sabbath is to walk in His covenant. To reject it, while claiming spiritual authority over others, is not only hypocrisy; it is rebellion disguised as holiness.

Idolatry and Vain Worship

Step into any Catholic cathedral and you will find it filled with images: statues of Mary, icons of saints, relics displayed for veneration. Catholics kneel before these images, light candles, and pray; actions defended as “veneration” rather than worship. But God’s Word speaks clearly against any form of idolatry or mixing pagan practices into His worship. In the Ten Commandments, God forbid making or bowing down to carved images (Exodus 20:4–5). He calls Himself a jealous God, not willing to share worship with idols. The prophets echo this:

“They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst… eating swine’s flesh… shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.”—Isaiah 66:17 (KJV)

“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool… where is the house that ye build unto me?”—Isaiah 66:1 (KJV)

In Isaiah’s day, people were blending God’s worship with pagan rituals (sacrificing in gardens, eating unclean foods, etc.). God rebuked them, saying all their self-sanctification is in vain if done their own way. He reminds us that no splendid temple or ritual (“the house that ye build”) impresses Him if the heart is disobedient. How much might this apply to Catholicism today? The grand cathedrals, statues, and elaborate ceremonies mean nothing to God if they perpetuate disobedience to His Word. Jesus said true worshipers “must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), not through shrines and images.

Jeremiah also delivers a scathing critique of religious leaders who twist God’s teachings:

“How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed… they have rejected the word of the LORD.”—Jeremiah 8:8–9 (KJV)

This is a striking rebuke. The “scribes” (religious teachers) in Jeremiah’s time claimed to impart God’s law, but they had corrupted it by their pen—adding and glossing over God's commands until His Word was made void. They were ashamed (caught in error) because, in truth, they had rejected the Word of the Lord while continuing to teach in His name. How closely this mirrors what the Roman Catholic Church has done by elevating human tradition and ecclesiastical decrees above the authority of Scripture. Whether it be introducing images and calling it “veneration,” praying to saints and Mary, or teaching doctrines foreign to the Bible, the result is “in vain” worship (Mark 7:7). Jesus warned that worship becomes futile when we replace God’s commandments with the doctrines of men.

And this corruption is not limited to practice—it extends to the actual text of God’s law. The Roman Catholic Church has altered the Ten Commandments themselves. The Second Commandment, which forbids the making of graven images and bowing down to them (Exodus 20:4–6), is entirely removed from Catholic catechisms. Why? Because it directly conflicts with the Church’s widespread use of statues, icons, and images in worship. Rather than repent of this idolatrous practice, they simply deleted the commandment from common teaching.

But to preserve the number “Ten,” they then split the Tenth Commandment—which says, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house… nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s” (Exodus 20:17); into two parts: one against coveting a neighbor’s wife, and one against coveting a neighbor’s goods. This artificial division was created to maintain the appearance of “Ten Commandments,” even though the biblical structure had already been tampered with.

This manipulation of God’s law is eerily similar to the scribes condemned in Jeremiah 8:8:

“Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.”These religious leaders had re-written or re-shaped God’s Word for their own purposes—and God called their efforts vain.

The truth is, when any man-made religion edits the commandments of God to accommodate its own customs, it is no longer teaching truth, but spiritual fraud. And those who follow such altered commandments are not walking in obedience to God, no matter how sincere they may be. Worship based on corrupted commandments is rejected by the Lord; because He never changes, and His Word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8; Malachi 3:6).

Authority and Trust: Who Do You Rely On?

At its core, the divergence comes down to authority. The Roman Catholic Church claims that sacred tradition and the teaching "authority" of the Church (the Magisterium) are equal to Scripture in guiding faith. Catholics are taught to trust the Church; priests, popes, councils; as the interpreters of God’s will. But the Bible pointedly warns us about putting trust in human beings in the place of God:

“Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” (Jeremiah 17:5)

But even more telling than false claims of authority is the fruit that such claims produce. Can a church that truly loves the God of Scripture; who is holy, unchanging, and jealous for His name; ever treat His covenant as optional, or His commandments as disposable? The answer is a resounding no.

The true Church of Christ is described in Scripture as “a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2), a body that “keeps the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). The Bride of Christ does not tamper with God’s Word. She does not set aside His covenant signs. She does not redefine holiness according to cultural convenience or institutional power. She lives in humble submission to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

It is not merely a matter of who has authority. Even with authority, the people of God do not act in rebellion. A heart that loves God does not seek loopholes around His law. It trembles at His Word (Isaiah 66:2), treasures His commandments (Psalm 119:127), and walks carefully in His covenant. Therefore, any church that would boldly override what God has established; from His holy day to His holy law; reveals not just false doctrine, but a heart far from God.

Such a church cannot be the true Church, no matter how old, powerful, or widespread it may be.

“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:4)

Truth is not established by lineage or hierarchy. It is established by faithful obedience. Jesus said plainly:

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). And again: “My sheep hear my voice… and they follow me” (John 10:27).

A church that refuses to follow cannot be His. A body that nullifies His commands cannot be His bride. And a people that set aside His covenant cannot dwell under His blessing.

Therefore, it is not necessary to argue whether the RCC was authorized to make the changes it did. The fact that it was willing to do so is evidence enough. The spirit that drives such a church is not the Spirit of God; because the Spirit of God leads into all truth (John 16:13), not into contradiction, compromise, or corruption.

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5 (KJV)

This verse alone should make anyone question the idea of trusting a priest or pope over the plain Word of God. God says it is a curse to rely on fallible human beings (“flesh”) for your strength, and that such trust causes the heart to depart from the Lord. Salvation is not through any church but through Christ alone (Acts 4:12). No priest can open heaven’s gates for you; no pope can dictate truth that supplants God’s Word.

In Jeremiah 17:12, the prophet reminds us where our focus should be:

“A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” Jeremiah 17:12 (KJV)

Heaven; God’s throne; is the true sanctuary, not any earthly temple or city. God Himself is our refuge and high priest (Hebrews 8:1-2). By contrast, Rome’s grandeur and claims of authority cannot compare to the authority of the Almighty. Unfortunately, the RCC often points the faithful to earthly mediators (confessors, saints, the Virgin Mary, the Church hierarchy) instead of directly to the “throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). The Bible is clear: “In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7). Whenever man’s word is taught in place of God’s Word, worship becomes empty. Jesus confronted the religious leaders of His day for this exact error: “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition”. We must be careful not to make the same mistake by blindly accepting church traditions without checking “whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11) in Scripture.

It’s not just false doctrine that has corrupted the institutional Church—it’s the spirit behind it. When we examine the historical roots of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, especially the papacy, we find not humble shepherds of God’s flock, but men from noble bloodlines, steeped in esotericism, Greek metaphysics, and the philosophies of fallen man, not the Word of God.

Many popes and high-ranking clergy came from aristocratic families—houses immersed in pagan traditions, occult study, and elitist ideologies. They were more at home quoting Plato, Plutarch, or Aristotle, than Moses or Isaiah. Their minds were shaped not by the fear of God, but by the intellectual pride of men who sought to blend Christian terms with pagan concepts. Some dabbled openly in Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, and even Druidic and Eleusinian mystery rites, absorbing the symbols and secrecy of those cults into religious art, architecture, and ceremony.

Consider the Medici family; powerful bankers who bought their way into the papacy. Pope Leo X, a Medici, is often remembered for allegedly saying, “It has served us well, this myth of Christ.” Whether apocryphal or not, the sentiment captures the mindset of men who saw religion as a vehicle for power, not truth. Then there were the Borgias, whose reign of scandal, immorality, and political manipulation is so notorious that their name still symbolizes corruption. Pope Alexander VI, a Borgia, bought the papacy through bribery and ran it like a personal fiefdom, fathering multiple illegitimate children while publicly parading his mistresses.

Can anyone truly believe that men of this character were spiritual successors of the apostles? Would such men; entrenched in wealth, philosophy, occult influence, and self-exaltation; honour the God who said,

“To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isaiah 66:2)?

Is it any wonder that such men disregarded God’s commandments? The real motive was never spiritual enlightenment—it was control. God's law is too pure, too humbling, too absolute for those who see themselves as gods on earth. So they reshaped it, erased what condemned them, and exalted themselves as arbiters of truth.

They did not keep the Sabbath because they serve the god of this world, not the Lord of Creation. They did not uphold the Second Commandment because they needed images to captivate minds and stir emotion. They rewrote God's law because, like Lucifer, they desired to "ascend above the heights of the clouds" and "be like the most High" (Isaiah 14:14).

Let no one be deceived: when proud men in high places rewrite God’s Word to serve their own legacy, prestige, and ideology, they do not represent the Church of Jesus Christ. They represent the kingdoms of this world, clothed in religious garments.

“Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).And the fruits of these men are pride, manipulation, deception, and power; not repentance, truth, and obedience.

Let us not forget whose Church Christianity truly belongs to—the One who wrote His law in stone, gave His life for His people, and will return for a bride who keeps His commandments and follows His voice alone, not to men in luxurious religious garb who trample His commandments for worldly gain.