When
discussing salvation, the Catholic Church sometimes uses the term “extra
ecclesiam nulla salus.” This is a Latin
phrase meaning “outside the Church there is no salvation.” In Scripture, the word “church” means “called
out ones,” and it refers to believers / saints (Acts 2:47), i.e., all
those who are saved, throughout the world
(Ephesians
5:23; Colossians 1:17-18), and sometimes it refers to the local assembly of believers (1
Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:2; Revelation chapters 1 and 2).
If the biblical definition of “the church” is what
is meant in this Latin slogan, then it is somewhat redundant. It is like saying that there are no Christians
outside Christianity. But that is
self-evident. But what does the Catholic
Church mean by “the Church” in this context?
Are they referring to all true
believers, no matter what denomination or group you belong to? No, when they say “the Church” here, they
mean only the Catholic Church, the
organization / institution headed by the Vatican in Rome, the supposed “One
True Church.” They are claiming that no
one outside the Catholic Church can
be saved. If there is any doubt about
this definition, here are just a few official Catholic sources to prove the
point:
- In the Lateran Council (A.D. 1215), Pope Innocent III wrote about the Catholic Church: “One indeed is the universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved…” (Emphasis added)
- On November 18, 1302, Pope Boniface VIII wrote in a papal encyclical / bull called “Unam Sanctam”: “Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff [the pope].” (Emphasis added)
- In 1441, at the Council of Florence, Pope Eugene IV, in the papal bull, “Cantate Domino,” wrote: “It [the Catholic Church] firmly believes, professes, and proclaims that those not living within the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics cannot become participants in eternal life, but will depart ‘into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels’ (Matt. 25:41), unless before the end of life the same have been added to the flock… ”
- The Catechism of the Catholic Church, teaches the same concept, but in a softer, less abrasive, more ecumenical language, “reformulated positively.” CCC #846, quoting the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium (LG 14), says: “Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council [Vatican II] teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation…” (Emphasis added)
In the past,
the Catholic Church has hurled many anathemas (declarations of condemnation)
toward Protestants and other non-Catholics.
But it seems that today it is not as blunt as it used to be, but is more
concerned now about using ecumenical, “separated brethren” language that is not
as offensive. However, the point
remains. They are clearly telling us
that one needs to be a member of the Catholic Church to make it into Heaven. They’re not saying that all Catholics are saved, but that only faithful Catholics are.
However, in
all fairness, the Catholic Church does also teach that a non-Catholic can still possibly be saved, if he is
“invincibly ignorant” about the Church, “through no fault of his own” (CCC
#847). We can agree with the concept
that a person who has never heard of Jesus Christ (and perhaps never will) can
still be saved if he reaches out for God (Acts 17:26-27; Romans 1:18-20). But these people are the exceptions to the
rule. We don’t have a problem with these
exceptions. But we do have a problem
with the Catholic Church claiming that the
norm is that no one is saved apart from the Catholic Church. That’s an extraordinary claim, and as we’ve
said many times before, extraordinary
claims require extraordinary proof. But biblical proof of this teaching is not to
be found.
Catholicism’s
concept of “extra ecclesiam nulla salus” exists because of their belief that
they are the “One True Church,” as mentioned earlier. And why do they say this? Mainly because they believe:
- The Catholic Church has all the right sacraments.
- The Catholic Church has “Sacred Tradition.”
- The Catholic Church has a leader in the pope who unifies its people, backed by apostolic succession.
- The Catholic Church has the “four marks of the true church,” and therefore, the fullness of the truth.
But we would
respond in this way:
1) Concerning the sacraments, it is
(supposedly) through these that one can obtain and maintain eternal life,
especially baptism, the Eucharist, and confession to a priest. For the Catholic, the sacraments are
inseparably tied into salvation (CCC #1129).
But there are some major problems with this system of salvation by
works. See here:
2) Concerning “Sacred Tradition,” not
only does this teaching have some special problems, it has an identity crisis,
as well. See here:
3) Concerning the concept of a pope,
there is nothing in Scripture that teaches there is such a person or such a
position in the church. Furthermore, the
Catholic Church’s concept of “apostolic succession” is not scriptural either,
and it is morally and historically unsustainable. See here:
4) Concerning the “four marks of the true church,”
the Catholic Church cannot claim either the fullness of the truth, nor can it
claim all four marks. Actually, they
cannot even claim one of the marks in
the way they define them. See here for a
four-part series of articles addressing this topic:
In
conclusion, this idea that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church is
a trap; it is just as much a trap as Eve’s temptation in the Garden of Eden (Genesis
3:1-6). The temptations may not
be the same, but the end result is: spiritual death (Genesis 2:16-17).
When a
person joins the Catholic Church, he is hoping to obtain eternal life, but if
he is faithful to the Church’s teachings, he will only have a system which
attempts to gain salvation through faith plus
works - a network of bondage that enslaves its members from cradle to
grave. It is a method in which there is
no power to save. It is precisely the
type of system that the Apostle Paul warned us about in Galatians 1:8-9, one
which condemns the individual because it attempts to add our pitiful, imperfect
works to the perfect, complete, and absolutely sufficient work that Jesus did
on the cross (Romans 5:9; Hebrews 9:11-14; 10:16-20).
The bottom
line is that “No Salvation outside the Catholic Church” is an arrogant and
unscriptural concept that has burdened and entangled millions of souls. So, dear friend, what will you do? Will you give in to the many unproven claims
of the Catholic Church… or will you submit to the simple gospel of Jesus
Christ, which is the power of God unto
salvation (Romans 1:16)?
