ROME vs. BIBLE

A FINAL COMPARISON

“Little children,
Make sure no one deceives you.”
(1 John 3:7)

Vicar of Christ:

One of the Roman Pope’s varied titles is the “Vicar of Christ.”

The term “Vicar of Christ” was first adopted and used by Pope Gelasius I (492-496 A.D.), almost 500 years after the early Christian Church began on the Day of Pentecost soon after Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection.

According to the Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary Unabridged the word “vicar” means “A person who acts in the place of another.”

So, the Roman Church now teaches the Roman Pope sits on the Throne of Christ (“Holy See”) in place of Jesus Christ our King (who is still alive seated on His Throne in Heaven).

The Bible tells us clearly that anybody who claims to be “Christ on Earth” must fulfill many prophecies in order to prove he is the Christ, and King over Heaven and Earth …

As we will find in a later chapter quoting Roman Popes and their faithful followers embracing their position as Christ and God on Earth, we must respectfully ask each one to show us their credentials by simply listing the Bible Prophecies of the Messiah (Christ) they have fulfilled, which God’s Word requires of anyone ever claiming to be Christ on Earth.

Here are a few of the ancient prophecies Roman Pope’s must fulfill …

The Checklist: The Bible warns there is only one Christ, and anybody claiming to be the Christ (Messiah) must …

– Be born in Bethlehem (Israel)

– Claim a virgin birth by a direct descendant of King David

– Ride triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey as a King

– Be betrayed by a close friend

– Have a price of 30 pieces of silver placed upon Him

– Have the 30 pieces of silver thrown into a potter’s field

– Be rejected by Israel and despised by many

– Be brutally beaten and scourged with a whip

– Remain silent during His trial and ordeal

– Be Crucified (nails driven through His hands and feet)

– Be mocked during His time of suffering and death

– Have lots cast for His clothes

– Have His side pierced

– Have the Sun darkened at noon on the day of His death

– Be buried in a rich man’s grave

– Be resurrected before decomposition starts (within 4 days)

They must also reflect the HEART of Christ

The same Heart of Christ which was demonstrated as He fulfilled the very first prophecy given in the Holy Scriptures …

The FIRST prophecy in the Bible was spoken by God to Adam, Eve, and Satan in the Garden of Eden …

   “I will put enmity (hatred)
Between you (Satan) and the woman (Eve),
     And between your seed (the Antichrist)
And her Seed (the Christ);
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
     (Genesis 3:15)

This first prophecy is a prophecy of the Christ (Messiah)

In this prophecy we are told the seed of the woman, the Christ (Yeshua Ha’Mashiach in Hebrew), would have His heel bruised. If you study the physical trauma associated with the Crucifixion, you soon find it was designed to cause extreme pain and torment before death.

The word “excruciating” comes from the root word “crucify.” Crucifixion was a cruel, slow, agonizing, and tortuous form of execution designed to kill through slow suffocation. The shoulders of the person being crucified would dislocate and separate. The only way the person nailed to the Cross could breathe (or speak) would be to gather as much strength as they could and try to stand up on the nail or the spike that had been driven through their feet.

The feet were severely pressed in order to nail them to the Cross. When the feet were nailed securely to the Cross, the heel would be pressed tightly against the wood of the Cross.

So, in order to breathe or to speak, the person nailed to the Cross had to put all of their weight on the heel and the large spike that had been driven through the feet in order to stand up far enough to gasp for breath. This incredibly tortuous process would painfully bruise that heel.

Also, we are told that Jesus was scourged by the Romans before He was crucified. These “stripes” He took on His back were another form of cruel punishment derived by the powers of the day.

The Roman “whip” used for scourging was small with pieces of metal and bone attached. The prisoner’s back was stretched tight as He, in this case, Jesus, was tied to a post. The Roman whip was designed to dig into the skin of the back and then tear the skin away from the bone.

By the time Jesus was crucified the skin of His back that had been torn from the “stripes” would have been hanging loosely off of the bone like a tattered cloth.

Now, take a moment to consider the amount of pain shooting through the body of Christ as He struggled with dry, parched lips and gasping for breath to stand up by pressing down on that heel which was nailed to the Cross, causing His tattered back with its exposed bone to rub against the roughly hewn wood of His Cross in order to clearly speak those words:

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

This demonstrates the HEART of Christ

This is reflected in His Command for ALL Christians (and all Christian Leaders) …

“But I (JESUS CHRIST) say to you,
Love your enemies,
Bless those who curse you,
Do good to those who hate you, and
Pray for those who spitefully use you
and persecute you”
(Matthew 5:44)

So, all Christians are commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ to love and to pray for our enemies (even the Pope), and not to ever imprison, torture, and slaughter them (or anyone) for having a belief which is any different from what we believe!

Yet, as we research the history of the Roman Popes and their “Inquisitions,” we find the Popes have replaced this Commandment of Christ (God) to “Love your enemies,” with their commandment to, “Hate, imprison, torture, and kill your enemies,” which their followers obediently fulfilled as they tortured, beheaded, roasted alive, and executed around 50 million Bible-believing Christians (whom they call “Protestants”) in Europe over many years.

Beware of Conversions By the Sword

By ANY Religion or Church …

There are still religions today (and in the past) who believe they must convert the world “by the sword” using intimidation, violence, and terror to convert “infidels” or “heretics,” and to retain their members …

It is important to note that God, the God of the Holy Bible, never forces Himself on anyone … and never in the Bible does Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha’Mashiach in Hebrew) try to force anybody to believe in Him, or to attend His church or synagogue. Jesus Christ simply says that He “stands at the door and knocks” (Revelation 3:20).

All Jesus Christ asks is we open that door and invite Him in

God tells us He has given each and every man and woman a free will to decide for themselves whether or not to accept His offer of salvation (life in Heaven) through Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah. He clearly outlines the choice, and sincerely warns us of the consequences. It is a personal decision.

God says that He looks into each man and woman’s heart to see if they are sincere in their belief. God is looking for people to come to Him out of love. If a man or woman ever decides not to believe in Jesus Christ, that is their choice. It saddens God for He knows what their destiny will be after they die.

NEVER does Jesus force anyone to join (or stay) in His Church

Never does He ask others to force a non-believer to return, or try to force them into believing through threats of injury or death. God shows us the only places we will find these coercive conversion tactics are from those who are driven by a depraved spirit and the dark power of Satan.

God says the Bible is His Word. The Bible says God cannot lie and God says He will never change. The Bible has withstood the test of time. God challenges every religious system to hold the words of their books, their leaders, their founders, their prophets, and their angels up to the light of truth. God welcomes all to search His Scriptures and try to find error, contradictions, or lies. He also includes many, many prophecies to authenticate His Word.

If you belong to a religion, or to a church, that worships a god or follows a prophet who is so small and insecure that he would have people threatened with death, imprisoned, raped, tortured, or executed if they criticize or refuse to join, and will threaten people with death or bodily harm if they decide to leave through their own free will, then flee!

If you follow a religion (or belong to a church) that is afraid to freely hold the books they ask you to believe, the people who lead or founded the religion, or the words they spoke which they ask you to believe up to the light of truth, then flee!

God’s warning to the non-believer is clear. But, God also tells us clearly that we are not to judge others, for we are all sinners, and we will all be judged by Him after our earthly bodies die. God looks directly into the heart of every man and woman to see what each truly believes.

Only a strange, twisted, paranoid religion, driven by the dark and evil powers of Satan himself would ever rape, torture, kill, imprison, beat, kidnap, behead, bomb, burn alive, or harm people in any way as a means to convert or to force people into joining, or staying, in their religion.

The god of that religion is not the God of the Bible.

Any religion that would do these things is a religion of evil, twisted, wicked men, directed and led by the power of Satan.

Grace and Shalom

ADDITIONAL STUDIES:

Rise of Rome & The Roman Church

The Roman Church Is ALREADY A Kingdom

The TWO “Beasts”: Antichrist

The “Woman” Who RIDES The Beast

Rome vs. Bible: Three Doctrines

Rome vs. Bible: Who IS The Rock?

Rome vs. Bible: A Final Comparison

Dark History Of Roman Popes