The Catholic Undertow

Mary Ann Collins, A Former Catholic Nun

Chapter 3

Was Peter a Pope?

Peter did not describe himself as being a high and mighty Pope, with authority over the entire Church. Rather, he called himself “a servant.” (2 Peter 1:1) According to Strong’s Concordance, the word means, “a slave.” Peter also referred to himself as a fellow “elder.” (1 Peter 5:1)

Rather than claiming special authority for himself, Peter said that all believers are a “royal priesthood.” He said:

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9)

In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John confirmed Peter’s statement that all true believers are priests. (Revelation 1:5-6; 5:9-10; 20:6) (Catholic Bibles refer to the Book of Revelation as The Apocalypse.)

Peter (supposedly the first Pope) prohibited the attitudes and practices that have been prevalent in the papacy. He said that leaders must not act like lords (people with rank, power, and special privileges) and they must not seek wealth (“filthy lucre”). Peter described himself as being an elder, like the other elders. He said:

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:1-3, emphasis added)

How does Peter, as portrayed in the Bible, compare with the Pope? Peter was a humble fisherman. The Pope is a monarch who sits on a throne. When he celebrates a Pontifical Mass, the Pope enters the sanctuary seated in a portable throne that is carried on the shoulders of uniformed men. As head of the Catholic Church, the Pope controls immense wealth, with widespread investments around the world. The wealth of the Vatican is amazing.[1]

Catholic theologians claim that Jesus built the Roman Catholic Church on the Apostle Peter. They base this on Matthew 16:18, where Jesus told Peter: “And I say unto thee, That thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Let’s look at the context of this statement. The Bible says:

“He [Jesus] saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it... Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.” (Matthew 16:15-18, 20)

Does the rock on which the Church is built represent Peter, or does it represent Jesus Christ?

Peter himself answered this question. He said that the rock is Jesus. In the Book of Acts, the high priest and other Jewish leaders questioned the apostles concerning a man who had been healed. The Bible describes this confrontation:

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12, emphasis added)

Peter also referred to Jesus as the cornerstone in his first epistle. He described the Church as a building made up of many stones (the individual believers) and founded on Jesus, who is the chief cornerstone. Peter said:

“If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light...” (1 Peter 2:3-9, emphasis added)

So the Catholic Church says that Peter is the rock. But Peter declared that Jesus is the rock.

Jesus Himself said that He is the rock. He told a parable about a vineyard, with tenants who refused to give a portion of their fruit to the owner of the vineyard. The owner sent servants. The tenants beat some servants and killed others. Finally, the owner sent his own son. The tenants killed him. Jesus concluded the parable by quoting Psalm 118:22-23, which says that the cornerstone was rejected by the builders.

This parable describes how God sent prophets to Israel, but the Israelites rejected them. Then God sent His Son, and the Israelites rejected Him and killed Him. They thought that He was worthless. They did not realize that He was of foundational importance to them. In the context of this parable, the stone can only refer to Jesus. It cannot possibly refer to Peter. Jesus said:

“And again he [the lord of the vineyard] sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” (Mark 12:4-11; see Mark 12:1-12. Also see Matthew 21:33-46 and Luke 20:9-19)

Look at the context of Jesus’ statement. He was on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified. He had already said:

“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem: and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.” (Matthew 20:18-19)

In the parable of the vineyard, Jesus was predicting His own death. In that context, Jesus said that the son who was killed by the tenants was the cornerstone.

The Apostle Paul said that the Church is built on all of the apostles (not just Peter) and that Jesus is the cornerstone. He also said that Jesus Christ is our spiritual rock. Paul wrote:

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22, emphasis added)

“...for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:4)

In Romans 9:31-33, Paul said that Jesus was a rock of offense for the Israelites, because they tried to be saved by works of the law, instead of by faith.

In the New Testament, there are three Greek words for “stone.” Lithos means a stone like a millstone, or a stumbling stone. The other two words are petra and petros.Vine’s Expository Dictionary says that petra means, “a mass of rock.” It says that petros means, “a detached stone or boulder.” It also says that petros means, “a stone that can be thrown or easily moved.”

In Matthew 16:18, the word for Peter is petros, a detached stone that can easily be moved. The word for the rock on which the Church is built is petra, a mass of rock. Other examples of the use of petra show what a huge mass of rock is meant by the word. They include the man who built his house on rock (as opposed to sand) and the tomb where Jesus’ body was placed. (It was carved out of a rock.) (See Matthew 7:24-27 and 27:60.)

Have you ever climbed up a rocky mountain? You are standing on a huge rock (the mountain). This is a petra. As you climb up this massive rock, you pass many smaller rocks, varying in size from small stones to large boulders. The smaller rocks are detached. They can be rolled down the mountainside. That kind of rock is a petros, which is the name that Jesus gave to Peter.

Did Peter act like he was in charge of the early Church? The Book of Acts describes a controversy about whether or not gentile converts to Christianity should be required to be circumcised and to follow the Jewish dietary laws. Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles about it. (Acts 15:2-4) Peter and other people spoke. (Acts 15:7-13) Following a period of silence, James (not Peter) made the final decision in the matter. He called it a “sentence.” According to Strong’s Concordance, the word means a judicial sentence, a decree, or a judgment. The Bible says:

“And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me...Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.” (Acts 15:13, 19-20, emphasis added)

This is the last mention of Peter in the Book of Acts. The Book of Acts is the history of the early Church up until a few years before Peter’s death. If Peter was “the first Pope,” and the officially recognized head of the Church, would we not expect that the Biblical history of the early Church would have said more about him?

The Book of Acts says nothing about Peter being in authority over the whole Church. It shows no connection between Peter and Rome.

Acts 28:14-15 tells how Paul met with the “brethren” in Rome, but it makes no mention of Peter. As we shall see, when Paul met with Peter in Jerusalem, Peter was identified by name.

Acts 2:14 and Acts 8:14 say that Peter was in Jerusalem. Acts 9:36-43 says that Peter went to Joppa, which is near Jerusalem. In chapter 10 of the Book of Acts, Peter is still in Joppa. Acts 11:2 says that Peter returned to Jerusalem.

Joppa is about 30 miles from Jerusalem. If the Book of Acts records this much detail about Peter’s visit to a nearby town, wouldn’t it tell us if Peter went all the way to Rome? Particularly since it does tell us that Paul went to Rome.

Acts 15:1-20 tells how Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to meet with the “apostles and elders” of Jerusalem. Peter is identified as being one of the apostles of Jerusalem. The Bible says:

“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 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.” (Acts 15:1-7, emphasis added)

The Apostle Paul identified Peter as being an apostle in Jerusalem. He said:

“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.” (Galatians 1:18-19, emphasis added)

The Book of Romans was written by the Apostle Paul. He addressed it to “all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints...” (Romans 1:7, emphasis added) In Romans 16:1-15, Paul greeted 26 people by name. He never mentioned Peter. If Peter was the leader of the Church in Rome, then why didn’t Paul mention him?

Paul wrote five letters from a Roman prison (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 2 Timothy, and Philemon). He never mentioned Peter. The man who stayed with Paul in Rome, to help him and encourage him, was Luke--not Peter. (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11)

Paul only mentioned Peter in one of his epistles. In Galatians 1:18-19, Paul said that he went to Jerusalem to see Peter and James. In Galatians 2:8, Paul said that he preached to the gentiles and Peter preached to the Jews (the “circumcision”).

In Galatians 2:11-15, Paul recounted how he publicly rebuked Peter, because Peter had become so intimidated by the Judaizers that he “walked not uprightly.” Evidently, Paul’s public correction of Peter did not cause a problem between them. Peter loved and respected Paul as a brother. He exhorted the Church to heed Paul’s wisdom. Peter said:

“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...” (2 Peter 3:15-16, emphasis added)

In the next chapter, you will read about some popes. Please compare their behavior, attitude, and demeanor with that of Peter. If you were Peter, would you want them to say that they represent you?

ACCORDING TO TRADITION

The Catholic Church has many traditions about the Apostle Peter. But how reliable are they? How much credibility should we give to these traditions?

According to tradition, around 40 A.D., the Apostle James (the Greater) was in Saragossa, Spain. He was discouraged, because his mission had failed. Mary appeared to him. She gave him a pillar (column) of jasper wood and a small wooden statue of herself. She also told him to build a church in her honor. This is considered to be the first apparition of Mary.[2] However, there are some problems with this story.

In the first place, this seems to be contradicted by Scripture. The Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Romans about 57 A.D.[3] This was about 17 years after Mary supposedly appeared to the Apostle James in Spain. Paul said that he wanted to go to Spain. (Romans 15:24, 28) A few verses earlier, Paul said that he made a practice of only preaching the Gospel where it had not been preached before. He told the Roman Christians:

“Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.” (Romans 15:20-21)

When Paul went to cities, he went to preach the Gospel, or to strengthen churches that he had already established. Why would Paul want to go to Spain, if the Apostle James was already ministering there? Paul said that he did not want to “build upon another man’s foundation.”

In the second place, in 40 A.D., Mary may well have been alive. (It was only a few years after Jesus was crucified.) If she was alive, then how could she “appear” to anybody?

In the third place, the early Christians didn’t have churches. They met in people’s homes. (See Acts 2:46; Acts 20:20; Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; and Philemon 1:2. These verses all refer to churches that met in people’s homes.) The Book of Acts ends around 60 A.D., when Paul was in Rome. There is no record of any church buildings. (This is about 20 years after Mary supposedly appeared to James and told him to build a church in her honor.)

Furthermore, starting with the stoning of Stephen, Christians were killed for their faith. It is basic common sense that people who are being killed for their faith do not want to call attention to their religious gatherings. That is not a good time to build church buildings.

According to tradition, in the eighth century, a hermit “discovered” the body of the Apostle James (the Greater) in Saragossa, Spain.[4]

This discovery is questionable in view of the fact that the Catholic Church has a history of fraudulent relics. (Relics are bodies of saints, or portions of saints’ bodies. They can also be items that are closely associated with saints, such as clothing. They also include things such as pieces of the cross on which Jesus was crucified.)

Relics were important for raising money. A cathedral without a relic of a saint lacked an important source of revenue.[5] Therefore, cathedrals had a strong motive for finding some way to produce a relic of a well-known saint.

Fraudulent relics were sold. People dug up bodies from graveyards and pretended that the corpses were saints. This enabled them to sell the bodies as relics. Selling relics was a profitable business. They were highly valued, because they were believed to have spiritual power to protect people from demons, to give them victory in war, and to bless them in other ways. People wore small relics on chains around their necks, as charms for protection. Churches were built over the bodies of saints. Important relics drew pilgrims, which brought money. Bodies of saints were stolen, and portions of them were sold for money. Kings and bishops took great risks to steal the bodies of important saints. Towns that had relics prospered and expanded.[6]

A great cathedral was built in Saragossa, in honor of Our Lady of the Pillar. (It is in an area of Saragossa known as Campostella.) It is a major pilgrimage site. The wooden statue of Mary, and the pillar (the column of jasper wood), can be seen on special occasions.[7]

The cathedral in Saragossa has a statue of Mary that wears clothing. It wears a crown of gold and diamonds. It has a wardrobe of clothes that are embroidered with gold and studded with jewels.[8]

According to tradition, the head of the Apostle James (the Greater) is buried in Jerusalem, in the Cathedral of Saint James. This conflicts with the Saragossa tradition.[9] However, it seems to be consistent with Scripture. King Herod had James killed in Jerusalem. (Acts 12:1-2)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

“Traditions of men” can be deeply ingrained. Long after we learn that they are not true, old habits of thinking can still influence us. But God can set us free from that.