Christ The Head Of The Church

by W. BUNTING, Edinburgh | Category: The Reformation | Apr 1964

The Church of Rome asserts-

(1)that Christ declared that Peter was to become the one foundation of the edifice of His Church;

(2)that Peter became the first Bishop of Rome;

(3)that the Bishops of Rome, down the centuries, have inherited all the powers and prerogatives which were conferred by Christ upon Peter and upon Peter alone.

There was a time when men disputed the above claims at the peril of their lives. John Huss in his treatise "On the Church" contended that Christ alone is its head. He refused to recant except first convinced of his errors from the Scriptures. He was burned at the stake by the order of the General Council of Constance.

Let us examine this most important subject from the word of God alone. The words recorded in Matthew 16.18-20 are worthy of the most careful attention. It is not without significance that the Lord's questions to His followers were uttered in the neighbourhood of Caesarea Philippi - the most northerly point visited by the Lord during His earthly ministry, and on the geographical frontier dividing the people of Israel from the Gentiles. It was here that the Lord addressed to His disciples the question, "Who do men say that the Son of Man is?" It is well to observe that exact form of words as recorded in Matthew's Gospel. The real point of the question is this - What is He besides being the Son of Man?

The answers were various - some thought the recently martyred John the Baptist, others Elijah, the predicted forerunner of the Messiah, others Jeremiah, the sad prophet, or He was, at any rate, one of the prophets whose voices had not been heard for many years.

The Lord then turns to His disciples with the most searching question of all, "But who say ye that I am?" Peter replies on behalf of all the disciples, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God". This confession is immediately followed by the Lord's gracious words, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in Heaven".

Peter had made the great acknowledgement that Jesus of Nazareth was none other than the Son of God. He affirmed the great truth of His Deity. Then followed the very important prediction - "And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Note carefully the Lord's words, "Thou art Peter" (Petros, a stone, or piece of a rock), "Upon this rock" (Petra, a rock or bedrock). The Lord used two distinct words, Petros and Petra. The former is masculine, the latter is feminine. Petros (Peter) is always used in the New Testament as the name proper to Peter. Christ is the Petra, as 1 Corinthians 10.4 shows, "The Rock was Christ".

"Upon this rock" throws us back to the confession of Peter as to the Deity of Christ. This, and this alone, is the foundation upon which Christ builds His Church.

"My Church" of Matthew 16.18 is later entitled "The Church, which is His Body" (Ephesians 1.22, 28 and Colossians 1.24). There is no room for doubt as to who is the Head of the Church. "He is the Head of the Body, the Church: who is the Beginning, the Firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the pre-eminence" (Colossians 1.18).

As to the claim that Peter became the first Bishop of Rome, there is not a shred of supporting evidence, either from the Scriptures or from history. It was Paul who wrote the letter to the Romans, and in chapter 15.20 he makes clear his aim, "Yea, making it my aim so to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation". Is it likely that Paul would have written these words if, as claimed by the Romish Church, Peter was at that time Bishop of Rome?

The salutations in the closing chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans are most interesting. In all there are twenty-five salutations to individuals in Rome, commencing with Prisca and Aquila, for whom he has a special message, and ending with Olympas. You will search in vain for any message to Peter. The answer to this is obvious to all who care to examine the Romish claim in the light of the Scriptures.

Christ conferred no special powers or prerogatives on Peter alone. He did tell him "Feed My lambs", "Tend My sheep" and "Feed My sheep" as recorded in the closing chapter of the Gospel by John.

The Lord's words as found in Matthew 16.19 are worth noting. "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven". Similar words were addressed to all the disciples as recorded in Matthew 18.18. There is no Scriptural authority for the claims of the Church of Rome concerning forgiveness of sins, or power of control over the destiny of the souls of the departed.

(To be continued, DV.)

W. BUNTING, Edinburgh | Apr 1964
The Reformation