|
 |
 |
|
|
JMJ
Argument Jesus never established the papacy. The rock upon which His church was founded was Peter’s confession of faith, not Peter himself, therefore Peter was not the first pope. In fact there was no pope in Rome in the early church; the papacy was a later development. Refutation It would be best to begin with an analysis of Matthew 16:18-19: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.". The critical portion of these verses is "and I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church." In the original language used by Christ, Aramaic, it goes like this, "aph ena amar-na lak da’nt-huw kepha’ we’al hade kepha ebneyh leitiy." The word for "rock" in Aramaic is "kepha." So to translate this literally into English, we would write, "and I say to you that you are rock and upon this rock I will build my church." The name "Peter" simply derives from a Latin word for "rock" which is "petra." In the Greek in which the New Testament was written, the word is also "petra." The word "petra" is female in gender. According to Protestant exegesis, in ancient Greek, the word "petra" meant "rock" or large stone or boulder while "petros" meant "pebble" or a small stone. Based on this, the Protestant argument says that since Jesus used "Petros" as Peter’s name in the first instance, then the use of the word "petra" in the second instance must mean something else other than Peter himself. It must mean something large, like a foundation stone; that could only be Peter’s confession of faith which occurs in Matthew 16:16 when Peter says, "You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the living God." This confession of faith must be to what Jesus is referring when He says "on this rock (i.e., confession of faith) I will build my church." But St. Francis de Sales states in his Controversies that there is no difference between petros and petra: He writes, "[I]in Greek petros and petra is the very same thing."At the time of the writing of this Gospel, there was no distinction between a rock and pebble in the Latin language and the word "petrus" was not in use; it was always the feminine "petra" for rock or pebble or stone, and so forth. So when St. Jerome later translated this passage into Latin, this distinction was non-existent. But this whole business really depends upon an understanding of correct Latin grammar. Greek and Latin grammar being very similar, the same rules of grammar often apply to both languages. The Latin word for "former" is "ille" which also means "that" while the Latin word for "latter" is "hanc" which also means "this." (Hanc is the feminine singular accusative case for the demonstrative pronoun hic, haec, hoc). Jesus used the Aramaic word for "latter" in the phrase "this rock," i.e. the latter rock, which can only be Peter because what was former to the proper noun Peter, was Peter’s confession of faith. If Jesus had used the word for "former" instead of for "latter" then He could only be referring to that confession. The phrase "this rock" could only be pertaining to the most proximate antecedent which, in this case, is the person of Peter. Otherwise St. Matthew and St. Jerome would be guilty of a serious grammatical error by confusing "former" with "latter." If Christ had meant Peter’s confession of faith, He would have used "that rock," not "this rock." All of this is strictly academic anyway because Jesus was speaking Aramaic and Aramaic, like English, is an un-declined language wherein the meanings of words are not dependent upon the endings of them. "Kepha" remains "kepha" and "Rock" remains "rock" and the meaning remains the same. The whole meaning is therefore dependant upon the use of the word "latter", i.e., "hanc" in Latin or "taute" in Greek. The Protestant argument seems to hinge upon Jesus using the words "petros" and "petra." But He used neither; He only used the word "kepha." The Aramaic word for "this" or "latter" is "hade" and carries the same meaning as "former," i.e., "Kepha," i.e., "Peter," i.e., "Rock." Matthew was stuck with a quandary when he came across this phrase in Aramaic and had to translate it into Greek. He could not very well have written, "You are Petra (a female name) and on this petra I will build my church." He had to masculinize the name or be subject to ridicule. His use of "petra" in the second instance is simply a matter of maintaining good grammar while describing Petrus as a rock, i.e., a "petra." It is very significant that Jesus gave Simon Bar-Jona a new name. When the Lord imposes a new name on someone it signifies something important. For example he changed Abram to Abraham signifying that he was to be the father of nations. He changed Sarai to Sara, or lady of nations. He changed Jacob to Israel. "So that God by the names which he imposes not only marks the things named, but teaches us something of their qualities and conditions" [St. Francis de Sales, [op. cit.]. An argument has been made that just because he imposed the name "Rock" on Simon does not make Simon more important than the other Apostles; after all he changed the names of John and James to Boanerges, or the Sons of Thunder [Mark 3:17]. But unlike the name "Rock" "this name is not one of superiority or command, but rather of obedience, nor proper or special but common to two, nor, apparently, was it permanent, since they have never since been called by it; it was rather a title of honor, on account of the excellence of their preaching" [idem]. That Peter was head of the Apostles is beyond doubt. His name is mentioned 155 times in the New Testament compared to 130 times for the remaining Apostles combined. Peter is always listed first except for the two exceptions at 1 Cor. 3:22 and Gal. 2:9. There are myriad verses in the New Testament indicating that Peter is the most important of the Apostles. For the sake of brevity, I will give just a sampling here: In Matt. 17:24-27 the tax collector asks Peter for Jesus’ tax, and Peter pays the half-shekel tax with one shekel, to cover both himself and Jesus, Peter being the spokesman for Jesus and His representative, i.e., the Vicar of Christ. In Luke 7:40-50 Jesus speaks to Peter about the rule of forgiveness and Peter responds on behalf of the disciples. In Luke 8:51, 9:28, and 22:8 and Acts 1:13; 3:1,3,11; 4:13;19; and 8:14 Peter is always mentioned before John, the Apostle whom Jesus loved. It was John who reached the tomb first after the Resurrection but deferred entering the tomb to Peter (Luke 24:12 and John 20:4-6). In John 13:6-9 it was Peter who spoke out to Jesus concerning the washing of feet. In Acts 8:20-23 Peter negatively judged Simon’s attempt at gaining authority through the laying on of hands, i.e., Peter exercised his power to bind and loose. In Acts 15:7-12 Peter made the definitive statement at the Council of Jerusalem regarding the issue of circumcision and no one questioned him – they accepted his final judgement on the matter. Many more examples could be listed here. [See below for Dave Armstrongs "Fifty New Testament Proofs for the primacy of Peter"). That the Bishop of Rome was recognized from early on as the chief bishop of the Church is well attested in the writings of the early Church Fathers. Here is a small sampling indicating the primacy of the Apostolic See in Rome and how Peter’s successors claimed authority over the church (also you can check biographical information on ALL the Popes at the "The Popes" section on the web site);
There are three verses in the New Testament which Protestants often use to disprove the primacy of Peter: 1 Corinthians 3:11 which says, "For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ"; Ephesians 2:19-20 which says, "So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone...."; and Revelation 21:14 which says, "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." By these verses Protestants claim that Jesus must be the Rock and not Peter and that the Apostles have equal authority with Peter, not less than Peter’s. St. Francis de Sales, however, says,
St. Peter's Primacy and Mt. 16:18
Let's objectively test this popular interpretation by comparing it with facts about St. Peter's life and doctrine, as recorded throughout the Scriptures. The following are related facts that must not be overlooked:
Refutation: priests in the Catholic Church
were allowed to be married until the 10th century. Many Popes up until that time were married men.
Refutation: Many Bishops, up to this day, have publicly opposed the Pope. Popes are infallible only when speaking ex cathedra from the chair of Peter. Popes can make mistakes, commit sins, and have their own erroneous opinions. Anyone can disagree with and even reprimand the Pope.
Refutation: It is not necessary for a Pope to preside over a church council nor even for a Pope to call such a council. Pope Sylvester I neither called nor presided over the first Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 325 but he did endorse the decisions of the council. James, as Bishop of Jerusalem, presided over this council which occurred in 49 A.D. but Peter endorsed its final decision regarding the admission of Gentiles into the church. Read Acts 15 carefully.
Refutation: The Pope is a fellow elder among all the bishops. As the Bishop of Rome, he is a fellow bishop, equal in authority to all the bishops. The Pope has never made a major pronouncement on faith and morals without the approval of the majority of his fellow bishops. Nevertheless, since Peter was the head of the Apostles and was the first Bishop of Rome, and since the Pope has descended from Peter as Bishop of Rome, the Bishop of Rome is considered "first among equals." Just because Peter never referred to his primacy in Scripture, doesn't mean he had no primacy. Again, the error has been made that if something is not mentioned, it must not exist.
Refutation: A council of bishops can send anyone it chooses on a mission, even a Pope. The office of the Papacy does not exactly fit the definition of an absolute monarch; the Pope is no Louis XIV.
Refutation: Since Jesus is the true head of the Church, why did He not write a single book of the Bible? This is an illogical argument. Writing books of the Bible is not a criteria for primacy. Jesus admonished His disciples to preach; He said nothing about writing.
Refutation: We really don't know how hard Peter worked or to whom Paul was referring when he said, "all of them." This is again an illogical argument. Peter would not have had to lift a finger in order to hold the Petrine primacy.
Refutation: Human nature being what it is, this is one incident showing the sin of pride among the Apostles as to who would be greatest. This does not invalidate Peter's primacy. There are far too many verses in the Bible which invalidate this argument [see below].
Refutation: all of these verses are correct. Peter never had to mention Mary; actually she is hardly mentioned at all in the New Testament, after the Infancy Narratives. What does this have to do with Petrine Primacy.
Refutation: How could Peter mention the Rosary since it was a practice not instituted until the Middle Ages? Also Peter neither used the terms "Trinity" nor "Purgatory." Just because he fails to mention some point of belief does not invalidate his primacy or that belief. This is illogical.
Doesn't repenting imply the sacrament of penance? Of course these things mentioned here cannot save us of themselves; all salvation comes from Christ. But He works through these things – He is present in the Sacraments, all seven of them. [The issue of Sola Scriptura will be dealt with elsewhere in this web site.]
Refutation [a reiteration of the above analysis of Matthew 16:18]: the word "petros" is a Greek word ("petrus" in Latin), the meaning of which had fallen out of use in the Latin language; there is no such word as "petrus" in the Latin language, only "petra." Therefore the distinction between "petros" and "petra" is moot. This being said, the Latin grammar in this interpretation is all wrong. This interpretation is based on St. Jerome's Vulgate Latin Bible of the fourth century, in which he writes Matthew 16:18 as "et ego dico ubi quia tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam." Matthew uses the non-existent word "Petrus" because if he had used the grammatically correct "Petra" he would be giving Peter a woman's name. So he had to make a play on words and create a masculinized name for Peter. Then Matthew uses the word "hanc" preceding "petram." "Hanc" means "this" and it also means in the Latin grammar of that time "the latter" which implies a "former" antecedent. If Matthew wanted to refer to a former antecedent he would have used the word "ille" meaning "that" or "the former." Going back before the use of the word "hanc" the two most proximate antecedents are Peter himself, the latter antecedent, and the next earliest antecedent, Peter's confession, the former antecedent. There is no way that Matthew could be referring to Peter's confession when he uses the term "hanc," otherwise Jerome would be guilty of a serious grammatical error. He was talking about the latter, which could only be Peter himself. Also, the argument regarding Petros and Petra is also moot because Jesus spoke in Aramaic which does not decline its nouns, like English. Jesus said, "You are Kepha and upon this kepha I will build my Church." In English it would be "You are Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church." A question: what Church is Jesus talking about here?
Refutation: the distortion to which to which this refers is that of Evangelical Outreach, not the Catholic Church. This Protestant interpretation is a late comer. The Catholic understanding of these verses stood for over 1,500 years until the Protestant Reformation.
FIFTY NEW TESTAMENT PROOFS FOR PETRINE PRIMACY AND THE PAPACY The Catholic doctrine of the papacy is biblically-based, and is derived from the evident primacy of St. Peter among the apostles. Like all Christian doctrines, it has undergone development through the centuries, but it hasn't departed from the essential components already existing in the leadership and prerogatives of St. Peter. These were given to him by our Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledged by his contemporaries, and accepted by the early Church. The biblical Petrine data is quite strong and convincing, by virtue of its cumulative weight, especially for those who are not hostile to the notion of the papacy from the outset. This is especially made clear with the assistance of biblical commentaries. The evidence of Holy Scripture (RSV) follows: The Catholic doctrine of the papacy is biblically based and is derived from the evident primacy of St. Peter among the apostles. Like all Christian doctrine, it has undergone development through the centuries, but it has not departed from the essential components which already existed in the leadership and prerogatives of St. Peter. These were given to him by our Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledged by his contemporaries and accepted by the early Church. The biblical Petrine data is quite strong, and is inescapably compelling by virtue of its cumulative weight, even when looking at the King James Bible, the most well known Protestant Bible. This is especially made clear with the assistance of biblical commentaries. The evidence of Holy Scripture follows. 1) Matthew 16:18: "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." The "rock" (Greek, "petra") referred to here is St. Peter himself, not his faith or Jesus Christ. Christ appears here not as the foundation, but as the architect who "builds." The Church is built, not on confessions, but on confessors - living men (see, for example, 1 Pt 2:5). Today, the overwhelming consensus of the great majority of all biblical scholars and commentators is in favor of the traditional Catholic understanding. Here St. Peter is spoken of as the foundation-stone of the Church, making him head and superior of the family of God - that is, the seed of the doctrine of the papacy. Moreover, "Rock" embodies a metaphor applied to him by Christ in a sense analogous to the suffering and despised Messiah (see 1 Pt 2:4-8; Mt 21:42). Without a solid foundation a house falls. St. Peter is the foundation, but not founder of the Church; administrator, but not Lord of the Church. The Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11) gives us other shepherds as well (Eph 4:11). 2) Matthew 16:19: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." The "power" of the keys has to do with ecclesiastical discipline and administrative authority with regard to the requirements of the faith, as in Isaiah 22:22 (see Is 9:6; Jb 12:14; Rv 3:7). From this power flows the use of censures, excommunication, absolution, baptismal discipline, the imposition of penances and legislative powers. In the Old Testament, a steward, or prime minister, is a man who is "over a house" (Gn 41:40; 43:19; 44:4; 1 Kgs 4:6; 16:9; 18:3; 2 Kgs 10:5; 15:5; 18:18; Is 22:15, 20-21). 3) Matthew 16:19: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." "Binding" and "loosing" were technical rabbinical terms, which meant to "forbid" and "permit" with reference to the interpretation of the law and, secondarily, to "condemn," "place under the ban" or "acquit." Thus St. Peter and the popes are given the authority to determine the rules for doctrine and life by virtue of revelation and the Spirit's leading (see Jn 16:13), as well as to demand obedience from the Church. "Binding and loosing" represent the legislative and judicial powers of the papacy and the bishops (Mt 18:17-18; Jn 20:23). St. Peter, however, is the only apostle who receives these powers by name and in the singular, making him pre-eminent. 4) Peter's name occurs first in all lists of apostles (see Mt 10:2; Mk 3:16; Lk 6:14; Acts 1:13). Matthew even calls him "the first" (10:2). (Judas Iscariot is invariably mentioned last.) 5) Peter is almost without exception named first whenever he appears with anyone else. In one example to the contrary, Galatians 2:9, where he is listed after James and before John, he is clearly preeminent in the entire context (see, for example, 1:18-19; 2:7-8). 6) Peter alone among the apostles receives a new name, "Rock," solemnly conferred (Jn 1:42; Mt 16:18). 7) Likewise, Peter is regarded by Jesus as the chief shepherd after himself (Jn 21:15-17), singularly by name, and over the universal Church, even though others have a similar but subordinate role (Acts 20:28; 1 Pt 5:2). 8) Peter alone among the apostles is mentioned by name as having been prayed for by Jesus Christ in order that his "faith fail not" (Lk 22:32). 9) Peter alone among the apostles is exhorted by Jesus to "strengthen your brethren" (Lk 22:32). 10) Peter first confesses Christ's divinity (Mt 16:16). 11) Peter alone is told that he has received divine knowledge by a special revelation (Mt 16:17). 12) Peter is regarded by the Jews
(Acts 4:1-13) as the leader and spokesman of Christianity. 14) Jesus Christ uniquely associates himself and Peter in the miracle of the tribute money (Mt 17:24-27). 15) Christ teaches from Peter's boat, and the miraculous catch of fish follows (Lk 5:1-11): perhaps a metaphor for the pope as a "fisher of men" (Mt 4:19). 16) Peter was the first apostle to set out for, and enter, the empty tomb (Lk 24:12; Jn 20:6). 17) Peter is specified by an angel as the leader and representative of the apostles (Mk 16:7). 18) Peter leads the apostles in fishing (Jn 21:2-3,11). The "bark" (boat) of Peter has been regarded by Catholics as a figure of the Church, with Peter at the helm. 19) Peter alone casts himself into the sea to come to Jesus (Jn 21:7). 20) Peter's words are the first recorded and most important in the Upper Room before Pentecost (Acts 1:15-22). 21) Peter takes the lead in calling for a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:22). 22) Peter is the first person to speak (and only one recorded) after Pentecost, so he was the first Christian to "preach the Gospel" in the Church era (Acts 2:14-36). 23) Peter works the first miracle of the Church Age, healing a lame man (Acts 3:6-12). 24) Peter utters the first anathema (Ananias and Sapphira) emphatically affirmed by God (Acts 5:2-11). 25) Peter's shadow works miracles (Acts 5:15). 26) Peter is the first person after Christ to raise the dead (Acts 9:40). 27) Cornelius is told by an angel to seek out Peter for instruction in Christianity (Acts 10:1- 6). 28) Peter is the first to receive the Gentiles, after a revelation from God (Acts 10:9-48). 29) Peter instructs the other apostles on the catholicity (universality) of the Church (Acts 11:5-17). 30) Peter is the object of the first divine interposition on behalf of an individual in the Church Age (an angel delivers him from prison - Acts 12:1-17). 31) The whole Church
(strongly implied) prays for Peter "without ceasing" when he is imprisoned (Acts 12:5). 33) Paul distinguishes the Lord's post-resurrection appearances to Peter from those to other apostles (1 Cor 15:4-5). 34) Peter is often spoken of as distinct among apostles (Mk 1:36; Lk 9:28,32; Acts 2:37; 5:29; 1 Cor 9:5).
36) Peter's name is always the first listed of the "inner circle" of the disciples (Peter, James and John - Mt 17:1; 26:37,40; Mk 5:37; 14:37). 37) Peter is often the central figure relating to Jesus in dramatic Gospel scenes such as walking on the water (Mt 14:28-32; Lk 5:1, Mk 10:28; Mt 17:24). 38) Peter is the first to recognize and refute heresy, in Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-24). 39) Peter's name is mentioned more often than all the other disciples put together: 191 times (162 as Peter or Simon Peter, 23 as Simon and 6 as Cephas). John is next in frequency with only 48 appearances, and Peter is present 50 percent of the time we find John in the Bible. Archbishop Fulton Sheen reckoned that all the other disciples combined were mentioned 130 times. If this is correct, Peter is named a remarkable 60 percent of the time any disciple is referred to. 40) Peter's proclamation at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41) contains a fully authoritative interpretation of Scripture, a doctrinal decision and a disciplinary decree concerning members of the "House of Israel" - an example of "binding and loosing." 41) Peter was the first "charismatic," having judged authoritatively the first instance of the gift of tongues as genuine (Acts 2:14-21). 42) Peter is the first to preach Christian repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38). 43) Peter (presumably) takes the lead in the first recorded mass baptism (Acts 2:41). 44) Peter commanded the first Gentile Christians to be baptized (Acts 10:44-48). 45) Peter was the first traveling missionary, and first exercised what would now be called "visitation of the churches" (Acts 9:32-38,43). Paul preached at Damascus immediately after his conversion (Acts 9:20), but had not traveled there for that purpose (God changed his plans). His missionary journeys begin in Acts 13:2. 46) Paul went to Jerusalem specifically to see Peter for 15 days at the beginning of his ministry (Gal 1:18), and was commissioned by Peter, James and John (Gal 2:9) to preach to the Gentiles. 47) Peter acts, by strong implication, as the chief bishop/shepherd of the Church (1 Pt 5:1), since he exhorts all the other bishops, or "elders." 48) Peter interprets prophecy (2 Pt 1:16-21). 49) Peter corrects those who misuse Paul's writings (2 Pt 3:15-16). 50) Peter wrote his first epistle from Rome, according to most scholars, as its bishop, and as the universal bishop (pope) of the early Church. "Babylon" (1 Pt 5:13) is regarded as code for Rome. In conclusion, it strains credulity to think that God would present Peter with such prominence in the Bible without some meaning and import for later Christian history - in particular, Church government. The papacy is the most plausible (we believe actual) fulfillment of this. [By Dave Armstrong, quoted in www.mafg.home.isp-rect.com/peter02.htm] The Controversy by St. Francis de Sales http://www.scripturecatholic.com/ Catholic Doctrine in Scripture by Gregory Oatis Catholic Verse Finder by San Juan Catholic Seminars The Catholic Verses by Dave Armstrong One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic by Kenneth D. Whitehead Unpopular Catholic Truths by Oswald Sobrino A Textual Concordance of the Holy Scriptures by Thomas David Williams |