Which Jesus is Lacking?

Iain Murray encourages all evangelicals to read the 1994 Catholic Catechism. Mr. Murray quotes Pope John Paul, who when in Australia speaking to priests, said, ‘Jesus did not want a church without priests. If priests are lacking, then Jesus is lacking in the world, as is his Eucharist and his forgiveness... We share in the work of Christ, the eternal High Priest.’ Murray says, 'Men and women died rather than assent to such teaching.'

It is always interesting to read and hear such things from catholic leaders, especially the pope, since Jesus Himself said, regarding His work when He was upon the cross, "It is finished!"

Jesus said His work is finished, yet the pope, John Paul, 2000 years later says it is lacking without human priests. Every catholic ought to be honest, thinking long and clear on this one--Jesus and the pope don't agree-- I wonder who is right? There's no wondering.

One of the most grievous things about this in our day is that there are thousands of professing "evangelical" catholics that sincerely believe they are Bible believers and at the same time are devoted to the catholic church and catholic faith. But you cannot be both-- it is either one or the other but not both. Either Jesus Christ and the Bible are right, thus leaving Catholici sm wrong and in error, or Catholicism is right and the Bible is not true. You cannot have both, even though nice, sincere people say they believe both.

You can't have a long, short trip; or a clear sunny, cloudy day, or a hot and cold cup of tea, or a tall, short man; neither can you have a biblical catholicism. Simply impossible, because you cannot have a Saviour who said, "It is finished" and then have a Saviour, of whom the pope says, "If priests are lacking in the world, then Jesus is lacking in the world, as is his Eucharist and his forgiveness... We share in the work of Christ, the eternal High Priest." Utter falsehood, pure and simple. Which Jesus is lacking? The catholic Jesus obviously, but not the Jesus of the New Testament. The fact is, the catholic Jesus is lacking but the Jesus revealed in the pages of the Bible is not lacking because they are not the same.

- Mack T.