Pope Benedict XVI - Speech to Bishops

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part four

The Primacy of Peter Part 7

Picking back up in Chapter 21 "So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn." (Jn 21:11) When reading the Gospel or letters by John, take note any time you come across a number. They always have a significant meaning. Jerome's explanation for the exact count of the fish is that at this time there were 153 known species of fish. The fish symbolize that at some time all men of all nations will be gathered together to Jesus. "After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands." (Rev 7:9)
We have Peter and only Peter hauling the net ashore. Even more important is that the net Peter is bringing ashore is not tearing. The Greek word for tear is "schizo". This is where we get the English word "schism". The net symbolises the Church. This is why there is an amazement that the net full of every known species of fish, being brought to Jesus by Peter, is not in schism "torn".

Lets back up a little in John 21. "That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off." (Jn 21:7-8) Peter is not the first to recognise Jesus, but Peter is the first to act. But the million dollar question is why the heck is Peter fishing naked? Take note that no one else is fishing in the nude! This has a Jeff Foxworthy "You might be a Redneck" joke all over it. But since I couldn't find Jeff Foxworthy's commentary on the Gospel of John. I went with Steven K. Ray. Stephen K. Ray in his book St. John's Gospel comments "Why did Peter dress and jump into the water? Some see Peter's nakedness as his spiritual state after denying Jesus; putting on cloths as his conversion, plunging into the water as his purification, and his swimming as a return to Jesus."


"When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there," (Jn 21:9) What do we have here! Peter and a charcoal fire. There is only one other place in the NT that we will find a charcoal fire. "Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire... Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself." (Jn 18:18) Peter then will proceed to deny Jesus 3 times.
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The Primacy of Peter Part 6

In the last chapter of John's gospel we see a number of things come together in regards to Peter's Primacy.

The disciples had been fishing all night and have caught nothing.

"Jesus said to them, 'Children, have you any fish?' They answered him, 'No.' He said to them, 'Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.' So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, 'Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.' So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn." (Jn 21:5-11)

Jesus tells the disciples to cast there nets. "He said to them, 'Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.' So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish." (Jn 21:6) This is very similar to Luke chapter 5 when Jesus tells Simon to cast his net after a night of fishing with no success. But there is a important difference between these two instances of fishing. In Luke "When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing" (Lk 5:6 NAB) , but here in John "although there were so many, the net was not torn" (Jn 21:11) John's mentioning of the net not tearing gives the impression that it should have.
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The Primacy of Peter Part 5

Here Jesus is talking to the Apostles"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, (In Greek word for you is Plural) that he might sift you (In Greek word for you is Plural) like wheat, but I have prayed for you (In Greek word for you is Singular) that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your bretheren." Lk 22:31-32

We see here Satan has demanded to test all of the Apostles. But Jesus says he has prayed only for Peter. So that Peter can "strengthen your bretheren"

This all seems quite odd if Peter does not have an authority over the other Apostles. Why would Jesus only pray for Peter if they are all equal? Why would Peter strengthen the others if there all equal?

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The Primacy of Peter Part 4

We continue in understanding the Biblical basis behind Peter's primacy.

Why is Peter getting these keys? Well not these pictured here, but you get the idea.

We go to the Bible. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, ..." (Mt 16:19) What's going on here? To understand this we have to look back into the Old Testament. "I will thrust you from your office, and you will be cast down from your station. In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your girdle on him, and will commit your authority to his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open." (Is 22:19-22)

Waaaay back then it was normal for there to be one way in and out of the city. In that "way" it was normal for there to be a door there. It makes sense if you're gonna have a door to put a lock on it. That lock most likely required a key.

Now the Kings back then had many servants that held an office of minister. But the kings would have one Office of prime minister. He was the top minister, hence the word "prime" before "minister". Now the prime minister held the authority of the king. It did not make him equal to the king. But when the king was not there, the prime minister spoke on behalf of the king. His decisions held the same authority. This office was passed on.

So lets see whats going on here. Isaiah is king at this time in the Bible. The Davidic king. Eliakim is made prime minister of the Davidic kingdom. Ok well lets see whats going on in Mt16:19. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,..." It seems Jesus is giving the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter. If Jesus is the Davidic king, then heaven would be the Davidic kingdom.

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The Primacy of Peter Part 3

We continue in understanding the Biblical basis behind Peter's primacy.

Peter which means Rock is what Jesus re-names Simon. "you are Rock". In the Old Testament ONLY God was called rock. But here, Jesus Christ gives Simon the new name of rock. If Peter did not have any primacy over the other disciples, why would Jesus give Simon this name? Old and New Testaments God is giving people new names. When God does this, do these names have any significance? Yes, they do!

Another problem with the protestant interpretation of this Scripture, is that from there point of view Jesus is building Peter up and putting him down. Lets look at the Scripture . "He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son if the living God.' And Jesus answers him 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'" (Mt 16:15-19)

"Jesus answers him 'Blessed are you" Jesus is praising Peter for what has been revealed to him. But also Peter accepts this revelation. God could of revealed this and Peter dismissed it.

Jesus continues "you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,". Here is where it doesn't make sence with the protestant interpretation. They say the "rock" is Peter's confession that Jesus is the Son of God. So lets look at whats going on here. Jesus praises Simon and calls him blessed. Then gives him a new name. A name that up to this point has only been used to refer to God. Which has to be a great honor comming from God in the flesh. But then Jesus puts on the breaks and says "and on what you just said I will build my church. Not you, but what you said." Then Jesus flips around again and starts giving Peter more blessings. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven". Why is Peter getting these keys? Whats so importand about this guy? "whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." What does this binding and loosing thin have to do with any thing? The "rock" is Peter's confession. Dosn't Jesus know that?!

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The Primacy of Peter Part 2

Those silly and miss guided Catholics. They think Jesus Christ gave a special authority to Peter. On top of that they think his supposed authority is passed on to each of the successors of his office. The Bishop of Rome. This man made position is un-biblical and a heresy!!!!


I disagree. Lets see what the Word of God has to say about the primacy of Peter. "He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son if the living God.' And Jesus answers him 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'" (Mt 16:15-19)
Some protestants argue saying that the "rock" Jesus is referring to is Peter's profession of faith. One of the problems with this claim is that it goes against the rules of grammar. The phrase "this rock" is going to refer to the closest noun. The closest noun is "Peter"! (Well to be exact Peter is a proper noun) Peter's profession of faith is two verses back. For example, lets say I'm talking with some friends, and I say "I have a cup and a bucket, and it is red." What is red? The cup, or the bucket? The bucket is because "bucket" is the closest noun to the pronoun "it".

Another argument is that in the Greek the word "Petros" (Peter) means small stone. While the Greek word "Petra" (Rock) means massive rock. They claim that if Jesus were talking about Peter as being "the rock" why use the word that means small stone for his name.
The reason is "Petros" (Peter) is a masculine noun, and "Petra"(rock) is a feminine noun. You can't use a feminine noun for a man's name.
But what protestants don't take into account is that Jesus did not speak to his disciples in Greek. Jesus spoke Aramaic!!! At that time, Aramaic was the common language of Palestine.
The Aramaic word for rock is "kepha". "Kepha" is the only Aramaic word for rock. So Jesus said "you are Kepha, and on this kepha I will build my church" or "you are Rock, and on this rock I will build my church".
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The Primacy of Peter Part 1

I was thinking, did Peter drive a Ford truck or a Chevy truck? You have to be tough to be the pope. Lots of them got murdered just for being pope. So, I guess Peter was Ford tough. But! Peter is a rock, "You are Peter (Rock), and on this rock (Rock) I will build my Church." Hmmm. Chevy's are like a rock. Even though I drive a Ford, I'm going to have to say Peter drove a Chevy.

All jokeing aside, Peter was the first pope! Over the next couple of posts lets explore the basis for this claim.

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