Recently, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation as head of the Catholic Church effective February 28, 2013. Interestingly, the Bible does not teach the doctrine of the Papacy. Mankind formed this office without any biblical authority. Thus, it is purely a manmade doctrine. The Catholic Church has its head and Christ’s church has its Head as well. Biblically, there is just one Head to the church, and that belongs to Jesus Christ alone. “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church” (Ephesians 1:22). Christ possesses “all authority” in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Christ never nor will He ever delegate His Headship to another. In fact, “he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18). Consider three important declarations regarding the Head of the church from this passage.
Firstly, Christ is Head because He is the designer; “…he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning…” The word for “beginning” here refers to captain, creator or author. Jesus is the “captain of salvation” (Hebrews 2:10) in that He is the leader, commander and chief. Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) in that He began the story, wrote the story and showed us personally how to finish! “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:9).
Secondly, Christ is Head because He is delivered; “…the firstborn from the dead…” Christ is the first one to rise from the dead to never die again! Surely this is one of the most prominent points regarding the Head of Christ’s church compared to the head of manmade churches. The church of Christ’s founder came back from the dead to never die again! The resurrection from the dead “declared him to be the son of God with power” (Romans 1:4). Death could not stop the building of His church (Matthew 16:18-19). Catholicism has had many heads (popes) because they each eventually aged and died. However, the head of Christ’s church neither ages nor dies. In fact, at this very moment, Christ is at “…the right hand of God exalted…” (Acts 2:33), “…upholding all things by the word of his power…” (Hebrews 1:3) and making “…intercession for us…” (Romans 8:34)! Dear readers, praise God, “…he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:4).
Thirdly, Christ is Head because He is dominant; “…that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Christ alone deserves the number one seat in the church! No man can sit anywhere close to where Christ sits. There is no man alive or dead that is worthy to have preeminence. Remember Diotrephes tried but was condemned for taking this role (3 John 9). How could any man even claim such a place or prominence? In A.D. 606, the Catholic Church authorized a universal pope to sit in the place of “God on earth.” Some years later (A.D. 1870), the Catholic Church declared the pope to be infallible. Sadly, no man or number of men can either declare or authorize such things! There has only ever been one who could sit as God on earth, and that One was “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Only One ever was or ever will be infallible (Hebrews 4:15).
We implore the religious world to consider carefully. The papacy exists without biblical authority. The real Head of the church is Christ and Christ alone! “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18)!
