The Teachings of Jesus Christ are best understood in the light

1. DE MARIA March 28, 2013 at 7:03 pm

   Hi RT,

   You said:

   RT March 28, 2013 at 4:15 pm
   De Maria,
   I have been reading your posts, and there is a lot to respond for. But just so you are aware, if you want Protestants to believe that:
   a. Jesus invested Peter with authority over all the apostles;

   That seems self evident in reading Matt 16:18-19. Or did Jesus give the keys to the Kingdom to anyone else?

   b. That Peter founded the church at Rome?  

   c. That Peter passed on this authority to his successors at Rome;

   I don’t remember that being mentioned in my commentary nor in any which I addressed. Are you now bringing that up?

   d. That the early church recognized the supreme binding authority of the bishop of Rome;?e. That the early church unanimously exegeted Matt. 16 to invest Peter and his successors to have authority over subsequent bishops

   That’s a red herring. The Church was up and running with St. Peter at the helm well before any of the Scriptures were written.

   f. and all the other Roman claims

   I’ll do my best. I just ask we do it piecemeal. I know its in your best interest to confuse several arguments at a time in order to muddy the waters and hinder understanding. But the Teachings of Jesus Christ are best understood in the light.

   You have to do more than just quote Matt. 16 as if any of those points are self-evident.

   The point I was making is self evident in that verse. Jesus named Simon Bar Jonah after Himself, thus indicating the position which Simon would occupy.

   There is a precedent for this in Scripture:

   Exodus 7:1
   King James Version (KJV)
   7 And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

   Exodus 18:13-15
   King James Version (KJV)
   13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.14 And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

   Exodus 19:9
   King James Version (KJV)
   9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.

   God put Moses in a position of authority over the people. Jesus has done the same thing with Simon. God covered Moses with the Cloud, Jesus gave Simon His own name:

   John 21:15-17
   King James Version (KJV)
   15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
   Jesus has appointed Simon as Shepherd over His flock. And in order to bring this point home, Jesus gave Simon His own name, “Rock” or “Peter”.

   This is to signify the type of authority which Jesus has given to Simon. He has the authority to bind and loose in the name of God (Matt 16:19).

   Many of the other questions you have asked specifically of me have been addressed in some of my comments on other postings. I will try and respond as I have time to things you have specifically directed to me, but I don’t know how much I will be able to. In any case, if you want to know why I reject Roman Catholic soteriology and ecclesiology, you can read the exegesis and theological works of Cyprian, Diogenetus, Athanasius, Augustine, John Calvin, Francis Turretin, R.C. Sproul, and James White. Obviously not all of those early church authors would necessarily disagree with every single aspect of what has become Roman Catholic theology and ecclesiology, but neither were they Roman Catholics. They weren’t Protestants either. They were the early church fathers.
   In other words, I’m not trying to say anything new.

   If you are preaching Protestant theology, you are saying something that was not seen for 1500 years since the Teaching of Jesus Christ came into the world. Therefore, you are supporting something new and full of error.

   Sincerely,

   De Maria