The Catholic View of Jesus

By Reese Currie, Compass Distributors

Paul once expressed his fear that the Corinthians might well accept someone who comes preaching of another Jesus. He wrote, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:3,4).

Does the Roman Catholic Church preach another Jesus? Unlike many of the cultic groups, the Roman Catholic Church upholds the divinity of Christ, but yet, the Jesus they preach is still considerably different from the Jesus portrayed in Scripture.

I am going to take some quotations from Christ Among Us – A Modern Presentation of the Catholic Faith for Adults, to demonstrate the Catholic views of Christ. For those who will inevitably object that this book does not accurately represent Catholic beliefs, I will point out that it has been used with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in many places and has been in publication for the past 40 years, so obviously the bishops in those areas and their superiors have not objected to its use, and these superiors would include popes John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI.

The Catholic Jesus Must Perpetually Re-present His Sacrifice

At Mass Christ does not suffer or die again. Rather he re-presents, prolongs, continues, renews his great moment of sacrifice down through the centuries so we can be a part of it. There are millions of Masses, but only one sacrifice of Christ. If we at Mass were to close our eyes it would be the same as if Christ's followers on Calvary closed theirs; the same great action is taking place before us and we are able to be an intimate part of it. -- Christ Among Us, p. 248.

Hebrews 10:12-14 says, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

Catholics object that, if Christ is a priest forever, as Hebrews 5:6 says, then He must be offering a sacrifice forever. Jesus' role as priest involves not only the sacrifice that He performed once, but also a continuing role of intercession, and Hebrews 7:25 says, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” That is the sense in which Jesus is a “priest forever.” On the basis of His one perfect sacrifice he forever can intercede on our behalf. Romans 8:34 speaks of this perpetual intercession, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

The writer of Hebrews flatly denies that Christ's sacrifice ever needs to be “reoffered” in Hebrews 9:24-28. “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

The Catholic Jesus Is Physically Present In Their Churches

Christ's presence in the eucharist in the tabernacle of every Catholic church is a way in which God today dwells among his people with special closeness. This is why our churches are open daily, why people often drop in for a “visit” to share their joys and sorrows with Christ or just to talk things over. We saw how God was present among the Israelites, invisibly hovering over the Ark of the Covenant in his tabernacle or tent in the desert. Today we have God become human in our midst. -- Christ Among Us, pp. 279,280

Jesus Christ does not physically dwell in any church. Hebrews 9:24 says, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

As Stephen said in his last speech, “Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things?” (Acts 7:48-50).

Shortly after saying that, Stephen also speaks of Jesus' present location as he is being stoned to death: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56).

Peter, Paul and the writer of Hebrews all note that Jesus is physically sitting at the right hand of God (1 Peter 3:22; Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 10:12; 12:3).

Jesus does not dwell on earth because, in His own words, it would be impossible for the Spirit to come unto believers if He stayed. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you” (John 16:7).

The Catholic Jesus Didn't Always Know He Was Divine

What he [Jesus] always was and what he basically knew in the depths of his consciousness, that he was divine, he only gradually came to grasp in the context of his life situation. St. Paul says he “emptied himself” to become one of us—perhaps as if by a kind of divine amnesia he “forgot” he was divine and had to come to realize it again. -- Christ Among Us, pp. 91,92.

There is absolutely no Scriptural evidence for this claim. The passage of Paul that is being referred to here actually states the opposite, that Christ was fully aware of His divinity but “made himself of no reputation.” Philippians 2:5-8 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

There is a textual variant at Philippians 2:6 in the Alexandrian text, which reads “who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped” (ASV) but that does not affect in any way the teaching that Jesus knew He was God but humbled himself to appear as a man. The Alexandrian reading only means that Christ did not count being on an equality with God something to hold onto, but rather humbled Himself. In either case, if Jesus hadn't known He was divine, this Scripture would not be true.

We're a bit astounded that this is Catholic teaching but after a scan of the catechism, I haven't been able to find any text specifically stating otherwise.

The Catholic Jesus Does Not Pay the Price For Our Sins (Or Does He?)

Jesus does not “appease” the divine “wrath” of a God outraged by our sins, nor does he “pay the price” to God for our sins. This view of a punishing God who demands even the death of his Son was widespread in popular Christian imagination and even in the liturgy until recently, spurred on by human tragedies that were seen as God's punishment. The fact is Jesus, out of limitless love, offered to reunite us with God to save us from the alienation in which we put ourselves by our sins. He carried this out by his whole life of reconciliation, and when he saw that he might have to die violently for us, he accepted it as the only way to show us his, and God's, limitless love for us. -- Christ Among Us, p. 112.

There are several falsehoods in this quotation from Christ Among Us, first that God does not have wrath against sinners, second that Jesus' death did not pay the price for our sins and save us from that wrath, third that Jesus was so limited that He didn't know all along that He would have to die violently for our sins.

God does have wrath toward sinners and those that reject His Son. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

Jesus' blood is certainly what justifies believers and saves us from God's wrath. “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:9). “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

In case anyone should quibble that the above verses don't clearly indicate that our sins bring God's wrath, consider Colossians 3:5,6, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.”

It was known by God the Father and the Son that His death would be necessary from even before the foundation of the world. 1 Peter 1:18-21 says, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

While on the topic of God's wrath, some good advice for readers of Christ Among Us: “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6).

The reason I added "Or Does He?" to this section heading is that this odd teaching from Christ Among Us does not seem to reflect what is said on the topic in the Catholic catechism, which states at point 615, "By his obedience unto death, Jesus accomplished the substitution of the suffering Servant, who 'makes himself an offering for sin', when 'he bore the sin of many', and who 'shall make many to be accounted righteous', for 'he shall bear their iniquities'. Jesus atoned for our faults and made satisfaction for our sins to the Father."

Therefore we don't think it is fair to proclaim that this is the teaching held by all Catholics, however it is extremely strange and unfortunate that a book containing this teaching would be used for the RCIA. This does however fit a pattern I've noticed with Catholic teachings over the years; because Catholics teach so many contradictory things, criticizing their teachings is difficult because their apologists can often cite a contradictory source.

An example of this is their agreement on justification with the Lutheran church. It can be said that they have agreement on justification with the Lutherans because they have one document stating that is the case, the Joint Declaration on Justification. However it can also be said they disagree with the Lutherans because another official document called Responses of the Catholic Church to the Joint Declaration of the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation on the Doctrine of Justification disputes the first Catholic document. So if they are criticized for agreeing with the Lutherans, they can point at the second document, and if they are criticized for disagreeing with the Lutherans, they can point to the first. This sort of double-minded subterfuge has no place in an organization claiming to preach the truth, since two contradictory views cannot both be true.

The Catholic Jesus' Death Was Unnecessary

God could have saved the world from sin in any way he chose, but he let his only Son be fully human, and undergo death at the hands of his fellow humans, to bring it about. -- Christ Among Us, p. 126.

This is not what Jesus taught. As soon as Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, we read, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21).

As mentioned in the previous section, this was foreordained even before the foundation of the world. It was written in repeatedly in Old Testament Scripture and the necessity of Christ's death is a required part of the true gospel message. Luke 24:44-47 says, “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

There were not multiple ways God could have saved the world from sin; there was only the one perfect way, which was the sacrifice of God's perfect Son. Hebrews 9:22,23 says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”

Again, we were surprised that this would be taught as Catholic doctrine and briefly investigated the Catholic catechism but were unable to find anything specifically stating that God had no other options but the sacrifice of His Son.

In Conclusion

There are other views in Christ Among Us that separate the Catholic Jesus from the Jesus of the Bible, for example, the Catholic Jesus apparently wasn't really born in Bethlehem and did not actually cast out demons. On page 71, Christ Among Us states, “By placing Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, Luke and Matthew make the point that he was the Messiah, since this was David's home and the Messiah would be of David's lineage. Jesus' birthplace was probably Nazareth...” On page 25 we read “When the gospels tell us of Christ driving out evil spirits, we today might speak of epilepsy or mental illness.”

However I believe I've presented more than enough information to demonstrate that indeed a different Jesus is being preached in Catholicism without bothering to take up those points. The Catholic view of Jesus is just plain weird, an obvious departure from Scripture that Catholics would justify with the circular reasoning of an appeal to their own tradition. However, it is still a different Jesus from the one preached by the apostles and therefore Paul's fear still stands, “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

The Catholic View of Jesus is Copyright © 2007 by Compass Distributors

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations were taken from the King James Version

Wilhelm, Anthony J. Christ Among Us, Sixth Revised Edition. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1996.