Are Catholics "born again"?

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I was trying to be charitible in assuming that you were just repeating someone else’s research. I’m glad you research. You are certainly welcome to consult or refer to any source you please. But none of this changes the fact that the catechism passages you have been quoting simply do not support your assertions about the Church.

This is what the Catholic Church teaches. We don’t teach that we earn our own salvation. If you really want to evangelize Catholics, you need to come into the debate better informed about our beliefs, rather than attempting to read our Catechism to confirm your already-held prejudices (which were preached to you by a religious group that changes far more often than the Catechism does.) I can’t even respond to most of what you say, because what you say the Chuch believes simply isn’t what the Church believes.

Sorry but none of my statements were preached to me by a religios group. I am getting all of my information from the Catholic Catechism. Catechism means, a popular summary or compendium of Catholic doctrine about faith and morals. Just stick to the book that NEVER changes. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. (heb. 13:8)

That’s exactly my point. Some ex-Catholics in this thread have stated how they were not taught their faith, and held this as a reason not to believe that the Catholic Church is correct. Our sins and failings don’t negate the truth/untruth of our beliefs.

This is just not true. Plenty of things happen to you every day that weren’t written in the Bible.

But the teachings of the Church are not anti-Biblical.
Plenty of things happen to you everyday that are not in the Bible! I was speaking of religious tradition, doctrine and dogmas. Not everyday life. Not all teaching are anti-biblical but if even one is not found or does in fact go against the bible then you have to ask yourself why. Paul rebukes the Judaizers in Galatians for adding one thing to salvation, circumcision.
 
As The Bible says that we are born again of The Word and Baptism is a sacrement of The Word, one can be born again through baptism. If a childs parents are within the covenant of grace, then athat child is an heir to the covenant of grace. As the child is an hier of the covenant and an hier to all the rights and blessings therein, it is quite right for the child to be given the rite of baptism to confirm the spiritual reality. We are buried with him in baptism and risen to a new life in him. (Born Again)

As Christ is The Word made flesh, by turning from our sins and turning to him. He regenerates us by The Holy Spirit and we are born again.

I believe both are correct.

Also, if a fellow Protestant can find a scripture refferance to ‘the sinners prayer’ it would be much appreciated. (I’m being facetious.)
 
Also, if a fellow Protestant can find a scripture refferance to ‘the sinners prayer’ it would be much appreciated. (I’m being facetious.)
I think the plain truth is that some evangelical Protestants have been taught that John 3:3 refers to “asking Jesus into their heart with a penitents/sinner’s prayer” and they’ve had this drummed into them over so many years that:-
no biblical/historical/theological argument against this is ever go to sound right to them.

After all, it’s the ‘faith once delivered’ to them, and the biblical model is ‘another gospel’ to them. That’s their perspective and its very ingrained.

Oh, the ‘authority of evangelical theology’.😦
 
I think the plain truth is that some evangelical Protestants have been taught that John 3:3 refers to “asking Jesus into their heart with a penitents/sinner’s prayer” and they’ve had this drummed into them over so many years that:-
no biblical/historical/theological argument against this is ever go to sound right to them.

After all, it’s the ‘faith once delivered’ to them, and the biblical model is ‘another gospel’ to them. That’s their perspective and its very ingrained.
Oh, the ‘authority of evangelical theology’.😦
Hi,
Well, actually it would be on the authority of Jesus Christ:thumbsup: 😃 As far as the sinners’s prayer. They/we/me would more likely get that idea from the Book of Romans.😃 10 8-13
10:8
But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
10:9
**That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. **10:10
**For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. **10:11
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
10:12
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
10:13
for, “**Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” **

The verses I bolded all mention using your mouth or calling or confessing. I guess evangelicals calls it a prayer because that is how we talk to God.😃 Seems pretty simple to me and I personally have not had this ingrained into me.As a matter of fact, I grew up Epsicopalian and I NEVER EVER HEARD THE SALVATION MESSAGE EVER!! The first I ever heard it was from my siblings and I didnt get it because I didnt believe it. Once the Holy Spirit came into me(my confessing Jesus as Savior and repenting and asking forgiveness) He made Scriptures very clear when I read them. I will admit I do not understand all Scripture and never will, but I assure you the Salvation Message was crystal clear to me.😃 Actually the only true way to understand the bible in the first place is having the Holy Spirit in you to guide you. Someone who does not have the Holy Spirit in them cannot understand the spiritual truths of the bible.😦
 
Book of Romans.😃 10 8-13
10:8
But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
10:9
**That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. **10:10
**For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. **10:11
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
10:12
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
10:13
for, “**Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” **
PROCLAIMING ‘JESUS IS LORD’ IS CERTAINLY NOT 'THE SINNER’S PRAYER.'

There is no mention of any ‘born-again’ prayer in your examples. All the above verses are perfectly compatible with the overall Catholic model of salvation: Baptism with a public profession/confession of faith with belief in your heart.

With all due respect, if anyone is struggling with a spiritual blindness here it’s you. Please explain why you don’t think the above verses aren’t compatible with the Catholic view that one is reborn with Repentance + Belief + Baptismal Profession + Baptism = Born-again

Please explain the following. How can Acts 2:38 and 22:16 be interpreted ANY way other than that baptism itself (with faith) washes away SIN.

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

Repentance + Belief + Baptismal Profession + Baptism = Born-again

What are you finding so hard to understand? When we ask for evidence of a ‘born-again prayer’ in Scripture we aren’t after a verse about confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (you must be able to see we do that, especially as we are baptised).

Consider the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch: Acts 8:35-39,
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being BAPTIZED?”
Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

Why does the bible not mention Philip leading the Eunuch in a ‘sinner’s prayer’. The answer is because it is not the biblical model. The bible way inextricably ties together belief/profession with baptism. It’s so simple but it goes against your evangelical traditions of men.
 
Someone who does not have the Holy Spirit in them cannot understand the spiritual truths of the bible.😦
The problem I have with your interpretation of Scripture is that no one held that it was NOT through Baptism that one was born again until the anabaptists came alone (1600’s?).

All of the ECF interpret “born again” and relate and expound it with baptism.

Saying that baptism is not where God gives us the gift of grace is a new teaching that the apostles and the ECF never taught.

I seem to be saying this alot lately, but Catholics can point to scripture for our interpretation. You use scripture for yours. So who is right? We both claim to be led by the Holy Spirit, but one of us is wrong.

One way to find out is to search the writings of the ECF. Here is a link to several in CA library Born again in Baptism

Irenaeus

“‘And [Naaman] dipped himself . . . seven times in the Jordan’ [2 Kgs. 5:14]. It was not for nothing that Naaman of old, when suffering from leprosy, was purified upon his being baptized, but [this served] as an indication to us. For as we are lepers in sin, we are made clean, by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord, from our old transgressions, being spiritually regenerated as newborn babes, even as the Lord has declared: ‘Except a man be born again through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven’” (*Fragment *34 [A.D. 190]).

We are born again through Baptism. This has ever been the teaching of the Apostles, recorded in Scripture and faithfully interpreted by His followers.

It is a modern interpretation that denies one is born again in Baptism. It is a false teaching that has come along that scripture warns us about.

If you disagree with this, and believe that the Early Church taught as you believe, please, show me the writings that prove the CAtholic Church wrong. Otherwise I will continue to believe what the Holy spirit, scripture and the ECF tell me and reject the false teachings that came along holds that man is not born again in baptism.

Your sister in Christ,
Maria

ps, this does not mean a person cannot have a very real renewal or “find” Christ for the first time as an adult. I had a “born again experience” as an adult. But to say that the experience itself was when I was “born again” contradicts the interpretation of 1600 years of followers of Christ. Again, if you can show me where the early followers of Christ wrote contrary to the belief of baptism being where God gave us the grace to be born again, please, show me. Otherwise you are basing your belief not on scripture as you believe, but on the interpretation of Scripture passed on to you from one who taught contrary to the apostles.

Scripture can be wrongly interpreted. We both say we use scripture for our interpretations. Find the ECF who agree with yours otherwise you are following those who came along.
 
Biblical Salvation is…

Only through Christ…ACTS 4:12

A gift of God’s grace…Ephesians 2:8,9

By faith alone…Ephesians 2:8,9

At the moment a sinner believes the gospel…Ephesians 1:13,14

Secured by God…John 10:27-30

Catholic Salvation is…

Through RCC(846)
Merited by good works(1815,1821,2010,2027)
Attained by man (2010,2027)
A process from Baptism through
Never assured in this life(1036,2005)

You do reject the gift from god, eternal salvation is through Jesus Christ period. You’ve gone to far the moment you say “and.” You can forsake the man made sacraments.

The fact is that I am a new creature in Christ, and I am assured that now to be absent from the Body is to be present with the Lord.

I don’t have to work to be saved…I work because I am saved.

As far as the Eucharist, it is a false Christ. It is a continual sacrafice, and when Christ said, “It is finished” it was never to be done again. HEBREWS 10:10 “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL.”

Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as a memorial, not a sacrifice.(Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24)

There are so many things that the Catholic Church does and teaches that go directly against the word of God. As time goes by I will be more than happy to share them with all of you.

Catholic people are some of the most loving and faithful people I know. If they would just read the New Testament, the Holy Spirit would open the word of God up to them and bring them out of the spirital fog the Catholic Church has put them in.

“I am not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” Romans 1:16

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”
Respectfully, could you expand on these quotes from the Catechism and show more directly how they contradict scripture?

God Bless,
Maria
 
Do Catholics consider themselves to be born again? If so when or how are they?

When they commit a “mortal sin” do they then “die” and aren’t born again until a Priest says they are?
Yes. It is required to be so to go to heaven. In Catholic thinking, the birth we get by being a descendant of Adam is not enough. You need to be born anew, to become an adopted son, to receive the Holy Spirit, expressions like these. This new birth is a spiritual reality, not a physical rebirth, and you end up a new creature in Christ.

Most commonly, a Catholic will be born again at their baptism (in/with water, but you receive the Holy Spirit at that time, not really water). It is possible to go to heaven without having the water officially happen, but the Holy Spirit/new birth part is essential.

There is no “third” birth. You can’t be “born again” twice. It only happens once. However, you can reject life, and need to have God give you the grace to get back in line, to reconnect. You can’t reconnect yourself. It requires an act of grace. Catholics in need typically reconnect with the life of grace at the sacrament of reconciliation, but it can happen prior to that.
 
Peacekeeper,

Unless you can show me a passage that the Bible is the Pillar and Bulwark of the Truth in the Scripture then I’ll go with the Bible alone doctrine.

So far I am not convince by your testimony.

In the Bible, the Church is the way because in 1 Timothy 3:15, “If I delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the **church **of the Living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.”

And the Church is the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. How do we know the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ? Let’s look in Acts. Before Paul converted to Christianity, he persecuted the Early Church in Palestine, and Jesus said that Saul persecuted Him.

Acts 9:3-7. "Now as he journeyed he approached Damacus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him. “Saul, Saul, why are you persecute me?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

Second, in the Council of Jerusalem (Acts), the Apostles, and the elders of the Church concluded that circumcision is not neccessary for the Gentile, and they should abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood. It was the first Council of Jersulem that used the testimony of Peter’s. Had they use Scripture as the authority, the Gentile would be require to have circumcision.

The Bible is good for reading, proof, and reference, but it is not the sole authority in all matters. The Bible does not support Sola Scriptura. It is Sacred Tradition, and Sacred Scripture. Jesus left One Church on Earth, and it is the Catholic Church. Just as I stated earlier, St. Ignatius of Antioch, “where there is Jesus Christ, there is the Catholic Church.” I already posted St. Ignatius but you hardly give him any credit.

However, I think I’ll take St. Ignatius testimony over an Ex-Catholic. St. Ignatius was taught by St. John the Apostle, and ordained bishop by St. Peter. An Ex-Catholic is just a lost sheep that need to come home to the Catholic Church.
 
Catholic people are some of the most loving and faithful people I know. If they would just read the New Testament, the Holy Spirit would open the word of God up to them and bring them out of the spirital fog the Catholic Church has put them in.
I was a Protestant, and spent my teenage years in Evangelical Churches. I read the New Testament, and the Holy Spirit opened the word of God to me and brought me home to the Catholic Church. 🙂
 
Do Catholics consider themselves to be born again? If so when or how are they?

When they commit a “mortal sin” do they then “die” and aren’t born again until a Priest says they are?
I don’t know about the rest of the Catholics but I believe you can be “born again”. If you have a period of “spiritual dryness” or even a lapse from God entirely, you can come back to Christ and have a greater appreciation for Him and what He’s done for you and in turn, have a deeper love for Him.
As far as the second half of that question, I believe you are forgiven when are sincerely sorry, no matter what the sin is. Confessing is a Catholic sacrament to attain graces from that forgiveness.
 
God knows who is saved, anyone who receives the Body and Blood of Jesus. That’s our insurance policy.
Not really … Clearly God knows who is saved, but you can receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, with an unclear conscience and be comitting a mortal sin doing so.
 
How can one ask such a question? I’m a Catholic in South Africa, on this side of the world people don’t belive that Catholics are born agains. A Catholic church is a first church of this planet. So I belive that each and every word concerning the religion somehow has connection to the church of God(Catholic), so the first people to become the born again were the catholics. In simple terms, the answer is YES. Catholics are born agains. Protestants misinterpret the word and say that if a preacher say to you that if you accept Jesus in your life you are a born again. You only become a born again if only you’ve been baptised.
 
Hi,
I get bible verses on my homepage and this is what was there:
1 Peter 1:13-25
1:13
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1:14
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
1:15
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
1:16
for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
1:17
Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
1:18
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,
1:19
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1:20
He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
1:21
**Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. **
1:24
For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
1:25
but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
1:25
And this is the word that was preached to you.

If anyone believes this truth they are born again just like Scripture says.😃 IMHO
 
That would be a difficult position to support in light of this verse:

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But I do believe that God knew before the foundations of the world, exactly who would wind up being “in” and who would wind up being “out”, and each hair on their heads.
Have you ever thought of surprising God? After all if He knows who will be “in” and who will be “out” perhaps you could surprise him by singing a new song unto the Lord instead of simply regurgitating the same old same old He predicted you would sing.
 
Hi,
I get bible verses on my homepage and this is what was there:
1 Peter 1:13-25
1:13
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1:14
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
1:15
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
1:16
for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
1:17
Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
1:18
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,
1:19
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1:20
He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
1:21
**Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. **
1:22
**Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. **
1:23
**For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. **
1:24
For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
1:25
but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
1:25
And this is the word that was preached to you.

If anyone believes this truth they are born again just like Scripture says.😃 IMHO
🙂 Hi Allforhim,

And where is you interpretation of Scripture found in the writings of the early Church?

We can post just as much scripture showing you where we interpret baptism to be when one is born again.

But we can also show the writings of the Early Church (before 300 ad) where the Early Christians also taught as we do. Where is your interpretation of Scripture before the 1600’s in Christian writings?

Your sister in Christ,
Maria
 
Hi,
I get bible verses on my homepage and this is what was there:
1 Peter 1:13-25
1:13
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1:14
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
1:15
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
1:16
for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
1:17
Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
1:18
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,
1:19
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1:20
He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
1:21
**Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. **
1:24
For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
1:25
but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
1:25
And this is the word that was preached to you.

If anyone believes this truth they are born again just like Scripture says.😃 IMHO
The ones you bolded support the “born again” argument. John 3 where Jesus is conversing with Nicodemus also supports that. 😃
 
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