Among the many topics presented here I want to comment on just a couple. Peter and the pearly gates is a concept that really irks me….
The leaders demanding a miraculous sign is mentioned twice today. It seems like a small conversation when compared to the huge miracles that are happening, and yet it was recorded. Maybe it’s because Jesus is directly refusing to do what the religious leaders want. This conversation might illustrate that Jesus and the religious leaders are on two separate paths. Or, it could be because Jesus said “no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah” which we all understand to be the resurrection after 3 days in the tomb. That alone makes the whole conversation worth recording.
I read and re-read the passage where Jesus and asks his disciples who they thought He was. Peter’s confession of faith was commended by the Lord, but I think we might have misinterpreted the rest of the passage. From reading it casually, it does seem that Jesus is saying that He is going to build the church “on” Peter, and that Peter will have the keys to the kingdom of heaven. This has led to the countless puns about “Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates”….I mean, since he’s the one with the keys, he must be the doorman…right? (said Pastor Rick, sarcastically).
A far more serious misinterpretation is that Peter would be the foundation of the church. Since Peter is believed to have died in Rome, the church in Rome believed they were favored over all other churches…whom they considered peers. Even though they weren’t trying to grab power, the subsequent leaders of the church in Rome eventually did just that, giving rise to the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church professes that Peter was the first Pope, and that every Pope who came after him was given the same authority that Jesus gave to Peter. That’s oddly ironic, because I believe that Jesus didn’t give Peter anything that the rest of the church didn’t receive….so in a way, I completely agree with the Catholic Church. Although I doubt that they would see it that way.
Here’s how I see it: Let’s begin with the obvious claim that the church will be built on Peter. Really? How does recorded history prove that out? It would be more correct to say that the Church was built on Paul, or on Luke…both of whom wrote more, and Paul certainly traveled more and planted more churches. And in one case Paul even rebuked Peter…calling him out on hypocritical behavior. Does that sound like the foundation of the church? Secondly, why would an all powerful, perfect and all knowing deity elect to build His church on a human, rather than himself? We already know that God is jealous…He says so himself in Exodus “I the Lord your God am a jealous God…”. If God is going to build a congregation on earth Peter might be a part of it, but he clearly can’t be the whole foundation.
He could be one of the foundation stones however. A house is supported by a foundation, and the book of Revelation chapter 21 tells us that there are 12 foundation stones under the new city of Jerusalem, and each one has the name of an apostle. It’s certainly plausible that Jesus was saying “you 12 are the beginning of the new body of Christ”. And the keys that are spoken of are given to the Church, not just to Peter. The keys to the gates of heaven represent the way to enter into heaven. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way in, and every disciple had that “key”. The word “Gospel” means “good news” and the good news is that Jesus has come to pay the price for our sins…so we can be forgiven and enter into heaven. That knowledge is the key! and Peter isn’t the only one to have it. So, the passage isn’t identifying Peter…it’s identifying the church, which is the whole body of believers, in every country around the world. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church of God, the body of Christ. I believe that there are Catholics who truly believe and will be in heaven, just like there are believers in most denominations. And, just like other denominations, there are those who think they are going into heaven simply because they are members, or their parents were members….or for some other reason….but they will be disappointed on judgement day.
I would like to read some more about the idea of “what we permit on earth is permitted in heaven”. In my mind, what’s permitted in heaven sets the bar for what we can do on earth, not the other way around.
One other thought that we don’t want to miss here is that Jesus is preparing his disciples for his upcoming death. They were surprised when Jesus was taken captive and killed, but they shouldn’t have been because Jesus had been telling them this all along. It wasn’t until after the resurrection they were able to put in all together. (Probably with the help of the Holy Spirit).
The Pharisees and Sadducees preached a message that sounded like it should be true. They preached that God is a taskmaster who will become very angry if the people don’t follow His law to the letter. Every single part of the law must be obeyed, because those who keep the law will enter into heaven.
The truth had escaped them. the truth was that no one can keep the Law. If we have to be perfect no one is going to heaven. That’s why Jesus came in the first place, to forgive us of our sins in breaking the Law of God. Since Jesus came to die in our place, we clearly can’t do it on our own….if we could, then why would He come and die for us? And, if Jesus paid the price for us, then our rejection of Him as the pathway to heaven and our reliance upon “keeping the law” becomes heresy. The Pharisees wanted people to keep the Law, and depend on it for “salvation”. They had no problem with Jesus as a teacher or rabbi, but when He proposed that He could forgive sins….well, that was too far for them. In their mind, sins could only be forgiven obtaining God’s favor by keeping the Law perfectly. On of the things that Jesus points out in His ministry is that the Pharisees are guilty of breaking the very law they claim is necessary for salvation.
Salvation is found in Christ alone, and he is no fool who gives up whatever he must in order to obtain it.
Faithfully,
PR