Was Peter the First Pope?

Was Peter the First Pope?

“And 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” (Matthew 16:18). 

Peter can be a controversial example of leadership due to some sources claiming that he was installed by Christ as the first Pope.  Most are familiar with Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 and Peter’s role as a leader in the early church.   However, one should consider the full council of Scripture before declaring Peter as the first Pope or the leader of the early church. The biblical evidence points to Peter being a servant leader, but not “the leader” of the early church.  Peter is a great study on servant leadership, spiritual formation, and calling.  While the argument laid out in this brief post could bring forward historical facts, it will primarily focus on a brief overview of biblical evidence.  

It is important to start with the fact that Jesus is head of the church and sovereignly grows the church (Eph. 1:22, 4:15, and 5:23). If the church had an organizational chart, Jesus would be at the top (Eph. 5:24).  If the church had chain-of-command Jesus would be at the top.  Jesus is the active leader of the church (Col. 1:18, 2:19).  Some think of Jesus’ work as historical or that he died on the cross for our sins (past tense).  However, Jesus is actively leading the church (Col. 1:18) and He will return with the sound of the trumpet of God (1 Thes. 4:16).    

Jesus advocated for servant leadership and used the washing of His disciples’ feet to illustrate this point (John 13:5, Mark 9:33-37).  The disciples asked Jesus who was “the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” and he used a child to illustrate humility (Mat. 18:1-6). Jesus said the greatest among you shall be your servant (Mat. 23:11).  Jesus explained that whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Mat. 23:12).  Jesus warned the disciples not to assume the title of “instructor,” for the Christ is the true instructor (Mat. 23:10).  The disciples argued over who among them was the greatest, and Jesus explained that the greatest must be a servant of all (Mark 9:35; Luke 9:48). Due to this biblical evidence, there was no primacy among the disciples.  One could say that Jesus’ leadership “style” and philosophy was the perfect example of servant leadership (Eph. 5:25).  A compelling argument could be made here for servant leadership and it should be reflected in modern leadership in the church (and in the secular arena).    

Peter was also listed as one of the pillars of the church, not the pillar of the early church (Gal. 2:9).  James appears to have had the last word over Peter in one of the council sessions we are privy to in Acts (Acts 15:1-21).  This council also lets one realize that the apostles and elders functioned as a body with no apparent dominance of one person.  Peter also referred to himself as a “fellow elder” (1 Pet. 5:1) and he was also sent places in a pastoral role (Acts 8:14). In Acts, when decisions were made by the early church, they were generally made by a congregation or council (Acts 2:23, 6:1-5, 15:1-22) and not by one man.  When early believers sold their possessions, they laid the proceeds “at the apostles’ feet” not at Peter’s feet alone (Acts 4:35, 37; 5:2).

Paul also helped in Peter’s spiritual formation when he rebuked Peter for straying away from the truth of the Gospel (Gal. 2:11-14).  When there was division among the church in Corinth, Paul noted that some followed: Paul, Apollos, and Peter (1 Cor. 1:12).  This verse lets the modern reader know that Peter was one of the leaders in the early church, but not the only leader.  Paul furthers this argument of humble leadership in regards to building up the church when he said, “What then is Apollos?  What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor. 3:5-7).

Another strange fact that is sometimes overlooked is that Peter was married (Mat. 8:14; 1 Cor. 9:5).  These biblical facts make an argument for Peter’s primacy or Peter being installed as the first Pope difficult to maintain.  These facts support that there is consistent evidence for Peter functioning as a servant leader in the early church.  Protestants have a tendency to subconsciously favor Paul the apostle. However, Peter should not be dismissed and is an example of servant leadership in the early church.  Even though Peter was publicly corrected by Paul (Gal. 2:11-14), he was still able to move on and referred to Paul as his “beloved brother” (2 Pet. 3:15).  Peter also described Paul as having “wisdom given to him” and put Paul’s letters on the same level as the Old Testament (2 Pet. 3:14-15).  If one reads the Gospels and Acts with an objective heart, one would observe that Peter made mistakes, but he was a man of action who glorified God through his life.