Simon Peter Was Not a Pope

Unless you have been asleep for the past month or so, you are aware that the Catholic pope died (April 21) and a new pope was elected (May 8).

With a claim of 1.5 billion Catholics worldwide, the American news media has given many hours of coverage to both events. Some of them have given it wall-to-wall coverage, in the most glowing of terms. Several reporters declared excitedly that the pope is “the successor to Saint Peter.” We are fully aware that the Catholic hierarchy has made that claim for years, but it has no basis in fact whatsoever. Both Scripture and history refute the claim. As a service to misinformed Catholics and as a reminder to the rest of us, let me say firmly and forthrightly:

I. Peter was NOT a pope! He was an apostle (Matt. 10:2). Since he had a mother-in-law (Matt. 8:14–15), he obviously was married. It has been the common practice of the papacy that the Pope cannot be married; thus, none of them had mothers-in-law, as did Peter.

In the New Testament era, there was no position greater than that of an apostle. Read through the New Testament, and you’ll see that there is no mention of a pope or anything that resembles a pope. To claim that Peter was a pope is a total fabrication for which there is no support at all.

II. The pope is NOT the vicar of Christ! That is, he is not a substitute on duty on behalf of the Lord. Again, this is a spurious claim that has no basis in reality.

III. There are no popes in the Bible! The servants of God in the New Testament era were apostles, preachers, pastors, evangelists and teachers. Read the Bible from cover to cover. There is no hint of anything that resembles a pope.

IV. There are also no cardinals in the Bible! In Catholicism, the College of Cardinals is composed of priests (bishops and archbishops) who are advisors to the pope. Once again, you are well-advised to read the Bible, and in so doing, you will find nothing that suggests there should be a hierarchy of cardinals.

V. Furthermore, there are no professional priests in the New Testament! The Bible clearly says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Tim. 2:5). In reality, Jesus is our great “High Priest” (Heb. 3:1), and He has made all who are in the family of God to be “priests” (Rev. 1:6) for themselves.

VI. The New Testament churches were nothing like the Catholic church! Check the details of the New Testament and compare them with Catholicism. Doctrinally, it is different. Organizationally, it is different. The “gospel” they preach is different, and the New Testament takes a hard stand against “any other gospel” (Gal. 1:6–9). The churches of the New Testament have not even the slightest resemblance to the Catholic church.

VII. Either the church or the Bible must be the authority! Here is a crucial point. If a church (whether it be Catholic, Baptist or whatever “church”) is its own authority, then they can meet, take a vote and set things up to suit themselves. In such cases, you can expect that church to be in a constantly evolving state. And that is the history of Catholicism.

On the other hand, if the Bible is the authority, then God sets the agenda, and the church remains constant and stable through the years.

Catholics are open to tell you that their church is their authority, and that is the crux of the whole matter with Catholicism.

In conclusion:

1. The hoopla over the election of a new pope got a massive amount of favorable publicity for Catholicism. We believe that favorable treatment is based on a large amount of unscriptural, yes, fraudulent premises.

2. To our Catholic readers, we love you enough to tell you the truth. Sometimes the truth can sting, but if it is the truth, we ought to receive it.

3. It is neither harsh nor unkind, neither mean nor ugly, to stand up for truth and stand up against error. I have written, “Peter was not a pope,” because I do not want our Catholic friends to be misled.

4. Whatever the issue, large or small, dear friend, when you read the Bible, you will get the 100% truth every time and all the time. I want to encourage you to dig into the Bible every day and let it be your guide for life, living and ministry.