Peter the head of the church

Peter did not fit the Papal pattern because the other apostles did not regard him as their superior. Paul said, "I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles" (2 Cor 11:5). And it was Paul who publicly rebuked Peter for his erroneous conduct (Gal 2:11-14). Peter was referred to as one of the pillars of the church (Gal 2:9). Note, Peter was ONE of the pillars, not head of all the churches. The church had been "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone" (Eph 2:20).

The church was built on the "apostles," plural, not on one apostle. Although false teachers have attempted to build the church on Peter, "other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 3:11). Peter was one of the favorite three of the Lord-Peter, James, and John. He was impulsive and a natural leader. He was a beloved and faithful apostle. He was prominent but he was not pre-eminent.

Peter did not fit the Papal pattern because he was not in Rome. There is no Biblical evidence that he was ever in Rome. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians and saluted 27 persons (Rom 16:3-15) but did not mention Peter. In the last letter Paul wrote to Timothy from Rome, he said, "Only Luke is with me," and "At my first defense, no one took my part, but all forsook me" (2 Tim 4:11,16). Where was Peter? He was not in Rome? Peter did not fit the Papal pattern because Peter taught doctrines different from that of the Pope.

Peter believed in baptizing only those who had been taught, and who believed and repented (Acts 2:38). There is no record of his baptizing anyone who was too young to understand what he was doing. Peter taught that disciples of Christ should wear the name "Christian" (1 Pet 4:16).

Peter did not believe in traditions, but taught that God's Word contains "ALL things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Pet 1:3). Peter agreed with the doctrine that Jesus Christ is the only head of the church (Col 1:18; 2:10; Eph 1:22; 4:15; 5:23), and that Christ nowhere authorized any man to be head of the church on earth since "ALL authority in heaven and on earth" had been given to Christ (Matt 28:18).

Jesus did NOT make Peter the “Vicar of the Church” and no such NONSENSE is even promoted in the Bible.

Please read Lk 22:24-30. Peter was NOT the first Pope, Christ is the ONLY foundation (1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20-22; 1 Pet. 2:5-7).

Don’t you think that Peter would have been mentioned in some of those verses if he was ”The Rock” as Catholics state?

Gal 2:7-10 states that the gospel for the uncircumcised (Gentiles) had been committed to Paul, and the gospel for the circumcised (Jews) was committed to Peter. The fact that James, Cephas (Peter) and John seemed to be pillars (Gal 2:8) flies directly in the face of Peter having primacy over the other apostles. Since the gospel for the Gentiles was committed to Paul, how can the Catholic Church claim that Peter is the head of the Church?