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I seem to recall someone posting on one of these Catholic vs Protestant threads a list of times where Paul spoke authoritatively. (?) I have been meaning to look into that as well, if you or anyone has such a list thanks in advance.

You may be referring to this parody: Triablogue: 51 Biblical Proofs Of A Pauline Papacy And Ephesian Primacy

The Peter of Rome is not that of Scripture , that of the street-level leader among the apostles and initially that of the church. Paul was hardly RC in his writings, rarely mentioning the supposed supreme head of The Church, never enjoining obedience to him or prayers for him in particular, etc. or otherwise describing him as a RC pope, and listing him after James as one of 3 who appeared to be pillars, and then publicly rebuking him.

I can relate to the Peter of Scripture. When one contemplates what that fisherman was tasked to accept, well I have degrees from Universities to help me reconstruct things in a logical fashion, but Peter was without those aides. Imagine, if you will, that you have striven your whole life to live by Mosaic dictates, even as a rough fisherman among other rough fishermen. Along comes Messiah, Whom you do not even recognize (who could, folks had been taught He would come as a King, not a servant to suffer our 'penalty' for us).

You see amazing miracles intermingled with crowd threats and 'righteous dudes' setting to stone your Messiah, only to have Him pass through them, unassailed!

You witness feeding thousands with the lunch pail of a child. You see Him walking on water and try to join Him, only to be overtaken by your natural doubts.

You see the authorities of Churcha nd state seize Him and hold a trial, proclaiming Him a fraud to be executed.

Then mysteriously, because you are not well versed in the Scriptures, He amazingly survives a Roman Crucifixion? Except He suddenly appears in a locked and shuttered room to show you HE did what He told folks He would do if they destroyed the Temple of His body!

Imagine what it must have left Peter pondering when THIS MESSIAH leaves into the clouds right before your astonished eyes, and yo uare left remembering HIS advice to wait for the Day of Pentecost.

You wait and lo and behold a miraculous things happen when you simply describe the events of the past several weeks, then things get chaotic in the capital city and the authorities throw you in prison, whip you, then let you go, then hound you into leaving Jerusalem for a friend's house.

You have a dream, but you awake to realize it was not a dream and people are at the front door downstairs, sent to find you by a Roman Centurion!

You go with the visitors and lo and behold a similar miraculous pouring out of GOD's Spirit happens while you're trying to relate the events of Messiah's FIRST visit to the planet! But these are GENTILES!

And that doesn't even address your failure to remain faithful during the arrest and trial and crucifixion of you Messiah ... you didn't even go to the execution to give HIM morale support, after denying HIM!

BUT God is the faithful and loving parent Who has Promised to raise you up in the way that you should go, so you are never tossed aside, despite your failures to grasp it all while living it!

Yeah, I can identify with the Peter of Scripture. Thanks be to GOD!