For over 2,000 years, countless Protestant groups have refused to obey the direct and unambiguous words Jesus used to found His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. These divine instructions are recorded in Matthew 16:18-19, where Our Lord established the papal authority that endures to this day:
“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 16:18-19)
(Here, Jesus designates Peter as the visible head of His Church on Earth, instituting the papacy as the divine foundation for ecclesial unity.)
The Rejection of Christ’s Command
Despite Christ’s clear command, Protestant denominations persist in existing outside the Church He divinely instituted. This disobedience is rooted in a preference for human opinions over Christ’s authority and the sacred tradition upheld by His Church through Peter and his successors.
By rejecting Apostolic Succession and the authority of the Magisterium, Protestant groups substitute eternal truth with fluctuating, human-made doctrines. These theologies cater to individual desires rather than the salvific teachings entrusted to the Catholic Church.
Profiteers of Protestantism
From its earliest days, Protestantism has provided a profitable platform for charismatic leaders to amass followers and financial gain, much like the Nicolaitans, whom Christ rebukes in Sacred Scripture:
“Yet you have this in your favor: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” (Revelation 2:6)
“Likewise, you also have some people who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” (Revelation 2:15)
These early heretics exemplified religious profiteering—a practice alive today in Protestant circles where so-called preachers claim spiritual authority apart from the Church Christ established.
Nicolaitans – Catholic Answers
False Guarantees and Empty Promises
Modern Protestant leaders often present themselves as offering a “better way” than Christ’s Church, guaranteeing salvation with no need for sacraments, no priesthood, and no fidelity to the Pope. These are not teachings from Christ but from deceivers who ignore the structure He ordained.
They trade truth for tithes, giving followers comfort instead of sanctification. The Church warns against such deception:
“The sole Church of Christ is that which our Savior, after His Resurrection, entrusted to Peter’s pastoral care… This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in the Catholic Church.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 816)
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 816
Why Do People Fund Falsehoods?
The answer is sadly simple: self-appointed leaders flatter their followers, who then support those same leaders. This creates a cycle of mutual affirmation that resists truth and rejects the authority of Christ’s Church.
Simple Rhyme, Eternal Truth
Jesus taught: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14)
His command includes submitting to the authority He gave to Peter and the Church. Catholics believe, obey, and pray to persevere in fidelity to His saving design.
Today’s Simple Rhyme:
“Jesus said: ‘You are My friends if you obey My commands.’
Catholics are Catholics because we understand.
And pray to obey
His soul-saving Way.”
