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Self-described evangelical leaders' response to the death of Pope Benedict XVI once again demonstrates just how far so many of them have departed from being truly Protestant.
January 2023 - Reactions of self-described evangelical leaders to the recent death of Pope Benedict XVI have ranged from weakness to open embrace of his un-Biblical positions. Many evangelical leaders have remained silent at a time when authentic Christians have an unusual opportunity to bring to light the stark contrast between the falsehoods of Romanism and the truths of Biblical Christianity. Throughout this range of comment (and lack of it) is a common theme: many evangelical leaders have almost entirely forgotten what it means to truly be Protestant.
Andrew T. Walker is an Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, an Associate Dean in the School of Theology, and Executive Director of the Carl F. H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement. He praised the dead pope on Twitter, saying that "Pope Benedict XVI was a global bulwark who stood heroically and prophetically against moral relativism." [1]
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, who is reputed to represent the "evangelical" wing of Anglicanism, wrote that
Pope Benedict was one of the greatest theologians of his age - committed to the faith of the Church and stalwart in its defense. In all things, not least in his writing and his preaching, he looked to Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God. It was abundantly clear that Christ was the root of his thought and the basis of his prayer. [2]
Writing for The Gospel Coalition, Italian Baptist theologian Leonardo de Chirico stated Benedict's positions on Scripture, Mary, and other issues almost as though they required no refutation:
Benedict did have a high view of Scripture. . . For Benedict, the Bible was the Word of God in some sense, but the Word of God was bigger than the Bible. According to his thought, the Bible must be supplemented by the Catechism of the Catholic Church which is "a significant expression of the living Tradition of the Church and a sure norm for teaching the faith."
What did Benedict's spiritual life look like? In the interview he gave to the German journalist Peter Seewald, Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times, we glimpse Benedict's personal prayer life. About his daily spiritual disciplines, the Pope said he prayed to God and also invoked a selected group of saints. His special list mirrored his theological program: Augustine, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas. To them he cried for help as well as to the Mother of God.[3]
The difficulty is that de Chirico, following the pattern of so many self-described 21st-century evangelicals, presents these facts about Benedict's life and theology without clearly stating, on the authority of Scripture, that each one is a deadly error from which authentic Christians must flee. To say that Benedict had "a high view of Scripture" and then immediately (albeit truthfully) cite Benedict's teachings that demonstrate an exceedingly low view of Scripture sows confusion. Benedict had no "high view of Scripture". No Roman pope ever does, or can.
Dr. de Chirico concludes his article by saying that Roman Catholicism is "a system that is not open to Biblical reformation" without stating, even briefly, what true Reformation means and involves, or giving any hint of the great legacy laid down for us by the Reformers of the sixteenth century, often at the cost of their lives.
Needed: Bible-Based Clarity
We live in a time when Christians more than ever need Bible-based clarity on the great eternal-life-and-death gulf between Romanism and authentic Biblical Christianity: There can be no communion between light and darkness, no accord between Christ and Belial, no spiritual common ground between a believer and an unbeliever, and no agreement between the temple of God and idols (2 Corinthians 6:14-16). The command God has given us is to "come out from among them and be separate". Dr. de Chirico and others who follow the same line have offered no such clarity. They are sowing the seeds of confusion and compromise among God's people.
We at TeachingTheWord are compelled to offer clarity in place of this confusion. This is not a time for half-measures, but for Biblical boldness. May the Lord give each of us the grace to be bold, standing upon the sole authority of Scripture. Following this article we shall, God willing, present a series addressing, point by point, the vast differences between Roman Catholic error and authentic Biblical truth. There is a great need for this today. We pray that Christ the Lord of the Church will use it to His glory.
When Benedict resigned the papacy in 2013, readers and listeners told us that this event had opened doors of opportunity for them to bear witness to Roman Catholic friends and relatives about the truth of authentic Biblical Christianity. They asked for our help, and we endeavored to provide it. At that time one of our readers wrote:
I have a Catholic friend that I daily exercise with. Amid all the angst about the pope stepping down, we got into a discussion about the [Roman Catholic claim that] the pope [is] who Christ built his church on, and what that means as to who the pope is... This discussion goes on... I would appreciate some simple facts that I can share with her, Biblical references that I can show her. Thank you!
The Key Issue: Not Apologetics But Truth vs. Error
Once again, we seek to provide such help. Let me begin by focusing on a central issue.
We frequently hear from people who are part of three different groups - staunch Roman Catholics who defend the alleged authority of Rome over Scripture; professing Protestants who have converted to Romanism; and former Roman Catholics who have been freed from the bondage of Rome's counterfeit authority and have come to true saving faith in Christ.
We praise God for opportunities to minister to all three. We proclaim authentic Biblical Christianity to the first two, praying that God by His Word and Spirit will bring them to spiritual life. We preach the edifying Word to the last group, true believers in Christ alone for salvation, as they seek to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" and to avoid "being led away with the error of the wicked" (2 Peter 3:17-18).
A point that often comes up in our conversations with all three groups is the number of books and articles that have been written on both sides. Vatican apologists such as Patrick Madrid, Scott Hahn, and Karl Keating will tell of those who have left nominal Protestantism for Rome. On the other side, we provide people with literature such as Far From Rome, Near to God: Testimonies of Fifty Converted Roman Catholic Priests, edited by the late former priest Richard Bennett, and Authority by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. [Both books are available from TeachingTheWord; contact us for more information.]
The fact is that we could also cite many individuals who have converted in other directions - from Islam, Judaism, or Buddhism to authentic Biblical Christianity, or from those false religions to Romanism. We could likewise cite those who have gone away from Rome to those other false religions, or professed authentic Christianity for a time but then rejected the truth to follow those spiritual counterfeits.
All of these things point to a central fact: The vast, life-and-death difference between Romanism and authentic Biblical Christianity is not an issue of apologetics, or who has the greater number of converts. The issue is Truth. Truth is not a majority opinion. It is God's Word, "forever settled in Heaven" (Psalm 119:89).
The people who the Roman Catholics would cite to support their case [and who, sadly, many self-described evangelicals call "friends"] have decided that Scripture is not sufficient. They have decided that they need the authority of a pope, and his counselors and servants, and their many and conflicting pronouncements over the centuries, to tell them what they must believe - and even how their beliefs and practices must change according to these men's dictates as they change their ground over time.
The former priests whose testimonies are recorded in Far From Rome, Near to God and the Biblical hermeneutic explained in Authority represent a diametrically different outlook: Scripture is the sole and final authority in all things. Or, as Peter and the other apostles put it to the false religious leaders of their day, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). In many Bible versions the word "must" is translated "ought" but in the original Greek it is far more emphatic. What the apostles were saying was this: The facts necessitate that we obey God rather than men. What facts? As Peter, Paul, Philip, Apollos, and the others said repeatedly in the book of Acts, the facts of Scripture. They stood on its authority, and no other.
Suppression of the Truth
Patrick Madrid and his fellow apologists for Rome repeatedly cite one verse out of context to supposedly settle the issue of the Vatican's authority over men: "...stand fast and hold the traditions you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by our epistle" (2 Thessalonians 2:15). Madrid and the others place this verse, out of context, as a lens over the rest of Scripture to build a completely invalid theology - a theology rooted in the traditions of sinful men.
They suppress the truth that the Apostle Paul wrote these words under Divine inspiration in a time when the canon of Scripture was not yet complete. Many teachings that built upon the foundation of the Old Testament Scriptures were even then not only being given by word of mouth to the churches by the apostles, but were also being placed forever on record in Holy Scripture as the permanent authority, after the apostles had gone on to glory, for the life and ministry of God's people until Christ returns. The "traditions" of which Paul spoke were not the inventions of popes or councils, or even of the apostles themselves. They were the New Testament Word of God given in verbal form, even as it was then being committed to writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The apologists for Rome also suppress the truth that Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, commended these same believers because they recognized the supreme authority of the Word of God:
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
They also suppress the truth that Paul wrote these warnings and exhortations to other churches:
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:8-10)
The apologists for Rome also suppress Jesus' condemnation of the religious leaders of His days on earth - the spiritual equivalents of the priests of Rome - in these words:
He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" - then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' " When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." (Matthew 15:3-11)
"Flee These Things... Lay Hold On Eternal Life"
Never forget, dear reader, that it is the Word of God, not the word of man that
is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner [literally, a critic] of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)
Beware of counterfeit authorities, whether those of Rome or of any other man, woman, group, or visible church that presumes to have authority over the Word of God. When you are confronted by the "useless wranglings [literally, the vain arguments] of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth...flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life..." (1 Timothy 6:5,11-12)
A Word of Caution
Let us also offer this word of caution. Witnessing to our Roman Catholic acquaintances and relatives is not about winning arguments, but about lovingly and respectfully presenting the truth of the Word of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and praying that the Lord will change the hearts of those who are lost. Do not allow the discussion to descend into personalities or other things that are, in the end, irrelevant. Keep the focus on the truth of God's Word, and trust the Lord to use His Word, as He has promised, to accomplish His glorious purpose:
Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:6-11)
References
1. "Pope Benedict XVI Remembered as a 'Global Bulwark' and 'Consequential Theologian'" as viewed on 1/1/2023 at https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-leaders-remember-pope-benedict-as-global-bulwark.html
2. Ibid.
3. "Pope Benedict XVI (1927-2022): His Life and Legacy" as viewed on 12/31/2022 at https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/pope-benedict-xvi/
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