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Roman Catholic Faith Examined!
Was Peter the first Pope?
Catholics say Yes! Truth says No!
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Papal Infallibility
From the past and present, here are some things that have been said about
papal infallibility by Catholics themselves:
"Unless I am convinced by the testimonies of Scripture or evident reason
(for I do not believe either Pope or councils alone, since it is certain
that they have both erred frequently and contradicted themselves)...I
neither can nor wish to revoke anything." (This was said by Martin Luther
at Worms in 1521 while still a Catholic priest).
"No enlightened Catholic holds the pope's infallibility to be an article of
faith. I do not; and none of my brethren, that I know of do." (This was
said by Bishop John Purcell in the Campbell-Purcell Debate on the Roman
Catholic Religion in 1837. The Debate was later printed in a book and
Bishop's Purcell's statement is found on page 27. He made his remark before
papal infallibility was decreed by the Vatican Council in 1870 to be an
article of faith).
"Therefore, to resume, I establish: (1) That Jesus has given to His
apostles the same power that He gave to St. Peter. (2) That the apostles
never recognized in St. Peter the vicar of Jesus Christ and the infallible
doctor of the church. (3) That St. Peter never thought of being pope, and
never acted as if he were pope...I conclude victoriously, with history,
with reason, with logic, with good sense, and with a Christian conscience,
that Jesus Christ did not confer any supremacy on St. Peter and that the
bishops of Rome did not become sovereigns of the church, but only
confiscating one by one all the rights of the episcopate." (This, along
with many arguments against papal infallibility, was said by Bishop Joseph
Strossmayer in his speech before the Vatican Council in 1870).
"It has now become quite clear that the conception of continuity,
authority, infallibility of the Church and the Church's teaching, on which
there has not been sufficient reflection, has led the Catholic Church into
a dangerous tight corner." (This, alone with other doubts regarding papal
infallibility, was said by Hans Kung, a prominent Catholic theologian, in
his book, "Infallibility, An Inquiry," 1971).
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Was The Apostle Peter A Pope?
In the books of men, the following titles are commonly used with reference
to a man: "Pope," "Holy Father," "Vicar of Christ," "Sovereign Pontiff."
All of these are titles that rightly belong only to the Lord Jesus Christ
and to God the Father. There is not a single instance in the Scriptures
where any of the above titles are applied to a man. The term, "Holy Father"
is used only once in the entire Bible, and it is used by Jesus in
addressing God the Father. (John 17:11)
Among the above titles is the bold assertion that the Pope is the "Vicar of
Christ." A "vicar" is "One serving as a substitute or agent; one authorized
to perform the functions of another in higher office." (Webster). When one
searches the Bible from cover to cover, he finds only one passage which
gives an indication of a vicar of Christ or God. It is 2 Thess. 2:3-4; it
is worded as follows:
"Let no one deceive you in any way, for the day of the Lord will not come
unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of
perdition, who opposes and is exalted above all that is called God, or that
is worshiped, so that he sits in the temple of God and gives himself out as
if he were God."
Some religionists today advocate that man is saved by faith only. However,
there is only one passage in the entire Bible that has the words "faith"
and "only" together and it says, "not by faith only" (James 2:24). The
Catholics today speak of the Pope as vicar, taking the place of God (Christ
Himself is God, Matt. 1:23; John 1:1), yet there is only one passage in the
entire Bible which speaks of a man doing such and it calls him "the man of
sin."
James Cardinal Gibbons, a Catholic Archbishop said, "Jesus our Lord,
founded but one Church, which He was pleased to build on Peter. Therefore,
any church that does not recognize Peter as its foundation stone is not the
Church of Christ, and therefore cannot stand, for it is not the work of
God." (The Faith of Our Fathers, p. 82). The apostle Paul said, "For other
foundation no one can lay, but that which has been laid, which is Christ
Jesus" (1 Cor. 3:11). There is no other foundation but Christ! Therefore,
any church which does not recognize Christ alone as the foundation stone
cannot be the church of Christ.
Catholic writers often speak of "the primacy of Peter" and "the primacy of
the Pope." However, Col. 1:18, speaking of Christ, says, "And he is the
head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the
dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy..." Thus, with reference
to the authority in the church, the Lord Jesus Christ holds the primacy in
all things. This leaves nothing for the Pope!
Catholics claim that the Pope is the visible head of the church. Please
notice the following from Catholic sources:
"The pope, therefore, as vicar of Christ, is the visible head of Christ's
kingdom on earth, the Church, of which Christ Himself is the invisible
head." (Answer Wisely, by Martin J. Scott, p. 49).
"According to the will of Christ, all its members profess the same faith,
have the same worship and Sacraments, and are united under the one and same
visible head, the Pope." (Father Smith Instructs Jackson, by John F. Noll
and Lester J. Fallon, p. 42)
Catholic officials always use the word "visible" no doubt thinking that it
removes the thought of the Pope standing in opposition to the headship of
Christ, and removes the apparent problem of having a church with two heads.
Nonetheless, the Scriptures nowhere teach the idea of a visible and
invisible head. Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me." (Matt. 28:18; Emp. mine D.R.).
Luke 17:20-21 says, "And on being asked by the Pharisees, 'When is the
kingdom of God coming?' he answered and said to them, The kingdom of God
comes unawares. Neither will they say, 'Behold, here it is,' or 'Behold,
there it is.' For behold the kingdom of God is within you." The kingdom of
God is a spiritual kingdom and therefore needs only a spiritual head or
king.
Eph. 5:23-25 shows that Christ is the only head of the church. "Let wives
be subject to their husbands as to the Lord; because a husband is the head
of the wife, just as Christ is head of the Church, being himself savior of
the body. But just as the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the
wives be to their husbands in all things." Consequently, the wife is
subject to her husband as the church is to Christ. Just as the wife is
subject to only one head--her husband, the church is subject to only one
head--Christ. Just as the husband does not send a substitute to rule over
his wife, Christ does not authorize a substitute to rule over His bride,
the church.
Catholics often use the expression, "One fold and one shepherd" to sustain
the doctrine of the papacy. (See Catholic Catechism For Adults, p. 59, q.
3). They teach that the "one shepherd" is the Pope and the "one fold"
represents the Catholic Church. Hear what Jesus said about it:
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his
sheep...I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, even as
the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my
sheep. And other sheep I have that are not of this fold. Them also I must
bring and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one
shepherd." (John 10:11, 14-16).
Jesus is that one good shepherd. If one can understand that one and one
equals two, he can understand this. If one is subject to Christ as the one
shepherd--that's one. If one is subject to the Pope as the one
Shepherd--that's two!
The church is often compared to the human body in the Scriptures. The
members of the church are represented as the various parts of the body.
Christ is always said to be the head. (See 1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 1:22-23;
4:15-16). Our question is: "What part of the body is the Pope?" Also, "How
does one get the idea of a sub-head into the body?"
One of the greatest arguments against the primacy of Peter is the fact that
the apostles had an argument among themselves as to which of them should be
the greatest. Notice the following:
"Now there arose a dispute among them, which of them was reputed to be the
greatest. But he said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over
them, and they who exercise authority over them are called Benefactors. But
not so with you. On the contrary, let him who is greatest among you become
as the youngest, and him who is chief as the servant.'" (Luke 22:24-26).
The very fact that the apostles had an argument among themselves shows they
did not understand that Peter was to be prince. Also, the occasion of the
argument was the night of the betrayal--the last night of the Lord's
earthly ministry--and yet the apostles still did not understand that Christ
had given Peter a position of primacy. The Lord settled the argument, not
by stating that He had already made Peter head, but by declaring that the
Gentiles have their heads, "But not so with you." Thus, Jesus very plainly
taught that no one would occupy any such place as a Benefactor (or Pope) to
exercise authority over the others.
By David J. Riggs
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