Despite the unequivocal testimony of Scripture, history, and writings of the early Church, many still take issue with the idea of singling Peter out as authoritatively leading the Church, even to the point of insisting that it was actually St. James the Greater who initially led the Church.
When I was at World Youth Day in Toronto I was approached by four Seventh Day Adventists. With Pope John Paul II as a backdrop, they launched into a fairly intense challenge of the papacy.
One of the group was adamant that Peter was not even the first Pope, opening his Bible to Acts 15, which describes the convening of the first Church council to discuss whether Gentile converts must keep the Old Testament ceremonial Mosaic law to be saved.
“Look at Acts 15:13-20,” the fellow insisted. “It’s James who leads the council and makes the final decision on things. Listen to what he says: ‘my judgment is that we should write to them (the Gentiles) to abstain from … idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood.’”
Unfortunately, as I responded I forgot the most basic principle of defending the faith, ironically addressed to the Church by St Peter himself: “Always be prepared to make a defence to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” (1 Pt 3:15-16). Sharing the faith is not about winning arguments or proving others wrong. But in the heat of the moment, I lost my way. I had forgotten the “gentleness and reverence” part.
How could this guy have missed the plain sense of Scripture here, I reasoned? “Who answers the main question the council was called to answer in the first place?” I demanded. “It’s Peter, not James! There was great debate at the council until Peter stood up and authoritatively proclaimed, ‘God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe ... We believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they. The whole assembly fell silent” (Acts 15:6-12).”
Now my trap was set.
“Yes, James does speak authoritatively here,” I continued, “but he doesn’t even address the main issue the council was convened to settle: how are the Gentiles saved? James simply adds four directives on lesser matters. Unquestionably, it’s Peter who leads the council and settles the main doctrinal question – silencing the council in the process because he is the Pope!”
My adversary protested, but I kept cutting short every one of his responses, pridefully insisting, “Who answers the key question of the council? It’s Peter!”
I may have been right, but my uncharitable attitude had cost me. My fellow Christian simply quit talking to me and walked away. I immediately realized my mistake and ran after him, apologizing repeatedly, but to no avail. It was perhaps the toughest lesson I have ever learned in decades of sharing the faith with thousands. It’s a hard story to share, but a good reminder to all of us in how not to share the faith.
The whole point of answering challenges to the faith is to invite people into the Church Jesus founded and help restore the fractured Christian unity Jesus prayed for in John 17. Christian unity is critical to evangelizing the world, but everything we do toward this end must be out of love for the other and directed toward growing in unity and understanding.
We can never forget that these are God’s truths, not ours. We are simply the messengers. And our intention in sharing this message must be perfect: out of love for the other.