Berean Beacon
P.O. Box 192
Del Valle, TX 78617
USA
By Richard Bennett
The Lord Jesus Christ entrusted the universal care of souls into the safekeeping
of the Divine Person of the Holy Spirit. Concerning this Third Person of the
Trinity who was to be His substitute, the Lord promised that, “when he is come,
he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”[1] The
Holy Spirit convicts of sin as He makes the sinner realize his lost condition
and convicts him of his need of Christ’s righteousness. He it is who brings a
soul dead in sin to life. This miracle of grace is spoken of in Scripture as,
“the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the
working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from
the dead.”[2] The majesty, greatness and indescribable power of the office of
Vicar of Christ are such that a believer stands in awe of His divine Person.
That any human being should lay claim to the office of Vicar of Christ seems
totally absurd and blasphemous.
At this time, world attention is focused on the office of the man who will
purport to take the place of Christ, as the election by Roman Catholic cardinals
chooses the next incumbent. The Vatican officially teaches that the substitute
for Christ Jesus is the Pope; the words of the official pronouncement are,
“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.”[3]
As the world waits with great interest for the next successor to this position
of “Vicar of Christ”, the biblical imperative must be for the true office of the
Vicar of Christ to be clearly seen together with the spiritual consequences of
attempting to substitute a man to this divine position.
The True Vicar of Christ
Because there is a direct connection between the redemption of Christ and the
ministry of the Holy Spirit, it is a soul damning error to mistake the work of
the Holy Spirit as Vicar of Christ with the position or work of any man. As
Christ Jesus had been the Master, Counselor and Guide to the believers, He
promised to send the Holy Spirit as His substitute so that He might abide with
them for ever.”[4] In believers’ lives the Holy Spirit has full, immediate, and
universal influence, as the Scripture so wonderfully teaches, “now the Lord is
that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all,
with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into
the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”[5] The
work of the Spirit is transforming; we are changed from one degree of glorious
grace unto another, until by that same grace one day we will be perfect in with
Him in glory forever. How much therefore should Christians prize the full and
complete ministry of the Holy Spirit! In the face of these awesome truths
concerning the role and ministry of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, it is
horrendous to learn that the Vatican proclaims, “The Pope enjoys, by divine
institution, supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of
souls.”[6] Persuading men and women that Christ the Lord left a mortal man to be
His vicar on earth attempts to gainsay the very purpose of Christ Jesus.
The History of the claim to be Vicar of Christ
This outlandish assertion came relatively late in the history of the Papacy. To
begin with, the Bishop of Rome claimed to be the vicar of Caesar and his
successors the rightful heirs to the Caesars. The city that had been the seat of
power for the Roman Empire became the city for the Bishop of Rome to exercise
his authority. Gradually other Bishops and national monarchs accepted him as
vicar and successor to Caesar with the same supreme title of “Pontifex Maximus”.
Next the Bishops of Rome claimed to be “The vicar of the prince of the
apostles”[7], that is, the vicar of Peter.[8] Thus in the early fifth century
Bishop Innocent I (401-417AD) insisted that Christ had delegated supreme power
to Peter and made him the Bishop of Rome. Following this he held that the Bishop
of Rome as Peter’s successor was entitled to exercise Peter’s power and
prerogatives. Boniface III, who became Bishop of Rome in 607, established
himself as “Universal Bishop”, thus claiming to be vicar and master of all other
bishops. It was not until the eighth century, however, that the particular title
“Vicar of the Son of God”[9] was found in the fraudulent document called “The
Donation of Constantine”.[10] Although this notorious document was proven false
in the early sixteenth century, the Bishops of Rome have used the title “Vicar
of Christ” since the eighth century. This title has been the Pope’s supreme
claim to spiritual and temporal supremacy. The taste of divine power, with which
the title resonates, has proven to be addictive. The “Vicar of Christ” is able
to recognize no authority other than his own. He looks upon himself as Master of
all, and boldly proclaims, “The First See is judged by no one.”[11]
The Counterfeit Vicar of Christ
Rome’s alleged office of Christ’s Vicar on earth is so all embracing and
complicated that one man cannot exercise “supreme, full, immediate, and
universal power”. Thus the single man who purports to be invested with the
office needs a vast hierarchy to command. The pyramid of power that constitutes
his office of the “Vicar of Christ” consists of cardinals, patriarchs, major
archbishops, metropolitans, coadjutor archbishops, diocesan bishops, coadjutor
bishops, episcopal vicar, eparches, apostolic vicars, apostolic prefects,
apostolic administrators and vicars general.[12] And when the king pin to all
this hierarchical structure dies, the running of the office continues but on a
different basis. Under the present law of the Vatican, on the death of the Pope
the administration passes to “the Chamberlain”, that is a Cardinal appointed by
the Pope during his lifetime to act as Papal administrator after his death.
Canon Law specifically forbids this Chamberlain from introducing any innovation
in the running of the Church while the office of Pope is vacant (Canon 335).
The counterfeit nature of the Pope’s claim to be “the Vicar of Christ” is shown
by his doctrine and deeds. The key role of the True Vicar of Christ is to
glorify Christ, “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall
shew it unto you.”[13] The sending of the Spirit was the glorifying of Christ.
God the Father glorifies Christ Jesus in heaven, and the Spirit glorifies Him on
earth. All the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit are to glorify Christ. The
Lord Jesus Christ promised the Apostles, “when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth.”[14] God’s truth is an indissoluble, balanced
and harmonious whole. In the Bible we have “all truth”, in this the Holy Spirit
truly glorifies Jesus Christ. In stark contrast, the Pope claims to possess
“infallible teaching authority”. This neither glorifies Christ nor honors the
Spirit of truth.[15] Also the Pope, as “the Vicar of Christ” teaches “rebirth”
by baptism, which demeans the glory of Christ. [16]
By crucifixes, rosaries, and scapulars, the earthly Vicar purports to fortify
men and women against the assaults of Satan. He also maintains that indulgences
can shorten the sufferings of souls in purgatory. While presiding over
substantially the richest financial institution in the world, he maintains and
advocates vows of poverty. Even as thousands of souls are corrupted by unbridled
filthiness, he defends the vows of celibacy for his priests. By autonomous
proclamations he releases men and women from their marriage vows in
self-declared annulments.[17] None of these deeds glorify Christ Jesus the Lord.
The major enemy of Christ and His Gospel, however, is not materialism nor is it
lust, but rather the spiritual pride and the apostasy of the very one who
pretends to be His “Vicar”. The first lie of Satan, “ye shall be as gods”[18]
reaches its full fruition in the Papal claim to be “Vicar of Christ”. By this
the words of the Apostle Paul are literally fulfilled, “who opposeth and
exalteth himself above all that is called God…showing himself that he is
God.”[19]
A Successor to the Earthly “Vicar of Christ”
When one Pope dies another one is elected. For the election of a Pope a part of
the Vatican palace is walled off. Access to the conclave, where the election is
held, is through a door locked from the inside by the Cardinal Chamberlain and
from the outside by the Marshall of the conclave. There are some openings
provided for the passage of food, guarded from within and without. All
communication with the outside world is strictly forbidden under pain of loss of
office and ipso facto excommunication. Presented to the world is a gathering of
walled-in Cardinals dressed in scarlet with the given purpose of electing a new
“Vicar of Christ”. The whole scene gives a picture of smoke and mirrors. White
smoke from the burning of ballots is the traditional way of informing the world
that a new Pope has been elected. It comes out of the Sistine Chapel at the
Vatican. This is just part of the ostentatious spectacle of the Roman Church in
the traditional election of a new Pope.
The man in the street Catholic may deviate from his church on such issues as
contraception, extramarital sex, homosexuality, abortion, confession and the
obligation to attend Sunday Mass, but as a Catholic, he shelters serenely in his
belief that he has the “Holy Father”. Removing any lingering doubt the Vatican
Web page states, “‘THE HOLY FATHER’ The Roman Pontiff, as the successor of
Peter, is the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity of both
the bishops and of the faithful.”[20] The Catholic is thus enslaved to a system
by the assurance that he has “The Holy Father” and the “Vicar of Christ” in the
person of his Pope. Both assertions are utter blasphemy before the One Holy
Father in heaven and the One Vicar Christ, the Holy Spirit.
“Habemus papam” we have a Papa!
At the present, the election of the next Roman Pontiff occupies the minds of
Catholics as well as, it would seem, most of the secular world. One newspaper
assures its readers that “No other event in human society can compare with a
papal conclave in its combination of tradition, drama, ceremony and pomp, and
significance. … After what seems to be an endless wait, the senior
cardinal-deacon appears on a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square and
announces: “Habemus papam!”[21] Thus the climax of the drama and all the
accompanying pageantry is the pronouncement - “Habemus papam!” “we have a
Papa!”[22] Catholics and the world are told that they have a spiritual Papa to
look after them. Christ Jesus constantly spoke about His Father, the word
“Father” was seventy times on His lips to show true believers that they have a
Father, a Father in Heaven - “my Father, and your Father… my God, and your
God.”[23] Distinctively true believers have an Abba Father, in the words of the
Apostle, “for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye
have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”[24] It is
precisely because believers have an Abba Father that they are commanded not to
call any man “Father” in the spiritual sense. Thus the Lord’s command, “call no
man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”[25]
The Lord Christ Jesus prayed to the only “Holy Father” that exists, “Holy
Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may
be one, as we are.”[26] The Lord used His usual appellation “Father” but
prefixed it with the word “Holy”. He wanted to emphasize the absolute perfection
of the Father’s nature. So intimate and worshipful is this, that in a spiritual
sense a true believer will only use the words “The Holy Father” of God alone!
The Roman Pontiff not only takes to himself the office of “Vicar of Christ” but
also the very title of the Godhead, “The Holy Father”. We must therefore ask the
question that Apostle John asks, “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus
is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.”[27] In
assuming these titles to himself, the Pope shows that he truly is “a vicar of
Christ” in the biblical sense of the Antichrist!
Conclusion and Personal Response
Today some compromised and eclectic “Evangelicals” stop their ears and close
their eyes to the true Vicar of Christ and mindlessly agree with the festivities
that accompany the white smoke arising from the Vatican. Ignored once again are
the questions: Whom do we honor? Whom do we fear? Is it God or man? As the world
and false Evangelicals bow in admiration and anticipation of a new Pontiff, we
might well take a moment to pause and consider where we personally stand as
believers in the One Lord Christ Jesus and the One Holy Spirit.
Presented to the world is the office of Pope. The one who holds the office
claims to mediate between God and man and to hold the keys of heaven and hell.
Most appallingly he takes to himself the office of “Vicar of Christ” adding even
the attribute of infallibility to his position[28], demanding that “a religious
respect of intellect and will be paid to his teaching.”[29] The Papal arrogance
tallies well with the Scripture’s prediction for such claims, “I will ascend
above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”[30] The words
inscribed in the Pope’s official miter are “Vicarius Filii Dei”, Latin for
“Vicar of the Son of God”. Since there can be but one Vicar of Christ who is
infinite, supreme, omnipotent, and all sufficient, the earthly pretender can be
none other than a self energized Apostate system and will eventually be judged
and utterly condemned by the Lord.[31] The ecumenical allies of the earthly
Vicar multiply like mushrooms, yet we do not fear not because we know that in
Him we are “more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”[32]. Our victory is
assured “for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”[33] The “Evangelicals and
Catholics Together” (ECT) accord determined its own condemnation, as light has
no fellowship with darkness. It is time however for us as “True Evangelicals
Together in the Lord” to express ourselves!
It is the will of God that every true believer “should earnestly contend for the
faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”[34] Those of us who cling to
Christ and His Word alone and who are saved before the all-Holy God by grace
alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, with all glory and praise to God
alone must give voice to our profession of faith. At the time of Elijah there
was a call to the people of God to make a stand for the true God or to follow
Baal. In a similar way Joshua asked the people to decide between the gods of the
land and the true God of Israel. In our day, much more than at the time of
Elijah or Joshua, it is urgent that we take seriously the command our Lord gave
us to personally give witness as to where we stand. Before and after a Papal
election, the world will look at the TV shows and listen to news broadcasts,
amidst the fanfare, pageantry and pomp. The media momentum will enhance the
power and the glory of the so-called earthly Vicar of Christ. In the midst of
all of it as we prepare for these events, I solemnly ask you to make clear where
you stand. What we ask is that in a few sentences you express your personal
faith in the one Lord Jesus Christ and His one Vicar the divine Holy Spirit,
together with a personal resolution to obey our Lord’s command to “contend for
the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
We will publish in our Webpage under the title, “True Evangelicals Together in
the Lord” the statements that we receive from believers across the world. It now
really is time for decisive commitments to Christ Jesus and His Gospel. Rather
than lamenting the false accords that have deceived Christians in recent times,
why not join your personal signature to a true accord in Christ Jesus to be
faithful to Him, by His grace and to His glory!
All statements should be sent to:
berean_beacon@yahoo.com or mailed to Richard Bennett, Berean Beacon, P.O.
Box 192, Del Valle, TX 78617 USA
WebPage: http://www.bereanbeacon.org
Permission is given by the author to copy this article if it is done in its
entirety without any changes.
Permission is also given post this article in its entirety on Internet WebPages.
Endnotes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] John 16:8
[2] Ephesians 1:19, 29
[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second
Ed. (Wash DC: US Catholic Conf., 1994, 1997) #882
[4] John 14:16
[5] II Corinthians 3:17-18
[6] Catechism, Para 937
[7] “Vicarius principis apostolorum” the official title in Latin.
[8] This has been a long-standing contention, since Scripture never mentions
Peter as ever residing in Rome.
[9] “Vicarius Filii Dei” is the official title in Latin.
[10] The text of “The Donation of Constantine” states “…as on earth he (Peter)
is seen to have been constituted vicar of the Son of God, so the pontiffs, who
are the representatives of that same chief of the apostles…”
http://www.jmgainor.homestead.com/files/PU/PF/doco.htm 3/9/05
[11] Code of Canon Law, Latin-English ed. (Wash. DC: Canon Law Society of
America, 1983), Canon 1404. All canons are taken from this volume unless
otherwise stated.
[12] For more details, see Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Almanac 1998
(Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc) pp. 141-142.
[13] John 16:14
[14] John 16:13
[15] “The Supreme Pontiff, in virtue of his office, possesses infallible
teaching authority when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful...he
proclaims with a definitive act that a doctrine of faith or morals is to be held
as such.” Can. 749
[16] “Through baptism men and women are freed from sin, are reborn as children
of God, and, configured to Christ by an indelible character, are incorporated in
the [Catholic] Church.” Can. 849
[17] “The Catholic Church has taken the Divine institution of marriage and used
it for its own purposes. The Catholic Church has granted hundreds of thousands
of annulments and allowed remarriage. Many of such unions, called marriages, are
in fact, before the Lord and His Word, nothing more than officially blessed
whoredoms. Such sinful unions take away the hearts and souls that should be
given to God.” Can.1684
[18] Genesis 3:5
[19] II Thessalonians 2:4
[20] www.vatican.va/holy father/ 12/5/03 (italics supplied)
[21]
www.startribune.com/stories/614/4230955.html 12/5/03
[22] In Latin the full proclamation is “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum. Habemus
Papam”, “I announce to you great joy, we have a Papa.”
[23] John 20:17
[24] Romans 8:16
[25] Matthew 23:9
[26] John 17:11
[27] I John 2:22.
[28] “The Supreme Pontiff, in virtue of his office, possesses infallible
teaching authority….” Can. 749
[29] “A religious respect of intellect and will, even if not the assent of
faith, is to be paid to the teaching which the Supreme Pontiff...” Can. 752.
[30] Isaiah 14:14.
[31] Revelation 18:8 “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and
mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is
the Lord God who judgeth her.”
[32] Romans 8:37
[33] I John 5:4
[34] Jude 3
Copyright
© Eastern Regional Watch Inc. 2003. All Rights Reserved.