What about the Rosary:

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do..." - Matthew 6:7

I was asked what I was taught as a Roman Catholic growing up about Mary as well I want to share what the Bible has to say about it. I no longer follow the teachings of the RC church and have been scripturally born again, water baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, all according to John 3:3.

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" - 1st Timothy 2:5

The format is laid out below is first what I was "Taught" and then second what the "Bible" says about it. I can't help thinking of all the customs and prayers the Catholic church does is not based in Scripture.

One of the many resources I used to compile this is: http://www.gotquestions.org/praying-rosary.html and most scripture quotes are from the Online Parallel Bible - http://bible.cc/. A good comparison of the different versions.

Click here for a link about Mary

Taught: Pray the Rosary - Our Lady made these 15 promises to Christians who faithfully pray the Rosary:
Bible: God says do not chant or use repetitious prayer in Matthew 6:7 "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do..."

1. To all those who shall pray my Rosary devoutly, I promise my special protection and great graces.
-  Only God can Protect and give Grace. Gal,1: 6-9; 2Cor.12:7-10; Gal. 1:15; Eph.2: 5-8; Heb.13: 9; Tit.3: 7; Heb.12: 28-29; 2Thes.2:16; ICor.15: 9-10; Heb.4:16.
- Hebrews 14:6 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. How? Doesn't say praying the Rosary devoutly.

2. Those who shall persevere in the recitation of my Rosary will receive some special grace.
- Recitation is vain repetition.  Matthew 6:7 "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do..."
- Contrary to what the Bible says where God is the only giver of Grace. Hebrews 14:6 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9 - and He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

3. The Rosary will be a very powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, deliver from sin and dispel heresy.
- Well it does contain the Our Father
- Matthew 6:9-13

4. The rosary will make virtue and good works flourish, and will obtain for souls the most abundant divine mercies. It will draw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
-Only God's Word will do this, not endless recanting
- John 17:17, " Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

5. Those who trust themselves to me through the Rosary will not perish.
 - Only those who trust themselves to Jesus will not perish
- John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

6. Whoever recites my Rosary devoutly reflecting on the mysteries, shall never be overwhelmed by misfortune. He will not experience the anger of God nor will he perish by an unprovided death. The sinner will be converted; the just will persevere in grace and merit eternal life.
- Stealing from God - Only repentance to God can do this
-John 6:40 -"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."

7. Those truly devoted to my Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
Extra ecclesia nulla salus? (Outside the Church there is no salvation). Which Church?
- Pope Pius XII (1939-1958), Allocution to the Gregorian University (17 October 1953): "By divine mandate the interpreter and guardian of the Scriptures, and the depository of Sacred Tradition living within her, the Church alone is the entrance to salvation: She alone, by herself, and under the protection and guidance of the Holy Spirit, is the source of truth."
- Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 14: "They could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it, or to remain in it."
- The Bible says contrary:
1 John 3:1
3:1 - Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3:2 - and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
John 3:3 ye must be born again
Mark 9:38-40 "...we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part." (KJV)

8. Those who are faithful to recite my Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces and will share in the merits of the blessed.
- Chapter and Verse please.
- Matthew 6:7 "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do..."

9. I will deliver promptly from purgatory souls devoted to my Rosary.
- Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Isaiah 53:5 “but He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
- 1 John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for[a] the sins of the whole world.
- 1 Corinthians 3:15, which says, “If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames - key word here 'escaping', not 'cleansed'.
- Hebrews 7:27 Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered himself

10. True children of my Rosary will enjoy great glory in heaven.
- Chapter and Verse please, only those born again and washed by Jesus' blood will do so
- "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven"

11. What you shall ask through my Rosary you shall obtain.
- Chapter and Verse please - only those who ask in Jesus' name and in God's will will obtain.
- John 11:12 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
- John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

12. To those who propagate my Rosary I promise aid in all their necessities.
- Chapter and Verse please.
- Matthew 6:25 - Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet - - Matthew 6:33 - But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

13. I have obtained from my Son that all the members of the Rosary Confraternity shall have as their intercessors, in life and in death, the entire celestial court.
- Mark 7:6-9
6- He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
7-They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'
8- You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
9- And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

14. Those who recite my Rosary faithfully are my beloved children, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
- Matthew 6:7 "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do..."

15. Devotion to my Rosary is a special sign of predestination.
- Only predestination spoken in the Bible is:
- Romans 8:29-30
“For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”
- Ephesians 1:5, 11
“He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will…
In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.”

Compliments of: http://www.gotquestions.org/predestination.html here are some more passages regarding Biblical Predestination and not Rosary predestination:
Matthew 24:22, 31; Mark 13:20, 27; Romans 8:33; 9:11; 11:5-7,28; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2:9; 2 Peter 1:10

Compliments of: http://www.gotquestions.org/praying-rosary.html
While the first part of the Hail Mary is almost a direct quotation from Luke 1:28. there is no scriptural basis for (1) praying to Mary now, (2) addressing her as “holy” Mary, or (3) calling her “our life” and “our hope.”  Likewise, is it appropriate to call Mary our “life” and “hope?” Again, these are terms that are used of God alone in Scripture, particularly God the Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-14; Colossians 3:4; 1 Timothy 1:1; Ephesians 2:12; Titus 2:13).

THE APOSTLE'S CREED: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

- Jesus did not descend into Hell, but Sheol, a place of departed spirits.  Some were in comfort, some in pain.

Read Luke 16:19-31 about Lazarus and the rich man to get a grasp about this temporary area.  They both could see and talk to each other, one was in comfort, one was in torment. Why was it temporary? Because Jesus had not died to pay for our sins yet.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to described the realm of the dead is "Sheol." It simply means the "place of the dead" or the "place of departed souls/spirits." The New Testament Greek word that is used for hell is "Hades," which also refers to “the place of the dead.”

Other Scriptures in the New Testament indicate that Sheol / Hades is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection and judgment. Revelation 20:11-15 gives a clear distinction between the two.

Hell (the lake of fire) is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades is a temporary place. So, no, Jesus did not go to “Hell” because “Hell” is a future realm, only put into effect after the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).

- Ephesians 1:22-23 "And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

- Romans 16:5 "…also greet the church that is in their house..."  (Note: "the church in their house, not the house as a church")

- 1 Corinthians 12:13 "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.

- 2 Corinthians 5:21 "For He hath made Him to be sin for us Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

Click here for:
- What about Mary?
- What about Salvation?
- Prayer of Salvation