Did the Early Church Have a Pope - Part I - The Keybearer

In my previous note series I tried to show how the early Christian church was structured.  It began with Jesus ordaining the Apostles to teach and govern the Church in His name.  These Apostles then passed their doctrine and authority on to successors, called the “bishops”.  And on it goes.

But if this is all there was, I would argue it would still be an incomplete system for delivering of Christian unity and truth. 

What happens when these bishops come to a protracted disagreement over something they all feel is important to the faith?  What happens when factions grow within that college of bishops?

In order to preserve unity AND truth, what is need is a final decision-maker who serves as a living standard-bearer. 

Why Not the Bible?

Some people would say, “Why can’t the standard be the Scriptures?” 

Two reasons:

1. What if the argument is over the canonical content of the Bible itself?
2. What if the argument is over the proper interpretation of the Bible?  

The Bible cannot be the living standard of unity if the Bible’s content - and the proper interpretation thereof - is precisely the thing being argued about. 

So you cannot get away from the need for a living, divinely protected, authoritative standard-bearer if you want both unity and truth.  But did Jesus give us such a thing?

The Steward of the Kingdom:

In the sixteenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, he records an event that took place in Caesarea Phillippi.  Jesus asked the Apostles a single question: “Who do you say that I am?”

Simon gave the right answer, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

To which Jesus replied:

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona!  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 gates of Hades 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.” - Matt 16: 17-20

Let’s focus on the second part of that statement - the promise of the Keys of the Kingdom to Peter.  What was that about?

Well, it refers to a position in Hebrew kingships called the “master of the household” or the “steward”.  This was the guy who took care of business while the king was away. 

You can see a description of that fella’s authority in the book of Isaiah, where God describes the transmission of authority from one steward to another: 

“I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash 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 22:21-23

Sound familiar?  A person of Jesus’ historical context would immediately recognize that He was naming Peter as the first steward of His kingdom.  So while the Apostles would be in charge collectively, Peter would lead them.

A Special Prayer and a Special Vocation:

There are two other instances mentioned in the Bible that point to Peter having a unique vocation among the Apostles.  The first is just prior to the crucifixion.  Jesus predicts that the Apostles would all scatter and run.  But then He offers a special prayer for Peter:

"Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers." - Luke 22:31-32

The second instance occurs after the Resurrection when Jesus visits the Apostles by the sea.  Then, calling Peter aside, Jesus gives him the command:

“Feed my sheep, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.” [John 21: 15-17],

The First Steward:

This leadership role plays out in the book of Acts in a variety of ways.

The first example is right at the beginning in Acts 1:12.  In this instance we see Peter initiating the replacement of Judas, saying the vacant office had to be filled. 

But the most blatant example is in Acts 15:1-13. This chapter describes how the Church met in council to decide whether non-Jews had to obey the Mosaic Law to be Christians. 

The Apostles and elders debated for a long time about the question.  But things were only brought to a close when Peter stood up and – speaking for everyone – said:

 “We believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”  - Acts 15:11

That is precisely the reason why Peter’s role of the Steward was necessary – and will always be necessary.  In the absence of a person with the final say, the issue may have split the Church. 

Now, this doesn’t mean the fella was a dictator, or perfect, or above criticism.  In fact, Peter famously earned some criticism from Paul on one occasion [Gal 2:11-13].  What matters for the role of his office is that he was guarded from error when it mattered – such as when defining a doctrine at a council. 

We already spoke about how the other Apostles passed down their roles and ministries to other men.  In a similar fashion Peter passed on his unique role as Steward prior to his death.  Since he died in Rome, that’s where we find the seat of his successors.

Or not?:

But let’s be fair.

 In my mind I’ve laid out a pretty good case for the early papacy from the BIble.  Still, this could all be the skewed interpretation of a man indoctrinated into a Catholic worldview.

In the [next note ]we’ll see if the early historical witnesses agree.