Power and Primacy of the Pope (1537): Smalcald Theologians - 5 views
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Jeremy L on 18 Jan 11Pope "boasting that he is the vicar of Christ on earth" contradicts all that he stands on. As he should be humble and help those in need instead of corrupt and greedily immersed in material goods and possessions.
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Of the Power and Primacy of the Pope
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Not only alliteration and a play of words, it concisely talks about the whole essence of his stance and the point of the essay. It shows (as we know from context and prior knowledge) that he is judging or perhaps questioning the power and primacy of the pope - disagreeing with how the pope is handling things, treating others and essentially how the pope can manipulate his power for his own benefit.
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pernicious
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to the Church.
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false, godless, tyrannical,
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define
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Define - key word; in order to argue, you must first open a platform and demonstrate the stance in which both sides are on and also know the definition of the topic, in this case, "divine right" otherwise, there is no purpose in arguing. They would be talking about two different things. This is exactly what he is doing.
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divine right
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ecumenical
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Basically the head of the Church? Wow, that is a system that is corrupt as it is not equal
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should be at the head
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absent Christ
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Nobody can replace Christ. He is the only "man" without sin! He taught that not only should there be a head as stated before, that there shouldn't be supremacy of one over another. Otherwise, it would be completely pointless as people would fight for it and lose the real meaning of being a Christian.
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equals to the common ministry of the Gospel
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lordship [among the apostles] is disapproved.
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Most important line here that represent everything he stands for against the pope being head. "Lordship among the apostles (in this case the people) is disapproved"
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child
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I don't really understand the true essence of the analogy of using a child. As even children seeks to be wanted and in control of something. Perhaps is just a metaphor? Furthermore, it is hard to be a child "ignorant". Even though ignorant is bliss, we naturally learn as we grow and we can't go back to our childhood innocence. The more we know, the more corrupt perhaps, we become.
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individually in the same manner as He Himself was sent
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So even Jesus has no distinct authority over anyone? That's perhaps true, he came as a child born in a manger. He's as ordinary as possible to ensure that he symbolizes equality?
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all the bishops of the East ought perpetually to have sought ordination and confirmation from the bishop of Rome.
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They can't just manipulate and transfer the power to different bishops even if they actually had superiority by divine law in the first place. - shows corruption already in above of disapproving the Word which is law which sates that nobody should be above any others.
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episcopate
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churches did not then accord superiority and domination to the bishop of Rome.
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superiority is impossible
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Impossible according to divine law and even the whole world as many of the churches situated in different parts of the world do not seek the "head pope's" advice or ordination. If nobody listens to the "head", there's no head as it's real purpose is gone. Meaning, nobody listens to the pope anyway, so it's impossible for the pope to control people that don't want to be controlled.
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preside
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primacy
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primacy was offered to the bishop of Rome, but was not accepted
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contention
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Church has the power to ordain ministers of the Church
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So the church is somewhat a democracy? Masses decide upon leaders "not actually leaders" but those to maintain order.
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Upon this rock, i.e., this preaching and ministry
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"Upon this rock," not upon Peter.
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He built His Church not upon man, but upon the faith of Peter
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Key line. As I've stated above about how is a misunderstanding. It's the rock of faith not rock as in Peter. The rock Jesus builds churches on, is the belief of Peter and not Peter. A mere misinterpretation on our part.
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ecclesiastical
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carnal
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vexed
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usurped
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execrable
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great errors obscure [the doctrine of] faith and [of] the kingdom of Christ
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Have lost the real reason of the Church. Not to dispute power nor share power, but rather to study the Word and come closer to God.
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Jeremiah
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pontiffs
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execrated
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Neither are these errors to be regarded as light; for they detract from the glory of Christ and bring destruction to souls, neither can they be passed by unnoticed.
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It is bad, separates from faith and ruins the soul. Should follow the Gospel and not the vows and the human interpretations of the Gospel as humans are inherently evil.
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let the godly consider the great errors of the kingdom of the Pope and his tyranny, and let them ponder, first, that the errors must be rejected and the true doctrine embraced, for the glory of God and to the salvation of souls
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Fundamentally stating that the Pope is evil and corrupt because he has become a dictator ruling in tyranny. Which is not the way it should be when following the Gospel - the true Word of God.
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exhorts
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incumbent
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defile themselves with idolatry and blasphemous opinions, become guilty of the blood of the godly, whom the Pope [and his adherents] persecutes
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True, is completely stupid. Everyone is affected except the Pope. True men who follow the Word and not the Pope are being caught by the pope and his men as they are against them. People who follow the Pope defile themselves with idolatry and wrong beliefs, and become guilty of slaughtering the godly men and are detracted from the glory of God
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Of the Power and Jurisdiction of Bishops.
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Second point. Not the reasons and the support of how it's against the Word but also the power and corrupt authority he wrongly uses.
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the command to excommunicate those whose crimes are known, and again to absolve those who repent
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power by divine right is common to all who preside over churches, whether they are called pastors, or elders, or bishops.
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and placed him in a higher station, whom they called bishop; just as an army would make a commander for itsel
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Yes. One with authority now, like the commander. Likewise, if commander makes wrong decision, the whole army is screwed. And so if the Pope/bishop makes wrong decision, the whole church is screwed and goes down the wrong road as they have chosen to make one above all. They have submitted themselves to the corrupt control of one human being without true godliness.
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Not necessarily without godliness to start with. However, as time goes on, people will go on without true godliness.
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likewise, using the same analogy, when a commander makes a false or wrong decision, the whole army fails and suffers for it. So if a bishop goes corrupt and begins to make wrong decisions, the whole community and church falls apart and suffers in evil.
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teaches that it is by human authority that the grades of bishop and elder or pastor are distinct
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when the regular bishops become enemies of the Church, or are unwilling to administer ordination, the churches retain their own right.
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Meaning so when, leader becomes corrupt, the masses and churches still have their own right to follow the Word and not blindly following a corrupt or enemy of the Church as they do not administer ordination.
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this authority is a gift which in reality is given to the Church, which no human power can wrest from the Church,
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there is the authority [command] to administer the Gospel
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edifying
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catechumen
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keys have been given to the Church, and not merely to certain persons
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words pertain to the true Church, which certainly has the right to elect and ordain ministers since it alone has the priesthood
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godless doctrine and tyranny of the bishops is chargeable with it], because Paul, Gal. 1, 7 f., enjoins that bishops who teach and defend a godless doctrine and godless services should be regarded as accursed.
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Not only is it wrong for them to follow a godless doctrine, they are wrong in doing such deeds on purpose, and they will suffer for it.
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jurisdiction
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applied it to the acquisition of gain
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Very materialistic. All become benefits of themselves and not others or the community anymore. In doing so, not only are they corrupting the system, they are corrupting their own belief system as they should not be materialistic whereas they are doing so now.
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fallen into human wants and desires to go into gaining material wealth. Quite the contrary to their beliefs as they should first of all, not be corrupt and try to manipulate their power for money, and furthermore, what they spread is that they shouldn't be materialistic. All the goods are in heaven... so they are not doing what they preach.
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avarice
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wanton
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desires tormented men and excommunicated them without any due process of law.
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wanton
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wanton
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affairs did they abuse this power
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abused power. So power was okay to start with so long as they were meant for good which is to help the church as a whole and organize it? as it needs to have someone representing it?
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bishops have tyrannically transferred this jurisdiction to themselves alone, and have basely abused it, there is no need, because of this jurisdiction, to obey bishops
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Summarizes what the bishops are and do. Make themselves dictators, have all the power and abused the power. So everyone has to obey him.
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Unjust also is the tradition which forbids an innocent person to marry after divorce
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many unjust laws of the Pope concerning matrimonial subjects on account of which the magistrates ought to establish other courts
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the bishops, who are devoted to the Pope, defend godless doctrine and godless services, and do not ordain godly teachers, yea, aid the cruelty of the Pope, and, besides, have wrested the jurisdiction from pastors, and exercise it only tyrannically [for their own profit]; and lastly, since in matrimonial cases they observe many unjust laws, there are reasons sufficiently numerous and necessary why the churches should not recognize these as bishops.
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Final say on the whole thing. His conclusion is that since bishops are ungodly and don't follow out the Gospel but rather exercise their power tyrannically, churches should not recognize them as bishops.
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[that they may serve the Church, and perform their office the more efficiently
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They have taken the riches or extra money not to further the kingdom of God, but rather further their own material riches which has just lost the whole point.
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Peter predicted, 2 Ep. 2, 13, that there would be godless bishops, who would abuse the alms of the Church for luxury and neglect the ministry. Therefore [since the Holy Spirit in that connection utters dire threats] let those who defraud the Church know that they will pay God the penalty for this crime.
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Wow. that is HARSH. but true that, they have completely not done their job. they haven't just done a poor job but they have totally destroyed the church by using the alms for their own luxury and not carry out the ministry. "he has ripped the church off..."
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