Everyone can, of course, decide for himself or herself whom and what he or she believes. The following shall just briefly demonstrate the tragic development in the course of church history.

In early Christianity, the proclamation was scriptural. The apostles were instructed by the LORD Himself and were under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The first Christians were of one heart and soul. The Early Church was no religious organization but a living organism. God Himself had set into His Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and pastors (1 Cor 12; 1 Cor 14; Eph 4; and others). Local congregations with elders and deacons were established that were independent and of no political importance. The fast-growing Christian assemblies, however, were viewed as a threat to the traditional religion and social order by some of the people who bore responsibility in the Old Roman Empire. Under Nero (AD 64), persecutions set in, which increasingly spread in the course of the first centuries.

After the last horrible persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian (AD 284-305), Christianity was officially given governmental recognition by Emperor Constantine in the year 313. That was when Christianity, which by then had already started falling away, began to conform to the power interests of the Empire. Already one year prior to that, Constantine had appointed himself as “Pontifex Maximus,” the ruler over state and church. That is how the “state church” came into existence in the Roman Empire.

In the year 380, the Trinitarian faith was declared to be the official state religion by Emperor Theodosius I, and not only the numerous Christian denominations but all of the citizens in the Roman Empire were required to belong to it. The proclamation was: “No salvation without the church!” and: “Only someone who has the church as one’s mother can have God as one’s Father.” What did this politically and religiously motivated development of the state church still have to do with the Church of Jesus Christ? Nothing, absolutely nothing!

The title “Pontifex Maximus,” which had originally been assigned to the chief priest in the ancient Roman idolatry, was first transferred to the Roman Emperors and later to the popes: Pope Leo the Great (AD 440-461) was the first bishop of Rome who gave himself this title. The primacy of the pope and the dominance of the Catholic Church overall are based on the assertion that Jesus established the church on the Apostle Peter, whom He gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and that Peter was supposedly the very first bishop of Rome and thus the first pope.

In doing so, they also refer to the words of Jesus: “… upon this rock I will build my church …” But there is probably no theologian who would not know that two different words are used in Mt 16:18. Our LORD said, “… thou art Peter …” (petros = a stone, a fragment of a rock). However, He did not say, “… upon thee I will build my church …” but rather: “… upon this rock (petra = a massive rock) I will build my church …” How is it possible to claim that Peter is supposed to be the rock upon whom the church was founded?

The Church, of course, was built upon Christ, the rock of salvation, the cornerstone, as the Apostle Peter himself testified in 1 Pet 2:4-8: “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” In reference to the biblical Church, Paul wrote in Eph 2:20: “… built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone …”

By God’s commission, he also wrote: “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 3:10-11).

In the one true Church of God, which is comprised of the redeemed, Jesus Christ is the Head (Eph 4:15). After all, our LORD and Redeemer Himself said, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18) – not many churches but “my church.”

This refers to the small flock of the true believers (Lk 12:32) for which the Good Shepherd gave His life, and His sheep hear only His voice (Jn 10).

The Apostle Simon Peter was never in Rome – that is a purposely invented legend. There was merely a sorcerer called Simon Magus, who made a great impression on the senate. According to Acts 18, Emperor Claudius, who reigned from AD 41 – 54, even had all Jews expelled from Rome, including the married couple Aquila and Priscilla. The Apostle Peter did not write his letter from Rome but from the city of Babylon at the River Euphrates (1 Pet 5:13), whose ruins are still there today, 92 km south of Baghdad in Iraq. The missionary journeys of Peter and those of Paul are described in the Book of Acts. Paul, who repeatedly stayed in Rome during his journeys – once even for 2 years (Acts 28:30), did not greet Peter in his Epistle to the local believers there, although he mentioned 27 persons by name (Rom 16).

Also this statement made by Jesus: “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them …” was later completely misinterpreted. At the time of the apostles, it did not take place as an official act according to the discretion of a priest but as an offer through the preaching of Jesus Christ, the Crucified One, Who as the Lamb of God carried away the sins of the world. The apostolic commission of the risen LORD is as follows: “… and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations …” (Lk 24:47; Acts 13:38).

The first sermon on the day of Pentecost after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the founding of the New Testament Church in Acts 2 touched many listeners deeply, “they were pricked in their heart,” which led them to ask the question: “Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. … Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (vv. 37-41).

In reference to the completed Redemption, Peter wrote: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot …” (1 Pet 1:18-19). The apostle and all true servants of God have preached the Gospel, namely the forgiveness of sins and the reconciliation with God, and could call out to anybody who believed: “Your sins are forgiven in His Name!” Those who did not believe retained their sins (Mk 16:16; Jn 20:23). Unfortunately, the Word of God has been misinterpreted many times, and every doctrine and practice has been changed. All interpretations arise from misunderstandings about certain Scriptures. According to the divine order in the Plan of Salvation, every subject, including every biblical doctrine, must be founded upon two, three, or more witnesses/Scriptures (2 Cor 13:1).

Everyone can, of course, decide for himself or herself whom and what he or she believes. The following shall just briefly demonstrate the tragic development in the course of church history.

In early Christianity, the proclamation was scriptural. The apostles were instructed by the LORD Himself and were under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The first Christians were of one heart and soul. The Early Church was no religious organization but a living organism. God Himself had set into His Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and pastors (1 Cor 12; 1 Cor 14; Eph 4; and others). Local congregations with elders and deacons were established that were independent and of no political importance. The fast-growing Christian assemblies, however, were viewed as a threat to the traditional religion and social order by some of the people who bore responsibility in the Old Roman Empire. Under Nero (AD 64), persecutions set in, which increasingly spread in the course of the first centuries.

After the last horrible persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian (AD 284-305), Christianity was officially given governmental recognition by Emperor Constantine in the year 313. That was when Christianity, which by then had already started falling away, began to conform to the power interests of the Empire. Already one year prior to that, Constantine had appointed himself as “Pontifex Maximus,” the ruler over state and church. That is how the “state church” came into existence in the Roman Empire.

In the year 380, the Trinitarian faith was declared to be the official state religion by Emperor Theodosius I, and not only the numerous Christian denominations but all of the citizens in the Roman Empire were required to belong to it. The proclamation was: “No salvation without the church!” and: “Only someone who has the church as one’s mother can have God as one’s Father.” What did this politically and religiously motivated development of the state church still have to do with the Church of Jesus Christ? Nothing, absolutely nothing!

The title “Pontifex Maximus,” which had originally been assigned to the chief priest in the ancient Roman idolatry, was first transferred to the Roman Emperors and later to the popes: Pope Leo the Great (AD 440-461) was the first bishop of Rome who gave himself this title. The primacy of the pope and the dominance of the Catholic Church overall are based on the assertion that Jesus established the church on the Apostle Peter, whom He gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and that Peter was supposedly the very first bishop of Rome and thus the first pope.

In doing so, they also refer to the words of Jesus: “… upon this rock I will build my church …” But there is probably no theologian who would not know that two different words are used in Mt 16:18. Our LORD said, “… thou art Peter …” (petros = a stone, a fragment of a rock). However, He did not say, “… upon thee I will build my church …” but rather: “… upon this rock (petra = a massive rock) I will build my church …” How is it possible to claim that Peter is supposed to be the rock upon whom the church was founded?

The Church, of course, was built upon Christ, the rock of salvation, the cornerstone, as the Apostle Peter himself testified in 1 Pet 2:4-8: “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” In reference to the biblical Church, Paul wrote in Eph 2:20: “… built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone …”

By God’s commission, he also wrote: “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 3:10-11).

In the one true Church of God, which is comprised of the redeemed, Jesus Christ is the Head (Eph 4:15). After all, our LORD and Redeemer Himself said, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18) – not many churches but “my church.”

This refers to the small flock of the true believers (Lk 12:32) for which the Good Shepherd gave His life, and His sheep hear only His voice (Jn 10).

The Apostle Simon Peter was never in Rome – that is a purposely invented legend. There was merely a sorcerer called Simon Magus, who made a great impression on the senate. According to Acts 18, Emperor Claudius, who reigned from AD 41 – 54, even had all Jews expelled from Rome, including the married couple Aquila and Priscilla. The Apostle Peter did not write his letter from Rome but from the city of Babylon at the River Euphrates (1 Pet 5:13), whose ruins are still there today, 92 km south of Baghdad in Iraq. The missionary journeys of Peter and those of Paul are described in the Book of Acts. Paul, who repeatedly stayed in Rome during his journeys – once even for 2 years (Acts 28:30), did not greet Peter in his Epistle to the local believers there, although he mentioned 27 persons by name (Rom 16).

Also this statement made by Jesus: “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them …” was later completely misinterpreted. At the time of the apostles, it did not take place as an official act according to the discretion of a priest but as an offer through the preaching of Jesus Christ, the Crucified One, Who as the Lamb of God carried away the sins of the world. The apostolic commission of the risen LORD is as follows: “… and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations …” (Lk 24:47; Acts 13:38).

The first sermon on the day of Pentecost after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the founding of the New Testament Church in Acts 2 touched many listeners deeply, “they were pricked in their heart,” which led them to ask the question: “Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. … Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (vv. 37-41).

In reference to the completed Redemption, Peter wrote: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot …” (1 Pet 1:18-19). The apostle and all true servants of God have preached the Gospel, namely the forgiveness of sins and the reconciliation with God, and could call out to anybody who believed: “Your sins are forgiven in His Name!” Those who did not believe retained their sins (Mk 16:16; Jn 20:23). Unfortunately, the Word of God has been misinterpreted many times, and every doctrine and practice has been changed. All interpretations arise from misunderstandings about certain Scriptures. According to the divine order in the Plan of Salvation, every subject, including every biblical doctrine, must be founded upon two, three, or more witnesses/Scriptures (2 Cor 13:1).