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“The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, ‘is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful.’” (CCC 882)
Jesus established his Church on St. Peter as the foundation. That’s why he renamed him — and only him — “Rock” (the meaning of Peter). Moreover, he gave only to him the “keys of the kingdom of heaven,” which harks back to Isaiah 22, as many Protestant commentators fully recognize. When one person is singled out like that, it means something very significant. If we want to express the notion that someone is a leader of something, to say that that thing was “built” on this person, as its foundation, is quite strong. Peter is “the man.”
Renowned Protestant Bible scholar F. F. Bruce wrote in The Hard Sayings of Jesus:
If we come to believe that the Bible asserts a leader of the Church, then it seems to me that it follows straightforwardly in logic and common sense that this leader would have successors and that the office would exist in perpetuity. When Judas defected and killed himself, the disciples chose a successor, Matthias (Acts 1:20-26), and the Bible actually uses the word episkopos (“bishop”) to describe the office involved (a key argument for apostolic succession). So why wouldn’t Peter, similarly, also have a successor? How is that parallel or analogy overcome?
Jesus, when talking to Peter in John 21, used an agricultural shepherd and sheep parallel, which is a metaphor for being a pastor. The word “shepherd” is used 15 times in the New Testament in this fashion. In John 21, Jesus was with seven of the disciples (John 21:2) in a post-Resurrection appearance. But he singled out Peter and charged him to “feed my lambs” (21:15) and “tend my sheep” (21:16) and “feed my sheep” (21:17), which could quite plausibly be taken to mean his entire Church, since he uses the words “the sheep” or “sheep” 14 times in John 10, meaning, believers in the Church. There he was talking about himself as the Ultimate Shepherd. But there are also earthly shepherds (pastors or priests or bishops). Jesus didn’t say this to all seven disciples present. He said it to Peter only. That must have some significance.
If it meant no more than “be a pastor of whatever congregation you have” then it would have been expressed to all. But because it was meant to be an exhortation to feed all the sheep, it was directed toward Peter only. It fits into the scenario of Peter being the leader of the Church.
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
Jesus established his Church on St. Peter as the foundation. That’s why he renamed him — and only him — “Rock” (the meaning of Peter). Moreover, he gave only to him the “keys of the kingdom of heaven,” which harks back to Isaiah 22, as many Protestant commentators fully recognize. When one person is singled out like that, it means something very significant. If we want to express the notion that someone is a leader of something, to say that that thing was “built” on this person, as its foundation, is quite strong. Peter is “the man.”
Renowned Protestant Bible scholar F. F. Bruce wrote in The Hard Sayings of Jesus:
And if Peter was the leader of the Church at its beginning, why should there not be successors to him, just as with any other organization? Why should the Church be different? We’re to believe that it had a leader for 30-40 years, till Peter was martyred, and then, no more leader? That makes no sense.
If we come to believe that the Bible asserts a leader of the Church, then it seems to me that it follows straightforwardly in logic and common sense that this leader would have successors and that the office would exist in perpetuity. When Judas defected and killed himself, the disciples chose a successor, Matthias (Acts 1:20-26), and the Bible actually uses the word episkopos (“bishop”) to describe the office involved (a key argument for apostolic succession). So why wouldn’t Peter, similarly, also have a successor? How is that parallel or analogy overcome?
Jesus, when talking to Peter in John 21, used an agricultural shepherd and sheep parallel, which is a metaphor for being a pastor. The word “shepherd” is used 15 times in the New Testament in this fashion. In John 21, Jesus was with seven of the disciples (John 21:2) in a post-Resurrection appearance. But he singled out Peter and charged him to “feed my lambs” (21:15) and “tend my sheep” (21:16) and “feed my sheep” (21:17), which could quite plausibly be taken to mean his entire Church, since he uses the words “the sheep” or “sheep” 14 times in John 10, meaning, believers in the Church. There he was talking about himself as the Ultimate Shepherd. But there are also earthly shepherds (pastors or priests or bishops). Jesus didn’t say this to all seven disciples present. He said it to Peter only. That must have some significance.
If it meant no more than “be a pastor of whatever congregation you have” then it would have been expressed to all. But because it was meant to be an exhortation to feed all the sheep, it was directed toward Peter only. It fits into the scenario of Peter being the leader of the Church.
Continued below.
What the Bible Says About the Pope
“The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, ‘is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful.’” (CCC 882)
