On April 21, 2025, Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, died at 88. He sat in the chair at Rome for twelve years, having been appointed when Pope Benedict XVI resigned because of health issues. Francis was the first pope appointed from Latin America. He was from Argentina. Francis was the 266th pope. At present, there is no head of the Roman Catholic Church. For the “chair” to be vacant is not unusual because from the first century till the sixth century, there was no “universal patriarch,” and there have been periods after the death of a pope when no one was sitting in the pontiff’s chair until the Cardinals elected one.
In his debate with Bishop Purcell in 1837, Alexander Campbell argued that a pope, or universal patriarch, is the first essential element of the Roman Catholic sect. But, he said, no such personage existed for six hundred years after Christ. Therefore, there was no church of Rome, in the sense of a creed during the first six centuries. Campbell pointed out that the colossal empire of the Papacy rests upon a triple assumption:
1. Christ established a church universal to be ruled by a vicar on earth.
2. Peter was made the first Pope.
3. Christ established a successorship to Peter throughout the ages.
Thus, there have been many gaps in Roman Catholic history in which there was no head of its church. Not so with the Lord’s church. Paul wrote, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:22–23). In the parallel book of Colossians, we read, “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18). The Holy Spirit through Paul’s pen said of Christ: “He is the head of the body, the church.” There is only one head and one body, which is the church. The definite article “the” makes this crystal clear.
Just when did Christ become the head of the body, the church? When did he become King of kings and Lord of lords? Long ago, David sang: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah” (Psa. 24:7–10). This poetry points to the ascension of Christ. Fifty days after our Lord’s resurrection, Peter preached:
Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool” (Acts 2:29–35).
Peter says Christ would be raised “to sit on his throne.” “To sit” is an infinitive of purpose. Christ was raised for the purpose of sitting on his throne. So, it is clear that Christ became the head of the church on that first Pentecost following his resurrection.
The passage above also shows how long Christ will reign. God the Father said to Christ, “Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.” “Until” is defined as “up to the point in time or the event mentioned” (Oxford Dictionary of Current English, p. 1012). Paul wrote, “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:24–26). When the end of time comes, Jesus will surrender, yield up, or transmit the kingdom to the Father. He is reigning now and will continue to reign until the end of time. He will not resign. No one will take his place.
On that first Pentecost following our Lord’s resurrection, Peter quoted from Psalm 110, which prophesied Christ’s beginning of his reign as King. The psalm also prophesied that Christ would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Zechariah had prophesied this dual role. “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; And he shall grow up out of his place, And he shall build the temple of the Lord: Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; And he shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule upon his throne; And he shall be a priest upon his throne: And the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zech. 6:12–13). Christ is both King and Priest now. He cannot be a king on earth because he cannot be a priest on earth. The writer of Hebrews says, “For if he [Christ] were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law” (Heb. 8:4).
Unlike the old Levitical priesthood, and not as the Roman popes, Christ has an unchangeable priesthood. We read:
And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself (Heb. 7:23–27).
Therefore, since Christ is reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords, all must submit to his authority (Matt. 28:18-20). And since Christ is the priest after the order of Melchizedek, we can come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:14-16).
–Ben F. Vick, Jr.