Consider All What The Bible Says On A Particular Topic

By Pat Donahue

Many times believers don’t follow the truth due to wrong conclusions being drawn because all of what the Bible says on a particular topic is not taken into consideration. For example, the Catholics do that with their doctrine of transubstantiation. About the Lord’s Supper Jesus said in Matt 26:27-28 “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” The Catholics take that to mean the fruit of the vine supernaturally changed to the literal blood of Jesus when He gave thanks – a doctrine called transubstantiation. And if that were the only passage we had on this detail, I might agree with them. But Catholics ignore the very next verse (29) which would falsify this position – “But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Notice Jesus is now calling the liquid “fruit of the vine,” not his blood. So had it already changed back to juice just moments after it had changed to Jesus’ literal blood? Or was Jesus using a metaphor all along, like when He said “I am the door” (John 10:9)? The same mistake is being made when preachers teach salvation is by faith alone. It is true enough verses like John 3:16 teach we must believe to be saved, but no passage says believe only is enough. To the contrary, James 2:24 says “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” And Mark 16:16a says “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” When you take all passages under consideration, we see that John 3:16 is not teaching salvation by faith only.