The Good News About
The Origin of the Papacy in the Bible
Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv.

Non-Catholic Christians often ask questions concerning the origin of various Catholic practices. Their most frequent challenge is, "Show it to me in the Bible."

One of the areas that is problematic for them is the papacy. Did Jesus really intend the papacy or was it a human invention?

The Title of Pope

The word pope is never used in the Bible. "Pope" is derived from the Greek word "pappas" which means "papa." This term only came to be used for the Bishop of Rome in later centuries.

Furthermore, as we study the New Testament and the writings of the early Church, we realize that the hierarchy of bishops, priests and deacons was something that took a bit of time to develop. The first time that we find a community having all three levels of hierarchy is at the beginning of the second century A.D. (in a letter written by St. Ignatius of Antioch). Before that, communities seem to have experimented with various offices and groups of offices until they found a grouping that worked.

This does not mean, however, that there were no offices in the early Church. The apostles handed down their authority to successors, and their successors handed it on to their successors, etc. It is only that the titles used for these successors and their job description varied a bit in the early Church.

Thus, when we talk about St. Peter and his successors, we are not necessarily asking if their title and role was clear from the beginning. We are asking whether Jesus handed on a special authority to Peter that he subsequently passed on to his successor.

The Gospel of Mark

The earliest Gospel was the Gospel of Mark. It was written around 70 A.D. in Rome. One of the major sources for its material was Peter. This is confirmed both by tradition which calls Mark a disciple of Peter and by the Gospel itself which has passages that seem to come from Peter himself.

This is why it is so surprising that the presentation of Peter (and of the other apostles and even of the family of Jesus) is not all that positive. They misunderstand the role of Jesus, wanting him to be a conquering Messiah rather than one who would die on the cross. At Caesarea Philippi Peter calls Jesus the Christ (which means Messiah). Jesus, however, must berate Peter, saying "Get behind me Satan," because Peter objects to the suffering and death that Jesus predicts.

The very fact that much of Mark's material comes from Peter gives us an interesting insight into his character (if not his office). He was humble enough to pass on stories about his failures to serve as lessons to others.

There are only two signs of Peter's preeminence in this Gospel. Whenever a limited number of apostles accompany Jesus, Peter is among them (along with James and John), and whenever a list of the twelve apostles is given, he is the first mentioned.

The Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew is much more positive in its portrayal of Peter. In chapter 16 we see the story of Caesarea Philippi. Peter again affirms Jesus to be the Christ, but Jesus' response is to praise Peter and give him a significant commission.

Peter is given a new name: rock. He is told that he will be the foundation of the Church.

He is given the keys of the kingdom. In the Old Testament, the keys belonged to God. Jesus, possessing the authority of the Father (something demonstrated in earlier chapters of Matthew), now passes on that authority to Peter. He is being given a share in God's own authority.

He is told that he can loose and bind. This was a technical term for the power of Jewish rabbis to make decisions concerning interpretations of the law. Peter is thus being called upon to be the chief rabbi (the main juridical expert) of the new Church.

Finally, he is told that the jaws of the nether world would not prevail against him. This probably refers to a peculiarity of the site where these words were uttered. At Caesarea Philippi there was a cave where pagan worship had been conducted for centuries. This site was considered to be unholy, even evil, and acquired the name, "the jaws (or gates) of the netherworld." Jesus was telling Peter that the forces of evil would oppose the Church, but they would not overcome it.

In case anyone missed the importance of these particular verses, Matthew has several other passages on either side of this account (some found in Mark and Luke, others only in this Gospel) where Peter is the central figure (e.g., walking on the water, finding a coin in the mouth of a fish, etc.).

For Matthew, it was important to show Peter as the central authority of the Church. His community was undergoing persecution and needed the consolation and guidance of a strong leader. But what of Luke and John?

Luke's Gospel

Luke's version of Caesarea Philippi is closer to Mark's than Matthew's: there are no keys. But there is one passage where Peter's pre-eminence is stressed: at the Last Supper. This is typical of Luke, for important things happen at meals all throughout his Gospel.

Jesus first instructs the disciples that they are not to exercise their authority by lording it over others as the pagans do. Theirs was to be an authority based upon service.

He then turned to Peter and instructed him that Satan would try to sift them all like wheat. Peter, when he turned back, was to strengthen his brethren. Like Matthew's account, this is a reference to Satan's battle against the Church. Like John's account (which we will see next), this is a reference to service and also to Peter's denial of Christ (the fact that Peter would have to "turn back").

The Gospel of John

Of the four Gospels, John's is the most significant when it comes to Peter's role. This Gospel hates authority. The word "apostle' is never used all throughout the Gospel (for apostle is a title of authority). Everyone is a disciple (a follower). The list of the twelve apostles is never presented. Even when an individual apostle appears, he is usually compared unfavorably to the Beloved Disciple who is the paradigm of what Christians should be.

Yet, in chapter 21, Jesus asks Peter three times whether he loves him. When Peter responds that he does, Jesus tells him to tend his flock.

Peter is being asked to be the chief shepherd of the Church, the vicar of Christ. His role of authority is one of service based upon love.

Jesus asks Peter if he loves him three times. This is because Peter had denied Jesus three times. It is a healing of that wound (by allowing Peter to profess his faith as many times as he denied him). It is also a reminder to Peter that, although he is chief shepherd of the Church, he is nevertheless a sinner and should keep his feet on the ground.

Another important consideration is that there are two different Greek words used for love in this text: phileo and agapeo. Some scholars speak of phileo being a type of friendship while agapeo is a profound love. The first two times that Jesus speaks to Peter, he asks him whether he has "agape' for him, whether he loves him totally. Peter responds that he has "phileo" for Jesus, that he is his buddy. They are speaking at two different levels. In the last question and answer, both Jesus and Peter use the word "phileo."

This Gospel was saying two things. It was saying that Peter was incapable of agape, and Jesus accepted him where he was. We do not have to be perfect; we only have to do the best we can.

The author was also saying that authority figures in the Church are not perfect. Everyone has his or her faults, and it is good to remember this lest we develop unrealistic expectations of what they can be or do.

Matthew, Luke and John all present Peter as having a special role of leadership in the Church. He was to guide the flock like a shepherd. His authority was to be one of loving service. He was not to lord his authority over others, but to lead the Church in humility.

After Peter's Death

In terms of our original question, what do the Gospels tell us about the papacy, we must remember one more thing. All of these accounts were written after the death of Peter. They are not speaking about Peter the person so much as the leadership role of Peter, a role exercised by him and handed on to his successors.

The Papacy's Development Throughout History

The role of the successor of Peter has developed and changed over the centuries. For a long time, the predominant model of leadership was that of a king or an emperor. Many of the titles used for the Pope were recycled from titles applied to the emperor. A symbol of the papacy was the triple tiara, a type of crown. Popes, at times, were rulers of large stretches of territory.

Recent popes have attempted to return to a more Biblical understanding of the Papacy. Pope John Paul I did not use the triple crown when he was installed as Pope. He chose the gallium (a type of stole that is the symbol of a shepherd) as the symbol of his Pontificate. As time goes on, it is probable that many of the symbols of monarchy will be retired and the Biblical symbols of love and service will be reemphasized.

Yet, one thing remains true. From its earliest days, the Church has had someone in the role of Peter. Scripture itself attests to the fact that Jesus called Peter and his successors to be shepherds and guides for the flock.

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