Was Peter the First Pope?

To prove that the church is founded on Peter, Catholics have long pointed to Jesus’ words recorded at Matthew 16:18: “You are Peter, and on this rock-mass I will build my congregation.” In fact, those words are inscribed in Latin under the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Augustine, a revered Church Father, at one time held that the congregation was built on Peter. However, toward the end of his life, he changed his view of what Jesus’ words meant. In a work known as Retractations, Augustine argued that it was Jesus on whom the church, that is the Christian congregation, was built, not Peter.a

True, the apostle Peter features prominently in the Gospels. Jesus singled out three of his apostles​—John, James, and Peter—​to be present with him on a few special occasions. (Mark 5:37, 38; 9:2; 14:33) Jesus entrusted Peter with “the keys of the kingdom of the heavens,” which Peter used to open up the way to the Kingdom​—first to the Jews and proselytes, then to the Samaritans, and finally to the Gentiles. (Matthew 16:19; Acts 2:5, 41; 8:14-17; 10:45) In accord with his outgoing personality, Peter at times served as spokesman for the apostles as a whole. (Acts 1:15; 2:14) But do these facts make Peter head of the early congregation?

The apostle Paul did write that Peter was entrusted with an “apostleship to those who are circumcised.” (Galatians 2:8) However, the context of Paul’s words shows that he was not saying that Peter directed the congregation. Paul’s comments were about Peter’s role in preaching to the Jews.

Although Peter was given great responsibility, nowhere in the Bible do we find him claiming to be the head of the congregation and, as such, making decisions for the disciples as a group. In his letter, he called himself “an apostle” and “an older man”​—nothing more.​—1 Peter 1:1; 5:1.