“On This Rock” Church Fathers
While there is significant other support – both scriptural and otherwise – for the doctrine of Petrine Primacy (the teaching that Saint Peter was the head of the Apostles and possessed a greater teaching authority than they did, being able to settle matters of contention and command their obedience – namely, he was the first pope!) it is a single verse in the Gospel of Matthew that provides much perhaps the clearest and simplest statement of this role Saint Peter possessed.
The verse in question is Matthew 16:18, and it reads;
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
In English, some of the impact of this phrase is lost – the name “Peter” means “rock” and in many languages the same word would be used for both. So, a better understanding of what Christ actually said would be;
You are Rock, and on this rock I will build my Church
Even if this verse is taken in isolation (something which is not recommended we should do when reading Scripture) it reads as a very solid support of Petrine Primacy. While it contains no complex doctrines, it does make it very clear that the Church of Christ is built on Saint Peter as a person. Christ calls him a rock, and then says He will build His Church (singular, thus showing there is only one Church) on him.
There are, however, many people who wish to discredit this verse by trying to “prove” that it does not mean what the Catholic Church (correctly) says it means. There are a number of techniques which they may choose to use, and as an apologist you should be ready to respond to all of them.
But it is very important for the apologist to not become sidetracked or obsessed with the notion of defending this single verse as if it were the only support for the office of the pope. A correct understanding of the other Scriptural and non-Scriptural supports for Petrine Primacy is essential in order to avoid getting bogged down in verse-slinging.
Challenge 1 : “this rock” does not refer to Peter, but rather to his faith
Many non-Catholics will choose to interpret the rock on which Christ builds His Church as the faith of Saint Peter. This supports the false notion of sola fides (“faith alone”) held to by a number of Protestants – they say that Saint Peter's declaration of Jesus as the Messiah was the rock on which the Church was built and, therefore, all those who display faith in Jesus as the Messiah are in some way “foundational” to the Church. The Church in this scenario is built on faith, not on an individual.
Fortunately, refuting this notion is very simple. It is not even necessarily a matter of theology, but rather of grammar. When the word “this” is used in any language it generally refers to the noun which immediately follows. So, if someone says, “I own a motorbike and a car, and this is blue” we believe that the car is blue. Saint Peter's declaration of faith in Jesus as the Messiah occurs in the sentence before, while the identification of Simon as “Peter” (rock) occurs immediately prior and in the same sentence.
Also, Christ has named the man who was Simon “Peter” - meaning 'rock' – already. He does not say “on this I will build my Church” (which might be ambiguous) but rather “on this rock I will build my Church”.
Additionally, we must always remember to read and interpret Scripture as a whole – not as single verses in isolation. The rest of Scripture points towards Petrine Primacy, as well as refuting the notion of sola fides, as do non-Scriptural sources.
Challenge 2 : the rock is Christ, not Peter
This is a challenge somewhat harder to refute, as it is at least partially true. Yes, the foundation of the Church is Christ (because the Church is Jesus Christ's bride and His mystical body) and Christ is described as a rock a number of times in Scripture.
This is an example of the “either / or” understanding of Christianity common to many Protestants. Because Christ is described as a rock, Peter cannot be. Because Christ is the foundation of the Church, Peter cannot be. They fail to understand that Christianity is not “either / or” but “both / and”.
Refuting this claim should begin with the “either / or” apologetic tactics. Apologists should also make use of the extensive Scriptural and non-Scriptura support for Petrine Primacy other than Matthew 16:18. Remember, Scripture should not be read in isolation.
Challenge 3 : the Petra / Petros debate
This is one of the most interesting challenges, albeit no harder to refute (although it is a little more complex). We can learn something about the nature of another language – namely Greek – through refuting it, and also come to understand the world Jesus and the Apostles lived in better through the linguistic analysis.
The objection to the Catholic interpretation runs as follows; in the Greek manuscripts of Matthew Jesus calls Peter Petros and “this rock” Petra. These two words look very similar (they are, in fact, connected to each other and both mean “rock”) but they are clearly not precisely the same word.
A number of non-Catholics will say that this difference of words means that Peter cannot be the rock, as the word petros means “small rock” or “pebble” while petra means “large rock” or boulder. These Protestants will argue one of the two points above – that the larger foundation is either Christ or Peter's faith, and that the man himself is the smaller rock; similar, but not the foundation.
This argument hinges on three vital facts;
- That petros and petra really mean “small rock” and “large rock” respectively
- That Christ used different words to refer to “Peter” and “this rock”
- That Christ intended to differentiate between “Peter” and “this rock” in that way
Firstly, do petros and petra really mean “small rock” and “large rock”? Greek scholars are almost universally agreed in saying that the words petros and petra were synonyms (words which have the same meaning) in first century Greek. The meanings "small rock" and "large rock" are only found in a number of ancient Greek poems which were composed centuries before the time of Christ. Any difference in meaning had disappeared from the language by the time Matthew’s Gospel was written (around the middle of the first century AD). In addition, the difference can only be found in Attic Greek, but the New Testament was written in Koine Greek—an entirely different dialect. In Koine Greek, both petros and petra simply meant "rock." If Jesus had wanted to call Simon a small stone in first century Koine Greek, He would have used the Greek word lithos.
Secondly, did Jesus use two different words to refer to “Peter” and “this rock”? Again, no – He did not. While the New Testament is written in Greek it was not that language that Jesus and the Apostles would have commonly spoken day to day. (There are a number of authorities who maintain that the Gospel of Matthew was not written originally in Greek, but in Aramaic. This position is based on linguistic analysis of the Greek text of the Gospel, as well as records kept by Eusebius of Caesarea.)
Greek was the common language of the first century Near- and Middle East for commerce, trade, education and international communications – but Jews in Palestine would not have spoken it when talking to each other. Jesus might have used the language to speak to non-Jews (such as Pilate) but He would not have commonly spoken to His disciples in that language. For that, He would have used Aramaic – a semitic language related to Hebrew and common in the Persian empire. A number of examples are Aramaic are cited in the New Testament as the words that Jesus actually spoke (the most famous example is “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” found in Matthew 27:46.)
So, when Jesus called Simon “Peter” (meaning “rock”) He would not have said “Peter”. He would not even have said “Petros” (from where we get the English name “Peter”). He would have used the Aramaic – a word which we find eight times in Saint Paul's epistles (four times in Galatians and four times in I Corinthians). This word is Kepha, and means “rock”. It is this word that Jesus would have used when saying “You are Peter and on this rock” - He would have said “You are Kepha and on this kepha”.
But why did Saint Matthew (or whoever translated Matthew into Greek) use different words to represent the same word in Aramaic? The answer lies in a grammatical point which is not present in English, but is present in other modern languages – such as French, Spanish and German.
Nouns in ancient Greek are gendered – that is, some of them are masculine and some are feminine. The word petra is feminine (it is used today in some parts of the world as a female version of the name Peter) and so could not be used to apply to a man like Peter (it would be like calling a man named Stephen “Stephanie”!) The male version of petra is petros – and so that is why Matthew used those words. He was trying to represent what was a perfect pun (using exactly the same words) in Aramaic using a language which did not allow him to do this. In English, virtually all of the effect is lost – few people know that Peter means “rock” - but in Greek at least some of the meaning can be preserved.
Finally, did Jesus intend to differentiate between Peter and the rock upon which He would build His Church? Some people might say that we cannot know what Jesus meant, but they would be wrong. Everything we know about Jesus comes to us through the Apostles and those the Apostles taught. So, we can learn what Jesus meant by this by looking at the Scriptural and non-Scriptural references to Peter's position and status. It is clear, from the wealth of Biblical and extra-Biblical support for the doctrine of Petrine Primacy that Jesus meant exactly what the plain sense of a literal meaning of Scripture means; You are Rock, and on this rock I will build my Church.
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Other Scriptural Evidence for Petrine Primacy
Although many non-Catholics delight in trying to discredit Matthew 16:18 with all that it says about Saint Peter's position as the head of the apostles, as a Catholic apologist there are two very important facts to remember about this tactic. Firstly, it doesn't actually work – the Catholic interpretation of Matthew 16:18 can't be discredited in this way. Secondly, and most importantly, Matthew 16:18 is not the only verse in Scripture which supports the doctrine of Petrine Primacy.
It is very important to realize that none of these verses explicitly say “The doctrine of Petrine Primacy is true” or that “Peter was the first pope and the Catholics are right”. However, when taken as whole, all of these verses clearly show that Peter enjoyed a special place among the Apostles, and that it was him Jesus looked to to lead and and strengthen them.
Peter speaks for all of the Apostles
In several places in the Scriptures, Peter speaks for all of the Apostles – the others are not consulted, or they simply assumed to agree with Peter. This shows that Peter was the leader of the group.
Matthew 19:27, Mark 8:29, Luke 8:45, 12:41, John 6:69
“Peter and his companions”
When describing the Apostles, the Gospels writers often chose not to list them individually by name or even write something like “the followers of Jesus” but rather wrote “Peter and his companions”. Clearly, one does not describe a group of followers of another man as “Peter and his companions” unless Peter is the leader.
Luke 9:32, Mark 16:7, Acts 3:37
Peter heads every list
When the Gospel writers do give a list of the Apostles by name, Peter's name heads every single list. This is far more than just a co-incidence, especially when taken with all the other evidence.
Matthew 10:1-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16, Acts 1:13
Peter leads the meeting to replace Judas
When the Apostles decide to replace Judas in Acts 1:13-26 it is Peter who is clearly “in charge” and leading or chairing the meeting.
Peter's name outnumbers any other Apostle's
The names of all the Apostles appear in Scripture – what many people do not realize is that Peter's name appears 195 times in Scripture, which is more than all the rest put together. If Peter is no more important than them, why is his name mentioned so many times more?
The Keys of the Kingdom
In Matthew 16:19 (immediately after the “On this rock” verse) Jesus gives Peter the keys of the kingdom and the power to bind and loose. This is an example of typology – the type being referenced here is the prime minister of the old Judaic Kingdom (referenced in Isaiah 19:20-22.) The keys to the kingdom were a symbolic representation of the authority to make pronouncements and judgments in the King's name (the authority to “bind and loose”). The fact the same phrase is used in both passages of Scripture makes the comparison clear. Peter is being appointed as the prime minister of the new Kingdom – an office which has the authority to speak for the King (Jesus). It is necessary to understand that the Petrine office of the prime minister of the kingdom does not give him authority to “dictate” to Heaven – the authority itself remains with God, but it is exercised on earth through the office of the pope. And while the pope in theory has the authority to do anything, he is protected from error by the infallibility of his office.
Jesus prays for Peter so that he may strengthen others
In Luke 22:32 Jesus says that He has prayed for Peter so that Peter may be able to support the other Apostles – He does not pray for them as separate individuals. This clearly shows that Peter is viewed by Jesus as the head of the Apostles, and as representing the entire Church.
Peter is appointed shepherd of Christ's flock
In John 21:17 Jesus tells Peter to feed his sheep – appointing him shepherd of His flock. This is a command given specifically to Peter, and not the rest of the Apostles. We are all required to carry out spiritual and corporal works of mercy, but the Jesus' words make it very clear that Peter had a specific and special responsibility.
The angel specifically mentions Peter
When Mary Magdalena goes to the tomb on Easter Sunday morning, she sees an angel who tells her to go and tell Jesus' followers that He is risen. In Mark 16:7 the angel makes a very special point of telling Mary to inform Peter; his name is the only name mentioned.
Jesus appears to Peter
In Luke 24:34 the Apostles say that Jesus has appeared to Simon [Peter] – they do not mention any other appearances, nor that they have seen Him themselves. Either the appearance to Peter was the only one which they were aware of, or they recognized that it was the only one worth mentioning. In either case, the importance of Peter is clear.
Peter leads the early Church
In the book of Acts there are many instances of Peter taking the initiative and being the first person to undertake a number of tasks or responsibilities. While individuals might take the initiative here and there, only the recognized and authentic leader of the Church would undertake all of these “firsts”;
Acts 2:14 – Peter leads the Apostles in preaching on Pentecost
Acts 2:41 – Peter received the first converts
Acts 3:6-7 – Peter performed the first miracle at Pentecost
Acts 5:1-11 – Peter inflicted the first punishment (Ananias & Saphira)
Acts 8:21 – Peter excommunicated the first heretic, Simon Magnus
Acts 15:7 – Peter led the first council in Jerusalem
Acts 15:9 – Peter pronounces the first dogmatic decision
Peter is given divine revelation
Peter is given divine revelation – and not just any revelation, but the revelation that Gentiles are to be allowed into the Church – in Acts 10:44-46. This is such a significant and important aspect of Christianity – its universal scope – that it underscores Peter's authority.
Saint Paul visits Peter
In Galatians 1:18 Saint Paul writes that he visited Cephas [Peter] when he was in Jerusalem – why would he do this if Peter did not have some sort of authority? He specifically says that he saw no other Apostles, except James the brother of the Lord (who was the Bishop of Jerusalem – so it would be logical for him, as a matter of courtesy, to visit him). But why does Paul meet specifically with Peter and no-one else? The logical answer is that Peter has an authority which the other Apostles do not.
The various scriptural evidences do not exist on their own or in isolation; no single verse is a firm proof of Petrine Primacy. However, when taken as a whole, together with the non-Scriptural support, they form a very compelling case against which it is difficult to logically argue.
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Non-Scriptural Evidence for Petrine Primacy
There is a significant amount of non-Scriptural evidence for the doctrine of Petrine Primacy, all of which it is advantageous as a Catholic apologist to know. Before making use of extra-Biblical evidence, it will be necessary to refute the false doctrine of sola scriptura and also to argue for the use of the testimony of the Church Fathers and other early Christians.
Clement of Alexandria
“[T]he blessed Peter, the chosen, the preeminent, the first among the disciples, for whom alone with himself the Savior paid the tribute [Matthew 17:27], quickly grasped and understood their meaning. And what does he say? ‘Behold, we have left all and have followed you’ [Matthew 19:27, Mark 10:28]" (Who Is the Rich Man That Is Saved? 21:3-5 - 200 AD)
Tertullian
“For though you think that heaven is still shut up, remember that the Lord left the keys of it to Peter here, and through him to the Church, which keys everyone will carry with him if he has been questioned and made a confession [of faith]" (Antidote Against the Scorpion 10 - 211 AD)
“[T]he Lord said to Peter, ‘On this rock I will build my Church, I have given you the keys of the kingdom of heaven [and] whatever you shall have bound or loosed on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven’ [Matthew 16:18-19]. . . . Upon you, he says, I will build my Church; and I will give to you the keys, not to the Church" (Modesty 21:9-10 - 220 AD)
The Letter of Clement to James
“Be it known to you, my lord, that Simon [Peter], who, for the sake of the true faith, and the most sure foundation of his doctrine, was set apart to be the foundation of the Church, and for this end was by Jesus himself, with his truthful mouth, named Peter, the first fruits of our Lord, the first of the apostles; to whom first the Father revealed the Son; whom the Christ, with good reason, blessed; the called, and elect" (Letter of Clement to James 2 - 221 AD)
Origen
“[I]f we were to attend carefully to the Gospels, we should also find, in relation to those things which seem to be common to Peter . . . a great difference and a preeminence in the things [Jesus] said to Peter, compared with the second class [of apostles]. For it is no small difference that Peter received the keys not of one heaven but of more, and in order that whatsoever things he binds on earth may be bound not in one heaven but in them all, as compared with the many who bind on earth and loose on earth, so that these things are bound and loosed not in [all] the heavens, as in the case of Peter, but in one only; for they do not reach so high a stage with power as Peter to bind and loose in all the heavens” (Commentary on Matthew 13:31 - 248 AD)
Cyprian of Carthage
“The Lord says to Peter: ‘I say to you,’ he says, ‘that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.’ . . . On him [Peter] he builds the Church, and to him he gives the command to feed the sheep [John 21:17], and although he assigns a like power to all the apostles, yet he founded a single chair [cathedra], and he established by his own authority a source and an intrinsic reason for that unity. Indeed, the others were that also which Peter was [i.e., apostles], but a primacy is given to Peter, whereby it is made clear that there is but one Church and one chair. So too, all [the apostles] are shepherds, and the flock is shown to be one, fed by all the apostles in single-minded accord. If someone does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? If he [should] desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can he still be confident that he is in the Church?” (The Unity of the Catholic Church 4; 1st edition - 251 AD)
Cyril of Jerusalem
“The Lord is loving toward men, swift to pardon but slow to punish. Let no man despair of his own salvation. Peter, the first and foremost of the apostles, denied the Lord three times before a little servant girl, but he repented and wept bitterly" (Catechetical Lectures 2:19 - 350 AD)
“[Simon Magus] so deceived the city of Rome that Claudius erected a statue of him. . . . While the error was extending itself, Peter and Paul arrived, a noble pair and the rulers of the Church, and they set the error aright. . . . [T]hey launched the weapon of their like-mindedness in prayer against the Magus, and struck him down to earth. It was marvelous enough, and yet no marvel at all, for Peter was there—he that carries about the keys of heaven [Matthew 16:19]" (Catechetical Lectures 6:14 - 350 AD)
“In the power of the same Holy Spirit, Peter, both the chief of the apostles and the keeper of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, in the name of Christ healed Aeneas the paralytic at Lydda, which is now called Diospolis [Acts 9:32-34]" (Catechetical Lectures 17:27 - 350 AD)
Ephraim the Syrian
“[Jesus said:] Simon, my follower, I have made you the foundation of the holy Church. I betimes called you Peter, because you will support all its buildings. You are the inspector of those who will build on Earth a Church for me. If they should wish to build what is false, you, the foundation, will condemn them. You are the head of the fountain from which my teaching flows; you are the chief of my disciples. Through you I will give drink to all peoples. Yours is that life-giving sweetness which I dispense. I have chosen you to be, as it were, the firstborn in my institution so that, as the heir, you may be executor of my treasures. I have given you the keys of my kingdom. Behold, I have given you authority over all my treasures" (Homilies 4:1 - 351 AD)
Ambrose of Milan
“[Christ] made answer: ‘You are Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church. . . .’ Could he not, then, strengthen the faith of the man to whom, acting on his own authority, he gave the kingdom, whom he called the rock, thereby declaring him to be the foundation of the Church [Matthew 16:18]?" (The Faith 4:5 - 379 AD)
Pope Damasus I
“Likewise it is decreed . . . that it ought to be announced that . . . the holy Roman Church has been placed at the forefront not by the conciliar decisions of other churches, but has received the primacy by the evangelic voice of our Lord and Savior, who says: ‘You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; and I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven . . . ’ [Matthew 16:18-19]. The first see, therefore, is that of Peter the apostle, that of the Roman Church, which has neither stain nor blemish nor anything like it" (Decree of Damasus 3 - 382 AD)
Jerome
“‘But,’ you [Jovinian] will say, ‘it was on Peter that the Church was founded’ [Matthew 16:18]. Well . . . one among the twelve is chosen to be their head in order to remove any occasion for division" (Against Jovinian 1:26 - 393 AD)
“Simon Peter, the son of John, from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, brother of Andrew the apostle, and himself chief of the apostles, after having been bishop of the church of Antioch and having preached to the Dispersion . . . pushed on to Rome in the second year of Claudius to overthrow Simon Magus, and held the sacerdotal chair there for twenty-five years until the last, that is the fourteenth, year of Nero. At his hands he received the crown of martyrdom being nailed to the cross with his head towards the ground and his feet raised on high, asserting that he was unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord" (Lives of Illustrious Men 1 - 396 AD)
Pope Innocent I
“In seeking the things of God . . . you have acknowledged that judgment is to be referred to us [the pope], and have shown that you know that is owed to the Apostolic See [Rome], if all of us placed in this position are to desire to follow the apostle himself [Peter] from whom the episcopate itself and the total authority of this name have emerged" (Letters 29:1 - 408 AD)
Augustine
“Among these [apostles] Peter alone almost everywhere deserved to represent the whole Church. Because of that representation of the Church, which only he bore, he deserved to hear ‘I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven’" (Sermons 295:2 - 411 AD)
“Some things are said which seem to relate especially to the apostle Peter, and yet are not clear in their meaning unless referred to the Church, which he is acknowledged to have represented in a figure on account of the primacy which he bore among the disciples. Such is ‘I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,’ and other similar passages. In the same way, Judas represents those Jews who were Christ’s enemies" (Commentary on Psalm 108 1 - 415 AD)
“Who is ignorant that the first of the apostles is the most blessed Peter?" (Commentary on John 56:1 - 416 AD)
Council of Ephesus
“Philip, presbyter and legate of [Pope Celestine I] said: ‘We offer our thanks to the holy and venerable synod, that when the writings of our holy and blessed pope had been read to you . . . you joined yourselves to the holy head also by your holy acclamations. For your blessednesses is not ignorant that the head of the whole faith, the head of the apostles, is blessed Peter the apostle’" (Acts of the Council, session 2 - 431 AD)
“Philip, the presbyter and legate of the Apostolic See [Rome] said: ‘There is no doubt, and in fact it has been known in all ages, that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the apostles, pillar of the faith, and foundation of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the human race, and that to him was given the power of loosing and binding sins: who down even to today and forever both lives and judges in his successors’" (Acts of the Council, session 3 - 431 AD)
Pope Leo I
“Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . has placed the principal charge on the blessed Peter, chief of all the apostles, and from him as from the head wishes his gifts to flow to all the body, so that anyone who dares to secede from Peter’s solid rock may understand that he has no part or lot in the divine mystery. He wished him who had been received into partnership in his undivided unity to be named what he himself was, when he said: ‘You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church’ [Matthew 16:18], that the building of the eternal temple might rest on Peter’s solid rock, strengthening his Church so surely that neither could human rashness assail it nor the gates of hell prevail against it" (Letters 10:1 - 445 AD)
“Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . established the worship belonging to the divine [Christian] religion. . . . But the Lord desired that the sacrament of this gift should pertain to all the apostles in such a way that it might be found principally in the most blessed Peter, the highest of all the apostles. And he wanted his gifts to flow into the entire body from Peter himself, as if from the head, in such a way that anyone who had dared to separate himself from the solidarity of Peter would realize that he was himself no longer a sharer in the divine mystery" (Letters 10:2-3 - 445 AD)
“Although bishops have a common dignity, they are not all of the same rank. Even among the most blessed apostles, though they were alike in honor, there was a certain distinction of power. All were equal in being chosen, but it was given to one to be preeminent over the others. . . . [So today through the bishops] the care of the universal Church would converge in the one See of Peter, and nothing should ever be at odds with this head" (Letters 14:11 - 445 AD)
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