​​We're not finished...

​Headlines:

Almost 1,700 priests and clergy accused of sex abuse are unsupervised 

An Associated Press investigation found that those credibly accused are now teachers, coaches, counselors and also live near playgrounds. (2019 AP)

Benedict was criticized for his handling of the church’s sex abuse scandal.

His efforts to rid the church of what he called “filth” went further than those of John Paul II, but he was reluctant to hold bishops accountable. (Dec, 2022 NY Times)

Etc, etc, etc. And The Beat Goes On... 

Well, so much for that! or Defending The Indefensible. Look, I don't have the time, energy or space to mention even a fraction of the headlines never mind stories.

However- ​

Revelation 20:10-15

And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 

Still, it's not over 'til it's over.

Revelation 20:10-15

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. NASU

HOME AT LAST

AT  YOUR SERVICE

GOOD NEWS!

GET IN TOUCH

YOUR PLACE TOO!

ABOUT US!

​​​​Was Peter the first Pope or 'chief of the twelve'? Does biblical scripture authenticate and/or support such a claim?  Part 1

​the Bible Answers        ... some basics 

The Claim: The promise thus made was fulfilled after the Resurrection, on the occasion narrated in John, xxi. Here Christ employs a simile used on more than one occasion by Himself to denote His own relation to the members of His Church—that of the shepherd and his flock.

His solemn charge, “Feed my sheep”, constituted Peter the common shepherd of the whole collective flock.

With respect to Jesus in John 21 is there any credility to this claim by Catholic Answers: 'His solemn charge, “Feed my sheep”, constituted Peter the common shepherd of the whole collective flock'.

As opposed to exegesis (the 'drawing out' of text, verifiable conclusions supported by the text itself or other text), eisegesis is the 'drawing in' of predetermined doctrine, biases and opinion (personal or institutional) without supporting evidence from the text at hand or other corroborating text. We will simply to allow God's Word to speak for itself with scripture interpreting scripture, speaking where the Bible speaks and being silent where it is silent (1 Corinthians 4:6).

DIRECTIONS

las iglesias de Cristo os saludan Romanos 16:16

The churches of Christ Salute You Romans 16:16

​​We're not finished...

Titus 1:5-9

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you —  6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife,having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. NKJV   

Overseer  NT:1985  episkopos, episkopou  an overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian, or superintendent 1 Peter 2:25 (notice: no reference to a 'chief overseer, shepherd, bishop' or 'Pope' prototype figure with plenary authority)

Elder  NT:4245  GREEK- presbuteros (pres-boo'-ter-os); comparative of presbus (elderly); older; as noun, a senior; specifically, an Israelite Sanhedrist or Christian "presbyter": KJV - elder (-est), old.​

NT:4166

Pastor/ Shepherd Eph 4:11 NT:4166 GREEK poimen (poy-mane'); of uncertain affinity; a shepherd (literally or figuratively): KJV - shepherd, pastor.  

Ephesians 4:11-13

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God. NASU

​Catholic Answers​

A further step was the appointment of St. Peter to be the chief of the Twelve.

For this position he had already been designated (Matt., xvi, 15 sqq.) on an occasion previous to that just mentioned: at Caesarea Philippi, Christ had declared him to be the rock on which He would build His Church,

thus affirming that the continuance and increase of the Church would rest on the office created in the person of Peter. To him, moreover, were to be given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven—an expression signifying the gift of plenary authority (Is., xxii, 22).

The promise thus made was fulfilled after the Resurrection, on the occasion narrated in John, xxi.

Here Christ employs a simile used on more than one occasion by Himself to denote His own relation to the members of His Church—that of the shepherd and his flock.

His solemn charge, “Feed my sheep”, constituted Peter the common shepherd of the whole collective flock.

SCRIPTORIALS & THEN SOME!

WELCOME HOME

THE LORD'S DAY

Scriptural reference

John 21:15-17, NASU

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?"

He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."

He said to him, "Tend My lambs."

He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"

He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."

He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."

He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"

Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."

Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep."

ALL ABOUT  YOU!

​​We're not finished...

John 21 (xxi)  John 21:15-17

15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs." 

Tend  NT:1006 GREEK bosko (bos'-ko); a prol. form of a primary verb [compare NT:1016]; to pasture; by extension to, fodder; reflexively, to graze: KJV - feed, keep. 

NT:1016  GREEK bous (booce); an ox (as grazing), i.e. an animal of that species, ("beef"): KJV - ox.

16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." NT:4165

Shepherd NT:4165  GREEK- poimaino (poy-mah'-ee-no); from NT:4166; to tend as a shepherd of (figuratively, superviser): KJV - feed (cattle), rule.  

Tend  NT:1006 GREEK bosko (bos'-ko); a prol. form of a primary verb [compare NT:1016]; to pasture; by extension to, fodder; reflexively, to graze: KJV - feed, keep. 

NT:1016  GREEK bous (booce); an ox (as grazing), i.e. an animal of that species, ("beef"): KJV - ox. and Timothy were charged by Paul to 

17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep."  NASU

Tend  NT:1006 GREEK bosko (bos'-ko); a prol. form of a primary verb [compare NT:1016]; to pasture; by extension to, fodder; reflexively, to graze: KJV - feed, keep. 

NT:1016  GREEK bous (booce); an ox (as grazing), i.e. an animal of that species, ("beef"): KJV - ox. 

(New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. )

Whether in the scripture presented as evidence (John  21) or in the Greek/English definitions nowhere is it hinted, that in Peter is to be created an 'office' of Chief Shepherd (essentially Pope) with plenary (unlimited) authority. Secondly, certainly not the Chief Shepherd over other shepherds. Jesus simply admonished Peter to do just what any shepherd was expected to do , feed, tend and graze the sheep- keep them out of harm's way. There is a distinct and separate role for sheep and shepherds as the terms imply and are used scripturally. Paul says to  Titus, Titus 1:5: For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you... NASU. That said, it doesn't mean an elder (Shepherd, Overseer, Bishop) doesn't have some authority over the 'flock'. All Bishops do. 

1 Timothy 3:7, "Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil", NKJV.