Joshua Bennett
The Catholic Church teaches that salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone, who is the one mediator between God and man. Jesus is believed to be the Son of God, and through him, Catholics have access to the inner Trinitarian life of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Catholics worship Jesus, and he is perceived as the saviour who died for their sins and will grant them eternal life. While the Catholic Church maintains that salvation comes through Jesus, it also acknowledges that God is at work outside the boundaries of the Church and can save people without them necessarily embracing the Catholic faith.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Jesus' role | Son of God, God, Saviour, Mediator |
| Catholic Church's role | Provide guidance to reach salvation, spread the Gospel |
| People's role | Believe in Jesus, spread the Gospel, repent, be baptised, turn to Jesus |
| Salvation | Comes through Jesus, accessible through repentance, faith, and baptism |
| Relationship with Jesus | Enhances relationship with God, provides comfort and hope |
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What You'll Learn
Jesus as the saviour
The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus is God, a member of the Trinity, and the Son of God. As such, he is perceived as the saviour of the human race.
Jesus is believed to have saved humanity by breaking the power of evil. He did this by becoming a human being, suffering, dying on the cross, and then rising from the dead. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus ransomed humanity by taking on the sins of the world. As God, he was the only one with the power to make up for the offence of the human race. As a human, he was able to represent humanity.
The idea that Jesus is the saviour is central to Catholic teaching. Catholics believe that Jesus himself established the Church to keep people safe from sin. The Church is often referred to as "the barque (or ship) of Peter", a seaworthy vessel to help people sail to eternal life.
However, Catholic teaching also acknowledges that God can save people outside of the visible boundaries of the Church. Pope St. John Paul II stated that "No one, therefore, can enter into communion with God except through Christ, by the working of the Holy Spirit". At the same time, he recognised that God is at work outside the boundaries of the Church.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". This teaching can be difficult to reconcile with the existence of many different religions. In the 1960s, the bishops of the Catholic Church addressed this question at the Second Vatican Council.
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Jesus as the son of God
The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he is both fully God and fully man. This belief is supported by numerous verses from the Bible. For instance, in Mark 1:1, Mark the Evangelist provides his readers with the assurance that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. In St. Luke's Gospel, the Angel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that her son to be born is the Son of God: "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).
In his trial before the Jewish leaders, Jesus was asked if he was the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you say" (Matthew 26:64). The Jewish leaders responded by accusing Jesus of blasphemy and demanding his death, as they understood that to be the Son of God was to be of the same nature as God (Leviticus 24:15). This claim to be of the same nature as God was blasphemous to the Jewish leaders.
Jesus is referred to as the Son of God in several other instances throughout the Gospels, by supernatural beings, the prophet, and the Apostles. For example, during his ministry, Jesus cast out demons, who addressed him as the Son of God (Luke 4:41). The prophet John the Baptist also affirmed Jesus' claim to be the Son of God.
The belief that Jesus is the Son of God is central to the Catholic faith. As St. Peter sums up: "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:3-4).
Through Jesus, Catholics have access to the inner Trinitarian life of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As Pope St. John Paul II said: "No one, therefore, can enter into communion with God except through Christ, by the working of the Holy Spirit" (Redemptoris Missio 5).
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Jesus as a part of the Holy Trinity
The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus is God and is part of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is a central concept in Christianity, representing the three distinct forms of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person in the Trinity is considered to be fully God, yet they are not three separate gods but one God in three persons. This concept is articulated in the Great Commission, where Jesus instructs his disciples to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
The idea of the Trinity is not explicitly found in the Bible but was defined by the Catholic Church. It is based on diverse references to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. The Church's teachings state that Jesus is the Son of God, who was sent by the Father. Jesus is often referred to as the Son of God in prayers and the Gospels, where he talks to God and refers to him as his Father. This relationship between the Father and the Son existed before the creation of the world, as seen in John 17:5, where Jesus says, "glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made."
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, proceeds from the Father and the Son, not in a generative sense but in a spiration. This spiration is an infinite act of love between the Father and the Son, resulting in the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is also referred to as God's love poured into our hearts, as mentioned in Romans 5:5.
Jesus is considered the savior and the way to eternal life in Catholic teachings. Pope St. John Paul II stated that "No one, therefore, can enter into communion with God except through Christ, by the working of the Holy Spirit." This emphasizes the belief that salvation comes through Jesus Christ and his Church. Catholics are encouraged to spread the Gospel and evangelize, even though the Church acknowledges that God can work and save people outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic faith.
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Jesus as a guide and source of wisdom
The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus is God, a member of the Trinity, and that he is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Through him, Catholics have access to the inner life of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is a central tenet of the faith, and the basis of being a Christian is believing in the Trinity.
Jesus is also seen as a guide and source of wisdom for Catholics. While Jesus is never explicitly identified with divine wisdom in the canonical Gospels, there is one Biblical instance in 1 Corinthians 1:24, where Paul writes that Jesus is "the wisdom of God". Additionally, in the Gospel of John, Jesus is identified as God's wisdom and then immediately as God himself: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This shift from the Old Testament, where wisdom is an attribute of God, to the New Testament, where Christ is God expressed as wisdom, occurred within 20 years of Jesus' death.
The Gospel of Matthew also portrays Jesus as God's wisdom, with five instances of the Greek word for wisdom, "σοφια", or its derivatives, being used in the first Gospel (Matt 11:19, 25; 12:42; 13:54; 23:34). Similarly, in the Gospel of Luke, wisdom sayings are present, and Jesus is associated with divine wisdom six times (Luke 2:40, 52; 7:35; 11:31, 49; 21:15).
In the Catholic tradition, the Book of Wisdom, also known as "the Book of the Great Wisdom of Solomon", is one of the deutero-canonical writings of the Old Testament. It contains teachings addressed to kings, exhorting them to seek Wisdom, which is described as "the Splendor of God". This book reflects the Catholic belief in the importance of wisdom and its connection to God and, by extension, to Jesus as the embodiment of divine wisdom.
Through his teachings and example, Jesus provides guidance and wisdom to Catholics, helping them to navigate the challenges of life and strive for eternal life. By following Jesus' teachings, Catholics can deepen their relationship with God and work towards their salvation.
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Jesus as the forgiver of sins
The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus is God and part of the Trinity. As such, Jesus is seen as the saviour of all people, and the only way to achieve communion with God is through Christ. This is reflected in the Bible, where Jesus says, ""I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
Jesus is also seen as the forgiver of sins. When Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven," he demonstrated his power and authority as the Son of God. In Luke 5:21, Jesus asks, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" This idea is further supported by Paul's preaching in Acts 13:38, where he says, "through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you".
The concept of Jesus as the forgiver of sins is also connected to the idea of salvation. By forgiving sins, Jesus provides a path to salvation and eternal life. This is a central belief in Catholicism, as reflected in the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, who argued that a relationship with Jesus allows us to know the truths about God without error, leading to our salvation.
Confession and forgiveness of sins are important aspects of Catholic practice. While some Catholics believe that confessing to another person in Christ, such as a priest, creates accountability and increases the likelihood of change, others argue that confession is not a requirement for forgiveness. Instead, they emphasize that sincere confession directly to Jesus is sufficient to receive forgiveness from God.
In conclusion, the Catholic Church's belief in Jesus as the forgiver of sins is deeply rooted in their theology and understanding of salvation. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus provides the means for forgiveness and salvation, offering a path to eternal life.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the official teaching of the Catholic Church is that Jesus is God, a member of the Trinity. However, some Catholics believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and worship him as such.
Catholics believe that Jesus is the "one mediator between God and man" (1 Tm 2:5-6) and that salvation comes through Jesus alone. Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6) and through him, we have access to the inner Trinitarian life of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Catholics believe that God has revealed his plan for their salvation. They believe that Jesus Christ has paid the price for their sins and that the saving grace won by Jesus is offered as a free gift, accessible through repentance, faith, and baptism.
