Peter and Paul

[TravisandJill]

Hi

I am still very new at catholicism and have a question about the saints Peter and Paul.

If Peter was the rock and first pope, then how come most of the evanagelism and church founding was done by Paul?

This really confuses me.

Thanks

 

[1ke]

Hi

I am still very new at catholicism and have a question about the saints Peter and Paul.

If Peter was the rock and first pope, then how come most of the evanagelism and church founding was done by Paul?

This really confuses me.

Thanks

Well, my first question to you would be “why do you think that is a problem?” What line of reasoning are you using to get to the conclusion that being Pope necessitates any specific type, frequency, or quantity of evangelization or church-founding?

 

[steppenwolf1218]

Hi

I am still very new at catholicism and have a question about the saints Peter and Paul.

If Peter was the rock and first pope, then how come most of the evanagelism and church founding was done by Paul?

This really confuses me.

Thanks

I think that perhaps much of your confusion comes from the amount of scripture either authored by Paul or written about him in Acts. However, in Acts, Luke makes it clear that Peter was indeed the head of the new Church which was at first known as the Way. In the beginning part of Acts, Peter and John did much evangelizing in Jerusalem and eventually throughout Judea and Samaria. Peter was first to go to Rome. Paul later went there too. John also founded several communities as well.

 

[Prayer_Warrior]

I don’t see how the one issue relates to the other. I think it is important to realize that the Church was in place prior to St. Paul’s conversion. In light of that, it is not even feasable for St. Paul to have been the rock and the first Pope. Jesus did not rename him “rock” as He did St. Peter (when someone receives a new name from God, it is very significant in terms of a new beginning: Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Isreal). Jesus did not give St. Paul the keys to the kingdom of heaven and earth; He gave them to St. Peter. Jesus did not tell St. Paul that He was going to build His church upon him; He said that to St. Peter. Rather, Jesus’ first words to St. Paul were “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” We don’t know exactly how long St. Paul was persecuting the first Christians, but the fact that he spent any time at all persecuting the first Christians means that the Church was already founded. This is not said to take anything away from the work that he did in evangelizing. He was enormously important in the spreading of the Gospel (especially to the Gentiles), but that should not be confused with the founding of the Church. Jesus did that Himself before He was crucified and reiterated it after He had risen by commanding that St. Peter feed and tend His sheep and lambs.

 

[YADA]

Hi

I am still very new at catholicism and have a question about the saints Peter and Paul.

If Peter was the rock and first pope, then how come most of the evanagelism and church founding was done by Paul?

This really confuses me.

Thanks

Why did Jesus come into the world and choose 12 Apostles that did not include Paul, if Paul was goingto be the person who evangelized and founded more churches? …

There woud have been no church to found without Peter and the the other apostles firs before Paul … remember Paul was a persecuter of the Church … how many Christians were stoned [like Stephen] before they could finish their evangelizing and founding of churches …stoned [persecuted] by Paul himself …

And we do not know how many communities Peter founded or any of the other Apostles nor are all of of their writings preserved…Paul was a pharisee, a man of words and writings … selected by God for and in His time and for His purpose … and we probably do not have all of Paul’s writings …nor are scholars in agreement that all of the writings attributed to Paul are in fact his.

Similarly, the Apostles [mainly fishermen and tax collectors] were seleced by Him, in His time and for His purpose … to found the Church and to spread the Gospel [Good News] … go and ‘preach’ to all nations … not “go and write a bible”

We should be greatful that God gave the Church so many great christians in its infancy … they ‘collectively’ form the foundation of christianity … each serving God in their own way as He ask of them …

 

[RedSoxFan]

Hi

I am still very new at catholicism and have a question about the saints Peter and Paul.

If Peter was the rock and first pope, then how come most of the evanagelism and church founding was done by Paul?

This really confuses me.

Thanks

Welcome Home!!!

Both Roman martyrs did great services for the Church during her infancy, but Peter in the end was given the keys of authority. Keep in mind that the bible doesn’t record all of Jesus’ actions, nor does it record all of the actions of all of the leaders of the early church. Even still we can get a clear picture of the power structure.
There is also the idea that the saints were in competition with each other. This is blatantly false although there were disagreements from time to time they were all working to bring the kingdom of God to all the world. There is certainly no conflict between Sts Peter and Paul.

~RedSoxFan