One Mediator Between Man and God - Part 2

So, what does the Bible say about the papacy?

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus - 1 Timothy 2:5.

The Church of Rome demands that all follow blindly with implicit faith the interpretation of the Bible given by the pope and his hierarchy. This usurps the place of the Holy Spirit as teacher and leader. Romans 8:14 states, "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." The brazen exhibition of arrogance, bigotry and intolerance in the Catholic church is in sharp contrast to that of Peter in whose succession the popes claim to follow.

In 1 Peter 5:1-3, we read "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, 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; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock."

Furthermore, Jesus said in Matthew 20:25-28, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Peter, the alleged first pope, was not infallible as a teacher of faith and morals, as is evidenced by his conduct at Antioch when he refused to eat with Gentile Christians so as not to offend Jews from Jerusalem (Galatians 2:11-16). Would not Paul have been more qualified as a ‘pope’ than Peter, as both a man and a teacher? There is NO indication anywhere in the New Testament that anyone should be chosen for this position. Church leadership positions ARE outlined in the NT: Elders (bishop, pastor, shepherd) and Deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-15, Titus 1:5-9). No archbishop, supreme bishop or pope is mentioned in ANY of Paul’s writings, not even his letter to the Romans. Surely these would be mentioned if such an important office existed.

James R. White, in his excellent book 'Scripture Alone', gives this insightful commentary on the subject: '...man seeks to enthrone his own thoughts and authority in place of the the ultimate authority of God's Word so as to allow man to control God's truth. This is the basis of every false teaching, every error the church has ever faced or ever will face'.

Before Martin Luther came on the scene centuries ago, the church at Rome had begun assert interpretive control over the Bible. The church had taken over Christ's role as mediator between God and man. Luther was outspoken in his criticism of the condition of the church at the time and thrusted the world into the Protestant Reformation by making the following statement: "unless I am convicted by scripture and by plain reason, I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have frequently errored and contradicted themselves. My conscience is captive to the Word of God… to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other."

The Word of God, the Bible - is our sole authority. Not the church, not tradition, and certainly not the Pope.