Posted on 12/13/2013 11:31:40 AM PST by Gamecock
Copyright Dr Joe Mizzi. Permission to copy and distribute this article without textual changes.
Question: Jesus installed Peter as the chief steward or prime minister under the King of kings by giving him the keys to the kingdom. As can be seen from Isaiah 22:22, kings appointed a chief steward to serve under them in a position of great authority to rule over the inhabitants of the kingdom. Jesus quotes almost verbatim from this passage in Isaiah, and so it is clear what he has in mind. Christ appointed Peter to lead them and guide the flock (John 21:15-17).
Answer: Christ gave Peter authority in the church and he was certainly a prominent leader. Peter is consistently mentioned first in the list of the apostles; he is often their spokesman; and he had the privilege of first preaching the Gospel to the Jews at Pentecost and then to the Gentiles at Cornelius' house.
Peter was prominent, yet that is not sufficient to prove that he was pope. The bishop of New York is more prominent than the bishop of Malta, yet the former does not exercise authority over the latter. Prominence is different from primacy and predominance.
To prove the papacy, you must show that Peter was the head of the apostles and that he exercised full, immediate and universal power in the Church. For that is exactly what is claimed by Rome:
"The office uniquely committed by the Lord to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, abides in the Bishop of the Church of Rome. He is the head of the College of Bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the Pastor of the universal Church here on earth. Consequently, by virtue of his office, he has supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the Church, and he can always freely exercise this power" (The canon law, 331).
It is evident that Christ gave authority to the apostle Peter. "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19). At issue is whether this authority was unique to Peter. Evidently it was not, for soon afterwards Jesus gave exactly the same authority to all the apostles, "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18). Hence Peter had an authority similar to the other apostles, and not an authority over them.
The apostles did not understand Jesus' words in Matthew 16 as Roman Catholics interpret them. If He made him 'chief steward' and 'prime minister' and 'the head of the college of bishops', why is it that even up to the day before Christ suffered, they were still arguing among themselves who should be considered the greatest? (Luke 22:24-26). Jesus' reply is very significant. He did not remind them what He told Peter at Caesarea Philippi, but simply scolded them for their pagan-like reasoning. "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them...but not so among you." Peter knew nothing of the "supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power" over the other apostles and the church. Ironically, later on in history, the bishops of Rome - who were supposedly the successors of Peter - strove and fought to gain lordship over the universal church.
Again, it is true that Jesus commissioned Peter to feed the sheep (John 21:15-17). However, this was not a unique office committed to Peter alone. The apostle Paul tells the elders of Ephesus, "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). The apostle Peter himself says, "The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away." (1 Peter 5:1-4). The elders are called to feed the sheep too.
You refer to Isaiah 22:22. "The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open." As a matter of fact this verse is quoted "almost verbatim" in the New Testament, specifically in Revelation 3:7 and not in Matthew 16. "These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens" The key of the house of David is in the hand of Christ, not Peter!
Rome would make Peter the "supreme pastor" or chief shepherd of the church (Catechism, para. 857). Peter himself would never usurp the title of His Master. Jesus Christ alone is "the Chief Shepherd" of the church (1 Peter 5:4).
You just said you don't believe everything the bible says...You said you believe Peter but not Paul...
So you must believe that both Peter and Paul were sent to preach the Gospel to the gentiles because that is what the Bible says.
Absolutely...
You think that because you don't get it that the bible is wrong??? Sorry, if you chose to believe only one side or only part of the scriptues, it is you who are wrong...Something's wrong with your understanding...
Peter was given the task of admitting a Gentile into the flock...The Jewish flock...The flock where the law was still in effect...And then of course it was given to the rest of the 12 to allow Gentiles into the flock...
Act 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Act 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Act 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Peter's commission was NOT to take the word of God to the Gentiles...It was to show the Jews that the Gentiles were to allowed the same religious benefits as the Jews...No one at that time, including Peter was taking the gospel to the Gentiles...
Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: Mat 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
It was some time later that Jesus informed Paul that a new plan had come into play...At that time, Jesus separated the 12 Jewish apostles from Paul...
Act 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Act 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. Act 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
Peter was sent to the Gentiles to provoke the Jews to jealousy since they were not flocking to Jesus as they should have...
Rom_11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
And why again???
Act_28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
It was Paul then who was commissioned to reach out to the Gentiles to bring them in...
Jewish apostles reaching out to Jews and a Roman apostle reaching out to Gentiles...
When you don't get it, you can't just pick and choose what fits your understanding...The first rule is to BELIEVE...Without belief, one will never get the understanding...
Eph 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Eph 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
2Pe_3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
The Catholics don't even get this verse...
When you leave or do not believe scripture and turn it into something you can believe and understand, you are wresting the scriptures...
We are to believe ALL the scriptures, not just some...And when we do, God will open up the scriptures and provide the understanding...
Your "historical facts" are baseless...
I do believe you are in error regarding the reading of the Scriptures by the lord. He read from the Old Testament, which was all that was available at that time. When you put the church above the Word of God - you fall into serious error. Matthew 4:4: But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
No, private interpretation isn’t encouraged, but neither is blind faith to what one group teaches helpful. Acts 17:11:
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily , whether those things were so. Paul called the Bereans noble because they didn’t just take his word for what he taught - they searched the Scriptures to determine if what he was teaching was true. So, I would suggest that you spend some time in prayer seeking God’s face regarding what you believe. There are many false teachings and teachers out there, always has been and always will be.
I’m hardly stiff necked, but I will allow you to believe what you want. I urge you to, however, search out the scriptures and pray over them.
Are we having the same conversation? When did this part of the conversation take place?
When you put the church above the Word of God - you fall into serious error.
When you fail to recognize that the Word is a man, Jesus, and not just a Book... you fall into very serious error. Go read the end of the Gospel of John again.
Paul called the Bereans noble because they didn’t just take his word for what he taught - they searched the Scriptures to determine if what he was teaching was true.
Which Scripture? The Old Testament. Just as Christ opened the hearts of His Apostles on the road to Emmaus, so St Paul opened the hearts of his fellow Jews to see Christ in Old Testament Scripture. When understood, the Old Testament is all about Christ.
So, I would suggest that you spend some time in prayer seeking God’s face regarding what you believe.
You just can't help yourself, can you?
There are many false teachings and teachers out there, always has been and always will be.
Might I suggest that the teachings which have been true, unchanged from the beginning, might hold some authority? Those which have been promulgated outside of the Church built by Christ might be more suspect? Just a thought.
Is it possible that God has His own way of doing things or must he conform to StormPrepper's rules? Perhaps Our Lord spoke directly to His Apostles because that was the revelation they received. After the Apostles, the Church was meant to rely on the Holy Spirit revealed through the Magisterium (body of bishops). Surely you can understand the chaos that could ensue from having a church where each of its ministers claimed a private revelation. It would be very difficult to navigate and discern the truth. But if they had to discern together...
(Well, I see at least one of your foundational problems, PG. To you it appears the Body of Christ is an impersonal "IT")
Plus, perhaps a Rome-based hierarchy? Did God brand Rome as the permanent center of this "IT" of your creation?
Tell us, PG, where the Church in the Scriptures is presented as this Impersonal "IT" of your creation & imagination?
The Church of Christ, PG, is a living body.
The Greek word for CHURCH -- is ecclesia/ekklesia -- literally meaning "called-out ONES"...
Highly peopled...ONLY personal...
Not brick & mortar...but people...
Not a Rome-based hierarchical institution.
You see, institutions come & go as man-made things.
Same with man-arranged hierarchies.
But people are a specialty creation of God. And a specialized "temple" of the Holy Spirit.
And I know nowhere in Scripture where God deals with "solo servants" who rule over others.
Even in the local churches in the New Testament, elders were plural.
As for the apostles, note that the apostle Paul said:
* "I was in no way inferior to these [so-called] 'superapostles'" (2 Cor. 12:11);
* In fact, at one point, Paul rebuked Peter (Gal. 2:11-21);
* Paul claimed to be on the same level as Peter (Gal. 2:8);
* Paul wrote half of the NT -- compared to Peter's two epistles;
* BOTH Peter & John were sent by the apostles on a mission (Acts 8:4-13)
* Peter wasn't "THE pastor of the church but only a 'fellow presbyter [elder]' (1 Peter 5:1-2)." (Rhodes & Geisler, p. 113)
* "In view of the New Testament titles used of Peter, it is clear that he would never have accepted the terms used of the Roman Catholic Pope today: 'Holy Father' (cf. Matt. 23:9) or 'Supreme Pontiff' and "Vicar of Christ.'" (Rhodes & Geisler, p. 193)
Oh...+ The Holy Spirit is our Vicar (John 14:16,26; 16:13-14)!
You are dealing with a brain-washed Catholic. What you wrote is truth, but they aren’t allowed to accept anything unless its from their “church.” I guess the best thing you can do is pray for these poor, misguided souls who will hang onto their false teachings with their dying breath.
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