Protestant arguments against the primacy of Peter

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sebastian04
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
40.png
Gorgias:
The author points out Galatians. He fails to mention that Paul’s claim to authentic apostleship is bolstered by his visit to Peter alone for two weeks.
Peter and James.
I think Peter first. Second visit with Peter, James and John.
 
And where is this teaching in the Scriptures explicitly stated?
Assuming you are asking me in response to my comment about Protestant beliefs in the regular appearance of their beliefs in history: I imagine a Protestant would be able to draw on huge numbers of scriptural references that could be interpreted in this way. They do not profess ‘sola expressa scriptura’ .
 
But sola scriptura amounts to the same.

They believe that all teaching is strictly explicitly from the Scriptures yet fail to realize that when the Church was initially established there were not yet Christian Scriptures in their totality with the canon of Scripture as we know it today. In fact as the Scriptures go, Tradition is Scripturally supported as well as the Church as being the pillar of truth. Somehow this seems to elude them.

The Holy Trinity is Scriptural even though the word Trinity is not found in the Scriptures.
 
Last edited:
Paul and Peter did have different avenues on expanding the church.

Jesus gave the Keys to Peter. He was to convert gentiles there in jeruselem.
Paul being an unbeliever and even at the stoning of St. Stephan as a jew was to convert Jews as he was an expert at OT Jerusalem.

Some protestants need to read Acts.
 
Last edited:
The Evangelicals, in a limited way, recognize the primacy of Peter, t
There has not been serious dispute about Peter’s own primacy for some decades now; it’s clear and then some to any intellectually honest reader, whether or not of a sola scriptura bent.

That doesn’t, though, get us anywhere as to his succesors’ authority or leadership (or lack thereof).
And where is this teaching in the Scriptures explicitly stated?
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.
oh, wait . . .
 
Except that apostolic succession, itself, is found in Scripture…
Are there 12 continual apostles,? One a leader, one a treasurer, one the tough questioning skeptic, one brought people together?

No evidence of a “central government”.
 
Last edited:
Are there 12 continual apostles,? One a leader, one a treasurer, one the tough questioning skeptic, one brought people together?
Again, you’re confusing ‘task’ or ‘personality’ with the role of apostle.

And, we see in Scripture that apostles were the heads of local churches, and also that they’re naming others to fill that role as the Church expands.
No evidence of a “central government”.
Non sequitur. I’m not sure what you’re attempting to get at.
 
But he did have a known particular task, just as Peter did. Why continue one and not the other?
Are you calling “Petrine ministry” a “known particular task”? I wouldn’t frame it up in that way. In any case, we see that it was Jesus Himself who set Peter as the head of the apostles.

Besides, why would you say that no one took over the financial role in the Church? We know that’s not the case (or else the Ananias and Sapphira story would make no sense).
 
Non sequitur. I’m not sure what you’re attempting to get at.
The apostles appointed presbyters, of which Peter was a fellow presbyter, over particular churches. The churches were first local (Jerusalem), and then regional (out to Antioch, and they reached out to Galatia ,etc.). It seems presbyters were not just appointed in the local churches but also for the regional area. The regional areas could confer (Jerusalem council). After these biblical garnerings we then seem to have history of a regional patriarchal system. The debate comes over the see of Rome have a preeminence of honor or actual juridiction ( not that it can not be both at times).

There does not seem to be any biblical ordinations to specifically look over all the entire church (later some refer to Jesus as the " Head" bishop). This latter point is what I mean by no central head as far as appointments/ governance.
 
Last edited:
In any case, we see that it was Jesus Himself who set Peter as the head of the apostles
Jesus is the head of the apostles and Peter a leader.
Besides, why would you say that no one took over the financial role in the Church? We know that’s not the case (or else the Ananias and Sapphira story would make no sense).
All Acts tells us is that the monies and gifts were laid at the apostles feet, as in plural. Peter took lead role in speaking judgment on the two deceivers, just as James made judgement at Jerusalem council.
 
Last edited:
All Acts tells us is that the monies and gifts were laid at the apostles feet , as in plural. Peter took lead role in speaking judgment on the two deceivers, just as James made judgement at Jerusalem council.
The James who bases his judgement off of Peter’s vision?
 
The apostles appointed presbyters, of which Peter was a fellow presbyter, over particular churches.
So… is your difficulty based merely on the particular titles they used at the beginning of the Church?

Nevertheless, we do see ‘presbyters’ and ‘overseers’ (episkopoi) in the early church. These ‘overseers’ took over the role of governance in the early Church.
The debate comes over the see of Rome have a preeminence of honor or actual juridiction ( not that it can not be both at times).
And I would argue that we do see that, in the ministry of Peter, from Jesus’ ascension onward.
later some refer to Jesus as the " Head" bishop
Offhand, this doesn’t ring a bell with me. Would you mind citing it?
This latter point is what I mean by no central head as far as appointments/ governance.
I’ll grant that it appeared more decentralized then. But, that seems to be a matter of pragmatics than anything else. It was just unrealistic to think that, given their resources and their (lack of) legal standing in the empire, they’d have a highly visible central leadership / main office.
Jesus is the head of the apostles and Peter a leader.
Seems we’re sinking to the level of quibbling. I’d say that Jesus is the King and Peter the al-bayit of the kingdom.
All Acts tells us is that the monies and gifts were laid at the apostles feet , as in plural.
This notion of “at the feet of the apostles” kinda hurts your thesis more than mine. You’ve claimed that Judas’ “office” – for which they found a replacement – was “treasurer”. And yet, as you’ve shown, that role was filled by the Church. (In fact, a little later, that role of distribution of resources is filled by a ministry that the apostles made up on their own – the diaconate!). So, my contention that the office was “apostle” is seen to be the stronger case, I’m afraid.
 
The apostles appointed presbyters, of which Peter was a fellow presbyter, over particular churches. The churches were first local (Jerusalem), and then regional (out to Antioch, and they reached out to Galatia ,etc.). It seems presbyters were not just appointed in the local churches but also for the regional area.
Even then the Church had a system resembling the monarchial episcopate. Titus and Timothy had singular authority to oversee Churches and ordain presbyters. Let’s not forget Peter is an Apostle, something not all presbyters could say of themselves.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top