Catholics: How can you claim that St. Paul is part of the Catholic Church with St. Peter as the first Pope?

Question

Catholics: How can you claim that St. Paul is part of the Catholic Church with St. Peter as the first Pope?

Answer 1

Tebone gives the complete answer about Peter. Paul was one of the Apostles, an especially gifted teacher sent out by the leaders of the Church to spread the gospel.



Here's the evidence that Paul was under Peter's authority:



When the Judaizing Christians insisted that converts from paganism to Christianity should be subjected to the Law of Moses, Paul and Barnabas were sent from Antioch to Jerusalem, to consult "the apostles and presbyters at Jerusalem about this question" (Acts 15:2); and, after a long debate, Peter got up and said to them: "Brethren, you know that in early days God made choice among us, that through my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And God who knows the heart, bore witness by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us.... Why then do you now try to test God by putting on the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are" (Acts 15:7-11). Then it was that "the whole meeting quieted down" (Acts 15:12).



Cheers,

Bruce

Answer 2

Actually you are conveniently leaving out that the Galatians story goes onto say in verse 18 he sought out Peter and spent (15 days with him) time with him.



That Peter was commissioned first by Christ and that it was PETER who accepted Paul as an Apostle. And how in Acts 15 when he attended the meeting (Council of Jerusalem) of the Apostles led by Peter, he was a participant and Peter the deciding voice.



When you selectively edit the Bible as you are doing you can make it appear that Paul did not view Peter as FIRST AMONG EQUALS which he did, there was a blow up but in the end Paul deferred to Peter's authority.





Actually the Pauline Epistles were not written by Paul, but his followers that assisted him.



You missed your calling chad you should write fiction, because you can make up things like no one else.



Here's an idea how about asking a question based on actual events or the entire epistles in the Bible and not your twisted or selective editing version of what happened or what was written

Answer 3

The leadership of the Church has been intrusted to St Peter.Mt 16:18 "upon this Rock I will build my Church" It is the Church that has been built on Jesus Christ, Peter was intrusted with the authority. This is the key if you don't accept this scripture you are misinturpriting it.

That is not to seperate Peter and Paul because if you have the Sacrament of the Eucharist in your Church you will understand what Communion means, it is not that some are included or some are excluded, it is those who are sinners are included repent, St Paul for example. St Paul work with St Peter to establish the Church in Rome in early history you will see they acheived great things together in Rome. Brothers in Christ.

Answer 4

Any one who is for Christ is not against him...so the basic principles of the Gospel can be preached by those with out apostolic sucession. I am Orthodox and not Catholic so verses that stress the equality of the apostles or the absolute sovrignty of Christ are not an issue since we beleive in the equality of Bishops. Saint Paul did become an apostle and if you look in the early Church he is comimorated the same day as Saint Peter.

Answer 5

Which books of the Old Testament did the Apostles accept as Scripture? Did they accept the 46 books as in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible or the 39 books as in the King James version? The Septuagint was accepted among the Hellenistic sect of Judaism (of which St. Paul was a member) and this canon did indeed include the same books as the present-day Catholic Bible. In addition, the entire New Testament was written in Greek (Hellenist) with the exception of the Gospel of St. Matthew, which was written in Aramaic (the language spoken by Christ). Over 85% of the quotes from the Old Testament that are used in the New Testament are from the Septuagint. The Palestinian Old Testament canon was not compiled until between 70-90 A.D. and then, it was done so by the non-Christian Jews in violent reaction to early Judeo-Christianity. The Palestinian canon was the one chosen by Martin Luther based on the acceptance of it by the 16th century German Jewish community of Luther's time. This canon excludes the seven books that were accepted by the Apostles as Scripture. Why was the canon of the Protestant Old Testament decided by Jews and not Christians? In addition, why did Luther attempt to eliminate the Book of St. James and the Book of Revelation? Is it because they contradicted his dogma of "faith alone?"

During the Reformation, did the Protestants "re-evaluate" all the deutero-canonical and apocryphal Christian writings such as the Gospel of St. James, the Acts of St. Paul, the Apocalypse of St. Peter, the Gospel of St. Mary Magdalene, the Gospel of St. Thomas and the myriad of other writings from the first and second centuries of the Christianity? No. The Protestants accepted the New Testament as defined by the Catholic Church in the late 4th century. Why accept the Canon as defined and preserved by the Catholic Church yet not accept the other teachings of this same Church?



What did Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformer, state about the Bible? In his "Commentary On St. John," he stated the following: "We are compelled to concede to the Papists that they have the Word of God, that we have received It from them, and that without them we should have no knowledge of It at all." Regardless of what non-Catholic Christians may think or say, according to secular, objective historians, the Catholic Church alone preserved Sacred Scripture throughout the persecution of the Roman Empire and during the Dark Ages. All non-Catholic Christian denominations owe the existence of the Bible to the Catholic Church alone. Why did God choose the Catholic Church to preserve Scripture if It is not His Church?

Answer 6

Catholic, attempting to answer here.



Of course, God shows favor to no man in particular. That's not what being the Pope is all about. Please see John 13:1ff. Peter's role as leader of the Church and his successors' role as pope is not about prestige or receiving favor from God. It's a role of service. The pope bears a spiritual responsibility for every soul on earth during his tenure -- EVERY soul, not just Catholics and not even just all Christians.



The fact that Paul received the Gospel straight from Christ Himself does not negate anything that Peter did or anything that the Church was accomplishing. Since Jesus created the Church, it amounts to the same thing.



So what about St. Paul? We Catholics value his writings and consider him our brother in the Lord. So what if he and Peter had differences? Nobody ever said that all Christians have to be carbon-copies of each other. God made us all different and our individuality is not a bad thing.



You make an assumption that Paul didn't consider Peter his leader, but you fail to substantiate that claim. Galatians 2 isn't calling Peter out by name -- you make an assumption that that is whom Paul is speaking of because that's how YOU feel about Peter, that he's worthless to you and doesn't amount to anything.



But in fact, Paul refers to "those" several times in the chapter and then in verse 7, calls Peter out as NOT "those."



Here are verses 6-8:



As for those who seemed to be important -- whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearances -- those men added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle ot the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles.



Then Paul goes on to say in verse 9 that James, Peter and John all gave Paul the right hand of fellowship and recognized the Grace he had received. So they were UNIFIED, not divided, hard as you may try to divide them.



All this to say:



1. There is no evidence that Paul did NOT accept the leadership of Peter. To the contrary, he recognizes the leadership of Peter, James and John and valued their approval of his work with the Gentiles.



2. The occasional disagreements between Peter and Paul -- a common occurrence in all relationships -- doesn't mean that Paul was disrespectful of Peter. But even if he was, that would only mean that Paul was human and imperfect.



3. There's no reason to excommunicate Paul because he has done so much for Christianity and continues to do so.



4. His writings have a TON of value for all Christians and it would be foolish for any church to disregard them.



Finally, of COURSE our only leader is Jesus Christ. But He Himself commissioned people to serve as His Apostles, so having earthly leaders who love Him and seek to serve Him is not a bad thing. Sometimes He really does reveal Himself to people through other people or through the Church. Are you going to tell the Lord to stop doing that?

Answer 7

St. Paul also defended the Eucharist. I am sure you know that St. Paul is who wrote Corinthians.



1 Corinthians 11: 23-31



~For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.



Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we should not be judged.~



How therefore can Protestants claim to follow him?



There is nothing in the Bible contrary to the Catholic Church and there is nothing in the Catholic Church contrary to the Bible. The Catholic Church gave the Bible to the world. The Bible is a Catholic book. God bless.

Answer 8

You failed to mention that it was James (the brother of Jesus0, not Peter who headed the church council to which Paul submitted in Acts 15. And that Paul stood up to and rebuked Peter in the book of Galatians when Peter was in error about his doctrine.



It is difficult at best to support the leadership of Peter over the first century church, especially since he completely disappears from the history less then half way through the book of Acts.

Answer 9

I guess the real point here is Peter as Pope.



Peter does not seem to meet the requirements though.



Peter was a married man and Popes are not allowed to marry.



Jesus, in Matthew 16:23, called Peter "Satan" because Peter had just told God that He was wrong. Peter was elevating himself above God in authority and God put him in his place: "Get behind Me Satan".



Is the Pope usually called Satan?



Refusing to believe that they say, "Well that was before Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost".



Ok. Now let's look at Galatians 2 starting with verse 11. Paul says , "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong." The Pope was wrong!? What was Paul's objection? Read verse 12: Peter had drawn back and separated himself from the Gentiles. Peter was trying to elevate himself above others. In verse 13 Paul says this about Peter: "The other Jews joined him in his hypocracy, so that by their hypocracy even Barnabas was led astray." WHAT!!????? Paul called the Pope a hypocrite? Didn't Paul know who he was talking about and that Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost by this time?



When Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter, the Greek word that was used is translated as a single stone. Jesus said, "Peter you are a SINGLE stone." Then Jesus used a different word, which is translated as a GROUP of stones joined together to form a slab, when He said "and on this GROUP of stones, joined together to form a slab, I will build My Church." The group of stones, joined together to form one huge slab is the Church. We believers are each one of the "stones" that form the "slab", which is the foundation of the Church.



The keys that Jesus gave to His bride (the church) are a sign of shared authority. Not authority to make rules and systems of worship that do not agree with what God has already said, but to make the same decisions as are made in Heaven. Whatever decisions are made on earth MUST agree with the decisions that have already been made by the ONE in the authority position, God. God is not saying whatever you decide to do, Mr. Man that I created, you do it and I will endorse it - You are the one in control of the decision making from now on and I, God, will get in-line with your program.



That is the kind of hypocritical teaching that landed Peter in trouble with Jesus and Paul in the first place.



"Get behind Me Satan."



Notice I did not use the cut and paste method like some have. I used my own thoughts based upon my own study of the scriptures.



Again. In Matthew right after Jesus re-named Simon to Peter, Jesus called him "Satan" and told him to get behind. If that took place immediately after Jesus made Peter the "Founder" of the church, what does that say? Was Peter infallible as we are taught that Popes are?



Sparki777:

<<"The occasional disagreements between Peter and Paul -- a common occurrence in all relationships -- doesn't mean that Paul was disrespectful of Peter. But even if he was, that would only mean that Paul was human and imperfect.">>



I'll add what you somehow forgot to: "and Peter was not infallible either."



Read the bible for what it REALLY says.

Answer 10

Here is the answer for Catholic claim of Peter or Paul or whoever:



1 Corinthians 3:

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

AND

21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.



Peter, Paul, Mary - sounds like candy or rock and roll - what it is is heresy.



A Christian is under the discipline of Christ and a Christian not a universalist.



Christ Jesus the Messiah and Anointed is the Head of the Church.



1Titus 2:5

For there is one God and one Mediator

between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.



Ephesian 5:23-24

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Savior of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.



In the very first words of many of Paul's letters and documents he states he is a servant, a slave, a bond servant of Jesus Christ.

Paul was under the direction of Jesus. fini

Answer 11

wow... no offence but you got waaaaaayyy to much time on your hands dude. If you come onto this system, unloading that amount of Information, your obviously spoiling to argue with someone. Just go for a Jog bro, it will help.

Answer 12

Matt. to Rev. - Peter is mentioned 155 times and the rest of apostles combined are only mentioned 130 times. Peter is also always listed first except in 1 Cor. 3:22 and Gal. 2:9 (which are obvious exceptions to the rule).



Matt. 10:2; Mark 1:36; 3:16; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:3; 2:37; 5:29 - these are some of many examples where Peter is mentioned first among the apostles.



Matt. 14:28-29 - only Peter has the faith to walk on water. No other man in Scripture is said to have the faith to walk on water. This faith ultimately did not fail.



Matt. 16:16, Mark 8:29; John 6:69 - Peter is first among the apostles to confess the divinity of Christ.



Matt. 16:17 - Peter alone is told he has received divine knowledge by a special revelation from God the Father.



Matt. 16:18 - Jesus builds the Church only on Peter, the rock, with the other apostles as the foundation and Jesus as the Head.



Matt. 16:19 - only Peter receives the keys, which represent authority over the Church and facilitate dynastic succession to his authority.



Matt. 17:24-25 - the tax collector approaches Peter for Jesus' tax. Peter is the spokesman for Jesus. He is the Vicar of Christ.



Matt. 17:26-27 - Jesus pays the half-shekel tax with one shekel, for both Jesus and Peter. Peter is Christ's representative on earth.



Matt. 18:21 - in the presence of the disciples, Peter asks Jesus about the rule of forgiveness. One of many examples where Peter takes a leadership role among the apostles in understanding Jesus' teachings.



Matt. 19:27 - Peter speaks on behalf of the apostles by telling Jesus that they have left everything to follow Him.



Mark 10:28 - here also, Peter speaks on behalf of the disciples by declaring that they have left everything to follow Him.



Mark 11:21 - Peter speaks on behalf of the disciples in remembering Jesus' curse on the fig tree.



Mark 14:37 - at Gethsemane, Jesus asks Peter, and no one else, why he was asleep. Peter is accountable to Jesus for his actions on behalf of the apostles because he has been appointed by Jesus as their leader.



Mark 16:7 - Peter is specified by an angel as the leader of the apostles as the angel confirms the resurrection of Christ.



Luke 5:3 – Jesus teaches from Peter’s boat which is metaphor for the Church. Jesus guides Peter and the Church into all truth.



Luke 5:4,10 - Jesus instructs Peter to let down the nets for a catch, and the miraculous catch follows. Peter, the Pope, is the "fisher of men."



Luke 7:40-50- Jesus addresses Peter regarding the rule of forgiveness and Peter answers on behalf of the disciples. Jesus also singles Peter out and judges his conduct vis-à-vis the conduct of the woman who anointed Him.



Luke 8:45 - when Jesus asked who touched His garment, it is Peter who answers on behalf of the disciples.



Luke 8:51; 9:28; 22:8; Acts 1:13; 3:1,3,11; 4:13,19; 8:14 - Peter is always mentioned before John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.



Luke 9:28;33 - Peter is mentioned first as going to mountain of transfiguration and the only one to speak at the transfiguration.



Luke 12:41 - Peter seeks clarification of a parable on behalf on the disciples. This is part of Peter's formation as the chief shepherd of the flock after Jesus ascended into heaven.



Luke 22:31-32 - Jesus prays for Peter alone, that his faith may not fail, and charges him to strengthen the rest of the apostles.



Luke 24:12, John 20:4-6 - John arrived at the tomb first but stopped and waited for Peter. Peter then arrived and entered the tomb first.



Luke 24:34 - the two disciples distinguish Peter even though they both had seen the risen Jesus the previous hour. See Luke 24:33.



John 6:68 - after the disciples leave, Peter is the first to speak and confess his belief in Christ after the Eucharistic discourse.



John 13:6-9 - Peter speaks out to the Lord in front of the apostles concerning the washing of feet.



John 13:36; 21:18 - Jesus predicts Peter's death. Peter was martyred at Rome in 67 A.D. Several hundred years of papal successors were also martyred.



John 21:2-3,11 - Peter leads the fishing and his net does not break. The boat (the "barque of Peter") is a metaphor for the Church.



John 21:7 - only Peter got out of the boat and ran to the shore to meet Jesus. Peter is the earthly shepherd leading us to God.



John 21:15 - in front of the apostles, Jesus asks Peter if he loves Jesus "more than these," which refers to the other apostles. Peter is the head of the apostolic see.



John 21:15-17 - Jesus charges Peter to "feed my lambs," "tend my sheep," "feed my sheep." Sheep means all people, even the apostles.



Acts 1:13 - Peter is first when entering upper room after our Lord's ascension. The first Eucharist and Pentecost were given in this room.



Acts 1:15 - Peter initiates the selection of a successor to Judas right after Jesus ascended into heaven, and no one questions him. Further, if the Church needed a successor to Judas, wouldn't it need one to Peter? Of course.



Acts 2:14 - Peter is first to speak for the apostles after the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost. Peter is the first to preach the Gospel.



Acts 2:38 - Peter gives first preaching in the early Church on repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.



Acts 3:1,3,4 - Peter is mentioned first as going to the Temple to pray.



Acts 3:6-7 - Peter works the first healing of the apostles.



Acts 3:12-26, 4:8-12 - Peter teaches the early Church the healing through Jesus and that there is no salvation other than Christ.



Acts 5:3 - Peter declares the first anathema of Ananias and Sapphira which is ratified by God, and brings about their death. Peter exercises his binding authority.



Acts 5:15 - Peter's shadow has healing power. No other apostle is said to have this power.



Acts 8:14 - Peter is mentioned first in conferring the sacrament of confirmation.



Acts 8:20-23 - Peter casts judgment on Simon's quest for gaining authority through the laying on of hands. Peter exercises his binding and loosing authority.



Acts 9:32-34 - Peter is mentioned first among the apostles and works the healing of Aeneas.



Acts 9:38-40 - Peter is mentioned first among the apostles and raises Tabitha from the dead.



Acts 10:5 - Cornelius is told by an angel to call upon Peter. Angels are messengers of God. Peter was granted this divine vision.



Acts 10:34-48, 11:1-18 - Peter is first to teach about salvation for all (Jews and Gentiles).



Acts 12:5 - this verse implies that the "whole Church" offered "earnest prayers" for Peter, their leader, during his imprisonment.



Acts 12:6-11 - Peter is freed from jail by an angel. He is the first object of divine intervention in the early Church.



Acts 15:7-12 - Peter resolves the first doctrinal issue on circumcision at the Church's first council at Jerusalem, and no one questions him. After Peter the Papa spoke, all were kept silent.



Acts 15:12 - only after Peter (the Pope) speaks do Paul and Barnabas (bishops) speak in support of Peter's definitive teaching.



Acts 15:13-14 - then James speaks to further acknowledge Peter's definitive teaching. "Simeon (Peter) has related how God first visited..."



Rom. 15:20 - Paul says he doesn't want to build on "another man's foundation" referring to Peter, who built the Church in Rome.



1 Cor. 9:5 – Peter is distinguished from the rest of the apostles and brethren of the Lord.



1 Cor. 15:4-8 - Paul distinguishes Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to Peter from those of the other apostles. Christ appeared “to Cephas, then to the twelve.”



Gal.1:18 - Paul spends fifteen days with Peter privately before beginning his ministry, even after Christ's Revelation to Paul.



1 Peter 5:1 - Peter acts as the chief bishop by "exhorting" all the other bishops and elders of the Church.





When Christ gave Peter the "Keys", this, according to long custom of the Jews and other peoples, symbolized the conferring of authority (cf Is. 22:22; Ap 3:7). He was given complete power to bind and to loose", which means to forbid and permit, and to do so in such a way that God's own authority is thereby committed. Thus Peter is called the Vicar of Christ, the one who visibly heads the Church in the name of Christ.





We note that Jesus first established His Church on the Apostles, and commissioned them to teach the Word of God to all nations. And this the Apostles did, immediately after Pentecost. Peter was the center of the united teaching. As we read in the Acts of the Apostles (2:14), "Peter, standing up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke out to them . . . Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (2:38). Then, we read that those "who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls" (2:41).





It was Peter who healed the man who was lame from his mother's womb, "at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful," saying: "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk" (Acts, 3:6). Astounded by this miracle, the people ran after the Apostles; and it was Peter who preached Christ to them. Thereupon the officers, of the Jewish Temple arrested him; but the number of those who came to believe were five thousand (Acts, 4:4). People brought their sick into the streets and laid them on beds so that, "when Peter passed, his shadow at least might fall on some of them ... and they were all cured" (Acts 5:15-16). When the apostles were ordered by the heads of the Sanhedrin not to preach Christ, "Peter and the apostles said: We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).





It was Peter who condemned Simon the Magician who had attempted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit saying, "Your money go to destruction with you, because you have thought that the gift of God can be purchased with money" (Acts 8:20). It was again Peter who, in visiting the churches in Judea, Galilee and Samaria, cured Aeneas, the paralytic; and raised Tabitha (Dorcas) from the dead (Acts 9:31-41). An angel of the Lord directed that Cornelius, a Roman centurion, go to Simon Peter in order to receive Baptism; and he was the first of the Gentiles to be brought to Christian belief (Acts, 10:1-48). In Peter's discourse on Jesus "who is the Lord of all," the Holy Spirit came upon all; and Peter "ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 10:36, 48).





Meanwhile, Paul was preaching the Word in Asia Minor; and also performing miracles in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. When the Judaizing Christians insisted that converts from paganism to Christianity should be subjected to the Law of Moses, Paul and Barnabas were sent from Antioch to Jerusalem, to consult "the apostles and presbyters at Jerusalem about this question" (Acts 15:2); and, after a long debate, Peter got up and said to them: "Brethren, you know that in early days God made choice among us, that through my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And God who knows the heart, bore witness by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us.... Why then do you now try to test God by putting on the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are" (Acts 15:7-11). Then it was that "the whole meeting quieted down" (Acts 15:12).





Paul was the greatest of the Apostles among the Gentiles; but, after his Baptism (Acts 9:10-19) and a period of preparation for the ministry in Arabia (Gal 1:17), and after preaching in Damascus that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he went to Jerusalem to see Peter (Gal 1:18), to pay his homage to the head of the Church. Again, fourteen years later, Paul went up to the mother church of Jerusalem, "as the result of a revelation." He wrote: "I laid before the leading men the Good News as I proclaim it among the pagans; I did so for fear the course I was adopting or had already adopted would not be allowed" (Gal 2:1-2). And so "James, Cephas (Peter) and John, these leaders, these pillars, gave me ... the right hand of fellowship." It is true that the great Paul came into conflict with the head of the Apostles, Peter, in Antioch, confronting him with the question: " If you, though a Jew, live like the Gentiles, and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like the Jews?" (Gal. 2:14). He charged Peter with dissembling, in the company of the Jews; and made clear the teaching of Christ:





We know that man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Hence we also believe in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law.... For I through the Law have died to the Law that I may live to God.... I do not cast away the grace of God. For if justice is by the Law, then Christ died in vain (Gal. 2:16, 19, 21).





This text is often used to prove that Peter did not have a juridical primacy over Christ's Church. But it should be obvious that it proves the contrary. It tells of the correction of a personal weakness, not a juridical challenge. The controversy between the Judaizing Christians and those newly converted from paganism had been settled, at Paul's behest, in the Council of Jerusalem (A.D. 51). It was Peter who gave voice to that decision of the Council. The later weakness of Peter was not a change in the Church's teaching; nor was Paul's rebuke a challenge to Peter's authority, but a brotherly correction rendered urgent because of Peter's authority. The entire passage makes this clear. It begins, again, with Paul seeking Peter's formal approval for his course of action in the apostolate (Gal 2:2).

Answer 13

What does the name Peter mean? Is it in the Gospel that Christ Himself said that Peter was the rock upon which He would build His Church?

Answer 14

Okay. I'll try to say this without arousing any anger in your heart. I'll speak only the Truth to you so that you may know what is true at all.



To begin however. It is important that we not take a single piece of Galatians, chapter 2 apart from its context. It value as truth is surrendered when we forget the content of the book as a whole. I can take every third word if I wanted to, arbitrarily put them together, and make some sentence that opposes everything Catholic, that is, Christian.



It is also important when reading Scripture to meditate on The Word. Not just follow it letter by letter as the Pharisees did, but truly engage the Holy Spirit, and pray for discernment while contemplating. And recognize that until you begin to take it SLOW, and allow Christ to rest in your thoughts, you will find no peace in Scripture.



Now that we have that, and having read through the whole of the chapter of Galatians at least once We recognize a few important things:



1. The chapter is not about pointing out differences, neither is it about positing one apostle in favor of another. In this chapter, we notice that both Paul and Peter have a message and an audience.



Who these audiences are plays a major role in how these two apostles view each other, themselves and their relationship.



2. Paul, we quickly notice is an evangelist. However, Peter is NOT (at least not in the same sense that we have today (but that is a whole other conversation for Greek translation and stuff)).



Paul goes to Peter and rightly says [basically] "I don't really care what you think of yourselves"; however, he does not dismiss Peter's authority. In fact, he admits his own insecurity and desires the approval of Peter early on in the second verse.



What both Paul and Peter know is what Christ said before, that He did not come to abolish the Law, which is what the Jews submitted to. Rather, Christ came to fulfill it. Of course, Catholics do not view their faith as other than Jewish, rather, we recognize Catholic as the fulfillment of Judaism.)



What was lacking in the Jewish faith was completed by Christ and revealed by Peter and Paul in the new Catholic faith, although, at this time it had no "title" other than "the Way". As early as the end of that first century, just before John had written Revelation, was the first time the Catholic had been used.



It was being used because the bishops appointed by both Peter and by Paul were already facing heresies that claimed Christ was either not God, or not Man. These heretics were also writing false Gospels and testimonies. These heresies tried to separate Christ into either God or Man, but the proponents of these heresies could not imagine that He was fully BOTH.



The name Catholic was being used to say that there was only one Truth and that these heresies could not be tolerated under any circumstance for they would injure both Peter and Paul and the Truth they were given to reveal. The early Christians were fiercely determined and that is a little know fact. What is also a little known fact is that they would have done almost anything at all just to keep one Christian from straying from the Truth and I certainly do not mean that in a condemnatory way. (But you can imagine if Mohammed had been born in that first century, his so-called revelations may have never gotten of the ground, but nevermind that for now.)



Back to the answer, Paul rightly admits that he received his Truth from the very person of Christ, he also admits that Peter did too. Both of them had the Truth and surely they could not be different for there would thus be no truth at all! This is why Catholics celebrate the feast of Saints Peter and Paul together, not separately.



While Paul recognizes that his own revelation came from Christ, Christ gave His authority to Peter. However, he does not denigrate his repsonsiblities as a Christian to tell the truth no matter what the cost or whose "feelings" got hurt in the process. The Truth had to be proclaimed and so he was not afraid to instruct Peter.



But Peter also recognized that Paul had been given Christ's Truth by Divine Revelation as well. He knew well that the two of them were as equals in that respect. And so, Peter gave much respect to Paul. If this were not true, then Paul's words would have meant nothing when he reproved Peter regarding circumcision. No, Peter knew exactly that Christ had given them both the Truth of Himself.



But Peter, like Christ, who, "although he was God, did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped at". In this way, Peter had a firm memory of Christ washing his own feet during the last supper and how he tried to prevent Christ from doing so. Peter knew what it meant to have the 'keys to the kingdom of heaven'. He knew that meant humility and servitude. Peter knew that he had to lower himself to Truth itself.



That is why, when Paul reproved Peter, Peter recognized the Truth, not because it was Paul, who cares about Paul, and who cares about Peter, but because it was revealed by Christ Himself.



Therefore, Paul rightly says, at the close of that part of Scripture which you quoted, " 6As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message. 7On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles,[a] just as Peter had been to the Jews.[b] 8For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9James, Peter[c] and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."



In this entire story, Paul never once dismisses Peter's authority for the Truth. In fact, when you go back Paul's rebuke, what he is rebuking is not Peter's teaching, but that Peter had slipped back into being Simon, even if just for a moment.



We all have two natures. Paul talks eagerly about his own nature as Saul, and Christ talks about Peter's nature as Simon. Paul writes, "I do what I do not want to do and I don't do what I ought to." In this passage, Paul even corrects/rebukes himself.



But never does he encourage anyone to believe that Peter has not the authority entrusted him by Christ. rather, he means to uphold it. He visits Peter twice to see if the gospel he is preaching is authentic to the gospel that Peter is also preaching.



Paul, is receiving Peter, acknowledges this to be the truth.



They were both of the same Faith and they both knew it. They both knew that God could reveal himself to anybody. However, Christ did not reveal himself to high-minded types, and Paul recognizes this, but almost always, He reveals himself to the lowliest ones, and if they are not the lowliest ones, Christ will be sure to make them lowly so that his message will not be corrupted.



In all of this, what Paul, Peter, and Christ all demonstrate to us is that: If we do not "empty" ourselves first, then Christ cannot fill us and "bring us to completion" in His Word. It is in this way that we "cooperate" with God's plan for salvation.



Now there is one thing I must add that you did not recognize before - The Pope never speaks on his own authority. He alone is not infallible. It is heresy to say otherwise. When the Pope speak, he speaks with the approval of the bishops who have entrusted him. He speaks only after considerable council and discernment. He speaks only after prayer. The pope does not deem himself equal with God, and in that manner, he does not deem himself equal with God either. There are many great misconceptions and lies spread about who the Pope is and is not. Believe none of them. If you want to know what we think of our Pope, then ask a Bishop. if he lied to you, then he lied to himself too and the guilt is on his own heart not yours.



Sorry this was so long, that's just how much it takes because these are not easy questions. And I hope, in Christ, that I did not offend you and turn you from Christ. But I hope this will turn you toward Christ and that your heart will not be darkened by anything that I wrote. If that did happen, then no matter what the truth, I failed to bring Christ to you.

Answer 15

Peter is the Rock on which the Church is Built

Mark 3:16; John 1:42 – Jesus renames Simon "Kepha" in Aramaic which literally means "rock." This was an extraordinary thing for Jesus to do, because "rock" was not even a name in Jesus' time. Jesus did this, not to give Simon a strange name, but to identify his new status among the apostles. When God changes a person's name, He changes their status.



Gen. 17:5; 32:28; 2 Kings 23:34; Acts 9:4; 13:9 - for example, in these verses, we see that God changes the following people's names and, as a result, they become special agents of God: Abram to Abraham; Jacob to Israel, Eliakim to Jehoiakim, Saul to Paul.



2 Sam. 22:2-3, 32, 47; 23:3; Psalm 18:2,31,46; 19:4; 28:1; 42:9; 62:2,6,7; 89:26; 94:22; 144:1-2 - in these verses, God is also called "rock." Hence, from these verses, non-Catholics often argue that God, and not Peter, is the rock that Jesus is referring to in Matt. 16:18. This argument not only ignores the plain meaning of the applicable texts, but also assumes words used in Scripture can only have one meaning. This, of course, is not true. For example:



1 Cor. 3:11 - Jesus is called the only foundation of the Church, and yet in Eph. 2:20, the apostles are called the foundation of the Church. Similarly, in 1 Peter 2:25, Jesus is called the Shepherd of the flock, but in Acts 20:28, the apostles are called the shepherds of the flock. These verses show that there are multiple metaphors for the Church, and that words used by the inspired writers of Scripture can have various meanings. Catholics agree that God is the rock of the Church, but this does not mean He cannot confer this distinction upon Peter as well, to facilitate the unity He desires for the Church.



Matt. 16:18 - Jesus said in Aramaic, you are "Kepha" and on this "Kepha" I will build my Church. In Aramaic, "kepha" means a massive stone, and "evna" means little pebble. Some non-Catholics argue that, because the Greek word for rock is "petra", that "Petros" actually means "a small rock", and therefore Jesus was attempting to diminish Peter right after blessing him by calling him a small rock. Not only is this nonsensical in the context of Jesus' blessing of Peter, Jesus was speaking Aramaic and used "Kepha," not "evna." Using Petros to translate Kepha was done simply to reflect the masculine noun of Peter.



Moreover, if the translator wanted to identify Peter as the "small rock," he would have used "lithos" which means a little pebble in Greek. Also, Petros and petra were synonyms at the time the Gospel was written, so any attempt to distinguish the two words is inconsequential. Thus, Jesus called Peter the massive rock, not the little pebble, on which He would build the Church. (You don’t even need Matt. 16:18 to prove Peter is the rock because Jesus renamed Simon “rock” in Mark 3:16 and John 1:42!).



Matt. 16:17 - to further demonstrate that Jesus was speaking Aramaic, Jesus says Simon "Bar-Jona." The use of "Bar-Jona" proves that Jesus was speaking Aramaic. In Aramaic, "Bar" means son, and "Jonah" means John or dove (Holy Spirit). See Matt. 27:46 and Mark 15:34 which give another example of Jesus speaking Aramaic as He utters in rabbinical fashion the first verse of Psalm 22 declaring that He is the Christ, the Messiah. This shows that Jesus was indeed speaking Aramaic, as the Jewish people did at that time.



Matt. 16:18 - also, in quoting "on this rock," the Scriptures use the Greek construction "tautee tee" which means on "this" rock; on "this same" rock; or on "this very" rock. "Tautee tee" is a demonstrative construction in Greek, pointing to Peter, the subject of the sentence (and not his confession of faith as some non-Catholics argue) as the very rock on which Jesus builds His Church. The demonstrative (“tautee”) generally refers to its closest antecedent (“Petros”). Also, there is no place in Scripture where “faith” is equated with “rock.”



Matt. 16:18-19 - in addition, to argue that Jesus first blesses Peter for having received divine revelation from the Father, then diminishes him by calling him a small pebble, and then builds him up again by giving him the keys to the kingdom of heaven is entirely illogical, and a gross manipulation of the text to avoid the truth of Peter's leadership in the Church. This is a three-fold blessing of Peter - you are blessed, you are the rock on which I will build my Church, and you will receive the keys to the kingdom of heaven (not you are blessed for receiving Revelation, but you are still an insignificant little pebble, and yet I am going to give you the keys to the kingdom).



Matt. 16:18-19 – to further rebut the Protestant argument that Jesus was speaking about Peter’s confession of faith (not Peter himself) based on the revelation he received, the verses are clear that Jesus, after acknowledging Peter’s receipt of divine revelation, turns the whole discourse to the person of Peter: Blessed are “you” Simon, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to “you,” and I tell “you,” “you” are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church. I will give “you” the keys to the kingdom, and whatever “you” bind and loose on earth will be bound and loosed in heaven. Jesus’ whole discourse relates to the person of Peter, not his confession of faith.



Matt. 16:13 - also, from a geographical perspective, Jesus renames Simon to rock in Caesarea Philippi near a massive rock formation on which Herod built a temple to Caesar. Jesus chose this setting to further emphasize that Peter was indeed the rock on which the Church would be built.



Matt. 7:24 - Jesus, like the wise man, builds His house on the rock (Peter), not on grain of sand (Simon) so the house will not fall.



Luke 6:48 - the house (the Church) built upon the rock (Peter) cannot be shaken by floods (which represent the heresies, schisms, and scandals that the Church has faced over the last 2,000 years). Floods have occurred, but the Church still remains on its solid rock foundation.



Matt. 16:21 - it is also important to note that it was only after Jesus established Peter as leader of the Church that He began to speak of His death and departure. This is because Jesus had now appointed His representative on earth.



John 21:15 - Jesus asks Peter if he loves Jesus "more than these," referring to the other apostles. Jesus singles Peter out as the leader of the apostolic college.



John 21:15-17 - Jesus selects Peter to be the chief shepherd of the apostles when He says to Peter, "feed my lambs," "tend my sheep," "feed my sheep." Peter will shepherd the Church as Jesus’ representative.



Luke 22:31-32 - Jesus also prays that Peter's faith may not fail and charges Peter to be the one to strengthen the other apostles - "Simon, satan demanded to have you (plural, referring to all the apostles) to sift you (plural) like wheat, but I prayed for you (singular) that your (singular) faith may not fail, and when you (singular) have turned again, strengthen your brethren.



Acts 1,2,3,4,5,8,15 - no one questions Peter's authority to speak for the Church, declare anathemas, and resolve doctrinal debates. Peter is the rock on which the Church is built who feeds Jesus’ sheep and whose faith will not fail.



Peter has the Keys of Authority over the Earthly Kingdom, the Church

2 Sam. 7:16; Psalm 89:3-4; 1 Chron.17:12,14 - God promises to establish the Davidic kingdom forever on earth.



Matt. 1:1 - Matthew clearly establishes this tie of David to Jesus. Jesus is the new King of the new House of David, and the King will assign a chief steward to rule over the house while the King is in heaven.



Luke 1:32 - the archangel Gabriel announces to Mary that her Son would be given "the throne of His father David."



Matt. 16:19 - Jesus gives Peter the "keys of the kingdom of heaven." While most Protestants argue that the kingdom of heaven Jesus was talking about is the eternal state of glory (as if Peter is up in heaven letting people in), the kingdom of heaven Jesus is speaking of actually refers to the Church on earth. In using the term "keys," Jesus was referencing Isaiah 22 (which is the only place in the Bible where keys are used in the context of a kingdom).



Isaiah 22:22 - in the old Davidic kingdom, there were royal ministers who conducted the liturgical worship and bound the people in teaching and doctrine. But there was also a Prime Minister or chief steward of the kingdom who held the keys. Jesus gives Peter these keys to His earthly kingdom, the Church. This representative has decision-making authority over the people - when he shuts, no one opens. See also Job 12:14.



Rev. 1:18; 3:7; 9:1; 20:1 - Jesus' "keys" undeniably represent authority. By using the word "keys," Jesus gives Peter authority on earth over the new Davidic kingdom, and this was not seriously questioned by anyone until the Protestant reformation 1,500 years later after Peter’s investiture.



Matt. 16:19 - whatever Peter binds or looses on earth is bound or loosed in heaven / when the Prime Minister to the King opens, no one shuts. This "binding and loosing" authority allows the keeper of the keys to establish "halakah," or rules of conduct for the members of the kingdom he serves. Peter's "keys" fit into the "gates" of Hades which also represent Peter’s pastoral authority over souls.



Matt. 23:2-4 - the "binding and loosing" terminology used by Jesus was understood by the Jewish people. For example, Jesus said that the Pharisees "bind" heavy burdens but won't move ("loose") them with their fingers. Peter and the apostles have the new binding and loosing authority over the Church of the New Covenant.



Matt. 13:24-52 -Jesus comparing the kingdom of heaven to a field, a mustard seed, leaven, and a net demonstrate that the kingdom Jesus is talking about is the universal Church on earth, not the eternal state of glory. Therefore, the keys to the "kingdom of heaven" refers to the authority over the earthly Church.



Matt. 25:1-2 - Jesus comparing the kingdom of heaven to ten maidens, five of whom were foolish, further shows that the kingdom is the Church on earth. This kingdom cannot refer to the heavenly kingdom because there are no fools in heaven!



Mark 4:26-32 - again, the "kingdom of God" is like the seed which grows and develops. The heavenly kingdom is eternal, so the kingdom to which Peter holds the keys of authority is the earthly Church.



Luke 9:27 - Jesus says that there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the "kingdom of God." This kingdom refers to the earthly kingdom of Christ, which Jesus established by His death and resurrection on earth.



Luke 13:19-20 - again, Jesus says the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed which grew into a tree. This refers to the earthly Church which develops over time, from an acorn to an oak tree (not the heavenly state of glory which is boundless and infinite).



Matt 12:28; Mark 1:15; Luke 11:20; 17:21 - these verses provide more examples of the " kingdom of God" as the kingdom on earth which is in our midst.



1 Chron. 28:5 - Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord. This shows that the "kingdom of God" usually means an earthly kingdom.



1 Chron. 29:23 - Solomon sits on the throne of the Lord as king in place of King David. The throne of God refers to the earthly kingdom.



Matt. 16:19 - Peter holds keys to this new Davidic kingdom and rules while the real King of David (Jesus) is in heaven.



Luke 12:41-42 - when Peter asks Jesus if the parable of the master and the kingdom was meant just for the apostles or for all people, Jesus rhetorically confirms to Peter that Peter is the chief steward over the Master's household of God. "Who then, (Peter) is that faithful and wise steward whom his master will make ruler over His household..?"



Ezek. 37:24-25 - David shall be king over them forever and they will have one shepherd. Jesus is our King, and Peter is our earthly shepherd.



Peter's Keys and Papal Succession

Jer. 33:17 - Jeremiah prophesies that David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the earthly House of Israel. Either this is a false prophecy, or David has a successor of representatives throughout history.



Dan. 2:44 - Daniel prophesies an earthly kingdom that will never be destroyed. Either this is a false prophecy, or the earthly kingdom requires succession.



Isa. 22:20 - in the old Davidic kingdom, Eliakim succeeds Shebna as the chief steward of the household of God. The kingdom employs a mechanism of dynastic succession. King David was dead for centuries, but his kingdom is preserved through a succession of representatives.



Isa. 22:19 - Shebna is described as having an "office" and a "station." An office, in order for it to be an office, has successors. In order for an earthly kingdom to last, a succession of representatives is required. This was the case in the Old Covenant kingdom, and it is the case in the New Covenant kingdom which fulfills the Old Covenant. Jesus our King is in heaven, but He has appointed a chief steward over His household with a plan for a succession of representatives.



Isa. 22:21 - Eliakim is called “father” or “papa” of God's people. The word Pope used by Catholics to describe the chief steward of the earthly kingdom simply means papa or father in Italian. This is why Catholics call the leader of the Church "Pope." The Pope is the father of God's people, the chief steward of the earthly kingdom and Christ's representative on earth.



Isa. 22:22 - we see that the keys of the kingdom pass from Shebna to Eliakim. Thus, the keys are used not only as a symbol of authority, but also to facilitate succession. The keys of Christ's kingdom have passed from Peter to Linus all the way to our current Pope with an unbroken lineage for almost 2,000 years.



Acts 1:20 - we see in the early Church that successors are immediately chosen for the apostles' offices. Just as the Church replaced Judas, it also replaced Peter with a successor after Peter's death.



John 21:15-17; Luke 22:31-32 - Jesus' creation of Peter's office as chief shepherd with the keys passed to Linus, Cletus, Clement I, all the way to our current Holy Father.



Matt. 23:2 - this shows that the Jews understood the importance of succession to the chair and its attendant authority. Here, Jesus respects Moses' seat ("cathedra") of authority which was preserved by succession. In the Church, Peter's seat is called the "cathedra," and when Peter's successor speaks officially on a matter of faith or morals, it may rise to the level of an "ex cathedra" (from the chair) teaching.



Eph. 3:21 - this divine word tells us that Jesus Christ's Church will exist in all generations. Only the Catholic Church can prove by succession such existence. Our Protestant brothers and sisters become uncomfortable with this passage because it requires them to look for a Church that has existed for over 2,000 years. This means that all the other Christian denominations (some of which have been around even less than one year!) cannot be the church that Christ built upon the rock of Peter.



Primacy of Peter

Matt. to Rev. - Peter is mentioned 155 times and the rest of apostles combined are only mentioned 130 times. Peter is also always listed first except in 1 Cor. 3:22 and Gal. 2:9 (which are obvious exceptions to the rule).



Matt. 10:2; Mark 1:36; 3:16; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:3; 2:37; 5:29 - these are some of many examples where Peter is mentioned first among the apostles.



Matt. 14:28-29 - only Peter has the faith to walk on water. No other man in Scripture is said to have the faith to walk on water. This faith ultimately did not fail.



Matt. 16:16, Mark 8:29; John 6:69 - Peter is first among the apostles to confess the divinity of Christ.



Matt. 16:17 - Peter alone is told he has received divine knowledge by a special revelation from God the Father.



Matt. 16:18 - Jesus builds the Church only on Peter, the rock, with the other apostles as the foundation and Jesus as the Head.



Matt. 16:19 - only Peter receives the keys, which represent authority over the Church and facilitate dynastic succession to his authority.



Matt. 17:24-25 - the tax collector approaches Peter for Jesus' tax. Peter is the spokesman for Jesus. He is the Vicar of Christ.



Matt. 17:26-27 - Jesus pays the half-shekel tax with one shekel, for both Jesus and Peter. Peter is Christ's representative on earth.



Matt. 18:21 - in the presence of the disciples, Peter asks Jesus about the rule of forgiveness. One of many examples where Peter takes a leadership role among the apostles in understanding Jesus' teachings.



Matt. 19:27 - Peter speaks on behalf of the apostles by telling Jesus that they have left everything to follow Him.



Mark 10:28 - here also, Peter speaks on behalf of the disciples by declaring that they have left everything to follow Him.



Mark 11:21 - Peter speaks on behalf of the disciples in remembering Jesus' curse on the fig tree.



Mark 14:37 - at Gethsemane, Jesus asks Peter, and no one else, why he was asleep. Peter is accountable to Jesus for his actions on behalf of the apostles because he has been appointed by Jesus as their leader.



Mark 16:7 - Peter is specified by an angel as the leader of the apostles as the angel confirms the resurrection of Christ.



Luke 5:3 – Jesus teaches from Peter’s boat which is metaphor for the Church. Jesus guides Peter and the Church into all truth.



Luke 5:4,10 - Jesus instructs Peter to let down the nets for a catch, and the miraculous catch follows. Peter, the Pope, is the "fisher of men."



Luke 7:40-50- Jesus addresses Peter regarding the rule of forgiveness and Peter answers on behalf of the disciples. Jesus also singles Peter out and judges his conduct vis-à-vis the conduct of the woman who anointed Him.



Luke 8:45 - when Jesus asked who touched His garment, it is Peter who answers on behalf of the disciples.



Luke 8:51; 9:28; 22:8; Acts 1:13; 3:1,3,11; 4:13,19; 8:14 - Peter is always mentioned before John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.



Luke 9:28;33 - Peter is mentioned first as going to mountain of transfiguration and the only one to speak at the transfiguration.



Luke 12:41 - Peter seeks clarification of a parable on behalf on the disciples. This is part of Peter's formation as the chief shepherd of the flock after Jesus ascended into heaven.



Luke 22:31-32 - Jesus prays for Peter alone, that his faith may not fail, and charges him to strengthen the rest of the apostles.



Luke 24:12, John 20:4-6 - John arrived at the tomb first but stopped and waited for Peter. Peter then arrived and entered the tomb first.



Luke 24:34 - the two disciples distinguish Peter even though they both had seen the risen Jesus the previous hour. See Luke 24:33.



John 6:68 - after the disciples leave, Peter is the first to speak and confess his belief in Christ after the Eucharistic discourse.



John 13:6-9 - Peter speaks out to the Lord in front of the apostles concerning the washing of feet.



John 13:36; 21:18 - Jesus predicts Peter's death. Peter was martyred at Rome in 67 A.D. Several hundred years of papal successors were also martyred.



John 21:2-3,11 - Peter leads the fishing and his net does not break. The boat (the "barque of Peter") is a metaphor for the Church.



John 21:7 - only Peter got out of the boat and ran to the shore to meet Jesus. Peter is the earthly shepherd leading us to God.



John 21:15 - in front of the apostles, Jesus asks Peter if he loves Jesus "more than these," which refers to the other apostles. Peter is the head of the apostolic see.



John 21:15-17 - Jesus charges Peter to "feed my lambs," "tend my sheep," "feed my sheep." Sheep means all people, even the apostles.



Acts 1:13 - Peter is first when entering upper room after our Lord's ascension. The first Eucharist and Pentecost were given in this room.



Acts 1:15 - Peter initiates the selection of a successor to Judas right after Jesus ascended into heaven, and no one questions him. Further, if the Church needed a successor to Judas, wouldn't it need one to Peter? Of course.



Acts 2:14 - Peter is first to speak for the apostles after the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost. Peter is the first to preach the Gospel.



Acts 2:38 - Peter gives first preaching in the early Church on repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.



Acts 3:1,3,4 - Peter is mentioned first as going to the Temple to pray.



Acts 3:6-7 - Peter works the first healing of the apostles.



Acts 3:12-26, 4:8-12 - Peter teaches the early Church the healing through Jesus and that there is no salvation other than Christ.



Acts 5:3 - Peter declares the first anathema of Ananias and Sapphira which is ratified by God, and brings about their death. Peter exercises his binding authority.



Acts 5:15 - Peter's shadow has healing power. No other apostle is said to have this power.



Acts 8:14 - Peter is mentioned first in conferring the sacrament of confirmation.



Acts 8:20-23 - Peter casts judgment on Simon's quest for gaining authority through the laying on of hands. Peter exercises his binding and loosing authority.



Acts 9:32-34 - Peter is mentioned first among the apostles and works the healing of Aeneas.



Acts 9:38-40 - Peter is mentioned first among the apostles and raises Tabitha from the dead.



Acts 10:5 - Cornelius is told by an angel to call upon Peter. Angels are messengers of God. Peter was granted this divine vision.



Acts 10:34-48, 11:1-18 - Peter is first to teach about salvation for all (Jews and Gentiles).



Acts 12:5 - this verse implies that the "whole Church" offered "earnest prayers" for Peter, their leader, during his imprisonment.



Acts 12:6-11 - Peter is freed from jail by an angel. He is the first object of divine intervention in the early Church.



Acts 15:7-12 - Peter resolves the first doctrinal issue on circumcision at the Church's first council at Jerusalem, and no one questions him. After Peter the Papa spoke, all were kept silent.



Acts 15:12 - only after Peter (the Pope) speaks do Paul and Barnabas (bishops) speak in support of Peter's definitive teaching.



Acts 15:13-14 - then James speaks to further acknowledge Peter's definitive teaching. "Simeon (Peter) has related how God first visited..."



Rom. 15:20 - Paul says he doesn't want to build on "another man's foundation" referring to Peter, who built the Church in Rome.



1 Cor. 9:5 – Peter is distinguished from the rest of the apostles and brethren of the Lord.



1 Cor. 15:4-8 - Paul distinguishes Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to Peter from those of the other apostles. Christ appeared “to Cephas, then to the twelve.”



Gal.1:18 - Paul spends fifteen days with Peter privately before beginning his ministry, even after Christ's Revelation to Paul.



1 Peter 5:1 - Peter acts as the chief bishop by "exhorting" all the other bishops and elders of the Church.



1 Peter 5:13 - Some Protestants argue against the Papacy by trying to prove Peter was never in Rome. First, this argument is irrelevant to whether Jesus instituted the Papacy. Secondly, this verse demonstrates that Peter was in fact in Rome. Peter writes from "Babylon" which was a code name for Rome during these days of persecution. See, for example, Rev. 14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2,10,21, which show that "Babylon" meant Rome. Rome was the "great city" of the New Testament period. Because Rome during this age was considered the center of the world, the Lord wanted His Church to be established in Rome.



2 Peter 1:14 - Peter writes about Jesus' prediction of Peter's death, embracing the eventual martyrdom that he would suffer.



2 Peter 3:16 - Peter is making a judgment on the proper interpretation of Paul's letters. Peter is the chief shepherd of the flock.



Matt. 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:44 - yet Peter, as the first, humbled himself to be the last and servant of all servants.

Answer 16

Paul withstood Peter to the face, "because he was to be blamed"; Gal 2:11. Peter ate with his Gentile brothers until the Jews showed up, and then he separated himself in company of Jews only. I love Peter, because he is an example of God's love for His children even during our weak times. Did Peter stop being God's child when he denied our Lord? NO!!! Jesus alowed this to happen as punishment for Peter's contradicting Jesus. Peter even said that he'd lay down his life for Jesus, and Jesus responded, WILL YOU LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR ME? In fact, Jesus laid down his life for Peter, not the other way around. Peter was very much human, but greatly loved by His Holy Father.



The name Peter is #4074 in Strong's Greek Dictionary, and it means a PIECE of rock.



Christ's church is built upon "the revelation of Jesus Christ". By the same way that Peter knew who Jesus is, flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father. We are built upon the pure, white stones of revelation, not upon a dead man's bones.



Peter had received the "white stone" of Rev 2:17, and had eaten of the "hidden manna", and had had his name changed from Simon Barjona to Peter. The same happened to Paul; his name was changed from Saul to Paul. Think of Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob; all had this white, pure stone of revelation, thru the Holy Spirit, and all had their names changed by God.



To God alone ALL THE GLORY!!!

Answer 17

Peter lives, eat, and breathe with Jesus. Jesus commissioned him, just any grade 1 knows.

Answer 18

Indeed!!! John 6:45, Jesus speaking, "It is written in the prophets, AND THEY SHALL BE ALL TAUGHT OF GOD". Where in the prophets do we find this written? Jeremiah 31:31-34, "...I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:"



Now, remember that a Jew isn't one outwardly in the flesh, but inwardly in the Spirit; Romans 2:28-29.



Jer 31:32-34, "Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers... But THIS SHALL BE THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL; After those days, saith the Lord, I WILL put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And THEY SHALL TEACH NO MORE EVERY MAN HIS NEIGHBOUR, AND EVERY MAN HIS BROTHER, SAYING KNOW THE LORD::::: FOR THEY SHALL ALL KNOW ME....::: FOR I WILL FORGIVE THEIR INIQUITY, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SIN NO MORE".



Back to Jesus' words in John 6:37, "ALL that the Father giveth me SHALL COME TO ME...".



Jeremiah 31:31-34, was repeated in Hebrews 8:8-12.



Hebrews 12:22, "But ye ARE come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem..." (24), "And to Jesus the mediator of the NEW COVENANT".



Those who worship Him in SPIRIT and in truth "ARE COME" unto this spiritual city.



1st Corinthians 10:4, tells us who the rock is, "...for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: AND THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST".



Revelation 15:3, says, "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb"; Deuteronomy 31:30, "And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words OF THIS SONG, until they were ended".

The song begins in Deu 32:1-45. A very important verse in this song is 31, "For their rock is not AS our Rock, even our enmies themselves being judges". The Catholic's themselves agree that their rock, Peter, is not as our Rock, Christ.



1st Corinthians 3:11, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ". Jesus is the chief corner stone upon which the wall of salvation turned from the works of the law to Grace.



Edit: Young man, look at the Catholic answers and see Deuteronomy 32:31's truth; "FOR THEIR ROCK IS NOT AS OUR ROCK, EVEN OUR ENEMIES THEMSELVES BEING JUDGES". We shouldn't be amazed at the truth in God's word, but as a man, I can't help but be completely awed.

Answer 19

I guess the jig is up. You've outed that the Catholic religion --starting with the NT of the Bible-- is a hodge podge of doctrines incorporating the teachings of JC yet focusing on Pauline letters, which the early RCC preferred over those written by others who were actual witnesses to His [JC's] Ministry. So the early Bible compilers did away with, and scrapped or burned, the rest of the writings they didn't like.



On the other hand, Saul/Paul was quite an opportunist, an erudite scholar who was taught by a high priest Pharisee and whose main job was to persecute the early followers of JC. He was one who could wangle and argue his way in three different languages, including Hebrew, Greek, and Roman, and *suddenly* claimed that he had a vision --which could not even be substantiated by his two companions on the way to Damascus.



It's tantamount to any modern-day, hardliner atheist who somehow, *suddenly* preaches his/her own version of the teachings he/she hated most, and manages to convince others --in three languages-- to believe in his/her "contrived conversion" into that religion. Yeah, right.



He ain't no saint, I'll say that much. But enough said.



Peace be with you.

Answer 20

They are a denomination of Christianity not a Religion it self.

Answer 21

If all you know is the great St. Paul, then you are not even Christian!



Have you read the great St. John?





THINK!

Answer 22

I agree with you. I don't think Peter ever put himself forward as head of the church or the rock upon which it was built. He knew Jesus was and is the head and the rock upon which the church is built. Paul did not go to Peter because he did not need to. Paul knew Jesus was the head and had commissioned him, he did not need man's approval.

Answer 23

So your saying Paul was the first Pope?

Answer 24

because chikens taste good and pigs can fly also who cares

Answer 25

Catholic is just another religion like anyone other one.



They have nothing to do with us.



They worship Mary.



They better change quick before it's too late.



God is a jealous God and thou shall have no other Gods before him, or he might remove your candlestick.

Answer 26

I don't claim him to be.



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