Why does the Roman Catholic Church believe that the Bishop of Rome is the exclusive and rightful successor to Peter? (mystic, Jesus)
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Only by the misinterpretation of one portion of scripture.
Matthew 16:13-20
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
The part in bold is where the misinterpretation comes in. The rock on which Jesus would build his church is not on Peter, but on Peter's having received the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. God has been building the church in that way ever since by revealing Christ to whom-so-ever He will in His own determined order. Those to whom have the Son revealed to them are given the keys to the Kingdom. It's really that simple. The church is built on Christ, not on Peter. Jesus Christ has always and will forever be the head of the church on earth.
You have hit the proverbial nail on the head!
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God is the "ROCK" upon which His church is built. Not a man or men. WE note that from that time on they did not begin to teach that Peter was to be bowed to and to kiss his ring. No! They taught that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Any other rock is only shifting sand and the house built upon shall end in destruction.
Only by the misinterpretation of one portion of scripture.
Matthew 16:13-20
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
The part in bold is where the misinterpretation comes in. The rock on which Jesus would build his church is not on Peter, but on Peter's having received the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. God has been building the church in that way ever since by revealing Christ to whom-so-ever He will in His own determined order. Those to whom have the Son revealed to them are given the keys to the Kingdom. It's really that simple. The church is built on Christ, not on Peter. Jesus Christ has always and will forever be the head of the church on earth.
Are you are conveniently silent about Matt 16:19
As I said you can flog Matthew 18: 18 for another 1000 years and that does not change the next verse where Peter receives the keys.
This is seriously tiresome. Even when I point out that the most respected Catholic theologian came to the correct conclusion that the Rock on which the church was to be built was Peter's confession, they come back with "the two (mutually exclusive) interpretations are BOTH taught by the Church" (not that anyone was saying anything even approaching that until they were backed up against the wall) And I can certainly understand that assertion. I myself make it a practice to believe three impossible things each day before breakfast.
Nate-
When I point out that Protestant and Orthodox theologians begrudgingly admit that Peter is the Rock in Mt. 16:18, people ignore it completely.
Catholics have no problem with Jesus being the rock, God being the rock, all the apostles being rock (or foundation stones depending on the translation). There are verses in the bible to support ALL of those positions. Heck, we could even say that a secondary meaning of Mt. 16:18 is that Peter's confession is the rock.
But the PRIMARY meaning in Matthew 16:18 is that Jesus is the Builder and Peter is the rock.
Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant scholars are all in agreement on this point. EVERY SINGLE scholar who ever walked the face of the earth? Of course not. But the consensus has emerged now that the tensions of the 15th and 16th centuries have allowed for clear thinking.
There is only one rock and that rock is christ. Don't mix flesh and blood with spirit and truth.
and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ(1 Cor 10:4).
Those that believe upon him build upon the teachings of him/ the rock. The church is built upon the revelation of Christ in you and his sayings. Whosoever hears these teachings of mine and does them, i will liken him unto a wiseman who built his upon the rock( the anointed sayings of Jesus)
Amen!
Who's The Rock or The Stone? Let's see what the Scriptures tell us:
The Stone
Matt. 21:
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
scriptures Christ was quoting:Psa. 118 and note who the 'stone' is.
19 ¶ Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise Yahweh:
20 This gate of Yahweh, into which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
23 This is Yahweh's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which Yahweh hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Yahweh, O Yahweh, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of Yahweh: we have blessed you out of the house of Yahweh.
27 God is Yahweh, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Isaiah 28:16
So this is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.
Matthew 21:43
"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Mark 12:10
Haven't you read this passage of Scripture: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
Luke 20:17
Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?
Acts 4:11
Jesus is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.'
1 Peter 2:7
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,
[Keep in mind that 40% to 60% of the New Testament is the Old Testament re-quoted]. Hebraisms in the New Testament,” Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics
The Rock
Ex 17:6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Nu 20:10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them:and that Rock was Christ.
De 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
De 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
De 32:18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
De 32:30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?
De 32:31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
1Sa 2:2 There is none holy as Yahweh: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
2Sa 22:2 And he said, Yahweh is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
2Sa 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
2Sa 22:32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?
2Sa 22:47 Yahweh liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
And just to show that God/Christ is both The Stone and The Rock, here's two passages where both of them mentioned in the same sentence:
Romans 9:33
As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame."
1Pe 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
So I leave it up to the reader to decide; who is The Rock; Christ or Peter?
If Linus knew he was "Vicar of Christ and Successor to St Peter" then by all means tell me about all the times he stepped up led the entire worldwide Church. How about Anacletus? Clement? In the first 300 years of "Popes" the Bishop of Rome seems to be completely oblivious to his designated role. Some few Roman bishops sought to meddle unasked in the affairs of other bishops during that time, and nobody took them seriously. Rather than submitting to them, their fellow bishops rebuffed and rebuked them doing so. There was only one or two examples of that before 300 AD and as I said, other bishops didn't take them seriously. The rest of the Roman line of bishops up to 300 AD never even bothered to try.
I do apologize if I have nothing from antiquity to show you of the work of Linus, and Anacletus. The Church was under heavy persecution at the time, and the Christians of that day were more concerned about Roman legions than they were about creating a documentary for future skeptics.
If you are interested in Clement, however, you may find his letter to the Corinthians here.
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Based on your comments, you appear to believe wholeheartedly in the biased and pioused accounts by the Catholic Church. An unbiased study leads unbiased people to the very strong conclusion that Paul was most likely the man who ordained Linus as bishop. But just for argument's sake, let's say that Peter really did ordain Linus. Peter also ordained Evodius as bishop. How many others did Peter ordain as bishop? Probably dozens at minimum. Clement was baptized by Peter? How many hundreds of others were baptized by him?
And by your words, you reveal yourself to be unbiased?
Paul travelled with Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Luke, etc. Paul mentions Linus in passing in in 2 Timothy, but if Linus was a protoge of Paul, how come there are no letters from Paul to him in the NT? We have Pauline letters to everyone else...
Finally, yes, Peter probably baptized hundreds, maybe thousands of people beginning on the day of Pentecost. He may have ordained many men to the priesthood. Paul, on the other hand, did not.
1 Corinthians 1:13-15
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name.
Paul seems to have made it a point NOT to baptize many people (though we know he did baptize on occasion).
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So no, ordination and baptism at the hands of Peter does not constitute a unique link between Peter and Rome. Being martyrs for Christ is commendable, that too doesn't make them unique. Not by a long shot.
Nor did I say that there was anything unique about it. You're reading more into my words than I said.
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You're words paint the picture that you actually believe that Peter lived in Rome and functioned as Bishop there. The truth of the matter is that there is virtually no evidence that Peter was ever in Rome prior to being imprisoned and subsequently crucified there. Even his death at Rome is a matter of some debate. I wouldn't go that far. I'm willing to accept that Rome murdered St Peter and held onto his corpse.
False.
AD 43-49 – Peter in Rome
AD 49-54 – Peter in Antioch
AD 50(?) – Peter in Jerusalem for the Acts 15 Council
AD 54 – Peter Returns to Rome
AD 60-63 – Peter Writes Epistles from “Babylon” (1 Pt 5:13 – Babylon is a code-name for Rome)
AD 65-67 – Peter Martyred in Rome
Catholic Tradition holds that Saint Peter arrived in Rome for the first time in about AD 44. This coincides with the martyrdom of St James the Greater and St Peter’s arrest in Jerusalem and subsequent departure:
“But he, beckoning to them with his hand to hold their peace, told how the Lord had brought him out of prison. And he said: Tell these things to James and to the brethren. And going out, he went into another place.” (Acts 12:17, D-R)
Here, Peter departure to “another place,” is his departure from Jerusalem to Rome. After the imprisonment and attempted murder of Peter, the Apostle’s location throughout the New Testament is kept secret and hidden.
Saint Peter established the Church in Rome from AD 43 till AD 49 when he and all Jews were expelled from Rome by the decree of Claudius in AD 49. Why were they expelled?
According to Roman historians the Jews were expelled from the city of Rome in AD 49 because the Roman Jews were fighting over a Jew named “Chrestus.” Hmmm…Jews in Rome fighting over “Chrestus”…there must have been a mighty preacher (Pope) of “Chrestus” or “Christ” in Rome in the AD 40s to lead to all that infighting within the synagogues! This has Peter’s fingerprints all over it.
Also remember that Saint Peter pops back into Jerusalem from “another place” in AD 49, which is the occasion for the Apostolic Council in Acts 15 regarding circumcision and baptism.
From AD 49 till AD 54 (during the Jewish expulsion from Rome), we find Saint Peter reigning temporarily in Antioch. This is why Peter is known also as the first bishop of Antioch. It was the first “Babylonian captivity” of the Pope.
Tradition holds that in AD 54, when Nero revoked the Jewish expulsion from Rome, Saint Peter moved back to Rome and continued to reign as the first Pope of the Apostolic See.
In my book The Eternal City: Rome and the Origins of Catholicism I present a theory that Saint Paul cryptically refers to St Peter in Rome in the book of Romans:
“And I have so preached this Gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation.” (Romans 15:20, D-R)
The Greek is μὴ ἐπʼ ἀλλότριον θεμέλιον οἰκοδομῶ.
Here “another man” is Saint Peter as the Catholics of Rome would know. What other man (singular) had built a foundation for the Church in Rome? Paul had not yet preached there because “another man” was laying the “foundation” of the Church in Rome, Saint Peter.
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This is significantly less biased. The writer is an atheist and really has no axe to grind. So the tone is far more matter of fact rather than hostile.
No axe to grind, eh? Let's see...he is an atheist and he spends a lot of his free time building a website dedicated to debunking Catholicism and Christianity. Nope...no agenda there that I can see.
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A lot of your more level-headed Catholic historians are beginning to accept the obvious truth: Peter never lived in Rome, nor did he ever function as Bishop there. Their frankness and honestly at least clears the air. It allows for honest and intelligent discussion to happen.
Care to name a few?
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What I said was to highlight the incongruity between standard Catholic procedure and the notion of Apostolic Succession. I am assuming that if the Bishop of Rockford IL died tomorrow, that this would not result in his authority being shifted down and collectively held by all clergymen currently under him on an indefinite basis. If I'm wrong on that score, I do apologize.
The chair of that episcopacy would be vacant until the pope named a successor. That's all.
Mark 15:46 Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in therock (petras); and he rolled a stone (lithon) against the entrance of the tomb.
Good point.
If Matthew had wanted to refer to Peter as a small stone or pebble, he could have called him "Lithos" instead of "Petros". Petros is simply the masculine form of petras.
As it is, scripture records Simon's new name as Cephas - a derivative of the Aramaic, kepha.
THAT is what Jesus would have said instead of speaking Greek.
Why does the Roman Catholic Church believe that the Bishop of Rome is the exclusive and rightful successor to Peter?
"Their house of cardinals would come crumbling down."
When you have bought something, hook, line and sinker; it's hard to let go!
Much like that of the Trinity and scapegoatism.
"And they divided his garments up, amongst themselves."
Yes, I agree. As a former Protestant, I appreciate how hard it is for people to see the truth of Catholicism after embracing a lifetime of Protestant theology and culture.
Hang in there, though. I'm proof that you can overcome your theological prejudices with God's help.
Only by the misinterpretation of one portion of scripture.
Matthew 16:13-20
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
The part in bold is where the misinterpretation comes in. The rock on which Jesus would build his church is not on Peter, but on Peter's having received the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. God has been building the church in that way ever since by revealing Christ to whom-so-ever He will in His own determined order. Those to whom have the Son revealed to them are given the keys to the Kingdom. It's really that simple. The church is built on Christ, not on Peter. Jesus Christ has always and will forever be the head of the church on earth.
Jesus is in heaven. He left Peter in charge of the Church on earth.
PETER AS VICAR OF CHRIST PROVED FROM SCRIPTURE
Non-Catholics respond to the claim that the pope is the Vicar of Christ by stating, "There is no vicar of Christ on earth except the Holy Spirit!" It is true that the Holy Spirit is a vicar of Christ (John 15:26, 16:12-15), but there may be others also. The term "vicar" means "a substitute; esp. an under-servant [who substitutes]." The scriptures clearly show that Simon Peter was appointed by Jesus to such a position in His kingdom.
Matthew 16:13-19
"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Jesus gives to Peter “the keys of the kingdom of heaven”. This alludes to the prophecy of Isaiah that reads,
"In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” (Isaiah 22:22)
In ancient times, a king might choose a second in command or prime minister who literally wore a large key as a symbol of his office and who spoke with the authority of the king. Jesus gives Peter the authority to speak in His name and extends his authority beyond the earthly realm when he gives Peter the “keys to the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 17:24-27
24After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" 25"Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?" 26"From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. 27"But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."
Jesus specifically commands Peter to pay the tax that He Himself owed. Peter acted on Jesus’ behalf in fulfilling the requirement to pay the tax.
John 21:15-17
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
In this passage, we can see that Jesus leaves Peter in charge of feeding, tending and caring for His sheep. Who feeds, tends and cares for sheep? A shepherd!
We know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11) and that there is one Shepherd and one flock (Jn 16). Yet, in the passage above, we can see that Jesus leaves Peter in charge of feeding, tending and caring for His sheep. Peter becomes the shepherd who will lead the flock after Jesus' ascension. Therefore, while Jesus is forever our Good Shepherd reigning from heaven, He has made provision for us by naming someone else to stand in His place, to be His vicar, here on earth. The Vicar of Christ established by Jesus is the Pope of the Catholic Church.
Augustine said, " However, which of these two opinions is more probable, let the reader choose." So you take it to mean "which of the two mutually contradictory opinions is most supportive of your arguments at any one time is the one you should choose" rather than "figure out which of the two is really true."
Wow.
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