I have something just as good as an eyewitness account..Peters words.. 1 Peter 1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,
Acts 10:26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man....something todays 'pope would never say BTW
As for the keys, they are only useful to open something, Christ gave Peter the honor of opening the gospel to the Jews on Pentecost. Once the door is open, there is no further need for the keys
Acts 1:15-26 - the first thing Peter does after Jesus ascends into heaven is implement apostolic succession. Matthias is ordained with full apostolic authority. Only the Catholic Church can demonstrate an unbroken apostolic lineage to the apostles in union with Peter through the sacrament of ordination and thereby claim to teach with Christ's own authority.
The question is did he have the authority to do that? Christ never indicated or gave over that authority to any man
We need only look at the situation to see that was NOT Gods plan, it was mans plan.
God had ordained and raised up a man of HIS choosing to replace Judas...Paul.
Mans selection was never heard from again in scripture while Gods choice went on to be the major teacher and apostle to the gentiles in the new church
Acts 5:13 - the people acknowledged the apostles' special authority and did not dare take it upon themselves.
In 2 Cor. 2:17, Paul says the elders are not just random peddlers of God's word. They are actually commissioned by God. It is not self-appointed authority. Shortly after this, in 2 Cor. 3:6, Paul says that certain men have been qualified by God to be ministers of a New Covenant. This refers to the ministerial priesthood of Christ handed down the ages through sacramental ordination. In 2 Peter 2:10, Peter warns the faithful about despising authority. He is referring to the apostolic authority granted to them by Christ.