Stone & Incense
Evangelical, Pentecostal or Protestant · Step 5 of 8Peter and the pope
Jesus gave one man keys. Why?
In short. Jesus gave Peter the keys and told him to feed His sheep.1,2 The Church teaches this office continues in the bishop of Rome, with infallibility limited to definitive teaching on faith and morals.3,4
Key points
- The Lord made Simon alone the rock of His Church.3
- The pope is a visible source of the Church’s unity.5
- Infallibility covers only definitive teaching on faith and morals.4
Try this, this week
- Read Matthew 16:13-19.
- Read Isaiah 22:20-22. Another set of keys, another steward.
- Read the Case page on whether the papacy was invented later.
“He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?’ Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, ‘Do you have affection for me?’ He said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.”
Common questions
Remember: Keys mean authority over the house.