I think we all know that Jesus is the rock.
He is not just the rock he is every thing
to us.
But some would have us believe that he was
just joshing Peter by calling Peter a rock
and I believe that is very bad thinking.
Some are deliberately trying to make Peter
look like a screw up in order to deny what
the Catholic Church teaches.
I get the idea from reading scripture that
the church has filled in the voids with their
own wishes.
Jesus made it very plain that there was not
to be any one with authority over the others.
That does not rule out some one taking the
lead, when Jesus met peter he read him like
a book, he knew that Peter would take the
lead and we have all of the proof in acts
that he did.
I see no hint in the scriptures of Peter being
Pope but if there is such a thing as a man being
great then Peter was great.
I also see no hint that we should use Mary as an
intercessor, but if there is such a thing as a great
woman then Mary was also great.
I think there is a LOT of verse in this thread indicating that.
Notice how NONE of them have been discussed!?