“Jesus is Lord.” This is the fundamental confession of Christians from the beginning (Rom 10:9). A corollary is that ONLY Jesus is Lord. Lord means sole, sovereign King and Head of the church (e.g., Eph 1:20-23; 5:23). The very nature of His Headship means it cannot possibly be shared with any other. No body has two heads, nor is it possible to serve two masters (Matt 6:24). A Christian’s ultimate loyalty is to Christ alone, not Christ and any earthly pastor.

Further, Scripture plainly teaches that the church has one and only one foundation, and this is Jesus Christ (1 Cor 3:11). Paul thus helps us interpret Matt 16.18 properly, that the Rock upon which the church is founded is Christ, exalted in Peter’s great confession (vs. 16).

I am extremely jealous, then, of Christ’s absolutely unique preeminence and glory in and over the church. Only people with the same jealousy can really appreciate my concerns about the Papacy.

The RCC has long held and asserted that the Pope is the Head of the Church on earth, and its foundation. And I quote, “The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful. For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered” (#882, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2000 AD).

Now this statement is either true or false. If you believe it is true, you should be a Roman Catholic. If you believe it is false, then you should be able to see that it is the height of presumption and blasphemy for any man to assume the infernal office of the Papacy.

I am a Christian. I love Roman Catholics, but I am not a Roman Catholic myself. As the Bible is the infallible Word of God, I know for certain that Jesus alone is Lord, Master, Sovereign King and Head of the Church. My biblical faith on this is summarized well in these words: “The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner; neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof” (1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, XXVI.4). Its a pity that today’s Bible-believing Christians are reticent to affirm it.

Yours in the gospel,

D. Scott Meadows, Pastor
Calvary Baptist Church (Reformed)
12 Little River Rd., Exeter, NH 03833-1505