No kingdom, republic, home, or society can exist without order. This is also true for the church. God is a God of order, and it is His will that all things be done honestly and orderly. The Lord Jesus is the only and all-sufficient Head of the church—her only Lord, only Master, only Bridegroom, only Mediator, and only Foundation. Since the Lord Jesus is very God, He does not need the help of men to gather and govern His church. As it is the Lord’s common way, however, to govern and direct all things mediately, thereby manifesting His wisdom and goodness, the Lord Jesus likewise does all His work in His church by the agency of men. For this purpose He has appointed shepherds, teachers, elders, governing bodies, ministers, etc., to serve in His church.
The Pope: Neither the Head of the Church, nor the Successor of Peter
Popery insists that Christ governs His entire church by means of a vice-regent, that is, the pope, and that this vice-regent governs all matters. Popery maintains that the Lord Jesus had appointed Peter to be the general head of the church upon earth; that Peter established his chair in Rome; and that he has been general bishop there for twenty-five years. They also maintain that the pope is his successor; that is, he has taken the place of Peter in the papal chair, and likewise as the general head of the church. They also consider him to have the authority to appoint vice-regents, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, abbots, prelates, priests, etc. These ranks have been arranged in a hierarchical order, all being inferior to the pope’s rank. All of this is a subtle fabrication which is extra-biblical and contrary to the Word of God.
First, there is not one text in Scripture which states that the supreme authority in the church has been or would be vested in one person. The various offices are mentioned, but never as if the one were inferior to the other, nor that all offices would be subordinate to one person. We thus reject this entire construction.
Secondly, Scripture expressly forbids all lording of one office over the other. “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them. … But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve” (Luke 22:25-26). “Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (1 Pet 5:3). Even the high priest of the Old Testament had no dominion whatsoever over the other priests (even though one may not draw a parallel from this to the New Testament, since they were types of Christ). His rank was the highest, but this did not pertain to jurisdiction. Thus, there must be no head in the church other than Christ.
Thirdly, whatever has been said concerning Peter in the above is both outside of and contrary to Scripture. Where is it written that Peter was appointed to be the head of the church and all the other apostles, and that he gave them any commands and ordinances? Where do we read that the apostles acknowledged him as such and have subordinated themselves under him? This is obviously nowhere to be found. Neither in the Bible nor in true accounts of the history of early times do we find any reference that Peter has ever been in Rome, has been bishop there, or that he functioned as general bishop over all the churches founded by the other apostles. We thus reject all this as belonging to the realm of fables.
Fourthly, it is evident from God’s Word that all the apostles were of equal rank with Peter and vice versa.
(1) The Lord Jesus sent them forth with the very same words, giving them all the very same commission. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them” (Matt 28:19); “As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. … Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:21-23).
(2) All apostles were equally and in like manner qualified for their office on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).
(3) They all conducted themselves in identical fashion in their ministry, as for instance, in the election of another apostle (Acts 1:23). Paul was not sent to Peter, but to the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, to inquire about a certain question (Acts 15:2). The apostles sent Peter to Samaria (Acts 8:14), and at the ecclesiastical assembly the opinion of James rather than of Peter was followed (Acts 15:7-29). Paul declared that he “was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles” (2 Cor 11:5), and James is mentioned ahead of Peter in Gal 2:9. The apostles divided their tasks among each other, and Peter was entrusted with the ministry of the circumcision and Paul with the ministry of uncircumcision, that is, the Gentiles (Gal 2:11. Paul rebuked Peter concerning his error (Gal 2:11), and Peter did not esteem himself higher than the others, calling himself a fellow elder (1 Pet 5:1).