The Pope: Who is he to you?
Response to comment [from a Christian]: [The Pope: Who is he to you?]
He's not holy and he is not to be called "father" (Mt 23:9). He is the head of a church in its final stages of apostasy (Rev. 3:14–22). If any Pope were a truly born again man (Jn 3:7), he would clean house of the false Roman Catholic teachings.
"During the Inquisition, the Catholic religion killed millions. Why? Primarily to suppress any and all opposition to the pope. Side "benefits" included taking the material wealth of its victims and showing the pope's power. The Catholic Inquisitors tortured, crippled, burned, and imprisoned millions of people..." The Roman Catholic "Church" is Not Christian.
See:
Roman Catholics fought for a long time to keep the word of God from the common man. They murdered believers in the true and living God (1 Thess 1:9):
"[L]et's review how this bloodthirsty organization treated a man who simply wanted to get the Bible into the hands of the common people. In the late 1300s John Wycilffe translated the scriptures from the Latin Vulgate. Some 40 odd years after his death, the Catholic religion dug up his bones and burned them calling him an arch-heretic. In the 1500's William Tyndale sought to translate the Bible into the language of the common people, English. He could not gain approval from the Catholic religion so he worked as an outlaw on the run in Europe, translating the Bible. He was eventually captured, condemned and executed in 1536. It is because of people like these men, Tyndale and Wycliffe, that we have the scriptures today. If the Catholic religion had its way, we'd still be in ignorance about the Bible and enslaved to the pope..." Full text: The Roman Catholic "Church" is Not Christian
Wouldn't you work to keep the scriptures away from the
common man if you were perverting it?
See:
This battle is not new: Cain and Abel (Jude 1:11); Historical Biblical Christians and work-based religions (Ga 2:16). We stand in the truth of the true gospel (1 Cor 15:1). Mere professions of faith can be counterfeit. We must come to God his way (Ro 8:5).
See:
Response to comment [from a Christian]: "The Pope is a dope who looks for altar boys picking up soap."
Mt 7:16
A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves,
which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him
half dead.
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he
passed by on the other side.
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and
passed by on the other side [Luke 10:30–32].
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw
him, he had compassion on him,
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him
on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the
host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more,
when I come again, I will repay thee.
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among
the thieves?
And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do
thou likewise [Luke 10:33–37].
"Dean Brown of Yale University has said that three classes of men that represent
three philosophies of life are brought before us in this parable.
1. The Thief: His philosophy of life says, “What you have is mine.” This is
socialism or communism.
2. The Priest and Levite: His philosophy of life says, “What I have is mine.”
This is rugged individualism that has gone to seed. His cry is, “Let the world
be damned, I will get mine.” This is godless capitalism.
3. The Good Samaritan: His philosophy says, “What I have belongs to you.” This
is a Christian philosophy of life. “What I have is yours if I can help you.”
Folk who talk about “Christian socialism” don’t recognize that they are two
distinct philosophies.
Now our Lord intended that we bring this parable right down to where we live. We
are told that a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among
thieves. That is a picture of humanity. That is the race that has come from
Adam. Mankind came from Jerusalem, the place where they approached God, to
Jericho, the accursed city. Humanity, you see, fell. Humanity found itself
helpless, hopeless, and unable to save itself. Mankind was dead in trespasses
and sin—this man who had fallen among thieves was half dead. The thieves are a
picture of the Devil who, John 8:44 tells us, was a murderer from the beginning.
Concerning this subject our Lord said, “All that ever came before me are thieves
and robbers …” (John 10:8). When the multitude came to arrest Christ, He said to
them, “… Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take
me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me”
(Matt. 26:55). The Devil is a thief, and our Lord was crucified between two
thieves—this is quite interesting, is it not?
Then we are told that a certain priest passed by on the other side. He
represents ritualism and ceremonialism which cannot save a person. Someone has
said that the reason the priest passed by on the other side was because he saw
that the man had already been robbed! Next a Levite came by, and he too passed
by on the other side. He represents legalism. Neither ritualism, ceremonialism,
nor legalism can save.
Then a “certain” Samaritan passed by. Whom did the “certain Samaritan”
represent? He is the One who told the parable. When ritualism, ceremonialism,
legalism, and religion could not do anything to help man, Christ came. He is
able to bind up the broken-hearted. He is able to take the lost sinner,
half-dead, lost in trespasses and sins, and help him.
This parable has a practical application for you and me today. Any person you
can help is your neighbor. It does not mean that only the person living next to
you is your neighbor. People need Christ, the Good Samaritan. There is a great
deal of talk about getting the gospel out to the world, but not much of an
effort is made to see that people know about Christ. It is like the young fellow
who was courting a girl. He wrote her a letter and said to her, “I would climb
the highest mountain for you, swim the deepest river for you, cross the widest
sea for you, and cross the burning desert for you!” Then he added a P.S.: “If it
does not rain next Wednesday, I will come to see you.” That sounds like the
average Christian’s commitment to Christ!
The world today is like the man that fell among thieves and needs our help. The
world needs Christ. Christ can not only rescue us from drowning, but He can
teach us to swim. Ritualism and formalism see mankind drowning and say, “Swim,
brother, swim.” But man cannot swim. Legalism and liberalism push across toward
man and say, “Hang on, brother, hang on.” But man cannot hang on. There is a
song which says, “I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore, very
deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; but the Master of the sea heard
my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me, now safe am I.” Christ lifted me,
my friend, and He can lift you too. That is the message of the Good Samaritan."
McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the
Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (4:292-294). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Response to comment [from a Christian]: "I still can't figure out why the Roman Catholics believes the pope to be God..."
They don't believe the Pope is God. That position is
reserved for Jack Daniels.
Response to comment [from a Catholic]: "[T]his is a test to find out who the jerks are..."
This is a test of the emergency broadcast system
(Ex 20:2,3; De 5:7).
Who do you trust? [
Answer] is your idol.
"Delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires (Ps 37:4)."
See:
"[I]t's working"
Spell check?
2
Ti 3:7.
Response to comment [from a Christian]: "The pope is a false religious leader, who leads a Satanically influenced religion that has and is taking millions of people to hell."
That's correct (Rev. 3:14–22). .
"Roman Catholicism vs. historical, biblical Christianity: "We have
different authorities, we believe different gospels, we worship
different Christs, we are led by different spirits and we are on
different paths to eternity. Compare this with the unity the apostle
Paul described with those who are in one body and one ......Spirit,
with one hope; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, on God and Father of
all who is over all and through all and in all (Eph 4:4-6)...
...According to many Reformers, Satan's crown jewel is the Roman
Catholic religion. It is his most seductive and deceptive form of
counterfeit Christianity in the world. Granted, there are many other
apostate churches, but none compare in the size, power, influence and
wealth to the apostate church headquartered in Rome. The problem most
Catholics have is they have been indoctrinated from birth with the lie
that they belong to the one true Church. By believing this lie, they
have no incentive to read God's word and therefore they cannot discern
truth from error. I pray you will ask God to reveal His truth to you as
you abide in His Word (Proclaiming the Gospel, Vol 18 no. 4)."
Response to comment [from a Christian]: "Not only is there no incentive to read God's word but for those who do there is not incentive to compare what they have been taught with what they read in the bible because they have bought into the lie that what their church teaches is an infallible interpreter of God's word."
Fat and happy, I guess.
They must know that they are: poor, wretched, and blind (Re 3:17).
They've been lied to. Until a person sees their true state, there is no
hope for them.
When you are born again, you crave the word of God like a baby craves milk. J. Vernon McGee said, "You don't need to teach a baby to eat and drink." Roman Catholics are stillborn in need of nothing (1 Pe 2:2, Mt 8:22).
"Only those who follow their heart, their conscience, the Holy Spirit, or a combination of the three, and divorce themselves from that system will ever be set free to enjoy all that the Holy Spirit has for them."
The deception is overwhelming (2 Ti 3:13). Only the Holy Spirit can take the word of God and make it real to us (2 Tim. 3:15–17).
