The Primacy of St. Peter?
Was Saint Peter really the Big Kahuna among the Apostles?
I remember many years ago reading some Catholic apologetic literature written for Protestant critics of Catholicism. It said that the Bible is the Church’s book and it is therefore the Church who is the best qualified to explain it to you.
At one level, I think that is mostly true, the Word of God is principally for the people of God. Yet the underlying assumption in the stated claim is that “Church” means the Roman Catholic Church and the Western/Latin tradition. On that point, I’m not so sure; in fact, I’m decidedly positive that not everything in Latin Christendom’s biblical interpretation is necessarily true. This is why we needed the #Reformation!
I’ll never forget either visiting Capernaum in Galilee which has been turned into a commemorative tourist town in honour of St. Peter. Seriously, Capernaum is a Petrine love fest. There is St. Peter’s Church, a modern church built on the foundations of what might have been Peter’s house, and the modern church looks like a spaceship. At the local restaurant, you can eat St. Peter’s fish, which is tilapia fish, a freshwater fish native to the Sea of Galilee. You can buy Peterine paraphernalia in the local gift shop. There is a massive statue of Peter with the words of Matt 16:18 inscribed on it, which you can see in the image above. Also, the local Church of the Twelve Thrones, named for the twelve apostles, was renamed in 1933 as The Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter. Capernaum is filled with Catholic Petrine Propaganda!
Important in Catholic apologetics is of course Matt 16:18 and what it says about Peter:
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 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. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
What does it mean that Peter is the rock who also holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven?