In the Words of the Pope and the Church

by Jefferson David Tant

Most people are familiar with the Roman Catholic Church and the man who is its leader, the Pope of Rome. The history of this office can be traced at least back to around 600 AD when Boniface III assumed the title of Bishop or Pope. While some claim that the first pope was the apostle Peter, there is no reference to him having that title or position in the Bible. The concept of having a single human authority over the church took some centuries to develop.

Through the centuries there have been many unusual events surrounding the office, and Catholic historians freely admit to them. It is our purpose in this treatise to look at some of the claims made, as well as some events in the lives of these men, and compare this with what the Word of God teaches, for it is the final authority.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17).

If the Scriptures written in the first century are “adequate” to the extent that we are “equipped for every good work,” then that necessarily implies there are no further sacred writings that are needed, or authoritative, or that are acceptable to God.

We further note Christ’s words to his apostles as he was preparing them for his departure.  "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:12-13).

From these two passages we can understand that:

  1. the Scriptures that have been inspired by God “equip us unto every good work,” which means we have a sufficient and complete guide, and
  2. “all truth” was revealed to the apostles in that first century.

This means there is no new truth that anyone can reveal. If there is a “new truth” that can be revealed after that first century through the work of the apostles and prophets, then Christ’s promise was a lie. And if Christ’s promise was not fulfilled, then we are all in deep trouble, for we do not have a Savior.

Now, with that as a background, I want to call the reader’s attention to some words spoken by and concerning some of the popes as well as other church authorities. The passages are direct quotes from Roman Catholic sources.

“The Roman Pontiff judges all men, but is judged by no one.”

“We declare, assert, define and pronounce: To be subject to the Roman Pontiff is to every human creature altogether necessary for salvation.”
[Boniface VIII, 14th Century]

God long ago determined who would be our judge — Jesus Christ. “…because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). That judge is none other than Jesus Christ. Even the pope will be judged by Christ. “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy” (James 4:12) “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).

Accepting the Bible as true, we see that the Roman Pontiff will not judge all men and that he himself will be judged, contrary to the assertion of Boniface VIII. If God “has given all judgment to the Son,” then that leaves the pope out, regardless of his claims to the contrary.

“That which was spoken of Christ…’Thou has subdued all things under His feet,’ may well seem verified in me. I have the authority of the King of kings. I am all in all and above all, so that God, Himself and I, the Vicar of God, have but one consistory, and I am able to do almost all that God can do. What therefore, can you make of me but God?”
[The Bull Sanctum, Nov. 18, 1302, found in the registers of Boniface VIII in the Vatican archives, “Reg. Vatic.,” L, Fol. 387, The Catholic Encyclopedia, © 1913 by the Encyclopedia Press, Inc.]

If Boniface VIII has the “authority of the King of kings,” then that places him on the same level as Jesus Christ, who was Divine, God in the flesh. The Bible would identify that as blasphemy.

In a discussion with the Jews, Jesus made a statement that infuriated them. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’ Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple” (John 8:56-59).

On another occasion, the Jews sought to stone Jesus. They took exception to his teaching and his claims, so “The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, ‘I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?’ The Jews answered Him, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God’” (John 10:31-33).

If the Jews considered Jesus’ claim to be on an equality with God to be blasphemy, and worthy of being stoned, they would surely have the same view of the statement by Boniface VIII: “What, therefore, can you make of me but God?”

Other statements are found in an ecclesiastical (Roman Catholic) dictionary by Lucius Ferraris, entitled Prompta Bibliotheca Canonica, Vol. VI, pgs. 438, 442, article “Pope.” The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913 Edition, Vol. VI, p. 48 refers to this book as “a veritable encyclopedia of religious knowledge,” “and precious mine of information.” Following are some quotes.

“The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as if were God, and the vicar of God.”

“The Pope is of such lofty and supreme dignity that, properly speaking, he has not been established in any rank of dignity, but rather has been placed upon the very summit of all ranks of dignities….”

“He is likewise the divine monarch and supreme emperor and king of kings.”

“Hence the pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven and of earth and of the lower regions.”

The truth is that only Jesus Christ occupies the position at the “summit of all ranks and dignities.” He only is “the divine monarch and supreme emperor and king of kings.” Notice the writing of the inspired Paul who wrote of Christ: “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15). If the pope claims he is the “divine monarch and supreme emperor and king of kings,” then he has usurped the throne of Christ. God’s Word clearly states that Jesus Christ is the “only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of Lords.”

We find neither Peter nor Paul nor any other apostle or prophet making such lofty claims about themselves. In fact, our Lord gave a strong rebuke to the Jewish leaders of his day who loved to wear special clothing and to be called by titles of honor to set themselves above other men.

But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and length-en the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call any-one on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:5-12).

It is clear that the Roman Pontiff “exalts himself” claiming “so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as if were God.” Jesus says that in time such a one “shall be humbled.” Notice also that Christ forbids giving the religious title of “Father” to any man. In normal usage, we know that “father” is acceptable, as we are told to “honor father and mother.” And so is the word “teacher,” etc. But to make these terms religious titles is forbidden. Catholic priests request that they be called “Father.” Jesus forbids it! He further forbids the wearing of elaborate garments that set themselves apart from other men.

“So that it if were possible that the angels might err in the faith, or might think contrary to the faith, they could be judged and excommunicated by the pope.”

“The pope is as it were God on earth, sole sovereign of the faithful of Christ, chief king of kings, having plentitude of power, to whom has been entrusted by the omnipotent God direction not only of the earthly but also of the heavenly kingdom.”

“The pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man but of God.”

The pope here sets himself above angels, and the implication is, intended or not, that the pope cannot sin. If the pope truly is “as it were God on earth, sole sovereign…chief king of kings…of the earthly but also of the heavenly kingdom,” then he is above Christ. Since Paul described Christ as the King of kings, then if the pope is the “chief king of kings,” then logically that would put him above Christ. Who can believe it?

How is it that “the pope can modify divine law?” Consider the words of Christ: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Should that have read “My words will not pass away unless modified by the pope?” Where in the Bible do we find any hint that God gives the pope the authority to change God’s law? It is not there! Consider the strong warning in Revelation: “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).

“We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty” [Pope Leo XIII, in an Encyclical Letter, June 20, 1894].

“For thou art another God on earth” [History of the Councils, Vol. VIX, p. 109]

“We define that the Holy Apostolic See (the Vatican) and the Roman Pontiff hold the primacy over the whole world.” [A Decree of the Council of Trent, quoted in Philippe Labbe and Gabriel  Cossart, The Most Holy Councils, Vol. 13, col. 1167].

“The Pope is the Supreme Judge … He is the vicegerent of Christ …” [Vatican Council, p. 220].

Here are yet other claims of divinity on the part of the pope, as the claim is made that he is “another God on earth,” and “the Supreme Judge.” We need to be reminded of Paul’s claim that Jesus Christ “… is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15). We further note that Christ, not the pope, is the Supreme Judge: “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). Thus the question: which should we believe—the pope or God?

“The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself, hidden under veil of flesh” [The Catholic National, July 1895].

Now we progress from the claim that the pope is “another God” to the claim that he is actually Jesus Christ in a fleshly body. If this is so, then Christ has returned to the earth. That presents a problem, for the Scripture comments about his return: “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen” (Revelation 1:7).

Does the reader see the problem? If the pope is Christ on the earth, then the Bible makes a false claim, for the soldiers who pierced Christ have not seen the pope (they were long dead before a pope ever appeared), and neither did every eye see the pope when he came. There is a clear contradiction here.

“The Pope is Christ in office, Christ in jurisdiction and power … we bow down before thy voice O Pius, as before the voice of Christ, the God of truth, in clinging to thee, we cling to Christ” [Vatican Council of 1870, January 9].

Another problem is presented in the practice of people bowing in obeisance before the pope. It is clear that the language describes an attitude and act of worship with respect to the pope. But when Paul and Barnabas encountered this practice, they forbade it. In Acts 14, when the crowds saw that Paul had miraculously healed a lame man, “they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have become like men and have come down to us.’  And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out and saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you..’” (Acts 14:11-15).

Paul and Barnabas were distressed at being treated as gods and told the people that they were just humans, as were the people of Lystra. They refused to allow people to bow down to them.

The apostle John wrote of an encounter he had with an angel who appeared to him in the book of Revelation: “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, ‘Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God’” (Revelation 22:9).

If we are forbidden to bow down before and offer obeisance to an apostle, or even to an angel, then why is it right to do this to any man, pope or not?

“The Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra — that is, when in the exercise of his office as pastor and teacher of all Christians he defines, by virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by the whole Church — is … possessed of that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer wishes His Church to be endowed … and consequently that such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are irreformable of their own nature”
[The Catholic Encyclopedia, © 1910, Vol. 7, page 796].

“All dogmatic decrees of the Pope, made with or without his general council, are infallible… Once made, no pope or council can reverse them…This is the Catholic principle, that the Church cannot err in faith.” [The Catholic World, June, 1871, pages 422, 523].

“We have no right to ask reasons of the church, any more than of Almighty God, as a preliminary to our submission. We are to take with unquestioning docility, whatever instruction the church gives us” [The Catholic World, August 1871, page 589].

“If a man refuse to hear the (Roman Catholic) Church, let him be considered—so the Lord commands—as a heathen and a publican” [Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical letter, The Mystical Body of Christ, June 29, 1943].

My question concerning this statement is, “Where has the Lord commanded that we are to hear “the church?” There is no such command either in the Old or New Testaments. We are to hear Christ and those to whom he promised the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Christ spoke to his apostles and told them what to expect.  "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:12-13).

Did the Holy Spirit guide the apostles into all the truth? If he did, then there is no new truth to be revealed. If he did not reveal all truth, then Christ is a false prophet, and we are without hope. But if we accept Christ’s promise as having been fulfilled, then after the last of the apostles died, there is no new doctrine or teaching that has come from God after the first century.

Consider just a few of the doctrines that have come from the pope and/or the church in the time after the first century. The date and the new doctrine are cited.

400 The necessity of infant baptism – Nothing in the Bible authorizes this practice. Baptism is for believers, who have repented of their sins. See Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38, etc.
593 The doctrine of Purgatory (Gregory I, II Council of Lyon, 1274) – The teaching is that after death, some still need some purification before they can enter heaven. Thus the prayers, almsgivings, indulgences, and works of penance by those on earth can shorten their stay in this place of punishment. Pope Gregory I wrote that there must be a cleansing fire for some minor faults that may remain to be purged away (Dialogues, 4:39 A.D. 594). There is no such teaching in the Bible. God’s Word simply says, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
600 Prayers dedicated to Mary, saints, and angels – There is no indication that prayers were offered to anyone but God. In fact, God’s Word says there is only one mediator between God and man, and that is Jesus Christ (I Timothy 2:5)
649 The Perpetual virginity of Mary (The Lateran Council of 649 – This council decreed that Mary remained a virgin all of her life, and thus never had relations with Joseph. The Bible never indicates this, and in fact, clearly teaches just the opposite. Matthew 1:25 says Joseph  “kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son…” If someone says, “I was a virgin until I got married,” that indicates that the virginity ended following the marriage. Besides, there are various passages that refer to the brothers and sisters of Christ. See Matthew 12:46; 13:56; Mark 6:3 and Galatians 1:19. Furthermore, if she remained a virgin while married to Joseph, she violated the teaching of Scripture, which decrees we should not withhold sexual intimacy from our mates. “The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control”  (I Corinthians 7:3-5).
1079 Celibacy of priesthood by Gregory VI – In the Catholic Church, priests are referred to as “pastors,” “bishops,” “shepherds,” etc. There are several terms used in the Bible for the same office,  as the different terms describe different aspects of their work.  If you will look at I Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6, you will see that God requires these men to be married, not celibate. By what authority did Gregory change God’s law? If the law has been changed, then why does the Bible still say “married?” The Bible actually predicted this would happen. “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude” (I Timothy 4:1-4)
1190 Sale of indulgences – This is one thing that upset the reformer Martin Luther, the practice of selling the forgiveness of sins for a sum of money.  There is no hint of this in the Bible. Historically, the practice of granting indulgences, and the widespread associated abuses, led to them being seen as increasingly bound up with money, with criticism directed against the "sale" of indulgences, a source of controversy that was the immediate occasion of the Protestant Reformation in Germany and Switzerland
1229 Bible was forbidden to common people according to the Council of Valencia – There can be only one reason why this was done. Evidently, the church did not want the common people in the pews to read and see that the church contradicted the Bible often.  Early Christians were commended for studying on their own, as those in Berea “searched the Scriptures daily” to confirm the things Paul was teaching. (Acts 17:11)
1286 Priestly power of absolution of sins began – The Jews in the first century correctly understood that only God could forgive sins. (Mark 2:3-11) It is presumptuous for any man to take upon himself the authority that only Divinity has.
1311 Pouring officially substituted for immersion—All scholars (even Catholic scholars) agree that the early church practiced immersion. Even the original Greek word baptidzo is translated as “dip, plunge, or immerse.” Romans 6:3-5 depicts baptism as a burial. In Acts 8:36-39, when the Ethiopian was baptized, he and Philip “went down into the water,” and then later “came up out of the water.”
1438 Purgatory was officially proclaimed as a dogma by the Council of Florence – Reinforcing the decree first issued in 593, but without scriptural authority.
1545 Tradition declared equal authority with the Bible by Council of Trent – If the Holy Spirit guided the first-century apostles “into all the truth,” then there is nothing that can be placed on the same level as the Bible—NOTHING! Christ had a warning about the religious leaders in his day who thought their teachings were equal to God’s. “But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:9)
1546 Apocryphal books added to the Bible (Trent) – The same could be said as it was in the previous statement. We also note that God warned about those who would add to, or take from. “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).
1584 Immaculate conception of Mary – The Catholic doctrine that we are born with sin inherited from our fathers presented a problem with the birth of Christ. Thus, in order for him to be born without sin, they came up with the idea that his mother was conceived without sin so that her son could be conceived without sin, thus the “immaculate conception of Mary.” Now think about this logically. If Christ’s mother had to be born without sin in order for him to be born without sin, then why didn’t Mary’s mother have to be born without sin in order for Mary to be conceived without sin, and so on back to generation after generation? The logical argument is that the doctrine is illogical. Besides, the Bible tells us that we do not inherit our father’s sins. "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity” (Ezekiel 18:20) Thus we are not born sinners. We do not inherit sin from our ancestors. Babies are innocent!
1870 Infallibility of “Pope” affirmed by Vatican Council – Why is there nothing in the Bible about the infallibility, the inability of any man to sin or err at any given time? We know that Peter sinned, even after the Catholic Church claims he was the head of the church (see Galatians 2:11-14). If any man says he has no sin, then he has sinned by making that statement. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us” (I John 1:8-10)
1950 The bodily assumption of Mary proclaimed by Pius XI – This is another invention with no mention in the Scripture. If Mary’s body was not buried, why was this not revealed in the Bible, and why was this “truth” not known until 1,900 years after she died?

In addition to what has been written, there are other serious problems that sincere Catholics must deal with, but which are not generally known to those who are members of the Roman Catholic Church. But an honest reading of history is available to those who are interested. There have been many scandals associated with the papacy through the centuries and are in print. We will note just a few of them.

10th-century Pope John XII, appointed when he was just 18 years old, is said to have indulged his teenage sex drive by throwing exotic orgies, causing outraged religious observers to describe the Lateran palace, the papal home, as a whore house.

Benedict IX, accused by his enemies of being a rapist and a murderous "demon from hell," reportedly whiled away his time in homosexual trysts before selling the papal office, and then trying to take it back again by force and being unceremoniously excommunicated.

Some popes were elected as Italy's elite jostled for power, while others gleefully used the papacy for personal - and sometimes bizarre - vendettas.

History has recorded Ninth century Pope Stephen VI as digging up his predecessor, propping his corpse up on a throne, and putting him on trial for becoming pope illegally - before finding him guilty and throwing the skeleton into the Tiber River.

Bad behavior has not been attributed to Pope Joan, who legend has it disguised herself as a man in the Middle Ages but was caught out when she gave birth, leading to a now-defunct tradition of checking under future popes' robes.

Pope John Paul I mysteriously died alone in September 1978 only 33 days after his election to the Papacy. His sudden and unexpected death and the Vatican's difficulties with the ceremonial and legal death procedures (such as issuing a legitimate death certificate) have resulted in several conspiracy theories. Strong evidence has been presented that he was murdered, as he intended to clean up some corruptions he had discovered upon his election to the papacy.

Discrepancies in the Vatican's account of the events surrounding John Paul I's death — its inaccurate statements about who found the body, what he had been reading, when and where he had been found, and whether an autopsy could be carried out— produced a number of conspiracy theories, many associated with the Vatican Bank, which owned many shares in Banco Ambrosiano. He was quickly buried before an autopsy could be performed.

David Yallop's book, In God's Name, proposed the theory that the pope was in "potential danger" because of corruption in the Istituto per le Opere Religiose (IOR, Institute of Religious Works, the Vatican's most powerful financial institution, commonly known as the Vatican Bank), which owned many shares in Banco Ambrosiano. The Vatican Bank lost about a quarter of a billion dollars.

This corruption was real and is known to have involved the bank's head, Paul Marcinkus, along with Roberto Calvi of the Banco Ambrosiano. Calvi was a member of P2, an illegal Italian Masonic lodge. Calvi was found dead in London, after disappearing just before the corruption was made known. His death was ruled a suicide, but a second inquest – ordered by his family –  returned an "open verdict".

Upon publication of his book, Yallop agreed to donate every penny he made from sales to a charity of the Vatican's choice if they agreed to investigate his central claim, that when the body of the pope was discovered, his contorted hand gripped a piece of paper that was later destroyed because it named high-ranking members of the curia who were Freemasons and others who had a role in numerous corruption scandals and the laundering of mafia drug money. One of the names believed to be on the paper was that of bishop Paul Marcinkus, who was later promoted by Pope John Paul II to Pro-President of Vatican City, making him the third highest rank in the Vatican, after the pope and the secretary of state. None of Yallop’s claims have been acknowledged, and more importantly, not one has been disproved, although Yallop disclosed the Masonic Lodge numbers of the Curia members who he alleged to be Freemasons in his book. It is forbidden by Church law to be a Freemason and a Roman Catholic.

We could go on page after page describing the papal intrigues, the wars over the papal throne, and the times when two, or even three, claimed to be popes at the same time, but the aforementioned will suffice to show the honest and sincere minds that the office of the pope is not of God, is not mentioned in the Bible, and has been given no authority to reveal new doctrines nor change what has been written in the Sacred Writings which the Holy Spirit caused to be written in the first century.

Some may seek to dismiss many of the things quoted as being written hundreds of years ago and really have no bearing on matters today. But the doctrine of the church is that words spoken by the pope “ex-cathedra” (“from the chair”) are authoritative, and therefore binding upon the church and its followers from that point on until the end of the world.

Dear reader, this is written as an appeal to those who have a sincere desire to follow Christ in the hope of eternal life. He is our only savior and lawgiver. We cannot put our trust in the words of any man, pope, church council, president, or whatever. There is no authoritative book or writing but the one given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as he guided the apostles and prophets so many years ago.

Luke recorded a conversation Christ was having with a lawyer: “And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying,’ what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?’" (Luke 10:26-27). If Christ himself referred to the Holy Scriptures as giving the authoritative answer, that should suffice for us.

On another occasion when many disciples turned away from following Christ because they would not accept what he was teaching, he turned to his disciples and asked if they were going to turn away also. “Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

Eternity hangs in the balance. We either put our trust and hope for heaven in Christ alone and the Word spoken by the apostles and prophets of old, or we put our trust in fallible men. As for me and my house, we will choose the Lord. I have descended from a Catholic heritage, as my ancestors have come from Italy and Ireland, two of the strongest Catholic nations. But long before me, they came to understand that the teaching and practice of the church are not in accord with the Bible.

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