What’s This About? Pope Francis teaches about God and the gospel. At Born Again Christians, we believe the Bible is our only guide (2 Timothy 3:16). We want to check if what Pope Francis says matches God’s Word. Let’s look at five big ideas in his teaching, compare them to the Bible, and see what’s different.
- All Religions Lead to God
- What Francis Says: He said, “All religions are a path to God” (Singapore, 2024). It sounds like everyone gets to God their own way.
- What the Bible Says: Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Salvation is only through Jesus (Acts 4:12).
- Problem: The Bible says Jesus is the only way. Saying all religions work doesn’t match God’s Word.
- Helping People More Than Sharing Jesus
- What Francis Says: He talks a lot about helping the poor, immigrants, and the planet (like in Laudato Si’, 2015).
- What the Bible Says: Helping others is good (Matthew 25:40). But Jesus told us to share the gospel and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). The gospel saves people (Romans 1:16).
- Problem: Focusing mostly on help, not Jesus, can miss the Bible’s main message—salvation through Christ.
- Not Clear on Right and Wrong
- What Francis Says: He said, “Who am I to judge?” about gay people (2013) and allowed blessings for same-sex couples (2023).
- What the Bible Says: Sin, like homosexuality, needs repentance (Romans 1:26-27). God’s grace forgives, but we must turn to Him (John 8:11).
- Problem: Being unclear about sin can confuse people. The Bible calls us to truth and grace.
- Ideas from Liberation Theology
- What Francis Says: He talks about fixing unfair systems, like poverty, which sounds like liberation theology from Latin America.
- What the Bible Says: God cares about the poor (Isaiah 1:17). But salvation comes from faith in Jesus, not changing systems (John 3:16).
- Problem: Mixing politics with the gospel adds ideas not in the Bible.
- Using Catholic Tradition
- What Francis Says: He follows Catholic rules, like changing teachings on the death penalty (2018), based on Church authority.
- What the Bible Says: The Bible is our only authority (2 Timothy 3:16). We don’t add human rules (Revelation 22:18).
- Problem: Trusting tradition over Scripture doesn’t line up with God’s Word.
Why This Matters: We love people, including Pope Francis. But at Born Again Christians, we test everything by the Bible. The gospel is about Jesus’ death and resurrection for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). If teachings add other ideas, they might lead people away from Jesus. Galatians 1:8 warns against a different gospel.
What Can We Do?
- Read the Bible to know the true gospel (John 17:17).
- Pray for Pope Francis and others to follow God’s Word.
- Share Jesus’ love and truth with kindness (1 Peter 3:15).