Church History (Introduction)

What does church history look like? When reading and studying the entire history of the church, we must keep our focus on the bigger picture and compare what GOD’s Word actually teaches to what GOD’s people actually did or did not do. There has always been and will always be deviation from Truth and lights that get extinguished from the church, leaving only darkness in some areas and at some times. This all is from the Fall. From Cain murdering his brother, Abel, to the Day of Christ’s return and the battle of Armageddon, GOD’s people and the church will always be forced to shine light through the darkness of this world. Sadly, when evil infiltrates and contaminates GOD’s people, the world is left with doubt about GOD and His Word. And when they look at the stained glass in the church window, they are uncertain if the color red should represent the claim of Christ’s sacrificial blood or the notorious fame of a blood-thirsty mass of supercilious saints who masquerade about with malicious motives and pious performances. GOD’s people must live out a delicate balance of love and Truth. Even the slightest ‘one-degree’ deviation demonstrates demonic deeds that make the world believe blood-saturated saints to be devils in disguise and Christ a mere guise.

This is what church history looks like — it is one long war with many battles of GOD’s people trying to keep the faith, defend Truth, yet all the while correct the mistakes that have tarnished the perfect name of GOD. As representatives of GOD, Christians, with wrong actions, are capable of driving people away from right belief. I recently encountered the trending hashtag on Twitter, “ChurchToo”, which essentially was used for people to share their horrible stories of how church members or church leaders abused their position and power in order to sexually assault people, or mentally or physically abuse people. Are all the accusations true? Probably not. This hashtag popped up only after sexual allegations against celebrities became popular news headlines and Hollywood started devouring itself like a king snake swallowing another snake. Many unbelievers probably took advantage of the situation in order to throw mud on the church. However, many of the “ChurchToo” accusations are undoubtedly true, coming from victims who had once been afraid to speak up but now emboldened to do so because of what’s happening in Hollywood. It is all a sobering reminder of the real problem of sin in this world and humanity’s inability to save themselves. While reading and studying church history, it is important to keep in mind the bigger picture of the Creator’s original design and intent, the Fall, and the purpose of Christ to reunite the creation with Creator. Keep these following points in mind while reading and studying church history:

• Humanity’s inability and often refusal to abide by the absolute moral standard does not prove GOD’s standard to be wrong, it only reveals that the Law is good and necessary (read Romans 7).
• Purity is good & commendable, which is highlighted by the uproar against immorality. The Law is good and necessary, which is highlighted by the uproar against injustice.
• The church is not a country club for saints but a hospital for sinners (read Matthew 9:11-13). The church is not a place for perfect people, but for finite and fallible fallen people who need a perfect GOD.
• Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone needs Jesus, all the time, even those in the church — especially those in the church.
• The church is not above correction; in fact, all Christians should be held to a higher standard because they should know better (read James 3:1; 4:17).
• We should not confuse the problem of sin with the only solution of Jesus and the absolute moral standard as being the problem. The mistakes of humanity are not accurate reflections of the character quality of the perfect GOD.
• To purge the church of sin is to restore the church to righteousness; restored churches will help victims heal from pseudo-saints.
• Sin is the problem, not the church, unless sin is in the church, then the church becomes a problem, but not the problem.

It all leads back to the beginning and we must keep our focus on the bigger picture and compare what GOD’s Word actually teaches to what GOD’s people actually did or did not do. For it is GOD’s Word and only GOD’s Word that should define how the church is to be both operated and viewed. And with that said, may GOD’s light of Truth shine as you read and study even the darkest periods of the church and remember that the church is the purified Bride of Christ at the end of days. View the church as a total makeover transformation, much like we have seen on reality television shows. The church is to be viewed as a whole and seen as Christ will see her at the end of days — she’s beautiful! Just as individual humans have had bad pasts before becoming good later in life, the church is the same. Just as individual humans have seemed ugly prior to receiving a total makeover transformation and then looking marvelous, the church is the same. Don’t judge the church by her past, judge the church by who she strives to become and who Jesus tells us she will be. Church history reveals the growth of the church. Just as Abraham’s descendants are beyond counting (Genesis 15:5), the church started out with a dozen disciples and it will end with a countless number (Revelation 7:9). Don’t judge a sequoia tree by the sprout or seed — only in its final stage will you know what its glorious state will be.

If you are already a Christian, then church history is your family history. Studying church history is like opening a photo album with commentary and exploring family heritage. If you are a Christian and do not know church history, it is imperative that you take the journey to learn the past. Our past history will help mature us for the future by rooting us in reality, replacing ignorance with Truth, and opening us up to understanding of what actually happened rather than us assuming what might have happened or what we wished would have happened. The beauty of church history is that it enables us to learn from past mistakes, which will help us to grow in righteousness and help us to stay in alignment. Church history provides us with perspective and helps us plan for our purpose. As you learn church history, may you be in awe of GOD’s faithfulness despite humanity’s unfaithfulness. Though church history is the study of the works of men and women, it is ultimately the study of the work of GOD.

[ Read: Church History – Part 1 ]

The Heart Is The Start

When meeting someone for the first time, one of the first (if not the first) questions people usually ask is, “What do you do for a living?”

Many people try to identify others by the things they do or the way they look instead of seeing them for who they truly are, what they care about, and who they are striving to become. I believe it is more important to know who a person is striving to become than to know what it is that person currently does. Truly, the heart should be the start because what’s important is hidden within and often remains unseen.

And so, we are going to play a game. I am going to describe to you seven different people. As I am describing these people to you, I want you to try to imagine what each person looks like. First, imagine whether the person is male or female. After you assume the gender of the person, I want you to imagine the age, height, and weight of the person. I want you to also imagine if the person has a lot of facial hair or if the person is clean shaven. Imagine the person’s skin tone, hair color and even the eye color. Does the person have freckles? Does the person have scars? What clothing would the person be wearing? After I describe all seven individuals, I will reveal the identity of each person.

Take out a piece of paper, a writing utensil, and write the numbers one through seven going down. Write your guess after reading each description. The answers will follow. (Let me know if you guessed any correctly, and if so, how many.)

The Descriptions:

(1) This person had a sister and a brother who both died at an early age. Not too much longer after the death of both siblings, this person’s mother also died. This person eventually became a part-owner of a store, but the business failed. This person studied law. This person eventually fell in love; however, this person’s love interest also eventually died. With only two saddlebags to hold all of this person’s possessions, this person moved to a new city to live in at the age of 28. This person eventually got into politics. This person ran for president year after year and got rejected year after year; however, this person finally got elected as the president of the United States at the age of 52.

(2) This person was born in 1929. This person lived in a confined space with many other people and felt as if the atmosphere was suffocating at times. At the age of only 15, this person got arrested. At the young age of 16, this person died from typhoid fever; in addition, all family members with the exception of the father ended up dying.

(3) This person was born in Australia. As a child, this person struggled mentally, emotionally, and even physically. At one point, this person considered suicide. At the age of 21, this person graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and with a double major in accountancy and financial planning. This person is now a Christian evangelist and motivational speaker.

(4) This person was one of eight siblings and was also the runt of the litter. Being the smallest, this person was sent to watch over sheep rather than being in war or hunting. On one occasion, a special visitor came to the father and desired to choose one of the siblings for a special task and rare position. But on this occasion, this person was excluded from the other siblings and wasn’t even presented as a choice to the special visitor. Neither the father nor the siblings thought very much of this person.

(5) This person dressed with clothing that proclaims importance and that is because this person possesses an important title or position. This person was one of the few who comprised the ruling class in the area. This person was a successful person by human standards. However, this person eventually caused an innocent and much loved man to receive a death sentence and was later despised because of it.

(6) This person grew up agnostic and eventually became a performer in Hollywood for the entertainment industry and had been in dozens of television shows. This person became a nihilistic atheist whose only concern was experiencing fun. Sadly, this person’s nihilism brought this person to write out a suicide letter, considering everything in life to be worthless and meaningless — even life itself. After failing to commit suicide, this person eventually left the entertainment industry and ended  up receiving unemployment checks until working such jobs as a janitor for an elementary school and as a groundskeeper for an apartment community. By the world’s standards, this person became a failure and an insignificant and invisible nobody.

(7) As a baby, this person was born in a dirty place where animals typically go to eat. There never seemed to be anything remarkable about this person; in fact, this person worked an ordinary job as a typical carpenter. When this person was around 30 years of age, this person went above and beyond to love people. And yet despite of this person’s great love, this person was condemned to a death sentence on false accusations and died a horrible death. People mocked this person as this person died.

The Revealing:

(1) It was only after years of rejection and ‘failure’ that this man succeeded. That man was Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln signed the first of the Homestead acts, allowing poor people to own land. He also established the United States Department of Agriculture, he signed the Morrill Land-Grant Act which led to creation of numerous universities, and he also issued the Emancipation Proclamation which led to abolishing slavery in US.

(2) The young girl named Anne Frank eventually went on to inspire millions of people despite the fact that she wasn’t even alive here on Earth. Her father (only remaining family member) found Anne’s diary, was amazed by her maturity and character and then got it published. Anne provided wonderful insight into a dark moment of history inundated with Nazis and also showed the world that maturity can be found in youth and a hero can look like a female.

(3) This person is Nick Vujicic; he was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Nick has encouraged, motivated and inspired millions of people simply because he overcame and never quit. Though he lives a life without limbs, his heart propels him in the direction he needs to go.

(4) This person is the great David of the Bible. Though no one else thought much of David because of his appearance, GOD saw David’s heart and it looked like a lampstand ready to shine GOD’s light. Before Samuel anointed David as the king who would replace Saul, Samuel saw David’s brother and thought he would be king because of his appearance. But examine GOD’s response:

“When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ ”
(1Samuel 16:6-7) -ESV

(5) This person is one of the many Pharisees whom Jesus opposed and often rebuked. These are the people who seemed like they had it all together and were doing everything right! Though the Pharisees had the appearance of importance and right character, they lacked heart. Examine the words of Jesus regarding the Pharisees:

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others…. Woe to you, blind guides…. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness…. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”
(Matthew 23:1-5, 16, 27-28, 33) -ESV

(6) This person is me, Trenton Gill. Worthless and meaningless is how I saw myself. Yet somehow, GOD saw in me the goodness I never saw in myself. Jesus knew my good heart and He saved me from myself and helped me to repent (turn around) and start living a righteous life of servitude that gives praise to GOD rather than the superficial life that would receive praise from people.

(7) This person is Christ Jesus. Jesus — fully GOD — became fully human in order to save us from ourselves. By His great sacrificial love, our bloodstained sinful selves have been whitewashed and cleansed and we will be able to live in His presence for all eternity.

When I described each person, did the physical appearance ever make a difference as to who they ended up becoming? Did age or gender make a difference? Did all of their ‘current’ jobs, tasks, labels or titles ever define who they would end up becoming? Did their history of whatever they lacked ever define who they would eventually become? No. Who you are right now can change so long as you possess the desire to change and put forth the effort and never quit.

Therefore, if you’re reading this and we don’t know each other, I will not risk shaming you by asking you what you do for a living. What you currently do is sometimes irrelevant to who you are and who you will become. After all, the famous rocker, Jon Bon Jovi, was a janitor before he became famous and eventually helped out with different charities. There’s something more important I want to ask you than what you do for a living: “Who are you and who are you striving to become?”

Share with me the following:

• What are your short-term and long-term goals?
• What are your dreams?
• What do you care about most in life?
• Where do you want to end up in the near future and distant future?
• Who do you want to become?
• After you leave Earth and go into eternity, what do you want to leave behind for everyone else still living on Earth?

You can be the person you desire to be; you can be the person you dream to be. Do you know your identity? Dare to dream! Vision and belief that are united with wisdom leads to possibility; possibility harbors potential; therefore, full potential is only possible with vision and belief. Do you believe? How is your faith?

“Jesus told them. ‘I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.’ ”
(Matthew 17:20) -NLT

“The Lord answered, ‘If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,” and it would obey you!’ ”
(Luke 17:6) -NLT

“I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.”
(Philippians 4:13) -GW

“Jesus looked at them intently and said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.’ ”
(Matthew 19:26) -NLT

Through Christ, you can accomplish anything so long as it is in alignment with GOD’s will. Again, I want to ask you a very important question: who are you and who are you striving to become? You need to know your identity.

“But Amos stood up to Amaziah: ‘I never set up to be a preacher, never had plans to be a preacher. I raised cattle and I pruned trees. Then GOD took me off the farm and said, “Go preach to my people Israel.”’ ”
(Amos 7: 14-15) -MSG

Scripture states that Amaziah was a priest and Amos was a shepherd. Amaziah basically told Amos not to preach in Bethel because it offended him and others.

I can relate to Amos quite well because I have told many people the same message and many people have responded by telling me the same thing that Amos heard. I never set up to be a preacher; I never had plans of being a preacher. Amos was a shepherd. I was an atheist actor in the entertainment industry with aspirations of fame and fortune. I had my sights set on money. But my desires and my title changed after I found my identity. And many people often tell me not to preach because my words sometimes offends people. It saddens me that people would get offended by Truth, but I must rank truth as more important than feelings. And it’s not my Truth to change. I didn’t write the Book of Truth, I merely share the message. I’m a messenger.

Pastor, teacher, or messenger — titles are irrelevant to GOD’s calling and are obsolete in Heaven. Titles are created by humans to accommodate human agenda; moreover, titles are not indicative of the true calling and cannot change the character of any human. As of right now — November 15, 2017 — I do not possess a certified title of pastor or minister; however, the lack of an official title doesn’t take away from my calling. I will continue to fulfill my calling and eventually people will throw a title on me because of the way I’m living out my calling. Consider the following four examples:

(1) Albert Einstein failed an entrance examination for the school of ETH in Zurich, Switzerland. He didn’t have a title then, but GOD designed him to be a genius. Later in life, he was awarded a Ph.D., became a professor at Karl-Ferdinand University in Prague, became President of the German Physical Society, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, and received the Copley Medal from the Royal Society. Einstein is proof that a ‘nobody’ can be a ‘somebody’ of great significance. Einstein’s wisdom would have helped the human race advance whether he acquired those titles or not. But he acquired those titles because he lived out his calling and then humans threw titles on him.

(2) Adolf Hitler was considered a great leader at one point, but his title didn’t alter the demonic demeanor within him. Hitler’s title labeled him to be a leader and respected ruler; however, his orders to his army brought about the deaths of millions of innocent people. Hitler’s earthly title amongst the nazis meant very little to the soldiers who opposed him; moreover, his title meant nothing in the big picture of eternity. The nazis called him Fuhrer, which meant, “leader.” But do you know what he is called in Heaven? Well, he isn’t called anything because he’s not in Heaven.

(3) Pastor Steve Fender from Livingway Church of San Antonio, Texas shared with me one of the most amazing testimonies I’ve ever heard. After an alter call at one of Steve’s services, a man by the name of Ernest had asked Steve to talk to him and pray with him. Eventually, Ernest confessed to being a Mexican mafia hitman and that he had killed a lot of people. Ernest asked if GOD would still accept him because of all the murders he had committed and Steve told Ernest that no one is too far gone to be saved. Pastor Steve asked Ernest to lift up his hands in surrender to GOD; Ernest told Steve that he would, but only if Steve would hold his shirt down so that no one would see his gun while his arms were up. Ernest — a hitman with a loaded gun in church service — gave his life to Christ that day and eventually led many other people to Christ. One day, Ernest was shot while walking the streets. When pastor Steve arrived at the scene, Ernest was face down on the ground, already dead. In Ernest’s hand appeared to be a gun; however, it was a copy of the New Testament. The world labeled Ernest as a murderer; Ernest proclaimed himself to be a murderer at one point; however, Ernest was made new in Christ and was called to be a preacher. Ernest’s title of ‘hitman’ wasn’t his true title. And once Ernest realized his real identity, he received his true calling and his true title. Repentance and faith bring salvation. Despite his past, Ernest was a preacher and that is how we should remember him.

(4) There are [far too] many people who earned the title of being a Priest, yet they were then later convicted and declared to be pedophiles.

There are some people who possess the title of ‘Priest’ (like Amaziah), yet their character proclaims them to be frauds and dirty — just like the Pharisees whom Jesus condemned. Amaziah was wrapped up in religion (rules, regulations, and rituals) and neglected to have a relationship with GOD.

Ponder on this: Jesus was wisdom in human form, yet He didn’t possess a Ph.D. Jesus didn’t need a P-H-D because he was with the title of G-O-D. His title was Messiah, or Christ, or Savior; however, He didn’t receive that title until after He already fulfilled the role. No one except His disciples gave Him the title of Messiah before His crucifixion. But the lack of the title didn’t take away from His calling.

Though the world tells us to take up titles, we are called to live the calling. Do not allow yourself to be beguiled by titles! Do not be fooled into believing you are who the world says you are! To fulfill your calling, you need only to look beyond the façade of worldly titles and possess zeal for the seal of GOD’s approval. The start is the heart!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
(Psalm 51:10) -ESV

“And he called the people to him and said to them, ‘Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.’…. But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.’ ”
(Matthew 15:10-11, 18-20) -ESV

Amaziah was a Priest, yet GOD chose a shepherd (like David) named Amos to do the preaching of His Word. Amos made himself available to be used! If Amos was capable of caring for a herd and tending little details such as yard work [with honesty and integrity], then he could be trusted to do and say what was right – to preach. GOD basically said, “I don’t care that other humans label Amaziah as a Priest. Amos is my preacher.”

I challenge you to know your identity and pursue your calling rather than a title. Take action on what GOD has called you to do. If the world declares you to be nothing but a janitor yet GOD calls you to preach, then you’re a preacher! If the world declares you to be nothing but an old man (like Noah) yet GOD calls you to build an ark and protect the animals, then you’re a contractor, carpenter, soon-to-be sailor and captain, and wildlife preservationist! If the world declares you to be nothing but a tax collector yet GOD calls you to write a book, then you’re an author! Worldly titles mean nothing. Do not get so wrapped up in nothing that you end up missing out on everything GOD has for you. What is the true title you possess? Proclaim it in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of GOD-Almighty! But know and understand that the heart is the start. In order to fulfill your calling, you need to purify and protect your heart. The reason David was chosen above all others was because he was a man after GOD’s own heart (1Samuel 13:14).

“But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.”
(Ezekiel 11:21) -ESV

But for those of us who desire to fulfill our true calling, all we need to do is ask Jesus to purify our hearts and align our thoughts with His will. By seeking first the Kingdom of GOD (GOD’s will), everything else will fall in place.

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”
(Ezekiel 36:26-27) -ESV

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”
(Matthew 6:33) -ESV

Once purified, we must put on the breastplate of righteousness for protection (read Ephesians 6:10-20; see also Isaiah 59:17). Take note that the heart is protected by righteousness. A righteous life prevents the penetration of sin that desires to find its way in. Sin finding its way into the heart is like a sperm finding its way into an egg. We must protect the heart because the heart is the start.

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
(James 1:14-15) -ESV

I want to pray for three types of people:

• If you have never accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior yet you desire to do so, I want to pray with you and encourage you in your decision.
• If you need to purify your heart and desire for GOD to remove your heart of stone and give you a new heart of flesh, let me know and I’ll pray with you and continue to pray for you. And I will also partner with you in a commitment to protecting your newly purified heart.
• If the Holy Spirit has purified your heart throughout this message and you now desire to put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect your purified heart, I want to pray with you and continue to pray for you. And I will also partner with you in a commitment of fellowship to ensure accountability of a righteous life.

Sikhism

[ To read the previous post of the Quest for Truth, CLICK HERE! ]

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The name Sikhism comes from the Punjabi word Sikh, which means a “disciple;” thus, a Sikh is literally a disciple of Guru Nanak, the founder of the religion, who lived from AD 1469-1538. Guru means a dispeller of ignorance or darkness (gu) and bringer of enlightenment (ru).

Sikhism has two unique symbols: khanda and Ekankar. The most prevalent symbol is the khanda, which represents the Sikh faith to the outside world. At the center is the actual khanda, which means “double-edged sword.” Together with the circular throwing weapon, the chakkar, it stands for the unity of God and his all-pervasive presence. On each side are the two ceremonial swords, kirpans, that refer to the spiritual and political dimensions of the Sikh community. Within the Sikh community – for example, in a Sikh temple – one often sees the second symbol. It refers to the unity of God. The little symbol to the left that looks like the Western numeral 9 is actually the numeral 1, and the other part means “the only one.” So this symbol means that God is the “one and only one.” In Punjabi, it is “Ekankar.”

Sikhism began as an attempt to heal the division between Muslims and Hindus that was causing problems in India during the sixteenth century AD. Thus, to understand Sikhism, you must first understand Islam and Hinduism. Most of India was ruled by the Moguls, who had conquered India and brought Islam with them. Guru Nanak had a Hindu father and a Muslim mother. Nanak was born into the kshatriya caste that was under Muslim domination. It is said that at around age 30, Nanak mysteriously disappeared for three days. When he emerged three days later, he taught that there is no Hindu and there is no Muslim.

Guru Nanak sought to combine important elements of both Hinduism and Islam. From Hinduism, he maintained the belief of reincarnation from the law of karma. From Islam, he maintained the belief that God is one and is not to be represented with idols; consequently, Hindu avatars are rejected. His message was that by living a life in keeping with divine virtues a person would eventually become one with God and escape the cycle of reincarnation. Nanak was adamant that our thoughts of God should not be limited by what just one religion teaches. God is not just Allah and not just Krishna, but that God is a reality greater than any human words or concepts could encompass. In this present day, when Sikhs talk about God, they typically use the term “one and only one,” or “Ekankar” in the Punjabi language. Sikhism also teaches that physical self-denial encourages a false piety, which may impress others but does not contribute to one’s spiritual development. Consequently, it forbids fasting as a spiritual exercise and frowns on any other way of using the deprivation of food in the name of religion. World renunciation does not figure in this faith. The Sikhs have no tradition of renunciation, asceticism, celibacy, or mendicancy.

There were ten gurus of Sikhism. Guru Nanak was the first. The fifth guru, Guru Arjan Dev (A.K.A., Arjun Mal), collected the hymns and chants written by all the gurus, including himself, as well as the works of some of the writers who had influenced Nanak, and issued this “exalted book,” the Granth Sahib, which has been the holy book for Sikhism ever after. This exalted book is also known as Adi Granth, meaning the true Granth. There are a few names for this exalted book because granth literally means “book;” therefore, it needs to be distinguished from other books.

The tenth and final guru, Gobind Rai (Gobind Singh) declared that he was the last of the human gurus and that from that point on only the holy book, the Adi Granth, would be the guru for Sikhs. The Adi Granth, like all the human gurus before, became the embodiment of God. Consequently, Sikhs find themselves worshipping this exalted book. The Adi Granth’s most important significance is not so much in its content as in its presence. As the divine guru, it is the focus of worship and veneration as an object, apart from its message. A typical Sikh temple has a copy of the Adi Granth (the original is in Amritsar), and during the day it is displayed on an altar, where people bow before it. In the evening it is literally laid to rest in a bed, complete with sheets and bed curtains, and in the morning it is awakened and placed on the altar again – both times with special ceremonies.

As for worship practices, they seem to be centered on community and gathering for meals. The “common kitchen,” or langar, may be the most distinctive aspect of Sikh community gatherings. All people, regardless of social or economic standing, sit side by side on the floor, eating the same food together. Thus, Sikhism continues to extol the equality of all human beings and to repudiate the caste system.

However, over 200 years following Guru Nanak, a number of developments took place. There was increased conflict between the Muslim rulers and the Sikhs, culminating in armed combat. As a result, Sikhism changed from being a community intended to bring peace and unity to becoming a virtual army, ready to defend itself at a moment’s notice. But that is bound to happen if someone attempts to claim one Truth while combining or uniting the pantheistic, polytheistic, and pluralistic beliefs of Hinduism with the monotheistic religion of Islam.

When Guru Gobind Singh established the order of the khalsa, a part of its requirements were certain unmistakable items of apparel. They are commonly referred to as the five K’s, based on the words for them in the Punjabi language:

1. Long, uncut hair and beard, covered with a turban (kesh).
2. A wooden comb, inserted into the hair (kanga). Together with the comb, uncut hair (gathered in a turban) shielded the skull while tying in with the yogic belief that uncut hair conserves vitality and draws it upward. The comb symbolized cleanliness and good order.
3. An iron bracelet (kara). This provided a small shield while at the same time “shackling” its wearer to God as a reminder that hands should always be in God’s service.
4. Shorts (kachara). The shorts replaced the Indian dhoti and symbolized that one was always dressed for action.
5. A sword or dagger (kirpan). Now largely symbolic, it was originally needed for self-defense.

My Final Thoughts:

Sikhs are forbidden to worship idols yet they worship the Guru Granth Sahib (a book). This religion was formed very late in our history thereby making it one of the youngest world religions. Because Sikhism is one of the youngest religions, it would need to possess a uniqueness about its core beliefs in order for it to stand apart from all others that have already been in existence for centuries. Unfortunately, Guru Nanak’s disappearance and reappearance after three days is all too similar to Jesus of the Christian faith. But that is to be expected because Islam branched off from Christianity. Furthermore, Sikhism was formed in an attempt to unite two contradicting religions in order to create peace. This religion compromises and settles for relativism rather than demanding absolute Truth.

Conclusion:

Though Sikhism rejected polytheism, it found itself in pantheism due to its keeping of the law of karma and the belief that a life lived with divine virtues would eventually lead the believer to become one with God and escape the cycle of reincarnation. Pantheism has already been rejected. However, Sikhism also attempts to claim monotheism by asserting that there is only one God. But the monotheistic God of Islam and the pantheism of Hinduism contradict each other and cannot combine. It is quite obvious that this religion was produced by human effort in order to put an end to the violence that had been experienced at that time.  And because Guru Nanak had a Hindu father and a Muslim mother, it seems as if Nanak invented an irrational religion in order to justify the contradiction between his parents and make sense of his own life. Sikhism is nothing more than a plea for peace without regard for maintaining integrity of Truth. Sikhism must be rejected as Truth and eliminated as a choice.

[ Continue the Quest: Islam ]

Hinduism

Hinduism is a word created by Westerners to encompass the dominant religious and social system of India. Traditionally, those we call Hindus refer to their religion as the dharma, which means “the way” or “the religion.”

Symbols play an important role in Hinduism, but if we were to take just one as standing for the entire religion, it would have to be the graphic representation of the sacred symbol, Om. Om is a sound that has no literal meaning but that is supposed to represent the totality of the spiritual universe. Also, the swastika can be seen in many places where Hinduism is practiced (see: Buddhism).

There are approximately 900 million Hindus in the world; however, the total number of Hindus in India is subject to controversy because it includes up to 300 million “untouchables” (dalits), who are officially counted as a part of the Hindu social structure but who are prevented from fully participating in their religion.

Hinduism began as the religion of a group of people migrating into the Indian subcontinent from Central Asia. These people were called the Aryans, but one should not confuse them with the figments of racist ideologies in the West. When the Aryans entered India around 1500 B.C., they worshipped a number of gods with animal sacrifices. The prerogative to perform the rituals belonged to the priests, called Brahmins, who recorded their prayers and sacrificial formulas in books called Vedas.

The religion of the Aryans underwent some drastic changes. One direction of change was an increase in rules and regulations propagated by the Brahmins. Eventually, a caste system developed and belief in reincarnation became an integral part of Hinduism. This early form of Hinduism is sometimes referred to as “the way of works” because it emphasized the rules and rituals demanded by the Brahmins.

Around sixth century B.C., a reaction against the all-pervasive rituals demanded by the priests led to the formation of the religions of Buddhism and Jainism, but it also led to a new understanding of Hinduism called “the way of knowledge.” The point of the religion was not to amass as many works as possible but instead to find God deep within oneself. The way of works and the way of knowledge continued to exist side by side and influenced each other.

By the eighth century A.D., a third way of practicing Hinduism came about: “the way of devotion.” The distinctive feature of this form of Hinduism is that a person focuses on one particular god or goddess, and this deity provides for the needs of the person, whether it be salvation or worldly needs. The way of devotion blended into the other two ways, and modern Hinduism combines all three.

Way of Works (Brahmanism or Vedic): Based on sacrifices and rituals

Way of Knowledge (Vedantic): Based on finding God within oneself

Way of Devotion (Bhakti): Based on a person’s relationship with a single deity

Hinduism has a large and complex set of writings that are traditionally organized into two main categories: the shruti and the smriti. The shruti are those that were ‘heard’ from the gods by holy men, called rishis, a long time ago and recorded by them. These are supposed to be the main scriptures. The smriti are supposedly of lesser importance since they are only ‘received,’ which is to say, handed down by tradition. However, because the smriti [for the most part] contains stories, they receive the greater amount of attention from most Hindus, whereas knowledge of the shruti tends to be confined to priests and scholars. Nowadays, many scholars believe that Hindu scriptures were not written down until a few hundred years ago.

The shruti contains the writings of:

• Vedas: four major works, containing hymns and sacrificial formulas
• Brahmanas: instructions for priests
• Sutras: instructions for all people
• Law of Manu: specific instructions for all Hindus
• Upanishads: philosophical meditations and mystical interpretations of the Vedas

The smriti contains the writings of:

• Mahabharata: epic describing the war between two sets of cousins
• Bhagavad-Gita: one section of the Mahabharata; a discourse by the god Krishna
• Ramayana: epic describing the efforts by the god Rama to liberate his wife Sita from an evil demon
• Puranas: stories concerning the lives and exploits of various gods

Most Hindus agree on certain concepts; however, Hinduism has no mandatory set of beliefs. I’m going to list what most Hindus agree on; however, in theory, one could be considered a good Hindu and not believe any of the following points. What people initially want is pleasure and worldly success (Path of Desire), but ultimately they will desire to travel down the Path of Renunciation and what they want then is being, knowledge, joy, and [finally] liberation (moksha) – release from the finitude that restricts us from the limitless being, consciousness, and bliss our hearts desire. Most Hindus would agree that life is hard and full of suffering and, what’s worse, when someone is done with one life of suffering, that person will have another one and another one, etc. As soon as someone is done with one life, that person is reincarnated into the next life. It does not necessarily have to be a human life either. One could come back as a bird or a worm or an insect. As a doctrine, karma means the moral law of cause and effect. The law of karma states that what you did in your previous lives has brought you to where you are in your present life; furthermore, what you do in your present life will determine your next life. Thus, Hinduism in all its forms attempts to find a way out of the seemingly never-ending cycle of reincarnation and to break the bondage of karma.

Vedantic Hinduism: The way of knowledge asserts that all human beings are living in an unreal world. There is only one true reality, which is Brahman, the spiritual being that is ultimately beyond our understanding or descriptive ability. As long as we treat the world of our experience (maya) as though it were real, we will remain hung up in this illusory cosmos and continue through the cycle of reincarnations. However, if we come to the point of realizing that deep within ourselves, deeper than our feelings and our thoughts, there is Self (atman) that is identical with Brahman, we are on our way to escaping from the bondage of the world once and for all.

Bhakti Hinduism: The way of devotion has led many Hindus to commit themselves in a special way to one particular god or goddess. Some Hindus believe that all gods are manifestations of the impersonal, ultimate Brahman, while others consider their personal god or goddess to be the supreme being. For the devotee of a specific god, the goal is to do all you can to honor and worship the god in the hopes that this deity will reciprocate with blessings. It is said that there are an estimated 300 million gods in Hinduism, but not all gods are considered to be of equal importance. The traditional three main gods of Hinduism are the following: Brahma (creator of the universe), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer). Each of the gods has a female counterpart, his shakti, who brings out his power. Vishnu is important because from time to time he incarnates himself in the world in order to restore order. His most prominent past incarnations (avatars) include Krishna and Rama.

It is Hinduism’s general conviction that the various major religions are merely alternate paths to the same goal. Many say that it is possible to climb life’s mountain from any side, but when the top is reached the trails converge. Ramakrishna said all that follows: God has made different religions. One Everlasting-Intelligent-Bliss is invoked by some as God, by some as Allah, by some as Jehovah, and by others as Brahman. Whenever there is a decline of religion in any part of the world, God sends his Saviour there. It is one and the same Saviour that, having plunged into the ocean of life, rises up in one place and is known as Krishna, and diving down again rises in another place and is known as Christ. All gods and goddesses are but various aspects of the one Absolute Brahman.

Although there is the potential for endless varieties of subgroups, there are three main schools of devotion: those who follow Vishnu as their highest god, those who are devoted to Shiva, and those whose highest deity is a goddess (A.K.A. Shaktites).

Another important means of grouping within Hinduism is the caste system. On no other score is Hinduism better known or more roundly denounced by the outside world. Primarily a set of social divisions, it also has a profound impact on the religion and is in fact enjoined by Hindu scriptures. It is said that unless unequals are separated in some way, the weak would be forced to compete against the strong across the board and would stand no chance of winning anywhere. The reasoning behind the castes is that within each caste the individual’s right are considered safer than if he/she is forced to compete against the strong. There is said to be four main castes, with some believing that there are five. The following are the four main castes along with the additional fifth caste (that is often disputed):

1. Brahmins = priests, religious leaders, teachers
2. Kshatriyas = warriors, rulers, administrators
3. Vaishyas = merchants, landowners
4. Shudras = workers, followers, unskilled laborers
5. Dalits = outcastes, untouchables

A Hindu who lives in India once explained it to me in this way: “Humans by nature are inclined (favor) to one of the four tendencies, The first is desire for knowledge that makes us become scientists, professors, researchers, etc. Such humans are called brahman. The second nature is protective, those sattvic are always ready to fight to save others like police and army, etc. They are kshatriya. The third is materialistic or business minded, that is merchants, etc. It also includes farmers. They are the vaisya. The fourth have a talent for music, plays, dance, etc. They are the one most loved by the holy father because they are most devoted to him and carry the human society forward. They are the shudras. This is the caste system and no human is outside it. Everything else you have heard of is either British lies or the mixing of class and caste, there are no dalits in this system. They are an outcome of something else and now have equal rights in society in fact more rights than others under the constitution.”

Hinduism’s specific directions for actualizing the human potential come under the heading of yoga. The word yoga derives from the same root as does the English word yoke, and yoke carries a double connotation: to unite (yoke together), and to place under disciplined training (to bring under the yoke). Both connotations are present in the Sanskrit word. Defined generally, then, yoga is a method of training designed to lead to integration, to unite the human spirit with the God who lies concealed in its deepest recesses. What is distinctive in Hinduism is the amount of attention it has devoted to identifying basic spiritual personality types and the disciplines that are most likely to work for each individual. The result is a recognition, pervading the entire religion, that there are multiple paths to God, each calling for its distinctive mode of travel. There are four basic spirituality types:

• Jnana yoga – the way through knowledge
• Bhakti yoga – the way through love
• Karma yoga – the way through work
• Raja yoga – the way through psychophysical exercises

Jnana yoga is said to be the shortest path to divine realization yet also the steepest. Because it requires a rare combination of rationality and spirituality, it is for a select few. Essential being is Being itself. The Atman (God within) must change from concept to realization. A person needs to drive a wedge between his/her skin-encapsulated ego and his/her Atman, and an aid in doing so is to think of the former in the third person.

Bhakti yoga is the most popular of the four basic paths. By and large, life is powered more by emotion and less by reason. This path seems to be opposite and contradictory to Jnana yoga’s way of knowledge. Because healthy love is out-going, the bhakta will reject all suggestions that the God one loves is oneself, even one’s deepest Self, and insist on God’s otherness. The goal is not to strive to identify with God, but to adore God with every element of his/her being.

Karma yoga is the way to God through works. You can find God in the world of everyday affairs as readily as anywhere. Throw yourself into your work with everything you have. According to Hindu doctrine, every action performed upon the external world reacts on the doer. Everything a person does for him/her private wellbeing adds another layer to the ego, only thickening and insulating that person more from God. Selfish works create callousness to the divine. The Bhagavad-Gita says, “Do without attachment the work you have to do. Surrendering all action to Me, freeing yourself from longing and selfishness, fight – unperturbed by grief.”

Raja yoga has been known in India as “the royal (raj) road to reintegration” because of the dazzling heights to which it leads. The purpose is to reach the beyond that is within. One by one, meditation will eliminate the intrusions of cravings, a troubled conscience, body, breath, and even the senses. The goal is accomplished when the subject and the object are completely merged so that the self-consciousness of the individual subject has disappeared altogether. The final climactic state occurs when samadhi is achieved. Samadhi names the state in which the human mind is completely absorbed in God. The distinctive feature of samadhi is that all of the object’s forms fall away. For forms are limiting boundaries; to be one form others must be excluded, and what is to be known in raja yoga’s final stage is without limits.

The central act of worship in Hinduism is service performed for the statues of deities both at home and in the temple. Hindus believe that the god or goddess lives inside the statue so long as it is properly cared for. This means that it has to be washed and clothed regularly and be given proper worship (puja). Also, marks on the face or the forehead can be of great significance. For one thing, frequently after a person has participated in puja at a temple, some of the crushed flower petals and ashes used in the ceremony are applied to the forehead in disk shape. Many times a devotee of a particular deity will mark his/her forehead with ashes, using the sign specific for that god. For example, devotees of Shiva mark their foreheads with three horizontal stripes, while devotees of Vishnu make two vertical lines that converge on the bridge of the nose. The common red dot seen on the forehead of female Hindus is called the bindi, which means “little drop.” Even though it can carry multiple connotations in different regions of India, most of the time the bindi tells the world, “I am Hindu, and I am a married woman.” However, for unmarried girls, the dot is black most of the time and it is intended to protect against the “evil eye.”

A Hindu temple is usually a highly decorated building dedicated to one particular deity. Regardless of who the main deity may be, many larger temples have a statue of the elephant-headed Ganesha, the “remover of obstacles,” to the right of the main deity (your left side if facing the statues). Every puja will begin by worshipping Ganesha first.

My Final Thoughts:

One thing I can certainly commend Hinduism for is that it is peaceful and nonviolent. However, Hinduism represents a broad category of religious beliefs. Hinduism is sharply separated into three schools: pantheism, polytheism, and pluralism. Some Hindus believe they need to meditate their way into total absorption with God, some Hindus believe in multiple different gods yet devote themselves to only one particular deity, and some Hindus believe that all beliefs lead to the same goal.

Pantheism is found in the last section of the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures. This final section is called the Upanishads. Because the Upanishads came at the end of each of the four Vedas, the Upanishads came to be spoken of as the Vedanta, meaning end or goal of the Vedas. The Upanishads, along with the Bhagavad-Gita, laid the foundation for Vedanta Hinduism, which is a classic example of pantheism.

There is said to be four basic paths to God in the four different ways of yoga; however, examination of the four yoga types boils the four down to only two: knowledge and love. Jnana yoga and raja yoga ultimately join together in a desire to become God whereas bhakti yoga and karma yoga ultimately join together in a desire to love others while realizing that we are not God.

Why worship Krishna or Rama if they are just avatars of Vishnu? Why not just worship Vishnu? Why worship Vishnu if he is only a preserver and not the creator? Why not just worship Brahma if he is the creator? Ganesha is the son of Shiva. So why not just worship Shiva? Why worship Ganesha at all? But if you are going to choose any one god, why wouldn’t you worship the Ultimate from which all other gods originated? The many gods worshipped is a classic example of polytheism. And because Hinduism encourages the worship of many gods, it veers them into a position where all gods would then need to be accepted. This is pluralism.

Karma plays a major role in Hinduism and therefore must be investigated thoroughly. One of the biggest reasons that people hold the belief of karma is because they believe it is just. To many people, the idea of having more than one chance at life seems to be the most equitable solution. Suffering in this life can be justified if it is really an outworking of karma from past lives. This explanation eliminates the need to make God responsible for suffering. All suffering can be explained as the just outworking of bad deeds done in former incarnations. Clearly, the most attractive aspect of reincarnation is that everyone would eventually get saved due to the many chances to live life the right way.

Reincarnation, however, is not justice. No – not at all. The innocent are not really innocent because the karma of their past lives is causing the suffering. Reincarnation doesn’t deal with justice, it simply dismisses the injustice. There is no need to take personal responsibility because one would always have another chance. But what good is another chance if one doesn’t even realize that it is another chance? Why don’t we remember any of our past mistakes if we are supposed to correct them? Is it really fair for God to punish people for the sins they don’t even remember committing?

Karma is not a moral prescription. It is a system of retribution only; it has no content to tell us what to do. It is an impersonal, amoral law of act-consequence relations. Unless something is absolutely right, nothing can be actually right; and if nothing is right (or wrong), then karma has no business punishing anyone for it. And in a pantheistic, polytheistic, and pluralistic religion such as Hinduism, there cannot be absolute Truth nor can there exist an absolute moral standard. So why punish people for some wrong if there is no moral standard of right and wrong?

Reincarnation is ultimately anti-humanitarian. Philanthropy ends up contradicting the purpose of karma. According to traditional Hindu belief, anyone who helps those who suffer is not increasing the karma of those being helped – it only increases the karma of the people who are doing the act of helping. People suffer to work off their karmic debt, and if you help them, then they will have to come back again and suffer even more to work off that debt.

Also, if reincarnation were correct, society should be improving; however, there is no evidence that such moral progress is being made. All we have improved is the means by which we can manifest hate, cruelty, racism, and barbarism toward other human beings. Reincarnation has failed as a solution to the problem of evil.

Conclusion:

Hinduism is pantheistic and lacks an objective moral standard. Hinduism is polytheistic and it does not account for either ultimate causality or ultimate unity, which is needed to explain a diverse, changing universe. Hinduism is pluralistic and allows multiple contradictory beliefs in order to obtain its truth. Pantheism, polytheism, and pluralism have all been rejected and eliminated; therefore, it simply follows that Hinduism must be rejected as Truth and eliminated as a choice.

However, in my investigation, I have concluded Christianity to be Truth. Click here to see why: Why I Am A Christian.

The Pope Is A Nope

Some History:

Where did the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church come from? In the early days of the Roman Empire, Rome was the imperial capital. The church there was the largest and wealthiest in the empire. By the middle of the third century its membership approached 30,000. It had no rival in the west.

In addition, certain early Christian writers from the second century and on had referred to Peter and Paul as founders of the church at Rome and to Rome’s bishops as successors to the apostles. Yet this respect for the history of the church of Rome did not prevent these same writers from openly disagreeing with the bishop of Rome when they believed him to be in error. In fact, up to the times of Emperor Constantine (312-337), the bishop of Rome exercised no authority outside the city.

As the church developed under Constantine, it naturally tended to follow the pattern of the empire, with the bishop of a provincial capital having authority over the bishops of the other cities of the province. In 325, the Council of Nicea recognized the bishops of Alexandria, Egypt; Antioch, Syria; and Rome as preeminent in their areas.

In 330, Constantine moved his residence from Rome to Constantinople, meaning “City of Constantine,” today’s Istanbul. Authority in the church moved east along with Constantine. Soon the bishop of Constantinople was considered to have authority equal to the bishops of Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome.

In 440, Leo I was elected bishop of Rome. He immediately proclaimed himself the supreme head of all Christendom. He established the ecclesiastical dynasty of Peter, which continues in the Roman Catholic Church today. In 451, Emperor Valentinian III put this into law: “As the primacy of the Apostolic See is based on the title of the blessed Peter, prince of episcopal dignity, on the dignity of the city of Rome, and on the decision of the Holy Synod, no illicit steps may be taken against this See to usurp its authority.”

In 451, another church council was called at Chalcedon, a suburb of Constantinople. Approximately 450 bishops were invited, but no more than 340 were present at any one time. Although Leo did not attend, his influence was evident. Thus, it was to everyone’s surprise that the council gave the bishop of Constantinople authority equal to that of the bishop of Rome, making Constantinople for the east what Rome was for the west. The action of this council confirmed the independent authority of the bishop or patriarch of Constantinople over the eastern church.

Leo’s representative at the council protested vehemently, but the decision stood. The church now had two heads: the bishop of Rome over the western church and the bishop of Constantinople over the eastern church.

In the sixth century, the bishop of Rome came to be called the pope. The word pope comes from the word papa and originally was a reference to the fatherly care exercised by all bishops. In subsequent centuries the Roman Catholic Church, as the western church came to be known, has remained monolithic. The eastern church subdivided into many self-governing ethnic Orthodox churches, which together compose a federation known as the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The whole controversy between the eastern church and the western church was based upon the assumption that there is an office of “bishop” that is different from and has greater authority than the office of “pastor” or “elder.” Do you think that is true? What church offices were present in the New Testament Church (see 1Timothy 3)?

The Pope And The Rock:

So why the pope? The Roman Catholic Church claims that Peter was the first pope, the successor of Christ. They say he is there­fore Christ’s vicar and the visible and infallible head of the church, having power and authority over all the other apostles and the entire church. Catholic leaders also claim that Christ built His church upon Peter and gave him the keys to unlock and close the kingdom of Heaven and Hell to anyone as he chose. They assert that the popes in past history up to the present are Peter’s succes­sors, and have the same power of the keys.

These far-reaching claims are based on the verses found in Matthew 16:18-19. Let us make a careful and critical examina­tion of these verses and see what Jesus said and what He actually meant:

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

The New Testament was originally written in the Greek, from which the Latin, English, and other versions were translated. If you study the Greek text you will find that the word Peter and the word Rock (on which Christ was to build His church) are two separate and distinct words, each having a different meaning. The word Peter in Greek is petros, which means “a piece of rock; a stone; a single stone; movable, insecure, shifting, or roll­ing.” The word rock is petra, which means “a rock; a cliff; a projecting rock; mother rock; huge mass; solid formation; fixed; immovable; enduring.”

The word petros for Peter in the Greek is in the masculine gender and the word petra for the rock is in the feminine gender. Petros and petra are two distinct words in the Greek. Petros is a shifting, rolling, or insecure stone, while petra is a solid, immov­able rock. In the English language the gender is not specified by the article. We say the fork, the spoon, and the knife. The three words have the same article. In the Greek, as in many of the modern languages, each noun and corresponding article is in the masculine, feminine, or neuter gender. In many cases it is an arbitrary arrangement, regardless of sex.

The article in Greek is important. If one noun is in the masculine it must have a mas­culine article, and if it is in the feminine it must have a feminine article. The text under consideration in the Greek shows that petros is in the masculine, and petra in the feminine, proving that they are two distinct words; and each one has a different meaning. Now the question is, on which of the two, petros or petra, did Christ establish His church? Was it on petros, a movable stone, or petra, an immovable rock? Examine the text again:

“And I tell you [to Peter], you are Peter [petros; masculine gender], and on this rock [petra; feminine gender] I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The text indi­cates clearly that the church of Christ is built on petra and not on Petros. Now, who is this petra or rock on which Christ built His true church? Let the Holy Bible again provide the answer. If the Bible provides the answer, we make no mistake in accepting it because the definition is authentic.

“and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock [petra] was Christ.”
(1Corinthians 10:4)

Here we have evidence that petra refers to Christ, and not to Peter, who is petros. (See more examples: Isaiah 28:16; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2Samuel 22:2-3; Psalm 118:22; Ephesians 2:20; 1Peter 2:6-7)

If Peter is the rock on which Christ was to build His church, Peter could not be overcome and the gates of Hell could not pre­vail against him. But the fact is that he was overcome, and the gates of Hell did prevail against him. Didn’t he deny his Lord? That happened after Christ told him that the Rock was not to be overcome. Jesus told Peter on one occasion: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:23). Peter himself gives the answer as to who the Rock is in Matthew 16:16, Acts 4:8-12, and 1Peter 2.

Paul also tells us that the petra is Christ. He says, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1Corinthians 3:11). Peter is never designated by the word petra. Thus, Peter and Paul agree that Christ is the Rock. Yet the pope claims the title for himself. Which testimony should we accept?

“Let God be true though every one were a liar.”
(Romans 3:4)

If the church was built on Peter, then Peter would have been the head of the church. However, Peter was not the head of the church in his day. No one called Peter the pope, or Father Peter, or Holy Father Peter. Rather, Jesus said, “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23:8‑11)

“Call no man your father” did not refer to an earthly parent, but to the spiritual Father. Jesus recommended our paying full respect to earthly parents when He quoted the commandment to honor our fathers and mothers (Mark 7:10).

Sometimes 1Corinthians 4:15 is used to prove that we may call spiritual leaders our fathers. Paul writes: “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” They were begotten through the Gospel and not through Paul.

Again, Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). It is through the Gospel that we are begotten, and not through Paul or any other person. It is the Gospel that is the power of GOD unto salvation, and not man.

If Jesus delegated Peter as the head of the church, why did the other disciples quarrel among themselves as to who would be the greatest (Luke 9:46)? If this decision had already been made by Christ, why should the others fret about it? The other disciples would have submitted to the wish of their Master. Thus it seems evi­dent that no such appointment had been made by Jesus. And if Peter was the head, it would be difficult to explain the anointing of John that was evident in John 13:21-25, John 21:20-23, and the fact that John wrote the book of Revelation.

Neither Peter nor any of his successors were heads of the true church. Paul explains this when he told us that the head of every man is Christ (1Corinthians 11:3). (See also Romans 12:5; 1Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:22) We are the body; Jesus is the head. We are responsible to the head, which is Christ, and not to men who try to circumvent the work of Christ and take His place. Christ is the head of every person, and we are responsible to Him as individuals.

Conclusion:

There exists no evidence in the Bible that Peter was the Rock or a pope. Peter wrote two epistles, but he does not use the title of pope in either of them; in addition, Peter himself proclaims Jesus to be the Rock and Cornerstone. Moreover, the church in the days of the apostles did not recognize Peter as pope or the head of the church. Neither does the true church today. The pope is a nope and that is why GOD inspired Martin Luther and all the reformers. Praise GOD for the reformers and the reformation movement; otherwise, you would have to give your thanks to the pope and hope he delivers the message for you. But because of the Rock (Jesus), we now have direct access (see Hebrews 10:19-22) to GOD and can approach Him with our praises, prayers, and petitions.

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
(Ephesians 2:18-22)