Jon wrote on this site:
“”Nowhere in the Bible does it say faith alone. This is un-Scriptural, since Christ tells us that to enter into life we must keep the commandments, hear the Church, do the will of His Father and much more with faith. Yes, actions plus faith.”
now read Paul:
“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. “ (Ephesians 2:8-10)
27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:27-31)
He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13)
20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:20)
Its there, in the Bible. It is not as Jon said “Nowhere in the Bible”.
The Catholic Church has been pretty big on changing what the scriptures say. “The Eternal virginity of Mary” who we know by many spots in the scriptures bore brothers to Jesus …. pure fiction of man.
I have to give props to the Church for getting rid of some of the nonsense it makes up, like the Pope speaking infallibly “Ex-Cathedra”. I give props for the Catholic Church for stopping the sale of “Indulgences”.
The Catholic Church still has work to do with all the remaining vestiges of stuff it made up, usually for financial reasons. The ascendancy of Mary allowed by Constantine VI at the seventh ecumenical council to save the financial losses that were bankrupting the many shrines and local churches stemming from Constantine V having banned idolatry. Thus Constine VI resumed the pagan worship of Mary (Egyptian Goddess Isis) “Queen of Heaven” who was so roundly rebuked by Old Testament Prophets. The church should revisit the notion of the “Perpetual virginity of Mary” who bore several brothers to Christ per the scriptures. The Church should revisit the notion of a celibate clergy (The supposed first Vicar/Pope,Peter, was married), which was, like indulgences, a financial move to reduce church expenses, for it has lead to many abuses like Clerical Concubines, and most recently child molesting. (My own mother had a long term affair with a Catholic Priest in Southern California, now deceased, who rued the hypocrisy the celibacy rule had forced upon the clergy.)