Acts 10:25-26: “And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.  But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.”

The Popes however, those who have been Peter’s alleged successors, have allowed multitudes to kiss their rings and fall down at their feet.  Yet we see here that the Apostle Peter would not let any man fall down at his feet.  What is going on?

Though it is obvious that many who criticize the Pope practically regard their own spiritual leaders in the same way, it is also true that those who are faithful by Catholic standards are utterly and unreservedly devoted to the Pope.  There is no doubt about that in their case.  

Section 882 of the Catholic Church Catechism states “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 unhindered.”

There are many reasons that this statement does not align with the Bible.

For one, Peter himself did not have full, supreme, and universal power over the whole church.

At the council recorded in Acts chapter 15, the one who gave the sentence (or the ruling) there was James (who was probably the local overseer of the Jerusalem church).  

And Peter was present at that very council.  

This gives a good hint at why Catholic apologists, though they claim to believe and honor the Bible, have to contend against it and minimize it in relation to their church’s doctrines and traditions.  These are not compatible with the Bible.

We even have two epistles in the Bible written by Peter.  In these epistles he asserts no Papal authority for himself nor anyone else.  

Peter called people to heed the Scriptures- even above his own eyewitness testimony (though the eyewitness testimony he mentions here came to evidently qualify as Scripture, the principle which Peter lays down here is undeniable- the Scriptures take precedent over anything and everything else in discerning light from darkness; discerning the authentic Christian faith).

2 Peter 1:16-21: “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Peter called everyone to take heed to the Scriptures.  He did not exhort people to rather trust him (or his alleged successor) and the church.  

Peter also made it clear that in taking heed to the Scriptures we should know first that “that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”  

Proper interpretation of Scripture is not privatized nor exclusive to any particular individual or entity (going utterly against the mentality that we need the church or any particular individual to properly understand the Bible).  

What Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:16-21 inherently restricted and limited the authority which he and the other Apostles of Christ had.  They themselves had to be subject to the Scriptures- and he makes it clear also that the Scriptures are not beyond the comprehension of anyone led and taught by the Spirit of God (Christ’s Spirit is given to all who repent and obey Him- Acts 5:32- all authentic Christians are able to, and required to be, led by the Spirit of God which inspired the Scriptures and leads in accordance with the Scriptures).  

Peter continued to say the following in his 2nd epistle.

2 Peter 2:1-3: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.  And many shall follow their pernicious ways (that is, destructive and damnable ways); by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

Note that Peter mentions covetousness here as a key motivation in this promotion of apostasy.  It is no wonder that TIME Magazine reported the following on February 26, 1965: “Bankers’ best guesses about the Vatican’s wealth put it at $10 billion to $15 billion (and that’s in 1965 money).”

As Peter’s 2nd epistle was closing, it is notable that he did not tell those he wrote to look for any continued instruction outside of the Scriptures nor did he instruct them to make sure to heed a supposed successor of his after his death.  That is all the more significant because he would proceed in the chapter to warn of future circumstances and events (read all of 2 Peter chapter 3).

2 Peter 3:1-2: “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior…”

Peter would close the epistle by what he wrote in 2 Peter 3:15-18: “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (that is, wrench or twist), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and for ever.  Amen.”

Note that Peter states that Paul’s epistles echo what Peter wrote himself (this should be obvious anyways, but Peter saw it fit to mention that here).  

We can be one hundred percent sure then, from the very words of Peter in the Bible, that the Pope is not Peter’s successor and that the very office of the Pope as well as the church which that office resides within are not of Christ, by how utterly out of line that church is with what is taught in the Apostle Paul’s epistles.

Examples:

1 Timothy 2:5-6: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

This cannot be overemphasized.  You cannot be part of the Pope’s church without essentially stating that there are other mediators between God and men besides Christ Jesus.  

1 Timothy 4:1-3: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”

The Roman Catholic Church, through direct decrees of the Pope and enabling of its Popes, has obviously commanded for meat to be abstained from on several days throughout the year; and has forbidden marriage to its priests and other clergy in spite of the Bible’s teaching in Hebrews 13:4 that marriage is honorable in all.

2 Timothy 3:13-17: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

The Pope is the head of a church system whose very existence is dependent upon the concept that the Scriptures are not enough; and that we ought to submit to their teaching even when we honestly see that it contradicts the Bible and/or is a blatant addition to the revelation made known within the Bible.

In a Pew Research study, dated April 12, 2021, it is said that research reveals that 6 in 10 U.S. Catholics believe that abortion should be legal in most or all cases.  

Yet the Pope, whom the Catholic Catechism says “has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered” doesn’t deny them communion.  

Multitudes who justify sin, and/or otherwise live in sin (even when we just look at the ways in which the Bible and the Catholic Church are agreed in defining sin), are not stopped from communion in the Catholic Church in spite of the power which the Pope is said to have.  

This only further proves that the Pope is not actually the Vicar of Christ.

And if you’re wondering how it would be possible to identify these abortion supporters so they could be ex-communicated: Requiring members to sign a contract affirming they’re in agreement with the beliefs and practices of a church in order to remain in communion can itself go a long ways in accomplishing this (as well as leadership simply opening its eyes and ears to the obvious).  

Yet the Pope and his church overall do not excommunicate these- and there is no good reason to believe they ever would (except, in my opinion, as a publicity stunt if they were desperate and saw doing so as convenient).  

The Catholic Church has historically been about making Christianity accessible to the masses who are not fully detached from the ways of the heathen.  The corruption and compromise of its worship, including its Papal office as well as the overall deeds and policies of those who have been in this office, reflect that.

Peter never surely never claimed to be anything more than an Apostle of Christ like the other Apostles of Christ.  Yet Peter and the other Apostles surely did not tolerate those committed to sin to be in fellowship with them.  You just need to read Acts 5:1-11 which deals with Peter’s interaction with the deceitful Ananias and Sapphira, and see Ananias and Sapphira’s sudden deaths, to know that.  

Being a sinner among, or otherwise greatly corrupting a group which Christ actually does regard as His own is an especially dangerous thing.  Those who are committed to sin are actually safer elsewhere- though they will surely also not escape God’s judgment in the end either.

1 Peter 4:17-18: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

Aaron’s email is: [email protected]

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