From Peter to the Pope
This is not merely a protest against the papacy but a comprehensive rejection of doctrines and practices that we see as unbiblical. From our perspective, the Roman Catholic Church has introduced human traditions that deviate from the Bible’s teachings on authority, intercession, and worship. This rejection is rooted in a core belief in sola Scriptura, holding that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority for all matters of faith.
The Papacy: Authority from a Confession, Not a Man
The rejection of papal authority begins with the interpretation of Matthew 16:18 (KJV), where Jesus says to Peter, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” This argument focuses on the original Greek words: “Petros” for Peter, which means “stone” or “pebble,” and “petra” for the rock, which means “bedrock” or “boulder.” Our view is that Jesus was not declaring that the entire Church would be built on Peter, a mere man. Instead, the true foundation—the great, unmovable bedrock—is the confession of faith Peter had just made: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The Church is thus built on this fundamental truth, not on the person of Peter.
We argue that Peter’s leadership was not a supreme, universal authority. In Galatians 2, the Apostle Paul openly rebuked Peter “to his face,” showing that his authority was not beyond question. From a historical perspective, the centralized power of the papacy is viewed as a later human development, not an institution that dates back to the early apostolic church.
The Foundation of Authority and Salvation
The path to salvation is another foundational area of divergence. This argument is largely sparked by the doctrine of sola Fide, or “faith alone.” This belief holds that a person is justified in God’s sight by faith in Jesus Christ alone, independent of any good works. This is supported by Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV): “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” We also cite Romans 3:28 (KJV): “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
The authority for this belief, we contend, comes from Scripture, which is sufficient to furnish believers “unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We argue that the Catholic Church’s reliance on Sacred Tradition as an equal source of authority, along with the office of the Pope, contradicts the idea that the Bible is the sole infallible source of truth for the Christian faith.
Veneration of Saints and Relics
The veneration of Mary and the saints is another key point of disagreement. From our viewpoint, the Bible directs believers to approach God directly through Jesus Christ alone, who is the sole mediator. This is supported by 1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV): “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Practices like praying to Mary or saints for intercession are seen as bypassing this essential principle of direct access to God through Jesus.
The rejection of holy relics is rooted in the silence of Scripture on the matter. There are no biblical commands to venerate relics, collect them, or pray through them. The core argument is that such practices can become a form of superstition. For many, the use of relics as a focal point of spiritual reverence violates the Second Commandment, which prohibits making and bowing down to any “graven image” (Exodus 20:4). The concern is that these objects, while not worshiped as God, can still serve as a focal point of reverence that should be reserved for God alone.
The rejection of these Catholic practices is not arbitrary; it is seen as a return to the foundational principles of the faith. The interconnected arguments—from the rejection of papal authority to the view on salvation and veneration—all stem from the belief that the Bible is the sole and sufficient source of God’s revealed truth. In this view, these rejections are a way of shedding human traditions that developed over time in order to restore a more direct and unmediated relationship with God, as we believe was originally taught by the apostles.