Evidence for Jesus

 EVIDENCE FOR JESUS: 

WAS JESUS' LIFE, DEATH, & DEITY REAL?

 INTERNAL EVIDENCE (inside the Bible) 

Attests to Jesus’ Deity, Existence & Death

Scriptural Consistency, Prophetic Claims, Eyewitness Accounts, Internal Consistency, Corroborating & Circumstantial Evidence Archaeological Congruence & Evidence, Scientific Evidence, Jesus' Claims of Deity, Disciples Claims of Deity Jesus Predicts His Death & Resurrection – Mk 8:31-33, 9:30-32; Mt 20:17-19

Prophecies and Fulfillment of Christ

1. Offspring of a Woman – Genesis 3:15, Luke 2:7, Revelation 12:5
2. Offspring of Abraham – Genesis 18:18, Acts 3:25, Matthew 1:1, Luke 3:34
3. Offspring of Isaac – Genesis 17:19, Matthew 1:2, Luke 3:34
4. Offspring of Jacob – Numbers 24:17, Genesis 28:14, Luke 3:34, Matthew 1:2
5. Descended from the Tribe of Judah – Genesis 49:10, Luke 3:33, Matthew 1:2-3
6. Heir to the Throne of David – Isaiah 9:7, 11:1-5, 2 Samuel 7:13, Jeremiah 23:5, Matt1:1,6, Luke 1:32-33
7. Born in Bethlehem – Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4-7
8. Time of Birth – Daniel 9:25, Luke 2:1-2, 2:3-7
9. Born of a Virgin – Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:26-35
10. Slaughter of Infants – Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:16-18
11. Escape into Egypt – Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:14-15
12. A PROPHET, LIKE MOSES – Deuteronomy 18:15, John 1:45, 16:15, Acts 3:19-26
13. Ministry in Galilee – Isaiah 9:1-2, Matthew 4:12-16
14. Priest Like Melchizedek – Psalm 110:4, Zechariah 6:12-13, Hebrews 6:20, 5:5-6, 7:15-17
15. Rejected by Jews – Isaiah 53:3, Psalm 2:2, John 1:11, 5:43, Luke 4:29, 17:25
16. Characteristics – Isaiah 11:2, Psalm 45:7, Luke 2:52, 4:18
17. Triumphal Entry – Zechariah 9:9, Isaiah 62:11, John 12:13-14, Matthew 21:1-11
18. Betrayed by a Friend – Psalm 41:9, Mark 14:10
19. Sold for 30 Pieces of Silver, Potter’s Field – Zechariah 11:12-13, Matthew 26:15, 27:6-7
20. Judas’ Position Replaced – Psalm 109:7, Acts 1:18-20
21. False Witnesses’ Accused Him – Psalm 27:12, Matthew 26:60-61
22. Silent When Accused – Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 26:62-63
23. Struck and Spit Upon – Isaiah 50:6, Mark 14:65
24. Hated Without Cause – Psalm 69:4, John 15:23
25. Suffered Vicariously – Isaiah 53:4, Matthew 8:16-17
26. Hands and Feet Pierced – Psalm 22:16, John 20:27
27. Crucified With Sinners – Isaiah 53:12, Matthew 27:38
28. Mocked and Insulted – Psalm 22:6-8, Matthew 27:39-40
29. Given Gall and Vinegar – Psalm 69:21, John 19:29
30. Hears Prophetic Words Used As Mockery – Psalm 22:8, Matthew 27:43
31. Prays for His Enemies – Psalm 109:4, Luke 23:34
32. Side Pierced – Zechariah 12:10, John 19:34
33. Soldiers Cast Lots for His Clothes – Psalm 22:18, Matthew 15:24
34. Not a Bone to Be Broken – Psalm 34:20, John 19:33
35. Buried With the Rich – Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27:57-60
36. Resurrection – Psalm 16:10, Matthew 28:9
37. Ascension into Heaven – Psalm 68:18, Luke 24:50

Do you know the odds of Jesus fulfilling just 8 prophecies? It is 1 in 10 to the 17th power (1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000).

Do you know the odds of Jesus fulfilling just 48 prophecies? It is 1 in 10 to the 157th power, (or 1 in 10,00,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000). 

Consider the odds for all 300+ prophecies (www.accordingtothescriptures.org/prophecy/353prophecies.html )

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. 

That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. 

You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” 

- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“The Bible was written over a span of 1500 years by forty different human authors in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), on hundreds of subjects. And yet there is one consistent, non-contradictory theme that runs through it all: God’s redemption of humankind.”

Hank Hanegraaff in “Bible Reliability”

http://www.equip.org/articles/bible-reliability-m-a-p-s-to-guide-you-through-bible-reliability/

Is Jesus Really God’s Son?

Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. (Proverbs 12:17 ESV) 

If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:19 ESV) 

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, (1 Peter 3:15 ESV) 

1. Baptism – Mark 1:9-11
2. I AM Statements – Mark 14:62, John 4:26, 8:58, 18:6, Exodus 3:14, Isaiah 4:45
3. Immanuel – Matthew 1:23
4. See God – Matthew 5:8
5. Seen Me, Seen Father – John 14:7
6. Image of the Invisible God – John 1, Col 1:15-16
7. Father and I Are One – John 10:30
8. Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End – Revelation 1:8, 22:20
9. Making Self Equal with God – John 5:18
10. Shares God’s Glory – John 17:5-6
11. He Is the New Temple – John 2:18-19
12. He Is the Law Giver – Matthew 5-7
13. Great High Priest – Hebrews 4:14

Was Jesus More Than Just a Good Man?

1. Virgin Birth – Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:26-35
2. Fulfillment of Prophecies – Ps 22, Isaiah 53:1-12
3. Angels Worship Him – Hebrews 1:6
4. Reception of Worship – John 9:38, 20:28
5. Transfiguration – Matthew 17:1-13
6. Claim of Disciples – John 20:28-29 – Thomas
7. Without Sin – Hebrews 4:15
8. Forgives Sin – John 9:2-6
9. Raising Others from the Dead – John 11:1-46
10. 10.Resurrection and Ascension – Mt 28:1-15, Acts 1:4-11, Luke 23 & 24

EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (outside the Bible) 

Attests to Jesus’ Deity, Existence & Death

Manuscript & Bibliographical Evidence, Eyewitness Accounts, Corroborating & Circumstantial Evidence, Archaeological  Evidence, & Scientific Evidence

Below quotes from: Paul Maier in Did Jesus Really Exist? & Joseph and Josephus www.4truth.net ,also: The Case for the Real Jesus by: Lee Strobel

“there is more evidence that Jesus of Nazareth certainly lived than for most famous figures of the ancient past” Paul L. Maier, The Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History, Western Michigan University

The Manuscript & Bibliographical Evidence: Ancient Works vs. Bible

Author	Work	Date Written	Earliest Manuscripts	Time Gap	Number of Manuscripts
Homer	Iliad	800 BC	c. 400 BC	400	1,757
Herodotus	History	480–425 BC	10th C	1,350	109
Sophocles	Plays	496–406 BC	3rd C BC	100-200	193
Plato	Tetralogies	400 BC	895	1,300	210
Caesar	Gallic Wars	100-44 BC	9th C	950	251
Livy	History of Rome	59 BC–AD 17	Early 5th C	400	150
Tacitus	Annals	AD 100	1st half:850, 2nd: 1050 (AD 1100)	750–950	2 + 31 15thC
Pliny, the Elder	Natural History	AD 49–79	5th C fragment: 1; Rem. 14–15th C	400 (750)	200
Thucydides	History	460–400 BC	3rd C BC (AD 900)	200 (1,350)	96
Demosthenes	Speeches	300 BC	Some fragments from 1 C. BC. (AD 1100)	1,100+ (1,400)	340
New Testament		AD 50–100	AD 130 (or less)	40	5,795

NOTE: This does not even show the Old Testament manuscript evidence (Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Massoretic, etc) or the thousands of other New Testament manuscripts available in other languages and ancient time periods (24,000+ total NT manuscripts, 5795 Greek mss, 8,000-10,000 Latin mss, 8,000 Ethiopic, Slavic & Armenian).

www.equip.org/articles/the-bibliographical-test-updated/#christian-books-2

www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/bib-docu.html

“We have more than 14,000 manuscripts and fragments of the Old Testament of three main types: (a) approximately 10,000 from the Cairo Geniza (storeroom) find of 1897, dating back as far as about AD. 800; (b) about 190 from the Dead Sea Scrolls find of 1947-1955, the oldest dating back to 250-200 B.C.; and (c) at least 4,314 assorted other copies. The short time between the original Old Testament manuscripts (completed around 400 B.C.) and the first extensive copies (about 250 B.C.) — coupled with the more than 14,000 copies that have been discovered — ensures the trustworthiness of the Old Testament text. The earliest quoted verses (Num. 6:24-26) date from 800-700 B.C.” 

www.equip.org/articles/bible-reliability-m-a-p-s-to-guide-you-through-bible-reliability

 "The interval, then, between the dates of original composition and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established." -Sir Frederic G. Kenyon, The Bible and Archaeology, 

former director and principal librarian of the British Museum

CHRISTIAN HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

Early Church Fathers (ccel.org) all of the early church pastors and leaders establish consistency of the message and personal testimony and witness of the apostles and disciples of Christ

Justin Martyr (early Christian convert): “Born of pagan parents around A.D. 100 in Nablus (between Judea and Galilee), Justin tried and abandoned various philosophical schools until he found in Christianity the one true teaching. As a native of the Holy Land, Justin mentions sites associated with Jesus, such as the Bethlehem grotto in which he was born, and even such details as Jesus working as an apprentice carpenter in the shop of his foster father Joseph, where they specialized in producing such agricultural implements as yokes for oxen and plows.” (Paul Maier in http://www.4truth.net/fourtruthpbjesus.aspx?pageid=8589952895)

JEWISH HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

Sacred Jewish Writings spell Jesus’ name accurately in Amaraic (the spoken language of the day, “Yeshua Hannotzri”—Joshua (Jesus) of Nazareth), writing of his arrest warrant in the Mishna (earliest collection of writings in the Talmud) “He shall be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and lured Israel to apostasy. Anyone who can say anything in his favor, let him come forward and plead on his behalf. Anyone who knows where he is, let him declare it to the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.”

The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a) “confirms Jesus' crucifixion on the eve of Passover and the accusations against Christ of practicing sorcery and encouraging Jewish apostasy.”

Jewish History: Flavius Josephus a famous Jewish historian mentions "Jesus who is called the Christ" twice in his Jewish Antiquities. In the second of these, he tells of the death of Jesus' half-brother James the Just of Jerusalem (20:200). In the longest first-century non-biblical reference to Christ, 

Josephus writes:  “At this time there was a wise man called Jesus, and his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous. Many people among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. But those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive. Accordingly, he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning whom the prophets have reported wonders. And the tribe of the Christians, so named after him, has not disappeared to this day.” (18:63)

SECULAR HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

Cornelius Tacitus, “one of the most reliable source historians of first-century Rome, wrote in his Annals a year-by-year account of events in the Roman Empire under the early Caesars. Among the highlights that he reports for the year A.D. 64 was the great fire of Rome. People blamed the emperor Nero for this conflagration since it happened ‘on his watch,’ but in order to save himself, Nero switched the blame to ‘the Christians,’ which is the first time they appear in secular history. Careful historian that he was, Tacitus then explains who ‘the Christians’ were: ‘Christus, the founder of the name, had undergone the death penalty in the reign of Tiberius, by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilatus’ (15:44). He then goes on to report the horrors that were inflicted on the Christians in what became their first Roman persecution.”

“Tacitus, it should be emphasized, was not some Christian historian who was trying to prove that Jesus Christ really lived, but a pagan who despised Christians as a ‘disease,’ a term he uses later in the passage. Had Jesus never even existed, he would have been the first to expose that pathetic phantom on whom such cultists placed their trust. Were no other references to Jesus available, this passage alone would have been sufficient to establish his historicity. Skeptics realize this, and so have tried every imaginable means to discredit this passage—but to no avail. Manuscript analysis and computer studies have never found any reason to call this sentence into question, nor its context.”

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus also recorded events of the first century in his famous Lives of the Twelve Caesars. He, too, regarded the Christians as a sect "professing a new and mischievous religious belief" (Nero 16) and doubtless cited "Chrestus" (Claudius 25). 

Pliny the Younger “was the Roman governor of Bithynia—today, the northwestern corner of Turkey—and about the year 110 he wrote the emperor Trajan (98-117 A.D.), asking what to do about the Christians, a ‘wretched cult’ whom he mentions eight times in his letter. Christ himself is cited three times, the most famous instance referring to Christians ‘...who met on a fixed day to chant verses alternately among themselves in honor of Christ, as if to a god...’ (Letter No. 96). Trajan's response, interestingly enough, suggests that Christians not be hunted out. (Ibid., No. 97). But again, if Christ were only a mythical character, these hostile sources would have been the first to emblazon that fact in derision.”

Below references are from: www.gotquestions.org/did-Jesus-exist.html

Julius Africanus “quotes the historian Thallus in a discussion of the darkness which followed the crucifixion of Christ (Extant Writings, 18).”

Lucian of Samosata “was a second-century Greek writer who admits that Jesus was worshiped by Christians, introduced new teachings, and was crucified for them. He said that Jesus' teachings included the brotherhood of believers, the importance of conversion, and the importance of denying other gods. Christians lived according to Jesus’ laws, believed themselves to be immortal, and were characterized by contempt for death, voluntary self-devotion, and renunciation of material goods.”

Mara Bar-Serapion “confirms that Jesus was thought to be a wise and virtuous man, was considered by many to be the king of Israel, was put to death by the Jews, and lived on in the teachings of His followers.”

“Then we have all the Gnostic writings (The Gospel of Truth, The Apocryphon of John, The Gospel of Thomas, The Treatise on Resurrection, etc.) that all mention Jesus. … In fact, we can almost reconstruct the gospel just from early non-Christian sources: Jesus was called the Christ (Josephus), did “magic,” led Israel into new teachings, and was hanged on Passover for them (Babylonian Talmud) in Judea (Tacitus), but claimed to be God and would return (Eliezar), which his followers believed, worshiping Him as God (Pliny the Younger).” 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

bibleplaces.com – photographs & descriptions of archaeological sites that evidence and corroborate the Bible

blog.bibleplaces.com – ongoing discoveries and archaeological updates

“TOP TEN BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLGY DISCOVERIES”

from the Biblical Archeology Society by James Brashler, Jane Cahill West, Ze’ev Meshel, John Monson, Hershel Shanks, Suzanne F. Singer, Lawrence E. Stager, James F. Strange

(Available from http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/free-ebooks/ )

1. The Nag Hammadi Library - Codices Shed New Light on Early Christian History
2. The New ‘Ain Dara Temple: Closest Solomonic Parallel
3. The Tel Dan (“David”) Stela
4. Mona Lisa of the Galilee
5. “Yahweh and His Asherah” The Kuntillet ‘Ajrud Ostraca
6. St. Peter’s House: Has the House Where Jesus Stayed in Capernaum Been Found?
7. The Siloam Pool: Where Jesus Cured the Blind Man
8. Ashkelon’s Arched Gate: When Canaanites and Philistines Ruled Ashkelon
9. Jerusalem’s Stepped-Stone Structure: Jerusalem in David and Solomon’s Time
10. Jerusalem’s Babylonian Siege Tower: Remains of the Babylonian Siege

More Amazing Archaeological Discoveries

A Common Flood Story, The Code of Hammurabi, The Nuzi Tablets, The Existence of Hittites, The Merneptah Stele, Biblical Cities Attested Archaeologically, Shishak’s Invasion of Judah, The Moabite Stone, Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, Burial Plaque of King Uzziah,  Hezekiah’s Siloam Tunnel Inscription, The Sennacherib Prism, The Cylinder of Cyrus the Great 

(Available from: http://www.equip.org/articles/biblical-archaeology-factual-evidence-to-support-the-historicity-of-the-bible/ )

RESOURCES FOR FUTURE STUDY

What does God say through the Bible?

www.gotquestions.org –  almost 400,000 answers to life, spiritual, and Bible questions.

Is Christianity True?

• I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist – by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, shows how there is more evidence for Christianity than evolution/naturalism
• The Case for Christ – by Lee Strobel – simply explains much of the evidence for Christianity
• Scientific Facts in the Bible: 100 Reasons to Believe the Bible is Supernatural in Origin by Ray Comfort
• The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell

Creation vs. Evolution

• www.evolutionvsgod.com – A 38-minute video, with over 1.7 million views, of interviews with atheist professors and scholars concerning their beliefs in evolution.
• answersingenesis.org - Provides answers to questions about the Bible regarding issues such as creation, evolution, science, and the age of the earth
• www.reasons.org - explains scientific discoveries and shows how they continue to evidence the truthfulness of Scripture
• Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion & Naturalism by Alvin Plantiga

Archaeological Evidence

bibleplaces.com – blog.bibleplaces.com -   www.biblicalarchaeology.org/free-ebooks

Comparison of Christianity with other World Religions

www.4truth.net – A reasoned approach to Christianity

Additional Resources

• Life's Ultimate Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy by Ronald H. Nash
• Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig
• Who Made God? And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith by  Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler
• Reasons for Faith: Making a Case for the Christian Faith Norman L. Geisler and Chad V. Meister

Was Peter Married? Is Priestly Celibacy Biblical?

  

WAS PETER MARRIED?  
IS PRIESTLY CELIBACY BIBLICAL?

The Catholic Blog - Helping people find answers to the most common questions about Catholicism with answers from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible. (www.catholic.blog )

“Was Peter married? Is priestly celibacy biblical?” - Important Passages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church to Consider:

• “All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate ‘for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.’” (CCC 1579)
• “In the Eastern Churches a different discipline has been in force for many centuries…married men can be ordained as deacons and priests.  This practice has long been considered legitimate” (CCC 1580)
• “Celibacy is a sign of this new life of the service of which the Church’s minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God.” (CCC 1579)

“Was Peter married? Is priestly celibacy biblical?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

• Matthew 19:12 “For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” (ESV)
• Matt 8:14 “when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.”
• Mark 1:30 “Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, &immediately they told him about her.” (ESV)
• Luke 4:38 “And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 9:5 “Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” (ESV)
• 1 Timothy 3:2 “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach” (ESV)
• Titus 1:6 “if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.” (ESV)
• 1 Timothy 4:3 "who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” (ESV)

“Was Peter married? Is priestly celibacy biblical?” - Important Questions to Consider:

• Does Matthew 19:12 sound like a voluntary choice among believers or a mandate for all priests?
• Is celibacy is a “sign of this new life of service”, then why wasn’t Peter single?
• Why does the encouragement of 1 Corinthians 9:5 encourage marriage in the example of Peter and Jesus’ brothers?
• In the Biblical descriptions of qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9) for overseers, bishops, elder, or pastors, are there ever any encouragements or mandates for singleness?  Why do these passages both reference the church leaders as being married?
• If the Catholic Church is reconsidering its position on this issue, was it wrong in the past?  What other issues may they have not spoken from the unchanging revelation of God?
• Does the warning of 1 Timothy 4:3 apply to the Catholic Church? For priestly celibacy? For lenten fasting?

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What Does the Bible Say About False Teachers?

 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS?

Ephesians 4:11-14 “that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (ESV)

What is a prophet? How can I recognize a true prophet from a false prophet?  A prophet is a messenger of God who carries a message directly and personally related and is held to 100% consistency with Scripture and 100% fulfillment of any predictive statements. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18: 15-22)

What is the difference between a prophet and a teacher?  Both roles include the element of teaching, but a prophet claims a direct encounter with God (dream, vision, meeting, voice, event, etc.) where God revealed or spoke a particular message to him.

How can I recognize a true teacher from a bad teacher? A bad teacher from a false teacher?  A bad teacher may misunderstand issues in Scripture or just do a poor job at instructing and exhorting people.  A false teacher teaches “a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 6:3) and goes against “sound doctrines” (Titus 1:9) specifically with an understanding towards who God is, what salvation is, and what the Scriptures say. 

Isn’t it wrong to publicly call out preachers, teachers, Christians, etc.?  The issue of “opinions” between Christian brothers is different from the issue of “false teachings.”  Paul warns “not to quarrel over opinions” (v.1) in Romans 14, pointing out the dangers of “passing judgment” on a brother in Christ and how it can “destroy the work of God” (v.20).  However, God commands us to “judge” those inside the church when their lifestyles (1 Corinthians 5:9-13) do not line up with God’s Word.  God also commands us to watch out for and confront false teachers who “teach a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Timothy 6:3).  Pastors are specifically tasked to 1) "give instruction in sound doctrine" and 2) "rebuke those who contradict it" (Titus 1:9).

Should a false teacher be called out by name? If so, when?  When a specific false teaching or teacher is affecting a body of believers (i.e. family, small group, church, denomination, region, nation), that false teaching and teacher must be named and confronted.  Paul does this with both false teachings (1 Timothy 1:3-20 ; 6:2-10, Jude 1, 2 Peter 2, & many more) and with particular names (Alexander, Hymenaeus, & Philetus in 1 Timothy 1:20 and 2 Timothy 2:17)

What are some examples of false teachings? What are some characteristics of false teachers?

There are many examples of false teachers with common descriptions (Galatians, 2 Peter, 1 & 2 Timothy, 1 & 2 John, Jude) that they may look and sound like Christians but that their teachings and lifestyle are not consistent with Scripture.

How can you call them false teachers when some of these people have doctrinal statements on their website and do many good things in getting the Bible and gospel into the hands of so many?  Christianity is not a salvation of works and although some “good fruits” may seem exist in these ministries, they only mask the lies.  The ends of a ministry (salvations, missions, good works) do not justify the means (a false gospel).

When false teachers lead people to Christ, are these converts false believers?  Not necessarily.  If these believers have understood the gospel falsely, then their trust and faith in Jesus may be out of a greater love of Jesus’ gifts rather than Jesus.  Even if they have become true followers of Jesus, they need to study the Word of God, test their teachers, and be extremely cautious before recommending a teacher to someone else. 

Is it possible for false teachers to turn to truth and become true teachers?  Yes, until we die, it is possible for anyone who is separated from God to turn to Him in salvation.  Pray for their repentence and turning to the true Gospel of Christ.

If I have been following a false teacher, should I be embarrassed or ashamed?  What does God want me to do in response to realizing that I was following a false teacher?  If you find that you have been following a bad or false teacher, repent of believing the lies that you heard/read and put on God's truths.  If you have led or encouraged others towards those teachings/teachers, guide them into the truth.

I still don’t believe ______________ is a false prophet/teacher, so how does this message matter for me?  What should I do next?  If you haven't been convinced from this outline, you need to be very concerned about your understanding of God, the Gospel, and His truths.  Invest some time in reading the Scriptures to make sure you understand the teachings of God and not be misled by the traditions of men. Even if you haven’t become convinced that he teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is false, you need to begin to listen very closely to what you hear and read in the future.  You need to make sure that who you listen to is trustworthy and is teaching the whole counsel of God accurately. 

Matthew 15:1–9 “Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, [2] “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” [3] He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? [4] For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ [5] But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” [6] he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. [7] You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: [8] “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; [9] in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (ESV)

Mark 7:1–13 “[7] in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ [8] You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” [9] And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! … [13] thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (ESV)

Galatians 1:13–16 “For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. [14] And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.” (ESV)

False Teachers: Watch Out!

(2 Peter 2, ESV)

Believers Mature At Different Paces

3^rd Level Issues: Allowable Individual Differences “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. …So then each of us will give an account to God.” (Romans 14:1-12)

Less Faithful Teachers: Believing Christians, in Error

2^nd Level Issues: Denominational Differences “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” (James 3:1)

False Teachers Misrepresent God & the Gospel

1^st Level Issues: Christian vs. Non-Christian: Essential Teachings  “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20)

• Who is God? What is the Gospel? What are the Scriptures?

1. PREPARE! Their Presence is Guaranteed but is not Obvious to All – v.1

2. WATCH!  False Teachers Are Characterized by:

False Words – v.3 ; Speaking Ignorantly – v.12 ; Endorse Sin – v.2, 13-15, 18 ; Greedy  v.3, 14 ; Proud w/no accountability – v.10, 18 (Jude 8) ; Make Empty Promises – v.19 ; Rely on Experience/Dreams (Jude 8) ; Speak Flippantly To Satan/Demons (2 Pet 2:10-13; Jude 8-10) Have Some Scriptural Knowledge, But Wander from It – v.20-22

3. CORRECT & WARN  Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 1:3) 

• Their Teachings Are Dangerous – v.1-3 – “destructive heresies”
• False Teachings  Are Characterized by: (Example, Pergamum, Revelation 2:12-17)

Positive Thinking (self-focused prayers, name it/claim it, declarations)

Partial Truths (highlight the “positive”/easy, ignore the “negative”/difficult)

Promises (worship the gifts, not the giver)

Health, Wealth, & Prosperity (worldly-focused: good things into god things)

Legalism (works based salvation, self-righteousness)

License (freedom to sin) “pervert the grace of our God into sensuality” (Jude 1:4)

False Religions “deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4)

• Their Punishment Is Guaranteed – v.1-10 (Jude)

The Lord Knows How to Rescue the Righteous

(v.7-9) The Righteous Are... “distressed  by the sensual conduct of the wicked”...”as that righteous man [Lot] lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard”

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Does Peter Call Himself a Pope or Bishop?

 

 DID PETER CALL HIMSELF A POPE OR BISHOP?

The Catholic Blog - Helping people find answers to the most common questions about Catholicism with answers from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible. (www.catholic.blog )

“Did Peter call himself a Pope or Bishop?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

• 1 Peter 1:1 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ”
• 2 Peter 1:1 “Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ”
• 1 Peter 2:25 “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls”
• 1 Corinthians 1:12–17 “What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” [13] Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? [14] I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, [15] so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. [16] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) [17] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 3:4–9 “For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?” [5] What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. [6] I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. [7] So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. [8] He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. [9] For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.” (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 3:19–23 “For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” [20] and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” [21] So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, [22] whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, [23] and you are Christ's, and Christ is God’s." (ESV)
• 1 Peter 5:1–2 “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: [2] shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly” (ESV)

“Did Peter call himself a Pope or Bishop?” - Important Questions to Consider:

• Why doesn’t Peter refer to himself more than just a servant or apostle?  If he was leading the church authoritatively wouldn’t he have asserted so in his introduction?  
• Is there anywhere in the Bible where Peter asserts his authority, role, or power over the other apostles?
• Specifically as the foundation of the church, the pope, why doesn’t Peter mention apostolic succession anywhere in the Bible?
• Why are there so many repeated warnings in 1 Corinthians 1 & 3 about following people by name?  If Peter wanted the church to follow his leadership and name, why doesn’t he say so in his writings (1 & 2 Peter)?
• Why does Peter always point to Jesus instead of the church and its sacraments as the hope of salvation?  Why does 1 and 2 Peter (the writings of Peter) sound so different from The Catechism of the Catholic Church?
• Why does the Catholic Church assert the obligation or compulsion for obedience versus the description of 1 Peter 5:1-2 saying “not under compulsion, but willingly”?

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Did Peter have Authority Over All the Apostles?

 

 DID PETER HAVE AUTHORITY OVER ALL THE APOSTLES?

The Catholic Blog - Helping people find answers to the most common questions about Catholicism with answers from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible. (www.catholic.blog )

 

“Did Peter have authority over all the apostles?” - Important Passages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church to Consider:

• “The sole Church of Christ [is that] which our Savior, after his Resurrection, entrusted to Peter’s pastoral care, commissioning him and the other apostles to extend and rule it. … This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in (subsistit in) the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him.” (CCC 816)
• “For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal hope toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained” (CCC 816)
• “Just as the office which the Lord confided to Peter alone, as first of the apostles, destined to be transmitted to his successors, is a permanent one, so also endures the office…Hence the Church teaches that ‘the bishops have by divine institution taken the place of the apostles as pastors of the Church, in such wise that whoever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises them despises Christ and him who sent Christ” (CCC 862)

“Did Peter have authority over all the apostles?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

• Mark 3:14–19 “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach [15] and have authority to cast out demons. [16] He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); [17] James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); [18] Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, [19] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (ESV)
• Acts 11:4 “But Peter began and explained it to them in order” (ESV)
• Matthew 15:15 “But Peter said to him, 'Explain the parable to us.’” (ESV)
• Acts 2:14 “But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.’” (ESV)
• Acts 2:38 “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (ESV)
• Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (ESV)
• Acts 5:29 “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” (ESV).
• Matthew 18:17–20 “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. [18] Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. [19] Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 16:10 “When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am.”
• 1 Corinthians 16:16 “be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.”
• 2 Corinthians 8:23 "As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.”
• Revelation 21:14 “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” (ESV)
• Acts 10:44–48 “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. [45] And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. [46] For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, [47] “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” [48] And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days." (ESV)
• Romans 1:7 “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints”

“Did Peter have authority over all the apostles?” - Important Questions to Consider:

• The Catechism of the Catholic Church references Jesus’ “choice of the Twelve with Peter as their head” (CCC 765) and solely references Mark 3:14-15 for the evidence of this claim.  Does Mark 3:14-15 reference Peter as the head of the church in any Bible?  Why not?
• Why do these big claims (CCC 816 & CCC 862) have no Scripture cited for their support in The Catechism of the Catholic Church?
• Why does Peter have to answer to the authority of the church at Jerusalem in Acts 11 if he is the head authority?
• Did Peter act more like the spokesman for the apostles or as the authoritative leader of the apostles?
• Why does Paul appear and teach so much more than Peter in the New Testament if Peter was the first Pope?  What about the other leaders who feature prominently in the early church like John and James (brothers of Jesus)?
• Why are some decisions made by the church body and not solely by Peter?
• Why did believers receive the Holy Spirit before taking the Eucharist in Acts 2:38?  Isn’t that out of order for the Catholic sacraments? 
• Why would Peter speak Acts 5:29  if he was also asserting Papal infallibility and the Magesterium of the Church? 
• Why does church discipline’s final step in Matthew 18:17-20 speak about coming before the gathered body of the church and not the church leadership/pastors/priests/bishops?  Why is this binding and loosing language used in reference to the church body (“two or three are gathered in my name”) and not in reference to Peter or a Pope/Bishop/Priest?
• Isn’t the “loosing and binding” authority shared with the local churches?  In 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, 2 Corinthians 13:10, Titus 2:15, and Titus 3:10-11
• Is the authority of Timothy and Titus based on them being a bishop and having apostolic authority, or being a “fellow laborer”?
• If the future heavenly holy city of Jerusalem has the name of the apostles on it (Revelation 21:14), why doesn’t it recognize Peter as the head, or the first Pope/Bishop, or with some other sort of special recognition?
• Why are all alive Christians referred to as saints in the New Testament?  Is this term only referring to deceased believers specially designated by the Catholic Church?

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What Does the Bible Say About God's Glory Alone In Salvation? - Helpful and Important Scriptures (Part 5)

HELPFUL AND IMPORTANT SCRIPTURES

The Catholic Blog - Helping people find answers to the most common questions about Catholicism with answers from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible. (www.catholic.blog)

What are the “Five Solas”

The “five solas” describe a summary of some of the major concerns and focuses of those who sought reform in the church in the 1500s.  “Sola” means alone.  They saw many things being added to the pure teachings of the Bible.  Their corrective focus was not to add to 1) Scripture 2) Christ 3) Faith 4) Grace & 5) God’s Glory when understanding God’s plans for salvation in the Gospel.  Here are some helpful verses:

GOD’S GLORY ALONE

• 2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (ESV)
• Isaiah 6:3 - And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
• Isaiah 48:11 - “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it … My glory I will not give to another.”
• John 5:44 "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
• 1 Corinthians 3:19–23 "For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” [20] and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” [21] So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, [22] whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, [23] and you are Christ's, and Christ is God’s." (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 3:4–9 “For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. [6] I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. [7] So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. [8] He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. [9] For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building." (ESV)
• Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (ESV)
• NOTE FROM ESV Study Bible: The verb form for “have been saved” (Gk. sesōsmenoi, perfect tense) communicates that the Christian’s salvation is fully secured.

See Also:

www.catholic.blog/scripture-alone

www.catholic.blog/christ-alone

www.catholic.blog/faith-alone

www.catholic.blog/grace-alone

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Is Peter the First Pope?

 

 IS PETER THE FIRST POPE (BISHOP OF ROME)?

The Catholic Blog - Helping people find answers to the most common questions about Catholicism with answers from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible. (www.catholic.blog )

“Is Peter the first Pope?” - Important Passages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church to Consider:

• “Simon Peter holds first place in the college of the Twelve”(CCC 551)
• “Peter has confessed: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’  Our Lord then declared to him: ‘You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.’” (CCC 552)
• “Christ, the ‘living stone,’ thus assures his Church, built on Peter, of victory over the power of death.  Because of the faith he confessed Peter will remain the unshakeable rock of the Church.  His mission will be to keep this faith from every lapse and to strengthen his brothers in it.” (CCC 552)
• “Jesus entrusted a specific authority to Peter: ‘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.’  The ‘power of the keys’ designates authority to govern the house of God, which is the Church.” (CCC 553)
• “The power to ‘bind and loose’ connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgments, and to make disciplinary judgments in the Church.” (CCC 553)
• “Jesus entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of the apostles and in particular through the ministry of Peter, the only one to whom he specifically entrusted the keys of the kingdom” (CCC 553)

“Is Peter the first Pope?” - Important Scriptures to Consider:

• Luke 6:47–48 “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” (ESV)
• Mark 8:27–30 “And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” [28] And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” [29] And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” [30] And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.” (ESV)
• Luke 9:20 “Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” (ESV)
• Luke 9:32 “Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.” (ESV)
• John 13:8–10 “Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” [9] Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” [10] Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” (ESV)
• Matthew 14:30–31 “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ [31] Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (ESV)
• Matthew 16:22–23 “And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” [23] But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (ESV)
• Matthew 17:4–5 “And Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ [5] He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (ESV)
• Matthew 26:33–35 “Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” [34] Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” [35] Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.” (ESV)
• Matthew 26:40–43 “And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? [41] Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” [42] Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” [43] And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.” (ESV)
• John 18:10–11 “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) [11] So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (ESV)
• Matthew 26:56 “But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.” (ESV)
• Matthew 26:69–75 “Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” [70] But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” [71] And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” [72] And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” [73] After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” [74] Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. [75] And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” (ESV)
• Luke 22:61 “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” (ESV)
• John 21:21 “When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’”
• Acts 10:13–16 “And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” [14] But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” [15] And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” [16] This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.” (ESV)
• Galatians 2:11–14 “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. [12] For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. [13] And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. [14] But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’” (ESV)

“Is Peter the first Pope?” - Important Questions to Consider:

• Why does Jesus, right after this affirmation to Peter, then rebuke Peter and say “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”? (Matthew 16:21-23 ESV). Is this a characteristic of Papal Infallibility?
• In parallel accounts of Matthew 16:13-20 (Mark 8:27-30 & Luke 9:20), why does Jesus not mention the claim of Peter being the rock of the church and having the keys to “bind and loose”?  If it is that important to the Church why is it only mentioned one book of the Bible?  
• What are keys used for?  What “unlocks” the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven?  What does Jesus say in John 3:3?  What does Paul say it takes to be saved in Romans 10:9-10? John in Revelation 3:20?
• John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” (ESV)
• Romans 10:9–10 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (ESV)
• Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (ESV)
• What does Jesus’ warning in Matthew 23:13 mean in terms of doors and the kingdom of heaven?
• Matt23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.”
• What about “bind” and “loose” being used in Matthew 18:15-20 in terms of church discipline?  Why is Peter’s authority not mentioned in this passage?  Why is this authority extended to the church body?
• What about when Peter was wrong…correcting Jesus (John 13:8-10), doubting Jesus with little faith (Matthew 14:30-31), rebuking Jesus (Matthew 16:22-23), misunderstanding the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8), questioning Jesus, promising to never abandon Jesus (Matthew 26:33-35), falling asleep on the Mount of Transfiguration and the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 9:32 and Matthew 26:40–43), impulsive (John 18:10–11), abandoning Jesus (Matthew 26:56), denying Jesus (Matthew 26:69–75) to in His presence (Luke 22:61), blame shifting (John 21:21), refusing to obey God’s voice in a vision (Acts 10:13-16), and being hypocritically legalistic and exclusive (“not in step with the truth of the Gospel” Galatians 2:11-14).  How do we process that with claims of Papal infallibility? Why did Paul correct him if Peter is the first pope?
• Did Peter ever go to Rome?  Why, historically speaking, does the Catholic Church become associated with Rome?  Was the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. by Constantine helpful or harmful to Christianity?  Did the Roman influence and control co-opt the Catholic Church for its own use?  Was the biblical fidelity compromised in order to adapt the biblical message to be syncretized (changed) into a more palatable flavor for a variety of cultural contexts (i.e. by adding purgatory, indulgences, icons, prayers to the dead, etc.)?
• So is Jesus saying that the church is being built on the person of Peter, or the proclamation of the Gospel, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God?
• Considering Luke 6:47-48; What is the foundation and rock Jesus is referencing?
• In the Bible, is the test of faithfulness one of succession and lineage or one of consistency with God’s words?
• Matthew 16:17 “And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’” (ESV)
• Is Jesus conferring a blessing or acknowledging the blessing of God?
• Matthew 16:18 “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.” (ESV)
• Is this verse more about Peter and his lineage of popes, or about looking upon and believing in Jesus?  What do we do with the many passages about Jesus who conquers death/Hades/Hell (Romans 8:2; Acts 2:24) because “death no longer is master over Him” (Romans 6:9), thus bringing his church (gathered ones) together as “conquerors” (Romans 8:37-39).
• When 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 lay out the office of elder/overseer/bishop/pastor why is there no distinction made about a Pope or head Bishop?  Why is there always a plurality of elders referenced in the leadership of local churches?
• Ephesians 2:19–22 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22] In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” (ESV)
• In this description of the church, why is Peter not referenced?  Why is there no reference to the oversight of a head/lead/arch Bishop or Pope?  Is the sole reference to Jesus a reference back to the foundation/rock of the church being on Jesus alone and not on human authority?
• To whom was the name “rock” assigned in the Old Testament (Deut. 32:4, 15, 18, 30–31)?  To whom does 1 Corinthians 10:4 assign the name rock?
• Deuteronomy 32:4 “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” (ESV)
• 1 Corinthians 10:4 "all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” (ESV)
• Acts 8:14 “Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John” (ESV)
• If Peter is authoritatively in charge of the church, why is he “sent” by the other apostles?
• If Peter has the authority to forgive sins (per CCC 982, 986, 987), where does he do that in the Bible? Like the ways in which Jesus expresses His authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6, Mark 2:10, Luke 5:24; 7:49, Acts 10:43, Colossians 1:14, 1 John 1:9) ?
• “There is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive” (CCC 982)
• “the Church possesses the power to forgive the sins of the baptized and exercises it through bishops and priests normally in the sacrament of Penance” (CCC 986)
• “In the forgiveness of sins, both priests and sacraments are instruments through which our Lord Jesus Christ, the only author and liberal giver of salvation, wills to use in order to efface our sins and give us the grace of justification” (CCC 987)
• John 20:21–23 “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” [22] And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (ESV)
• What did Jesus just show them in John 20:20?  Why was this evidence important to their mission?  How do the disciples’ response demonstrate their belief?
• What is the message they are being sent with?  How is the Holy Spirit connected to Jesus’ sending of his disciples?
• Since the words for “forgive” are written as perfect-tense verbs, they represent actions completed in the past with continuing effects into the present and future.  Doesn’t this appear to point more towards Christian responsibility to proclaim the Gospel message of forgiveness of sins in the power of the Holy Spirit?
• ESV Study Bible NOTE: “The idea is not that individual Christians or churches have authority on their own to forgive or not forgive people, but rather that as the church proclaims the gospel message of forgiveness of sins in the power of the Holy Spirit (see v. 22), it proclaims that those who believe in Jesus have their sins forgiven, and that those who do not believe in him do not have their sins forgiven—which simply reflects what God in heaven has already done (cf. note on Matt. 16:19).”
• Are Christians called to be judges withholding forgiveness from one another?  Or are they called to be ambassadors or messengers of the message of forgiveness found in the Gospel?
• 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (ESV)

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