[Conservative til I die]

----- incontestable by whom? certainly not in my strand of the New Testament

Looking at things solely in the context of the New Testament, it is clear that Peter is the most important of the Apostles. He is mentioned the most, he is the one that recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of the Living God, he specifically is asked by Jesus after the Resurrection to feed His sheep, he's a leader of the Post-Resurrection Church in Acts.

One can infer from this that Peter had primacy among the Apostles. You certainly couldn't infer that about Philip or Thomas or Bartholomew.

[Uncle Chip]

You are correct. But who was the founding apostle for the Gentile Church in the New Testament: Peter or Paul? Who had primacy when it came to doctrine? Peter or Paul?

[marajade]

" ... it is clear that Peter is the most important of the Apostles."

It is? And what about Paul, who brought Christianity to the gentiles?