I was talking with a Catholic, and he said that the Pope is the head of the church, but he didn't give any scripture. Where does the bible say that the Pope is the head of the church.
P.S. all who answer... please check back later to see if i have another portion to this question... maybe another question that your answers raise... THANKS!
2007-06-07 06:43:32 · 19 answers · asked by ? 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
How, then, is the POPE the head of the church if the Bible says otherwise?
Eph 5:23 says, "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body."
Col 1:16-18 says, "16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."
I'm just curious...
2007-06-07 07:12:12 · update #1
Also, the Blessing given to Peter in Matt. 16:18 is then given to the rest of the disciples in 18:18, so now how is Peter special?
And, Peter is the ONLY human being that God EVER called Satan (16:23).
How do y'all reconcile this?
2007-06-07 07:14:17 · update #2
Imagine the Catholic church as a government. The Pope is the President, elected by the Cardinals. He is the head of the Catholic Church. Not scriptural.
2007-06-07 06:49:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church which is not found in the Bible.
Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church on earth which is made up of the body of believers of whichever denomination they happen to be in at the time. The true Church is an organISM not an organiZATION and is therefore spiritual and invisible and indivisible.
I am not going to start knocking Catholics but Catholicism is essentially not Biblically sound. There is no way that the church should have priests (m or f) or call anyone Father. Read the Bible - you'll see.
2007-06-07 13:48:46 · answer #2 · answered by pwwatson8888 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible does not mention Catholics or the Pope. The Catholic docrine teaches that the Pope is head of the church.
Jesus said to the religious leaders of His day that they had set up the laws of men as doctrine (He was saying this was a negitive).
The same is true today. Almost every church has some doctrine or belief that is "in addition to" what the Bible says...or based on some personal interpretation of the Bible.
2007-06-07 13:48:58 · answer #3 · answered by cbgrace71 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus took Peter aside and asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him. Each time Peter said yes, Jesus told Peter to feed His lambs.
Jesus was telling Peter that He, the Good Shepherd, was appointing Peter to be the shepherd of His people. The Pope is the succesor of Peter.
Peter is like a substitute teacher. When the principle treacher goes away, there is a substitute teacher that has authority. Jesus is the principle teacher and the Pope is the substitute teacher.
2007-06-07 20:06:57 · answer #4 · answered by Sldgman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no scripture to support such a claim. Matthew 16:18 tells us that Jesus is the head of the Church of God. The Pope represents the Vatican, which is an imposter.
2007-06-07 13:52:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bible states that Christ gave the keys to the kingdom to Peter.
Matthew 16:19
Peter's name was Simon. Jesus called him Cephas. Which is Peter in the Greek. Cephas is Aramaic for Rock.
On this rock I will build my church.
Matthew 16:18
You see, Teagan, there is the church here on earth and the church of heaven. Christ is the head of all the church. But the pope is our earthly leader. Even protestants have leaders of their churches.
Why do you hate us so much? Can't you see that this constant diatribe of yours is unhealthy for your soul? Jesus wouldn't want it.
2007-06-07 15:15:26 · answer #6 · answered by Max Marie, OFS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Saint Peter was the first Pope -- appointed by Jesus to head the church. Since Peter there has been an unbroken line of succession. The word "Peter" means "rock." As Jesus said, Peter was the rock upon which Jesus would build his church.
2007-06-07 13:48:24 · answer #7 · answered by Mr Wisdom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible says nothing about any Pope. St. Peter was supposed to have been the first - according to later tradition. The bureaucrats of the burgeoning "Catholic" Church had to legitimize their authority by inventing an "apostolic succession" with themselves as its exclusive heirs.
2007-06-07 13:51:29 · answer #8 · answered by jonjon418 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are talking grocery and hardware stores. Both are stores, you cannot get the same products. You asked a Catholic. The Bible is the Bible, not the chain of command for the Catholic Church. The pope is the head of the Catholic Church.
2007-06-08 15:08:08 · answer #9 · answered by rooseveltq 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
(copied and pasted from source, which has lots more information)
He didn’t come right out and say, “You must have a pope.” But if we look at Scripture, the message is clear that Jesus set the wheels in motion when He said to Peter, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church” (Matthew 16:18) and added, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
We also have that famous post-Resurrection scene from John 21:15-17, in which Jesus three times draws out a profession of faith from Peter (to cancel his three denials prior to the Crucifixion) and commands Peter to “Feed my lambs.” “Tend my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.”
Jesus’ words contain the job description for Peter and all the other 264 popes who have followed him. First, as the rock or foundation of the Church, the pope is to be the mark of unity and stability in the Church. Jesus didn’t want each town or neighborhood to set up its own independent church with its own beliefs. All these communities throughout the world are to be united in one Church that stands firm in its beliefs. Jesus, not the pope, builds or increases the Church but He ties all this new growth to the “rock” of the Church.
Second, in handing Peter His keys to the Kingdom, Jesus gave him the supreme power to govern the Church. Jesus rules the Church through the pope. He has given the pope the authority to make and impose the laws, to grant dispensations from these laws and, if necessary, to change or annul them.
Third, in commanding Peter to tend and feed His sheep, Jesus gave Peter the role of teacher and protector. The pope is called to be a nurturer of all those in the Church.
(end paste)
I can really only guess at the answer to your new questions, since I'm only relating to you what other have told me. I'm not Catholic and by no means an expert on the subject. But if I had to offer an answer, I'd say that what makes Peter special is John 21:15, where Jesus tells Peter to "Feed my lambs." This could be interpreted as "Take care of my followers."
I don't think that it was ever meant as the Pope replacing Jesus. I think that it was meant that since whatever binds he made would be made in heaven, and heaven is a perfect place, whatever binds he made would be infallible. And since he's been given this infallibility and the charge to take care of Christians, he can therefore give guidance to others who may have difficulty understanding Christ, and thus becomes the most powerful physical figure in the Church.
As for the Satan thing, I don't think he was calling Peter Satan... Probably more like a figurative thing. In that context, Peter was trying to convince Jesus not to go to his death, which would be impeding his plan. This has a similarity to Satan, who logically tries to impede Jesus's plan.
2007-06-07 13:49:06 · answer #10 · answered by razorj06 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋