Pope

== Saint Peter and the origin of the papal office ==
{{See also|Primacy of Simon Peter}}
The [[Catholic Church]] teaches that, within the Christian community, the bishops as a body have succeeded to the body of the apostles (''[[apostolic succession]]'') and the bishop of Rome has succeeded to Saint Peter.<ref name="section880" />

Scriptural texts proposed in support of Peter's special position in relation to the church include:
* [[Matthew 16]]: {{blockquote|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. 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.<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|16:18–19|ESV}}</ref>}}
* [[Luke 22]]: {{blockquote|Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.<ref>{{bibleverse||Luke|22:31–32|ESV}}</ref>}}
* [[John 21]]:{{blockquote|Feed my sheep.<ref>{{bibleverse||John|21:17|ESV}}</ref>}}

The symbolic keys in the [[Papal coats of arms]] are a reference to the phrase "[[Keys of Heaven|the keys of the kingdom of heaven]]" in the first of these texts. Some Protestant writers have maintained that the "rock" that Jesus speaks of in this text is Jesus himself or the faith expressed by Peter.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lightfoot |first=John |author-link=John Lightfoot |title=Commentary on Matthew 16:18 |url=http://www.studylight.org/com/jlc/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=16&verse=18#Mt16_18 |work=Commentary on the Gospels |access-date=23 May 2013 |publisher=StudyLight.org |quote=It is readily answered by the Papists, that "Peter was the rock." But let them tell me why Matthew used not the same word in Greek, if our Saviour used the same word in Syriac. If he had intimated that the church should be built upon Peter, it had been plainer and more agreeable to be the vulgar idiom to have said, "Thou art Peter, and upon thee I will build my church. |archive-date=14 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514155559/http://www.studylight.org/com/jlc/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=16&verse=18#Mt16_18 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.studylight.org/com/rwp/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=16&verse=18 |title=Commentary on Matthew 16:18 |first=Archibald Thomas |last=Robertson |author-link=Archibald Thomas Robertson |work=Word Pictures of the New Testament |publisher=StudyLight.org |access-date=23 May 2013 |archive-date=14 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514160409/http://www.studylight.org/com/rwp/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=16&verse=18 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gill|first=John|title=Commentary on Matthew 16:18|url=http://www.studylight.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=016&verse=018|work=Exposition of the Whole Bible|publisher=StudyLight.org|access-date=23 May 2013|author-link=John Gill (theologian)|quote=by the rock, is meant, either the confession of faith made by Peter; not the act, nor form, but the matter of it, it containing the prime articles of Christianity, and which are as immoveable as a rock; or rather Christ himself, who points, as it were, with his finger to himself, and whom Peter had made such a glorious confession of; and who was prefigured by the rock the Israelites drank water out of in the wilderness; and is comparable to any rock for height, shelter, strength, firmness, and duration; and is the one and only foundation of his church and people, and on whom their security, salvation, and happiness entirely depend.|archive-date=14 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514160249/http://www.studylight.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=016&verse=018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Wesley|first=John|title=Commentary on Matthew 16:18|url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wesley/notes.i.ii.xviii.html|work=Wesley's Notes on the Bible|publisher=[[Christian Classics Ethereal Library]]|access-date=23 May 2013|author-link=John Wesley|quote=On this rock – Alluding to his name, which signifies a rock, namely, the faith which thou hast now professed; I will build my Church – But perhaps when our Lord uttered these words, he pointed to himself, in like manner as when he said, Destroy this temple, John 2:19; meaning the temple of his body. And it is certain, that as he is spoken of in Scripture, as the only foundation of the Church, so this is that which the apostles and evangelists laid in their preaching. It is in respect of laying this, that the names of the twelve apostles (not of St. Peter only) were equally inscribed on the twelve foundations of the city of God, Revelation 21:14. The gates of here – As gates and walls were the strength of cities, and as courts of judicature were held in their gates, this phrase properly signifies the power and policy of Satan and his instruments. Shall not prevail against it – Not against the Church universal, so as to destroy it. And they never did. There hath been a small remnant in all ages.|archive-date=13 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113154746/http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wesley/notes.i.ii.xviii.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Scofield |first=C. I |author-link=C. I. Scofield |title=Commentary on Matthew 16:18 |url=http://studylight.org/com/srn/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=16&verse=18#Mt16_18 |work=Scofield's Reference Notes |series=1917 edition |publisher=StudyLight.org |access-date=23 May 2013 |quote=There is the Greek a play upon the words, "thou art Peter petros –  literally 'a little rock', and upon this rock Petra I will build my church." He does not promise to build His church upon Peter, but upon Himself, as Peter is careful to tell us (1 Peter 2:4–9). |archive-date=14 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514155311/http://www.studylight.org/com/srn/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=16&verse=18#Mt16_18 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Henry |first=Matthew |title=Commentary on Matthew 16:18 |url=http://www.studylight.org/com/mhm/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=16&verse=18#Mt16_18 |work=Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible |publisher=StudyLight.org |access-date=23 May 2013 |author-link=Matthew Henry |quote=First, Some by this rock understand Peter himself as an apostle, the chief, though not the prince, of the twelve, senior among them, but not superior over them. The church is built upon the foundation of the apostles, Ephesians 2:20. The first stones of that building were laid in and by their ministry; hence their names are said to be written in the foundations of the new Jerusalem, Revelation 21:14... First, Some by this rock understand Peter himself as an apostle, the chief, though not the prince, of the twelve, senior among them, but not superior over them. The church is built upon the foundation of the apostles, Ephesians 2:20. The first stones of that building were laid in and by their ministry; hence their names are said to be written in the foundations of the new Jerusalem, Revelation 21:14. ... Thirdly, Others by this rock understand this confession which Peter made of Christ, and this comes all to one with understanding it of Christ himself. It was a good confession which Peter witnessed, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God; the rest concurred with him in it. "Now", saith Christ, "this is that great truth upon which I will build my church." 1. Take away this truth itself, and the universal church falls to the ground. If Christ be not the Son of God, Christianity is a cheat, and the church is a mere chimera; our preaching is vain, your faith is vain, and you are yet in your sins, 1 Corinthians 15:14–17. If Jesus be not the Christ, those that own him are not of the church, but deceivers and deceived. 2. Take away the faith and confession of this truth from any particular church, and it ceases to be a part of Christ's church, and relapses to the state and character of infidelity. This is articulus stantis et cadentis ecclesia – that article, with the admission or the denial of which the church either rises or falls; "the main hinge on which the door of salvation turns;" those who let go this, do not hold the foundation; and though they may call themselves Christians, they give themselves the lie; for the church is a sacred society, incorporated upon the certainty and assurance of this great truth; and great it is, and has prevailed. |archive-date=14 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514163042/http://www.studylight.org/com/mhm/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=16&verse=18#Mt16_18 |url-status=live }}</ref> This idea is undermined by the Biblical usage of "Cephas", which is the masculine form of "rock" in [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]], to describe Peter.<ref>[http://biblehub.com/john/1-42.htm John 1:42] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116071436/http://biblehub.com/john/1-42.htm |date=16 January 2014 }}. Bible Hub.</ref><ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Cephas "Cephas"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116070946/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Cephas |date=16 January 2014 }}. Dictionary.com.</ref><ref>[http://www.behindthename.com/name/cephas "Cephas"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116085745/http://www.behindthename.com/name/cephas |date=16 January 2014 }}. Behind the Name.</ref> The ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' comments that "the consensus of the great majority of scholars today is that the most obvious and traditional understanding should be construed, namely, that rock refers to the person of Peter".<ref name="britannicapeter">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Saint Peter the Apostle|year=2013|author=O'Connor, Daniel William|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/453832/Saint-Peter-the-Apostle|access-date=14 April 2013|archive-date=28 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328083026/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/453832/Saint-Peter-the-Apostle|url-status=live}}</ref>