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Some people use Matthew 16:18 to suggest that Jesus was saying that Peter would be the first Pope, however this is certainly a misunderstanding of Jesus' message. In the preceding verses, 13-17, Jesus had asked two questions. The first was, "Who do people say that the I am?" His disciples answered, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." Jesus directed His next question at the disciples when he asked, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter was the one who answered, "You are the Christ the Son of the living God." This apparently pleased Jesus as he said, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." This set the basis for Jesus' next point as He continued, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it." At this point, some assert that Jesus was saying that He was going to build his church on Peter, and note that in Biblical Greek Peter's name (Petros) was the object of the rock (petra) that Jesus mentioned. On the contrary, Jesus was saying that He was the Christ just as much as Peter was Peter, and upon that rock - the fact that he was the Christ, He would build his church. Beyond this reference, there is no Bible verse that teaches or even infers that Peter was the first Pope. I hope this was helpful to you. As the writer above points out, Mat16:18 is one of the primary verses Catholic's use for the papacy. The Petra - Petros rebuttal is not a strong one in the face of full Biblical evidence and from just a grammatical standpoint. First, consider Peter's original name. It was Simon. Through out The Bible when someone's name is changed its a mark of major significance: Abram-Abraham, Jacob-Israel, Saul-Paul, etc. What is the first thing Jesus does when he meets Simon? He changes his name to Cephas! "So you are Simon son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter). (Jn1:42) Now where did this name Cephas come from? Cephas in Jesus' native Aramaic tongue means one and only one thing - Rock! The name completely replaced the original Simon name. Jesus himself picked this name and it is an interesting choice! Now back to Mathew. When he was translating Jesus' Aramaic words to Greek he came upon a translation problem. Unlike English and Aramaic, Greek uses gender in its language. He had a choice of either using the correct word for rock which has a feminine gender and inappropriately name a man; or he could make it masculine by changing the end of the word, which unfortunately has a pre-existing meaning of small stone. He opted for a mans name and hence a play on words in Greek. (petros - petra) If there's any suspicion about this, remember that Jesus didn't speak Greek, he spoke Aramaic so he would not have used the words, petra/petros. In Aramaic, Rock the pronoun and rock the noun are the same word - pronounced and spelled the same way. So Jesus would have said, "Thou art Cephas and on this cephas I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." Other items to consider: When the apostles are listed, Peter is almost always listed first and sometimes he is the only one named "Peter and his companions..." Lk9:32. Peter frequently spoke for all the Apostles Mt18:21, Mk8:39, Jn6:69. He was also key in many of the key events, like being the first to preach after Pentecost (Acts2:14-40), did the first healing Acts3:6-7, had a revelation that Gentiles should be baptized. Peter, the Rock, had a central role when Jesus was on earth and a central role after Jesus returned. Peter was the first leader (Pope) of the church, started by Jesus. (I'm getting writers cramp! by for now) Satan cannot be the first Pope of Jesus' church.. Matthew 16:23.. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. The contents of these books refute the claim that they were written by the Evangelists named. They narrate events and contain doctrinal teachings which belong to a later age. Matthew ascribes to Christ the following language: "Thou art Peter, and Upon this rock I will build my Church" (Matthew xvi, 18). This Gospel is a Roman Catholic Gospel, and was written after the beginning of the establishment of this hierarchy to uphold thc supremacy of the Petrine Church of Rome. Of this Gospel Dr. Davidson says : "The author, indeed, must ever remain unknown'. (Introduction to New Testament, p. 72).
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∙ 17y ago
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∙ 14y agoMatthew 16:19
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.
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∙ 10y agoMatthew's Gospel says that Jesus told Peter he was the rock on which he would build his church, and Paul describes Peter as one of the three pillars of the church in Jerusalem, so Peter must have been a leader of the church, but he was not the bishop of Rome and therefore Catholic pope.
Additional Comments:
This idea that Peter was in Rome as the 1st 'Pope' is highly questionable and would appear to have been developed over time, particularly with Emperor Constantine making 'his' Christianity the "Official Religion of the Roman Empire." The prominent use of this title came into existence circa 390 AD with Siricius while Leo the Great, circa 450 AD began hammering home this supposed link between the papacy and Rome - going as far as comparing the founding of the Church by Peter and Paul to the founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus.
It is recommended by any who wish to understand how this 'dubious tradition' developed, should read the works of two Roman Catholic scholars: "Saints and Sinners by Dr. Eamon Duffy of Cambridge University and The Catholic Church by Dr. Hans King of the University of Tubingen." Both freely acknowledge that nothing in the New Testament links Peter with Rome during the alleged circa 45-68 AD.
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∙ 9y agoJesus Christ appointed Peter as the first leader of his Church when He said:
And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. (Matthew Chapt. 16 Douay-Rheims Bible )
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What is the scripture reference for seek ye first the kingdom?
the chapter is Matthew
What biblical Scripture references being a first lady?
None - without excessive 'interpretation'. The Bible was written in times when there were no Presidents nor first ladies. To expect that a verse or chapter in the Bible would reference such a position is to expect too much.
What is meant by the pope being the successor of St Peter?
The Pope holds the "Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven" according to scripture. These "keys" were first given to St. Peter by Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:15-19). It is the understanding of the Church that these keys are then passed on to his Successors in his post as head of the Church. For a more learned discussion on this topic you may want to consult these two pages: http://www.catholic.com/library/Peter_the_Rock.asp http://www.catholic.com/library/Origins_of_Peter_as_Pope.asp
What was the connection between the Apostle Peter and the papacy?
According to historical reference, St. Apostle Peter was the first leader or pope of the early church. As the pope of the church, he was the one regarded as its first office-holder up to the recent times.
When did Judas become a disciple?
Although scripture states that Simon Peter and Andrew his brother were Jesus' first disciples, there is no mention of when Judas became a disciple apart from his appearance in the list of Jesus' followers.
Was Peter Pan a book or movie first?
it was your mom It was actually a stage play first in 1904, then a novel later in 1911. It wasn't a movie until a few years later. 1924 is the first reference of a movie I can find.
Why are martians green?
The first reference to Martians being Green was in the 1912 book, A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
What is a scripture for the church anniversary?
Is a scripture pertaining to the beginning of church . when Christ first started the Church. When He went out on the boat to teach.
When was Peter Rabbit first written?
Peter Rabbit was first written by Beatrix Potter in 1902.
What is the origin of the first pope being Saint Peter and the last pope being Saint Peter?
The origin of Peter being thought of as the first Pope isn't Biblical. There may be some pagan influence particularly from the Roman god, Janus, who was the guardian of the gates and the doors to heaven and also used the emblem of the crossed keys which are now associated with the papacy. This pagan influence was then probably linked in with Matthew 16:19.
Where is the Scripture for God being vengeful?
The Bible contains more than 60 references to God taking vengeance upon the reprobate. Examples from both Testaments are in Ezekiel 25:14-17; Nahum 1:2, and Malachi 5:15; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30; and First Peter 2:14.
What is the house of judgment?
There is no specific scripture for the "house of judgment". A scripture that uses the same group of words (NIV translation) is: 1 Peter 4:17For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?In this case, the "house" of God are those who are members of the church. In this scripture, judgment begins with the church, those who should know what the Bible says and should be obedient to it.
