The Biblical Foundations of The Papacy
(Part 4)
Paul Newcombe
The Pre-eminence of Peter: Evidence in the Gospels
As already discussed, Peter has a clear pre-eminence among the apostles prior to Matthew 16. Naturally, following his appointment to the office of prime minister in Christ’s Church, we would expect to see Peter’s leadership begin to take form. The remainder of the Gospel accounts do not disappoint. As we will see, several important passages place the spotlight firmly upon Peter and highlight his authoritative role in the infant Church.
Satan Sifting the Apostles
Luke chapter 22 provides an important promise granted to Peter alone. Jesus, knowing that he would be shortly leaving the apostles, takes time to prepare Peter for the inevitable spiritual combat—indeed Satan desires to lay siege against the Church of Christ:
And the Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat: but I have prayed for thee that thy faith may not fail; and thou, being once converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Luke 22:31-32).
This passage contains an interesting use of singular and plural pronouns. Satan desires to sift all twelve Apostles “like wheat”. The Greek word “tou” meaning “you” in this phrase is plural in form, and is used twice:
“Satan has demanded to have YOU (plural) [Gk. τοῦ, that he might sift YOU (plural) like wheat.”
The Lord, in the next verse, speaks to Peter solely as confirmed by the Greek word “sou” which means “you” in its singular form:
“but I have prayed for THEE (singular) [Gk. σοῦ] that THY (singular) faith may not fail; and THOU (singular), being once converted, strengthen THY (singular) brethren. (Luke 22:32).
Luke 22:32 draws attention to Peter’s unique role as the leader of the early Church. His position of leadership requires that the responsibility of strengthening the Church is placed firmly upon his shoulders. “Being once converted” is most likely a reference to Peter’s upcoming disloyalty during Jesus’ trial. While warming himself at the fires of those who are crucifying our Lord, Peter denies knowing Christ three times (Luke 22:55-62). This sin will require a conversion-of-the-heart on Peter’s part. Only then will he “strengthen” the other apostles. The assurance that Christ himself has prayed specifically for Peter, that (after his conversion) his faith may not fail is crucial to a proper knowledge of this passage. Scott Butler elaborates regarding the implications of Christ’s prayer:
Does this mean that Peter’s faith will not fail? Yes it does; it is guaranteed by Jesus Christ. Otherwise, Jesus’ prayer would have been in vain. God will see to it that Peter’s faith will not fail when he acts in the role of Christ’s vicar after the ascension; just as Christ will see to it that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church (Matt 16:18). …Peter’s appointment to the holy office is most important to Christ at this point in time. Christ has delegated the fullness of His teaching authority to His prime minister.
Once Peter has converted, or turned back, what is he called to do? Jesus calls Peter to “strengthen” (i.e., brace, correct, reinforce, energize, revitalize, enhance, fortify) his fellow Apostles, who are the first Bishops of the Church. No fellow Apostle, and none in the rest of the community, is called to strengthen Peter; Christ does that personally. Luke 22:32 gives Peter ministerial, hierarchical charge over his bishops as a direct grace-filled command from Jesus “when thou art converted”.[41]
Jesuit apologist Nicholas Russo expands further by applying Peter’s guaranteed faith to the issue of infallibility:
In this passage there is a question of infallibility. For infallibility is nothing else but a supernatural gift by which the recipient is shielded from all error against faith. But — a) this is clearly expressed in the words, “that thy faith fail not”; b) it is implied in the command to confirm his brethren; c) it is supposed in the very failure of Satan’s attempts to destroy the Church, which is personified in the Apostles, and which depends essentially upon faith…
The temptation is common, but the prayer was offered for Peter alone; not because our Lord was less solicitous for the rest of the Apostles, says Bosset, but because by strengthening the head, He wished to prevent the rest from staggering. Now, this duty of confirming his brethren was to last as long as the Church; and Peter, accordingly, abides always in his successors. …Strange, indeed, would it be to suppose that the doctrine of infallibility of the Head of the Church should cease just when the need becomes greater and more urgent. Christ would, in this supposition, have rendered His first vicar infallible …and denied this divine assistance to all the rest of His vicars on earth, when in their times the dangers were to be greater. …If this consequence be absurd, our position is unassailable.[42]
Peter — Fisherman or Fisher of Men?
John chapter 21 begins with the interesting account of Peter’s fishing expedition. This passage is loaded with figurative clues which have traditionally been regarded as referring to Peter’s role within the Church:
Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have caught.” So, Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn (John 21:3-11)
The first metaphoric clue in this passage is contained in the leadership of the expedition which is credited to Simon Peter — “Simon Peter said to them, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’” The next is the comprehension (by St. John) that the man watching and instructing their efforts from the shore is Jesus — “It is the Lord”. Moreover, upon recognizing Jesus, who does John immediately inform? Simon Peter. Who hastens to Christ first? Simon Peter. Next there is the apostles’ net which is commonly said to be a symbol of Christ’s Church. Notice who is in charge of the net — Simon Peter — “So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them.” Why does St. John spend time recording the exact number of fish? Many have noted that the fish contained in the apostles’ net account for the Roman declaration that there were 153 known nations in the world at that time. This demonstrates that the Church is for all nations and for as many people as will choose to enter — “And although there were so many, the net was not torn.” While it is not definite that such metaphors are directing our attention to Peter’s leadership (for it could certainly be argued that we merely have a coincidence of language here), it must be acknowledged that these circumstances lead directly into one of the most important leadership-dialogues in the New Testament—a discussion between Jesus and Peter regarding shepherding the flock of Christ (John 21:15-17).
The Role of the Shepherd
Midway through John’s gospel Christ declared himself to be the “good shepherd” who knows his sheep and who gathers lost and disoriented sheep into his singular fold:
I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So, there shall be one flock, one shepherd (John 10:14-16).
It’s a poignant passage because Jesus here makes his intentions clear — there will be one flock and one shepherd, not multiple flocks with contesting shepherds. “Christ never intended his people to be divided into fragmented little groups, each with its self-appointed pastor, conflicting in teachings and competing for sheep. This is the end result of sheep who reject a visible shepherd. Jesus wishes his Church to be one, as he and the Father are one (Jn 17:21, 22), perfected in unity. He announced that his goal was to bring the various sheep together, ‘so there shall be one flock, one shepherd’ (Jn 10:16).”[43]
The question which immediately follows the verdict of John 10 is obvious — before he left the earth and ascended to his Father in heaven, did Jesus appoint another visible shepherd to succeed him in guiding the flock? Eleven chapters later, John provides the answer by directing his readers to an important dialogue between Jesus and Simon the rock:
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed [Gr. boskein] my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend [Gr. poimainein] my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed [Gr. boskein] my sheep” (John 21:15-17).
The lambs and the sheep of our Savior here mean the faithful who compose his Church, without any distinction between Jew or Gentile. Peter by these words, is appointed to take charge of the whole flock, as being the chief and prince of the apostles. He is, in some manner, the pastor, not of the sheep only, but of the pastors themselves. They have each their own flock to look after; but to him is committed the care of all; he alone is the pastor of all. Our Lord had promised the spiritual supremacy to Peter in Matthew 16 and here he fulfills that promise, by charging him with the administration of all his sheep, without exception; and consequently, of his whole flock, that is, of his whole Church. George Kieran Hyland continues this observation by noting the implications of Christ’s words as they relate to Peter’s universal authority:
Not the least important expression used in St. John’s text is the pronoun my. "Feed My lambs, feed My sheep." Our Lord did not say feed these lambs, nor those lambs. He said My lambs, to show that they are and remain His. He does not dismiss them from Himself when He confides them to Peter; He does not abdicate His office of pastor when He appoints a Vicar; He makes him co-pastor with Him and in Him. All the lambs and sheep of Christ are Peter’s also. No one in the whole flock, no disciple of Christ, can claim exemption from the jurisdiction of Peter. Nor can any number of lambs and sheep in counsel or consort set themselves in opposition to this authority. In the words of the Divine Master there is no limitation to the pastor’s rule: it is identical with that of the Good Shepherd Himself.[44]
According to Biblical scholar Robert Sungenis:
[Within Jesus’ words] …there is the change from "feed" (Greek: boske) to "shepherd" (Greek: poimaine). Peter is told to "feed" the lambs, but both "shepherd" and "feed" the sheep. Of the two, poimaine is the more technical and comprehensive of the two. It is used of "ruling" in other texts (e.g., Matthew 2:6; Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:15), whereas boske refers only to feeding. …The progression from weaker to stronger helps to show, in a preliminary way, the parameters and requirements for the ministry that Peter will soon undertake. Under the divine assistance that he will eventually receive from the Holy Spirit, Peter will inaugurate his rule over the clergy and laity that, in turn, will be followed by his successors.[45]
Peter’s Pre-eminence in the Gospels Continues
The basic theme of Peter’s pre-eminence which consistently pervades the gospels can also be seen in the biblical account of the tomb and the resurrection:
(1). The angel in the tomb is discovered by the women coming to anoint Jesus’ body. The angel advises the women to go tell the disciples “and Peter” that Jesus goes before them to Galilee (Mark 16:7). Even the angel, in singling out Peter, demonstrates the Christian belief that Peter is in a class of his own which distinguishes him from the other disciples.
(2). Peter and John run to the burial place of Christ. Yet despite being the first to arrive at the tomb John waits for Peter and in fact defers to Peter — enabling him to enter the tomb first (John 20:3-8).
(3). Among the Apostles, the resurrected Christ appears first to Peter — Jesus properly seeks out the man he appointed to be the head of the Church. Only after making contact with his prime minister does Christ visit the rest of the apostles who are subordinates of Peter and respond to his leadership (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5).
The Pre-eminence of Peter in Acts
When examining the biblical foundations of the papacy it is advisable to explore the centrality of Peter’s authority in the Acts of the Apostles:
Choosing a Successor to Replace Judas
Following the ascension of Christ into heaven, Peter’s first action is to call for the selection of a new Apostle to fill the vacant office left behind by Judas Iscariot:
At this time, Peter stood up and spoke before all the brethren; a company of about a hundred and twenty were gathered there. Brethren, he said, there is a prophecy in scripture that must needs be fulfilled; that which the Holy Spirit made, by the lips of David, about Judas, who showed the way to the men that arrested Jesus. (Acts 1:15-16).
Colin Lindsay, in his The Evidence for the Papacy, comments upon this passage:
S. Peter here assumes, as a matter of right, the function of Chief Governor, and Chief Pastor of the Church. A vacancy occurs in the apostolic body, through the treason and death of Judas. He then, apparently without previous concert with his co-apostles, directs, not suggests, as some say, but directs, or rather commands, another to be ordained in his place; and further he states authoritatively, from what class of men a successor must be chosen, limiting thereby their choice; "wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us …must one be ordained." From the above nothing can be clearer than the nature of that office St. Peter assumed on this occasion, namely, that of the Ruler, the Governor, and Chief Pastor of the Church.[46]
Peter continues his directives regarding Judas and his office:
For it is written in the book of Psalms, "Let their camping place be deserted, and let no man be found to dwell in it" [psalm 69:25]. And again, "let another take over his office" [episkopee] [psalm 109:8]. There are men who have walked in our company all through the time when the Lord Jesus came and went among us, from the time when John used to baptize to the day when he, Jesus, was taken from us. One of these ought to be added to our number as a witness of his resurrection. So, they named two of them, Joseph called Barsabas, who had been given the fresh name of Justus, and Matthias. And they offered this prayer, Lord, who knows the hearts of all men, show us which of these two thou has chosen to take his place in this work of apostleship, from which Judas has fallen away, and gone to the place which belonged to him. They gave them lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he took rank with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:20-26).
Steve Ray, in his Upon This Rock, draws out the nature of Judas’ apostolic office as one of overseer or bishop. Moreover, he notes the necessity of succession in this office which is clearly the primary concern of Peter in his directions for electing Judas’ replacement:
Peter quotes the Old Testament scriptures to explain the need for a man to fill the “office” vacated by Judas Iscariot. The position is exactly that, an office — an office that needs to be filled. …The word for “office” used in the Greek Septuagint, obviously the text cited by Peter, is episkopē (έπισκοπή), from which we get our English word “episcopal”, meaning of, suited to, or belonging to a bishop. The King James version of the Bible renders this phrase: “and his bishoprick let another take”. It is defined by William Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich as a “position or office as an overseer (Num 4:16) of Judas’ position as an apostle. …esp. the office of a bishop” (A Greek-English Lexicon, 299). Here we see the office of apostle being referred to by Peter as the office of overseer or bishop. Also important, we see that the office is one of succession — another man succeeds to the office on the death of Judas. The word episkopē is the same word used in 1 Timothy 3:1, “The saying is sure: if anyone aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task”, and in Acts 20:28, “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you guardians, to feed the church of the Lord which he obtained with his own blood”. This was a dynamic position, an office of authority, and an office that continued through succession after the current occupant ceased to hold the position.[47]
If apostolic succession be true for the office of bishop, how much more is this the case in the office of Christ’s prime minister? The context of succession applied to Peters office in Matthew 16:19 is now clearly applied by Peter himself to the entire bishoprick — the apostles and their successors.
In addition, Robert Sungenis also notes the authoritative interpretation of the Psalms provided by Peter, which again reinforces his teaching leadership within the infant Church:
In Acts 1:20, Peter cites Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8, respectively, regarding the succession Judas’ office of apostleship. Our initial interest in this citing stems from the fact that in order for Peter to comprehend the meaning and intention of these specific Psalms, he would have had to be enlightened by divine guidance as to their meaning. The psalms themselves say nothing about the application to Judas or to the office of apostleship in general. It is only Peter’s spiritually guided interpretation of these Psalms that leads to their application to the succession of Judas’ apostleship. …This Petrine interpretation of Scripture lays down the precedent that would be followed later in the church wherein Peter’s successors would also exhibit a divine understanding and authoritative interpretation of Scriptural passages.[48]
Peter’s Authority at the Council of Jerusalem
In 48 A.D. the Christian hierarchy convened its first official Church Council to deal with a new heresy that was threatening to divide the Christian community. The issue of the Judaizers was at hand:
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1).
When the apostles and presbyters assembled to decide about this matter there was much disputing over it, until Peter rose and said to them, “Brethren, you know well enough that from early days it has been God’s choice that the Gentiles should hear the message of the gospel from my lips, and so learn to believe. God, who can read men’s hearts, has assured them of this favour by giving the Holy Spirit to them as to us. He would not make any difference between us and them; he had removed all the uncleanness from their hearts when he gave them faith. How is it, then, that you would now call God in question, by putting a yoke on the necks of the disciples, such as we and our fathers have been too weak to bear?” (Acts 15:6-10).
And the whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had performed among the Gentiles by their means. (Acts 15:12).
And when they had finished speaking, James answered thus, “Listen, brethren, to what I have to say. Simon has told us, how for the first time God has looked with favor on the Gentiles. …This is in agreement with the words of the prophets… And so I give my voice for sparing the consciences of those Gentiles who have found their way to God; only writing to bid them abstain from what is contaminated by idolatry, from fornication, and from meat which has been strangled or has the blood in it. (Acts 15:13-14, 15, 19-20).
The Council immediately dispatches the ruling declared by Peter to the Gentile brethren in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia — areas where the incorrect teachings of the Judaizers had created confusion. Notice that (during the council itself) the apostles and elders were engaged in “much debate” until Peter silences the ruling body by exercising his final authority in legislative matters. From this point on there is no further debate — the issue has been decided. James endorses Peter’s verdict and offers practical ways to pastorally implement his decision. Nobody counteracts Peter, debates his pronouncement, or suggests an alternate method for dealing with the situation. Peter has spoken, the case is closed.
Other Examples of Peter’s Pre-eminence in Acts
(1). Peter is the first one to preach the gospel to the crowds in Jerusalem (Acts 2:14-40);
(2). Peter is the one who performs the first healing miracle after Pentecost (Acts 3:6-7);
(3). Peter is the one who put the Sanhedrin on trial for the crucifixion of Christ (Acts 4:5-22);
(4). Peter is also the one who administers discipline with fatal consequences with regard to Ananias and Sapphira. In lying to Peter they are said to have lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11);
(5). The sick are brought out into the streets and laid on sleeping mats “in the hope that even the shadow of Peter, as he passed by, might fall upon one here and there, and so they would be healed of their infirmities.” (Acts 5:15).
(6). Peter gives many of the major speeches in Acts (Acts 3:12-26; 4:8-12; 5:3-9, 29-32; 8:20-23; 10:34-43; 11:4-18; 15:7-11);
(7). Peter was the first to receive God’s revelation that the gospel was to go to the Gentiles (Acts 10:9-48);
(8). Peter baptizes the first pagans into the Church (Acts 10:46-48).
References to Peter in the Letters of Paul
Paul Visits Peter
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he speaks of his journeys and specifically notes that he went to Jerusalem to stay with Peter:
I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. (Galatians 1:16-19).
The first thing to notice here is that Paul calls Peter “Rock” by using the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic Kepha applied by Christ in Matthew 16 — “I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas”. By doing so Paul recognized Peter’s position as that bedrock upon which the Church is built. Peter’s teaching authority becomes the context of his visit to Jerusalem. Protestant biblical scholar F.F. Bruce notes this context in his book — Paul: The Apostle of the Heart Set Free:
The purpose of Paul’s going to Jerusalem on this occasion was to make the acquaintance of the leading apostle — not merely to make his acquaintance but to enquire of him (for that is the force of the verb historēsai which he uses). For Peter was a primary informant on matters which it was now important that Paul should know — the details of Jesus’ ministry and the “tradition” of teaching which derived from him. There is in some quarter considerable resistance to the idea that Paul was interested in acquiring information of this kind, but even if Paul had no such interest (which is incredible), what would Peter talk about for those fifteen days?[49]
James, Peter, and John are “pillars” of the Church
In dealing with the arguments of the Christian Judaizers (who were mistakenly propounding that people needed to be circumcised in order to be saved), Paul makes sure of his authority by making known that his message is backed by James, Peter, and John:
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up by revelation; and I laid before them (but privately before those who were of repute) the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, lest somehow I should be running or had run in vain. …And when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship; that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to be circumcised. (Galatians 2:1-2, 9).
Knowing that his message had been confirmed by the top leaders in the Church gave Paul the credibility he needed to put an end to the argument being made that Christians needed to first pass through Jewish ceremonial observances — like that of circumcision. Ronald Knox, in commenting upon this passage, notes the following:
Paul, said the Judaizers, does not rank with Peter, John, James the less, and the rest of the Twelve; he did not get his knowledge from Christ at first hand, he only picked it up from the others. And so he is unreliable. …[But the apostles] gave their approval to his policy of receiving Gentiles without obligating them to observe the Jewish law.[50]
This passage, in which Paul indicates that he has met with the “pillars of the Church”, is also reminiscent of his letter to Timothy where he identifies “the Church” as “the pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Tim 3:15). In Paul’s mind, the foundation of Christian truth lies in the teaching hierarchy of Christ’s Church, as personified by Peter, James and John — “reputed to be pillars” (Galatians 2:9). Steve Ray comments further upon the implications of 1 Timothy 3:15:
For the Fundamentalist or Evangelical, the Bible is the pillar and foundation of truth, even though the Bible gives this place of honour to the Church and, therefore, to the hierarchy that gives her visible form. …If this passage [1 Tim 3:15] did indeed refer to the Bible, it would become the strongest — no, the only — biblical passage to imply Sola Scriptura, and it would become the blazing banner carried aloft by those espousing it. However, as Paul says it is the Church that is the “pillar and foundation of truth”, there is an unmistakable silence and general partisan dismissal of the true meaning of the text. However, the fathers understood that the Church is the bank into which Christ and the apostles deposited the fullness of faith and that the Church was to be the guardian and defender of that truth. Protestants see the deposit of faith as lodging exclusively in the Bible. But Jude says we should “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”. Where was the faith deposited? Into the Bible? There was no collected New Testament canon for several hundred years. The truth has been delivered unto the saints; deposited into the Church! It is not either the Church or the Bible; it is rather both the Church and the Bible.[51]
Footnotes:
[41] Butler, S., Dahlgren, N., and Hess, D. Jesus, Peter & The Keys, Santa Barbara, Queenship Publishing, 1996, p. 141.
[42] Russo, The True Religion, 124-126.
[43] Ray, Steve. Upon This Rock, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1999, p.253.
[44] Hyland, George Kieran. The Papal Supremacy During the First Three Centuries, The Irish Ecclesiastical Record, July 1908. p.193.
[45] Sungenis, Robert A. John 21:15-17, letter to authors, June 1994.
[46] Lindsay, Colin. The Evidence for the Papacy, London: Longmans, Green, 1870, p. 8-9.
[47] Ray, Steve. Upon This Rock, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1999, p. 50-51, fn 66.
[48] Sungenis, Robert A., The Biblical Basis For Papal Succession, letter to authors, 22 May 1995, p.1.
[49] Bruce, F.F. Paul:: Apostle of the Heart Set Free, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1977, p.84.
[50] Knox, Ronald. It Is Paul Who Writes: Based on the Translation of the Epistles of Saint Paul and the Acts of the Apostles, arr. Ronald Cox, New York, Sheed and Ward, 1944, p. 77, 79.
[51] Ray, Steve. Upon This Rock, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1999, p.60 , fn81.