This a powerful “top ten” list from Tim Staples of Catholic Answers, wherein he proves from the New Testament that Saint Peter and his successors are the Vicars of Christ. The only thing I would have added, along with the commission given thrice to Peter alone by the Resurrected Christ to feed His sheep, is that, as we have it in Greek (and the Vulgate, too) two words for sheep are used. First, Jesus tells Peter to “feed my lambs (ta arnia mou)”; then, in His answer to the next two professions which He draws of Peters love, Jesus says “feed my sheep (ta probata mou).” I read somewhere, but I cannot locate the commentary now, that Aramaic had three different words for sheep: the first being the “little ones” (the lambs) the second word was used for a “little flock,” and the third was for the whole sheepfold, i.e. all sheep, not only one flock. Interesting. It would be great to authenticate this. There is an assignment for a scholarly type who is good at Biblical research.
Also I was glad that Mr. Staples pointed out the switch from the plural to the singular in Our Lord’s prayers for Saint Peter at the Last Supper. You will appreciate this in point four of the article I will link you to.
Finally, Mr. Staples notes that, according to the exact words of Saint John’s account of the Resurrected Jesus’ appearance to the, shall I say, spiritually “vagrant,” fishing Apostles on the shore of Lake Tiberias that it was Saint Peter alone who hauled in the net of 153 fish. I loved this fact. A miracle I never heard of, and it was right there all the time.
Bravo Tim Staples. I will check out your entire list for sure.
Catholic Answers: In an earlier blog post, I made the point that the role of St. Peter and his successors is made remarkably clear in Matthew 16:18-19 and its immediate context:
And I tell you, you are Peter (Gr.—petros—‘rock’), and on this rock (Gr.—petra—‘rock’) I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Read the full article here.
