Posted on 09/25/2009 1:42:15 PM PDT by NYer
Hope you are enjoying this series.
Thank you, fascinating.
Since you have expressed an interest in this topic on previous threads, I am pinging you to the sequel.
Not Sir! You read this wrong. The reference to “Satan” was the Satanic temptation (that all humans even the Christ was faced with) that prompted Peter to steer the Christ away from the Crucifixtion.
Reminder, dear friend in Christ, the Catholic Church gave you the Bible. That said, let's take a closer look at Peter's reaction. No sooner is he named "prime minister", than Peter pulls the king aside and advises him to take a different road. As he had been praised by the Master, now he is rebuked. Jesus goes so far as to call him “Satan.” This illustrates well what the Catholic Church teaches about the subject. For Catholic doctrine does not proclaim that the pope can never make a mistake in personal judgment. It is only when he fully engages his authority as successor of Peter speaking from Peter’s seat of authority (“ex cathedra”) that the Church guarantees him to be acting under the charism of truth given by the Father through the Spirit.
When Peter publicly proclaimed “you are the Christ,” Jesus pointed out that this was not from him, but from the Father. When Peter privately said, “God forbid that you should suffer,” Jesus notes that the source of this was himself. And what’s worse, this human opinion was being used by a diabolic manipulator to tempt the Lord to choose comfort and honor over suffering and sacrifice.
Jesus will have none of it, of course. After all, He is the truth incarnate. And the truth is that glory comes only after sacrifice. And His own incomparable sacrifice will not make things easy for his disciples, but will blaze the trail of sacrifice that they too must walk. The sacrifice that he will offer will be Himself. The sacrifice they will be called to offer will be similar: “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1-2).
Peter couldn’t quite get it. None of them could. This is entirely understandable. During the ministry of Jesus the apostles here and there experienced a passing inspiration from the Holy Spirit, but that Creator Spirit had not yet taken up residence within them. That only came when the fire descended on them in the upper room. Before Pentecost, they ran from suffering. After Pentecost they run towards it. Peter, who denied Jesus, ultimately gave his life for him. A successor of Peter, John Paul II, preached his most eloquent sermon by continuing to serve in the twilight years of his life, a living witness of loving self-giving which is a fruit of Pentecost. cf
Paul publicly rebukes Peter for binding the consciences of the Jerusalem converts concerning dietary laws.
LOL.
Well ..... I guess all those pesky arguments from the Protestants are finally over, eh?
Sounds like the Protestants on FR will be turning in their keyboards and getting themselves on over to a Roman Catholic church asap.
Gonna be real quiet here on the Religion segment of FR. Like really Zzzzzzzz time.
Wait!
What's that?
Listen carefully and you can hear the sound of virtual hammers nailing something onto the virtual doors of virtual Roman Catholic churches!
Hmmmmmm ..... those Protestants are like the Terminator aren't they!
That's what they do! That's all they do! They'll never stop!
Oh well, so much for "near unanimity".
No. This is the man Scripture says Jesus chose. That is all that matters.
God doesn't choose the man we think is the "best guy". He chooses the little and the insignificant, so everyone can see that the He is the one who is really at work.
I fear the Catholic church really needs to read Scripture
We've been reading it for 2000 years. Have you ever considered the possibility that maybe we have some deeper insights that look like nonsense to those whose acquaintance with Scripture is more superficial?
Its a shame that this article presents such a half truth as this to make people think Orthodox theologians somehow or other accept the Vatican I heresy about the Pope:
” In Orthodox scholarship, too, there has been movement toward recognizing Peter himself as the rock. Orthodox theologian Theodore Stylianopoulos, after surveying recent developments in Orthodox scholarship, writes:
That Orthodox scholars have gradually moved in the direction of affirming the personal application of Matt 16:17-19 to the Apostle Peter must be applauded. From the standpoint of critical scholarship it can no longer be disputed that Jesus’ words to Peter as reported in Matt 16:17-19 confer a special distinction on Peter as “rock” — the foundation on which Christ promised to build his Church. … These points are now conceded by conservative Protestant scholars as well. (Kasper 48-49)”
Fr. Stykianopoulos, whom I know well, said this at a Vatican symposium in the fall of 2004:
“Peter is a pre-eminent figure in the New Testament, but not the only one.”
“No single apostolic figure enjoys universal dominance or exclusive authority in the New Testament,” he said. “In other words, the ‘primacy’ of Peter is not power over other apostolic figures, but an authorized leadership in the context of shared apostolic authority in the common life of the church.”
He's the "to to" guy.
Isn’t it extraordinary, K?...
...that Rome disregards the words of the church Father they revere above all, +Augustine of Hippo...
...when it suits their ends?
Are you surprised?
LOL...Not even a little.
I am loving this. There is so much to love about Peter. He’s so human and one of the most well developed characters in the New Testament. This commentary made me think about him in new ways.
I love knowing that he is the only person Jesus ever called “Blessed” individually.
I love hearing the voice say: and YOU are Peter...
And I love the reference to Gen 32:28 which hints that Peter has striven with men and God and thus can be renamed.
Thank you for posting this.
***Hmmmmmm ..... those Protestants are like the Terminator aren’t they!***
Do you mean that Protestants are evil machines that kill human beings indiscriminately simply because they are humans? Do you mind if I get the popcorn before you peel your skin off to reveal your metal skeleton and glowing eyes?
On the other hand, I have posted scriptural proof who Jesus, Peter and the Holy Spirit agree Is the Rock that Christ's Church is built on. NYer, you have yet to comment on what I have posted.
I will post the scripture once again. Maybe you or someone else can explain why this isn't as plain to any of you, as it is to me.
This was Peter filled with the Spirit Jesus promised to send to lead us in all truth.
There is no doubt by the Holy Spirit or Peter that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the New Testament Church. I have no doubt Peter would tell the 'church' leaders of today the same thing much to yours and their dismay.
There is no need for any one to be eminent on earth. We are all members of His heavenly body with His Spirit leading us like It lead Peter in acts.
Where is Peter and I wrong? BVB
***Where is Peter and I wrong? BVB***
Peter isn’t. And neither are you, in this context. Jesus is the petros and Peter is the petra. Jesus is the head of the Church, and Peter is the steward, given the keys to the kingdom while the King is away.
The steward rules the kingdom in the Name of the King. Some rule well - Peter. Some rule ill - Denethor in Gondor comes to mind.
Another view:
But whom say ye that I am? Peter answered, ‘Thou art the Christ, The Son of the living God.’ One for many gave the answer, Unity in many. Then said the Lord to him, ‘Blessed art thou, Simon Barjonas: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.’ Then He added, ‘and I say unto thee.’ As if He had said, ‘Because thou hast said unto Me, “Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God;” I also say unto thee, “Thou art Peter.” ’ For before he was called Simon. Now this name of Peter was given him by the Lord, and in a figure, that he should signify the Church. For seeing that Christ is the rock (Petra), Peter is the Christian people. For the rock (Petra) is the original name. Therefore Peter is so called from the rock; not the rock from Peter; as Christ is not called Christ from the Christian, but the Christian from Christ. ‘Therefore,’ he saith, ‘Thou art Peter; and upon this Rock’ which Thou hast confessed, upon this rock which Thou hast acknowledged, saying, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, will I build My Church;’ that is upon Myself, the Son of the living God, ‘will I build My Church.’ I will build thee upon Myself, not Myself upon Thee.
For men who wished to be built upon men, said, ‘I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas,’ who is Peter. But others who did not wish to built upon Peter, but upon the Rock, said, ‘But I am of Christ.’ And when the Apostle Paul ascertained that he was chosen, and Christ despised, he said, ‘Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?’ And, as not in the name of Paul, so neither in the name of Peter; but in the name of Christ: that Peter might be built upon the Rock, not the Rock upon Peter. This same Peter therefore who had been by the Rock pronounced ‘blessed,’ bearing the figure of the Church (Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume VI, St. Augustin, Sermon XXVI.1-4, pp. 340-341).
Or, if you prefer, the great church father...J. Vernon McGee:
“Who is the Rock? The Rock is Christ. The church is built upon Christ. We have Simon Peter’s own explanation of this. In 1 Peter 2:4, referring to Christ, he writes, [4As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house]. And he remembers Isaiah 28:16, [”Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”] - 1 Peter 2:6. The church is built upon Christ; he is the foundation. [11For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.] 1 Cor 3:11”
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