Scriptures vs. the Papacy

The Scriptures are the foundation of the Christian faith. It is in the New Testament Scriptures that we learn firsthand from those who were conversant with Christ and/or the Apostles. The Scriptures remain for the most part virtually unchanged down through the centuries. Out of the several thousand New Testament manuscripts in existence, the minor variations that exist are not enough to raise any serious questions regarding any of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. Like the Old Testament scribes, the New Testament copyists took the greatest care about their work. Those manuscripts that were poor copies were recognized as such and were left unused or discarded. Those copies that continued in use, and were re-copied and preserved, maintain near total harmony among themselves in all the essential doctrines and teachings of the Faith. In this way, those doctrines and teachings are preserved intact today from the time they were first given by Christ to and through His apostles.

Thus, when we consider the claims of the papacy, we must either find some solid foundation for those claims in the Scriptures, or call those claims into question as being of some other origin. Did Christ authorize the papacy as it exists today? Or, did He authorize it in any form? Did Jesus ever intend that one man would be designated as his 'Vicar', wielding power and authority over the minds and hearts of all the members of Christ's Body, the Church?

What about the Holy Spirit? The night before the Crucifixion, Jesus told his disciples, "I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; The Spirit of truth ... . The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things ... ." Is not the Holy Spirit the One sent by the Father to be the 'Vicar' of Christ? If the individual believer and the Church as a whole are indwelt by the Holy Spirit Who is the true 'Vicar' of Christ, what does that make the pope? An imposter?

The intent of this page is to look at the Scriptures for insight regarding the claims of the papacy. Are those claims legitimate? The links above left look at various passages of Scripture that are relevant to those claims.

God's truth sanctifies us and frees us to draw near to the Father in true worship, in spirit and in truth, as the Father seeks in us, and with which He is pleased.

All Scriptures are from the 1995 Revised Webster Bible, using software downloaded for free from the Online Bible website.