Why Paul Could Box With Peter
Why would Paul, the newest apostle, feel like he had any right to rebuke Peter if he was the vicar of Christ? Well, the reason is two-fold. First, as we have established, Peter was never the High Bishop or Vicar of Christ. The second, is that Paul is an absolute zealot, both in his dark past as Saul the Pharisee, and in his admirable transformation to Paul the apostle.
Paul was not as swayed by fear, which allowed him to stand firm where other apostles stumbled or hesitated. Even in spite of that, Paul could have never challenged Peter, if Peter was the representative of Christ, but that was not the case. It was actually Paul who would be carrying greater divine authority in this situation, as Paul was the one entrusted by Jesus to bring the Gospel to both the Gentiles and the descendants of Israel:
Act 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Why Paul was Chosen Over Peter to Deliver the Gospel to Most of the World
There is a reason Jesus prophesized that Paul would bring the Gospel to the Gentiles (and the Kings, and the children of Israel) rather than Peter. He knew Peter struggled with weakness, which is why He prayed for Peter’s faith in John. Paul had no such limitations, Paul was proud, assertive, honey-tongued, and extraordinarily zealous in his religion.
Paul would be a far more prodigious servant in spreading the word of God amongst opposing Jews and the pagan Gentiles. Jesus just had to beat some sense into him first. If Peter had received doctrinal infallibility and an indelible character sealing his authority, why would Jesus entrust Paul with anything?
Galatians 2:11 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.
Read the New Testament and find me a single instance of Paul turning his back on Jesus out of fear. Peter, fearing death, denied Jesus three times on the day of His trial. Peter, fearing the traditionalist Jews, sided with them rather than standing for the Gentiles. Paul entertains no such weakness, he argued with murderous Jewish mobs, he stood on trial and argued against Roman commanders, King Agrippa, Governor Felix, and the Sanhedrin (Jewish Elders).
Paul preached from jail, on a sinking ship, and right until his last days outlined in Timothy. This not meant as disrespect to Peter, Peter was practically Jesus’ first disciple and he spoke the most boldly of any of them at Pentecost. But Peter wasn’t enough.
Much like Abraham, Peter truly loved Jesus, and by extension God, but Peter struggled with his character in faith. Peter rejected Jesus three times after he swore to Jesus he wouldn’t. Peter nearly drowned in the lake outside Bethsaida because his faith wasn’t strong enough to carry him across the water. When Jesus asked Peter to watch with Him the night before His execution, Peter fell asleep with everyone else. Peter knew his limitations, so he carried himself with humility and despite his weakness, he left everything for Jesus.
Luke 5:8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Peter was also the first to understand Jesus’ parable of flesh and blood, and most famously, the first to declare him the Christ. But when God gave Peter the vision of consecrated animals on the sheet, He knew Peter would not be able to hold strong. He wanted someone with the courage and tenacity of Paul.
Philippians 4:10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
As Jesus Intended, Paul Worked Harder and Spread the Word Farther than Any of the Other Apostles
It was Paul who wrote the majority of the epistles:
Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. This makes Paul the most prolific New Testament author, perhaps only challenged by his companion, Luke, who superseded him in word count (Luke and Acts were long books).
It was Paul who, at the very least, brought Christianity to Ephesus, Rome, Antioch, Iconium, Lystrum, Derbe, Philippi, and Corinth. It was also Paul who was the most prevalent in providing guidance on how the Christians were to act and how the early church was to operate. Of course, it was Paul who was entrusted to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, Israelites, and their kings alike.
While the New Testament documents Peter writing two letters and preaching at Babylon, Joppa, Lydda, Jerusalem, Samaria, and Caeserea.
Paul wrote over half of the New Testament books and ministered to Amphipolis, Apollonia, Thessalonica, Antioch (city sharing borders with Pisidia and Syria), Antipatris, Appii Forum, Puteoli, Rhegium, Rome, Syracuse, Arabia, Damascus, Assos, Mitylene, Miletus, Samos, Trogyllium, Athens, Corinth, Attalia, Perga, Berea, Caesarea, Ptolemais, Tyre, Cenchrea, Ephesus, Coos, Rhodes, Patara, Cyprus, Seleucia, Salamis, Paphos, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Malta, Myra, Neapolis, Nicopolis, Sidon, Spain, Tarsus, and Troas.
When Peter was taking much deserved time away to spend with his wife, Paul was continuing to toil under God:
1 Corinthians 9:4 Have we no right to food and to drink? 5 Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
If Peter was God’s chosen Vicar, why would he have taken the backseat to Paul? Well, clearly it was because Jesus chose Paul to deliver the Gospel to the majority of the world and not Peter.
Acts 9:15 “Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.
While Paul once considered himself the least of the apostles, he also realized that he had come to have worked harder than any of them. Just as Jesus prophesized, he toiled and suffered immensely in His name and brought the Gospel to an incredible amount of Gentile nations.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them— yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
Paul’s Total Superseding of Peter’s Roles Also Rejects the Concept of the Papal Office
If Peter never claimed to be the Head of the Church, Jesus considered all of the disciples equal, and Paul did most of the work, then there is no reasonable basis for the claim that Peter is the Vicar of Christ. In turn, that is a further refutation that the Papal Office ever existed, let alone was the will of God.
It doesn’t matter that Papal tiles would be introduced later under Pope Leo, who was the first conventional Pope (ie. establishing the Papal office, official titles, and wielding the power of the keys) when the source and wielding of their power and privileges went back to Peter. Peter did not act as a Pope, and certainly did claim to lead Paul or the other Apostles.
Source: http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=ac65
If Peter never was those things, so neither were the future popes. Also, Peter’s first successor, Linus, is never mentioned as being a bishop or as being nominated for succeeding him in the New Testament. The only mention of Linus in the Bible is him being one four people mentioned as staying with the Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 4:21).
2 Timothy 4:19 Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.
If we were to strip the many (many) heretical attributes from the Papacy, history and scripture makes a much stronger argument for the office to go to Paul, don’t you think?