Peter, prince of the apostles


PRINCE OF THE

^Apostles

"Rev.TohnB. HarneV.C.S.P.



...



Peter: Prince of the Apostles

By

Rev. John B. Harney, C.S.P.

THE PAULIST PRESS
401 West 59th Street
New York 19, N. Y.



Nihil Obstat :

John M. A. Fearns, S.T.D.,

Censor Librorum.

Imprimatur:

© Francis Cardinal Spellman,
Archbishop of New York.

New York, June 2, 1948.

Copyright, 1948
,
by

The Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle,

in the State of New York

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN THE U. S. A.

BY THE PAULIST PRESS, NEW YORK 19 , N. Y.



Peter: Prince of the Apostles

Tj
1 VEN a cursory reading of the Gospels makes it clear that^ Peter was pre-eminent among the Apostles of Jesus

Christ. All the Evangelists—Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John—in turn, pay far more attention to his thoughts and
feelings, to his words and actions, and to the Lord’s dealings
with him, than to those of all the other Apostles.

This did not happen by accident. Nor is it an unimportant
trifle. The Evangelists did not write in haste nor carelessly.
At all times they had a definite, clearly understood and seri-
ous obligation in mind. While they wrote for men, to in-
struct and enlighten them, they wrote also for God; in His
behalf, under His inspiration, in accordance with His de-
signs, to make known His teachings, His counsels, His wishes,
His plans, and His decrees. Their words are all integral parts
of His revelation. They all, therefore, deserve and demand
our careful consideration.

Chosen By Christ
Faced with the fact of Peter’s prominence in all the

Gospels, we naturally ask how it came about, whether it is
notably significant, and above all whether it places on the
followers of Jesus Christ any clear, positive obligations.
These are all vitally important questions. The right and
complete answer to them is indispensable. It will bring
home to us, clearly and unequivocally the mind and the will
of our Blessed Lord, and thus enable us to take the straight,
sure road to eternal life. Happily it is easy to find that
answer. Jesus Christ has given it to us very plainly. Peter
is pre-eminent among the Apostles, simply and solely because
our Lord chose to honor him more than any other disciple

3



and Apostle, and to endow him with a greater power,

authority and responsibility than He conferred on any other.
He made him the chief of the Apostles, and in due time He
made him His vicar.

New Name Promised
Qf this intention Jesus Christ gave clear, plain notice on

His first meeting with this disciple. It happened through

the fraternal affection of Andrew, Peter’s elder brother.

At the moment he was a follower of John the Baptist. But

when he heard John say of Jesus, Who was walking nearby:
“Behold the Lamb of God” he and a companion followed

the Lord to His home, and spent the night with Him. Next

day Andrew looked for Simon and said to him: “We have

found the Messias, that is, the Christ” and he brought him

to Jesus. Then Jesus looking on him said: “Thou art Simon,

the son of Jona; thou shalt be called Cephas” (John i. 42).

Quite probably neither he nor Andrew understood why the

Lord thus promised him a new name. Still less did they

grasp its significance. But they did know that He had not

spoken at random, nor in vain. In time they would realize

just what He meant.
Simon was the only disciple to whom Jesus gave a new

name. It is true that He called James and John the sons of

Zebedee, “Boanerges,” that is, the “sons of thunder,” but

it seems plain that He was merely describing their character
(Luke ix. 54) . At any rate, though they are frequently men-

tioned in the Gospels, they are always and everywhere called

James and John. It is quite different with the name Cephas

or Peter, bestowed on Simon. Though his original name still

appears in the Gospels and is generally used by our Lord,

the new name is employed much oftener by the Evangelists.

4



Saint John ordinarily combines the old and the new, speak-
ing of the Apostle as Simon Peter,

First In Every List

Another noteworthy fact is that the sacred writers in

enumerating the Apostles, and in recording their words or
actions, invariably mention Peter first. With the single
exception of Judas Iscariot who is always placed last, they
do not name the rest in exactly the same order (Matt. x. 2;
Mark iii. 16; Luke vi. 14). Moreover, when Peter is men-
tioned in connection with any other Apostle he is usually
singled out in one way or another as the leader or the more
important. As a rule the presence of the others is merely
indicated by such phrases as “Peter and the rest”; “Peter
and the Apostles.” He is never treated in this vague, anony-
mous fashion. When brought into the narrative he is always
mentioned by name, either as Simon, or as Peter, or quite
frequently as Simon Peter. Whether for praise or for blame
he is always clearly identified.

His character may seem to some the main reason for this
distinction. He was evidently a very impulsive man, quick
to ask and to answer questions; almost always ready to
express his opinions, his feelings and his convictions. Some-
times he spoke too hastily, as when he said to the Lord:

“Thou shalt never wash my feet” (John xiii. 8). Sometimes
too forcefully, as when he took the Lord to task for having
said that He would have to go to Jerusalem to suffer many
things and be put to death (Matt. xvi. 21). Sometimes too
confidently as when he rashly contradicted the Lord's proph-
ecy during the Last Supper that he would deny his Master
that very night (Matt. xxvi. 35).

5



The Will of Christ

Peter’s impetuosity however, must not be thought the sole

nor even the chief reason why he is consistently set before us

in the Gospels far more vividly than any other Apostle.

That might account for the frequency of reference to him,

but it does not explain the leadership, the deference, the

honors, and the powers which were bestowed on him. For

this prominence there is but one true and adequate explana-

tion—the undeniable fact that Jesus Christ chose him from
the very beginning of their relations to fill an unique and

glorious role in His own redemptive work. The promise

that he would be known by a new, highly significant and

prophetic name, was but the first of manifold evidences

that the Lord planned to associate this Apostle with Him-

self more intimately than any other. For lack of time and

space we cannot now dwell on them at length nor even men-

tion them all. Yet we must not wholly pass them by lest

the gracious plans of Christ for Peter be underrated and

their value for us be hid from our eyes. We will, therefore,
note two of them.

First, what happened in the synagogue of Capharnaum

about a year before our Lord’s death, when He said that He

would give to those who believed in Him true bread from
heaven. It is not this promise in itself that we wish to con-

sider now, but merely the challenging question that Jesus

put to the Apostles when many who had been tentatively

His disciples, rejected His teaching, turned their backs, and

walked no more with Him (John vi. 68).

Peter Meets a Challenge

It was a solemn, decisive hour for the Apostles. Our Lord

was not willing to let them take refuge in silence, to carry on

6



as if no serious issue had been raised, and to remain in His

company without giving any sign or pledge of belief in his
forcefully asserted promise. They had to show their colors.
He put them to the test quietly: “Will you also go away?”
The question was asked of all. It was Simon Peter alone who
answered—the spokesman of the Twelve as always in critical
situations: “To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of
eternal life. And we have believed and have known that
Thou art the Christ, the Son of God.”
How like this situation at Capharnauin to that which

arose later close to Caesarea Philippi. Here, by asking the
Apostles: “Will you also go away?” He gave them an oppor-
tunity to declare their allegiance to Him. There, by asking:
“Whom do you say that I am?” He gave them an even
plainer opportunity to profess their faith in Him. On both
occasions Peter alone replied; with a clear, unhesitating,

ringing profession of belief in his Master, and in His divine
Sonship. And this he did because he knew the truth about
his Master better and more surely than they, not through
flesh and blood but because the Father Who is in heaven had
revealed it to him (Matt. xvi. 17).

Jesus Pays a Tax For Himself and Peter
Not long before His death, Jesus gave Peter another token

and proof of close association with Him. The collectors of
the Temple tax, who evidently realized his pre-eminence
among the Apostles, had asked him: “Doth not your Master
pay the didrachmas?” “Yes,” he answered unhestitatingly.
But when he had gone home, Jesus questioned him on the
subject at once. “What is thy opinion, Simon? Of whom do
the kings of the earth receive custom or tribute? Of their
own children, or of strangers?” “Of strangers,” he replied.

7



“Then,” said Jesus, Who was Himself the Lord and Master
of the Temple, “the children are free. But that we may not

scandalize them, go to the sea and cast in a hook; and that

fish which shall first come up, take; and when thou hast

opened its mouth, thou shalt find a stater; take that and

give it to them for me and thee” (Matt. xvii. 26). The

Lord’s linking of Himself with Peter in this connection may

be thought a little thing in itself. Quite probably the disciple

did not make much of it at the time. For all that, it should

not be overlooked by one who wishes to have a clear realiza-

tion of our Lord’s relations with Peter. Taken in conjunction

with many other manifestations of His affection and con-

fidence, it was, at least, an intimation that if and when

greater honors and more important commissions were called

for in the divine plans, they would almost surely be be-

stowed on Peter. Though consistency is despised by many

who are unable to achieve it, and therefore, make a boast of

being erratic, it was rightly valued by our Lord and was an

outstanding feature of His life.

Unfolding of Christ’s Plans

Thus far we have dealt with only what might be considered

minor indications of Peter’s pre-eminence among the Apos-

tles. Of themselves they prove merely that he stood high

in the Lord’s favor. They do not show that he was to be

vested with distinctive powers and commissions which would

raise him above his brother Apostles. The proof of this

truth, however, is at hand in three separate and solemn

declarations of our Blessed Lord. We will consider them in
the order of their occurrence.

The first has been mentioned already, but briefly, without

any attempt to show its full meaning and force. It begins

8



with the first words of Jesus Christ to Simon, the fisherman

of Bethsaida in Galilee: “Thou art Simon, the son of Jona;
thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter”

(John i. 42). At that time, the very beginning of His public

life, our Lord did not tell this disciple why He was promising
him a new name, nor what it meant. Apoarentlv He did not
explain these things until His life was close to its end. He
and the Apostles were then in the neighborhood of Caesarea

Philippi (Matt. xvi. 13). One day He asked them: “Whom
do men say that the Son of man is?” On this occasion Peter
was not the first to answer. He was content to let the others
report what had been said in their hearing by different men
who had spoken about Jesus. Their oninions were varied.

Some said that He was John the Baptist just risen from his
recent grave. Some that He was Elias, come back to the
world; some that He was Jeremias; others more vaguely,
that He was one of the Prophets.

The Apostles—Hesitant
Then Jesus said to them point blank: “But whom do you

say that I am?” Thus challenged to speak for themselves,
all the Apostles except Peter remained silent. They had

acted in the same way on many other important occasions.
They did not know what to say. They were not ready to
commit themselves on the point that He had raised. Though
inclined at one moment to believe in Him unreservedly be-
cause of the manifest and mighty miracles they had repeat-

edly seen Him work, they were hesitant at the next to trust
Him wholeheartedly because practically all the prominent,
learned, and reputedly holy men of the nation had con-
demned Him as an enemy of their traditions, especially of
those which were designed to safeguard the holiness of the

9



Sabbath. They were too cautious to brave the anger of
the

Scribes and the Pharisees, though their Master
had often

held them up to ridicule and scorn, and had castigated
them

for their hypocrisy with the sternest words that
ever fell

from His lips.
Except Peter

Peter did not share the caution of his
comrades. He

promptly answered the Lord’s question with the ringing
tones

of certainty: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living

God.”

That answer echoed triumphantly through the
courts ot

heaven. It thrilled the souls of the saved, who were waiting

for the opening of its gates. It deepened the
anguish of the

fallen angels and of the lost souls. It reassured and
strength-

ened the wavering Apostles.

The words were the words of Peter. But he had not spoken

them at a guess, nor out of childlike enthusiasm, nor
as a

result of deep personal study. He had a better reason for

his magnificent profession of faith—the revelation which
the

Heavenly Father had made to him, rather than to any of

the rest. This is no mere surmise but a positive
certainty

vouched for by Jesus Christ: “Blessed art thou Simon Bar

Jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to
thee, but

my Father who is in heaven.”

He Is Made the Rock

Naturally, our Lord was not content with a bare declara-

tion of Peter’s blessedness. It was but fitting and to
be

expected that He would Himself honor the disciple whom His

Father had so signally honored, and would bestow on
him

an appropriate reward for his splendid profession of
faith.

Listen to the Lord’s swift reply to Peter’s inspired
words:

10



“I say to thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I

will build my Church.” He had previously told this disciple
that he would be called a rock. Now He told him that he was
a rock in the strength and stability of his faith. Moreover,

he was the rock on which Jesus, the Supreme Architect and

Master Builder would erect His indestructible Church, with

which the forces of evil would contend, but always in vain.

“The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
This was but the first of the prerogatives which the Lord

had in mind for Peter. Continuing, He said: “I will give to
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

Given the Keys of Heaven

He who holds the key of a house or of a kingdom has it
under his control. He is its master. He has the right and
the power to open and to close its doors—to admit and to
exclude those who may wish to enter. Where there is ques-
tion of an earthly house or kingdom, that power, of course,
is not absolute. It may be upset by either internal or ex-
ternal enemies. That cannot happen in the Kingdom of
Heaven. Peter’s divinely bestowed authority will be divinely

maintained forever.

Evidently the power symbolized by the keys of the king-
dom might be mainly of a general and supervisory character,
which would not necessarily or ordinarily take cognizance of
minor details. Even these, however, Jesus wished to place
directly in the hands of Peter. “Whatsoever thou shalt bind
on earth it shall be bound also in heaven. And whatsoever
thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven”
(Matt. xvi. 19; xviii. 18; John xx. 23). A sweeping, a far
reaching authority, stretching from earth to heaven, and
assured of ratification in both realms. What greater author-

n



ity or power could be given to any man? It belonged to

Jesus Christ by native right. No man could take it upon
himself. No man could receive it as a gift from other men.
But it could be given by Christ to the man of His choice.

And it was given by Him as we have seen to Simon whom

He surnamed Peter, the Rock.

These Gifts Concern Us

The solemn words He addressed to this disciple in the

presence of all His Apostles on that fateful day are of grave

and everlasting importance to us who have heard of Christ

and have been given an opportunity to become acquainted

with His plans and provisions for our spiritual welfare. They

have been written down for our instruction. They bind us

as forcefully as they bound those who first heard them.

They have not been outgrown, nor outmoded, however much

they have been ignored, and distorted, and minimized, for

they are the very words of Jesus Christ. And He has told

us that though heaven and earth shall pass away, making

room for the new heaven and the new earth which are to

come (Apoc. xxi. 1) His words shall not pass away (Luke

xxi. 33).

Peter, Confirmer of the Brethren

Our Lord’s second bestowal of unique responsibility and

authority on Peter occurred during the Last Supper. All the

Apostles were present. Even Judas was there. His traitorous

intentions had been clearly revealed, but that he was the

guilty man had been made known to only a few, as if the

Lord wished to give him even then a chance to repent. Just

when he went out on his treacherous errand is not definitely

known. Possibly it was before the institution of the Holy

12



Eucharist. But it may not have been until after he had

partaken of that priceless gift. Many of the Apostles were
still wondering about the identity of the traitor. And they

were also asking again which of them would be the greater,

now that the Master was soon to leave them. Suddenly,

Jesus, Who had been indirectly answering that very question
turned to Peter, saying: “Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath

desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat” (Luke

xxii. 31). Here our modern English speech which does not

ordinarily distinguish between the singular and the plural

in its use of the word you, might mislead incautious readers

and keep them from realizing the point and force of those

words. Our Lord does not say, as some might imagine, that

Satan was concentrating his hatred on Peter, but rather that

Satan hated all the Apostles, and wished to frighten them,

to scatter them, to rout them utterly. He had already won
a total victory over one—the traitor who was even then
hurrying to earn and to collect his thirty pieces of silver.

He wished to win an equal victory over the rest. But Jesus
would not let them be worsted by Satan. He would give His

Apostles many helps. He would safeguard them in many
ways. But especially would He protect them through Peter
who had been so often their aid and spokesman in critical

hours. “But I have prayed for thee” he continued “that thy

faith fail not, and thou being once converted, confirm thy

brethren.” Let Satan now rage with his utmost fury. An

invincible champion had been raised up to oppose and to de-

feat him. The heavenly Father had heard and had granted
the prayer of His only-begotten Son in Whom He was well
pleased. Peter, who had been previously made the Founda-
tion of the Church against which Satan and his cohorts

were to fight in vain, now had that commission ratified and

13



enlarged. Henceforth he was to be also the Confirmer of his
brethren

,

their stay and their surety through all the trials

and tempests that lay ahead.
With this answer to their self-seeking inquiries and this

provision for their welfare, Jesus led His Apostles into the

Garden of Olives. The hour for which He had longed was
at hand. He was now about to pay the price of man’s
Redemption. In a little more than twelve hours it would be
paid in full. He would have taken away the sting of death.
He would have blotted out the handwriting of the decree
that was against us (Col. ii. 14). And His tortured, mangled
body would be lying at rest in a borrowed grave.

Christ’s Final Gift to Peter

His work on earth was almost finished. There were but
two things He still had to do. First, He had to put His vic-
tory beyond doubt and questioning by rising triumphantly
from the grave; by staying a while on earth in His risen
glory; and by manifesting Himself vividly to those disciples
who were slow of faith and hard to convince. Then He had
to give His flock a shepherd in His stead. He was about to
go back to His place at the right hand of His Father, to be
glorified with the glory which He had with Him before the
world was (John xvii. S). But His sheep were still to be
on earth a little while, where the Wolf would try to catch
and destroy them. Would He now leave them alone and
unprotected on the chance that they might hide from the
Wolf or be able to dodge him? Would He let them be taken
over by hirelings, who surely would not take care of them,
but would flee at the first sign of danger? Never would the
Good Shepherd act thus. He had laid down His life for His
sheep. He would not let them perish through neglect.

14



Though He would not be with them visibly much longer,

before He went away He would give His lambs and His

sheep—His whole flock—the young and the old, the followers
and the leaders, a trustworthy, faithful shepherd, to feed,

to guide, and to protect them all, without exception, in every

hour of danger and of need, even to the consummation of the

world.

Peter Chief Shepherd

This He did at the sea of Tiberias, better known as the

Lake of Genesareth, only a few days before He ascended

into heaven. The story is told graphically by Saint John in

the last chapter of his Gospel (John xxi. 15-17). Thrice

Jesus questioned Peter about his love for his Master; thrice

Peter responded: “Thou knowest that I love Thee.” Twice

Jesus said in reply: “Feed my lambs”; the third time He
said: “Feed my sheep.”
With these words, the Good Shepherd Who had laid down

His life for Flis sheep, and wished to preserve them all unto

eternal life, entrusted His whole flock to Peter.

He knew, as God alone can know, what He was doing. He

knew with divine certainty that the naturally frail and

fallible human shepherd to whom He was entrusting all His

sheep would be a true and faithful shepherd, not only for

the short span of his own earthly life, but also through his

lawful successors unto the consummation of all things. In

appointing a shepherd of the flock He was not making
transient, but final and abiding provision for its welfare.

Peter, the immovable Foundation of the Church, the unfail-

ing Confirmer of all the brethren, was also to be the perennial

teacher, protector, and Shepherd of Christ’s lambs and sheep

until they are all gathered into the everlasting home He has
prepared for them.

IS



Christ the Sponsor of Peter

Our brief study of the dealings of Jesus Christ with His

disciple, Simon Peter, has made it evident that his pre-

eminence among the Apostles was the direct result of the

Lord’s own words and actions. Whether they were meant

merely as tokens of affection, or had a far deeper significance

and actually conferred on him prerogatives and powers which

made him second only to the Master, was for a long while

a moot question among them (Mark x. 35). Though some

of them probably did not seek it, nor even dream of it, doubt-

less no one of them would have rejected the high honor of

being the first after the Master in His kingdom. At any rate,

they were all annoyed and became indignant when James and

John had their mother seek that privilege for them (Matt,

xx. 20). It was not until the very night before Christ died

(Luke xxii. 23 seq.) that they all realized, clearly and per-

manently, how He had settled that vexing problem for them.
From that hour no Apostle ever asked again who was to be
the first in His Kingdom.

During the Lord’s earthly life they had all invariably

accorded leadership to Peter when He had asked searching
questions. In the same way, after He had ascended into
heaven, they accorded leadership and even supreme author-

ity to Peter when they were attacked by the chief priests

and Pharisees, or were confronted with grave problems. As

we will soon see, the Acts of the Apostles plainly and abund-
antly give testimony of that fact. Indeed many centuries
went by, with their long train of sharp controversies, bitter

schisms, and deadly heresies, before any Christian, even

those who erred grievously about the Gospel of Christ, seri-
ously questioned the teaching supremacy and definite author-

ity of Peter, or of those who succeeded him as Bishops of

16



Rome, and thereby inherited all his divinely conferred pre-
rogatives.

Protestantism Rejects Peter

In our days, however, the supremacy of Peter over the
other Apostles, and the legitimate transmission of his author-
ity to his successors are vehemently denied by millions who
stoutly profess loyalty to Jesus Christ. They hold that Peter
was never the first among the Apostles in the sense of having
supreme authority as the Vicar of Christ. Some, though not
all, grant that he had a limited local authority as Bishop
of the City of Rome, and with it the rank and right of
precedence incidental to residence in the imperial Capital,

but they maintain, as if their eternal salvation depends upon
it, that he never had supreme religious authority elsewhere,
least of all through the length and breadth of the Roman
Empire.

Is Tossed By Many Winds of Doctrine
Curiously enough, these men are unable to say whether

our Lord ever made any clear and effective provision for the
settlement of internal strife and schisms among His follow-
ers; for the detection and elimination of false doctrines; or
for the maintenance of that unity which He prayed might
be always characteristic of His disciples. From the earliest
days of Christianity, and now more than ever, there has been
need of a divinely established and divinely guaranteed agency
by which men of good-will might come to an adequate knowl-
edge of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even in the
days of Saint Paul there were self appointed teachers who
would not endure sound doctrine but turned their hearing
from the truth (2 Tim. iv. 4). In every century they have

17



been followed by hosts of other men who also resisted the

truth, erring themselves, and driving their followers into

error. Was Jesus Christ ignorant of what these men were

going to do and hove done? Was He unable to protect His

people against these false teachers? It would be folly, nay

it would be blasphemy, to say or even to think that He could

not take care of His lambs and His sheep even to the con-

summation of the world. It would be a deadly sin against

Him and against the Holy Spirit of Truth to say that He

did not make due and adequate provision for all their needs.

And Denies the Wisdom of Christ

What else indeed did He do, what else could He have meant

to do but just that, when He said to Peter: “Thou art Peter,

and on this rock I will build my Church: and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. xvi. 18): “Simon,

Satan hath desired to have you that he might sift you as

wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:

and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren” (Luke

xxii. 32): “Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than

these? . . . Feed my lambs” (John xxi. 15).
From the earliest days of Christianity, those words have

been taken as proof that although our Lord bestowed great

power and authority on all the Apostles, He yet gave greater

power and higher authority to Peter. And since it is cer-

tain that He had in His mind and heart the men and women

of our day, and meant to provide for their spiritual welfare

as richly and effectually as for those of the early Christian

times, it has always been held, and will be held to the very

end, that there has been no abrogation, no withdrawal, no

curtailment of the power and authority which He gave to
His Apostles, and pre-eminently to Peter. Men might tinker

18



with His Church; might try to tear it down; and might

erect in its stead substitutes of their own wild designing.
In spite of all their restless fury—it has been incessant, His
Church was to stand forever, erect, unchanged, and in-

destructible. He had built it on a rock, and the gates of hell
were never to prevail against it.

After Christ’s Ascension

It has been pointed out in the Gospels that during the

Lord’s earthly life, in direct consequence of His words and

actions, Peter enjoyed a notable pre-eminence among the
Apostles. After His death and ascension into heaven, Peter

did not sink into relative obscurity and insignificance. Quite

the contrary! His leadership, as reasonable men would ex-
pect, became more pronounced. And as previously, it was
fully recognized and ungrudingly taken for granted by the
other Apostles. This fact is so obvious that it is admitted

by men who are keenly anxious to belittle him. We will
therefore, make no further reference to mere indications
of his pre-eminence, but will confine our attention to those

passages in Saint Luke’s inspired narrative which show
plainly that Christ had actually given him supreme authority.

That was made evident even before the promised Holy
Spirit of Truth came upon them. Straightway after the
Lord’s ascension into heaven, the Apostles returned from
Mount Olivet to Jerusalem and went to the upstairs room in
which they had previously lived together. There, in union
>with the women who had been close to the Lord in His last
days on earth, with his brethren, and with Mary, His Mother,
they spent much time in prayer. All told, they were about
one hundred and twenty.

19



Peter Acts With Authority

Peter, rising up, said to them: “Men, brethren, the Scrip-

ture must needs be fulfilled which the Holy Ghost spoke

before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was

the leader of them that apprehended Jesus; who was num-

bered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. . . .

‘His bishopric let another take.’ Wherefore of these men

who have companied with us all the time that the Lord

Jesus came in and went out among us, beginning from the

baptism of John until the day in which He was taken up
from us, one of these must be made a witness with us of

His Resurrection” (Acts i. 15-22).

Here we have a clear, explicit manifestation not only of

Peter’s leadership, but also of his authority. He is the first

to address the whole assembled flock of Christ. He takes
the initiative. He does not stand up merely to make a sug-
gestion. He does not ask for opinions or advice. He simply

tells them all, James, John, Andrew, and the rest of the

Apostles, even Mary, the Mother of Jesus, plainly, positively,

authoritatively, what has to be done, and at once, about

filling the vacancy created in the Apostolic ranks by the

treachery of Judas. He speaks with authority, but not
arbitrarily. He gives a sound, convincing reason for his
decision. It is a definite, official interpretation of David’s

inspired command: “His bishopric let another take” (Ps.

cviii. 18).

With Humility

With that pronouncement he stopped. While he might

have gone on, so far as we can see, to choose the new Apostle,

alone and unaided, it was not necessary that he should. He

knew that what he had declared an imperative obligation

20



would be done at once. The rest could be safely left to the

judgment of his brethren. Moreover, in acting thus, in

enabling them to play an active part in the selection of their

new brother Apostle, he would avoid even the appearance

of lording it over others, and would be following faithfully

the Lord’s counsel: “He that is the greater among you, let

him become as the younger, and he that is the leader as he

that serveth” (Luke xxii. 26). Thus they all together, we

know not just how, “appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas

who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. . . . And they gave

them lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was num-

bered with the eleven Apostles” (Acts i. 26).

Peter a Judge

A further proof of Peter’s supreme authority was soon
provided by two violators of religious discipline. Their story

is told graphically in the fifth chapter of The Acts.

Though it was not obligatory, many of the new converts

sold lands and houses which they owned, and laid the pro-

ceeds at the feet of the Apostles that they might provide for

the maintenance of the poor and needy brethren. Two of

the converts, Ananias and his wife, Saphira, sold a piece

of land and gave a part of the price to the Apostles, but

fraudulently held back the rest. Had they been honest and

truthful about the transaction all would no doubt have gone

well with them. But they cheated, and lied. Therefore,

they were punished, swiftly and sternly (Acts v. 1-10).

This incident is of prime importance for a clear realiza-

tion of Peter’s power and authority in the new-born Church

of Christ. The fraud of Ananias and Saphira concerned all

the Apostles. It could have been referred—some may think
it should have been referred—to them all for discussion and

21



appropriate action. Peter alone dealt with it. He put the
offenders on trial; elicited the truth by his questions;
pointed out the character and gravity of their guilt; and
passed sentence on them. The sentence was immediately
carried out—not by any direct, personal action on the part
of Peter, but by God’s own intervention, Who thus approved
and confirmed Peter’s verdict. Thus also He made it plain
to the whole Church and to all who heard these things that
Peter had received from the Lord judicial authority and
punitive power, and had the right to exercise them both on
his own initiative.

Peter Receives the First Gentile Converts

A less tragic and terrifying evidence of Peter’s supreme
authority is set before us in the first reception of gentile

converts. In the early days of the Church it was appar-
ently taken for granted that the Gospel was meant exclu-
sively for the Chosen people. The commission which our
Lord had given to the Apostles at the beginning of their
career seems to warrant that impression. “Go ye not into
the way of the Gentiles, and into the City of the Samaritans
enter ye not. But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel.” (Matt. x. 5-6.) His first words to the
Syro-Phenician woman who begged Him to cure her daugh-
ter confirmed that impression: “I was not sent but to the
sheep that are lost of the house of Israel.” (Matt. xv. 24.)
But that this was merely a brief, temporary arrangement
He clearly indicated when He said to her: “Suffer first the
children to be filled; for it is not good to take the bread of
the children, and cast it to the dogs.” (Mark vii. 27.)
Still more plainly did He indicate its temporary character,
and the universal scope of His redemptive work when He

22



declared at the end of His life that “penance and
remission

of sins should be preached in His name, unto
all nations, be-

ginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke xxiv. 47.)

Though Paul has always been characterized as
the

“Apostle of the Gentiles,” because he labored
more than

any other among them, and because he specifically
affirmed

that the preaching of the gospel to them had been
com-

mitted to him, as preaching to the Jews had been
committed

to Peter (Gal. ii. 7) yet it was Peter who first
received

Gentiles into the Church. This did not happen on his
initia-

tive, nor even in accordance with his personal
inclinations,

but simply out of his obedience to direct
instructions and

orders given by the Holy Ghost. For the complete story

one must read the tenth chapter of the Acts of the
Apostles.

Here we must content ourselves with stating the bare fact

that Peter was divinely enjoined to receive into the
Church

a Roman centurion of Caesarea, with his kinsmen and some

special friends. While he was preaching to them the Holy

Ghost fell on all who heard his words, and they began to

speak with tongues, magnifying God. Thereupon Peter
said

to the faithful of the circumcision who had gone with him

from Joppe to Caesarea; “Can any man forbid water, that

these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy

Ghost, as well as we? And he commanded them to be bap-

tized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. ’ (Acts x. 47-8.)

Peter Vindicates His Conduct

The news of these happenings soon reached Jerusalem.

When Peter, a little later, reached that City, those who

“were of the circumcision contended with him saying: why

didst thou go in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with

them?” In reply Peter told them what had taken place
in

23



Joppe and Caesarea. Then he asked: “If then God gave
them the same grace, as to us also who believed in the Lord

Jesus Christ, who was I that could withstand God?” That
question ended their murmuring, but only for a while, as we
shall soon see. “Having heard these things, they held their

peace, and glorified God saying: God then hath also to the
Gentiles given repentance unto life.”

This story is of tremendous importance. It shows us

clearly and forcefully that Peter had from God outstanding
leadership and authority in all the affairs of the Church

of Christ. On Pentecost he had thrown open the doors of
salvation for all the Jews who were ready and willing to
receive the grace of conversion. Now at Caesarea he opens
those doors for the Gentiles. Not of himself alone did he
do these things, nor out of his own inclination and wish,
but by the will of God Who had chosen him beforehand to
be the supreme Teacher and Shepherd of all Christ’s lambs

and sheep.

By his explanation of what he had done at Caesarea in

receiving Cornelius and his friends into the Church, Peter

temporarily silenced those Christians who criticized his de-

cision and his conduct. Yet they did not all “hold their

peace” for long. Zeal for the ordinances of Moses did not

die out of Jewish breasts quickly. Paul, strenuous defender

though he was of the rights of Gentile converts, yet yielded

on one occasion to the clamor of Jewish Christians who in-

sisted on the maintenance of the Mosaic rite of circum-

cision. He himself circumcised Timothy, the son of a Jewish
mother and a Gentile father. (Acts xvi. 3.) Temporizing

tactics, however, before long proved unwise. Some who

came down from Judea said to the brethren: “Except you

be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be

24



saved.” Paul and Barnabas spoke strongly to the contrary.

At last it was decided that these two, along with some who

disagreed with them, should go up to Jerusalem to consult

with the Apostles and priests on this question. (Acts xv. 2.)

Peter Settled the Circumcision Debate

It was Peter who definitively settled the controversy.

This is certain, though some writers who wish to belittle

him, pretend that it was James, the bishop of Jerusalem,

who presided over this gathering and in the end gave the

death blow to this incipient heresy. The scriptural record

of what happened decisively contradicts them. “And when

there had been much disputing, Peter, rising up, said to

them: Men, brethren, you know that in former days God

made choice among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles
should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe. And God,

Who knoweth the hearts, gave testimony, giving unto them
the Holy Ghost, as well as to us. And put no difference

between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now
therefore, why tempt you God to put a yoke on the necks

of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers have been

able to bear? But by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,

we believe to be saved, in like manner as they also.” (Acts

xv. 7-11.)

After these words of Peter there was no further discussion

or debate. He had affirmed and established his right to
speak with definitive authority

;
he had indicated the reason-

ing which underlay his judgment; he had rendered his de-

cision. Nobody dissented. The case was ended. How
briefly, yet how emphatically Saint Luke gives us this in-

formation. “All the multitude held their peace.”

25



To be sure there was much subsequent conversation.
Barnabas and Paul narrated at length what great signs and
wonders God had wrought by them among the Gentiles.
James also spoke, not in opposition, nor in modification,

but in perfect harmony with Peter’s clear claim of authority,
and of his verdict. Everything else that he added, and

everything else that was done by the Apostles and ancients

had but one objective—the clear exposition and the effec-
tive promulgation of Peter’s decision. (Acts xv. 15-29.)

All the Apostles Vested With Great Authority
and Gifts

Before we bring to a close our brief study of the pre-
eminence and supremacy of Peter among the Apostles, it
will be necessary to remind ourselves of the tremendous

power, authority and guarantees of divine assistance which

Jesus Christ gave not only to him, but also to the rest of

the Twelve. Otherwise, we will have an utterly onesided
and gravely misleading view of our Lord’s plans and of

Peter’s rightful place in His Kingdom.
First, we know from Saint Matthew, that when He called

those disciples together, He gave them power to cast out
unclean spirits, to heal all diseases and infirmities, and

even to raise the dead to life. (Matt. x. 1-7.)

Next, we know that in sending them to preach, He gave
them unlimited authority. He strictly obliged those to whom
they went to receive them, and to listen to them. “Who-
soever” He said “shall not receive you nor hear your words,
going forth out of that house or City shake off the dust

from your feet. Amen I say to you it shall be more toler-
able for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of
Judgment than for that City.” (Matt. x. 14-15.) That

26



command and threat together were an implicit promise

that the preaching of the Apostles would be infallible.

Explicit Promise of Infallibility

He also gave them that guarantee explicitly: “Going

therefore, teach ye all nations, teaching them to observe all

things whatsoever I have commanded you, and behold I am
with you all days even to the consummation of the world.

5 ’

(Matt, xxviii. 20.) “And I will ask the Father, and He

shall give you another Paraclete that He may abide with
you forever.” (John xiv. 16.) “He will teach you all

things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall

have said to you.” (John xiv. 26.)

He gave them power to forgive sin and also the right to
refuse pardon at their discretion. “Receive ye the Holy

Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them,

and whose sins you shall retain they are retained.” (John

xx. 22-23.) “Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind
on earth, shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever you

shall loose on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. (Matt,

xviii. 18.)

He gave them power to change bread and wine into His
own body and blood. “Taking bread, He gave thanks, and
broke, and gave to them saying: This is my body which
is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me.”
(Lukexxii. 19.)

Finally, He gave them legislative power, as we may see
from the fifteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, verses

23, 28, 29; judicial power as is made clear by Peter’s con-
demnation of Ananias and Saphira (Acts v. 1-11) and by

Paul’s excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian (1

Cor. v. 3 ) and executive power as is manifested by the direc-

27



tions and instructions which Paul gave to his beloved dis-
ciples Timothy and Titus whom he had made bishops.

All these powers and prerogatives were conferred by our
Blessed Lord on all the Apostles; on the eleven out of the
original twelve who had remained faithful

;
on Matthias who

had been elected by men to replace the traitor; and on Saint
Paul, who had been made an Apostle, not by men, but
by Jesus Christ and God the Father. (Galatians i. 1.)
Each Apostle could use those prerogatives on his own
initiative, without consulting his brother Apostles, and with-

out any obligation of seeking their approval. For this reason,
many writers in the early ages of the Church, notably Saint
Cyprian, attributed equality to the Apostles. Speaking of

our Lord he says: “He gives to all the Apostles an equal
power, and says ‘As the Father sent me, I also send you.’ ”

Again he writes: “Certainly the other Apostles also were

what Peter was, endowed with an equal fellowship, both of
honor and power.” (De Unitate Ecclesiae, 3.)

Grave Questions

“Well then” some one may ask—the questions are obvi-
ously reasonable

—“how could Peter be the first among the
Apostles if Cyprian is right in saying that they were equal

in honor and power? How could Peter have supreme au-
thority, if each and every Apostle had an unquestionable
right to teach and to act in a judicial capacity independently
of him? Is it not ridiculous to speak of any Apostle as first
or as supreme under those circumstances?”

No! An emphatic no is the right, true answer to that
question. Though all the Apostles had and exercised every
one of the tremendous powers which Christ had bestowed
on them: though they all had a full and perfect right to

28



use those prerogatives without asking for anybody's con-

sent or approval
;
though they were absolutely equal in that

respect; yet Peter was the first among them and had greater

authority than all of them together, a supreme authority,

second only to that of Jesus Christ, and dependent on Him
alone.

When Peter was made the Foundation of the Church,
was given the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, was com-

missioned to Confirm his brethren, and was made Shepherd

of the Lord's whole flock, he was given commissions which

exceeded those of the other Apostles in scope, in responsibil-

ity, in authority, and in power. On each of those occasions
there was given to him something more than had been

conferred on him and on them when they were all made

Apostles. Assuredly it was not anything different in char-

acter from the gifts they had all received, but it was an

enrichment, a development, a complementary perfecting of

their powers, and fitted him for tasks which were beyond

their unsupported capabilities.

Peter’s Prerogatives for the Church

While those gifts were bestowed on him alone, and plainly

raised him above the other Apostles, they were not given to

him for himself alone, nor for such paltry reasons as had

once plagued some of them—the wish to be first, to be on
the right hand and on the left in the Lord's Kingdom

—

but for the accomplishment of their mutual task, the growth

and completion of Christ's Kingdom on earth.

So far as the Apostles were individually concerned there

was no need of any supervisor, umpire or arbitrator. All

of them had the gift of infallibility in their teaching. Those

of them who wrote, including Saint Luke, who was not an

29



Apostle, wrote under the guidance and control of divine
inspiration. There was, therefore, no danger, nor even
a possibility, of their giving utterance to conflicting doctrines.

Moreover, in those first days after the Ascension, there
were no contentions, no rivalries, no jealousies, no scram-
blings after honor, prestige, or power among them. Up to
the night in which their Master was sold for thirty pieces
of silver there had been a little of all that, but nothing very
serious. That night, however, their self-seeking was
quenched forever. There was not even an ember of it in
their subsequent lives. They lived, and labored, and suf-
fered thenceforward in perfect harmony—brethren in unity

To Aid the Apostles
Yet it must not be thought that the extraordinary com-

missions and powers conferred on Peter had no bearing on
the labors or responsibilities of the other Apostles. They
were all partners in one mighty undertaking—the building
up of the Mystical Body of Christ. While Jesus prayed espe-
cially for Peter at the Last Supper, that prayer was for
their welfare as much as for his; they were all hated and
threatened and endangered by Satan; they all needed to be
strengthened—to be confirmed. They were able to teach
and to preach infallibly. They had all been cured of their
personal ambitions. What of it, if Satan could come along
after a century, or five, or ten, or even fifteen and bring
the Church of Christ tumbling down in ruins and bedeviled
by a bedlam worse than that of Babel? If Satan could
bring that about he would flatter himself that he had at
last gotten the better of Michael and of Michael’s God.
And we could not prove him a liar. For he would not be
a liar, if the Church of Christ could be made like Nineveh

30



and Babylon. Christ, however, took care of all that and

of Satan when He prayed that Peter’s faith might never

fail. Satan runs away from Peter as a shivering rabbit

from a hound. He who wished to be equal to God is

whipped to his everlasting dungeon by a man.

Satan’s Victories

Yet he has had his victories: Outside the immediate circle

of the Apostles, there has not been unity and peace between

Christians for any long while, possibly and probably for not

even one short year. Quarrels, schisms, and heresies sprang

up among them almost overnight. There is nothing much to

be learned from a study of those unhappy events beyond the

fact that the mind of man is restless, almost always in search

of something new, almost always captivated by it for a

while, and that his heart is generally fickle, though not quite

so unstable as a weather vane in a shifting wind. For a real-

ization of those truths, however, we do not need to scan the

centuries. Our own provides us with ample evidence. For

this reason we merely note the fact that when Christianity

was young, and should have been fair and healthy, the germs

of corruption were already busily at work within her frame

even to the point of endangering her life.

We do not mention these facts to ask whether Jesus
Who had said that the gates of hell would never prevail
against His Church, realized the dangers with which it was

to be confronted even in its infancy; whether He knew how
to meet them; whether He was able to provide against them
well and wisely; and above all, whether He has lived up to
His solemn promise?

We who are of the Catholic Church know the answer to
all these questions. We know also, with a certainty that

31



is from God, a certainty which we have not merited, but

have, nevertheless, received from Him, just how He has
accomplished all those wonderful works.

And so may all others who sincerely seek the truth, how-

ever much they may be puzzled now, or discouraged, or
disheartened by the contradictory appeals and arguments of

false teachers, who have, for a while, misled them. They

have in their hands the Holy Scriptures in which they have

been taught to believe. If they will but search them prayer-

fully they will be led to the knowledge of the truth. Though

it is evident that they are not easy to understand, that there

are in them many things which the unlearned and unstable

wrest to their own destruction (2 Peter iii. 16), it is also

true that they give clear, strong, vivid testimony in favor

of the Church of Christ. It is a City seated on a hill.

Fog, and mist, and storm clouds may hide it now and then,
but not for long. Nor can it be destroyed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has built it on an impregnable

foundation of His own choosing and strengthening. He has
knit its members together strongly by that disciple for

whom alone He won the gift of unfailing faith by His
omnipotent prayer. He has sheltered, guided, nourished,
and protected all His sheep by that one Whom He set as
the Shepherd over the whole flock. That one is Peter, the

Foundation of the Church, the Confirmer of his brethren,

their Supreme Shepherd. He is all these things to the
Church of God, not of or by himself, but by the will and

the everlasting decree of Jesus Christ, the Author and Fin-

isher of faith. (Heb. xii. 2.) To Him, therefore, let us
lift up our songs of praise and thanksgiving on earth, that

we may rejoice with Him and praise Him forever in His
heavenly Kingdom.

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