The "Rock"

Article #5: An Explanation why Peter was Not the Head of the Church

Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

It has been a common belief that Peter was the head of the Christian Church (and also the first pope), because of the verse that Jesus says in Matt 16:18 (found above). While I must agree that Peter was great leader among many in the church, and an even greater speaker, Peter was seen as nothing more than a brother Apostle, not the head of the church. He was one of twelve. Some many years would pass and a church that Peter and PAUL had both helped established, would take this verse way out of context.

Constantine

In 312 A.D. Constantine became emperor of the Western Roman Empire, and almost immediately declared Christianity to be the reason he had won a great battle that had made him emperor. So he declared the Edict Milan, which meant total toleration to all religions, for the first time Christians didn’t have to hide their beliefs. Later he would bring all the churches together to combine doctrine that had been spread out across the Western Roman Empire. The doctrine would be combined in the mass that it is today (AKA the bible lol). But through this gave way to a clergy style organization of churches, but at this time there was no head of the church. Not even the clergy truly lead the church. We wouldn’t see a true “head” of the church until 325A.D. when Constantine fully united the Western Roman church. At which time Constantine was the “symbolic leader.” (I say symbolic because first of all Constantine had no actual title in the Church, but he was recognized for uniting the church and bringing it out of hiding.)  

 Theodosius I

In 379A.D. the Roman Empire was reunited by Theodosius the Great, also known as Saint Theodosius. In 380A.D. he declared that Christianity as the official religion of the entire empire. It was only four years later (384A.D.) that the first TRUE Pope would “take the thrown.” Pope St. Siricius was a Bishop in the Church at Rome; from then on every person to lead the church would come from European decent. The Catholic Church has a list of every Pope that was after Peter, I don’t disagree with it. But what history tells us is that there was no “pope” after Peter, but as I said I don’t disagree with the list, just how it was portrayed. The Church at Rome Saw Peter as their leader, Peter would even die there (if you disagree with that statement email me about it at the blogs email.) But it’s my belief that Pope St. Linus, the second Pope after Peter, was actually just second in line at the Church in Rome, not the entire church. If it was different than that, than I have no clue how the churches stayed connected for him to lead over, especially since it was even stated that it was not until Constantine that the church was able to communicate and form the clergy. Also the Roman Church was the only church with this tradition of having an elected leader and what started in Rome, continued in Rome.

Matt 16:18

Imagine this you’re talking to Jesus (DON’T PASS OUT!) and your name is Peter which means pebble (not boulder), and he point to you and says “And I tell you that you are Peter” (Your thinking “Yup! That’s me! Good Job Jesus!”) Then he points to HIMSELF and says this “and on this rock I will build my church.” First of all I’m going to point out the irony of this (which I’m sure you can see) Peter’s name is rock, but not a regular rock. No it means smallest rock. Would you really trust building your church on a pebble? No. Jesus builds it on himself, for as Eph. 5:23 says: “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” And there are verse’s all over the N.T. that say he is the foundation of our church. (Like: Colossians 2:10, 1 Peter 2:7, I Cor. 10:4, Hebrews 4:14) There is more than enough biblical truth to say that Jesus is the only head of the Church. But unless I’m missing something there is only Matt 16:18 and the fact that Peter was always listed first when speaking of the Apostles, to me this is hardly enough to found theory that Christ handed his church over to a simple man. And miles away from being close to enough to found a Church that bases its truth off what a man (AKA pope) decides it is. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”God is truth, and therefore do not rely on anything but the word of God. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go to church or not listen to your pastor; Hebrews says 10:24 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” (If you want more verses on why to go to Church email me at my blogs email.) Go to Church and listen to your pastor, but follow along as he teaches! And the scripture he gives. Your pastor may be a trustworthy Christian, but the fact remains that he is still man, and man can still falters.

POINTING OUT!

I want to make this clear, Peter was an amazing Apostle; his writing have inspired the world. He was a man that let God speak through him to write many of the books of the bible. Peter was many things but he was not the head of the Church.