Finding True Happiness by Spitzer Fr. Robert J

Author:Spitzer, Fr. Robert J. [Spitzer, Fr. Robert J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Spiritual & Religion
ISBN: 9781681496559
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Published: 2015-03-30T06:00:00+00:00

The power of the keys, conferred exclusively on Peter, has the same meaning in Matthew as it does in the Old Testament: “the power and authority to rule”.17 Therefore, Jesus gives Peter the power to rule over the Kingdom of Heaven. As McKenzie notes, this does not refer to the eschatological kingdom, but to the Kingdom of Heaven manifest on earth: “The power conferred upon Peter can have reference only to the temporal phase of the kingdom.”18

In view of the above, it would be difficult to deny that Matthew is asserting Peter’s primacy in the Church, and it would be equally difficult to deny that Matthew is accurately stating Jesus’ intention in this regard. It can hardly be believed that Matthew would confer this primacy upon Peter by his own authority. Besides, as was noted above, if this were not true, it would have been hotly disputed.

There is another key historical indication of Peter’s primacy that is embedded in the order of the Resurrection appearances given in the Pauline list in 1 Corinthians 15:5-7. Reginald H. Fuller (an Anglican priest) believes that the order of this list, and the order of the appearances themselves, is not arbitrary. Rather, it is “Church founding” and establishes the primacy of Peter in the “eschatological community”.19 Fuller believes that the use of the name “Cephas” (instead of “Simon”) indicates Peter’s designated role to be the rock or foundation of the Church: “The theological significance of the appearances to Peter, we find. . . [is indicated in 1 Corinthians 15:5] by the use of the name Cephas. . . . Simon Bar-Jonah receives the name Cephas. . . appointing him to be the foundation upon which the eschatological community is built.”20 Apparently, Jesus’ ordering of His appearances to the disciples confirms the order He indicated in His ministry, namely, that Peter be the head of the apostles and the Church herself.

What does all this mean? Jesus clearly intended to initiate a Church, to place Peter as the head of that Church, and to place the apostles under Peter as heads of that Church. He confers upon Peter and the apostles the juridical power to bind and loose (to legislate and teach), but to Peter alone he confers primacy and supreme juridical authority (in teaching and governance).

Jesus clearly anticipated the problems of teaching and governance mentioned above. He knew that His words would be interpreted in many different ways after His Resurrection and foresaw how these different interpretations would lead to disputes and factions that would undermine the unity of the Church. For this reason, He bestows teaching authority on Peter and the apostles to resolve those disputes (before they led to factions). He apparently also anticipated possible disagreements among the apostles, and so He appoints Peter as supreme juridical authority to resolve those disputes before they could lead to schism.

What does all this have to do with living on Level Four? Recall that there are dozens of questions that cannot be answered by reason alone, requiring God’s self-revelation.

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