Warning of False Christs:
Matthew 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mark 13:22  For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
II Corinthians 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
Revelation 2:1,2  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Warning of Antichrists:
I John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
I John 2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
I John 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
II John 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

• Cappuccino coffee drink inventor was a monk - he has even been beatified!
• Today's desires & priorities as they look for a new pope! (universal appeal with a personal humility and pastoral presence that embodies the message of the gospel.  They are looking for a great orator.
• They are looking to continue forging closer ties with other religions and other Christian denominations.  Many cardinals emphasized last week the need for increased dialogue with Muslim leaders.  "You don't want a clash of religions," said Cardinal Avery Dulles, a theology professor at Fordham University.
• They identified ecumenism as one of the two priorities for the next pope along with pushing forward with John Paul's effort to evangelize in the West.   "I would hope his focus would be on local communities of faith." Cardinal Edward M. Egan said.

Daniel 11:21-24
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.  And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.  He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

Daniel 11:36-38
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.  Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.  But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

According to Roman Catholic dogma, Peter was the first bishop, or pope, of Rome, and to him was given the authority to open and shut the kingdom of God to men. Supposedly, Jesus gave to Peter the supreme authority in the church on earth, and this authority was passed on to other bishops of Rome. These claims are supposedly based upon Mt. 16:18-19--"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Authority of the pope
The pope is said to have the authority to establish doctrine. When he speaks officially, ex-cathedra, his declarations are considered to be infallible. The New York Catechism says: "The pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth ... By divine right the pope has supreme and full power in faith and morals over each and every pastor and his flock. He is the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the entire church, the father and teacher of all Christians. He is the infallible ruler, the founder of dogmas, the author of and the judge of councils; the universal ruler of truth, the arbiter of the world, the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of all, being judged by no one, God himself on earth" (Loraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, p. 127).

History of the papal office
The concept of a supreme, infallible pope grew up gradually over the centuries as the Roman Catholic Church came into existence and consolidated its power. This history is traced in the book, Catholicism Against Itself, Volume II, by O.C. Lambert.  The following statements are documented from Catholic resources and can be documented to you if you ask me:

• POPE DAMASCUS (366-384 A.D.) was the first to call himself pope and was also the first to appeal to Matt. 16:18 to bolster his claim of ascendancy over all churches. Note that it was almost four hundred years after the ascension of Christ that a man began to claim to be the universal pope.
• POPE GREGORY I, the Great (590-604 A.D.) was the first to use the phrase "to speak ex cathedra."  "Ex cathedra" means to speak from the throne, and is the idea that when the pope makes a solemn pronouncement from his throne that pronouncement is infallible.
• POPE THEODORE I (642-649 A.D.) was the first pope officially called Sovereign Pontiff.  "Sovereign" refers to supreme power, and is a title which should only be applied to God, not to a man. "Pontiff" means "a bridge," and refers to the pope of Rome as the bridge between God and men. This, of course, is a title which belongs solely to Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:5).
• POPE GREGORY III (731-741 A.D.). Along about this time the kissing of the pope's foot was instituted.. Also carrying the pope in a stately sedan chair.
• POPE STEPHEN II (752-757 A.D.) became the first pope-king.
• POPE ADRIAN I (772-795 A.D.) is said to be the "real founder" of the pope's sovereignty.
• POPE ST. NICHOLAS I (855-867) claimed absolute power.
• POPE JOHN XV (985-996) was the first to canonize saints.
• POPE JOHN XIX (1024-1032) seems to have been the first pope to grant an indulgence in return for alms bestowed.
• POPE GREGORY VII (1073-1085) prescribed that the title pope should be confined to the successors of Peter. Pope is a Latin word meaning "Father" and is a title forbidden by the Lord Jesus Christ.
• POPE INNOCENT III (1198-1216). From the time of Innocent III the popes called themselves "The Vicar of Christ."  Vicar of Christ means representative of Christ, and is blasphemy because only the Holy Spirit is the true Vicar of Christ on earth.
• POPE BONIFACE VII (1294-1303). One of the proclamations of Boniface VII said this: "Listen to the Vicar of Christ, who is placed over kings and kingdoms. He is the keeper of the keys, the judge of the living and the dead, and sits on the throne of justice, with power to extirpate all iniquity. He is the head of the Church, which is one and stainless, and not a many-headed monster, and has full divine authority to pluck out and tear down, to build up and plant. Let not the king imagine that he has no superior, is not subject to the highest authority in the Church."
• POPE BENEDICT XII (1334-1342). It was during the reign of Benedict XII over the Catholic Church that the earliest representation of the tiara (which the pope receives at his coronation) with three crowns appeared. Before that it had only two crowns. "The first circlet symbolizes the pope's universal rule in the church, the second, his supremacy, and the third, his temporal influence ... father of princes and kings, ruler of the world, Vicar of Our Saviour Jesus Christ."
• POPE PIUS IV (1559-1565). During the papacy of Pius IV Catholics were forbidden to read the Bible--even Catholic versions of the Bible! Pius IV also issued a creed in 1564 which stated in its eleventh and twelfth articles: "I acknowledge the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church to be the mother and mistress of all the churches ... I vow and swear a true obedience to the Roman pontiff, the successor of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and the Vicar of Jesus Christ" ("Rome and Unity."
• POPE PIUS IX (1846-1878) declared himself to be infallible in 1870 (Catholic Encyclopedia, XII, p. 135). Also during the papacy of Pius IX the first Vatican council was held, during which it was proclaimed that the pope is infallible when he declares ex cathedra (from the throne) on a matter of faith and morals. It also insisted on the pope's direct jurisdiction over each and every believer on earth.

Pontiff
"Pontiff," meaning "bridge builder," comes "not from the Bible but from pagan Rome, where the emperor, as the high priest of the heathen religion, and in that sense professing to be the bridge or connecting link between this life and the next, was called `Pontifex Maximus.'

The title was therefore lifted from paganism and applied to the head of the Roman Catholic Church. As the high priest of the O.T. was the mediator between God and men, so the pope also claims to be the mediator between God and men, with power over the souls in purgatory."

• 1. PETER WAS NOT A POPE.

• 2. THE TITLES USED FOR THE POPE ARE BLASPHEMOUS.

• 3. THE VICAR OF CHRIST IS THE HOLY SPIRIT, NOT THE POPE!

• 4. REGARDING MT. 16:16-20

• 5. THE TERMS "BISHOP," "ELDER," AND "PASTOR" REFER TO THE SAME OFFICE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.

The Roman Catholic Church has no biblical authority for elevating some church leaders above others as they do with their popes, bishops, priests, and cardinals. We find no such ecclesiastical hierarchy in the New Testament church.

• 6. PAUL MADE NO MENTION OF PETER IN HIS LETTER TO ROME.

"If Peter was there and had been there for sixteen years, why was it necessary for Paul to go at all, especially since in his letter he says that he does not build on another's foundation (Ro. 15:20)? This indicates clearly that Peter was not then in Rome, and that he had not been there, that in fact Paul was writing this letter because no Apostle had yet been in Rome to clarify the Gospel to them and to establish them in the faith ... And again, had Peter been in Rome prior to or at the time when Paul arrived there as a prisoner in 61 A.D. Paul could not have failed to have mentioned him, for in the epistles written from there during his imprisonment--Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon--he gives quite a complete list of his fellow-workers in Rome, and Peter's name is not among them" (Boettner, p. 121).

    PETER'S SUCCESSOR?  The following chronology of Peter's ministry is given by Tom Aldons in The Rock, Oct. 1986--
"We often hear of the pope referred to as Peter's successor, a claim which is reflected in one of the titles assumed by Pope John Paul II. This is based on the assertion that Peter was the first bishop of Rome from A.D. 42 to 67. But what does the Bible reveal about this claim?
"In Ga. 1:16-18 Paul writes that 3 years after his conversion (A.D. 34) he met Peter at Jerusalem (A.D. 37). In Ga. 2:1-9 Paul writes that he again went to Jerusalem 14 years later (A.D. 51) where he met Peter (verse 9).
"Paul's Epistle to the Romans was written from Corinth about A.D. 60 and chapter 16 has greetings to several members of the church at Rome by name but makes no mention of Peter. This is a strange omission if Peter had indeed been bishop there.
"Paul's letter to the Colossians was written from Rome about A.D. 64. At the end of chapter 4 he sends greetings from several people including `Luke the beloved physician.' In verse 10, Aristarchus `my fellow prisoner' sends greetings to Marcus (Mark). In verse 11, Paul writes, `These only are my fellow workers,' but makes no mention of Peter among them."

    WAS PETER IN ROME? "In A.D. 41 Peter was at Joppa where he had a vision of the unclean animals (Acts 11). In A.D. 44 he was imprisoned by Herod and miraculously set free (Acts 12). In A.D. 52 he was at Jerusalem disputing against circumcision (Acts 15). He wrote his first Epistle from Babylonia about A.D. 60 (1 Pe. 5:13), the same verse stating that Mark was with him at that time.
"In Paul's letter to Timothy from Rome, A.D. 66, shortly before his execution (2 Ti. 4:7-8), he writes in verse 11 `only Luke is with me.' Timothy was the first [pastor at] Ephesus and Mark was with him (2 Ti. 4:11), confirming Col. 4:10.
"Peter was therefore with Timothy and Mark in Asia Minor and Babylonia, but never at Rome with Paul. His mission was to the circumcision (Ga. 2:7-9)--the Jews and the other 10 tribes whose location he referred to in 1 Pe. 1:1.

"So we see that the man that the Catholic Church says was the first Roman pope never ministered at Rome!"

• 7. THERE IS NO RECORD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THAT PETER'S APOSTOLIC OFFICE WAS PASSED ON TO ANOTHER AT HIS DEATH.

• 8. PETER WAS A MARRIED MAN.

• 9. PETER'S SUPREMACY IS CONTRARY TO THE EVIDENCE OF THE SCRIPTURE.

• 10. PETER WAS NOT THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH IN THE FIRST CENTURY.

• 11. PETER NEVER HAD A TREASURY

• 12. PETER NEVER WORE A CROWN

• 1. There is no evidence that Peter was in Rome, and there is no evidence in the New Testament that there was anything special about the congregation at Rome, but the popes rule in Rome and claim that it is the "mother church." Peter's first epistle was written from Babylon, not from Rome, and the popes' claim that "Babylon" stands for Rome is mere conjecture. Paul wrote TO the church at Rome in A.D. 58, but though he mentions 27 people by name, he does not mention Peter. That would have been an awful affront if Peter had been the pope at Rome. Later, Paul writes FROM Rome to the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, and to Philemon, but not once does he mention that Peter is in Rome. In 2 Timothy 4:16 Paul said that no man stood with him and all forsook him when he answered his charges. Where was Pope Peter? The fact is that Peter was not a pope and he was not in Rome.
• 2. Peter was married (Matthew 8:14), but the popes cannot marry.
• 3. Peter said Holy Scripture is the sure Word of God and to this alone we are to give heed (2 Peter 1:19-21), but the popes say we are also to heed their uninspired traditions.
• 4. Peter warned of false teachers who would make merchandise of God's people (2 Peter 2:1-3), but the popes have not feared to sell their masses and their prayers and their indulgences.
• 5. Peter said baptism is a figure, a symbol, and that it is not water which saves us, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:21), but the popes say that baptism itself brings salvation and that it is not merely symbolic.
• 6. Peter refused worship (Acts 10:25-26), but the popes have accepted honor and bowings and kissings which border on worship and have allowed themselves to be treated almost as gods.
• 7. Peter taught that salvation is strictly through the righteousness of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1), but the popes claim that their sacraments are also necessary for salvation.
• 8. Peter taught against hierarchicalism, warning the pastors against "being lords over God's heritage" (1 Peter 5:1-4), and Peter mentioned no church office other than that of the elder; but the popes have set up a system of ecclesiastical lordship over the churches, and have added many offices which are never mentioned in the New Testament.
• 9. Peter taught that the only priesthood in the New Testament dispensation is the High priesthood of Jesus Christ and the general priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9), but the popes say that their "church" has a special priesthood which is ordained to distribute sacraments.
• 10. Peter taught that Jesus Christ is the rock upon which the church is founded (1 Peter 2:4-8), but the popes say that Peter was the rock.
• 11. Peter taught that men are born again through the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23), but the popes say that men are born again through baptism.
• 12. Peter taught that Christ has "once suffered for sins" (1 Peter 3:18), and "bare our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24); but the popes say that Christ is sacrificed anew in each mass and that having Jesus Christ and his cross is not enough, that a believer also needs the Roman Catholic Church and its sacraments and priesthood.
• 13. Peter taught that the believer has a living hope, that he has an inheritance reserved in heaven, and that he is kept by the power of God (1 Peter 1:2-5); but the popes say that a believer cannot know for sure that he has a home in heaven.
• 14. Peter taught that the believer is not to be a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or a busybody in other men's matters (1 Peter 4:15); but the popes have been all of these things.

Christ said: "My kingdom is not of this world."
The pope claims the spiritual and temporal sovereignty of this same world.

Christ washed his disciples' feet, thus manifesting a spirit of humility worthy of emulation by His followers.
The pope presents his foot to be kissed and requires genuflections and kneeling from those who have audiences with him.

Christ was poor and lowly.
The pope's material wealth is immense.

Christ carried on His shoulders the cross.
The pope is carried on the shoulders of his servants in liveries of splendor.

Christ preached peace and good will among men.
The popes have instigated more wars than all other aggressors combined.

Christ had no place to lay His head.
The pope lives in a magnificent palace surrounded by wealth and pomp.

Christ gave His Gospel freely to all.
The pope sells his masses and other favors.

Christ said: "Call no man your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, which is in heaven."
The pope commands all to call him "Holy Father," and even his priests feel insulted if persons do not address them as "Father."

Christ lived a chaste and pure life.
Many of the popes have lived immoral and perverted lives.

Christ sent the Holy Spirit to be His Vicar on earth.
The pope claims to be the Vicar of Christ on earth.

Christ is the Head of the Church.
The pope claims to be head of the Church.

Christ claimed infallibility for Himself and the Word of God alone.
The pope claims infallibility for himself..

Christ taught that sin should be confessed to God.
The pope teaches that sin should be confessed to him and his priests.

Christ taught His followers to pray to God through Him.
The pope teaches his followers to pray to the virgin Mary.

Christ taught that He alone is the Savior.
The pope teaches that the Church is the Savior.

Christ taught that Church and State should be separated.
The pope insists that they should be united.

Christ taught that there was but one Mediator between God and men--Himself.
The pope teaches that there are many mediators between man and God.

Christ taught that salvation was by grace [meaning a free gift].
The pope teaches salvation is by seven "sacraments" which are supposed to confer grace.

VATICAN
The headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. "Vatican" is from the Latin word vaticanus, signifying one of the seven hills of ancient Rome, on the west bank of the Tiber River (Webster's Unabridged). The Vatican refers both to the papal palace and the papal government. Consider the following description of the Vatican state which exchanges ambassadors with most of the nations of the world and wields tremendous power over presidents and kings.

The pope's area of temporal domain is no larger than 109 acres, with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants. It has a full civil government with a flag, a police force, courts and postage stamps. It even issues currency in the form of gold and silver with the effigy of the pope.

"It has a very large and active diplomatic corp, the finest in the world, headed by a secretary of state with 100 ambassadors called nuncios. These Vatican ambassadors in most capitols outrank even the representatives of the United States.

"The pope, however, is not just a temporal ruler in that small area in Rome, he is ruler of an international power, claiming authority from God, and demanding adherence from all Catholics in all nations, including the United States. The sovereign power of the pope extends his jurisdiction to 800 million Catholics in every country where there are Catholics. In more than 60 countries the majority of the population is Catholic, and in half of those, more than 90 percent are Catholic.

"The pope is considered a supreme ruler because when he is crowned, he is charged as follows: `Receive the three-fold crown of the Tiara, and know that thou art the Father of princes and Kings, the Ruler of the round earth, and here below the viceroy of Jesus Christ, to whom be Honor and Glory forever, Amen.'

"This man crowned `ruler of the round earth' is one of the few remaining absolute monarchs in the world. He lives in an atmosphere of continuous adulation. His Vatican palace has thousands of rooms. He is too exalted to eat a meal with any other human"

The council was attended by more than 2,400 Roman Catholic bishops. A number of important changes were made in the practice of Catholicism. Before Vatican II, the mass was performed in the Latin language. Vatican II allowed for it to be conducted in the vernacular. Vatican II also opened the door for ecumenical overtures to the non-Catholic world. While there were many other peripheral changes made, Vatican II reaffirmed in the plainest possible language the dogmas of Roman Catholicism. The heart of this apostate religious system--the papacy, the priesthood, and the sacraments--remain unchanged.

Papal supremacy was reaffirmed by Vatican II.

The official pronouncements which were issued by this Council changed the face of Roman Catholicism in many superficial ways, but the foundational dogmas regarding the papacy, the mass and the other sacraments, Mary, the priesthood, etc., remain unchanged.

It is not true that the Second Vatican Council rejected Rome's heresies or that it turned the Catholic Church toward the Bible. Following are some statements from Vatican II illustrating the truth of this claim:

"The Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, namely, 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."

"This loyal submission of the will and intellect must be given, in a special way, to the authentic teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he does not speak ex cathedra in such wise, indeed, that his supreme teaching authority be acknowledged with respect, and sincere assent be given to decisions made by him, conformably with his manifest mind and intention."

We see in these Vatican II proclamations that the pope of Rome retains his supreme position to this very day. In fact, the Vatican II gave to the pope even more power and authority than many previous Catholic documents. It would be hard to imagine a more exalted position than that described above. No other man on earth makes such claims as this.

    Martin Luther (1483-1546  Lutheran)
We here are of the conviction that the papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist...personally, I declare that I owe the Pope no other obedience than that to Antichrist. (Aug 18, 1520, from The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Vol. 2, pg. 121 by Froom).

  John Calvin (1509-1564  Presbyterian)
Some persons think us too severe and censorious when we call the Roman pointiff Antichrist.  But those who are of this opinion do not consider that they bring the same charge of presumption against Paul himself, after whom we speak and whose language we adopt...I shall briefly show that  Paul's words in II Thess 2 are not capable of any other interpretation than that which applies them to the Papacy.  (Taken from Institutes by John Calvin).

  Cotton Mather  (1663-1728  Congregational)
The oracles of God foretold the rising of an Antichrist in the Christian Church; and in the Pope of Rome, all the characteristics of that Antichrist are so mavelously answered that if any who read the Scriptures do not see it, there is a marvelous blindness upon them. (Taken from The Fall of Babylon by Cotton Mather in Froom's book The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers Vol. 3. pg. 113.)

   John Knox  (1505-1572  Scotch Presbyterian)
Knox wrote to abolish that tyranny which the pope himself has for so many ages exercised over the church and that the pope should be recognized as the very antichrist, and son of perdition, of whom Paul speaks.  (Taken from The Zurich Letters pg. 199 by John Knox.)

   Thomas Cranmer  (1489-1556  Anglican)
Whereof it followeth Rome to be the seat of antichrist, and the pope to be very antichrist himself.  I could prove the same by many other scriptures, old writers, and strong reasons.  (Taken from Works by Cranmer, Vol. 1, pp. 6-7)

    John Wesley  (1703-1791  Methodist)
Speaking of the papacy, he said, He is in an emphatical sense, the Man of Sin, as he increases all manner of sin above measure.  And he is, too, properly styled the Son of Perdition, as he has caused the death of numberless multitudes, both of his opposers and followers...He it is...that exalteth himself above all that is called God, or what is worshipped...claiming the highest power, and highest honour...claiming the prerogatives which belong to God alone.  (Taken from Antichrist and His Ten Kingdoms by John Wesley, pg. 110.)

    Roger Williams  (1603-1683  First Baptist Pastor in America)
He spoke of the Pope as the pretended Vicar of Christ on earth, who sits as God over the Temple of God, exalting himself not only above all that is called God, but over the souls and consciences of all his vassals yea over the Spirit of Christ, over the Holy Spirit, yea, and God Himself... speaking against the God of heaven, thinking to change times and laws: but he is the son of perdition (II Thes 2).  (Taken from The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers by Froom, Vol. 3 pg. 52.)