How to Share the Gospel with a Roman Catholic
Ekibastuz The typical Roman Catholic is not eager to engage in conversation – especially an older one. They may try to brush you off with a comment like, “I have my own church.” It’s almost always Catholics that make that particular comment.
If a Catholic will talk to you, witness to him like anyone else. But if you’re getting brushed off, and you don’t want to give up easily, you need to try to say something to ‘freeze’ him. It would be a good guess to offer . . .
Oh, you must be a Roman Catholic. I’ve never known a Catholic to care enough about others to actually share something about their faith. KEY POINT – THIS IS A ‘DESPERATION TACTIC.’ Not to be used if you already have a relationship with a Catholic, but rather in a ‘cold turkey’ situation on a street with a stranger.
Anyway, in the ‘street’ scenario . . . if that freezes him . . . don’t be abrasive, but rather pleading. You might try . . .
But in the Bible, Jesus says an amazing thing . . . “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” And . . . “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” You see, the official Catholic position, proclaimed by all the popes for the last 1000 years, is that salvation is found only in the Catholic church, through the sacraments, by the priests, under the cardinals and pope.
But the Bible says that salvation is only in Jesus Christ. The apostle Peter said . . . “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Saved from what? Judgment is coming – for you and me – and Jesus preached that most people are on their way to hell . . . the broad road to destruction. And that the road to life and heaven is narrow and few find it.
Then take him through the law to the Gospel, as always. For more on this, review my other articles on evangelism, including A Simple Framework and A Very Short Gospel Presentation.
If he hears you out, you will need to be explicit about repenting from Catholicism. It is essential to communicate to the Catholic that he is LOST – not just in a different denomination. After all, how can one truly understand the Gospel and trust Christ, and yet still be content to participate in the abomination of the Mass – which claims to be a perpetual re-sacrifice of Christ? Or how can he continue to “receive Christ” through “Holy Communion,” believing that his “priest” has the power to yank the Lord Jesus Christ out of heaven and put Him into a wafer?
For the Catholic to “believe in Jesus” he necessarily repents from Catholicism with all its pagan practices. It’s your duty to make this plain – as graciously but as clearly as possible.
A short list of Catholic heresies and Scriptures you can use to teach the truth:
1. The Mass as a continuing sacrifice: John 19:30, Hebrews 9:25-28, Rev 1:18
2. Works added to faith for salvation: Eph 2:8-10, Titus 3:5-8, Gal 2:16, Rom 4:4-5
3. Infant baptism: From John the Baptist through the book of Acts, only believers are baptized. No exception.
4. Peter as the first “pope,” the “rock” on which Christ allegedly established His church: Acts 4:8-12, 1 Peter 2:6-9, Deut 32:3-4, Ps 18:1-2, 1 Cor 3:11. (The “rock” in Matt 16:18 is found in v. 16b – it’s the proclamation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.)
5. Priests vs. priesthood of the believer: 1 Peter 2:9, Rev 1:6, Heb 7:25, Heb 4:14-16
– Dr. Dave