Expert: Sal - 9/30/2006

Question
Brother Sal,
Thank you for your reply, I pray that the Lord continue to lead our hearts to pleasing Him. By us loving one another as fellow brothers of His family, so that we will be strengthend in our faith and share it with others.

"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets..."Ephesians 2:20. This truth has just said APOSTLES, not the foundation of one apostle. Jesus founded His church not only on Peter, yes Peter had primacy over the other apostles.

"For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven..." Mat 16:17 No one can say Jesus is Lord except it be by the Holy Spirit. The truth is that the revealation spoken through Peter is how we get saved. Confession is made with the mouth unto salvation and with the heart you believe unto righteousness (Romans 10:9). Jesus said Peter is "Blessed are you Peter" blessed are those who believe withou seeing. We are saved by His grace not according to any good works that will qualify us to obtain salvation.
There is a very great danger when you start teaching things that are not in harmony with the scriptures, but according to your own private interpretation. That is how flesh and blood that has fallen is, it is contrary to the Spirit(Galatians 5:17)

Now Sal, what is the meaning of "keys of the kingdom of heaven" to you, that you said were given only to Peter?. Even though the text says " I will give you the keys of heaven" future tense. I hope you are not talking about the keys of hell and death.

I recognized that you didn't answer my question about the infallability of the Pope, anyway praise the Lord if you can. The reason I asked, was to see if it was as important as it should be to you to base or found every belief on the written word of God or man. Does a man lines up the word of God or the word of God lines up a man?

Your Brother in the Lord Mshengu
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Followup To

Question -
Sal,
As I read alot of materials about Catholic I have found alot of confusions, please help me be informed. My question is based on many observations and beliefs that put Peter above other apostles claiming Peter as the founder of the church and this notio of a Pope being unfallable. What pattern and were do Catholic leadership receive their positional pattern?

Is the church of Jesus founded on Peter alone? Was Peter the head of the church of Jesus?
Was does it mean to be an apostle?
Was Peter not an apostle to the Jews according to the Apostle Paul?
Is it true that Catholic beliefs tend to put more credit/glory on people of faith, irregardless of the warnings from the Bible?

Mshengu

Answer -
Dear Mshengu:

I appreciate your desire to be informed concerning the Catholic faith. The word apostle means “one sent forth”. To be an apostle means to go out into the world and to preach the gospel.

Peter was the first Apostle to go to the Gentiles. As the head of the Church Peter was sent by God to baptize the first Gentiles into the Church (Acts 10). Peter announced to the first Church council, “Brothers, you know well enough that from the early days God selected me from your number to be the one from whose lips the Gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe” (Acts 15:7). Then, later, Peter became the Apostle to the Jews and Paul became the Apostle to the Gentiles. “On the contrary, recognizing that I (Paul) had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised [Gentiles], just as Peter for the circumcised [Jews]” (Galatians 2:8).

No, Peter did not found the Catholic Church. Jesus founded the Church upon Peter. “I for my part declare to you, you (Peter) are Rock, and on this rock I will build my Church” (Matthew 16:18). Thus Peter was made the earthly head of the Church while Jesus is the ultimate head of the Church. “He (God) has put all things under Christ’s feet and has made him, thus exalted, head of the Church” (Ephesians 1:22).

There is no doubt that Peter had primacy over the other Apostles. The New Testament is literally filled with references showing Peter’s authority from God. Just a few of these are Peter receiving God’s blessing (Matthew 16:17). Only Peter is given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:19), a great honor indeed! Jesus makes Peter the shepherd of his flock (John 21:15-17). Peter is the spokesman for the Apostles (Matthew 16:15-16; Mark 9:5; Luke 12:41; John 6: 67-69). The Apostles are even referred to by Peter’s name (Mark 1:36). Peter alone has the authority to have Judas replaced (Acts 1:15-22). The other Apostles accept Jesus’ Resurrection based on Peter’s testimony (Luke 24:34). Of all the Apostles Paul singles out Peter to go and meet with (Galatians 1:18).

I am sorry but I do not understand your last question about people of faith and some kind of warning from the Bible. If you can clarify the question I will be happy to answer it for you.

God Bless You,
Sal


Answer
Dear Brother Mshengu:

I agree with much of what you say. I strongly agree with you that we must base our beliefs on what the Bible says and not on the “traditions of men”.

The keys given to Peter in Matthew 16:19 are not the keys of hell and death. The keys signify Peter’s authority to govern Christ’s Church. The rest of this verse clarifies the meaning of the keys. “Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven”. Peter and his successors are given the authority to bind and loose, to disallow and allow, to prohibit and permit. The other Apostles also receive the authority to bind and loose, but without the all-important keys (Matthew 18:18). So we see that the other Apostles (Bishops) have authority in Christ’s Church, but that their authority is subordinate to Peter’s (the Pope). This is exactly the Catholic pattern as we see it today.

You rightly note that the giving of the keys to Peter is in the future tense not the present tense in Matthew 16. Peter could only receive the keys after Jesus had ascended to heaven. Then, and only then, could Peter exercise his authority in the Church. Until then Jesus needed no earthly head for his Church. Once he was gone, however, Peter became the earthly head of the Church representing Jesus to the people. Thus the reason for Jesus giving Peter the keys.

Papal infallibility is certainly implied in Matthew 16. “Whatever you declare…” (verse 19). How could Jesus give such power to Peter and his successors if the Pope could teach error? How could Peter and his successors have their binding and loosing validated by heaven if they could bind what should be loosed and loosed what should be bound? St. Paul confirmed papal infallibility when he declared the Church to be “the pillar and bulwark of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). If Peter could teach falsely then the Church that he guided could not be called the pillar and bulwark of truth.

Many passages in Scripture show the infallibility of Christ’s Church and, therefore, its earthly head Peter as well as his successors. Some examples are: “I entrusted to them the message you entrusted to me” (John 17:8). Would Jesus give the Church his saving message if it could teach error? “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). Jesus taught infallibly. “Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you and know that I am with you always even until the end of the world!” (Matthew 28:20). If Jesus is with the Church how can it teach error? “He who hears you, hears me” (Luke 10:16). Could Jesus give such an honor to a Church that could teach error? “The man who believes in it (the Church’s teaching about the gospel) and accepts baptism will be saved; the man who refuses to believe in it will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Jesus would not condemn someone for not believing unless the Church was infallible. Thus the Church is infallible and likewise so is its earthly head, the Pope, when teaching on matters of faith and morals.

Perhaps the greatest evidence for the truth of the Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility is that in the Church’s nearly 2,000 years of existence not one infallible teaching has ever been shown to be in error.

Thanks for the questions.

Your Brother in Christ,
Sal