Peter at the pearly gates?

[PJM]

How did this come about? Why isn’t it instead John, James et. al. at the pearly gates of Heaven who meets the individual?



MJ

1. It’s metaphorical
2. Peter represents CHRIST “Cf. TO YOU PETER I GIVE ALL OF THE KEYS"S to the ONE Gate of heaven” Mt 16:18-19:thumbsup:

 

[Todd977]

How did this come about? Why isn’t it instead John, James et. al. at the pearly gates of Heaven who meets the individual?



MJ

The Wikipedia article on “Pearly gates” includes the following in a footnote, bold mine:
Ferguson, Everett (1996). The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 9780802841896. "The passage moves from a building, to gates, to keys. A popular image has Peter as the doorkeeper of heaven, deciding admission through the pearly gates to each person at death. This understanding of Peter goes back to an early medieval interpretation that identified Peter with a figure in Germanic mythology who was the porter of heaven."

 

[Tomyris]

The Wikipedia article on “Pearly gates” includes the following in a footnote, bold mine:
Ferguson, Everett (1996). The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 9780802841896. "The passage moves from a building, to gates, to keys. A popular image has Peter as the doorkeeper of heaven, deciding admission through the pearly gates to each person at death. This understanding of Peter goes back to an early medieval interpretation that identified Peter with a figure in Germanic mythology who was the porter of heaven."

Yep. I tend to think it is folk piety.

Jesus said

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

and

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”

Inserting a gatekeeper sort of does not make a whole lot of sense.

 

[MartinJordan]

Ok. So you mean Revelation 21:21. But what does that have to do with the keys to the Kingdom? The pearls do not negate that Our Lord selected St. Peter to have authority over His Flock.

I agree. I was only pointing out since it was St. John who had the vision of these pearl gates so anyone with an issue with naming St. Peter getting recognition could also arguably have chosen John at the pearly gates. But as it is Peter gets first billing.

On the other side of things there is a Muslim sect that believes Peter was the first Imam leader after Jesus.

Peter’s figure, especially in Shia theology, is important as he is generally regarded as the first Imâm (Leader) after Jesus,[3] and therefore is in accordance with the Christian (specifically the Roman Catholic) view of Peter as the ‘Prince of the Apostles’.

Source : en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_in_Islam

MJ