The Roman Catholic Church regards Peter as the first bishop of Rome, and the pope as his successor. It relies above all on Matthew 16:18-19: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church”. The position of this course, which comes from the evangelical tradition, is different: Peter played a leading role, but Matthew 16 speaks neither of primacy nor of passing that primacy on.
What Catholic doctrine teaches
The course first clarifies a point that is often misunderstood. In Catholic doctrine, defined at the First Vatican Council in 1870, infallibility does not mean that the pope is perfect or unable to sin. It only concerns solemn definitions on matters of faith and morals.
Above all, the doctrine of papal primacy does not rest only on the idea that Peter is the rock. It also assumes that Jesus gave him primacy, that this primacy could be passed on, that Peter came to Rome, that he was bishop there, and that he handed this office on to an unbroken line of successors. For this course, these points are deductions that the text itself does not contain.
An important place, not a higher authority
The New Testament gives Peter a real place. He is the first apostle to see the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:5), he takes the initiative to replace Judas (Acts 1:15-22) and he preaches on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14).
Yet he does not appear to be above the other apostles:
- Paul names him with James and John among those who “seemed to be pillars” (Galatians 2:9), on the same level.
- He is sent to Samaria by the other apostles (Acts 8:14).
- He has to give an account of his visit to Cornelius before the church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:1-18).
- Paul rebukes him publicly in Antioch: “I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned” (Galatians 2:11).
The Church is also “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20), and the heavenly Jerusalem bears the names of the twelve apostles (Revelation 21:14).
A matter of honesty
The course makes an important remark: many Protestants reject the idea that Peter is the rock simply because it is the Catholic reading. But we should not reject an interpretation because of who holds it. For this course, Peter is indeed a foundation stone of the Church, because he confessed that Jesus is the Christ. But he is one stone among others, and doctrine must be built on Scripture itself, to avoid errors and divisions.