Counterfeit WK 6 - Wednesday Night
- Pastor Brian Loudermilk
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
The Papacy vs. Church leadership
The Counterfeit
(880) When Christ instituted the Twelve, "he constituted [them] in the form of a college or permanent assembly, at the head of which he placed Peter, chosen from among them."398 Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter and the rest of the apostles constitute a single apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are related with and united to one another."399
(881)The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock.400 "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head."401 This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.
(882) 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."402 "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered."403
I. Defining the Pope
Meaning of the Pope
Continue the mission of Peter whom Christ made the foundation of His church and preserve the church until the second coming. Head leader of church and continuation of apostolic successors (Acts 1)
The Pope and the Keys to the Kingdom
1. Matthew 16:18-19 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock[a] I will build my church, and the gates of hell[b] shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[c] in heaven.”
2. John 21:15-1715 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Papal Infallibility
II. Evangelical truth claims and biblical response
A. There is no biblical basis for papal supremacy
1. No where in the Bible does it mention such a papal supremacy
2. Scripture that does define church offices does not include reference or an inference to the Pope.
Ephesians 4:11-12And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[a] and teachers,[b] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
3. Matthew 16:18-19 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock[a] I will build my church, and the gates of hell[b] shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[c] in heaven.”
a. I Corinthians 3:11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
b. 1 Peter 2:4-6 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious,and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
c. Church fathers in church history: Jesuit Maldonatus writes:
“There are among ancient authors some who interpret on this rock that is on this faith or on this confession of faith in which thou has called me the son of the living God. As Hilary and Gregory Nyssen and Chrysostom, and Cyril of Alexandria. St. Augustine interprets on this rock that is on myself Christ because Christ was the rock. But Origen on this rock that is to say on all men who have the same faith.
Hilarys statement in De Trinitate book 6 chapter 37 AD 356-359 says
“This faith is which the foundation of the church through this faith the gates of hell cannot prevail against her. This is the faith which has the keys of the kingdom of heaven. (Pg 112)
Augustine in his work entitled Retractions:
“ I have somewhere said of St. Peter that the chruch is built upon him as the rock…. But I know that I have since frequently said that the word of the Lord, Thou aren’t Petrus and on this Petra I will build my church, must be understood of him whom Peter confessed as the son of the living God and Peter so named after this this rock represents the person of the church which is founded on the rock and has received the keys of the kingdom of heaven. For it was not said of him thou art a rock (Petra) but thou aren’t peter (Petrus) and the rock was Christ. Through confession of whom Simon received the name Peter. Yet the reader may decide which of two interpretations is more probable.”
4. John 21:15-1715 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
B. Peter had no supreme authority over other Apostles
1. Act 15: 12-19 at Jerusalem council:
2. Galatians 2 Paul rebukes Peter
Galatians 2:11-13 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
3. 1 Peter 5:1 fellow elder.
5 And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you:
C. Papal Infallibility contradicts scripture
1. Peter made moral errors: denied Christ 3 times (Luke 22:61-62)
2. Peter made doctrinal errors and misled others into hypocrisy (Galatians
2:13)
3. Acts 17:1111 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
4. Prophecy: I Thessalonians 5:21 – yo are to test because men are not infallible.
D. The true head of the Church is Christ alone:
1. Colossians 1:18 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
2. Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
E. Church History shows papacy was developed later.
F. The Gospel is at stake
Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
III. Structure in the Church today
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