Roman Catholic Claim
Christ, the Good Shepherd, called Peter to
be the chief shepherd of his Church (John
21:15-17). He gave Peter the task of strengthening
the other apostles in their faith, ensuring
that they taught only what was true (Luke
22:31-32). Peter led the Church in proclaiming
the gospel and making decisions (Acts 2:1-
41, 15:7-12).
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Christian Response
To this the Christian
must respond with a three-fold question: Was Peter’s
role unique, primal, and infallible? The answer to
all three is “No.” As such, the verses
cited by Rome do not prove what Rome claims they do.
Was Peter’s
role unique? The Scriptures say “No.”
Peter was the apostle to the Jews and Paul was the
apostle to the Gentiles:
“But contrariwise,
when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision
was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision
was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually
in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision,
the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)”
Galatians 2:7,8, KJV.
Was Peter’s
role primal? The Scriptures say no. Paul, who came
along later than Peter, was not one whit less than
any of the other apostles, and in one case, Peter
deferred to Paul’s instruction:
“For I suppose
was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.”
2 Corinthians 11:5, KJV.
“And account
that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
even as our beloved brother Paul also according
to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
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. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing
ye know these things before, beware lest ye also,
being led away with the error of the wicked, fall
from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and
in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
(2 Peter 3:15-18, KJV)
Was Peter’s
role infallible? The Scriptures say “No.”
Peter at one point had to be corrected by Paul on
the matter of the gospel:
“But when
Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the
face, because he was to be blamed. ... But when
I saw that they walked not uprightly according to
the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before
them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the
manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why
compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”
(Galatians 2:11, 14, KJV)
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