According to Walid Shoebat, the church of Rome is not the whore of Babylon. Protestants (I am not a protestant) should be relieved if it is so, and Shoebat is quite persuasive! Yet the checkered history of the Roman Catholic church and her many popes does not inspire in me any confidence in her claims of authority and infallibility.
When Constantine wedded the state to the church, the medieval age of the church profaned (made common) began, and the era of political intrigue in Constantinople and then Rome began. Of this can there be any doubt? Constantine was the emperor. He was Caesar, the Caesar of the empire! Where are we commanded by God anything but render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s? Yet now the church has suffered under two masters, God and Caesar (MAMMON = CAESAR), and suffered greatly as she must hate one and love the other and so often cannot say which master is her own! The period from the mid 4th century until perhaps Azusa street has been for Europe and the western churches a dark glass made darker by the oppression of the state, the various Crowns of the “Holy Roman Empire," many evil popes of Rome, and their bulls and inquisitions, and the incomplete departure of most of the reformers.
The Bible and it’s 66 books we all agree are the inspired word of God (we disagree on the Apocrypha). Lo! Is there not enough wisdom and knowledge to be taught from those 66 Books? Put all the other books on the shelf and return to God in this Holy Book, this Book which is Holy as no other! Certainly put it above and first above my humble(?) opinions.
But how will we put it first? By reading it and by trusting the Holy Spirit to teach us it’s truth.
And if God makes a teacher out of you, HEAR THIS WORD FROM HIS LIPS:
Matthew 28:18-20
(Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition)
18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.
19 Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
I highlight: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:”
You must having observed them been taught them by God the Holy Spirit and now teach others TO OBSERVE the commandments of Christ, not the commandments of Peter, or Paul, or the pope. We are really called ONLY to make disciples who will OBSERVE the word of Christ, not our words. Peter and Paul were not sent to be your father or your popes. God is your Father, your Papa, your Abba, and He gave Jesus (not them) all power over heaven and earth!
The Holy Bible is a book higher than any other book as God is higher than any other sentient spirit and soul.
The issue of Catholicism is her seemingly indefatigable insistence that her pope, magisterium and clerics have authority equal to God and His book! No one will ever equal God, and no one will ever write another book like His Book. If they even come close in this to His Perfection it will be a result of their devotion to Him and His Book and not the word of mere men. And their close perfection will not give them the power to void God’s Word by listening to the doctrines of Demons. John 1:12 gives all the authority to become sons of God, not only those willing to have Rome’s pope! God has given us all we need for life and Godliness. Peter wrote that under divine inSpiration, look it up! If Peter were the “pope” would he not have said so? If it were that important to us to have a pope in Rome would not God have said so PLAINLY?
If you make Peter the Jew your “pope,” why not John the Jew, James the Jew, and Jude the Jew also! If you do make Peter your “pope” why not abide his letters? And the word of all the “popes” John, James, Jude etc. etc..
The best the Catholic church can produce is the fallible writings of men she touts as the “early church fathers.” Peter, Paul, John, and James and others are sent to us as our FATHER’s Apostles, not one was ever sent as the Vicar of Christ. If you examine the word vicar you will understand the absurdity of most of Rome’s claims.
Am I wrong or was it not Simon Magus who was the first pope, and the magic of his sorceries which brought forth the MAGIsterium? We love the Magi who followed the star to Bethlehem, but we have not been taught the truth that Magi are astrologers, star gazers and magicians, as were Jannes and Jambres and all the magi of the many Pharaoh’s courts.
Nothing will be hidden.
