¤[Theme music]¤ 00:00:09.87\00:00:16.78 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:00:19.85\00:00:21.75 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me in Poland. 00:00:21.78\00:00:26.12 It's a fascinating country 00:00:26.15\00:00:28.46 with a vibrant and a turbulent history. 00:00:28.49\00:00:31.93 It has gone to war with Prussia, and with Russia, more than once. 00:00:31.96\00:00:36.93 Poland was invaded in the 13th century by the Mongols, 00:00:36.97\00:00:41.14 and by the Swedes in the 17th century. 00:00:41.17\00:00:44.07 Even Austria controlled part of Poland at one time. 00:00:44.11\00:00:47.84 A million Poles died in World War I. 00:00:47.88\00:00:51.98 World War II was especially hard on Poland. 00:00:52.01\00:00:56.28 World War II began in 1939 following the invasion of Poland 00:00:56.32\00:01:00.62 by Nazi Germany. 00:01:00.66\00:01:02.66 Six million Poles died during World War II. 00:01:02.69\00:01:07.13 And Poland was a Communist country from 1945 to 1989. 00:01:07.13\00:01:14.07 Today, Poland is a beautiful country and culturally rich. 00:01:14.47\00:01:19.37 Warsaw's international airport is named after 00:01:19.41\00:01:22.14 the Polish pianist and composer Frederick Chopin. 00:01:22.18\00:01:26.78 The first woman to win a Nobel Prize, 00:01:26.82\00:01:29.15 the only woman to win two, and the only person to win 00:01:29.18\00:01:32.65 a Nobel Prize in two different sciences-- 00:01:32.69\00:01:35.69 in her case, in physics and chemistry-- 00:01:35.72\00:01:38.56 was Poland's Maria Sklodowska, better known as Marie Curie. 00:01:38.59\00:01:45.43 Nicolaus Copernicus, the mathematician and astronomer 00:01:45.47\00:01:49.27 who set a cat among the scientific pigeons 00:01:49.30\00:01:51.71 when he claimed the sun, and not the earth, 00:01:51.74\00:01:54.41 was the center of the universe, was Polish. 00:01:54.44\00:01:57.18 He advanced the idea that the earth rotated around the sun, 00:01:57.21\00:02:01.52 and not the sun around the earth. 00:02:01.55\00:02:04.02 But perhaps Poland's favorite and most famous son 00:02:04.05\00:02:08.16 is Karol Wojtyla, who was born here in 1920 00:02:08.19\00:02:12.06 in the town of Wadowice in the south of Poland, 00:02:12.09\00:02:15.63 about an hour from the border with the Czech Republic. 00:02:15.66\00:02:18.57 His father served in the Polish army. 00:02:18.60\00:02:21.34 His mother died before he was 9 years old. 00:02:21.37\00:02:23.87 He had a sister who died before he was born. 00:02:23.91\00:02:25.74 His older brother went on to become a physician. 00:02:25.77\00:02:29.51 Karol became a priest in 1946, a bishop in 1958, 00:02:29.54\00:02:33.98 an archbishop in 1964, and a cardinal in 1967. 00:02:34.02\00:02:40.26 He was the archbishop of Krakow from 1964 until 1978. 00:02:41.26\00:02:47.30 In 1978, the white smoke billowing from the chimney 00:02:47.36\00:02:51.63 on top of the Sistine Chapel 00:02:51.67\00:02:54.07 indicated the College of Cardinals had elected him pope. 00:02:54.10\00:02:59.21 He succeeded Pope John Paul I, 00:02:59.24\00:03:01.51 who spent only 33 days in office. 00:03:01.54\00:03:04.81 British author David Yallop's book, "In God's Name," 00:03:04.85\00:03:07.72 sold 6 million copies, and was subtitled, 00:03:07.75\00:03:10.82 "An Investigation into the Murder of Pope John Paul I." 00:03:10.85\00:03:15.36 There was enough mystery about the death of John Paul I 00:03:15.39\00:03:19.23 that claims like that don't come as a surprise. 00:03:19.26\00:03:22.46 But Yallop's journalism has been strongly opposed. 00:03:22.50\00:03:26.63 And that's not a surprise, either. 00:03:26.67\00:03:28.97 John Paul II led the Roman Catholic Church 00:03:29.00\00:03:31.97 for 27 years, until 2005. 00:03:32.01\00:03:36.38 They love him here in Poland. 00:03:36.41\00:03:38.51 Tourists flock here to the home where the pope grew up. 00:03:38.55\00:03:42.72 He was raised in this home right behind me. 00:03:42.75\00:03:45.72 And years later, it's easy to underestimate 00:03:45.75\00:03:48.66 just how popular he was. 00:03:48.69\00:03:51.19 The first non-Italian pope in more than 450 years 00:03:51.23\00:03:55.13 visited 129 countries during his reign. 00:03:55.16\00:03:59.07 Five million people attended an open-air church service 00:03:59.10\00:04:02.37 he conducted in Manila in the Philippines in 1995. 00:04:02.40\00:04:07.24 As a teenager, I made my own pilgrimage to see and hear 00:04:07.28\00:04:11.91 Pope John Paul II. 00:04:11.95\00:04:14.78 Five days before his 61st birthday, while he was greeting 00:04:14.82\00:04:18.42 a crowd in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City, 00:04:18.45\00:04:21.89 he was shot four times by a 23-year-old Turkish man. 00:04:21.92\00:04:26.80 Just two years later, 00:04:26.83\00:04:28.80 the pope met with that same would-be assassin in prison, 00:04:28.83\00:04:32.80 calling him "my brother... whom I have sincerely forgiven." 00:04:32.83\00:04:38.44 The gunman served 20 years of a life sentence in Italy 00:04:38.47\00:04:41.61 before being released and deported to Turkey, 00:04:41.64\00:04:44.88 where he served more prison time on other charges. 00:04:44.91\00:04:48.52 In 2014, he returned to the Vatican 00:04:48.55\00:04:52.52 and visited John Paul II's tomb. 00:04:52.55\00:04:55.89 As not only a church leader but also a head of state, 00:04:55.92\00:04:59.79 John Paul II had a major political impact on the world. 00:04:59.83\00:05:04.80 He was responsible for regime change 00:05:04.83\00:05:07.37 in several different countries and has been credited 00:05:07.40\00:05:10.27 with bringing about the demise of European Communism 00:05:10.31\00:05:14.31 in the early 1990s. 00:05:14.34\00:05:16.44 His support for Poland's Solidarity movement, 00:05:16.48\00:05:19.35 led by Lech Walesa, 00:05:19.38\00:05:21.22 weakened Communism in Poland and throughout Europe. 00:05:21.25\00:05:25.25 When President George W. Bush presented John Paul II 00:05:25.29\00:05:28.12 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 00:05:28.16\00:05:30.53 he said that John Paul's "principled stand for peace 00:05:30.56\00:05:34.36 and freedom has inspired millions and helped to topple 00:05:34.36\00:05:39.37 Communism and tyranny." 00:05:39.40\00:05:41.77 He met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989, 00:05:41.80\00:05:45.41 shortly before the fall of Communism. 00:05:45.44\00:05:48.41 Gorbachev said later, "The collapse of the Iron Curtain 00:05:48.44\00:05:52.65 would have been impossible without John Paul II." 00:05:52.68\00:05:56.65 As pope, Poland's favorite son was considered to be 00:05:56.69\00:06:00.22 the successor of St Peter. 00:06:00.26\00:06:02.72 And while he was loved and respected by many people 00:06:02.76\00:06:05.69 all around the world during his reign, 00:06:05.73\00:06:08.53 500 or so years ago, 00:06:08.56\00:06:10.53 he might have been viewed rather differently. 00:06:10.57\00:06:13.77 I'll tell you why in just a moment. 00:06:13.80\00:06:15.80 >>John: Go deep into the prophecies 00:06:16.84\00:06:19.14 of the book of Revelation with this week's free offer. 00:06:19.17\00:06:22.54 It's called "The Fall of Babylon." 00:06:22.58\00:06:25.58 Now, here's how you can get it. 00:06:25.61\00:06:27.12 Visit us online at www.itiswritten.com, 00:06:27.15\00:06:31.85 or call us on 800-253-3000. 00:06:31.89\00:06:36.52 It's absolutely free, 00:06:36.56\00:06:37.96 and you will be blessed by this resource, 00:06:37.99\00:06:40.13 which will grow your understanding of God's Word. 00:06:40.16\00:06:42.63 "The Fall of Babylon." 00:06:42.66\00:06:43.57 Call 800-253-3000. 00:06:43.60\00:06:46.03 ¤[Indian instrumental music]¤ 00:06:46.50\00:06:51.41 >>John: Today I'd like to ask you to help It Is Written 00:06:51.44\00:06:53.88 open the eyes of the blind. 00:06:53.91\00:06:56.14 India has more blind people than any country on earth. 00:06:56.18\00:06:59.41 But simple cataract surgery can make the difference 00:06:59.45\00:07:02.02 between seeing and not seeing for many people. 00:07:02.05\00:07:05.49 Eyes for India is a project that's providing 00:07:05.52\00:07:08.06 cataract surgery for people in desperate need 00:07:08.09\00:07:10.83 of the gift of sight. 00:07:10.86\00:07:12.13 Please help today. Call 800-253-3000. 00:07:12.16\00:07:17.17 You can also donate online at itiswritten.com. 00:07:17.20\00:07:21.34 Please call 800-253-3000, 00:07:21.37\00:07:24.94 or write to P O Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401, 00:07:24.97\00:07:30.58 or visit itiswritten.com. 00:07:30.61\00:07:33.38 ¤[Music]¤ 00:07:34.38\00:07:38.82 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 00:07:38.85\00:07:41.16 I'm John Bradshaw. 00:07:41.19\00:07:42.69 Before he became Pope John Paul II, 00:07:42.72\00:07:45.59 Karol Wojtyla was the archbishop here in Krakow, Poland, 00:07:45.63\00:07:50.33 for 14 years. 00:07:50.37\00:07:52.13 Krakow was the capital of the kingdom of Poland for 500 years. 00:07:52.17\00:07:56.54 The place is beautiful. 00:07:56.57\00:07:58.71 It's overflowing with history. 00:07:58.74\00:08:01.11 The historic center of the city is now 00:08:01.14\00:08:03.08 an UNESCO World Heritage Site. 00:08:03.11\00:08:06.55 The parks surrounding the old town follow the paths 00:08:06.58\00:08:10.32 of the city walls that surrounded old Krakow 00:08:10.35\00:08:14.42 in medieval times. 00:08:14.46\00:08:16.93 Wawel Castle was built in the 14th century, the 1300s. 00:08:16.96\00:08:22.63 For hundreds of years, it was the residence of Polish kings. 00:08:22.66\00:08:27.40 Beside Wawel Castle stands Wawel Cathedral. 00:08:27.44\00:08:31.41 About three dozen Polish kings and queens 00:08:31.44\00:08:34.04 have been crowned here, 00:08:34.08\00:08:35.71 and a number of Polish monarchs are buried here. 00:08:35.74\00:08:39.28 The first cathedral constructed on this site 00:08:39.31\00:08:42.25 was built in the 11th century. 00:08:42.28\00:08:44.99 The one there now has been standing for about 700 years. 00:08:45.02\00:08:50.09 Wawel Cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Krakow. 00:08:50.13\00:08:54.46 It's where John Paul II served as archbishop for 14 years. 00:08:54.50\00:08:58.90 Before World War II began in 1939, 00:09:02.57\00:09:05.97 between 60,000 and 80,000 Jews lived in Krakow. 00:09:06.01\00:09:10.15 When the Krakow Ghetto was formed, 15,000 people 00:09:10.18\00:09:14.18 were pressed into an area designed to accommodate 3,000. 00:09:14.22\00:09:19.02 There are still some small sections of the wall 00:09:19.05\00:09:21.26 built around the Krakow Ghetto standing today, 00:09:21.29\00:09:25.96 a grim reminder of a tragic past. 00:09:25.99\00:09:29.90 The plaque on the old ghetto wall reads: 00:09:29.93\00:09:32.80 "Here they lived, suffered, and perished 00:09:32.83\00:09:36.37 at the hands of Hitler's executioners." 00:09:36.40\00:09:40.31 The vast majority of Krakow's Jews 00:09:40.34\00:09:43.01 perished in the Holocaust. 00:09:43.04\00:09:45.08 Auschwitz is only an hour west of here. 00:09:46.08\00:09:49.82 Just across the Vistula River from Krakow's old town 00:09:55.96\00:10:00.73 are two museums, housed in what used to be an enamelware factory 00:10:00.76\00:10:05.40 operated by a man named Oskar Schindler. 00:10:05.43\00:10:08.87 Steven Spielberg's Academy Award winning movie "Schindler's List" 00:10:08.90\00:10:12.47 was filmed here in Krakow. 00:10:12.51\00:10:15.14 The 1,100 Jews saved by Schindler 00:10:15.18\00:10:17.35 worked in this very building. 00:10:17.38\00:10:21.48 ¤[Music]¤ 00:10:24.19\00:10:26.15 Karol Wojtyla became the archbishop of Krakow 00:10:26.19\00:10:28.89 32 years after World War II ended. 00:10:28.92\00:10:32.16 He died in 2005. 00:10:32.19\00:10:34.73 His funeral at St. Peter's in the Vatican City 00:10:34.73\00:10:37.33 was an enormous affair. 00:10:37.37\00:10:39.50 It was attended by kings and queens, 00:10:39.53\00:10:41.94 by more than 70 heads of state, 00:10:41.97\00:10:44.67 including the President of the United States 00:10:44.71\00:10:46.78 and two former presidents. 00:10:46.81\00:10:49.88 The people of Krakow are immensely proud of him, 00:10:49.91\00:10:53.42 especially that now he's known as 00:10:53.45\00:10:55.65 St. Pope John Paul II. 00:10:55.68\00:10:58.95 He was canonized in 2014. 00:10:58.99\00:11:02.19 Now, the Catholic Church doesn't canonize someone 00:11:02.22\00:11:04.56 without what they call "a verifiable miracle" 00:11:04.59\00:11:07.50 having occurred, attributable to the person canonized. 00:11:07.50\00:11:11.20 In 2011, a Costa Rican woman with a brain aneurysm 00:11:11.23\00:11:15.74 was reading a magazine with John Paul II's photo 00:11:15.77\00:11:19.11 on the front cover, 00:11:19.14\00:11:20.74 when he appeared to her in a vision. 00:11:20.78\00:11:23.45 She says she was healed. 00:11:23.48\00:11:25.61 Doctors seem to agree. 00:11:25.65\00:11:27.85 The church says there's no medical rationale 00:11:27.88\00:11:31.35 for the lady's healing, or for the healing of the French nun 00:11:31.39\00:11:35.36 who was healed of Parkinson's in 2005 00:11:35.39\00:11:38.69 after praying for John Paul's intercession. 00:11:38.73\00:11:41.80 Fifty two of the first 55 popes have been declared saints 00:11:41.83\00:11:47.44 by Rome. 00:11:47.47\00:11:50.11 When the Reformation began 500 years ago, 00:11:50.14\00:11:53.51 Martin Luther began speaking out against the papacy 00:11:53.54\00:11:57.48 and its teachings. 00:11:57.51\00:11:59.18 Now, even though there have been some unsavory popes 00:11:59.21\00:12:03.12 down through the years, some who bought their way into power, 00:12:03.15\00:12:07.22 some who sold indulgences, 00:12:07.26\00:12:09.69 allowing people to buy their way into heaven, 00:12:09.72\00:12:12.86 some criticized for not doing more to speak out 00:12:12.89\00:12:15.60 against the Holocaust, others who were famously immoral, 00:12:15.63\00:12:19.70 Martin Luther's beef wasn't really with individual popes. 00:12:19.73\00:12:25.01 Martin Luther and other reformers had an issue 00:12:25.04\00:12:28.31 with the papacy as an institution. 00:12:28.34\00:12:32.45 Well, what would Luther say about the papacy today, 00:12:32.48\00:12:35.62 especially with popular popes winning hearts 00:12:35.65\00:12:38.59 and making friends all around the world? 00:12:38.62\00:12:42.39 Well, Martin Luther did not believe that the papacy 00:12:42.42\00:12:44.86 was instituted by Jesus. 00:12:44.89\00:12:47.13 The Roman church teaches that Peter was the first pope; 00:12:47.13\00:12:50.93 that the current pope is the successor of Peter, 00:12:50.97\00:12:54.64 and that all popes after Peter have the same authority 00:12:54.67\00:12:58.37 that Peter had. 00:12:58.41\00:12:59.71 This is something called "apostolic succession." 00:12:59.74\00:13:03.45 Luther knew that there's nothing in the Bible 00:13:03.48\00:13:05.55 that suggests Peter was ever a pope. 00:13:05.58\00:13:08.95 There's nothing that suggests Peter's authority 00:13:08.98\00:13:11.12 was passed along to each subsequent bishop of Rome. 00:13:11.15\00:13:14.52 Luther knew Jesus didn't ever appoint Peter 00:13:14.56\00:13:17.86 as the leader of the church. 00:13:17.89\00:13:20.10 In the Jerusalem Council that you read about in Acts 15, 00:13:20.13\00:13:23.80 the authority figure was James, not Peter. 00:13:23.83\00:13:27.80 If Peter was the bishop of Rome, 00:13:27.84\00:13:30.07 it's unlikely he'd have referred to Rome as Babylon 00:13:30.11\00:13:33.74 in 1 Peter 5:13: "The church that is at Babylon, 00:13:33.78\00:13:38.81 elected together with you, saluteth you; 00:13:38.85\00:13:41.82 and so doth Marcus my son." 00:13:41.85\00:13:44.72 In Old Testament times, 00:13:44.75\00:13:46.25 Babylon was the persecuting idolatrous city-state. 00:13:46.29\00:13:51.29 In the New Testament book of Revelation, 00:13:51.33\00:13:53.33 written by John, a contemporary of Peter, 00:13:53.36\00:13:56.70 Babylon represents Rome: 00:13:56.73\00:13:59.30 "And on her forehead a name was written: 00:13:59.33\00:14:02.30 Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots 00:14:02.34\00:14:06.54 and of the abominations of the earth." 00:14:06.57\00:14:08.81 Revelation 17, verse 5. 00:14:08.84\00:14:11.38 Keep in mind: John is referencing Rome here, 00:14:11.41\00:14:15.65 in an uncomplimentary way. 00:14:15.68\00:14:18.12 When John said "Babylon," his readers said, 00:14:18.15\00:14:21.99 "Yes, we know who you mean. You're talking about Rome." 00:14:22.02\00:14:26.46 So when Peter was writing about Babylon, 00:14:28.20\00:14:30.47 he definitely was not bragging. 00:14:30.50\00:14:32.87 He wasn't saying that he was the head of the Roman church. 00:14:32.90\00:14:36.87 Besides, Peter was married; popes today don't marry. 00:14:36.91\00:14:40.88 Matthew 8 and verse 14 refers to Peter's mother-in-law. 00:14:40.91\00:14:44.45 Now, the counter to that is when people say, 00:14:44.48\00:14:46.92 "Well, Peter's wife had died, 00:14:46.95\00:14:48.38 so when he was involved in ministry, 00:14:48.42\00:14:49.82 he was no longer married." 00:14:49.85\00:14:51.62 But the Bible doesn't mention that. 00:14:51.65\00:14:52.95 That's conjecture of the worst kind. 00:14:52.99\00:14:55.56 There's nothing in the Bible to indicate that a priest 00:14:55.59\00:14:57.76 or a pastor or a minister or a pope or a bishop 00:14:57.79\00:15:00.16 or an archbishop or a cardinal or anybody else 00:15:00.20\00:15:03.40 should not marry and should be celibate. 00:15:03.43\00:15:05.20 Now, of course, if that's the lifestyle that somebody chooses, 00:15:05.23\00:15:09.04 that's between them and God. 00:15:09.07\00:15:11.24 But there's nothing at all about mandated celibacy in the Bible. 00:15:11.27\00:15:17.61 Five hundred years after the beginning of the Reformation 00:15:17.65\00:15:20.68 in 1517, we have a church declaring people to be saints, 00:15:20.72\00:15:26.99 dispensing God's grace through sacraments, 00:15:27.02\00:15:30.76 claiming the authority to forgive sin, 00:15:30.79\00:15:34.20 selling forgiveness for money, 00:15:34.23\00:15:37.13 and claiming church tradition is as authoritative 00:15:37.17\00:15:40.80 in matters of faith as is the Bible. 00:15:40.84\00:15:44.04 Now, these were things that Martin Luther opposed. 00:15:44.07\00:15:47.38 They sparked the Reformation. 00:15:47.41\00:15:50.05 But 500 years later, the same conditions still exist. 00:15:50.08\00:15:55.12 What would Martin Luther say today? 00:15:55.15\00:15:57.62 What should anyone say? 00:15:57.65\00:16:00.06 Now, didn't Jesus build His church upon Peter? 00:16:00.09\00:16:05.09 Well, Martin Luther didn't think so. 00:16:05.13\00:16:07.23 I'll tell you why in just a moment. 00:16:07.23\00:16:09.03 ¤[Music]¤ 00:16:09.70\00:16:11.47 >>Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, 00:16:11.50\00:16:13.90 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 00:16:13.94\00:16:16.84 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 00:16:16.87\00:16:20.81 "Every Word" is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional 00:16:20.84\00:16:24.21 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw, 00:16:24.25\00:16:26.01 and designed especially for busy people like you. 00:16:26.05\00:16:29.12 Look for "Every Word" on selected networks, 00:16:29.15\00:16:32.15 or watch it online every day on our website, 00:16:32.19\00:16:34.32 itiswritten.com. 00:16:34.36\00:16:36.56 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 00:16:36.59\00:16:38.83 Watch "Every Word." You'll be glad you did. 00:16:38.86\00:16:41.23 Here's a sample. 00:16:41.26\00:16:44.77 ¤["Every Word" theme music]¤ 00:16:44.87\00:16:50.81 >>John Bradshaw: I about fell off my chair. 00:16:50.84\00:16:52.77 I was watching a nature documentary 00:16:52.81\00:16:54.34 when a man being interviewed said these exact words. 00:16:54.38\00:16:57.61 He said, 00:16:57.65\00:16:58.81 "It says in the Bible, and other writers have said it, too: 00:16:58.85\00:17:02.12 The paradise is so close that you can't see it." 00:17:02.15\00:17:06.62 Now, that's an interesting thought, except that, 00:17:06.65\00:17:08.96 you're right--it's not in the Bible at all. 00:17:08.99\00:17:11.06 It's like that pop song, "We Are the World," 00:17:11.09\00:17:12.99 that contains a line that says, 00:17:13.03\00:17:14.46 "As God has shown us by turning stones to bread," 00:17:14.46\00:17:17.67 except that that's not in the Bible, either. 00:17:17.70\00:17:20.27 Deuteronomy 4:2 says, 00:17:20.30\00:17:22.17 "You shall not add to the word which I command you, 00:17:22.20\00:17:24.54 nor take from it, 00:17:24.57\00:17:25.54 that you may keep the commandments 00:17:25.57\00:17:26.94 of the Lord your God which I command you." 00:17:26.98\00:17:29.14 John says something very similar in the book of Revelation. 00:17:29.18\00:17:32.41 It's a good thing to quote the Bible, but you want to be sure 00:17:32.45\00:17:35.58 it's really the Bible that you're quoting. 00:17:35.62\00:17:38.52 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 00:17:38.55\00:17:40.52 Let's live today by every word. 00:17:40.56\00:17:42.19 ¤[Music]¤ 00:17:42.22\00:17:44.23 ¤[Music]¤ 00:17:45.23\00:17:55.47 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 00:17:55.50\00:17:57.01 on It Is Written. 00:17:57.04\00:17:58.91 [Crowd murmurs indistinctly] 00:17:58.94\00:18:00.81 Krakow, Poland, is home to one of the most renowned 00:18:00.84\00:18:04.18 Christmas markets in all of Europe. 00:18:04.21\00:18:07.32 The market is set up every year in the old town square, 00:18:07.35\00:18:11.35 the largest medieval square of any city in Europe. 00:18:11.39\00:18:15.49 There's plenty to eat, 00:18:15.52\00:18:16.99 plenty to drink, 00:18:17.03\00:18:18.86 plenty to look at. 00:18:18.89\00:18:20.46 ¤[Music]¤ 00:18:20.50\00:18:26.74 Karol Wojtyla was the archbishop of Krakow for 14 years 00:18:26.77\00:18:30.57 before becoming Pope John Paul II. 00:18:30.61\00:18:33.51 He was the leader of the world's 1 billion or so Catholics 00:18:33.54\00:18:36.88 for 27 years. 00:18:36.91\00:18:38.78 But did Jesus really establish the papacy? 00:18:38.81\00:18:42.88 Was the church founded upon Peter, 00:18:42.92\00:18:46.19 and was Peter really the first pope? 00:18:46.22\00:18:50.03 In Matthew 16, the disciples say to Jesus, 00:18:50.06\00:18:53.09 "Some say You're John the Baptist, some say You're Elijah, 00:18:53.13\00:18:56.50 some say Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 00:18:56.53\00:18:59.47 Jesus says, "Who do you say that I am?" 00:18:59.50\00:19:02.90 And Peter says, "You are the Christ, 00:19:02.94\00:19:06.44 the Son of the living God." 00:19:06.47\00:19:08.18 That's verse 16. 00:19:08.21\00:19:10.05 So Jesus says to Peter: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, 00:19:10.08\00:19:15.92 for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, 00:19:15.95\00:19:18.92 but my Father who is in heaven." 00:19:18.95\00:19:21.49 And Jesus then says in verse 18, 00:19:21.52\00:19:24.33 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, 00:19:24.36\00:19:27.93 and on this rock I will build my church, 00:19:27.96\00:19:31.90 and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." 00:19:31.93\00:19:36.27 Now, this is straightforward. 00:19:36.30\00:19:38.04 Jesus said, "You are Peter." 00:19:38.07\00:19:41.28 In the Greek, in which this passage was originally written, 00:19:41.31\00:19:44.51 Jesus says, "You are 'petros,'" a "stone." 00:19:44.55\00:19:48.92 And then, referring to Himself, 00:19:48.95\00:19:50.59 Jesus said, "Upon this rock"-- "petra," a large stone, 00:19:50.62\00:19:55.96 maybe a boulder even, "I will build my church; 00:19:55.99\00:20:00.23 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 00:20:00.26\00:20:04.10 Jesus didn't build His church upon Peter, or upon any man. 00:20:04.13\00:20:09.00 He built the church upon Himself. 00:20:09.04\00:20:11.17 Besides, the gates of hell did prevail against Peter. 00:20:11.21\00:20:15.54 Peter denied Jesus three times. 00:20:15.58\00:20:18.11 Jesus was referring to Himself when He referred to a "rock." 00:20:18.15\00:20:24.52 First Corinthians 10, verse 4 says, 00:20:24.55\00:20:26.82 the "Rock that followed them"-- in the wilderness--"was Christ." 00:20:26.86\00:20:31.19 Psalm 18, verse 2 says, "The Lord is my Rock." 00:20:31.23\00:20:35.73 Psalm 89, verse 26 calls God "the Rock of my salvation." 00:20:35.76\00:20:40.97 Jesus called Himself the "chief cornerstone" 00:20:41.00\00:20:45.27 in Matthew 21 and verse 42. 00:20:45.31\00:20:47.31 The church was built upon Jesus, not Peter. 00:20:49.08\00:20:52.81 And that's no disrespect to Peter. 00:20:52.85\00:20:54.72 He was a fine man. He was a great man. 00:20:54.75\00:20:57.62 God worked miracles through him. 00:20:57.65\00:20:59.35 He preached at Pentecost. 00:20:59.39\00:21:01.62 He wrote two books of the Bible. 00:21:01.66\00:21:03.93 He was a great guy. 00:21:03.96\00:21:05.93 But he wasn't a pope, and he wasn't the rock 00:21:05.96\00:21:08.76 upon which Christ built the church. 00:21:08.80\00:21:10.97 Jesus was that rock. 00:21:11.00\00:21:12.50 The church was built upon Jesus Himself. 00:21:12.53\00:21:15.30 A pope is said to be infallible when he speaks "ex-cathedra," 00:21:15.34\00:21:18.77 something that only happens very occasionally. 00:21:18.81\00:21:21.91 Yet in Galatians 2, verse 11 Paul writes: 00:21:21.94\00:21:24.51 "Now when Peter had come to Antioch, 00:21:24.55\00:21:26.72 I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed." 00:21:26.75\00:21:30.49 Now, the passage would make you think that Peter 00:21:30.52\00:21:32.62 had no more or less authority than any of the other apostles. 00:21:32.65\00:21:37.43 There's nothing to suggest that Peter ever possessed anything 00:21:37.46\00:21:41.20 like infallibility, ever. 00:21:41.23\00:21:44.93 The Reformation began 500 years ago, 00:21:44.97\00:21:47.84 and even though, since that time, 00:21:47.87\00:21:49.14 men like Pope John Paul II of Poland have done a lot 00:21:49.17\00:21:52.67 to make the papacy very popular around the world, 00:21:52.71\00:21:56.41 you'd have to imagine that Martin Luther 00:21:56.44\00:21:58.81 would feel much the same about the papacy today 00:21:58.85\00:22:03.02 as he did half a millennium ago. 00:22:03.05\00:22:05.42 Luther had major problems with statements made by Rome, 00:22:05.45\00:22:08.72 statements such as this one made by Pope Boniface in 1302. 00:22:08.76\00:22:14.30 Boniface wrote: 00:22:14.36\00:22:15.80 "Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define 00:22:15.83\00:22:20.47 that it is absolutely necessary for salvation 00:22:20.50\00:22:24.01 that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff." 00:22:24.04\00:22:29.31 One thing that troubled Luther in his day was that the church 00:22:29.34\00:22:31.98 exerted an enormous amount of influence on the government, 00:22:32.01\00:22:35.82 taking a lot of positions that are not found in the Bible. 00:22:35.85\00:22:39.75 Five hundred years later, you still have the same thing. 00:22:39.79\00:22:43.63 Back then, it was reason to start a reformation. 00:22:43.66\00:22:50.23 So let me ask you who you're building on. 00:22:50.27\00:22:53.40 Who does your faith rest upon? 00:22:53.44\00:22:55.70 In the parable, Jesus spoke about a wise man who built 00:22:55.74\00:22:59.14 his house upon a rock. 00:22:59.17\00:23:01.98 When the rains came, and the floods came up, 00:23:02.01\00:23:03.88 and the wind blew, the house on the rock stood firm. 00:23:03.91\00:23:09.32 He also talked about another house, built on the sand, 00:23:09.35\00:23:14.16 and when the same thing happened, that house fell. 00:23:14.19\00:23:18.76 It wasn't built upon the rock. 00:23:18.79\00:23:22.46 In San Francisco, there's a luxury apartment building 00:23:23.80\00:23:26.47 called the Millennium Tower. 00:23:26.50\00:23:28.97 It's said to be one of the 10 best residential buildings 00:23:29.00\00:23:32.07 in the world. 00:23:32.11\00:23:33.38 It's 58 stories high. 00:23:33.41\00:23:35.54 But in the last few years, the building has sunk 16 inches. 00:23:35.58\00:23:40.95 Which isn't altogether alarming. Buildings do settle. 00:23:40.98\00:23:45.35 But not only has it begun to sink; it's also begun to tilt. 00:23:45.39\00:23:51.19 It's not the Leaning Tower of Pisa by any means, 00:23:51.23\00:23:53.90 but it has a little lean that's noticeable 00:23:53.93\00:23:56.13 if you're living in the building. 00:23:56.16\00:23:58.13 So why is it sinking? 00:23:58.17\00:23:59.90 Well, there are varying theories. 00:23:59.93\00:24:02.04 Some say it's because of a tunnel built nearby 00:24:02.07\00:24:04.14 for a transit center. 00:24:04.17\00:24:06.41 But what we know is the foundations of the building 00:24:06.44\00:24:09.98 go down 80 feet, into sand. 00:24:10.01\00:24:14.95 The rock is 200 feet or so down. 00:24:14.98\00:24:18.82 The building isn't built upon the rock. 00:24:18.85\00:24:23.86 What's your faith built upon? 00:24:23.89\00:24:26.39 Jesus is the Rock of Scripture. 00:24:26.43\00:24:29.10 He's the Savior of the world. 00:24:29.13\00:24:31.20 He died on a cross for the sins of the world, 00:24:31.23\00:24:35.14 and He did that for you. 00:24:35.17\00:24:38.27 Are you building upon this Rock, Jesus? 00:24:38.31\00:24:42.08 Are you basing your life on His Word? 00:24:42.11\00:24:45.31 Are you taking time to allow God's Word to mold you, 00:24:45.35\00:24:48.98 to shape you, to change you? 00:24:49.02\00:24:52.29 Are you allowing God to transform you? 00:24:52.32\00:24:56.16 Jesus is coming back soon. 00:24:56.19\00:24:59.39 In that day we'll see how important it is to build 00:24:59.43\00:25:01.73 upon Jesus, to build upon His Word, 00:25:01.76\00:25:05.97 and to lean your life totally on Him. 00:25:06.00\00:25:09.24 >>John: Go deep into the prophecies 00:25:11.21\00:25:13.44 of the book of Revelation with this week's free offer. 00:25:13.48\00:25:16.68 It's called "The Fall of Babylon." 00:25:16.71\00:25:19.81 Now, here's how you can get it. 00:25:19.85\00:25:21.38 Visit us online at www.itiswritten.com, 00:25:21.42\00:25:26.12 or call us on 800-253-3000. 00:25:26.15\00:25:30.96 It's absolutely free, 00:25:30.99\00:25:32.29 and you will be blessed by this resource, 00:25:32.33\00:25:34.46 which will grow your understanding of God's Word. 00:25:34.46\00:25:36.90 "The Fall of Babylon." 00:25:36.93\00:25:37.87 Call 800-253-3000. 00:25:37.90\00:25:40.60 Thanks for remembering that It Is Written 00:25:40.64\00:25:42.74 is a faith-based ministry. 00:25:42.77\00:25:44.77 And your support makes it possible for us 00:25:44.81\00:25:46.91 to share God's good news with the entire world. 00:25:46.94\00:25:50.51 Your tax-deductible gift can be sent 00:25:50.55\00:25:52.55 to the address on your screen, 00:25:52.58\00:25:54.08 or through our website at itiswritten.com. 00:25:54.12\00:25:58.12 Thank you for your continued prayerful support. 00:25:58.15\00:26:00.82 Again, our toll-free number is 800-253-3000, 00:26:00.86\00:26:06.09 and our web address is www.itiswritten.com. 00:26:06.13\00:26:10.83 >>John Bradshaw: Our Father in heaven, we are thankful today 00:26:12.57\00:26:14.47 for Jesus, the Rock-- 00:26:14.50\00:26:16.71 the Rock of Scripture, the Rock of our salvation. 00:26:16.74\00:26:20.31 We thank You for Your Word, 00:26:20.34\00:26:21.31 which shines light on our pathway, to lead us 00:26:21.34\00:26:24.65 away from darkness and fully into Your marvelous light. 00:26:24.68\00:26:29.35 Father in heaven, I want to pray today that, 00:26:29.38\00:26:32.09 that we would open our hearts to You, 00:26:32.12\00:26:34.59 that Your Spirit would take over our lives, 00:26:34.62\00:26:36.29 that we would seek to follow and honor 00:26:36.32\00:26:38.86 and worship and obey Jesus, that Jesus would be everything to us. 00:26:38.89\00:26:43.43 Friend, how is Jesus to you? 00:26:43.47\00:26:46.03 What are you building your life on? 00:26:46.07\00:26:47.37 It might be a tradition. 00:26:47.40\00:26:49.54 It might be a teaching that's not in the Bible. 00:26:49.57\00:26:51.41 It might be the say-so of somebody else. 00:26:51.44\00:26:54.38 It might be pleasure and self-seeking. 00:26:54.41\00:26:56.31 Perhaps you're neglecting this Jesus the Rock. 00:26:56.34\00:26:59.65 Perhaps you're not taking the Bible seriously. 00:26:59.68\00:27:01.95 Are you reading God's Word? 00:27:01.98\00:27:05.02 Are you allowing it to be your strength, 00:27:05.05\00:27:06.99 your source of wisdom and guidance? 00:27:07.02\00:27:08.62 Friend, if it's time now for you to surrender fully to Jesus, 00:27:08.66\00:27:12.49 do so, would you? 00:27:12.53\00:27:14.60 Lift up your heart to Jesus. 00:27:14.63\00:27:15.93 Raise your hand to Jesus. 00:27:15.96\00:27:17.20 Open up your life to Jesus. 00:27:17.23\00:27:19.30 Father in heaven, take our hearts; make them Yours. 00:27:19.87\00:27:23.87 Give us grace to allow Your Spirit to guide us and keep us 00:27:23.91\00:27:28.71 and join us inextricably to Yourself. 00:27:28.74\00:27:33.25 We thank You, and we pray in Jesus' name. 00:27:33.28\00:27:37.02 Amen. 00:27:37.05\00:27:39.22 Thanks for joining me today. 00:27:39.25\00:27:40.29 I'll look forward to seeing you again next time. 00:27:40.32\00:27:42.82 Until then, remember: 00:27:42.86\00:27:44.79 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 00:27:44.83\00:27:49.56 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 00:27:49.60\00:27:54.04 ¤[Theme music]¤ 00:27:54.07\00:28:07.08