Peter the Rock? Catholic saints even contradict

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A perennial debate is whether Peter is the rock upon which the Roman Catholic Church and its people base their right to exist. However, some ancient writings by Catholic “saints” dating back to the Middle Ages reveal that the view of the supposedly first pope only developed over time. Earlier, the “Church Fathers” understood Christ as the rock and did not place the keys exclusively in Peter.

A never-ending debate

Was Peter the rock upon which the Church of Jesus Christ was to be built, or was Peter merely the stone? A seemingly insignificant detail. But hardly any other statement in the Bible carries as much weight as these two verses in Matthew 16:18-19:
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.“

With this statement, the Roman Catholic Church justifies its own claim to be the successors of the apostles and to designate the current pope as a direct successor of Peter. The Church of Rome is the “body of Christ,” Mary is the Mother of the Church, the Pope is a divine authority, infallible in proclaiming doctrine, and all people outside the Church are inevitably condemned to eternal damnation.

The self-laid foundation for power

Submission to the Church was considered to be relevant to salvation; turning away from the Church (as a baptized person) through “other” teachings was heresy and even resulted in a death sentence, executed by secular powers that were also subject to the Church. As a pagan (unbaptized person), one was not subject to the coercion of Roman Catholic doctrine and legislation, but one was quickly considered “alternatively” a threat to the unity of the Church and held the same place as convicted “heretics.” Murdered by fire or by the sword.

This tyranny, which lasted for approximately 1,700 years (merely “paused” since 1798), was based on Matthew 16:18-19. Far from a trivial matter, it was the root of an unprecedented era in human history.

The argument that in the original Greek text the word “petros” (actually “stone”) stands for the name “Peter” and the word “petra” (“rock”) for the term “rock” is clearly not sufficient to make any attempt to evade the argument in favor of establishing the “apostolicity” of this Church impossible (Info).

It will continue to unravel

A frequently put forward argument is that Jesus Christ did not speak Greek, but Aramaic. In this case, according to the Aramaic vocabulary, he would have used the same Aramaic word for both differently translated words. This is understandable up to this point. But then “embellishments” arise. This is regularly followed by the claim that the authors of the New Testament also wanted to add a bit more color to Matthew 16:18-19 and therefore used different words in the Greek.

The Roman Catholic Church specifically sees in this passage in Matthew 16 the exclusive calling of Peter as the rock, or rather, the foundation of the Church, the laying of the cornerstone for the primacy of the Pope, who also received the “keys of heaven,” and an authorization for the other apostles to be able to forgive sins. The Church of Rome seized both attributes at once: Peter, the Pope, and the priesthood for the forgiveness of sins.

Catechism, Canon 553

This is also clearly taught in the Catholic Catechism, Canon 553:
“Jesus entrusted a specific authority to Peter: “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” (Matthew 16:19). The “power of the keys” designates authority to govern the house of God, which is the Church. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, confirmed this mandate after his Resurrection: “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17; 10:11). The power to “bind and loose” connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgments, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church. Jesus entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of the apostles and in particular through the ministry of Peter, the only one to whom he specifically entrusted the keys of the kingdom.“

It therefore follows that Peter is Pope number 1 and the current Pope, Leo XIV, number 267. While traditionally the priesthood of this church holds the succession of the apostles, it also traditionally fails to provide evidence of the authority conferred upon the apostles (Info).

There would be room for interpretation

Considering the identical Aramaic words for “rock” and “stone,” all that remains is the interpretation of Jesus’ statement, within the existing context and context at the time of the statement. Given that the Word was inspired by the Holy Spirit and preserved by God, it is unlikely that the authors of the Greek New Testament were exercising their literary skills, should a changing choice of words lead to a different result. Therefore, it seems natural that the Roman Catholic Church would adjust the interpretation to its own advantage.

Such a discussion, however, as to how Jesus’ statement should be interpreted, rarely arises, and certainly not when the narrative of Peter’s succession is defended, as if it were immutably fixed. Yet even within the Church of Rome, there was no uniform interpretation, as some writings by even “holy” clerics demonstrate. As things stand, the interpretation of Matthew 16:18-19 that is known today was unknown even in the Roman Catholic Church until the 12th century.

Historical Roman Catholic documents contradict

Some very revealing documents clearly demonstrate that the word “rock” was understood as a pure metaphor, primarily associating it with Jesus Christ, or alternatively as a confession of Peter’s faith. Furthermore, the distribution of the keys was not attributed exclusively to Peter, but to all the apostles.

Shameless Orthodoxy has examined some of these ancient writings from late antiquity to the late Middle Ages and revealed the statements of the “saints” from the Church of Rome. (Quelle). The adopted statements are also shown there in Latin, with the corresponding sources.

Jerome

Jerome (348 to 420), considered a Church Father, translated the Bible into the Latin Vulgate, the standard Bible of the Catholic Church and also designated the “only valid” Bible at the Council of Trent.

“Just as he himself gave the light to the apostles, in order that they would be called the light of the world, and their other names were chosen by the Lord: and thus to Simon, who believed in Christ the Rock, the name of Peter is imparted. But following the metaphor of the rock, rightly it is said to him: “I will build my Church upon you.“
“COMMENTARIORUM IN EVANGELIUM MATTHAEI AD EUSEBIUM LIBRI QUATUOR, Patrologia Latina 26: 0117C – 0117D)

Hilary of Poitiers

Another “saint” is Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310 to c. 367). He wrote about the passage in Matthew 16:
“The Reward of Confession. And plainly the confession of Peter received a worthy award, because he had seen the Son of God in a man. Blessed is this man, who was praised that he both had aimed for and had seen beyond human eyes: beholding not what was of flesh and blood, but seeing the revelation of the Son of God from the heavenly Father; and he, judged worthy, recognized first what was of God in Christ.

Oh! By appellation of a new name the fruitful foundation of the Church, with regards to the foundation there is a worthy rock, which destroys the hellish laws, the gates of Hell, and all the bars of death. O blessed door-keeper of heaven, by whose will the keys of the eternal gates are delivered, whose earthly judgment shall be the forejudged authority in heaven: so that what was bound or loosed on earth, obtains the condition of the same status in heaven.”
(EVANGELIUM MATTHAEI COMMENTARIUS, Patrologia Latina 9: 1009C – 1010A)

“Had ye seen, O holy and blessed men (the apostles), who for the reward of your faith have received the keys of the kingdom of heaven and power to bind and to loose in heaven and earth, works so great, so truly Divine, wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and do ye yet profess that it was not until He had first told you that He had gone forth from God that you attained the knowledge of the truth?”
(On the Trinity 6.33)

“What are the conclusions forced upon us by the study of his words? He confessed that Christ is the Son of God; you, lying bishop of the new apostolate, thrust upon us your modern notion that Christ is a creature, made out of nothing. What violence is this, that so distorts the glorious words? The very reason why he is blessed is that he confessed the Son of God. This is the Father’s revelation, this the foundation of the Church, this the assurance of her permanence. Hence has she the keys of the kingdom of heaven, hence judgment in heaven and judgment on earth.”
(On the Trinity 6.37)

Metaphorically it is said: Upon this rock, that is, the Savior, whom you have confessed [and] who gave a participation of his name to the sincere confessor [Peter], the Church shall be built.“

That is the knowledge and power for discerning with which you ought to receive the worthy into the kingdom and exclude the unworthy [therefrom].

This power is without a doubt given to those apostles, to whom by Him it is generally said after the resurrection: Receive the Holy Spirit, etc. (John 20).”
(IN MATTHAEI EVANGELIUM EXPOSITIO, Patrologia Latina 92: 0078D – 0079A)

Paschasius Radbertus

The Frankish Benedictine monk, Paschasius Radbertus (ca. 785 to ca. 865), also called Ratbert of Corbie, came to the following conclusion:

“It is not in fact, as some badly reckon, that Peter is the entire foundation of the Church. For another foundation no man can lay, but that which has been laid: Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). Although rightly it is believed that Peter, as if the head, was placed first upon the same foundation, nevertheless, on that rock, from which he took the name for himself from [Christ’s] gift, and upon it the entire Church is constructed and the heavenly Jerusalem is established, that is, upon Christ, in order that it remain firm unto eternity.”
(EXPOSITIO IN EVANGELIUM MATTHAEI, Patrologia Latina 120: 0560B)

Hrabanus Maurus

Hrabanus Maurus was a monk and abbot of the Fulda monastery from 822 to 842, a priest and archbishop of Mainz, a polymath, teacher, and author. He said of Matthew 16:18-19:

“He who has confessed the Kingdom of Heaven well before with heavenly devotion, merits before Heaven itself the gifted keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, so that it may correspond with all people, because it is without this confession, and faith, that no one is able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. However, he names the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven as that knowledge and power for discerning, by which the worthy receive in the Kingdom, and the unworthy ought to be separated from the Kingdom.

[…] That power is for unbinding and for binding, although it seems to be given only to Peter by the Lord, but without any doubt it must be known that it is given to the rest of the apostles as well. […] Therefore, as we have said, the authority for binding and loosing according to the manner of sins or penances is given to all the elect of the Church.”
(COMMENTARIORUM IN MATTHAEUM LIBRI OCTO, Patrologia Latina 107: 0992A-0992B)

Christian of Stavelot

Christian of Stavelot was a 9th-century Christian monk. He is sometimes (possibly erroneously) referred to as Christian Druthmar or Druthmar of Aquitaine. Christian was a renowned grammarian, biblical commentator, and eschatologist:

“It is undestood that the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are the knowledge for discerning and the power by which one ought to receive the worthy into the kingdom and exclude the unworthy. And whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. We believe rightly that this is given as much to Peter as to the all of the apostles and their successors, who hold the same place in Church, because Christ himself after his passion appears to them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins your forgive, they are forgiven; and whose you retain, they are retained“
(EXPOSITIO IN MATTHAEUM EVANGELISTAM, Patrologia Latina 106: 1396D; 1397A – 1397B)

Rupert of Deutz

Rupert of Deutz (c. 1070 to 1129) was an exegete, mystic, and liturgical commentator. He wrote:

“Upon the rock of faith, which Peter confessed, he built his Church, which for the sake of being guided by them, and the rest of the apostles and of those similar, he entrusted.”
(OPUS DE GLORIA ET HONORE FILII HOMINIS SUPER MATTHAEUM, Patrologia Latina 168: 1385A)

Bruno of Segni

Bruno of Segni (1045 to 1049) was a clergyman and cardinal of the Roman Church and Bishop of Segni:

“You say, and you speak truth, that I am the Christ, Son of the living God: and I say to you, that you are Peter, strong with faith, and stable with doctrine. Indeed, unless Christ had not understood the strength and stability in this name, he would not have added the things which immediately follow, saying: and upon this rock I will build my Church. If you do not understand [it as] Peter, look at the rock: but the rock is Christ.

Thus, therefore, Peter [is] from the rock, just as a Christian [is] from Christ. Accordingly, we may see what shall be “and upon this rock I will build my Church.” Upon this rock, which only you have laid upon the foundation of faith; upon this faith, which only you have taught, saying: You are Christ, Son of the living God; upon this rock and upon this faith I will build my Church.

[…] In fact, what is principally said to Peter, ought to be understood also as being said to the rest of the apostles.”
(COMMENTARIA IN MATTHAEUM, Patrologia Latina 165: 0212A – 0213B; 0214A – 0214B)

Peter the Rock – An invention over time

While the statements of the Roman Catholic “saints” may differ, they all have in common that neither Peter is the rock upon which the Church should be built, but rather that Jesus Christ himself is the rock. Whether the keys belong only to the apostles or to every believer is irrelevant in this case, too, for this is in stark contrast to the claims of the contemporary Church of Rome, which attributes the keys exclusively to the hands of Peter and thus to the Pope.

Bible verses from King James Version (1611)