The Christ in Prophecy Journal

The Pope Gets It Wrong Again!

Pope Francis

Ever since he was elected in 2013, Pope Francis has kept the Vatican working overtime calling press conferences to explain that he doesn’t really mean what he says.

Here are just a few examples of his off-the-wall statements:

  • “I would be willing to baptize aliens if they came to the Vatican. Who are we to close doors to anyone — even Martians?” (May 2014).
  • “When we read about creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand, able to do everything. But that is not so” (October 2014).
  • “It is not true that to be a good Catholic, you have to be like rabbits” (January 2015).
  • “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” (July 2013). And on another occasion, speaking to a gay Catholic: “God made you that way and your sexuality does not matter” (May 2018).
  • “The ‘Big Bang’ that today is considered to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the creative intervention of God. On the contrary, it requires it” (October 2014).
  • When a conference of bishops in October 2014 rejected proposed wording that would soften the Church’s stance toward homosexuality and divorce, the Pope declared that “God is not afraid of new things,” and he called on the church to adapt to “changing conditions in society.”
  • “They [unbelievers] are not punished…those who do not repent and cannot be forgiven disappear. A hell doesn’t exist, the disappearance of sinning souls exists” (March 2018).

The Pope’s Newest Revelation

The Pope’s latest unbiblical declaration occurred in August of this year (2018) when he declared that the death penalty is wrong in all cases. Unlike the above off-the-cuff remarks to reporters, this pronouncement was an official declaration that has resulted in a change in the Catholic catechism.

Until now the Catholic Church has always recognized capital punishment as a just penalty for severe crimes, particularly murder. In 1997, Pope John Paul II narrowed the standards to approve the death penalty if it is “the only practical way” to defend life.

Pope Francis’ new rule outlaws the death penalty totally. In announcing the decision, he claimed that capital punishment is “inadmissible” because it constitutes an attack on the “dignity of man.”

As usual, the Pope did not present any scriptural basis for his decision, although a year earlier he had made the comment that in his opinion, “the death penalty is contrary to the Gospel.”

The Biblical View

The fact of the matter is that the Pope’s decision is thoroughly unbiblical. The sad thing is that most professing Christians are completely unaware of this.

Here’s the point. After the Noahic flood, God made a covenant with Noah that is recorded in Genesis 9:1-17. This is the covenant in which God promised that He would never again destroy the earth with water, and He gave the rainbow as a symbol of that promise. This was declared to be an “everlasting covenant” (Genesis 9:16).

There were other provisions of this very important covenant that are often overlooked:

  1. Mankind was ordered to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1 & 7).
  2. All the animals of the earth were given an instinctive fear of humans (Genesis 9:2).
  3. Mankind was given permission henceforth to eat animals as food (the implication being that people were vegetarians prior to this time — Genesis 9:3).
  4. God commanded the death penalty for murder: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6).

People often respond to this covenant by saying, “But that’s a covenant God made with the Jewish people, and it is no longer valid today during the Church Age.” Not so! The Jewish people did not even exist when God made this covenant. The Jewish people are the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac, and Isaac was not born until 400 years after the flood.

The Noahic Covenant was a covenant with all Mankind, and, again, it was declared by God to be an “everlasting covenant” (Genesis 9:16).

Subsequent Biblical Confirmations

The death penalty for murder was reaffirmed in the Mosaic Covenant that God made with Israel (Leviticus 24:17 and Numbers 35:30). And it was reconfirmed in the New Testament in Romans 13:1-7 where the Apostle Paul wrote in detail about civil government and the necessity of Christians to be in subjection to their governments. In verse 4, he pointed out that God has given civil government the right to “bear the sword” as “an avenger” of God “who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.”

I think it is also important to note that the early Church recognized the continuing validity of the Noahic Covenant. When the leaders of the Church were faced with the issue of whether or not Gentile believers should be required to be circumcised, they decided against it, but they did decide that they were subject to the Noahic Covenant, and they, therefore, instructed them to refrain from eating blood (Acts 15:6-29).

So, Pope Francis has elevated his personal opinion above God’s Word. And the Bible presents grave warnings against those who do so (Revelation 22:18-19):

18) I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;

19) and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

We are living in a prophesied time of gross apostasy when the Church (both Catholic and Protestant) desires to be accepted by the world, despite what the Word of God says.

David Reagan: We are living in a prophesied time of gross apostasy when the #Church desires to be accepted by the world, despite what the Word of God says. #Bible #DeathPenalty Click To Tweet
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Dr. David Reagan

Dr. David Reagan is the Founder and Evangelist Emeritus of Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a life-long Bible student, teacher, and preacher and he led over 45 pilgrimages to Israel. Dr. Reagan was the host of the radio then television program Christ in Prophecy for nearly 40 years.

8 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • Great article. I have always supported the death penalty because of Gen 9:6. Great point about the “all mankind” covenant. Also, this is not a contract that requires us humans to do something properly; a covenant is all god’s pro-action, no action needed by humans.

  • The death penalty is also called for in Deut 21:18, a rebellious son. And, there are other death penalty crimes, such as breaking the Sabbath and adultery. But, in reality, they were seldom carried out. Why? Numbers 35:30 says that you can ransom the life of someone convicted of a capital crime, except for the crime of murder. So, why were these other, lesser crimes, considered death penalty offenses? Jewish commentaries suggest that it helped to instill in the minds of the people the seriousness of the crime, though seldom would the penalty be carried out.

  • Love one another as I love you. Is what Jesus gave us to do till His return. This article does not portray Jesus love for us. It appears to be the opposite. I Command the enemy in your camp be removed in the name of Jesus. If need be the whole camp be dismantled in Jesus name. I love you Pope, and all the Christians with you Father. So be it.

  • Just one comment on circumcision…

    “I think it is also important to note that the early Church recognized the continuing validity of the Noahic Covenant. When the leaders of the Church were faced with the issue of whether or not Gentile believers should be required to be circumcised, they decided against it, but they did decide that they were subject to the Noahic Covenant, and they, therefore, instructed them to refrain from eating blood (Acts 15:6-29).”

    In Galatians 5:6:
    ‘…5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love. 7 You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth?…” So, circumcision wasn’t suddenly a bad thing… Clearly neither was spiritually bad or good — regardless of the decision of the church fathers.

    And 1 Corinthians 7:19:
    “…18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man still uncircumcised when called? He should not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commandments is what matters. 20 Each one should remain in the situation he was in when he was called.…” “…18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised.Knowing that no scripture is to be privately interpreted when we look at 2 Peter 20-21″… Paul uses this same line of thinking in Corinthians 7, regarding marriage — marriage and circumcision cannot be compared.

    Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 3:16, among many others, we can easily make the case that scripture must be compared with scripture to make a proper exegetical statement.

    So, I submit that the Holy Spirit was not instructing us to refrain from circumcision in and of itself, but to refrain from depending on anything other than faith through grace for you salvation — especially since neither circumcision and uncircumcision have any value toward pleasing God. Many people have taken, for example, 1 Corinthians 7:19 to mean no Gentile nor I suppose, Jew, should participate in circumcision — no, not true. Speaking regarding the ‘physical’ biological reality of the male — circumcision in and of itself is a very healthy practice — in contrast it is an abomination to subject females to the same practice.

    Naturally, Paul was struggling with the Jews/Rabbis, to understand the importance of the spiritual nature of the New Covenant and the only way to the kingdom was by faith through grace.

  • 2 Peter 2:1. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false prophets among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them…bringing swift destruction on themselves.

    Denying the truth of the Bible and that Jesus is Lord is a sign of the antichrist, and or false prophets and teachers.

    Jesus told the disciples that false teachers would come. Matthew 24:11

    Romans 13: 9. The Commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, “You shall not murder,” You shall not steal,” summed up in this one command. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

    The Lord says not to murder, but the death penalty is for those who do. Self defense is a different story.

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