Catholics around the world today mourn the loss of their leader, Pope John Paul II, who died April 2 after a long illness. While a number of Evangelical leaders have praised the political and humanitarian legacy of this pope, some Christians are wondering how much honor to pay the figurehead of a seemingly different faith. Is there a place for respect in the midst of disagreement over theology? Dr. Mark Bailey, president of Dallas Theological Seminary, helped answer these questions in a phone interview Monday morning.
Bailey recently assumed the Seminary’s presidency after years of service as both a professor and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. He also served as pastor at a local church. Bailey was a seminar instructor for Walk Thru the Bible Ministries for 20 years and is in demand for Bible conferences and other preaching engagements.
Crosswalk: To start with, can you help readers who are unfamiliar with Catholic theology to understand the issue of papal authority?
Bailey: The view of the Catholic church is that papal authority goes back to the first pope, which they think was Peter. This comes from an interpretation of Matthew 16:18 that says the church was built on Peter as the rock and therefore, there is apostolic and ecclesiastical authority. The difficulty with that, of course, is that Ephesians chapter 2 tells us the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets – plural – with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. It’s never been limited to Peter.
Crosswalk: What are the other main theological differences between the Evangelical and Roman Catholic churches?
Bailey: First, we as Evangelicals don’t believe authority resides in a person – an earthly priest. We believe, as First Timothy told us, that there is one mediator between God and man – Christ Jesus. Therefore, through the single mediation of Jesus Christ, the New Testament teaches we all are priests – a royal priesthood – and we have direct access to the very throne of God.
