Posts Tagged the pope
What to expect from Mel Gibson’s “The Resurrection of the Christ” and from religious leaders
Posted by simon peter sutherland in The influence of film, Theology on September 2, 2026
Next year we are seeing the release of Mel Gibson’s new movie, the Resurrection of the Christ.
This is a follow up to the Passion of the Christ and a re-release of the Passion is also coming to our screens.
Despite the facts that the Passion of the Christ was by far a Biblically accurate portrayal of Jesus Christ, it was still a cinematic experience.
For many, including Franklin Graham, the Passion was like witnessing the gospel narratives on screen. But that’s not the actual truth. The reality is the script was just a Mel Gibson version of the gospel. The film added a great deal to the story and was sprinkled with layers of Roman Catholicism, tradition, and creative liberties.
For example, the gospels mention nothing about Satan tempting Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. The gospels mention nothing about Jesus being thrown off a bridge while Judas was sat beneath it. The gospels mention nothing about Peter referring to Mary as “mother” (as he does in the trial scene). Peter never refers to her as “mother” in any relevant part of the New Testament. Neither do they mention the stations of the cross, or Jesus’ face being wiped with Veronica’s cloth.
Neither do the gospels mention the cross being flipped over while Jesus is on it, or Jesus’ shoulder being dislocated, as it happens during the crucifixion scene.
Likewise, the gospels mention nothing about Mary (the mother of Jesus) and Mary Magdalen wiping up Jesus’ blood from off the ground, or Mary laying on the ground while Jesus is beneath her in prison. This clip in particular is a distinct hint of the Roman Catholic obsession with Mary as co-redemptrix.
In the Passion of the Christ Mary Magdalen is portrayed as a prostitute, a Roman Catholic claim that is nowhere found in Scripture.
Likewise, when Caviezel portrayed Jesus, he wasn’t actually playing the historical Christ, but a version of him rooted in his earlier portrayal of Edmond Edmond Dantès in the Count of Monte Cristo.
As for the new resurrection film, they have a new actor. In this new portrayal Christ will go down to hell and the film promises to be a surprising presentation.
Whatever the new film will be like we can be sure to learn that religious leaders from America are using it to promote what they would call “eccumenicalism”. Yet it isn’t even that. Real ecumenical talks exist between Christians who disagree with each other and are part of differing denominations within Christianity. But they are including Roman Catholicism into their so called ecumenical agenda. Yet Roman Catholicism should not be part of this since it is not just a denomination of Christendom, it is a cult of an entirely different religion.
On a video relating to a trailer for the Resurrection of the Christ, a high profile celebrity pastor in America says “This is a moment for the church of Jesus Christ to come together as one.” (Samuel Rodiguez)
By this Samuel Rodiguez actually means this is moment for Roman Catholics and Christians (Protestants) to unite as one. Something that no true Protestant could ever do.
This makes this charismatic leader very deceptive.
Think about it, the truth is that the church of Jesus Christ is already one, Christ has already achieved that by His death and resurrection. But when these people speak they are not talking the same language as the Scripture does, they are speaking their own language. They are in love with Rome. They have gotten into bed with her in their hearts. Yet they either lack insight into the evil cultish mess of that religion. Or they are little more than political activists.
This all makes the reality of this new movie even more cause for concern since it was written by a Roman Catholic (Mel Gibson) and a baptist. So as we draw nearer to the release of this new movie, a film that many religious leaders will no doubt exploit and cultivate for their cause, let’s await and see what the film will be like.
I have no doubt it will incorporate scenes of violence and conflict, even if those scenes are depictions of creatures from another realm and I have no doubt the film will be layered with unbiblical traditions, and Roman Catholic theology and even aspects of the writings of 19th-century German nun Anne Catherine Emmerich, as the first film did.
New Shroud of Turin “research” article and how it “ties in with the Bible”
Posted by simon peter sutherland in The Roman Catholic Church, The Shroud of Turin on April 30, 2026

I’ve been reading an article lately about a latest theory on the Shroud of Turin. The article claims the “Christ-like image” may have been caused by “a massive earthquake.”
It goes on to say that the severe earthquake mentioned in Matthew 27: 50-52 was “powerful enough to release radiation that could have imprinted the image of Christ on the shroud.”
The article expresses the opinion that God used “natural means” to form the image, which is not beyond the realm of His character. He rules the winds and the waves, He governs the earth, there is none like Him.
It is possible there may have been multi layers to the purpose of God bringing about an earth quake in the first place.
The article also states “The man of the shroud was not buried in the material for more than a few days”.
I think the image on the Shroud would certainly help prove the resurrection of Christ, if it is genuine, because there is no evidence of a rotting corpse on the cloth. The Shroud shows the image of a man who had recently died when the image was formed, yet if the body had continued to be wrapped within that cloth, it would have decayed and left evidence of the rotting corpse. Which is doesn’t.
This is consistent with Messianic prophesy from Psalm 16: 10, “You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” (NKJ)
In St Peter’s sermon in Acts 2: 30-32 the apostle says that Jesus fulfilled that prophecy by His resurrection.
I have also seen claims that the Name of Jesus has left an imprint on the cloth which came from an identity label that would have been attached to it after the body was wrapped.
But let’s not say that because it is possible that the Shroud of Turin may well be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ that means the Roman Catholic Church (who possess the artefact) is the true Church of Jesus Christ because it is not. There are plenty of establishments that own and display Biblical artefacts, from museums to libraries, many who are not even remotely Christian.
There is not a shred of evidence for papal authority in the New Testament. Outside of Matthew 16: 13-20, which they twist, Peter himself never mentions himself as a bishop of Rome or a pope. In 1 Peter 1: 1 Peter simply refers to himself as “an apostle”. In 2 Peter 1: 1 he refers to himself as “a bondservant”. If Peter was a pope, he would have mentioned papal authority which he does not. Neither does James, the half brother of Jesus who was a leader of the church in Jerusalem. When the Jerusalem council met it was run by James, Peter and John, not Peter alone (Acts 15: 6-29). Papal authority is not in the Bible. Mark doesn’t mention it, Luke doesn’t mention it, John doesn’t mention it, Paul doesn’t mention it, the author of Hebrews doesn’t mention it.
Scripture is clear that Christ is the rock of His church, not Peter. And if any church is not built on that rock it is not the Church of Jesus Christ, but a house built on sand.
Let us not forget that now is the time to get what we believe right and proper. It’s too late when we die.
Let us not forget that death not something that we should avoid thinking about, is just a sad reality of life. “We are all mortal.” But the man on the Shroud, if he is indeed the Christ, is immortal, because Christ came back to life. Let us follow Jesus Christ not man made religions.