The ninth sip of Babylon's wine may be entitled "Peter and the Keys." The doctrine of the Petrine primacy is alleged to be based on the following statement made by Christ: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose-on earth shall he loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19,20)
What are these keys that are so effective in the opening and the closing of the kingdom of heaven? The keys which Jesus entrusted to His disciples are His own words, which include both the Old and the New Testament. It is the Holy Bible that has the power to open and shut heaven. "These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will." (Revelation 11:6)
The Old Testament writings had declared the Christ of prophecy. Another set of sacred writings which would bear witness to the fulfillment of prophecy in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, was to he penned by divine inspiration. This collection known as the New Testament, reveals Jesus Christ as the head of the church, the cornerstone of the spiritual structure, and the sure foundation of the church of God. The New Testament Scriptures are they that record the glorious ascension of the Son of God to heaven and His inauguration as our great High Priest in the sanctuary above. Furthermore, they reveal more fully that the hope of the Christian down through the ages will be completely realized at the second coming of Jesus Christ. This glorious hope is one of the main themes of the New Testament. These two keys to the heavenly kingdom, which are the Old and the New Testament, Christ entrusted to Peter and the other disciples, and they constitute a complete guidebook of instruction to His church.
The Holy Scriptures alone are the infallible guidebook and declare the conditions upon which men are received or denied entrance into the kingdom of heaven. The right use of these keys, which is the proper preaching of the word of God, opens the door of eternal life to the one who is willing to obey God, but it closes the door to all who refuse to obey Him. The gospel ministry is the most glorious work ever committed to men. It carries with it a very grave responsibility, for every gospel worker is either a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. The sacred keys, rightfully used, will not only open heaven to human hearts but will instruct them in the way of eternal life.
God used Peter, after his conversion, to employ the keys [The Sacred Scriptures] to unlock the kingdom of heaven to hearts that heretofore had not accepted Christ. The secret of Peter's success on the day of Pentecost, when 3,000 Souls were converted, was his use of the Divine Word. The Old Testament Scriptures were the basis of his teachings, as the opening words of his address clearly show: "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel." (Acts 2:16,17; Joel 2:28) Throughout his wonderful discourse he shows his familiarity with the Old Testament, particularly the prophecies relating to the Messiah.
The teaching of the word of God by Peter to Cornelius and his household opened the kingdom of heaven to them. (Acts 10)
The great apostle Paul, in his mission travels, found the doors of heathen fields and pagan hearts thrown open to him. Note his words: "A great door and effectual is opened unto me." (1 Corinthians 16:9) His testimony of his strict adherence to the Written Word in all his preaching is expressed in the following statement: "Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come." (Acts 26:22) "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets." (Acts 24:14)
When Timothy was charged by Paul to make good use of the keys by faithful preaching, he added that the time would come when fables would be preferred in place of God's word: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom. Preach the word. Be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching cars; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:1-4) This admonition which the veteran apostle gave to that youthful preacher ought to be heeded by all clergymen, both Roman Catholic and Protestant.
Although keys are instruments which open and shut doors, the way in which they are used is of vital importance. By false preaching the doctrines of the Holy Scriptures may be wrested (2 Peter 3:16) from their true meaning. In the days of Christ certain religious leaders had the keys, but instead of using them to open the kingdom of heaven, they locked it so their followers could not enter. Their wrong course was denounced by the Son of God, who said to them: "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in.... Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." (Matthew 23:13,15)
The exaltation of human tradition above the word of God has wrought detriment to Christianity and has resulted in the loss of souls. Christ said to religious teachers of His day: "Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. You hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draws nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. ... Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:6-9,14)
God's warning against tampering with His written revelation has not been withdrawn, and those today who presume to teach doctrines of men in place of those of the Holy Bible will find some day that they have forfeited their hope of eternal life, and have destroyed the hope of those who have followed their example and teaching. To take away or withhold the key that opens to men the knowledge of Christ is a solemn thing, and a woe is pronounced upon those who are guilty: "Woe unto you, lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge: you entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in you hindered." (Luke 11:52)
Though all Christian ministers are given the power to use the keys [The Holy Scriptures] to open the kingdom of heaven to the hearts of their hearers, the exclusive right to admit or to debar an individual from heaven is the prerogative of Christ alone. The experience of Jesus with James and John in the matter of dealing with the Samaritans, who differed with them on points of religion, bears out the truth that such power, if invested in men, would be dangerous. " [He] sent messengers before His face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for Him. And they did not receive Him, because His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, You know not what manner of spirit you are of." (Luke 9:52-55)
History tells a long, sad story of religious persecutions, and the shores of time are strewn with the victims of religious bigotry. Our all-wise God, knowing that the heart of man would not be magnanimous enough in dealing with those who should differ from him, put the key to the portals of heaven beyond his reach. That key He keeps in His own hand. "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: -These things says He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens. " (Revelation 3:7)
If Peter had been invested with pontifical authority by Christ, why did he not occupy the chair and preside over the first great church council, which was held at Jerusalem? It was James who presided, and he announced the decision made there. "And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: . . . Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: but that we write unto them," (Acts 15:13,19,20) etc." James's final word, which sealed the deliberation of this council, is sufficient proof that Peter was not recognized then by the apostolic church or by the other apostles as being supreme. Peter doubtless would have displayed his pontifical power in this council if he had been invested with such; but the Sacred Record says absolutely nothing to indicate that the primacy belonged to Peter.
If the Roman Catholic Church's claims are true that Peter held the supreme episcopal power, is it not strange that Paul was not informed about it? Paul publicly rebuked Peter at Antioch. Paul said:
"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, lives after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compel thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? (Galatians 2:11-14)
However, Paul did pay tribute to religious authority when it was due, for he apologized to Ananias upon discovering that he had not recognized the high priest's sacred office: "And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sit thou to judge me after the law, and commands me to be smitten contrary to the law? And they that stood by said, Reviles thou God's high priest? Then said Paul, I knew not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shall not speak evil of the ruler of thy people." (Acts 23:1-5)
When Paul made the statement, "I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chief apostles," (2 Corinthians 11:5) he evidently recognized more than one person as having the supreme authority in the church, as the plural word "apostles" indicates. He put himself on a par with the chief of the leaders of the church, thus showing that all were on equality in its leadership.
If a pontifical office had been established by Christ, with Peter occupying it, neither Paul nor the rest of the apostles would ever have assumed the attitude they did in matters of directing the church.
Did the apostle Peter himself believe that Jesus had made him the head of His church, and that He had given him ecclesiastical authority to dictate to other men what they should believe and do? Peter's attitude toward the honor paid him by Cornelius shows that he rejected such homage as is paid to the bishop of Rome today. "And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet, and worshiped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man." (Acts 10:25,26)
Instead of making an assumptive claim of being lord over the flock, Peter declared himself to be on equality with the other ministers and denounced any who might have the tendency toward exaction in any form. He recognized only Christ as the Chief Shepherd, or head, of the church. "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away." (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Peter loved his Lord, and throughout his Christian life he maintained a humble spirit. Affluence, pride, social standing, regal power, and supreme authority over his colaborers in the gospel ministry were foreign to the unobtrusive Peter.
Christ warned His disciples against singling out one man to be the head of His flock, saying to them: "But be not you called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all you are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be you called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ." (Matthew 23:8-10)
The Mighty Rock, Christ Jesus, is our only infallible guide; and, thank God, He is the head over all things in the church. "The head of every man is Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:3) "God hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:22,23)
After examining this array of evidence from the Sacred Book, and seeing that Christ is the head and the foundation of His church, how can any one hold to the doctrine of the primacy of Peter and admit the supposedly apostolic succession alleged by the popes of Rome? Here is the reasoning set forth by two papal writers:
"If the proprietor of a house, on leaving it for the summer, says to any friend: 'Here are the keys of my house,' would not this simple declaration, without a word of explanation, convey the idea, 'I give you full control of my house. You may admit or exclude whom you please; you represent me in my absence'? Let us now apply this interpretation to our Redeemer's words. When He says to Peter: 'I will give to thee the keys,' etc., He evidently means: I will give the supreme authority over My church, which is the citadel of faith. My earthly Jerusalem. Thou and thy successors shall be My visible representatives to the end of time."[1]
"The primacy of St. Peter and the perpetuity of that primacy in the Roman see are dogmatically defined in the canons attached to the first two chapters of the constitution 'Pastor Eternus': (a) 'If anyone shall say that blessed Peter the apostle was not constituted by Christ our Lord as chief of all the apostles and the visible head of the whole church militant. Or that he did not receive directly and immediately from the same Lord Jesus Christ a primacy of true and proper jurisdiction, but one of honor only: let him be anathema.' (b) 'If any one shall say that it is not by the institution of Christ our Lord Himself or by divinely established right that blessed Peter has perpetual successors in his primacy over the universal church. Or that the Roman pontiff is not the successor of blessed Peter in this same primacy - let him be anathema."[2]
The imbibing of this false doctrine has resulted in the exaltation of the "man of sin" to his elevated position, thus fulfilling the prophecy made by the apostle Paul centuries ago, when he said: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4)
To whom did the prophetic utterance of Paul refer? It can apply only to the head of the Roman Catholic Church. This their own works disclose. We read:
"While the [Roman] Church lasts, Peter (and his successors) will hold its keys. Christ, who has the 'key of the house of David,' Christ, who opens and no man shuts, shuts and no man opens, continues to be the Master of the house; but Peter is the steward to whom the keys are committed. He admits to and excludes from the church in his Master's name. In other words, he is the center of the church's unity. All, from the great apostle of the Gentiles down to the most obscure of the church's children, hold their place and exercise their functions in subordination to Peter. ...
"What he binds and looses on earth is bound and loosed in heaven, i.e., he is the ultimate earthly judge of what is lawful and unlawful. He is to lay down the laws and conditions on which communion with the church and participation in its privileges depend, and the decisions of his tribunal here will be ratified in the heavenly court."[3]
The authority to discipline or to excommunicate a church member was never entrusted to one individual. It was given to the church as a whole. The Lord has given this great power not to any one man but to His church as a body. The procedure to be followed in matters of disciplining her members is explicitly laid down by Him in the Sacred Word:
"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou has gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church , let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. " (Matthew 18:15-18)
If the course which the Lord prescribes is faithfully followed, then whatsoever the church binds on earth will be bound in heaven. God ratifies her decision when she follows the instructions He has laid down in the Bible. The Lord has never given license to any one individual of the church to sit in judgment on the sins of others, nor to dictate to the believers in matters of doctrine. The highest authority is invested in the church as a body. But the claims of the Roman Church about the primacy of Peter are extravagant:
"Further, Peter's authority is subordinated to no earthly superior. The sentences which he gives are to be forthwith ratified in heaven. They do not need the antecedent approval of any other tribunal. He is independent of all save the Master who appointed him. The words as to the power of binding and loosing are, therefore, elucidatory of the promise of the keys which immediately precedes. They explain in what sense Peter is governor and head of Christ's kingdom, the church, by promising him-legislative and judicial authority in the fullest sense. In other words, Peter and his successors have power to impose laws both preceptive and prohibitive, power likewise to grant dispensation from these laws, and, when needful, to annul them. It is theirs to judge offences against the laws, to impose and to remit penalties. This judicial authority will even include the power to pardon sin. For sin is a breach of the laws of the super natural kingdom, and falls under the cognizance of its constituted judges."[4]
Contrary to the instruction contained in the Bible, the bishop of Rome assumes the supreme right to bind, to loose, to legislate, to convoke, to abrogate, to interpret, to beatify, to canonize, to excommunicate and to hurl anathemas against the mightiest of earthly potentates as well as against the humblest of his subjects. Here are some of the prerogatives which are said to belong to him:
(i) As the supreme teacher of the church, whose it is to prescribe what is to be believed by all the faithful, and to take measures for the preservation and the propagation of the faith, the following are the rights which pertain to the pope: (a) It is his to set forth creeds, and to determine when and by whom an explicit profession of faith shall be made (cf. Council of Trent, Session XXIV, cci, xii). (b) It is his to prescribe and to command books for the religious instruction of the faithful; thus, for example, Clement XIII has recommended the Roman Catechism to all the bishops. (c) The pope alone can establish a university, possessing the status and privileges of a canonically erected [Roman] Catholic university. (d) To him also belongs the direction of [Roman] Catholic missions throughout the world; this charge is fulfilled through the Congregation of the Propaganda. (e) It is his to prohibit the reading of such books as are injurious to faith or morals, and to determine the conditions on which certain classes of books may be issued by [Roman] Catholics. (f) His is the condemnation of given propositions as being either heretical or deserving of some minor degree of censure, and lastly (g) he has the right to interpret authentically the natural law. Thus, it is his to say what is lawful or unlawful in regard to social and family life, in regard to the practice of usury, etc.
"With the pope's office of supreme teacher are closely connected his rights in regard to the worship of God: for it is the law of prayer that fixes the law of belief. In this sphere very much has been reserved to the sole regulation of the Holy See. Thus (a) the pope alone can prescribe the liturgical services employed in the [Roman] Church. If a doubt should occur in regard to the ceremonial of the liturgy, a bishop may not settle the point on his own authority, but must have recourse to Rome. The Holy See likewise prescribes rules in regard to the devotions used by the faithful, and in this way checks the growth of what is novel and unauthorized. (b) At the present day the institution and abrogation of festivals, which was till a comparatively recent time free to all bishops as regards their own dioceses, is reserved to Rome. (c) The solemn canonization of a saint is proper to the pope. Indeed it is commonly held that this is an exercise of the papal infallibility. Beatification and every permission for the public veneration of any of the servants of God is likewise reserved to his decision. (d) He alone gives to anyone the privilege of a private chapel where mass may be said. (e) He dispenses the treasury of the [Roman] Church, and the grant of plenary indulgences is reserved to him. While he has no authority in regard to the substantial rites of the sacraments, and is bound to reserve them as they were given to the church by Christ and His apostles, certain powers in their, regard belong to him. (f) He can give to simple priests the power to confirm, and to bless the oil of the sick and the oil of catechumens, and (g) he can establish diriment and impedient impediments to matrimony.
"(3) The legislative power of the pope carries with it the following rights: (a) He can legislate for the whole church, with or without the assistance of a general council. (b) If he legislates with the aid of a council, it is his to convoke it, to preside, to direct its deliberations, to confirm its acts. (c) He has full authority to interpret, alter, and abrogate both his own laws and those established by his predecessors. He has the same plenitude of power as they enjoyed, and stands in the same relation to their laws as to those which he himself has decreed. (d) He can dispense individuals from the obligation of all purely ecclesiastical laws, and can grant privileges and exemptions in their regard. In this connection may be mentioned (e) his power to dispense from vows where the greater glory of God renders it desirable. Considerable powers of dispensation are granted to bishops, and, in a restricted measure, also to priests; but there are some vows reserved altogether to the Holy See."[5]
It is by usurpation that the Roman pope assumes the power that he claims. Christ has never bestowed this power upon him or any other individual. Such extraordinary power, such assumption of supremacy, as the pope claims to have, is clearly opposed to the teachings of the Sacred Scriptures. Those who acknowledge and implicitly obey the requirements of the papal head as an infallible guide, are elevating human laws and tradition above the expressed commands of God. "Thus says the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the Lord. ... Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is." (Jeremiah 17:5,7)
The man who styles himself the vicar of Christ is displaying the traits of character that actuated Lucifer, who said: " I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:13,14) Compare with this the claims made for the bishop of Rome:
"Q. Who is the holy father or pope? A. The holy father or pope is the visible head of the church, the successor of St. Peter and the vicar of Christ on earth."[6]
The Lord has left His vicar on earth to direct His church, but this vicegerent is the Holy Spirit. Christ said to the apostles: " But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit is the great teacher of the church.
Truly our God is long suffering, for He has borne all these centuries with a power that has usurped the prerogatives and office of Christ's vicar!
The Roman pope claims to be the successor of Peter. There is a vast difference between claiming the apostolic succession and possessing the apostolic attributes. This bold claim calls for the evidence of the life, character, and power of not only Peter but, Jesus Himself. The pope is the antipode of Christ and Peter instead of their successor, just as the mystery of iniquity is the opposite of the mystery of godliness.
The Divine Word reveals that in Christ was the mystery of godliness, because of His coming to this earth to live a life of privation and suffer a shameful death. "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1 Timothy 3:16) Here is brought to view the wonderful condescension of the Son of God when He divested Himself of His glory and took upon Himself the form of sinful humanity. We have portrayed by the apostle Paul the sevenfold self-humiliation of Christ in the following words: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8)
The study of these verses enables us to comprehend more fully the mystery of godliness as seen in the wonderful condescension of Jesus Christ. Note the sevenfold steps which led to His complete humiliation:
1. He emptied Himself of His glory
"He divested Himself of the glories of heaven," says John Lightfoot.[7]
2. He took the form of a servant
To the natural heart nothing is more degrading than to become a servant, yet Christ was a servant of servants.
3. He was made in the likeness of men
He could not have sunk any lower in the scale of morally responsible beings than to be made in the likeness of sinful men, and partake of human nature with all its marks of degeneracy. Yet, He, the God of the universe, laid aside His glory and became a man.
4. He was found in fashion as a man
He was a common man. He had no social standing, no prestige, or influence, particularly none with the rich, or the aristocracy of His day. "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we bid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." (Isaiah 53:2,3) As a carpenter until He was thirty years of age, He had to share the lot of humanity under the curse of sin and earn His bread by the sweat of His brow. After entering upon His ministry, many times He slept under the canopy of heaven, partaking of the extreme hardships to which men are sometimes exposed. Those who are deprived of the bare necessities of life, such as food, drink, and the protection and comfort of a home, may find consolation in the fact that Jesus Christ Himself also experienced this lot of life, for it was a part of the bitterness of that cup which He drained for us. He said: " Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." (Luke 9:58)
5. He humbled Himself
Christ was neither proud nor self-assertive. Though He was conscious of the fact that He was the God of the universe, He maintained His unpretentious and unassuming character throughout His life's journey. He was assailed repeatedly by arrogant priests on the question of His divinity, yet never once did He meet the challenge by displaying His power to bring glory to Himself. The humility which characterized His everyday life was paramount on an occasions, whether before a haughty ruler or before a commoner.
6. He was obedient unto death
Life is precious to all, as Satan's statement concerning job indicates. "Yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life." (Job 2:4) Despite this truism, Christ demonstrated His divine love for those whom He came to save. Such love that actuated Him in dying for His enemies is beyond our capacity to understand.
7. He suffered even the death of the cross
Death on the tree was something disgraceful, dishonorable, and ignominious in Old Testament times. "And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree. His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shall in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God)." (Deuteronomy 21:22,23)
Try to visualize the scene of Golgotha. Behold the Son of God hanging between heaven and earth, nailed on a shameful cross, and dying because His great heart of love prompted Him to pay the penalty for man. Ought it not to lead us to join in the hymn of praise by Isaac Watts? Note his words:
"When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.
"See, from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down; Did ever such love and sorrow meet? Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
"Since I, who was undone and lost, Have pardon through His name and word; Forbid it, then, that I should boast, Save in the cross of Christ, my Lord.[8]
In Paul's definition of the "mystery of iniquity," he makes very clear what the steps were that led up to the development of the "man of sin." He said: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4,7)
In contrast to the pure, humble, and self-sacrificing life of Christ, we see the proud, arrogant, and self asserting pontiff. Behold his great claims:
"The pope is the Vicar of Christ, or the visible head of the church on earth. The claims of the pope are the same as the claims of Christ. Christ wanted all souls saved. So does the pope. Christ can forgive all sin. So can the pope. The pope is the only man who claims the vicarage of Christ. His claim is not seriously opposed, and this establishes his authority."[9]
And Leo XIII, speaking for the Roman bishops, said: "We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty."[10]
Let us take the words which portray the condescension of Christ and contrast them with statements used to describe the man who aspires to be God. Without controversy, great is the mystery of iniquity! Seven steps which led to the self -exaltation of the "man of sin" are as follows:
1. Emptied himself of humanity
It has been said of the pope: "Thou art the shepherd, thou art the physician, thou art the director, thou art the husbandman; finally, thou art another God on earth."[11] Emptying himself of the status of a common man, the Roman bishop clothed himself with the prerogatives of divinity, assuming titles and powers that belong to the Deity alone.
2. He assumed the form of a lord instead of a servant
To the unregenerated heart, nothing is more natural than to manifest the spirit of a master. This the pope has done, when he assumed jurisdiction not only over the people on this earth but also over heavenly angels as well. One papal authority says: "More over the superiority and the power of the Roman pontiff by no means pertain only to heavenly things, to earthly things, and to things under the earth, but are even over angels, than whom he is greater."[12]
3. He made himself an alter Christus ("another Christ")
We read again: "The pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God." (Acts 3:6) No greater self-exaltation could be assumed by a man.
4. He is found in fashion as the vicar of God
"The pope is as it were God on earth, sole sovereign of the faithful of Christ, chief king of kings, having plenitude of power, to whom has been entrusted by the omnipotent God direction not only of the earthly but also of the heavenly kingdom." (Acts 10:25,26) He has not only ecclesiastical power but also social and political standing coupled with the display of worldly possessions, pomp, dignity of office, scholarship, and prestige. All of this is contrary to the spirit and life of the meek and lowly Jesus who had not where to lay His head, and of the penniless Peter who did not have a coin to give to the beggar who sat at the gate of the temple." (Acts 3:6)
5. He exalted himself
Here is the claim made for the bishop of Rome: "The pope is of such lofty and supreme dignity that, properly speaking, he has not been established in any rank of dignity, but rather has been placed upon the very summit of all ranks of dignities."
"The pope is called most holy because he is rightfully presumed to be such."[12] "He is likewise the divine monarch and supreme emperor, and king of kings."[12] " Hence the pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven and of earth and of the lower regions."[12]
He is both proud and assertive, and his exalted claims make him both pretentious and assuming in character. This spirit of exaltation is foreign to the life of Christ.
6. Whereas Christ became obedient unto death, the Roman pope lives in ease and luxury
Christ's power of love was demonstrated by His death on the cross, while the exalted man on the papal throne displays his love for power. The bishop of Rome dwells in a palatial atmosphere of protection, and everything that belongs to a life of luxury is his. Surrounded by the Swiss guard and the pomp of the Vatican, he holds nothing in common with the unguarded Christ whose representative he claims to be.
7. There is nothing shameful about the death of a bishop of Rome
Compare the worldly display evidenced at the demise of a Roman pope with that of the humble Galilean's death. The penury of the Son of God would have caused. Him to be buried in a pauper's grave, if it had not been for the kindness of Joseph of Arimathea. The esteem with which the papal head is held by the potentates of earth, and the veneration shown to him by his own subjects, make his death and burial a striking contrast to Christ's martyrdom.
One day I stood in the Piazza S. Pietro in Rome and viewed the so-called Basilica of St. Peter. Gazing upon this beautiful edifice, whose cornerstone was laid by Julius II in 1506, I was convinced that more grandeur is probably displayed in and about this temple than can be found anywhere else on earth. It doubtless has no rival. The vastness of St. Peter's Square with its proud colonnades, the Egyptian obelisk with the cross placed upon it, towering into the heavens, the sparkling fountains that radiate the colors of the rainbow when light is focused upon them, the stately dome of the church so gorgeously illuminated, present a scene of indescribable glory, attract admirers, and subdue spectators. On entering the basilica, the beholder is met with extravagance and terrestrial glory on every hand.
Blended with an this display of worldly glory and seeming piety can be seen that which the word of God thunders against, the adoration and veneration of the deceased Peter. As I beheld men, women, and children from all walks and stations of life paying homage to the supposed image of Peter, each one bowing before it and touching its extended toe, this question arose in my mind: If the humble fisherman apostle were to come back to life and behold the place assigned to him in Roman Catholic worship, what would he think? Would not his indignation be aroused to repudiate such man-worship, as he did in the case of Cornelius of old. "And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshiped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man." (Acts 10:25,26) His voice would be heard throughout the spacious basilica, saying: "We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29) Also: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The belief and acceptance of this papal doctrine that our Lord entrusted the keys of the kingdom of heaven exclusively to Peter-has given rise to numerous arrogant assumptions by the bishops of Rome. The Roman Church claims that by some mysterious power the apostle's succession has been preserved and perpetuated by the occupants of the see of Rome. The superhuman power and unlimited authority which are ascribed to every Roman pope are beyond the comprehension of the average non Catholic. His pre-eminence and alleged infallibility extend beyond the ecclesiastical realm to the civil domain, and it is contended that his jurisdiction over both cannot be controverted because he is the possessor of the keys bestowed by our Lord upon Peter. The man who professes to hold such extraordinary and exclusive prerogatives must be intoxicated with a passion for power, praise, and opulence beyond the comprehension of the ordinary mind.
What a strange infatuation, when a people choose to pay homage to a human being exalted in place of their divine Creator and Redeemer! The message which God gives to the world today is: "Fear God, and give glory to Him." (Revelation 14:7) When this message is heeded, God is given His rightful place on the throne of the heart of the individual, and Christ is honored as the head of His church and the center of all its worship.
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