ChristadelphianBooksOnline
Rick O'Connor
The Things Of The Kingdom And The Things Of The Name
The Bible: The Only Source Of Authority

PAPACY

“That Wicked the Lawless One”

God warns in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 of the development of an ecclesiastical power which would assert its supremacy above all law, while also claiming to be the Church of Christ. This prediction has been amply fulfilled by the papacy, as history attests.

“Innocent III laid down as a maxim that out of the plenitude of his power he might lawfully dispense with the law” (“The Middle Ages”, Henry Hallam, Vol. II, Page 209) Beginning of 13th Century, A.D.
Paul II: “Thou bring us before the Judges? Wouldst thou know, that all laws are placed in the repository of our breast?... I am Pontiff: and upon the pleasure of my mind it depends both to rescind, and approve the acts of others.” (“Eureka, an exposition of the Apocalypse”, J. Thomas, Volume II, Page 618) 1463 A.D.

Papal Claims of Divinity

“The Lord our God no longer reigns: He has resigned all power to the Pope.”
TETZEL, Vendor of Indulgences to obtain money for the repair of St. Peters Basilica: Cited in “THE HISTORY OF PROTESTANTISM”, Vol. I pages 255-260

“The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ himself hidden under the veil of the flesh. Does the Pope speak? It is Jesus Christ who speaks...”
Pope Pius X, when Archbishop of Venice; Quoted by “Catholique Nationale”, July 13, 1895

“It is certain that the Pontiff was called a God by the Pious Prince Constantine.”
Canon Law, published by Gratianus, 12th Century

“The Most Holy and Most Blessed One, who hath Divine Judgment, who is Lord on Earth, successor of Peter, the Lord’s Christ, Lord of the Universe, Father of Kings, Light of the World, the Chief Pontiff Pope Martin.”
Annunciation of Pope Martin at the Court of the Greek Emperor. 13th Century.

Man of Sin

The distinctive marks of the man of sin, identified in 2 Thessalonians 2:

The Apostasy	abandonment of truth.	2:3
The Man Of Sin	an individual apostate.	2:3
The Man Of Sin	a religious organisation continuing from Paul’s time to Christ’s return.	2:3 to 2:8
Exalts Self Above All That Is Called God	claim to be vicar and vice-regent of both God and Christ.	2:4
Coming After The Working of Satan	disguising Apostacy under forms of Christian religion.	2:9
With All Power, Signs and Lying wonders	claiming power of priesthood, mediatorship, secular and spiritual government, and miraculous signs and healings.	2:9
Have Pleasure	In Unrighteousness - profligate, licentious and immoral.	2:12

The Meaning of Antichrist

Antichrist is the Greek word “antichristos” transferred directly, and untranslated, into English.
Antichrist has a meaning, translatable into English, which is “One instead of Christ”
Antichrist is therefore someone who claims to be in Christ’s place.
Antichrist is identical in meaning to the Latin term: “Vicarius Christi” - “Vicar of Christ”
Vicar of Christ is one of many evidences which identify the papacy and Roman Catholicism with Antichrist.
At the close of the council of Rome in AD 495, the assembled bishops thrice shouted in honour of the pope Gelasius: “Vicarium Christi te Vedemus”! - “We see thou art the Vicar of Christ”!

This is the Real Antichrist

In assuming the title Vicar of Christ the papacy has identified itself as the Antichrist.
The pope was frequently addressed as Christ, and received the title as distinctively and only his due.
“Consider that thou art the Vicar of Christ, the Christ of the Lord.” C12, S. Bernard to Pope Eugenius.
“...Christ’s vicar, the successor of Peter, has the power of transferring the empire from the Germans to any others soever, if he will” A.D. 1303, Pope Boniface to the Emperor.
“Thee, as the true vicar of Christ and God, the ruler of the whole Christian republic, we recognise, confess, profess obedience to and adore, in thy name adoring Christ, whose representative thou art.” A.D. 1514, Ambassador of the King of Portugal to Pope Leo X.
“Every title which is in Scripture given to Christ, appertains also to the Pope.” A.D. 1580, Cardinal Bellarmine to Pope Gregory XIII (Bellarmine was first proponent of a future Antichrist!).

Authority - Roman Catholic Barriers

VATICAN COUNCIL, 4th Session, Ch. 4, held 18th July, 1870 “Itaque nos traditions a fidei Christianae...”

“We, the Sacred Council approving, teach and define that it is a dogma divinely revealed: that the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra - that is, when discharging the office of Pastor and Teacher of all Christians, by reason of his supreme Apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding faith or morals to be held by the whole Church - he, by the Divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, possesses that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed that His Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding Faith or Morals: and that therefore such definitions of the said Roman Pontiff are of themselves unalterable, and not from the consent of the Church.”

“Catholic Belief” J. F. Di Bruno, 5th edition, 1884
Burns, Oates & Washbourne, Ltd., London, U.K. Imprimatur, H.E. Cardinal Manning.

Creed of Pius 4 incorporating Acts of Council of TRENT - 1545-1563

Holy, Roman Catholic Church, Mother of all Churches.
God, a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Submission to authority of Church, in faith and morals.
Interpret Holy Scriptures as authorised by Church.
Seven Sacraments, necessary for Salvation (1. Baptism, 2. Confirmation, 3. Eucharist, 4. Penance, 5. Extreme Unction, 6. Orders, 7. Matrimony)
Original Sin and Justification from it.
A true propitiatory sacrifice offered in the mass.
Transubstantiation of Eucharistic bread and wine into real body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ.
Purgatory, for help of souls to heaven by prayers, et cetera, of faithful.
Saints now reigning in heaven with Christ intercede for devotees by prayers to God, and to be invocated.
Relics of Saints to be held in veneration.
Images of Christ, Mary and other Saints to be kept and due honour and veneration to be given them.
Mary, Mother of God, ever virgin.
Power of granting indulgences left by Christ in the Church; use of them most wholesome for Christians.
Embrace apostolical and ecclesiastical traditions and all other observances of the Church.
Promise true obedience to Bishop of Rome, successor of St. Peter, Prince of Apostles, Vicar of Jesus Christ.
Undoubtingly receive all delivered, defined and declared about supremacy and infallible teaching of the Roman Pontiff.

THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF TRENT WAS CONVENED IN 1545 - TO MEET THE ERRORS OF THE FIRST PROTESTANTS, WHICH WERE THEN SPREADING.