By
Pastor Tedd Mathis
October
2015
We
live in an age that urges us to set aside doctrinal convictions for the sake of
religious or social unity. Sometimes the source of that urging catches us off
guard. Like when well-known Southern Baptist pastor Rick Warren enthusiastically
endorses Pope Francis as “our Pope” saying he is “the perfect example of
humility and is doing everything right.” Last month when Pope Francis was in
the U.S., Warren made certain he was at the White House to welcome him. *
But
some of the doctrines we are urged to set aside determine people’s eternal
destiny. To set aside what the Bible teaches as to who Jesus Christ is, and
what He alone can do for sinners, is to be indifferent to whether or not people
go to hell. I can’t do that and I assume you can’t either.
That’s
what this essay is about. This is a plea for us to examine the Scriptures and
confirm that Jesus Christ alone is head of His Church, that Christ alone has
fully satisfied God in the place of sinners, and that Scripture alone is our
source of authority for all matters of faith and practice.
That’s
not what the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) teaches. When one studies the RCC’s
official statements – canons, councils, catechism -- you will see they go far
beyond what the Bible clearly states. In this essay I am going to focus on what
the RCC states about the pope and compare it to the Bible.
According to the Vatican website, the pope is to be considered Bishop of
Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ,
Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal
Church.
First, let’s focus on the
title ‘Vicar;’ it means to ‘to act in the place of with authority’ The RCC
catechism says the following: The Pope,
Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor "is the perpetual and visible source
and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the
faithful." "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar
of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal
power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise
unhindered." - The Catechism, Article 9, para. 4, #882
Second, let’s consider
what ‘Supreme Pontiff’ means. According to the RCC, the man serving as pope serves
as a high priest for the universal church. He is everyone’s mediator before
God. Cardinal James Gibbons, in his book The Faith of Our Fathers, explains: “We must therefore find in
the Church of Christ a spiritual judge, exercising the same supreme authority
as the High Priest wielded in the Old Law [i.e. Old Testament]. For if a
supreme Pontiff was necessary, in the Mosaic dispensation, to maintain purity
and uniformity of worship, the same dignitary is equally necessary now to
preserve unity of faith.”**
Compare that to
what the writer of Hebrews says: The former priests, on the one hand, existed in
greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but
Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood
permanently. 25 Therefore He is able
also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He
always lives to make
intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting for us to
have such a high
priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from
sinners and exalted
above the heavens; 27 who does not need
daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself (7:23-27. See also
9:23-28; 10:10-18).
I write this tenderly but
firmly to those who may think the differences between what we at PW Baptist
believe and what Roman Catholicism teaches has to do more with style than
substance. By claiming the pope to be Christ’s vicar, Roman Catholicism diminishes, even denies, what the Bible says Christ
alone accomplishes. Roman Catholicism teaches their priestly system (the pope
as supreme or high priest) as being an absolute necessity for a person’s
salvation. The pope and priests and their sacramental activities (e.g., the
mass) are necessary mediators between others and God and thus contribute to a
sinner’s salvation. Further, for anyone to say different is anathema – cursed.
Here’s the RCC’s canon statement:
"If anyone
says that the sacrifice of the mass is one only of praise and thanksgiving; or
that it is a mere commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the cross but
not a propitiatory one; or that it profits him only who receives, and ought not
to be offered for the living and the dead, for sins, punishments,
satisfactions, and other necessities, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA" (Canons on the
Sacrifice of the Mass, Canon 3, from the Council of Trent, 1545-1563).
That
is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus alone (in and of Himself) “is able to save
forever those who draw near to God through Him since He always lives to make
intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). He needs no man or ceremony to act in His
place. Rather, all men need Him to act in their place. “There is one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Tim. 2:5). We draw near to God through faith in Christ, not ours or anyone else’s religious acts (Eph.
2:8,9; Rom. 3:21-30). We’re told that Christ alone is to have first place in
all things because He alone reconciled
all things to Himself having made peace through the blood of His cross (Col.
1:15-23).
So even if a world-famous Southern Baptist calls Pope
Francis ‘our pope,’ we cannot. We must
honor Christ alone, in our own hearts and minds and in our witness to others,
including Roman Catholic friends and family.
Here
are four specific reasons the Bible gives why the pope can’t be our pope:
Because Christ alone is
Head of the Church. The Bible says
Christ alone is in authority over all things. The reason He is in authority
over all things and His name is above all names and is head of the Church is
because He was given that position by the Father after He suffered and died in
the place of sinners. His being in authority now over all things was His reward
-- because He remained obedient to the
point of death on a cross, therefore,
God highly exalted Him (Phil. 2:8,9). See Col. 1:15-20; Phil. 2:5-11; Eph.
1:18-23; 4:4-6; I Tim 2:5; Heb. 7:23-27; 9:15; 10:10-14; Jude 24,25.
As you examine the above
texts; you will see there is no need for a pope. I mean no disrespect to Mr. Bergoglio, who is the present pope, nor
individual Roman Catholics by saying that. But the Bible tells us that God was
fully satisfied (appeased/propitiated) by what Jesus did on the cross; the
proof is He raised Jesus from the dead and then exalted Him (Romans 3:21-30;
4:25-5:1).
To teach the existence and
necessity of an earthly ‘supreme pontiff (pontiff
literally means bridge-builder – a go between, a mediator) is to deny God
is satisfied with His only begotten Son. Further, it is to deny the explicit
words of Christ Himself: “No man comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). The
role of high priest from the Old Covenant was fulfilled in heaven by Jesus
Christ. Right now we have “a great
high priest who has (already) passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God”
(Heb. 4:14-16; 7:25). Popes resign. They die, they have to be replaced. Jesus
can’t. Jesus won’t. God is fully satisfied with what Jesus did on behalf of
sinners. God doesn’t need a vicar.
Because all believers
are priests. All true believers are a royal
priesthood, all have the Holy Spirit,
all are led by the Spirit, all share in the Spirit’s anointing. Christ’s spirit indwells all His own, glorifying Him alone (Rom 8; I John 2:18-22; I Pet 2:9;
John 16:14). All in Christ are
considered saints (holy ones) with a high and holy calling (I Cor. 1:2-3; Phil
1:1; I Pet. 1:14-19).
Under the Old Covenant, there was a unique tribe, the
Levites, who were to serve as priests. But under the New Covenant, all
believers are priests. If we are all
priests, that means there is no special class of priest. Every believer in
Christ has the means and privilege to speak the truths of the Bible. Every
believer can tell other sinners, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will
be saved.” Every believer has the capacity to pray on behalf of others. Those
privileges are not reserved for a special category of Christ’s church.
Yes, there are pastors or
elders who shepherd local congregations, and they are given as gifts to
Christ’s church (Eph. 4:7-16; I Peter 5:1-5; Acts 14:23; 20:17-32). But
they are not priests; there is no special priestly/pontiff class in the New
Testament. The role of pastor is primarily one of instruction and
administration and in that role they teach their flock to depend on the Great
Shepherd (Heb. 13:20). As the Apostle Paul states, pastors help ‘equip the
saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ’ (Eph.
4:11-16).
Nowhere does the Bible teach that pastors carry out some
sacerdotal activity in a priest/laity relationship. Yet that is exactly what
Roman Catholicism teaches about the pope and the bishops and priests under him.
The pope is “pastor of the entire Church having full, supreme, and universal power
over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered” The
Catechism, Article 9, para. 4, #882.
The Bible makes it
abundantly clear that believers care for one another, love another, instruct
one another according to the Scriptures, etc. But we rest our salvation, our
standing before God and our eternal state, wholly on the person and work of
Jesus Christ. Paul says it this way: “I have been crucified with Christ and it
is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered
Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20). Those who have Christ need no vicar. Why?
Because we have Christ!
Because Christ’s Apostles
Served Temporally, Not Permanently. Today
we are instructed by the Apostles through the inspired words they wrote or had
written, which Jesus said they would (Matthew 28:18-20; John 17:17-21; John 14:26;
16:13). Their words along with the Old Testament are fully sufficient to give
us the ‘wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus’
and instruct us such that we can be godly people equipped to serve Him (II Tim.
3:16,17).
As you saw above Roman
Catholicism teaches that the pope is successor to the apostles, in particular
Peter (I’ll say more about that in a minute). I can’t find anywhere in the New
Testament stating the office of apostle would be an ongoing role to be filled.
Rather, there is very good evidence to conclude it was temporal. According to
Ephesians 2:19-22, the church is being built upon the foundation of apostles
and prophets (See also Eph. 3:5; Rev. 21:14). Paul indicates he was the last
apostle (I Cor. 15:5-8). One of the
qualifications for apostleship was having seen the risen Christ (Acts 1:21,22;
I Cor. 15:5-8).
At the end of his life Paul
commissioned Timothy and Titus to train up future elders (I, II Tim; Titus) for
the very reason he knew his time was coming to an end (II Tim. 4:6). He did so
fully confident in the Scriptures. Nowhere do we see the Apostles expressing
concern about who would fill their office. Rather they showed great confidence their
words would be fully adequate to accomplish what Christ intended to do through
them. Their words, spoken and written under the superintendence of the Holy
Spirit, and according to the promise from Jesus, would be fully adequate to
bring people to faith in Christ and equip them to serve Him (John 14:25,26;
16:13-15; 17:17-20; I Thes. 2:13; II Thes. 2:13-15; II Tim 3:14-18; Heb.
4:12,13; I Peter 1:22-25; II Pet. 1:12-21; 3:16; I John 1:4; 4:6; 5:13; Jude
1-25).
Because Christ alone is
the apostle and high priest of our confession (Heb. 3:1). The RCC claims the pope is ‘Successor of the Prince
of the Apostles,’ that prince being Peter. But that is man’s tradition, not
what Christ taught to or through His apostles.
While Peter would be used
by Christ to build His church so would other men whom Christ appointed and who
confessed Jesus as the Christ (Matthew 16:15-16; Eph. 2:20). In the end, there
is no biblical basis to see a unique promise or office given to Peter. The
power of the keys Jesus promised in Matthew 16, where Peter is representing the
rest of the disciples, was extended to all the apostles (Matt18:18; John
20:23).
As one reads through the
Acts of the Apostles and reads Peter’s own letters, nowhere are we encouraged
to think Peter himself or the other apostles believed he had a unique role that
would be perpetually filled. Consider Gal. 2 where he had to be rebuked by the
Apostle Paul. He is sent by other apostles (Acts 8:14). He is never once called
‘prince of the apostles’ by the others, or himself – and he could have been
(see I Cor. 12:28; 15:1-11; Eph. 4:11; I Peter 5:1-3; Rev. 21:14).
Peter was graced with the
role of being with Jesus in his three years of earthly ministry and afterward,
equipped to herald forth the precious and magnificent promises of Christ (II
Pet. 1:1-4). Shortly before he died, Peter made certain that the words he had
written, along with the Apostle Paul’s be regarded as Scripture, having been
written by men ‘moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God’ (II Pet. 1:12-21).
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To conclude, I trust you will rejoice and rest in all
that we have in Christ Jesus and depend on Him and Him alone, according to the
Scriptures! I trust we will not take the easy way out, being deluded by the spirit
of the age that is so indifferent to truth. May we be found, eagerly awaiting Christ’s
return, loving the truth, neither adding to nor taking away from the fully
sufficient word of God (II Thess. 2:8-12; Heb. 9:28; Rev. 22:18,19).
Do not trust in
princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation… How blessed is he whose
help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God! – Psalm 146:3,5
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**http://www.tms.edu/preachersandpreaching/popular-popes-and-priestly-pretenders/
