Beast of Revelation.pdf - Friends of the Sabbath Australia

Chapter 5
cities; the metropolitans, or archbishops, would support, if not supplant,
the provincial governors; and the synod of bishops would
succeed the provincial assembly. The Roman Church followed in
the footsteps of the Roman state” (vol. 3, pp. 575, 618–619).
Using the institutions and practices of the Roman Empire as
a model, a humanly devised church governmental structure was
adopted. Political maneuvering became a substitute for seeking
God’s will. Popular and appeasing teachings were substituted for
the plain Word of God, which offers correction and rebuke.
The Roman Empire of the first century was authoritarian. But
many don’t realize that election to various offices was also a
time-honored practice. Even the emperor was elected, ostensibly
by the Senate, but more commonly by the Praetorian Guard or
simply by the army. And in the Roman municipalities, public
meetings were held to elect officers. Notice what historian Arthur
Boak says: “These municipalities were patterned closely after
Rome, although certain titles, like those of consul and Senate,
were reserved for the capital city.... All officials were popularly
elected” (A History of Rome to 565 A.D., 1965, p. 370).
Dr. Boak goes on to say that the organization of Roman professional
and religious associations—called colleges—“was modeled on
that of the municipalities” (p. 371). Even some early true Christian
congregations were apparently deceived into following their example
of electing officials after the municipal pattern. In time, these congregations
would be Christian in name only. Regarding the structure
within the communities of the developing Catholic Church, Dr. Boak
adds, “In their organization these communities were all of the same
general type, resembling the Roman religious collegia” (p. 401).
In fact, the “college” of pagan priests, based on Roman civil
government, was the forerunner of the “College of Cardinals,” which
today elects the pope. Yet in the Roman Church, as in Roman civil
government, once officials were elected, they ruled with rigid authoritarianism
in a well-defined hierarchy.
Historian Edward Gibbon records the state of affairs in nominal
Christianity following Constantine’s reign, as influenced by
the election model:
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