The key to understanding the complex issue of the Roman Catholic Church is to realize that their unique doctrine of the papacy is the very heart of this religious system. In this article we will examine in depth from their own sources what the Church of Rome claims for her pontiff, and contrast this with what the Bible itself tells us about the Cornerstone that the true universal Christian Church is in fact built upon.

The Scripture Says

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.Matthew 16:16-18

You’ve undoubtedly looked at this passage of Scripture before, and most of us are particularly familiar with verse 18. But, it will shortly make sense why we begin here, and why the willingness to thoroughly study a doctrine is what is required to Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.(2 Timothy 2:15). And this is also what it will encompass to be used effectively by our Lord to reach people for Christ who find themselves trapped within the apostate Church of Rome.

This verse 18 is an extremely important one to really get down as you start dealing with those who are influenced by the theology of Rome. As we examine this passage, one needs to keep in mind that this is a key verse the Roman Catholic will use as they try to prove their church’s unique doctrine of the office of the papacy.

The Pope According To Rome

Let me first make sure that we understand from their own authoritative sources exactly what it is that the Church of Rome says about the office of the Roman Pontiff–or Pope. Incidentally for those that may have wondered the Catholic Encyclopedia tells us that the word “pope” comes to us from “Ecclesiastical Latin papa from [the] Greek papas, a variant of pappas father, in classical Latin pappas…(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12260a.htm).

When we are discussing such a controversial topic it is imperative that we have the materials to back up what is being taught. As we delve deeper into Roman Catholic theology, we will enter a veritable maze of twisted history and contradictions. However, you may be assured that these quotes have been fully documented in the library of Apprising Ministries, and the reader is also encouraged to check these sources for themselves.

First we have this from the close of the First Vatican Council – Session 4: July 18, 1870 where Pope Pius IX was made the first “official” infallible Pope. Here are some pertinent excerpts from the formal record:

First dogmatic constitution on the Church of Christ

Pius, bishop, servant of the servants of God, with the approval of the Sacred Council, for an everlasting record.

4. In order, then, that the episcopal office should be one and undivided and that, by the union of the clergy, the whole multitude of believers should be held together in the unity of faith and communion, he set blessed Peter over the rest of the apostles and instituted in him the permanent principle of both unities and their visible foundation.

6. And since the gates of hell trying, if they can, to overthrow the Church, make their assault with a hatred that increases day by day against its divinely laid foundation, we judge it necessary, with the approbation of the Sacred Council,…growth of the [Roman] Catholic flock, to propound the doctrine concerning the 1. institution, 2. permanence and 3. nature of the sacred and apostolic primacy, upon which the strength and coherence of the whole Church depends.

7. This doctrine is to be believed and held by all the faithful in accordance with the ancient and unchanging faith of the whole Church.

Chapter 1
On the institution of the apostolic primacy in blessed Peter

1. We teach and declare that, according to the gospel evidence, a primacy of jurisdiction over the whole Church of God was immediately and directly promised to the blessed apostle Peter and conferred on him by Christ the lord.

4. To this absolutely manifest teaching of the Sacred Scriptures, as it has always been understood by the Catholic Church, are clearly opposed the distorted opinions of those who…deny that Peter,…was endowed by Christ with… primacy of jurisdiction.

5. The same may be said of those who assert that this primacy was not conferred immediately and directly on blessed Peter himself, but rather on the Church,…

6. Therefore, if anyone says that blessed Peter the apostle was not appointed by Christ the lord as prince of all the apostles and visible head of the whole Church militant; or that it was a primacy of honor only and not one of true and proper jurisdiction that he directly and immediately received from our lord Jesus Christ himself: let him be anathema.

Chapter 2.
On the permanence of the primacy of blessed Peter in the Roman pontiffs

1. That which our lord Jesus Christ, the prince of shepherds and great shepherd of the sheep, established in the blessed apostle Peter, for the continual salvation and permanent benefit of the Church, must of necessity remain for ever, by Christ’s authority, in the Church which, founded as it is upon a rock, will stand firm until the end of time [45].

2. For no one can be in doubt, indeed it was known in every age that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the apostles, the pillar of faith and the foundation of the [Roman] Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from our lord Jesus Christ, the savior and redeemer of the human race, and that to this day and for ever he lives and presides and exercises judgment in his successors the bishops of the Holy Roman See, which he founded and consecrated with his blood [46].

3. Therefore whoever succeeds to the chair of Peter obtains by the institution of Christ himself, the primacy of Peter over the whole Church…

4. For this reason it has always been necessary for every Church–that is to say the faithful throughout the world–to be in agreement with the Roman Church because of its more effective leadership. In consequence of being joined, as members to head, with that see, from which the rights of sacred communion flow to all, they will grow together into the structure of a single body [48].

Chapter 3.
On the power and character of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff

1. And so, supported by the clear witness of Holy Scripture, and adhering to the manifest and explicit decrees both of our predecessors the Roman Pontiffs and of general councils, we promulgate anew the definition of the ecumenical Council of Florence [49], which must be believed by all faithful Christians, namely that the Apostolic See and the Roman Pontiff hold a world-wide primacy, and that the Roman Pontiff is the successor of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, true vicar of Christ, head of the whole Church and father and teacher of all Christian people.

To [the Pope], in blessed Peter, full power has been given by our lord Jesus Christ to tend, rule and govern the universal Church.

All this is to be found in the acts of the ecumenical councils and the sacred canons.

2. Wherefore we teach and declare that, by divine ordinance, the Roman Church possesses a pre-eminence of ordinary power over every other Church, and that this jurisdictional power of the Roman Pontiff is both episcopal and immediate. Both clergy and faithful, of whatever rite and dignity, both singly and collectively, are bound to submit to this power by the duty of hierarchical subordination and true obedience, and this not only in matters concerning faith and morals, but also in those which regard the discipline and government of the Church throughout the world.

3. In this way, by unity with the Roman Pontiff in communion and in profession of the same faith , the Church of Christ becomes one flock under one Supreme Shepherd [50].

4. This is the teaching of the [Roman] Catholic truth, and no one can depart from it without endangering his faith and salvation.

8. Since the Roman Pontiff, by the divine right of the apostolic primacy, governs the whole Church, we likewise teach and declare that he is the supreme judge of the faithful [52], and that in all cases which fall under ecclesiastical jurisdiction recourse may be had to his judgment [53]…

9. So, then, if anyone says that the Roman Pontiff has merely an office of supervision and guidance, and not the full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole Church, and this not only in matters of faith and morals, but also in those which concern the discipline and government of the Church dispersed throughout the whole world; or that he has only the principal part, but not the absolute fullness, of this supreme power; or that this power of his is not ordinary and immediate both over all and each of the Churches and over all and each of the pastors and faithful: let him be anathema (http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/V1.HTM#6, copy on file).

The Pope Is The Head Of All Christian Churches

Let’s stop right here. It now becomes clear beyond any shadow of a doubt that the Church of Rome is telling us the “office” of Pope is not simply a designation within their own communion. On the contrary–we are specifically being told in no uncertain terms that this office, the Bishop of Rome; the Roman Pontiff–or the Pope–is truly intended for the entire Christian community, he is the final and absolute authority, and his role was forever instituted when:

[Jesus] set blessed Peter over the rest of the apostles and instituted in him the permanent principle…of the sacred and apostolic primacy, upon which…the whole Church depends.

Next we are further instructed that:

This doctrine is to be believed and held by all the faithful in accordance with the ancient and unchanging faith of the whole Church. We–[the Church of Rome]–teach and declare that, according to the gospel evidence, a primacy of jurisdiction over the whole Church of God was immediately and directly promised to the blessed apostle Peter and conferred on him by Christ the lord.

Then we are told that in the view of the Church of Rome the biblical record bears clear witness for the office of their Pontiff:

To this absolutely manifest teaching of the Sacred Scriptures, as it has always been understood by the [Roman] Catholic Church, are clearly opposed [to] the distorted opinions of those who…deny that Peter,…was endowed by Christwith…primacy of jurisdiction.

And accordingly, anyone who will not receive this dogma as coming from Christ Himself will come under the judgment of God:

Therefore, if anyone says that blessed Peter the apostle was not appointed by Christ the lord as prince of all the apostles and visible head of the whole Church militant; or that it was a primacy of honor only and not one of true and proper jurisdiction that he directly and immediately received from our lord Jesus Christ himself: let him be anathema.

Another key point which must be understood here is that, according to the Church of Rome this office of Pope can never be abolished, and hence there never could be any real reform within this organization.

That which our lord Jesus Christ, the prince of shepherds and great shepherd of the sheep, established in the blessed apostle Peter, for the continual salvation and permanent benefit of the Church, must of necessity remain for ever, by Christ’s authority,…

Next, when we look at the following quote, there can really be no misunderstanding that the Roman Church sees herself as the primary church within the Body of Christ, and that her Pope has always been the chief authority in the universal Church.

For this reason it has always been necessary for every Church–that is to say the faithful throughout the world–to be in agreement with the Roman Church because of its more effective leadership…indeed it was known in every age that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the apostles,…the foundation of the [Roman] Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from our lord Jesus Christ,…and that to this day and for ever he lives and presides and exercises judgment in his successors the bishops of the Holy Roman See,…whoever succeeds to the chair of Peter obtains by the institution of Christ himself, the primacy of Peter over the whole Church…

Looking carefully at this next section we are clearly told that this alleged “primacy of the Roman Pontiff” – the very “vicar of Christ” Himself–is said to be clearly established in the Bible. And we are further informed that the Church of Rome has jurisdiction over every church and every person who would claim to be Christian.

And so, supported by the clear witness of Holy Scripture,… we promulgate anew the definition… which must be believed by all faithful Christians, namely that the Apostolic See and the Roman Pontiff hold a world-wide primacy, and that the Roman Pontiff isthe successor of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, true vicar of Christ, head of the whole Church and father and teacher of all Christian people.

To [the Pope], in blessed Peter, full power has been given by our lord Jesus Christ to tend, rule and govern the universal Church…by divine ordinance, the Roman Church possesses a pre-eminence of ordinary power over every other Church, and .. Both clergy and faithful, of whatever rite and dignity,…are bound to submit to this power…

Is The Roman Pontiff Really The Vicar Of Christ?

At this juncture I wish to focus our attention on this idea in Roman Catholic theology that “the Roman Pontiff is the successor of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, true vicar of Christ, head of the whole Church.” Just a bit of a lofty claim to say the least! However as you can see, the problem is now no longer did the Church of Rome teach this, their problem has instead become, is it true?

For those who may not know, a “vicar” is someone who speaks authoritatively for another. So according to the official record of Vatican I here, the Pope is not only the “head of the whole Church and father and teacher of all Christian people,” he is also reputed to be the sole spokesman for Jesus Christ upon the earth today!

We must make no mistake here as to what the Church of Rome is teaching about its dogma of the papacy, as beyond question it is the very heart of Roman Catholic theology. And this is because, without the doctrine of the Pope as the Vicar of Christ, there would be no need for this apostate religious system to even exist. Yet with such force does the Church of Rome teach this message, that to deny it is–in their eyes– to risk the very damnation of the living God Himself.

This is the teaching of the [Roman] Catholic truth, and no one can depart from it without endangering his faith and salvation…the Roman Pontiff, by the divine right of the apostolic primacy, governs the whole Church, we likewise teach and declare that he is the supreme judge of the faithful [52],…

And just in case we are having trouble understanding English there can be no question left in anyone’s mind here because this record then goes on to emphatically state:

So, then, if anyone says that the Roman Pontiff has merely an office of supervision and guidance, and not the full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole Church, and …this supreme power;…over all and each of the Churches and over all and each of the pastors and faithful: let him be anathema.

There can just be no no doubt whatsoever for anyone who can read that the Roman Catholic Church claims for her Pope the supreme authority over all churches and all Christians. It is a fact that simply cannot be denied. And “no one can depart from [this dogma of the Roman Pontiff] without endangering his faith and salvation.”

Before we move on let’s look at one more critical section from the record Vatican I:

Chapter 4.
On the infallible teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff

1. That apostolic primacy which the Roman Pontiff possesses as successor of Peter, the prince of the apostles, includes also the supreme power of teaching. This Holy See has always maintained this, the constant custom of the Church demonstrates it, and the ecumenical councils,…have declared it.

9. Therefore, faithfully adhering to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, to the glory of God our savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion and for the salvation of the Christian people, with the approval of the Sacred Council, we teach and define as a divinely revealed dogma that when the Roman Pontiff speaks EX CATHEDRA, that is, when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church, he possesses, by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his Church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals. Therefore, such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are of themselves, and not by the consent of the Church, irreformable. (http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/V1.HTM#6, emphasis added, capitals in original, copy on file)

Can you see yet again we have the statement by the Church of Rome that the Pope is the head of the entire Body of Christ. And what is more, we are told that this is a “divinely revealed dogma.” What they mean by that is God supposedly teaches this doctrine – “when the Roman Pontiff speaks EX CATHEDRA, that is, when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians,…he possesses, infallibility… Therefore, such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are…irreformable.” Do you still think that the Church of Rome ever had any intentions of changing their core dogmas at their various ecumenical councils–when such doctrine is irreformable?

Cult-Like Thought Control

I realize this is a bit of rough sledding, but reading from their own sources what Roman Catholic theology actually teaches, is really the only way for us to come to grips with what the Church of Rome truly stands for. As Dr. Walter Martin, a recognized authority in the area of Comparative Religion once said:

I’m quoting these things so that you get some idea of the concept in which the average Roman Catholic grows and matures in the educational process of the church. It is a closed system, absolute thought control enforced by fear. [As in] If you do not, [do what we say] then you will not inherit (Roman Catholicism–Part 2 of 3, side 1, cassette #4011, Walter Martin’s Religious InfoNet, 1999).

The cult-like “thought control” of the Church of Rome is then confirmed by the very next paragraph of the section of Vatican I which I have been quoting from. “So then, should anyone, which God forbid, have the temerity to reject this definition of ours: let him be anathema” or accursed by God (http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/V1.HTM#6, emphasis added).

And it was also this same “infallible” Pope Pius IX who said:

“I alone, despite my unworthiness, am the successor of the apostles, I alone have the mission to guide and direct the ship of Peter; I am the way, the truth and the life. They who are with me are with the Church; and they who are not with me are out of the Church. They are out of the way, the truth and the life. Let men well understand this, that they be not deceived or led astray by soi-distant Catholics who desire and teach something quite different from what the Head of the Church teaches” (as cited by Dr. Walter Martin, Roman Catholicism – Part 2 of 3, side 1, tape #4011, Walter Martin Religious InfoNet, 1999).

Now you will run into many people today who would claim that dogma concerning the Pope has been changed. But here is section 85 from the Catechism of the Catholic Church that was released in 1992:

‘The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.’ This means that the task of interpretation [of the Bible] has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome” [aka the Pope].(http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PM.HTM, emphasis added)

And finally let me direct our attention to the current Code of Canon Law of the Church of Rome. This is Canon 331 from the official Vatican website:

The bishop of the Roman Church, in whom continues the office given by the Lord uniquely to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, is the head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the pastor of the universal Church on earth. By virtue of his office he possesses supreme, full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the [entire] Church, which he is always able to exercise freely.(http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P16.HTM#59, emphasis added)

Protestant Love For The Roman Catholic

Please know that there is no joy in exposing things like this. No one who is truly a Christian enjoys bringing things to light that will potentially upset people. So before we move on, let me bring in Dr. D. James Kennedy to help put this subject into perspective. Known universally in the Church as an Evangelical statesman Dr. Kennedy is someone who clearly yearns for unity within the Body of Christ. On The John Ankerberg Show whihc discusses a document called Evangelicals and Catholics Together he commented on the idea of love and tolerance toward those trapped within the apostate Church of Rome.

Dr. Kennedy is right when he points out that the absolute truth and finality of the Gospel must take priority. And to stand for God’s truth, and to then proclaim that truth to people, actually proves that we do love them. Kennedy says:

If we believe as Christians the truth of the Scripture. If we believe what Christ said that He is the way, the truth, and the life [and] if we believe–as Peter said that there is none other name under heaven given unto men whereby they must be saved–if there is no other way than through justification by faith in Christ alone; if we are willing for the sake of some temporal earthly peace and tolerance to ignore proclaiming that truth to people, then we are not demonstrating to them love. We are actually demonstrating hate, because we are allowing those people to go to the judgment of God without ever telling them the one way by which they can be justified in the eyes of a just and holy God. And that is a false love. True love confronts. (“Irreconcilable Differences: Catholics Evangelicals, and the New Quest for Unity,” cassette tape GTY55, side 1, 1995).

This is most definitely something that has been lost in our Lord’s Church here in this lukewarm generation. But true love does confront. In fact, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was true love in human flesh and He confronted the false religion of His day. An honest look at Christ’s life here on His earth from the historic record in the Bible there is simply no way around this. The Body of Christ must come to understand that we are in the mess we are in right now in this country specifically because the Church of our Lord would not make a firm stand for His truth through the years.

The “Prince of Preachers” C.H. Spurgeon could see hypocrisy and compromise coming in the 1880’s and was willing to confront it head on in the Baptist Union. The result of Spurgeon’s bold stand against the non-Christian cult of Liberal Theology was that this giant of a man in Christ became embroiled in what has come to be known as the Downgrade Controversy. Spurgeon would end up withdrawing from that Union, which was later swallowed up by this serpent.

Fast-forward around one hundred twenty years–give or take–and we have a new “Downgrade” which is now firmly entrenched within the Evangelical Protestant camp. For it truly is as the rather liberal Dr. Ron Sider of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary said in “The Evangelical Scandal,” which appeared in Christianity (Astray) Today – “The Lord doesn’t take hypocrisy and disobedience lightly. He punishes, and there’s an inevitable kind of decline that sets in if you are hypocritical and don’t practice what you preach.” (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/004/32.70.html).

No one really likes to correct others, but it is a part of being a disciple of Christ. Dr. Kennedy goes on to tell us that when we confront a false teaching we must always:

do it with grace and kindness–but nevertheless firmly… I’ve always felt there should be a velvet glove. But inside that velvet glove there is to be a steel fist. And we can never become wishy-washy and spongy when it comes to the essential truth upon which the eternal [bliss] or woe of human beings rests and that is the Gospel.

We can’t compromise on this truth. We can agree to disagree on a lot of the non-essentials as Pascal said. But when it comes to the heart of the Gospel–we have to insist that there is only one way and Christ is that way. And to ignore that is a false love. It is a personal apostatizing on our own part from what Christ called us to be (ibid.).

Peter Says Christ Is The Rock

With all of this in mind then we can now return to this idea that allegedly the Apostle Peter is the “rock” spoken of in Matthew 16:18, and it is from this faulty reasoning that the Church of Rome has erected the office of their papacy. But here we must ask ourselves a question: Who would be the person most able to tell us what Jesus meant in this verse of Scripture? That would, of course, be Peter. After all the Master was talking to him. And before we’re through, I’m going to show you Peter himself refuting the dogma of the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church.

Let’s look at Matthew 16:18 once again, this time from the Roman Catholic translation called the New American Bible for Catholics (NAS). And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. What I am going to show you now from the Scriptures is that Peter himself understood Jesus to be saying to him – “You are but a stone, and upon this Rock of Truth that God the Father has just revealed to you I am going to build My Church.”

Now we turn our attention to the Book of 1 Peter. Here is 1 Peter 2:4-9 from the NAB. The Apostle Peter writes:

Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it says in scripture: “Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.” Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall.” They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny. But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

You’ll notice in verse 4 – Come to him – [this would be the Lord–Christ Jesus]. Come to him, a living stone – [the Real Cornerstone–the primary Stone–from which all the other stones draw their life]. Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God. This can only be Jesus Christ of Nazareth. There isn’t a whole lot I agree with John Wesley on, but his comment on this verse is quite astute: “And St. Peter speaking of [Christ] thus, shows he did not judge himself, but Christ, to be the rock on which the church was built” (emphasis added).

Jesus Says He Is The Rock

If Wesley’s comment is not enough to convince you that this rejected Stone is in fact Christ, and not Peter, then how about the Lord Jesus Himself? Will He do? As the Master Himself taught that He was the Stone in question. And I’d say Jesus is a fairly reliable Source–destra? Matthew 21:42 – Jesus said to – [the Jewish leaders], “Have you never read in the Scriptures:“ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

With Peter standing right there–along with His other disciples–Jesus is trying to tell these religious people that they must trust in Him to find God. The Roman Catholic would do well to listen to what the Master says next – “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

With this in mind then, let‘s go back and read 1 Peter 2:4 once again–from the NAB – Come to him, [Christ] a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God. Do you see now what Peter is telling us? He’s teaching us that Jesus of Nazareth is that Stone Who was prophesied in Isaiah 28. And this information itself is actually based on what the Master had Personally taught Peter and the other disciples.

Now we come to verse 5 – and, like living stones, let yourselves –[all of us that God called out of the world to assemble to worship Christ. Like] – living stones, as imitations of – as reproductions of that Living Cornerstone mentioned in verse 4–the Lord Jesus. And, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house – which is that universal–katholikos Church–the Body of Christ.

God Builds Upon The Cornerstone

Bible teacher G.K. Polkinghorne’s comment is helpful here – “Christ [is] the basis and standard on which God erects His building, Christians as living stones made alive by Christ (I:3) are in the process of being incorporated… The [picture] is of God at work, erecting His building, stone by stone” (New International Bible Commentary, p.1555, emphasis added)–upon the solid Rock–Christ Jesus of Nazareth.

Back to 1 Peter 2 and verse 6 – For it says in scripture: “Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.” Here Peter is appealing to Isaiah 28:16 to develop his teaching. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth – [in Jesus Christ of Nazareth] – shall not make haste. However, if you believe in a mere human “pope,” then you are going to blush for eternity.

Dr. Roger Raymer of Dallas Theological Seminary brings this out – “A cornerstone is the visible support on which the building relies for strength and stability” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, NT, p.845, emphasis added). So this couldn’t be Peter, as only the unchanging God of the Bible fits this description. Raymer then concludes – “Believers trust in Christ much as a building rests on its cornerstone” (ibid., emphasis added).

In verses 7 and 8 the Apostle Peter goes on to further emphasize the greatness of the building’s true foundation, the immoveable Cornerstone of Christ Jesus of Nazareth. Now see if all this sounds familiar to you. Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” (see Psalm 118:22) and “A stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall” (Isaiah 8:14). They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

Here Peter uses two Old Testament verses to bolster his teaching that Christ is this Stone in question, which is straight in line with the passage in Matthew 21 that we just read. And this is yet another reason why it is so important to read the Bible prayerfully–thoroughly–and in context.

This brings us to verse 9 – But you – [the ones called out–the universal Church.] But you– [this would be those of us who have given our lives completely to Jesus.] But you are “a chosen race, – [not one centralized organization like the Roman Catholic Church or the Mormon Church.] But you – [individually make up, and] – are “a chosen race, – [a chosen people] – a royal priesthood, – [all true Christians are priests of God] – a holy nation, a people of his [very] own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

The Apostle Paul Says Christ Is The Cornerstone

Here is some absolute truth: If people would just read God’s Word for themselves – if people would just let the text of the Bible speak for itself, then we could very quickly clear up the vast majority of confusion in religious circles. In fact if we turn to Ephesians 2:19 we will find out something further regarding the true Identity of the Cornerstone. The Apostle Paul actually sheds some light on just Who this Rock is–this real Cornerstone–that Peter has informed us the universal Church itself rests upon.

From the NAB Roman Catholic translation once again – Ephesians 2:19 – So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.10 (emphasis added).

It is interesting to note that at the very bottom of the page in this Bible translation specifically designed for Roman Catholics we read this rather salient footnote – “10. [20] Capstone: the Greek can also mean cornerstone…” (emphasis added). Permit me to point out that in Ephesians 2:20 cited above the Greek word is akrogoniaios. And it means not only cornerstone–but the very foundation stone itself! So you can probably see why translators affiliated with the Church of Rome just might want to “soften” that verse–and soften it a whole lot!

However, there can be no doubt that both Paul and Peter are in agreement that Christ Jesus of Nazareth is the–singular–Chief Cornerstone. Now think back to that parable of “The Wise Builder.” Jesus says – Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24). And this is no small matter as we attempt to look at the Roman Catholic Church from God’s perspective. Which, after all is said and done, is really the only perspective about that man-made organization that is going to matter!

Peter Confesses Christ Is The Rock

Let’s tie this back now to Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:18 where we began. Peter himself clearly shows us in Scripture from his own writings that it is Christ Jesus Who is the Rock–the Chief Cornerstone referred to in that verse. In fact later on in his first epistle, in the last chapter, the Apostle Peter writes – The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder (1 Peter 5:1). You’ll notice again–from the Bible itself–that he doesn’t claim any supremacy over these elders here as the so-called first Pope, but says instead that he is also an elder.

And that’s because Peter had already told these same men in chapter 2 that he is but a stone–just the same as they are–and that Christ is the Rock. Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the Real Cornerstone upon which His Church–His precious people–who are chosen and precious in the sight of God, is in fact built. So the entire foundation of the Roman Catholic Church erodes when examined by the precision laser light of God’s Holy Word–the Bible. When exposed to proper analysis by the Scriptures the faulty structure of the Church of Rome–their erroneous and pernicious doctrine of the Roman Pontiff–collapses in utter confusion and contradiction.

Let me begin to sum this up. The great Bible Commentator Dr. Adam Clarke is right when he explains what Jesus means when He says that He will build His Church upon the “rock.” Clarke shows that the Master is telling us that His Church will be built upon:

this true confession of [Peter] -that I am THE MESSIAH, that [I have] come to reveal and communicate THE LIVING GOD, that the dead, [and] lost world may be saved [through Me] – upon this very rock, myself, thus confessed…will I build my Church,…my assembly, or congregation, i.e. of persons who are made partakers of this precious faith. (http://www.godrules.net/library/clarke/clarke.htm&2,caps in original)

Dr. Clarke further points out – “That Petra is not designed in our Lord’s words must be evident to all who are not blinded by prejudice. Peter was only one of the builders in this sacred [structure],…[and Peter] himself tells us,…[the Church] was built on this living foundation stone” – [Christ Jesus-the Lord] (ibid.).

As a matter of fact Dr. Clarke then goes on to quote the very passage of Holy Scripture in 1 Peter 2 that we just looked at. Finally, the great Methodist preacher who labored during the days of John Wesley concludes:

So, the supremacy of Peter, and the infallibility of the Church of Rome, must be sought in some other scripture, for they certainly are not to be found in this (ibid., emphasis added).

The Critical Importance Of Understanding The Dogma Of The Papacy

Although to some this mistaken idea that Peter was the Pope may not be of much interest, nevertheless it remains an issue of critical importance to the advancement of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ upon His earth. The Gospel of our Lord–I might add–which is the only means that this lost world has to escape the inevitable coming wrath of God. And if you truly are a Christian, that bit of truth should be of great interest to you. As Dr. Martin used to say: “If you don’t believe that the world is lost, why on earth are you even bothering to call yourself a Christian?”

This confused and contradictory man-made dogma of the papacy is the very beating heart of the apostate Roman Catholic Church, and all of its lifeblood flows through the fictitious office of their Pope. And to show you how deep all of this runs, let me share something from “Saint” Ignatius of Loyola, the man who founded the Jesuit sect of The Church of Rome. Here’s a little something from “The Spiritual Exercises Of St. Ignatius Of Loyola.” What follows is the –

Thirteenth Rule. To be right in everything, we ought always to hold that the white which I see, is black, if the [Pope and the] Hierarchical Church so decide it,… (exercises/exercises.html&from=RTFToC159, emphasis added)

This is as blind an allegiance as has ever been expressed. And lest you think this is just a thing of the past, then listen to this from the current website of an organization called the Catholic Society of Evangelists. In order to become involved with them, among the things one must pledge on their membership form, we read:

I accept that the Bishop of Rome, is the sole Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, that he is the supreme visible head of the whole Church, and that he can teach infallibly what we must believe and do to be saved.
(http://www.saint-mike.org/cse/Oath.html)

We must face the fact that this is absolutely no different than the kind of blind allegiance paid to the leaders of any other cult-like system. Does anyone still remember Jim Jones and Jonestown? Or how about David Koresh and Waco, Texas? Yes, it’s true that the individual Roman Catholic may tell you that these are but words they say. Regardless, we must remind those who are pledging allegiance to the Pope and his Church of Rome of what the Lord says about anti-biblical traditions in Mark 7:6-9.

And here it is from their own New American Bible translation. Jesus says to the Jewish religious leaders–the Roman Catholic Church of His day:

“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’ You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!”

And as if that isn’t enough, here is a warning which came through the Apostle Paul that should send shivers up our spines. God the Holy Spirit says:

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11).

The Lord would have you know that this generation we are now living in is no time to be “playing” at Christianity. The spirit of this age is one that is quite aggressively hostile to the historic orthodox Christian faith. To the discerning among us it would appear that Christ is beginning to call His remnant to Himself. And…if you are in tune with the Spirit, somehow you will just know this truth.

Foolish Builders And Their House Of Sand

The issue we are left with now is this: If Peter is not the “rock” in Matthew 16:18 – then there can be no so-called “successors” to his non-existent office as the so-called supreme shepherd, head of the universal Church. If the Bible proves that Peter is not the first pope–and I have conclusively demonstrated that it does–then the Church of Rome has been exposed as nothing more than a house erected on sand by foolish builders.

And sadly, for those who have been deceived by all of its pious pomp, the apostate Roman Catholic Church has instead been shown to be the best counterfeit of true historic orthodox Christianity–the faith derived from the apostolic preaching and to be kept by the Christian community–that Satan has yet to conceive. By the way, this is Jude 3 in their own NAB translation.

In the immaculate radiance of Holy Scripture the Church of Rome is seen to simply rest upon the “traditions” of men and their self-proclaimed dogma of the papacy. For in the end, it is just as Dr. John MacArthur courageously told a national audience on The John Ankerberg Show. The religious faith as taught by the Roman Catholic Church clearly shows that this “is not a group of wayward brothers–but is an apostate form of Christianity. It is a false religion–it is another religion.” (MacArthur on The John Ankerberg Show, Irreconcilable Differences, Cassette Tape, Parts 1-3).

For once the precision laser beam of the Bible burns away the dogma of the Roman Pontiff–which is the very pillar the entire Church of Rome is built upon–then the whole substructure of this false religious system that the enemy of men’s souls has erected–with its cult-like dogmas of works-righteousness–collapses and lies in dilapidated ruin at his feet. As this whitewashed tomb full of dead men’s bones falls, the way is then cleared for us to reach those who were trapped inside; to free all those precious souls for whom the authentic Rock–the real Chief Cornerstone–Jesus Christ of Nazareth died, and who have been pressed down by the grisly rubble of twisted doctrine, such is the labyrinth of Roman Catholicism.

The true Body of Christ, that assembly of the ones the Lord has called out of this vapid world system to worship Him, must finally arise! The time has come for the authentic Holy Katholikos and Apostolic Church to liberate those who are right now caught in the crumbling wreckage of the no longer Christian Church of Rome. We need to release these survivors from its debris with the glorious Gospel of The RealCornerstone, our secure Foundation–the Rock–Christ Jesus.

The Roman Catholic Church Has Not Changed

However, because the Christian Church in America has become so terribly timid we’ve allowed the counterfeit Church of Rome to give the impression that she has changed the heretical doctrines that she originally left the Faith to teach in the first place. But by now you should clearly be able to see that she has not changed.

In an article entitled Vatican II—The Myths from EWTN we read:

All that the Church taught when Vatican II began is still [Roman] Catholic teaching. The changes whether made by the Council or decided upon since, are [only] in practical matters such as the liturgy or discipline, but always leaving doctrine unchanged (emphasis added).

Now listen to this by Rino Fisichella, Auxiliary Bishop of Rome, in L’Osservatore Romano – which just happens to be the newspaper of the Holy See. On page 10 of an article called Vatican I’s Teaching As Timely As Ever that ran September 13, 2000 we find:

on 8 December 1869 Plus IX brought the Council back to the centre of the Church. Holding it at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican was equivalent to recovering the great tradition of the medieval Councils,… The First Vatican Council, from this symbolic standpoint, initiated an event that would remain in the Church’s history as a point of no return for the growth of faith. (emphasis added)

As you can clearly see from their own sources, Roman Catholicism remains the same. Fisichella continues:

The Church presented the divine nature of her institution… Christ established in Peter the visible and lasting principle of his Church’s unity. The discussions about the approval of infallibility are well known…a decision of historical import was reached. The proclamation of infallibility embraced and expressed that sense of faith of all the baptized, which sees in Peter the rock on which Christ has indefectibly and infallibly established his Church (ibid., emphasis added).

Infallible Apostates?

As I have stated previously, what we need to do here is to stop playing all the word games. The truth is the Church of Rome is entangled by her own misapplied logic. Here is the issue succinctly: If the Pope cannot err when he pronounces a doctrine of faith and morals ex cathedra, then Roman Catholicism is trapped in an unbreakable vice. You see, if she were ever to change a dogma concerning theology–which in no uncertain terms does cover faith and morals–then the Church of Rome would have to admit that a Pope was in fact wrong.

To borrow a phrase–the Roman Catholic Church is damned if they do, and they are damned if they don’t. For once we have an infallible Pope, along with his so-called infallible teaching Magisterium, we will be forever locked within a maze of logical contradiction and confusion. And you will remember that For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints(1 Corinthians 14:33).

Let me close with this. As ambassadors of our glorious Lord, (see-2 Corinthians 5:20) it is our job to help people to see that it was not the Reformers who split the Body of Christ. Rather, it was the Church of Rome herself that was the one who left us so many hundreds of years ago, wishing to follow her own pride. For the Scripture unmistakably tells us about people like this:

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us (1 John 2:19).

The following comment on this verse from Zane Hodges will prove edifying. He writes:

They did not really belong to us [NIV] paraphrases an expression more literally rendered, “they were not of us.” The writer’s point was that these men did not really share the spirit and perspective of the apostolic circle, for if they had their secession would not have taken place. Heresy in the Christian church, whether on the part of its saved members or unsaved people within it, always unmasks a fundamental disharmony with the spirit and doctrine of the apostles. A man in touch with God will submit to apostolic instruction (cf. 1 John 4:6). (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, NT, pp.891,892, emphasis added).

For this is what the Lord says; despite all of her blustering and pontificating as to being the one true Church upon the face of the earth, with the “fullness” of the Gospel, and with her so-called “Vicar” of Christ, the Church of Rome stands condemned already, for she follows not the apostolic doctrine that she so brazenly claims succession from.

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear – Matthew 11:15.