By Kathy Schley
To a non-Catholic Christian, the Papacy in the Catholic Church is another obstacle in their personal relationship with the Savior, Jesus Christ. But is the Papacy role an obstacle to a Catholic's personal relationship with the Savior, Jesus Christ?
The Catholics look to the Pope as a "teacher" of the Catholic faith who passes the teachings of Christ to His followers. The Pope, as our teacher, and the Vicar of Christ, directs our attention to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to His Word. God gave the pope a role in His Church to lead His Church and bring souls to Him. If we look at Scripture, God has always used man to lead His Covenant to His truth. Any church who condemns the Catholic Church's papacy should take a good look at their own structure because their own church is also lead by a man who claims to be the chosen leader of God for the salvation of souls.
Did God establish the papacy and build His Church on the apostle Peter? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asked the apostles, "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona! 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." (Matthew 16:15-19)
It is argued by non-Catholic Christians that Jesus' Words did not give the apostle Peter the authority to lead His Church, placing him in the highest rank in His apostolic office. If we look at Revelation 1:18, Jesus holds THE KEYS to heaven. "I have THE KEYS of Death and Hades." (Jesus, Revelation 1:18) The apostle John in his revelation also says, "The words of the holy one, the true one, has THE KEY of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens." (Revelations 3:7) In the Book of Isaiah, it is prophesied that God will pass down THE KEY to Eliakim of the House of David (Isaiah 22:19-22), House of Israel, and who is also the palace administrator. (2Kings 19:2). If we look at God's Word through Isaiah's prophecy, the keys symbolize authority. "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." (Isaiah 22:19-22) The keys symbolize authority and succession of the House of David. And Jesus, a descendant of the House of David, and who was given the throne of David to be the King of kings, the King of Isarael, passes "the keys" of the House of David to the apostle Peter, the new chief steward, the next successor of God in the Davidic line, to represent Him and His Church (the Kingdom of Heaven).
There are other Scriptures that make clear of the primacy of Peter. Jesus chose Peter to "feed His lamb...tend His sheep...feed His sheep." (John 21:15-17) Jesus says He is the true Shepherd and we are His sheep. (John 10:11). And He is commanding Peter to "tend His sheep and feed His sheep." The Words of Jesus show us He is giving the apostle Peter authority over His Church.
Let's take our kids for example. With some parents our kids may have a problem with "authority." It's our human nature and the sin of pride not to honor our parents. But God gave us children, and it is our job as a parent to have authority over our children. God never gave up His authority over our children (and His children include all people of all ages). But our children are God's children that He entrusted to us. He put together our family. It is the same arrangement in His Church. He calls for our earthly family to also be His Heavenly family, with God the Father as our Father, Jesus as our Brother, Jesus' Mother, Mary, as also our Mother.... God is the Author and Perfecter of our faith, but He has entrusted His authority to a vicar on earth to nurture His children here on earth for the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is also revealed in Scripture that the apostle Peter's name is always listed first, before the other names of the apostles. The other apostles and writers of the Gospels knew Peter was the highest in rank just by listing Peter's name first.
In Christian history beginning with the apostle Peter, there has never been a broken chain in authority. After Pope Peter, was Pope Linus, then Pope Anacletus, then Pope Clement 1, then Pope Evaristus,...to present, Pope Benedict XVI. Each succeeding Pope received "the keys" that symbolize authority.
The Papacy role is a leader over the Church, to bring souls to God and to His Salvation, and build up the Body of Christ. Christians do not have a problem seeing this leadership in the old covenant, and there shouldn't be a problem in God's New Covenant. But if we are not familiar with Israel's history and Isaiah, we cannot see the connection in the Word's of Christ to Peter that His apostles and their successors saw.