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Was Peter The First Pope?

by Micky Galloway

It is affirmed by the Catholic church that the Pope is the “successor of Peter” who is heralded to be the first Pope of the Catholic church. It is not the purpose of this study to arouse prejudice or to make any unwarranted attack upon any religious people. It is our purpose however, to study God’s word with respect to certain claims made by the Roman Catholic denomination and compare them to the Bible. From radio, press and pulpit; from movie and television screen as well as the political platform, we are continually having hurled at us a stream of Roman Catholic propaganda. Please read your Bible and compare it to the claims of the Catholic church.

Claims of the Catholic Church:

“Because he was given the task of guiding the faithful, Peter received supreme authority over all …” (The Papacy: Expression Of God's Love, page 6). “The Pope is the Vicar of Christ; he rules as the visible head of the Church upon earth (emphasis mine, mg) for the welfare of all the faithful. He is the Bishop of Rome, the Patriarch of the West, the Supreme Pontiff, the Servant of the Servants of God” (Ibid. , p. 4). “According to Catholic doctrine, bishops are indeed the successors of the Apostles, and each bishop, from this fact, possesses the right to bind and to loose” (Ibid. , p. 25). “Only the Catholic Church … does not cease to recognize the Bishop of Rome as head of the universal Church, and to honor him as the direct successor of Simon Peter” (Ibid. , pp. 12-13).

Facts:
  1. The church that Jesus built had no pope; such began in A.D. 606 when the title of “Universal Bishop” was conferred upon Boniface III.
  2. The church that Jesus built had no councils; such began in A.D. 325 when the council of Nicea convened.
  3. The church that Jesus built had no orders of priests, diocesan bishops, archbishops, cardinals, synods, dioceses, parishes, monks, nuns, convents, monasteries or parochial schools; such things began without authorization far this side of the New Testament.
Was indeed the apostle Peter a Pope?

Catholic writers often speak of “the primacy of Peter” and “the primacy of the Pope.” However, Colossians 1:18, speaking of Christ, says, “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence” (prooteuoo; to be first, hold the first place, Thayer). Thus, with reference to the authority in the church, the Lord Jesus Christ holds the primacy in all things. This leaves nothing for the Pope!

Catholics claim that the Pope is the “visible” head of the church. Catholic officials always use the word “visible” no doubt thinking that it removes the thought of the Pope standing in opposition to the headship of Christ, and removes the apparent problem of having a church with two heads. Nonetheless, the Scriptures nowhere teach the idea of a visible and invisible head. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18 RSV). Ephesians 5:23-25 shows that Christ is the only head of the church. “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, (being) himself the saviour of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so (let) the wives also (be) to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it.” Again, this leaves no authority for the Pope!

Catholics claim the church is founded on Peter. James Cardinal Gibbons, a Catholic Archbishop said, “Jesus our Lord, founded but one Church, which He was pleased to build on Peter. Therefore, any church that does not recognize Peter as its foundation stone is not the Church of Christ, and therefore cannot stand, for it is not the work of God” (The Faith of Our Fathers, p. 82). Yet, the apostle Paul declared, “For other foundation no one can lay, but that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus” (I Corinthians 3:11). There is no other foundation but Christ! Therefore, any church which does not recognize Christ alone as the foundation stone cannot be the church of Christ.

It is the bold assertion of the Catholic church that the Pope is the “Vicar of Christ.” A “vicar” is “One serving as a substitute or agent; one authorized to perform the functions of another in higher office” (Webster). When one searches the Bible from cover to cover, he finds only one passage which gives an indication of a vicar of Christ or God. It is II Thessalonians 2:3-4; it is worded as follows: “let no man beguile you in any wise: for (it will not be,) except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God.” This is the only passage which speaks of a man doing such and it calls him “the man of sin.”

Peter was not a pope! Consider these facts.
  1. The Apostles did not have rank established among themselves. Binding and loosing authority was given to all apostles (Matthew 16:19; 18:18; John 20:23). Distinctions among them were warned against (Matthew 20:25-28; 23:8-12; cf II Corinthians 11:5; 12:11).The very fact that the apostles had an argument among themselves (Luke 22:24-26), shows they did not understand that Peter was to be pope. Also, the occasion of the argument was the night of the betrayal, the last night of the Lord's earthly ministry, and yet the apostles still did not understand that Christ had given Peter a position of primacy. The Lord settled the argument, not by stating that He had already made Peter head, but by declaring that the Gentiles have their heads, “But ye shall not be so.” Thus, Jesus very plainly taught that no one would occupy any such place as a Benefactor (or Pope) to exercise authority over the others.
  2. Christ is head of His church (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18; I Peter 2:4-6). No “vicar” was appointed on earth!
  3. Christ is the foundation of His church (not Peter) (I Corinthians 3:11; Acts 4:10-12).
  4. Peter was married (Matthew 8:14; I Corinthians 9:5).
  5. Peter refused worship (Acts 10:25-26).
  6. Peter was an elder (I Peter 5:1).
  7. Paul was equal to Peter (II Corinthians 12:11).
  8. Peter was not infallible. He committed sin (cf Galatians 2:11-14) as do all (Romans 3:23; Galatians 6:3; I John 1:8, 10).
Peter was not the first Pope. He was not the Vicar of Christ. He was not the head and founder of the church.

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