Peter's Profession of Faith
552 Simon Peter holds the first place in the college of the Twelve; Jesus entrusted a unique mission to him. Through a revelation from the Father, Peter had confessed: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Our Lord then declared to him: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Christ, the “living stone,” thus assures his Church, built on Peter, of victory over the powers of death. Because of the faith he confessed Peter will remain the unshakable rock of the Church. His mission will be to keep this faith from every lapse and to strengthen his brothers in it.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 141
According to the chronological order of the gospel’s events, Peter’s profession in Matthew 16:16 was not the first profession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Compare the chronological order of the disciples’ professions of faith.
27 A.D. (February)
Andrew-John 1:41-4229 A.D. (April)
Philip-John 1:45
Nathanael-John 1:49
Disciples -John 2:11
Peter -“We believe and are sure thou art the Son of God” -John 6:69In AD 27, two years prior to Peter’s profession of faith, Andrew, after having met Jesus, went to find Peter to tell him, “We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ”(John 1:41). The following day, Philip found Nathanael and said, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write” (John 1:45). When Jesus told Nathanael that he saw him under the fig tree, even before Philip called him, Nathanael said, “Thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (John 1:43-49). Shortly thereafter, Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding in Cana; at which time “His disciples believed on Him” (John 2:1-11).
(Summer)
Disciples¬-“Of a truth thou art the Son of God”-Matthew 14:33
Peter-“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” -Matthew 16:16
It is true that in the Old Testament, the title Son of God is given to angels, the chosen people, the children of Israel, and their kings. However, italicized statements in the following quotation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#441, p. 111) undermine the plainly stated facts of the Word of God.
In the Old Testament, “son of God” is a title given to the angels, the Chosen People, the children of Israel, and their kings. It signifies an adoptive sonship that establishes a relationship of particular intimacy between God and his creature. When the promised Messiah-King is called “son of God,” it does not necessarily imply that he was more than human, according to the literal meaning of these texts. Those who called Jesus “son of God,” as the Messiah of Israel, perhaps meant nothing more than this. Such is not the case for Simon Peter when he confesses Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” for Jesus responds solemnly: “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”The above italicized hypothetical statements are not based on the truth of the scriptures, but on conjecture. The scriptures clearly show that God the Father had previously revealed Jesus' identity to all of the twelve disciples and not just to Peter. The assumption that Peter’s profession of faith was the first genuine profession because Jesus responds solemnly with, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven,” nullifies the authenticity of the professions of faith that were previously made by the other apostles. Since only God knows the intentions of the heart, and unless it is plainly stated in God’s Word, it is presumptuous to state as fact whether an individual’s profession of faith is genuine (cf. Acts 1:24; Acts 15:7-9; Hebrews 4:12-13; Luke 16:15; Romans 8:27; Revelation 2:23).
It would be more reasonable to speculate or presume that the Father had previously revealed Jesus' true identity to Andrew, and that Andrew’s was the first genuine profession of faith. It was immediately after having spent part of a day and the entire night with Jesus that Andrew went directly to find Peter and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:39-42).
And what about John the Baptist, to whom it was revealed by God the Father, in AD 27 that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God (John 1:25-33, 34)?
And what about the Samaritans, in AD 27 John 4:7, 25-26, 29, 39-41, 42), or Simeon in 4 BC (Luke 2:25-34) and others? If Jesus’s solemn response is the prerequisite for determining a genuine profession of faith, then all of the above are also disqualified.
Jesus wasn’t giving the Apostle Peter supreme authority and rule over his church in Matthew chapter 16; he was speaking a parable, as he most often did. The rock upon which Jesus Christ is building his church is the rock of faith; faith in his all-sufficient sacrifice as full payment for our sins.
It is also by faith that:
By FAITH: We are saved (Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 3:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Luke 18:42; Luke 7:50).If Peter is, in fact, the rock upon which Jesus said he was going to build his church, and if he is, in fact, “the only one to whom Christ specifically entrusted keys to the kingdom” (Catechism, p. 142), and there was “no possibility of the original hearers being confused about Jesus’s meaning,” as stated in Born Fundamentalist (p. 76), then why, after having heard these facts, did the disciples continue to ask Jesus, “Who is the greatest?” And why didn’t Jesus answer them by saying, “Peter is the greatest”?
BY FAITH We receive remission of sins (Romans 3:23-25; Acts 10:43; Acts 13:38, 39; Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:14; Mark 2:5; Revelation 1:5).
BY FAITH We inherit eternal life (John 3:15-16,36; John 5:24; 1 John 5:13; John 6:40, 47, 68, 69; 1 Timothy 1:16; John 11:25-26; Acts 13:46-48; John 20:31; etc.).
BY FAITH We become the children of God (Galatians 3:26; John 1:12-13; 1 John 5:1).
BY FAITH We receive the Holy Spirit (John 7:38-39; Galatians 3:2, 14; Ephesians 1:13; Acts 11:15-18).
BY FAITH We are justified (Acts 13:38-39; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:8, 24; Romans 3:28; Romans 5:1).
BY FAITH We are sanctified (Acts 26:18; Hebrews 10:10, 29; Hebrews 13:12; John 17:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Corinthians 1:2,30).
BY FAITH We receive the gift of righteousness (Philippians 3:9; Psalms 24:3-5; Romans 5:17; Romans 3:22; Romans 4:3,5; Romans 4:11, 21-25; Romans 9:30; Romans 10:2-4; Romans 10:6, 10; Jeremiah 33:14-16; Jeremiah 51:10; Isaiah 54:17; Isaiah 45:22-25; 1 Corinthians 1:29-31).
BY FAITH We receive the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12; Galatians 3:2, 14, 22; Hebrews 11:33; James 2:5).
BY FAITH We have access into grace (Romans 5:2; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 10:19-23; Ephesians 3:12).
BY FAITH We inherit the kingdom of God (James 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5; Acts 14:22).
BY FAITH We are kept by the power of God (1 Peter 1:5).
BY FAITH We resist the devil and quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (1 Peter 5: 8-9; Ephesians 6:11-12,16).
BY FAITH We stand (2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians15:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 3:7-8; Romans 5:2).
BY FAITH God purifies our hearts (Acts 15:9).
Compare his answer to this question in Matthew 18:1-4 with his reply to Peter’s rebuke in Matthew 16:23-26. In both passages, the prerequisite for being the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is self denial and humility. Peter, humble?
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.Compare the following chronological order of events. In all three gospels, it was after Jesus said he was going to build his church on this petra that the disciples asked, “Who is the greatest?”
Matthew 18:1-4, emphasis added
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:23-26, emphasis added
Matthew:
29 A.D. (Summer)
Peter - “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” - Matthew 16:16
Disciples - Who’s the greatest? - Matthew 18:1-4
30 A.D. (March)
James and John - Request for their pre-eminence in Christ’s kingdom - Matthew 20:21
Mark:
Peter - “Thou art the Christ”-Mark 8:29
Disciples - Who’s the greatest?-Mark 9:34
James and John - Request for their preeminence in Christ’s kingdom - Mark 10:35-37
(the other ten were displeased, verse 41)
Luke:
Peter - “Thou art the Christ”- Luke 9:20
Disciples - Who’s the greatest?- Luke 9:46
Disciples - Who’s the greatest?- Luke 22-24
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