Do you bring up the topic of the pope?

[One Little Nail]

18. Many antichrists will be present in the world throughout history. Prior to Christ’s coming the final “man of lawlessness” will be revealed. He will be destroyed by Christ.
1 John 2:18; 1 John 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:8.

This is the testimony of the RPCNA. I know many who still hold to the 1647 and confess the Pope to be the anti-Christ. I still do. I know Pastors who do. We hold to the 1647 as a rule along with the disagreements noted in our Testimony. I can't speak for all. I am sure there are various opinions.

yes its the dynasty of the Papacy thats the Anti-Christ with each individual pope being the Anti-Christ with the last one in
that monarchy who will be destroyed this was the unanimous consent of the Reformers

 

[One Little Nail]

what the emphasis with Anti in the the scriptural view of Antichrist is not so much meaning of being in
opposition to Christ but of being in stead of or in place of Jesus Christ, which is what he is doing when
he claims to be the Head of the Christian Church,the irony in this is that he refers to himself as the
Vicar of Christ, with Vicar coming from vicarius like in vicarius (substitutionary) atonement,Jesus Christ in
our stead,thus the very title of the pope is the Anti-Christ as this is synonymous with the Vicar of Christ.

 

[Matthew]

Good thoughts all and thank you for sharing. I appreciate the opportunity this latest papal election can bring to conversation, but I want to be careful I don't just raise it for sport because it feels like an easy target.
I was actually able to have a good conversation with a Roman Catholic friend who admitted that he was "still kind of confused" about some of the differences between the RCC and Protestant views (what an opportunity!). Even as a Roman Catholic, he feels the papal office is one of the weaker aspects of the RCC and said more Protestants should target that in their criticisms, since he's dubious about it himself.

 

[Matthew]

what the emphasis with Anti in the the scriptural view of Antichrist is not so much meaning of being in
opposition to Christ but of being in stead of or in place of Jesus Christ, which is what he is doing when
he claims to be the Head of the Christian Church,the irony in this is that he refers to himself as the
Vicar of Christ, with Vicar coming from vicarius like in vicarius (substitutionary) atonement,Jesus Christ in
our stead,thus the very title of the pope is the Anti-Christ as this is synonymous with the Vicar of Christ.

James White talked about this very thing last week and I thought it was quite powerful. He went through titles given the pope or priests...Holy Father...Alter Christus (another Christ)...Vicar (representative) of Christ. Literally trinitarian language. White's comment was something to the effect that he would not want to stand before a holy God and explain why he allowed someone to use these names to refer to himself. Indeed.

 

[One Little Nail]

what the emphasis with Anti in the the scriptural view of Antichrist is not so much meaning of being in
opposition to Christ but of being in stead of or in place of Jesus Christ, which is what he is doing when
he claims to be the Head of the Christian Church,the irony in this is that he refers to himself as the
Vicar of Christ, with Vicar coming from vicarius like in vicarius (substitutionary) atonement,Jesus Christ in
our stead,thus the very title of the pope is the Anti-Christ as this is synonymous with the Vicar of Christ.

James White talked about this very thing last week and I thought it was quite powerful. He went through titles given the pope or priests...Holy Father...Alter Christus (another Christ)...Vicar (representative) of Christ. Literally trinitarian language. White's comment was something to the effect that he would not want to stand before a holy God and explain why he allowed someone to use these names to refer to himself. Indeed.

All sounds a wee bit blasphemous, sounds like a case of small man syndrome or should i say
Little Horn Syndrome Daniel 7:8 in this horn was a mouth speaking great things & as this is the
same as the beast in Revelation 13 of which it was said having 7 Heads & on its Heads was the
Name of Blasphemy also Rev 13:5 and a mouth speaking great things was given it,& blasphemies.
Rev 13:6 & it opened its mouth in blasphemy towards God,to blaspheme His Name & His Tabernacle
Whats that saying,Pity the Fool,this just shows the complete bankruptcy of Popery & its Impiety.
Its sad to think of the blindness that is upon the Beast & his worshipers to actually utter such speech

 

[dudley]

You do realize, I trust, Matthew, that the PCA (together with the OPC and others) no longer confesses that the pope is "that Antichrist." Particular members may continue to do so, but the church as a corporate entity does not.

Thank you Alan. Yes, I should have clarified, I do realize the PCA and OPC have adopted some revisions, the language about the antichrist being one of them, so the church doesn't officially take that stand. It's just language from the original wording, so it's readily available and I've seen people cite to it.

Even our own language about the head of the church is pretty clear in its rejection of the papal office.

Amen Matthew, I think it is clear that we as Reformed Protestants know it is Jesus Christ alone who heads his church. I, as many know, am a former Roman catholic and a convert to the Reformed faith and I am now a Presbyterian. I renounce the office of the papacy and the pope as did the Reformers and I renounce my former Roman Catholic faith because it teaches a distorted Gospel. I believe the papacy to be an evil institution that is inspired by Satan himself.

 

[One Little Nail]

Amen Matthew, I think it is clear that we as Reformed Protestants know it is Jesus Christ alone who heads his church. I, as many know, am a former Roman catholic and a convert to the Reformed faith and I am now a Presbyterian. I renounce the office of the papacy and the pope as did the Reformers and I renounce my former Roman Catholic faith because it teaches a distorted Gospel. I believe the papacy to be an evil institution that is inspired by Satan himself.[/QUOTE]


I'd like to second this motion.