Scripture Specifics (source *1)
- In the Old Testament when God established His Covenant with the nation of Israel, He provided for a living, continuing authority in the Mosaic priesthood (2 Chronicles 19:11 and Mal 2:7) This authority did not end when the OT Scripture was written; rather, it continued as the safeguard and authentic interpreter of Sacred Scripture.
- When Christ established His Church, The New Israel, he set up a living, continuing authority to teach, govern, and sanctify His name. . . this same apostolic authority determined the canon of the Bible, and will preserve the teachings of Jesus Christ in all their fullness and uncorrupted from error, until the end of time.
- Among the twelve Apostles. St, Peter is clearly the head. Know Matthew 16:13-19 well!
- Jesus changes Simon's name to Peter, which means rock. Our Lord says this rock will be God's way of preserving the Church from corruption until the end of time. Our Lord knew St. Peter would be dead by 70A.D. Therefore, Christ must have intended the office of St. Peter to last until the end of time.
- Although all the Apostles as a group were given the power to "bind and to loose," in Matthew 18:18, St. Peter is given this power at the time he was given the "keys." St. Peter is given the "keys to the kingdom." The keys are the symbol of the authority of the chief official - the Prime Minister - of the Kingdom of David. This office implies dynastic succession.
The Primacy of Peter
Isaiah 22:15-25 - Prophecy of the Catholic Papacy foretold in the Old Testament
Matthew 16:18 - Upon this rock (Peter) I will build my Church. And the gates of Hell can never overpower it
Note: Our Protestant brethren will say to understand Matthew 16:18, we have to get behind the English to the Greek. They will go on to say in Greek, the word for rock is petra, which means a large, massive stone. The word used for Simon’s new name is different; it’s Petros, which means a little stone, a pebble. The Catholic reply is to understand Matthew 16:18, we have to get behind the Greek to the Aramaic.
Although we don't know if the original Biblical manuscripts were in Aramaic or not, many scholars believe Our Lord probably spoke Aramaic because it was the native tongue for Jesus' immediate disciples.
In Aramaic there is only one word for "rock": Kepha. So he would have said:
"Blessed are you Simon bar Jonah, for flesh and blood have not revealed this to you but my Heavenly Father. So I say to you thou are "Kepha" and upon this "Kepha" I will build my Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it."The only manuscripts we have of Matthew are written in Greek but Greek scholars—even non-Catholic ones—admit, the words petros and petra were synonyms in first century Greek. They meant "small stone" and "large rock" in some ancient Greek poetry, centuries before the time of Christ, but that distinction had disappeared from the language by the time Matthew’s Gospel was rendered in Greek. The difference in meaning can only be found in Attic Greek, but the New Testament was written in Koine Greek—an entirely different dialect. In Koine Greek, both petros and petra simply meant "rock." If Jesus had wanted to call Simon a small stone, the Greek lithos would have been used.
Matthew 16:19 - I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven
Luke 22:32 - Peter's faith will strengthen his brethren. (Note: The word "you" {I have prayed for "you"} in Greek is in the personal tense, not the plural "you" like 'all you apostles' tense.)
John 21:17 - Given Christ's flock as chief shepherd
Mark 6:7 - angel sent to announce the Resurrection to Peter
Luke 24:34 - Risen Jesus first appeared to Peter
Acts 1:13-26 - Peter headed meeting which elected Matthias to replace Judas
Acts 2:14 - Peter lead Apostles in preaching on Pentecost
Acts 2:41 - Peter received the first converts
Acts 3:6-7 - Peter performed the first miracle after Pentecost
Acts 5:1-11 - Peter inflicted the first punishment: Ananias and Saphira
Acts 8:21 - Peter excommunicated the first heretic, Simon Magnus
Acts 10:44-46 - Peter received a revelation to admit the Gentles into the Church
Acts 15 - Peter lead the first Catholic council in Jerusalem
Acts 15:7-12 - Peter spoke saying: "My brothers, he said, .... But we believe that we are saved in the same way as they are: through the grace of the Lord Jesus." The entire assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had worked through them among the gentiles." (pronounces the first dogmatic decision)
Galatians 1:18 - after his conversion, Paul visits the chief Apostle
Matthew 10:1-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16, Acts 1:13 - Peter's name always heads the list of Apostles
Luke 9:32, Luke 8:46, Mark 16:7 - Peter and his companions
Matthew 18:21, Mark 8:29, Luke 12:41, John 6:69 - Peter spoke for the Apostles
Peter is mentioned 191 times in the New Testament. All the other apostles names combined are mentioned only 130 times. And the most commonly referenced apostle apart from Peter is John, whose name appears 48 times.
Apostolic Succession
2 Chronicles 19:11 - high priest is over you in everything of the Lord'sSources:
Malachi 2:7 - seek instruction from a priest, he is God's messenger
Acts 1:25-26 - Matthias takes Judas' apostolic ministry
Acts 1:20-22 - Let someone else take over his office. Out of the men who have been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was living with us, from the time when John was baptizing until the day when he was taken up from us, one must be appointed to serve with us as a witness to his resurrection.
Acts 14:23 - they appointed presbyters in each church
1 Corinthians 12:28-29 - God designated in the Church, apostles, prophets, teachers
Ephesians 2:20 - Church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets
Ephesians 4:11 - God gave some as apostles, some as prophets ...
1 Timothy 3:1, 8; 1 Timothy 5:17 - qualifications for bishops, priests and deacons
1 Timothy 4:14 - gift conferred with the laying on of hands
1 Timothy 5:22 - do not lay hands too readily on anyone
2 Timothy 2:2 - what you heard from me, entrust to faithful teachers
Titus 1:5 - appoint presbyters in each town, as I directed
*1) Beginning Apologetics
Catholic Apologetics Notebook (Peggy Cortez - private on-line library)
AskaCatholic.com - Bible Verses
