1 Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1 Tim 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1 Tim 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats*, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
As should be obvious, this passage is a warning to the church near the end of time. It gives quite distinct characteristics of apostasy to look for, that will distinguish corrupted Christianity. Just who is it talking about? Let me present some evidence-
GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS
Deu 18:9 (KJV) When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
Deu 18:11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
Deu 18:13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
Deu 18:14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.Lev 20:6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
NECROMANCY, is defined in Holman's Bible Dictionary as "Conjuring the spirits of the dead to predict or influence future events." So a necromancer, as found in verse 11, is one who consults with the dead, and this practice is strongly condemned by God. Scripture is quite silent about Mary's later life, and most Catholic's will admit they are unsure whether or not she died before her alleged assumption into heaven, due to the lack of any scriptural evidence. However, on page 273 of Karl Keating's Catholicism and Fundamentalism, published in 1988 by Ignatius Press, he states that:
... Catholic commentators, not to mention the Popes, have agreed that Mary died; that belief has long been expressed through the liturgy. (The Church has never formally defined whether she died or not, and the integrity of the doctrine of the Assumption would not be impaired if she did not die, but the almost universal consensus is that she did in fact die.)
Yet, around the world, in direct violation of scripture, Catholics almost
daily consult apparitions of Mary, who has actually been quite dead for nearly
2000 years.
To know this truth, (that Mary is dead) it is important to understand
What Really
Happens When You Die.
Here is the New International Version of the same passages:
Deu 18:9 (NIV) When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
Deu 18:10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,
Deu 18:11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.
Deu 18:12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.
Deu 18:13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.
Deu 18:14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.Lev 20:6 I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.
Now note Catholic teaching on apparitions of Mary:
From Catholic Truth for Youth, A Catechism on the Doctrines of Catholic Faith as Made Known by the Gospels, by the Magisterium, and reaffirmed at Fatima in Our Own Time, by Father Robert J. Fox, copyright 1977, published by the Ave Maria Institute, Washington, NJ 07882, bearing the NIHIL OBSTAT and IMPRIMATUR of the Catholic Church:
Page 55, Lesson 6-
On May 13, 1917, the Mother of God appeared to three children at Fatima. This was the first in a series of six apparitions, each of which was preceded by a flash of light which served to alert the children of her coming.
In addition to Fatima (Portugal), other famous apparitions of Mary are claimed to have occurred at Lourdes (France), Guadalupe (Mexico), and Medjugorje (Yugoslavia). The reported sightings of Mary have been on the rise in recent years, numbering in what must be the hundreds of incidents. Some Catholic bulletin boards are full of the messages, reputed to be from Mary, given at these sightings. Catholics flock to these sites by the thousands to witness them, and perhaps be healed by Mary's blessing.
Many of these alleged Marian apparitions also speak prophetically of future events or chastisements that will occur if Catholics do not heed the warnings given. This is necromancy, attempting to consult the dead about the future, which is clearly forbidden by scripture. I do not think all these apparitions are hoaxes, and I know that it is not Mary. That leaves Satan, or one of his demons, as the only explanation for these apparitions, and Catholics very clearly are giving heed to these seducing spirits. And then on top of this, there are all the bleeding statues, stigmata, weeping icons, and on, and on.
Here is an extensive list of apparitions
with details from the Catholics themselves.
Now note the following which is speaking of Babylon (Catholicism) ...
Rev 18:23- ... for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
These apparitions are apparently going to increase, and become even more spectacular and will deceive many. I believe it is possible that Satan will appear as Mary in a grand illusion, prior to his impersonation of the second coming of Christ. Everyone will be able to see it, not just a few devout Catholics at Fatima. It would be a very powerful deception if you don't know the truth (that Mary is dead).
Can anyone doubt that 1 Tim 4:1 specifically identifies Catholicism?
DOCTRINES OF DEVILS
From Catholic Truth for Youth, page 67-
In front of the palm of Our Lady's right hand was a heart encircled with thorns which pierced it. We understand that this was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, outraged by the sins of humanity, and that she wanted reparation.
Page 86- Mary had only ONE Child and that Child was Jesus. Thus, she was and remains the ever-virgin Mother of Our Lord and Savior. After her Divine Son, Mary enjoys the highest place in the Church because she did God's will perfectly and never committed the slightest sin. She was even exempt from original sin, which all the other children of Adam inherit. When she died, Mary's body and soul were taken to heaven. (This is what is meant by the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.) From her beautiful throne, the Mother of God continues to love and pray for all her children still living on earth.
Page 89- When Pope Paul VI announced that a Golden Rose would be sent to the Sanctuary at Fatima, he also stated that he intended to entrust the entire human race to the care of the Mother of God.
From the booklet Questions and Answers about Mary, by Anthony M. Buono, published by Liguori Publications, copyright 1993, and bearing the IMPRIMI POTEST, and IMPRIMATUR of the Roman Catholic Church, page 9-
6. How is Mary our intercessor?
Mary is our intercessor because in heaven she continues to intercede with her Son, Jesus, for us in the world.
She is our intercessor because of the following reasons: (1) As worthy Mother of God and full of grace, she occupies a middle position between God and his creatures. (2) Together with Christ and under him, she cooperated in the reconciliation of God and mankind while she was still on earth. (3) Now from heaven she distributes the graces that God bestows on his children.
Of course, this intercession is always secondary and subject to Christ's primary and self-sufficient intercessory role. All favors granted by God to his rational creatures are granted in virtue of and because of Mary's intercession. It is not necessary that we explicitly implore her intercessions in our prayers. But whether we mention her or not, it is through her that we receive whatever we receive.
Note the following verses-
Acts 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Acts 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
From the booklet Questions and Answers about Mary, Page 15-
11. Why does the Church render liturgical devotion to Mary?
The Church renders liturgical devotion to Mary because Mary is joined by an inseparable bond to the saving work of her Son, which is made present in the liturgy.
The liturgy make present Christ's paschal mystery (his life, death, and resurrection), enabling us to render fitting worship to God and to obtain the graces of Christ gained for all human beings. It is only right to show liturgical devotion to Mary, since she is joined inescapably to the saving work being represented.
Though there are many other false doctrines taught by the Catholic Church, I have focused only on the Catholic doctrines regarding Mary, because the Bible speaks plainly about the the state of the dead, and says nothing about Mary being taken to heaven.
Mary remains in the grave, quite dead, hearing nothing, interceding for no one. Catholic teaching on this matter is quite foreign to scripture, and rests on nothing but Catholic Tradition. It is the most prevalent, and most dangerous form of idolatry and spiritualism to infiltrate the Church. It is plainly AntiChrist.
FORBIDDING TO MARRY
The following canons are quoted from the CODEX IURIS CANONICI, the current Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church, copyright 1983, by Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City-
Can. 277 — § 1. Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and therefore are obliged to observe celibacy, which is a special gift of God, by which sacred ministers can adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart and can more freely dedicate themselves to the service of God and mankind.
Can 1037 — An unmarried candidate for the permanent diaconate and a candidate for the presbyterate is not to be admitted to the order of diaconate unless in a prescribed rite he has assumed publicly before God and the Church the obligation of celibacy or professed perpetual vows in a religious institute.
Can 1087 — Persons who are in holy orders invalidly attempt marriage.
Can 1088 — Persons who are bound by a public perpetual vow of chastity in a religious institute invalidly attempt marriage.
COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM MEATS
*Meats: From Strong's Greek Dictionary- word G1033. broma, bro'-mah; from the base of G977; food (lit. or fig.), espec. (cer.) articles allowed or forbidden by the Jewish law:—meat, victuals.
The word translated meats in 1 Tim 4:3 actually means foods in a generic sense, not just animal flesh, so this passage speaks in the broadest sense of commanding fasting.
Can. 1249 — All members of the Christian faithful in their own way are bound to do penance in virtue of divine law; in order that all may be joined in a common observance of penance, penitential days are prescribed in which the Christian faithful in a special way pray, exercise works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their responsibilities more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence according to the norm of the following canons.
Can. 1250 — All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the universal Church.
Can 1251 — Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Can 1252 — All persons who have completed their fourteenth year are bound by the law of abstinence; all adults are bound by the law of fast up to the beginning of their sixtieth year. Nevertheless, pastors and parents are to see to it that minors who are not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are educated in an authentic sense of penance.
Here you will find listed the Precepts of the
Catholic Church which are considered obligatory laws, in the new
Vatican's Catechism, paragraphs 2041-2043. The fifth precept deals with
abstinence from meat and fasting.
CONCLUSION
I know of no other Christian church to which these characteristics can be applied with such ease, other than the Roman Catholic Church. I would therefore state that it is the subject of Paul's warning in 1 Timothy chapter 4. To those who think me too critical, or devisive, or hurtful, then please read verse 6-
1 Tim 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
What Christian does not believe that to be a worthy goal?
