The First 10 Popes of the Catholic Church

St. Peter's List ^ | December 17, 2012 | SPL Staff

[rwa265]

Listers, we’ve catalogued the first ten Vicars of Christ for the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Save the information on our first pope – St. Peter – all the information presented is taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia and links for further reading are provided.

1. Pope St. Peter (32-67)

St. Peter held a primacy amongst the twelve disciples that earned him the title “Prince of the Apostles.” This primacy of St. Peter was solidified when he was appointed by Jesus to the Office of the Vicar – demonstrated by Christ giving St. Peter the Keys to the Kingdom. To understand St. Peter, one must first understand Christ and the Church Christ came to establish. Jesus is the “Son of David” and his life and ministry fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of the New Davidic Kingdom and New Jerusalem; hence, we look to the historic kingdom of King David as a guide to the New Davidic Kingdom. King David had a vicar that ruled his kingdom when David was absent and the sign of authority for this vicar was the keys of the kingdom. In the New Davidic Kingdom, Christ the Son of David gave the keys to his Vicar to guide the Kingdom until the return of Christ – we now refer to this vicar as “the pope.” SPL has written extensively on these issue in http://www.stpeterslist.com/45/10-biblical-reasons-christ-founded-the-papacy/ and http://www.stpeterslist.com/94/13-biblical-reasons-st-peter-was-the-prince-of-the-apostles/.

[Wiz-Nerd]

“[St. Peter held a primacy amongst the twelve disciples that earned him the title “Prince of the Apostles.]

Whoa.....where is this title that he “earned” found anywhere in the Word??”

Said by no Disciple of Christ, ever. :-)

For leaders of a religion to try to make the Disciples catholics is sad. Especially when they are presenting this lie to further their power or blind their followers.

It is small (or big) lies such as this that give us insight into whether a religion, a religious leader or an individual walk a true path.

Yeshua was a Jew as were all His Disciples.

Simon was Shimon.

James was Yakov (that is, Jacob).

John was Yochanan.

Bartholomew was Bar-Talmai (son of Ptolemy).

Matthew was Mattityahu, meaning, “gift from God.”

Thomas was Tau’ma, an Aramaic name.

Thaddaeus was a variant of Theudas, which was a Grecian version of Judas or Yehuda.

Andrew and Philip are interesting because those are clearly Greek names—Andreas and Filippos.

Judas Iscariot was Yehuda.

Clearly not a catholic amongst G-d’s chosen people. :-)

[Salvation]

Read it again, Hoss, Christ gave the Keys to Peter.

[Salvation]

Exactly.

[Salvation]

Jesus is fully human and fully God, but I believe you already know that.

To say otherwise gets all of us into heresy.

[Salvation]

LOL! Thanks.

[Mrs. Don-o]

John doesn't even mention the Bread - Wine - Body - Blood thing at the Last Supper!

Odd, in the light of John 6. But I don't think it's because John thought it was trivial.

[NYer]

How any times must you be shown something before it sinks in? You have been shown numerous times that the Rock Jesus referred to was the PROFESSION of Peter, not Peter. Even the fathers of the catholic church have said it yet you are unable to hear it! Amazing.

Apparently, you have turned deaf ears on facts that have resulted in your misunderstanding. Deny all you want but facts remain true.

When he first saw Simon, "Jesus looked at him, and said, ‘So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas (which means Peter)’" (John 1:42). The word Cephas is merely the transliteration of the Aramaic Kepha into Greek. Later, after Peter and the other disciples had been with Christ for some time, they went to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter made his profession of faith: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16). Jesus told him that this truth was specially revealed to him, and then he solemnly reiterated: "And I tell you, you are Peter" (Matt. 16:18). To this was added the promise that the Church would be founded, in some way, on Peter (Matt. 16:18). 

Then two important things were told the apostle. "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19). Here Peter was singled out for the authority that provides for the forgiveness of sins and the making of disciplinary rules. Later the apostles as a whole would be given similar power [Matt.18:18], but here Peter received it in a special sense. 

Peter alone was promised something else also: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 16:19). In ancient times, keys were the hallmark of authority. A walled city might have one great gate; and that gate had one great lock, worked by one great key. To be given the key to the city—an honor that exists even today, though its import is lost—meant to be given free access to and authority over the city. The city to which Peter was given the keys was the heavenly city itself. This symbolism for authority is used elsewhere in the Bible (Is. 22:22, Rev. 1:18). 

Finally, after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" (John 21:15-17). In repentance for his threefold denial, Peter gave a threefold affirmation of love. Then Christ, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), gave Peter the authority he earlier had promised: "Feed my sheep" (John 21:17). This specifically included the other apostles, since Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me more than these?" (John 21:15), the word "these" referring to the other apostles who were present (John 21:2). Thus was completed the prediction made just before Jesus and his followers went for the last time to the Mount of Olives. 

Immediately before his denials were predicted, Peter was told, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again [after the denials], strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:31-32). It was Peter who Christ prayed would have faith that would not fail and that would be a guide for the others; and his prayer, being perfectly efficacious, was sure to be fulfilled. 

[Salvation]

Excellent and truthful post. Thank you.

[Salvation]

In the Discourse on the Bread of Life in John 6 I have always thought that John did cover the bread into Body and wine into Blood, but in a theological manner.

I have always believed that John was writing theology many years after the synoptic Gospels were written.

Am I wrong?

[ealgeone]

We do recall that Andrew was called first....right?

[ealgeone]

Am I wrong?

by at least a mile!

[ealgeone]

Christ gave the keys to the Kingdom to the Disciples... all of them.

A little fact catholics seem to keep ignoring.

[ealgeone]

Christ gave the keys to the Kingdom to the Disciples... all of them.

Not anger over Peter's role.....frustration over how Peter has been elevated by roman catholics to something not accorded to him by Scripture.

[GreyFriar]

I believe that Republic of Maine was referring to the Emperor Constantine - 306 Constantius died, and his son Constantine was proclaimed Emperor of the West by his troops even though Maxentius was still the Caesar of Italy and Africa. - and not the Pope named Constantine 402 years later.

[ealgeone]

Thanks for your postings. Peter was the only Apostle renamed. The perpetual rock to handle the keys. The Church. The gates of hell sure lasted longer than Peter.

A fellow by the name of Saul/Paul would disagree with you.

[ealgeone]

Christ retains the name The Rock, but both Abraham and St. Peter have carried the title Rock as well.

Where is Abraham called "rock" in the Word?

Where is it said in the Word that "rock" is a title of Peter's?

[Mrs. Don-o]

I think you're mistaken about Catholic Gentiles not getting the "memo" that Paul is "our" Apostle.

As far as can be ascertained by (admittedly traces of) evidence, ALL of the Apostles went to the Gentiles. Even Peter, the "Apostle to the Jews," and James who was head of the Church in Jerusalem and martyred there, ministered also to Gentiles.

As far as we know (and some of this is based on physical traces --- buildings, graves, steles and other monuments --- which have now long been destroyed, especially in what are now Muslim lands) --- various apostles ministered and died in Spain, in Rome, in Egypt, in Jerusalem, in Scythia and Parthia, in Ethiopia, in Armenia, in western Assyria and the Nineveh plain, and on various Greek islands.

They all ministered both to Gentiles and to Jews in various cities in the Roman Empire and even beyond the borders of the Empire.

I'm not going into a lot of detail, because I don't think we know a lot of detail. I just read ISIS ransacked Mosul Museum and destroyed ancient manuscripts and books in its library, dynamited churches and bulldozed the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud.

[ealgeone]

Your degree is in what exactly and where di you earn it?

Same question...back to you.

Don't forget the playground.

[taxcontrol]

I have multiple versions and multiple texts including the Latin and Greek with translations, concordances and lexicons. Which version do you recommend that we use in this discussion?

[ealgeone]

then stick with the original Greek....if not....you’re not reading the original Word.