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Was Peter the First Pope?

When someone responds to a question and wants to emphatically express himself in the affirmative, he may ask, “Is the pope Catholic?” Few statements are more obvious and universally agreed upon. We need not go to the Bible to resolve that question. When, however, someone affirms, as one of our viewers recently did in a respectful way, that the Apostle Peter was Roman Catholic or that the Apostle Peter was the first pope, we must ask, “Was the Apostle Peter the first pope as the Roman Catholic church insists?” No matter where you stand, this question demands careful consideration in light of the Holy Scriptures. 

So why must every follower of Jesus decide whether to follow the pope or not? Notice the final words of the papal bull Unam Sanctam from Pope Boniface VIII on November 18, 1302. This version comes from a doctoral dissertation written in the Dept. of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, and published by Catholic University of America Press in 1927. The closing words read, “Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.”

So, if the pope may rally New Testament scriptural support for whom he claims to be, then a disciple of Christ must fully submit to his authority. If, on the other hand, he seeks to usurp authority that is only legitimately within the power of Jesus Christ, then true followers of Christ must openly reject him and the Roman Catholic Church who upholds him. Was Peter the First Pope? After our song...

The first claim of special power for the Bishop of Rome linked to the Apostle Peter came from Pope Stephen I (254–257) over two hundred twenty years after Jesus. Additionally, other bishops used the title "pope" was still used loosely until the sixth century (Duffy, Eamon (1997). Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes.)

Note the sharp contrast to the description that Peter gives to himself in Scripture compared to the lavish titles the pope professes of himself. Peter speaks of himself in 1 Peter 1:1 as “an apostle of Jesus Christ,” in 1 Peter 5:1 as “a fellow elder,” and in 2 Peter 1:1 as “a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ.”

Meanwhile, the pope refers to himself as the bishop of Rome. Vicar (or substitute) of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the Latin Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Servant of the servants of God.” As we noticed in a previous message, the word “pontiff” is short for “pontifex maximus” which is latin for High Priest. The ONLY high priest in the New Testament is Jesus (Hebrews 7:26; 8:1) and never in Holy Scripture is anyone given the right to claim to be the vicar, replacement, or substitute of the sinless Son of God!

We also noticed previously how irreconcilable the title “servant of the servants of God” is with “what the Catholic Encyclopedia refers to as (the popes) Insignia and Marks of Honor. For example, he wears a tiara or triple crown--‘a costly covering for the head, ornamented with precious stones and pearls…” The... Catholic Encyclopedia article adds the honor of “The kissing of the pope's foot — the characteristic act of reverence by which all the faithful do honour to him as the vicar of Christ…”  

Meanwhile, in Acts 10:25-26, when the centurion who would become the first Gentile convert Cornelius fell down at Peter’s feet and worshiped him, “Peter lifted him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I myself am also a man.’"

While the pope claims to be the universal bishop and head of the church, the Apostle Peter in addressing other elders, tells them in 1 Peter 5:3, not to be “lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;” Then, in 1 Peter 5:4, he writes, “and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” Clearly, he referred to Jesus, not himself as the Chief Shepherd.

Not only in the New Testament do we never find the word “pope” which means father, but Jesus forbids the use of this term in a universal spiritual sense.  Matthew 23:9, “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” In addition, about 400,000 Roman Catholic priests expect all followers of Jesus to call them “father.” The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 4:6, “There is one God and Father of all.” 

The Roman Catholic Church has about 3000 dioceses but no diocese are found in the church we read about in the New Testament. Next, note the difference between the offices or works found in the New Testament Church and those found in the Roman Catholic Church.

In the New Testament we read about Apostles, prophets, elders who we see are the same individuals as those who are called bishops/overseers=pastors and shepherds. Then there are evangelists, teachers, and deacons.

In the Roman Catholic Church we find the offices of Pope, cardinal, Cardinal Vicar, Moderator of the curia, Chaplain of His Holiness, Papal legate, Papal majordomo, Apostolic nuncio, Apostolic delegate, Apostolic Syndic, Apostolic visitor, Vicar apostolic, Apostolic exarch, Apostolic prefect, Assistant at the Pontifical Throne, Eparch, Metropolitan, Patriarch, Archbishop, Bishop emeritus, Diocesan bishop, Major archbishop, Primate, Suffragan bishop, Titular bishop, Coadjutor bishop, Auxiliary bishop, Territorial prelate, Territorial abbot.

Can you see the contrast between the simplicity of New Testament Christianity and what happens to Christianity when man attempts to improve on God’s ways? Why not call Bible things by Bible names? The church Peter belonged to had none of these ornaments.

In the Roman Catholic Church, a single bishop governs a diocese.

In the New Testament Church, a plurality of elders (also described as bishops, overseers, pastors, and shepherds) serve in a single congregation. Acts 14:23, “So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

In the Roman Catholic Church, a bishop must receive approval from the Bishop of Rome before he can be appointed locally. In the New Testament, a bishop (also called an elder, overseer, pastor, or shepherd) was ordained or appointed by an evangelist (Titus 1:5, “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you…”

We pointed out that the elders, overseers, bishops, pastors, and shepherds are all terms used in the New Testament church that Peter belonged to refer to the same individuals. In Acts 20:17, Luke provides the background for the Apostle Paul’s heart-wrenching farewell. “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.” In the message, the Apostle Paul presented to these elders, he said in verse 28, “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.” So, he called the elders “overseers” who were responsible for shepherding the church. Therefore, elders are overseers (which is a synonym for bishops) and shepherds (which is a synonym for pastors). 

We find further confirmation of this in 1 Peter 5:1-2, “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: 2Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly.” The Apostle Peter himself did not set up a hierarchy among elders, bishops and pastors, but taught clearly that each of these terms--elders, overseers, bishops, shepherds, and pastors--described the same individuals. Can you see the chasm that separates the Apostle Peter’s teaching from the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church?

Furthermore, the Roman Catholic Church promotes a distinction between the priesthood and the “laity” or the common folks in the church. Watch, however, the difference enunciated in Scripture by the Apostle Peter in the New Testament church. He writes in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light...” The Apostle Peter knew nothing of a separate priesthood, but spoke of all God’s faithful people as composing a “royal priesthood.”

Another major difference between the church that Peter belonged to in the New Testament and the Roman Catholic Church is the identification of a saint. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “In the 10th century, Pope John XV formalized a process for the identification of saints.” The Roman Catholic Church speaks of “confirmation saints” and “patron saints.” Encyclopedia Britannica adds, “For example, St. Judas (Jude) is the patron saint of impossible or desperate causes, and many Catholics ask him to pray on their behalf for the resolution of seemingly impossible situations in their lives.” Britannica again, “Most saints have feast days observed by the Catholic Church in which their lives and contributions are formally celebrated, and some have large followings of devotees and even religious orders in their honor.”

In the Roman Catholic Church, the path to sainthood is a complex process involving beatification, veneration, and canonization. Listen to a partial explanation provided in Encyclopedia Britannica, “In general, the process of documenting the sanctity of a holy man or woman cannot begin until five years after death, though this waiting period can be waived by the pope. Pope John Paul II, for example, waived three years of the waiting period for the cause of [so-called] Mother Teresa, and Pope Benedict XVI waived the entire waiting period for his predecessor John Paul II. The subsequent investigation of the candidate involves the gathering together of all material pertaining to the candidate’s reputation for sanctity or heroic virtue, the writings of the candidate, and information about miracles performed by the candidate either during his or her lifetime or after death. The miracle required for beatification can be waived in the case of martyrdom.” So, death, heroic virtue, miracles, and/or martyrdom are among the prerequisites for sainthood. Reckon the Apostle Peter would recognize ANY of that? Not if you recognize the divine authority of Scripture!

When the Apostle wrote an epistle, he often addressed it to the living saints of that city. In Jude 3, the Holy Spirit teaches, “...I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” When He speaks of the faith delivered to the saints, he speaks not only of those who are deceased, who have been martyred, or have performed miracles, but all the faithful disciples. The word “saint” simply means “holy one.” The Apostle Peter wrote to all Christians in 1 Peter 1:15, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct…” No, the Apostle Paul knew nothing of the complicated system associated with sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. 

Let’s go back to the idea, specifically, of the Roman Catholic Church referring to the Apostle Peter as the first pope. One of the fundamental problems with this idea is that Peter was married and Roman Catholic popes, cardinals, bishops, priests, etc., are forbidden to marry.

The Apostle Paul would have been a much better candidate for the papacy insomuch as celibacy is concerned. He writes in 1 Corinthians 9:5, “Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?” Cephas, of course, was another name for the Apostle Peter. We read further in Matthew 8:14, “Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever.” How could the first pope be married and all the other popes be forbidden from marrying?

In recent years an interesting controversy has developed in the Roman Catholic Church over this. Consider  a March 10, 2017 article by Olivia B. Waxman in Time Magazine titled, “Pope Francis Might Consider Ordaining Married Priests.”

The article reads in part, “Despite the Catholic Church’s longstanding prohibition on married men becoming priests, Pope Francis said he might consider making exceptions to ordain married men who are already heavily involved in the Roman Catholic Church in certain circumstances. The idea would be that they could work in rural areas that suffer from a shortage of clergy, according to his interview with the German newspaper Die Zeit published Thursday.

But why were married men prevented from becoming priests in the first place?

“The chastity requirement is spelled out in the church’s Code of Canon Law as such: ‘Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and therefore are bound to celibacy which is a special gift of God by which sacred ministers can adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart and are able to dedicate themselves more freely to the service of God and humanity.’”

The article continues:

“...[According to America, the leading Catholic news magazine. Things were looser in the early church, although married clergy were often asked not to have sex with their wives, ‘in part due to prevailing attitudes about sex and its impact on the minister’s readiness for sacred duty.’ It wasn’t until the 11th century that, based on the growing influence of and admiration for celibate monks, widespread celibacy requirements were adopted.”

The article then cites a February 23, 1970 Time article that gives more background to the modern celibacy requirement of the Catholic Church:

Jesus himself was not married; biblical scholars assume that most of his disciples were, since the Judaism of the time frowned upon bachelorhood. There is good reason to believe that the majority of priests and bishops during the first four centuries of Christianity were married; so were many Popes, the last of whom was Adrian II in the 9th century….

At the urging of Popes and councils, monastic austerity was gradually forced upon the clergy as a whole. Pope Benedict VIII in 1018 formally forbade priestly marriages; the prohibition was solemnly extended by the First Lateran Council of 1123. The rule, however, was not easy to enforce. Until the Reformation, parish priests frequently scandalized the faithful by taking wives, or at least keeping mistresses and concubines, as did Popes and cardinals.”

Oh, how very different is the Roman Catholic Church than the church of Christ that Peter belonged to so long ago. The Apostle Paul’s warning in 1 Timothy 4 is of more than passing interest in this context. He writes, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving....” The Holy Spirit declares that “forbidding to marry” should be interpreted as an indication of those who have departed from the faith! 

The Holy Spirit issues a veritable “amen” to this warning when we read in Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” Man has an uncanny ability to mess something up when he puts his hands on it and the church of our Lord is no exception!

This brief study is only the tip of the iceberg. We encourage you to contact us so we can show you more details about the church of the New Testament that the Apostle Peter labored for. Why settle for anything less? 

Thank you for watching Let the Bible Speak and thank you, Aaron, for this urgently important message. Friends, Jesus may return today. Are you ready? If not, contact us and we will help you. Contact us for a copy of 1234 “Was Peter the First Pope?” We also offer a FREE Bible study course to complete at home. The price is right! Visit , for video, audio, and transcripts of nearly 500 sermons. On behalf of the congregations listed shortly, we echo the sentiment of the apostle Paul when he wrote in Romans 16:16, “the churches of Christ salute you.” Until next week, goodbye and God bless.

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