PURPOSE OF THIS WEB PAGE: To confirm what Chris White spoke to on CURS-ED NET BREAKTHROUGH RADIO on May 23rd, 2011 regarding "APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION DEBUNKED," and, using the BER'EAN technique (as per ACTS 17:11,) will examine in detail the charge and the confirmation of what Mr. White had spoken to by the use of Scripture & scripture alone!

 THE SOURCE FOR THIS EXAMINATION: David Hunt's book, A WOMAN RIDES THE BEAST, published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 1994.

When I commenced this research project, I was looking for a book that comprehensively looked into the claim of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) which is the heart & underpinning of their religion that aligns their power to execute (as Vicars of Christ) what they feel is their divine right through this very principle of "apostolic succession," right back to the time of the apostle Peter as "the first pope."  What I found through Hunt's book was JUST THE OPPOSITE, and he went into more gruesome and fraudulent detail to show that this presumption by the RCC is nothing more than a fabrication and fraudulent facade!

This is "heavy" stuff, and it is meant to be read by all Christians, - especially Roman Catholics - since IF WHAT HUNT HAS FOUND IS TRUE, your future decisions along these lines of whom you are to adhere to, either the RCC or the truth of the Bible - alone...is paramount for your very salvation.  [If you allow some church to add things to the Bible which are unscriptural, demeaning to our Lord & Savior, and down right contradictory to what the Bible clearly states, and that goes for ANY Christian denominational church THEN THERE IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT CHURCH!

YES, this could happen in any church, but we will detail the RCC since the subtitle of Hunt';s book is 'THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE LAST DAYS.'  It is not my intention to pick on or bash this church (having grown up in it with mostly fond memories;) however, now that I have examined a number of things in the light of scripture (especially in this book,) I feel compelled to alert my fellow Christians (especially my Catholic friends and family,) that there is a serious problem with the continued adherence to this flawed religion! ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN THROUGH THE EYES OF DAVID HUNT:

There are 28 chapters and nine appendices in this over 500 page book.  It is not my intention to give you "chapter & verse" of everything that Hunt addresses; however, since the information (not only as it regards 'apostolic succession' as important, but also the connecting dots to see why this is so critical to understand,) I have determined to give the reader a "FLAVOR" of these chapters, so if you are more curious than angry after having read this PREAMBLE, then I have done my job of providing you with the suggested data - so YOU can make an informed opinion thereon.  This is all I can do!  I am not going to rant and rave (though I myself have a certain anger with this church now,) but I will present the facts as Hunt presents them (well researched and backed up with historical sources,) that I feel comfortable recommending the FULL READING OF THIS BOOK, along with James McCarthy's book, "THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ROME.  I think that researching both books, and carefully adhering to THE WORD OF GOD-AND GOD ALONE, YOU the reader will be the true beneficiary of the truth of the matter, at least as I see it after forty some odd years of research into these controversial areas!

I am going to ZERO IN on just a few items that I found particularly persuasive as I took notes on this whole book of Hunt - who himself searched diligently to find whether the RCC is what it cliams to be....

SOME QUOTES

The first persuasive quote came from page 211, where the author not only quotes John in scripture, but puts his finger on the hub of the problem where the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH seems to take a detour from the clear words of God. Witness:

"John says that all true believers have the anointing of the Holy Spirit and thus must not follow anyone blindly (1 John 2:20-27), but must discern whether a doctrine is biblical by following the leading of God through His word and the Holy Spirit.  How else could each of us judge whether those who preach and teach are presenting God's truth, as Paul says we must?  In Catholicism, however, it is explicitly declared that no one may come to his or her personal opinion concerning biblical truth but must accept whatever the Church hierarchy teaches.  {{To me, LeBeau, I personally see this as a seed of what a cult does as with both the Jehovah Witnesses as well as the Mormons, (Cf. "THE KINGDOM OF THE CULTS" by Walter Martin,) so this church approach that has the flavor of "checking your spiritual brains at the door," to me is a sign of a group who does not wish to be questioned - even about what it may say in scripture. WE (RCC) WILL DECIDE WHAT SCRIPTURE MEANS - REGARDLESS! This also borders on arrogance - especially if they are, in fact, wrong, as reflected in the quote from John above.  HOW WOULD ANY PARISHIONER BE AWARE OF IT unless he searched the scriptures daily as the Ber'eans did  Where would "we" be without TOTO ripping open the curtain to see THE REAL OZ?!? TALK IS CHEAP!}}

This is the reason I started with this quote from Hunt's book: IT IS THE HEART OF EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS....

THE SECOND QUOTE found on page 184, particularly irked me, having grown up in the RCC, and having been subjected to the CATECHISM that teaches their young adherents how to respond - as Catholics - to the world at large, and more importantly, how to conduct one's life.  If you are a Roman Catholic reading this, be prepared to have a sedative & two aspirin & a glass of water at the ready. READY?

"The author Hunt starts this page by talking about the TEN COMMANDMENTS, as shown in Catholic catechisms, but leaving out the second commandment. {{WHY?}} Of course the second commandments prohibits images, so the Church divided the last commandment into two, that of prohibiting covetousness .) {{It then dawned on me that, in fact, the RCC's 9th commandment was a prohibition about coveting thy neighbor's wife...while the tenth commandment was a prohibition about coveting thy neighbor's goods. HOW SATANICALLY CLEVER!}} CONTINUING ON PAGE 184, Hunt says that it (the omission of the real second commandment) is a FLAGRANT REJECTION of a clear command of God. Moreover, that rejection is dishonestly covered up by pretending the command doesn't exist. {{ARE YOU GETTING ANGRY?}}  It is a deliberate deception practiced upon members of the Church, most of whom know nothing of the bible except what the clergy tells them.  {{It dawned on me NOW that the potential reason for this skulduggery would have something to do with the incessant amount of statues of Mary and the saints inundating just about every RCC that I have ever attended...yet the second commandment says that we should NOT MAKE ENGRAVENED IMAGES since it offends the Lord our God...yet...this is exactly what part of the problem of Catholicism revolves around (and much more as YOU will discover by perusal of the 28 chapters BELOW.}} For those still remaining, who may be more curious than angry...I will now cite Hunt's third idea that I found so interesting:

On page 148, the author discusses the topic of "WHO IS THE ROCK?" which goes to the heart of apostolic succession, which will be outlined in detail when we get to chapter seven analysis (where you may need yet another sedative or two.) IN ANY EVENT, this subject is not new to me since Fritz Ridenhour discussed this in his book, "SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE," but I will review this from Hunt's point of view, since it is so critical to understand the underpinnings of what the Church espouses, VS. what the Holy Scripture says...and that's the BIG DIFFERENCE - indeed!  Continuing on, Hunt asks, WHAT IS THE TOTALITY OF SCRIPTURE? God Himself is clearly described as the unfailing "Rock" of our salvation throughout the entire Old Testament (Deuteronomy  32:3,4; Psalm 62:1,2; etc.) In fact, the Bible declares that God is the only Rock: "For who is God save [except] our God?" (Psalm 18:31).

According to Hunt, the New Testament makes it equally clear that Jesus Christ is the Rock upon which the church is built, and that he, being God and one with the Father, is therefore the only Rock. The rock upon which "the wise man built his house " was not Peter but Christ and His teachings (Matthew 7:24-29).  Peter himself points out that Christ is the "chief cornerstone" upon which the church is built (1 Peter2:6-8) and quotes the Old Testament passage to that effect.....Paul likewise calls Christ "the chief cornerstone" of the church and declares that the church is also "built upon the foundation of [all] the apostles and prophets" (Ephesians 2;20). That statement CLEARLY DENIES (my emphasis) to Peter any special postion in the Church's foundation.

THE CLINCHER

NO UNIQUE PROMISE TO PETER

When Christ gave Peter "the keys to the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 16:19), He explained what that meant: "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  That same promise was repeated - yes repeated to alll the apostles in Matthew 18:18, as it was in John 20:23, with the special application there to forgiveness of sins.

Clearly the keys of binding and loosing and remitting or retaining sins were given TO ALL (my emphasis) not just Peter.  Therefore, it is unwarranted to claim that Peter had special powers and authority over the other apostles. Such a concept cannot be found anywhere in the New Testament and was unknown even in the Roman Catholic Church until centuries later when the skulduggery attained a higher pitch. Peter (according to Dave Hunt on page 149,) presented the gospel first to the Jews (Acts 2:14-41) and then to the Gentiles (Acts 10:34-38), but no special authority was detected. He simply and humbly just did his job! 

THE CATHOLIC CLAIM

Catholic apologists claim that Christ's words to Peter in John 21:15-17 ("Feed my lambs...my sheep") gave him unique authority.  On the contrary,Peter himself applied that command to all elders (1 Peter 5:2) and so did Paul (Acts 20:28).  [The text on page 149 has a citation from J.H. Ignaz von Dollinger explaining in deail this very critical point.]

IN CONCLUSION:

As Hunt so insightfully expresses on pages 148-149, the special authority which has been claimed by the Roman Catholic popes as Peter's alleged successors was never exercised by Peter. {{See chapter seven for the comprehensive details executed within PART TWO of this saga.}} In his epistles Peter exhorts equals; he does not command subordinates: "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder" (1 Peter 5:1).  He offers as the basis for his writings no official and exalted ecclesiastical position or power. He simply declares himself "a witness of the sufferings of Christ" (1 Peter 5:1) along with all the apostles, who were "eyewitnesses of his majesty" (2 Peter 1:16).  He makes no unique claim for himself, but simply takes his place with the other apostles. {{If the majority of the popes throughout the centuries (especially from the ninth century on) took Peter's lead and followed likewise - we would have NOT experienced the horror show as demonstarted by the false motives of THE CRUSADES, THE INQUISITION & THE ABUSE OF INDULGENCES - some of which continues up to the present day as will be alluded to in the below chapters for your complete inspection. EVERY ONES OF THESE DISEASES HAD THE SANCTION AND BLESSING OF MANY POPES. !QUE LASTIMA!}}

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

The best thing YOU could do would be to read Hunt's book, and then do your OWN HUNT [homework] - searching down what church officials actually said. {{I will give you just one example of what "threw me for a loop" upon reading an excerpt in James McCarthy's book, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ROME.  This is a most excellent book (like Hunt's) since it takes nothing for  granted as to your understanding of both THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S STANCE VIA RITUALS VS. WHAT IT CLEARLY STATES IN THE BIBLE...YET...on pages 276-277, I could not believe what Father Matthias Premm explained:

"...the teaching office of the Church is MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE BIBLE(my emphasis): only an infallible Church can tell us what books belong to Scripture, and only an infallible Church can interpret the true meaning of Sacred Scripture; no one can do this for himself {{despite the Holy Spirit?}} [.]   Thus the Catholic can read only one Bible , the Bible which is published by the Church. In other words: The immediate and highest rule of faith is the living office of the Church. [SOURCE: 'Dogmatic Theology for the Laity - as referenced in McCarthy's notes, entitled,  Matthias Premm, Dogmatic Theology for the Laity, (Rockford, IL., Tan Books, 1967), p.29 {{I referenced this so YOU yourself can check it out; McCarthy, back on page 276 makes the following insightful observation: With the Holy Spirit as its teacher and the inspired church of Jesus Christ has no need for the Roman Magisterium.  The Holy Spirit, by whom every believer is anointed, is the only authoritative teacher that is needed: {{McCarthy backs this up with a quote from 1 John 2:27 NIV, which states: "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you;  as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him."

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE, JOHN (DISCIPLE OF CHRIST JESUS) or THE ROMAN MAGISTERIUM as reflected in the citation by Father Premm?!?  While you ponder this, get ready for the 28 chapter onslaught wherein I will merely HIGHLIGHT some very interesting historically recorded events...some of which are highly gruesome, yet reflects the alleged VICARS OF CHRIST - in action! For the details, you must hunt & search YOURself....and CHRIST  says you MUST SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES to find the truth...and this truth WILL SET YOU FREE!

CHAPTER ONE: A WOMAN RIDES THE BEAST

Let us start with 'THE WOMAN.' WHO IS SHE? WHAT IS SHE DOING ON THE BEAST? WHO IS THE BEAST? I will just give you a hint, as per the thesis of David Hunt: Think ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH & THE LAST DAYS, and YOU will be able to put the pieces together, the way Hunt did - using scripture and scripture alone!

The clue rests within the following scripture: REVELATION 17 gives the description of the WOMAN who now rides THE BEAST...and the PROTESTANTS of old had identified her with the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, and in particular THE POPE; however, thanks to ecumenicalism, there is a new thinking by Protestants NOT to offend their borthers from RCC, so they no longer emphasize this insight, which the author (not only thinks) but gives disturbing new reasons to believe it as he marches through the thesis within these 28 chapters...

CHAPTER TWO: REASON TO BELIEVE

The interesting tidbit here is found on page 19-20; in it the author shows that prophecy in the Bible incorporates about 30%, while in marked contrast, prophecy is completely absent from  the Koran, the Hindu Vedas, the Baghavad Gita, the Ramayana, the sayings of Buddha or Confucius, the Book of Mormon, or any other writings of the world's religions.  This fact alone provides an undeniable stamp of divine approval upon the Judeo-Christian faith, which all other faiths lack.  Biblical prophecy's unblemished record of fulfillment is sufficient to authenticate the Bible, in distinction to all other writings, as the one and only inerrant Word of God.  {{In light of this, the RCC has been described as one that stands on THREE LEGS: The Bible, The Pope & Tradition.  As we have seen in the aforementioned, Fr. Preem seems to think that the Magisterium of the Church takes precedence over (EVEN THE WORD OF GOD!) This will become and has become  a major problem in the history of this church...where millions of people have actually met their death (some by the torture of burning) for simply acknowledging God's Word as Supreme!  Sadly, when I read the true account of Jerome of Prague - which YOU can do an Internet search on - I found that he was burned at the stake (martyred) for having the audacity of choosing what the Bible says over what the Church was ordering him to do. Although Hunt does not mention this  brave man, many other people he does document (sadly) where the church took their lives - simply for not going along with what the Church teaches - which seems a far cry from how Jesus taught His disciples to do in the first century. SOMETHING RADICAL HAPPENED once upon a time in Catholic history WHERE SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG GOT LOST IN TRANSLATION....The rest of this book goes into the tragic and brutal details, where Satan, that old serpent may not have been too far away...tempting those who had their windows and doors ajar! [I recall from the wrtings of Pastor Chris Ward's brother, Nick, I believe, indicated that he had found that Justyn Martyr (2nd century) found that Satan had already infiltrated the early hierarchy of the Church (in the form of Bishops, I believe, and things only got "worser" since; Malachi Martin wrote a novel called WINDSWEPT HOUSE which speaks to the same issue - only now we are in the pontificate of PAUL VI, and Hunt has a few things to say about him too!

CHAPTER THREE:

What some of the Jews did not or would not understand in their reading of Isaiah 61, is that Jesus (as Messiah) had to come twice, the first time to die for man's sins, the second time to reign of David's throne (30.) Although Jesus explained this fact ahead of time - no one understood him, {{least of which  the Scribes and Pharisees, who wished to see only the Messiah that would rid them of Roman control; God faked them out because they did not understand the scriptures, and because of this - they were held accountable, which led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.  This should be a lesson to everyone (especially Roman Catholics,) that God expects YOU to understand and abide by His Word in the scriptures, and NOT rely on getting the information second hand!   This becomes a critical theme as Hunt explores what the RCC did over the centuries,  with this same mindset continuing to this very day!}}

Byron LeBeau

 PLEASE GO TO PART TWO AT http://inspectorblebeau.pbworks.com/w/page/40789767/PART-TWO-of-HUNTING