Does Vicar of Christ=Anti-Christ?

[IGotQuestions]

I have heard from preachers when I went to a fundamental Baptist church that since the Roman Pope is addressed as the Vicar of Christ, that means he is declaring himself to be in the place of Christ. So that means he is openly saying he is the anti-Christ.
Is this true? Why or why not.

 

[Jelrak_TB]

I have heard from preachers when I went to a fundamental Baptist church that since the Roman Pope is addressed as the Vicar of Christ, that means he is declaring himself to be in the place of Christ. So that means he is openly saying he is the anti-Christ.
Is this true? Why or why not.

It does not seem clear why some might conflate purporting to be Christ’s representative on Earth with being Against Christ. Surely a statement such as ‘I am against Christ’ must needs be declared in order for the ‘anti’ label to be appropriate…?

 

[ephesians4]

It does not seem clear why some might conflate purporting to be Christ’s representative on Earth with being Against Christ. Surely a statement such as ‘I am against Christ’ must needs be declared in order for the ‘anti’ label to be appropriate…?

With particular reference to your comment, it can also be read as “in place of” or “he who would replace” Christ.

blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G473&t=KJV

I make no comment on the OP, frankly.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

I have heard from preachers when I went to a fundamental Baptist church that since the Roman Pope is addressed as the Vicar of Christ, that means he is declaring himself to be in the place of Christ. So that means he is openly saying he is the anti-Christ.
Is this true? Why or why not.

No that is never true. Our first 33+ popes since Peter were all martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ. This Christian faith each Pope possess the past 2000 years has not changed because a Rock does not change and withstands the ages until Jesus returns for His bride.

Jesus is the Pope’s “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”. The Popes are direct unbroken apostolic successors to Peter the Rock, of whom Jesus our King builds His Church upon, with the promise that the gates of hell will never prevail.

Jesus directly and personally gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to bind and loose on earth while Jesus binds and loose in heaven. It is here where Peter (Popes) on earth is the Vicar (prime minister) of Christ.

Jesus commissioned Peter alone to tend and feed His flock until our King returns where Jesus ascended to prepare a place for us. Thus Peter or the Pope possesses the divine keys of which the Pope is the Vicar of Christ on earth with a promise from Christ that He will always be with Peter and His Church and He will never leave His Church orphaned.

No other man since the fullness of times were ever given the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven personally and directly from God except Peter, with the personal commission to tend and feed the flock of Jesus Christ. The Vicar of Christ who are Peter’s apostolic successors in the Pope’s who sit on Peter’s Chair is the Vicar (prime minister) to our King of King’s Jesus Christ.

Jesus confirms His Vicar, when speaking to Peter and His apostles; “When they hear you they hear me”.

 

[Kenny_Kamel]

The great analogy I have heard is that God is the King and the Pope is the Prime Minister of God’s Kingdom on Earth.

 

[porthos11]

I have heard from preachers when I went to a fundamental Baptist church that since the Roman Pope is addressed as the Vicar of Christ, that means he is declaring himself to be in the place of Christ. So that means he is openly saying he is the anti-Christ.
Is this true? Why or why not.

This is like saying that since a U.S. ambassador holds the place of the President in his host country, he is therefore declaring himself the President. So that means he is the anti-President and should be shot.

Of course not. It simply means he is exercising an office as Christ’s representative, which is what Vicar means, much like a Prime Minister exercises executive power vested in him by the Sovereign. He is not the Sovereign but is in fact loyal to the Crown. Just as an ambassador does not claim power for himself but bears credentials issued by the President to act in his place—a vicar. Much the same with the Pope. He has power only because Christ gave him the Keys. He is not Vicar on his own merit, but simply because Christ made him so.

 

[Memaw]

I have heard from preachers when I went to a fundamental Baptist church that since the Roman Pope is addressed as the Vicar of Christ, that means he is declaring himself to be in the place of Christ. So that means he is openly saying he is the anti-Christ.
Is this true? Why or why not.

You may just have to take this up with Jesus when you meet Him face to face, He’s the one that founded the Catholic Church on Peter, the Rock, and made him the first Pope. I truly doubt Jesus would give the “Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven” to an anti-christ. Baptist have been known to be very anti-Catholic in days gone by, hopefully many have realized how wrong they were by now. Tell me what other Church or even any organization in history that has lasted for over 2,000 years and still teaches very strongly what Jesus taught, Even when society is going secular, fast, even many denominations with them. God Bless, Memaw

 

[TimothyH]

Vicar means vicarious. Christ acts vicariously through his vicar.

In the first book, O The-oph’ilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, (Acts 1:1)

Acts of the Apostles shows that Christ began. Anyone who reads Acts of the Apostles knows that Christ continues to do this work through the Church. The Pope is part of that.

As members in Christ’s body we are all doing the work of Christ vicariously. Christ works in us to continue the work he began. We are all vicars.

-Tim-

 

[Dorothy]

And, even if we have bad popes, and we have had such, Jesus promised to be with us always. Bad members of the Church cannot eclipse the Truth of what Jesus taught us.

Popes can err and sin in their personal lives, but when it comes to faith and morals we are taught the truth. We can be sure of that.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the invisible head of the Church, and the pope is the visible head.

Jesus is the Holy One, the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings!

 

[KendraDZ1902]

The questions you have been asking have been answered over and over. You could just search the forums, ya know.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

Vicar means vicarious. Christ acts vicariously through his vicar.

In the first book, O The-oph’ilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, (Acts 1:1)

Acts of the Apostles shows that Christ began. Anyone who reads Acts of the Apostles knows that Christ continues to do this work through the Church. The Pope is part of that.

As members in Christ’s body we are all doing the work of Christ vicariously. Christ works in us to continue the work he began. We are all vicars.

-Tim-

Hi Tim; There is a difference of Christ’s ministry of authority (Vicar) between the Church Militant and the domestic Church.

The members of the body of Christ are disciples of Christ who follow “the way” or the disciplines of Jesus Christ teachings. Disciples are not to be confused with the Vicar of Christ. There can only be One Vicar of Christ, for God is not a God of confusion, that ordains a multiplicity of Vicars who pretend to teach and preach in contradiction to other self proclaimed Vicar’s of Christ.

You see, in the Catholic Church, all valid apostolic successors to the original apostles are one Vicar of Christ united to Peter. These are not a multiple division or plurality of Vicars teaching differently. Those validly apostolic successors (Bishop’s) united to Peter (Pope) is One Vicar of Christ. Now our local priest’s (Pastor’s) are also called Vicar of Christ because these are united to their Bishop as One at the local level.

The Pope who presides in Peter’s Chair is the Vicar of Christ on earth, because Christ gave Peter alone and personally the Keys to the Kingdom of heaven on earth.

Paul and the other apostles united to Peter speak and teach as one Vicar of Christ on earth, this unity has the power of the divine keys to bind and loose on the whole earth. While, when Peter speaks on morals and faith to the whole Church “all fell silent”, God has given Peter alone the divine keys to bind and loose on the whole earth, these keys are never exercised as a secular power of authority. Much more can be said here.

In the domestic Church to which you relate as all being Vicar’s of Christ has a truth with it. When the domestic Church is understood to mirror the Church Militant within a valid Sacramental Marriage. Here the husband is Vicar of Christ in the domestic Church which is a Validly Sacramental Marriage.

A validly baptized single person is never given the keys to bind and loose upon the whole earth. Although a baptized single person has authority to bind and loose as a vicar of Christ within his/her own disciplines and lifestyle, but is never given the divine Keys from Vicar status to bind and loose upon the whole earth. That binding and loosing upon the whole earth was given to Peter (Pope) and the magisterium (apostolic successors) alone by Jesus Christ.

Just as Jesus gave power to Peter and the apostles alone to forgive sin (bind and loose), baptize and teach.

Without that one faith in unity with Peter, a Vicar of Christ does not exist and no one has the power to bind and loose upon the whole earth.

Thus the Orthodox valid apostolic successors who remain Vicar’s of Christ to their local Church’s unhindered. Yet none of these can speak for or bind and loose upon the whole earth without the Unity of Peter (Pope). Although they can exercise their divine authority upon their local Church’s so long as they do not attempt to change the apostolic sacred Tradition, sacred Scripture or the Magisterium, that Jesus Christ ordained to be One in Him upon the whole earth.

Praise be Jesus Christ who resurrected from the dead and lives as our head in the body of Christ.

 

[benjohnson]

To the OP:

Without diminishing the positive aspects of the Bishop of Rome in gathering Christians together around one altar, the crux of the matter for Lutherans from our viewpoint is that the office of the papacy has accumulated in recent years certain powers.

So much so, and combined with some unfortunate promulgations (again from our viewpoint) that we began to view the modern office of the papacy as anti-Christ.

While the language has softened, a primary example of this Lutheran viewpoint is the proclamation from the Pope that being in union with the Papal office is necessary for salvation.

That said, Popes should be loved and respected by Lutherans. I do wish that we Lutherans would change our language to reflect the modern appreciation we have have for our Catholic brother in christ, but still recognize that we have work to do to either understand better or respectfully disagree better.

(I hate to cut and run, but I’ll be back this evening)

 

[on_the_hill]

I didn’t read carefully through the responses, but----isn’t vicar a fairly common term for Protestant clergy in the U.K.?

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

To the OP:

Without diminishing the positive aspects of the Bishop of Rome in gathering Christians together around one altar, the crux of the matter for Lutherans from our viewpoint is that the office of the papacy has accumulated in recent years certain powers.

So much so, and combined with some unfortunate promulgations (again from our viewpoint) that we began to view the modern office of the papacy as anti-Christ.

While the language has softened, a primary example of this Lutheran viewpoint is the proclamation from the Pope that being in union with the Papal office is necessary for salvation.

That said, Popes should be loved and respected by Lutherans. I do wish that we Lutherans would change our language to reflect the modern appreciation we have have for our Catholic brother in christ, but still recognize that we have work to do to either understand better or respectfully disagree better.

(I hate to cut and run, but I’ll be back this evening)

Well said benjohnson
We must not take those anti-pope, anti-Christ sentiments out of their context from the history from which they were spoken.

Those anti-Catholic claims within their historical context, reveal a history and a wake up call for the Catholic Church to the changing times at hand. Keeping those anti-pope sentiments within their historical context was an exposure to the pope’s tenure who is working very hard to prevent secular politics from infecting the Church.

A reformers view was looking from the outside in and came away with a (false) justified notion of the Pope’s tenure (anti-Christ) during a difficult time who was trying to prevent secular attacks, conflicting economics and properties which sparked tension and fighting among Christian Kings who are loyal to the Pope and Christian secular Kings looking for a change to gain wealth and power while a sentiment of “freedom” was uprising in the air.

Now that time has settled the dust from the reformation and the council of Trent. We can see more clearly from a Vatican II position when the Pope is now free and clear from secular powers, so the anti-Christ sentiments from the Protestants (Lutherans) long ago proved historically to be invalid today.

Before us today; we have a huge amount of pieces of a puzzle that have scattered throughout the years since the protestant reformation to put back together.

We cannot under estimate your idea of “work to do” here.

Peace be with you

 

[JerryZ]

I didn’t read carefully through the responses, but----isn’t vicar a fairly common term for Protestant clergy in the U.K.?

Ahhh! YES it is actually. The head of the congregation IS called “Vicar” in the UK.

vic·ar
/ˈvikər/
noun
noun: vicar; plural noun: vicars

(in the Roman Catholic Church) a representative or deputy of a bishop.
    (in the Episcopal Church) a member of the clergy in charge of a chapel.
    (in the Church of England) an incumbent of a parish where tithes formerly passed to a chapter or religious house or layman.

There have also been some TV shows over there that use the term:

The Vicar of Dibley (1994–2007)
imdb.com/title/tt0108981/

…

 

[pablope]

I have heard from preachers when I went to a fundamental Baptist church that since the Roman Pope is addressed as the Vicar of Christ, that means he is declaring himself to be in the place of Christ. So that means he is openly saying he is the anti-Christ.
Is this true? Why or why not.

I think you may find the roots of this accusation with the Lutherans:

bookofconcord.org/smalcald.php#article4

10] This teaching shows forcefully that the Pope is the very Antichrist, who has exalted himself above, and opposed himself against Christ because he will not permit Christians to be saved without his power, which, nevertheless, is nothing, and is neither ordained nor commanded by God. 11] This is, properly speaking to exalt himself above all that is called God as Paul says, 2 Thess. 2:4. Even the Turks or the Tartars, great enemies of Christians as they are, do not do this, but they allow whoever wishes to believe in Christ, and take bodily tribute and obedience from Christians.

And from there, it took off to various forms and accusations against the pope.

 

[Marie5890]

I have heard from preachers when I went to a fundamental Baptist church that since the Roman Pope is addressed as the Vicar of Christ, that means he is declaring himself to be in the place of Christ. So that means he is openly saying he is the anti-Christ.
Is this true? Why or why not.

I’m glad someone gave you the definition of what vicar is.
Simple answer to your question.

 

[andrewstx]

I didn’t read carefully through the responses, but----isn’t vicar a fairly common term for Protestant clergy in the U.K.?

Vicar is used by CofE AngLicans. I don’t know about other protestants.

 

[ericc]

I have heard from preachers when I went to a fundamental Baptist church that since the Roman Pope is addressed as the Vicar of Christ, that means he is declaring himself to be in the place of Christ. So that means he is openly saying he is the anti-Christ.
Is this true? Why or why not.

Vicar of Christ sounds more like a servant of Christ. How on earth can a Vicar of Christ be anti-Christ? There is nothing to infer anything anti-Christ with such a job title. Those preachers need to be asked how they arrive at such a conclusion. It is what you do that makes one anti-Christ , not the tag.

 

[Richard_White]

I have heard from preachers when I went to a fundamental Baptist church that since the Roman Pope is addressed as the Vicar of Christ, that means he is declaring himself to be in the place of Christ. So that means he is openly saying he is the anti-Christ.
Is this true? Why or why not.

Again, simply put: this is NOT true. The Pope, as Vicar of Christ, is simply the representative of Christ here on earth and the visible leader of His Catholic Church, while Jesus Himself is, of course, the true leader.

May God bless you and lead you to the Light of His Holy Catholic Faith!