WCF 25.6
Westminster Confession of Faith
25.6. Of the Church
There is no other head of the Church, but the Lord Jesus Christ; nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.
Proof texts
- Col. 1:18 — [18] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
- Eph. 1:22 — [22] And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
- Matt. 23:8, 9, 10 — [8] But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. [9] And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. [10] Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
- 2 Thess. 2:3, 4, 8, 9 — [3] Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, [4] who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. [8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. [9] The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
- Rev. 13:6 — [6] It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
For discussion
- The Assembly cited Col. 1:18 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
- 5 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
- WLC Q64 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
- BC 7.1 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
Read alongside
WLC Q64 · BC 7.1 · HC Q54 · HC Q55 · BC 7.4 · BC 7.5 · BC 7.6 · HC Q83 · HC Q84 · HC Q85 · 1689 26.1 · SD 26.1 · IAR 7.1 · SC60 6.1 · SC60 6.2 · SC60 6.3 · SC60 6.4 · SC60 6.5 · SHC 6.1 · SHC 6.2
Leader's notes
A Commentary on the Confession of Faith (A.A. Hodge): Section IV. — ^This catholic Church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible.® And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinaroes administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.® Section V. — The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error ;^" and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan." Nevertheless, there shall be always a Church on earth, to worship God according to his will.^^ Section VI. — There is no other head of the Church but the •^^ord Jesus Christ :^' nor can the Pope of Rome in…
An Exposition of the Confession of Faith (Robert Shaw): That the Lord Jesus Christ is the alone head of the Church must be maintained, not only in opposition to Papists, who affirm that the Pope of Rome* as the successor of Peter and 268 CONFESSION OF FAITH. [^CHAP. XXV. the vicegerent of Christ, is the head of the universal Church; but also in opposition to Erastians, who make the supreme magistrate the head of the Church within his own dominions. A universal headship or dominion belongs to Christ. As God, he has a natural and essential right to rule and dispose of all creatures at his pleasure, and for the manifestation of his own glory. As INIediator, he has a universal headship by donation from the Father. It is…