The following articles are related to the topic of POPE

Reflections on the Pope

Fifty-eight million American Roman Catholics call him "Holy Father" (in violation of Matthew 23:9). He is revered as the head of the church on earth (though Christ possesses all authority in heaven and on earth, and is the exclusive head of the church [Matthew 28:18; Colossians 1:18]). Devotees of the Catholic religion assert that he is the successor of "Saint ... read more »

Pope Issues Apostolic Letter on 24th Anniversary of His “Petrine Ministry”

October 16th, 2002 was the 24th anniversary of Pope John Paul II. I don't track papal news from day to day. I was curious, however, when a broadcast noted that only four other "popes" had a longer tenure than John Paul II: Pius IX, Leo XIII, Pius VI - and Peter himself! (Note: the use of the word "pope" is ... read more »

The Pope Ignites a Controversy

A furor was reignited recently when news outlets reported that "Pope Benedict XVI" made the claim that the Catholic Church is the only true path to salvation. Various "pastors" of non-Catholic persuasions denounced the assertion, while some Catholic officials since have contended that the "pontiff's" message had been "misconstrued." Several observations regarding this confusion are appropriate. If the Roman Catholic ... read more »

Was Peter the “Rock”?

On December 20, 2000, we posted an article on our web site titled, Reflections on the Pope . The general thrust of the essay was to demonstrate, in a condensed format, that there is no New Testament evidence sustaining the Roman Catholic claim that the apostle Peter was the first "pope" of the church. Not only is there a complete ... read more »

A New Edict from the Vatican

A document issued by the Roman Vatican on Tuesday, September 5, 2000, has ignited considerable controversy in the community of "Christendom." It alleges that other "Christian churches," i.e., those beyond the pale of Romanism, are "defective" in that they do not recognize the "primacy of the Pope." The thirty-six-page declaration was prepared by the Vatican's Congregation of the Doctrine of ... read more »

Who Is Paul’s “Man of Sin”?

In his first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul spoke of the return of Christ and the glories associated therewith. Because some of these saints apparently misunderstood the instruction of that initial epistle, or had been influenced by false teaching, the apostle was constrained to write a second letter, attempting to correct the erroneous ideas entertained by the Thessalonians. ... read more »

The Little Horn of Daniel’s Sea-beast

In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign over the Babylonian Empire (ca. 603 B.C.), Daniel, a Hebrew in captivity, was called upon to reveal and interpret a dream for the monarch. He told of a great image in the form of a man consisting of four sections. The head was of gold, its breast and arms were silver, the belly ... read more »

John Tetzel’s Indulgences

During the era of the Protestant Reformation, certain Roman Catholic clerics employed the practice of "auricular confession" (confessing sins into the ear of a priest) to enhance their own financial welfare and that of the Church. It was commonly taught (and still is) that through the "confessional," relief from guilt, and release from eternal punishment, may be obtained. At the ... read more »

What Is Sola Scriptura?

There are at least three serious errors-advocated by the prevailing authorities of the Roman Catholic Church-that pertain to the nature of the Scriptures. First, it is contended that the sixty-six books of our common Bibles do not contain the whole of the collection of divine writings. Hence, Catholic Bibles are appended with several extra books known as the Apocrypha. However, ... read more »

Peter Vs. the Papacy

There is a sense in which it is a distressful thing to be forced to throw the floodlight upon the religious error of one's friends.No spiritually sensitive person enjoys seeing others offended.But there is a guiding principle that must ever prevail in religious matters.As Paul once expressed it: "So then am I become your enemy by telling you the truth?" ... read more »