Origin of the Modern Pope
Why read this? To rescue your friends from Roman oppression. What does that mean? Claude, version 3.7, helps us explore the history and the significance of the “Pontifex Maximus” position from ancient Rome, including its origin, authority, and any parallels to modern systems.

Origins of the Pontifex Maximus
What is that? The foundation of the Sacred College of Priests and the office of Pontifex Maximus is traditionally attributed to Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, who established the office 715 years before Christ came to dwell among us. Pontifex Maximus 17. I keep wanting to say 17—715 years before Christ. Pontifex Maximus is the official longer full title for the shorter version of Pope. Roman civilization and its religious institutions were established approximately 700 years before the birth of Christ, with the office of Pontifex Maximus continuing through various transformations into modern times. Imagine, just for a moment, think about it—an official office existing seven full centuries before Christ arrives in the flesh.

The Pontifex Maximus was not a traditional Roman magistrate or politician, in that he served for life rather than a fixed term, and officially remained a citizen of Rome as chairman of the College of Pontiffs, which is a fancy name for priests. The Pope was responsible for overseeing the Roman state religion. The Greco-Roman world worshipped several false deities.

The Purpose and Authority of the Position
The College of Pontiffs acted out the Roman priesthood. They were charged specifically with admonishing, administering the Jewish divinity—the part of civil law that regulated relations between community and deities. As head of the prestigious College of Pontiffs, the Pontifex Maximus was responsible for overseeing religious ceremonies, maintaining the sacred sites, interpreting the will of the gods, including the divine feminine goddesses. He held considerable authority for several reasons: because he could hold the position for life, he maintained the pax decorum, which is peace with the gods, and he supervised the Vestal Virgins.

The pontifex was responsible for an enormous collection of omens that would be recorded in logs constantly. These heavenly signs were written down, along with the accompanying events used to determine whether they were in divine favor. This allowed subsequent generations of priests to navigate back through history to interpret previous and future events.

Initially, the role of pontifex was strictly religious. Over time, it became increasingly politicized and even merged with the authority of the Roman Empire. Many Roman emperors carried this top title, Pontifex Maximus, symbolizing the transfer and merge of religious authority from the Republic onto the person of the emperor. This tradition included emperors like Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, Constantine the Great—each using this title to legitimize their rule and reinforce the connection between the imperial authority and divine favor.

How Does This Apply Today?
The Roman philosophy of adaptation to absorb—the word pontifex or pontiff seductively became a term applied to Christian bishops, including the Bishop of Rome. The title was merged by the Roman Catholic system as their Pope, the chief bishop appearing on buildings, monuments, and coins of the Renaissance. Roman philosophers made the bold move to merge their system and structure with genuine Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. The term “chief priests” in the New Testament is translated as pontifex in the Latin Vulgate.

Scripture reveals that Christ was vehemently opposed by the chief priests and religious leaders during His time on earth. Today, the head of the Roman Catholic system—the Pope—is still carrying the original title and the position of the Roman Pontifex Maximus. It’s a political and religious office that has been in existence in perpetual use for 2,724 years, operating well before the time of Christ.

The Dark
How did this happen? The dark spirit of ancient pagan Roman religion plus politics formed an office within the Catholic hierarchy. Christ did not originate the office. Roman philosophers promoted conquest by assimilating key practices within the cultures they vanquished—decimate, dominate by deception, infiltrate rather than overpower. Rome did not seek to greatly adjust that which was familiar but rather sneakily leveraged already familiar habits of the people, their existing ceremonies to the Roman advantage by adaptation and redefinition. "You can still worship this goddess. We're just going to switch her name out to be ours."

Adjust slightly the names of pagan deities to blend them together with the Roman gods and goddesses. The core local beliefs are permitted to continue—just so Roman practice can blend in now, somehow, creatively, with all the various lands that they continued to take over.

Crafty Roman philosophy conquered the world.
Long Pause. Breathe.
We’re talking about philosophy. Vain. Hollow. Empty. Godless. Philosophy. Assimilated alongside carnal. Carnal. Human nature. You see, Roman philosophy is very appealing to the intellect and the baser appetites of man. The philosophers, the Stoics, the Epicureans elevated the worship of the mind in the modern eye. The popular Roman trend was to look up to the highly esteemed deep thinkers as being today’s leaders.

So How Did They Do It?
Rome absorbed rather than outrightly opposing those that it had conquered—at least initially. Wise as a serpent. This technique of controlling the masses. For indeed, Rome was the first entire world empire, so there were many people to manipulate over vast amounts of land. Maintaining this fragile overreach of control upon such large land masses and vast populations is not possible except that we structure a stack of crafty compartmentalization within a knowledge hierarchy. A brilliant concept. Thereby, we can sustain the oppression of the world for multiple centuries. We just blend in. The foreign cultures will embrace us—Romans—because we allowed some of their systems to continue, intertwined with our own.

Colossians 2:8 succinctly declares a warning: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

By separating Rome from Catholicism, it all crumbles down. Escaping the system is possible by splitting the Roman influence apart from Catholic identity. We can see clearly. We can clarify where Roman thought opposes Christ. Shine the bright spotlight of Scripture. Then the true Champion becomes clearly visible. There can only be one Savior. Rome is not Him. Romanism is not the true spiritual ruler. Rome does not have the exclusive lockdown on distributing salvation or tickets to Eternal life.

Who Does?
The incomparable Christ. Colossians says: "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. Can you see Him? For by Him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. That 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."

They’re probably going to declare that when everybody bows. I mean, I want to hit my knees right now. "For it pleased the Father, that in Him should all fullness dwell. And having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself, by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven."

And you—you out there in the crowd—I love it. Scripture is so funny: "And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unbelievable and unrepeatable in His sight. If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which Gospel was preached to every creature which is under Heaven, whereof the Gospel I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God."

"Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily."

"For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you. That their hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ."

"And ye have, as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware—again—beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

"For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in Him, which is the Head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are circumcised—definitely, spiritually speaking here—with the circumcision made without hands." Notice—no hands. Has to mean spiritually, not physically. "In putting off the body of the sins of the flesh"—again, spiritually, not physically putting off the body, but spiritually. Oh! "By the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism"—spiritually—"wherein also ye are risen with Him spiritually through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead."

And you—hey, you out there! Hey! Right there! Look! Look! And you, being dead in your sins spiritually, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened—to make alive—together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses. "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it"—boom—nailing it. Smash. Does anybody know about nailing spikes? It would be Christ Jesus nailing it to His cross.

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." He’s standing on top. He nailed it to the cross. He’s looking down. He’s flexing. He’s saying, “Oh, the cake—I destroy.” He took it out of the way. The vain, empty philosophy.

Oh, so choose your Savior.
Is it Him?