The origins of the office of pope was pagan in it’s inception. What the Roman Catholic Church wants you to believe is that the apostle Peter was the first “pope”, however scripture refutes this claim. In fact the theology of the Roman Catholic Church reads that if anyone denies that Peter was the first Bishop of Rome they shall be accursed!
Nowhere in the New Testament does it read that Peter took on any role of “pope”, in fact the Gospels do not even show a whisper of any evidence that any of the apostles held any position of primacy! Jesus treated all His disciples the same and demonstrated this by conferring with all of them.
Peter wrote:
1 Peter 5: 1-5 (NASB)
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet aslording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with*humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Does that read as if Peter views himself as pope? No he speaks as a fellow pastor/elder! Look if Peter shows us absolutely no evidence of him being the “Vicar of Christ” and it is nowhere indicated in the writing’s of Paul, why should we trust the Roman Catholic Church of such proclamations of the papacy of Peter?
As for the Roman Catholic term “Vicar of Christ” well…the word “Vicar” is defined as a “substitute”. This is the thought pattern of the RCC as they have stated that Peter is that “substitute” as he is the Lords representation on earth. This is blasphemous as Jesus Himself said that the Holy Spirit is the “Vicar of Christ”, read John 14: 16 (NASB)
16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
Also read John 16: 5-11 (NASB)
5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
I conclude that inlight of evidence of the holy scriptures, the institution of the Papacy has zero credibility.
I pray that the Roman Catholic today, pray for true revelation, and listen to the Word of God in the scriptures. Read: Acts 17: 24-25
24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
God Bless
Brian Mason