re: United Methodist Church votes to allow gay marriage and gay clergy

quote:

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Until Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter, which means "Rock".

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The grammar suggests that Jesus is talking about something else other than Peter. He doesn’t say “and on you I will build my church” but “on this rock”. Jesus was talking to Peter directly but “this rock” doesn’t appear to be Peter based on the grammar, which is why many—like Augustine—believe Jesus was talking about Peter’s confession (that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God) or Christ Himself as the rock.

But even if one would take Peter to be the rock Jesus was referring to, it doesn’t follow that Peter’s primacy extended to his successors. History teaches that the bishop of Rome was not seen as the “head of the church” as Catholics believe today until hundreds of years after the death of the last apostle. And the NT books don’t teach directly or by example that Peter had the functional role that Rome teaches.