God On Earth Is Elected Again

‘God On Earth’ Is Elected Again

The Roman Catholic Church is undergoing a historic election as the church is preparing to elect their 266^th Pope (by their standards). When Benedict XVI stepped down from the office of head of the Roman Catholic Church, he set a precedent not seen for 600 years. Over the next few weeks the leadership of the church will select among the Cardinals the next man who will claim the title, “God on earth.” Much like a political event preparing to nominate a candidate for a political office, the selection of the Pope is fraught with various groups suggesting their agenda be heard in the character of the new leader of the Catholic Church. What continent should he be from, will he be a man who allows birth control or priests to marry and whether he would condone women becoming priest are all questions being asked of the new Vicar.

To be elected Pope, one Cardinal must receive at least two-thirds of the votes. Except that, under the new rules established by Pope John Paul II, if a certain number of ballots have taken place without any Cardinal being elected Pope, then the Cardinals may then elect by simple majority. In the end, his selection will be signaled by a puff of white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel.

The historian Luke records the manner the Son of God selected His apostles. “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor” (Luke 6:12-16). None of these men were cardinals, bishops, influential men, people of high standing in society and most important in the days of Jesus, not of the Jewish leadership. They were common men who fished for a living, served at a table of tax collection, and sought ways to thwart the Roman government.

Sadly the Roman Catholic Church has digressed so far from the pattern of Biblical authority that what they do in selecting a Pope is further testimony of the man-made dogma’s that have ruled them from the beginning. Where in the Bible can one find any record of the process they now go through to select a Pope - much less find any mention of a Pope? They suggest that Peter is the first Pope yet Peter was married and had children. “Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever” (Matthew 8:14; he had children according to 1 Peter 5:1 & 1 Timothy 3:4).

The only mention of the Roman Catholic Church in the Bible is when the Holy Spirit told Paul what would happen in latter times (1 Timothy 4:1-3). Today the Roman Catholic Church resembles nothing of the early church of the New Testament. No man is “God on earth” save the Son of God (John 1) and to consider a man chosen by men to be the “Vicar of Christ” is beyond the bounds of scriptural authority. The Christ said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted” (Matthew 15:13). Does it make a difference? Should one be critical of the Roman Catholic Church? Obedience is doing the will of God – not the will of men (Matthew 7:21-23).