PAPACY on SermonAudio

The sermon distinguishes between the first and second beasts of Revelation 13 as two separate entities rather than dual aspects of a single institution. The first beast represents the revived Western Roman Empire, characterized by political power and military force, while the second beast signifies the ecclesiastical authority of the Church of Rome, which operates through deception and false miracles. By analyzing biblical symbolism such as arising from the sea versus the earth, the text argues that these powers are distinct yet allied in opposing Christ. The speaker connects this second beast to the false prophet and the man of sin described in 2 Thessalonians 2. Ultimately, the message emphasizes sola scriptura as the essential safeguard for believers against religious deception.

Gavin says "St. Kilien's Day Sermon...shall consider...incest matters connected with...deaths of St. John the Baptist & Kilien of Ireland &...Anglican Reformation of England & Ireland." And...500th anniversary year of 1526-2026 of the 1st edition of…Tyndale's NT" & "Matthew's Bible…compiled with the assistance of…Tyndale &…Coverdale…by…Matthew Rogers who…recorded in…Foxe's Book of Martyrs was the 1st of the Marian Martyrs killed for his…Protestant Christianity by the Popish queen Bloody Mary in 1555." A "balanced Biblical assessment of the execution of…Tyndale at the behest of…Henry VIII requires some level of ambivalence towards…Henry VIII &…Tyndale for neither…were without blemish." There is "religious propaganda that glorifies Tyndale with reference to the white side…in his Bible translation work…but which…conceals the black side…to…undermine the Reformation." "This…Biblical balance is…lost in the religiously liberal Revised Standard Version's Preface of 1952" "focusing only on his good side." CORRECTIONS: "the words said by St. John the Baptist, &" should here say "whose life & death is" afore "found in all 4 gospels e.g. St. Mark 6:18, 'It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife'." "Office of Roman Papacy…is…the [falsely claimed] Office of 'Christ'…who falsely claim "I am Christ" as "'vice-Christ' or 'vicar of Christ'." Reference is made to "a secret service agent, Steven Vaughan," acting "with the help of another;" & a July 2026 footnote to printed sermon says "I should have said, 'the help of another secret service agent...Henry…Phillips.' He went to Antwerp & he, not Vaughan…made contact with Tyndale in 1535 & laid the rat-trap that caught Tyndale."

The sermon analyzes the symbolic heads and horns of the Beast in Revelation, evaluating various historical interpretations to identify the revived Roman Empire. It critiques Futurist and Preterist views for their inconsistencies before proposing that the ten horns represent barbarian kingdoms dividing the Western Roman Empire after 476 AD. The text argues that these kingdoms united with the Papacy under Charlemagne in 800 AD to form a persecuting alliance against faithful witnesses. This union is described as fulfilling prophetic timelines, ultimately leading to divine judgment and the eventual conversion of these kingdoms. The message concludes by encouraging believers to trust in Christ's ultimate sovereignty over history.

Message from the 2026 John Bunyan Conference by Dr. Tony Costa, about the History of the Church from 400 A.D. to just before the Reformation.

2026 John Bunyan Conference, Session 4, Teaching Slot 1, Tony Costa, Imperial Church to Middle Ages: Ecumenical Councils to Papacy & Theological Decline 6/29/2026

Paul reminds the Gentile believers that they were once strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God. Now in Christ they are no longer strangers and aliens but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, with access by faith into the grace in which they stand. God builds the church on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone; there is no hint of a papacy. In him the whole structure grows into a holy temple in the Lord, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.