The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum 3 Quotes from Protestants

First, this verse was not speaking to “the first one who would hold the office of covenantal head over the people of God -- St. Peter.” However, Rome’s claim to this raises many questions: (1) What of the “disciple Jesus loved?” –that wasn’t Peter? (2) nobody including Peter state anyplace that Peter is the Pope (note, 1 Pet 5:1-2 where Peter calls himself their “fellow elder,” not Pope) (3) Paul most certainly did not think Peter was in Rome in all his prison epistles as he is not mentioned, or if Peter was in Rome he abandoned Paul (2 Tim 4:16, naughty Pope) (4) Paul is not bashful here as he states he was in no way behind the chiefest Apostles (1 Cor 12:11), so if Peter is Pope, so must Paul be Pope, however please note that it was upon Paul that the care of all the churches was placed—2 Cor 11:28, and (5) in Acts 15, “Pope” Peter though he was at the Jerusalem Council was not even in charge <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/drop.gif" alt="" /> James was, thus (6) far from being Pope Peter, Peter was one of the ones actually “sent” to do work (as opposed to the one doing the sending) in Acts 8:14. Peter was an Apostle, Peter was an elder—but Peter was NOT the Pope!

The rock of which Christ spoke is that common confession made by all who a part of the Church—Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God! If you will note in Christ’s address He changes from direct address to the 3rd person (this rock). Thus, you have a clear distinction between Peter (petras) and the demonstrative pronoun (petra). Note that this promise is future and not present tense. The future is seen in Matt 18:18 where the promise was conferred upon all the disciples. Thus, Christ was speaking to all the Apostles in Matt 16.

Second the head of the New Covenant is Christ, not Peter. This is clearly given to us in Scripture (Heb 12:24). The head of the church is Christ (Eph 5:23; Col 1:18 and Peter agrees; 1 Peter 2:6-8).