Because that isn't what it says... Peter's a stone in the wall (the first of the stones, but a stone, none the less).
and what was conferred, was conferred to EACH stone singly.
Jesus told his apostles, Luke 10:16 “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
So what?
He also gave them the power to forgive sins or NOT to forgive them: John 20:23 “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
Pretty much the same as any Christian.
He commanded them to consecrate the bread and wine and transform them into His Body and Blood, just as He did at the Last Supper: Luke 22:19 “Do this for a commemoration of Me.”
No, He did *not*.
He gave them the Great Commission to baptize and teach in His name: Matthew 28:19 “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, ; teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you.”
And so do we all.
This visible Church is called by St. Paul: 1 Timothy 3:15 ...the Church, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
... And the OT says the truth is the Torah... So the passage above cannot apply the way you'd like it to, unless the Romish church has suddenly become aware of the OT...
Why would Jesus do all these things if he merely intended to establish a “direct”, person-to-person access to the Father without any intermediary on Earth?
The Spirit is His intermediary. No other is necessary.
I’m not saying that’s not also available to a Christian (praying to the Father and asking Him for anything in Jesus’ name. e.g.), but it’s certainly not all there is to Christ’s mission. Not by a long shot.
Sure it is.
He also gave them the power to forgive sins or NOT to forgive them: John 20:23 “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
You posted: “Pretty much the same as any Christian.”
Not quite:
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/confession.html
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2003/0301sbs.asp
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He commanded them to consecrate the bread and wine and transform them into His Body and Blood, just as He did at the Last Supper: Luke 22:19 “Do this for a commemoration of Me.”
You posted:”No, He did *not*.”
Yes, He did, and the early Church believed He did just that:
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/father/a5.html
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This visible Church is called by St. Paul: 1 Timothy 3:15 ...the Church, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
You posted:”... And the OT says the truth is the Torah... So the passage above cannot apply the way you’d like it to, unless the Romish church has suddenly become aware of the OT...”
So St. Paul was wrong, and that scripture passage is not true. Okay...
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You posted:”The Spirit is His intermediary. No other is necessary.”
The Church is necessary:
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/the_church.html