The Apostolic Fathers

The lecture addressed a comparison between the two Apostles, Paul and Peter, highlighting the role of each in preaching and teaching, especially concerning the founding of the Church of Rome.

First: A Comparison between the Two Apostles:

• Paul was described as the Apostle to the Gentiles (the Uncircumcision), while Peter was the Apostle to the Jews (the Circumcision) (Galatians 2).
• Peter’s upbringing was simple, as he grew up as a fisherman.
• In contrast, Paul was a learned man and an avid reader (well-read), trained at the feet of Gamaliel, and his knowledge was known even to the governors (as mentioned in the Book of Acts).

Second: Fields of Paul’s Ministry:

• Paul spoke about many doctrinal and theological matters (such as the Divinity of Christ, justification, and grace).
• He showed greater toil in preaching and teaching than all the Apostles.
• He had many disciples more than all the Apostles, such as: Mark, Luke, Timothy, Titus, Aristarchus, and Demas.
• He wrote 14 Epistles, while Peter wrote only two.
• He preached in Jerusalem, Judea, Antioch, the island of Cyprus, Asia Minor, the Aegean Islands (Archipelago), and Greece (Athens, Thessalonica, and Macedonia).

Third: The Founding of the Church of Rome:

• The speaker asserts that Paul is the founder of the Church of Rome, not Peter.
• Evidence of Paul’s Founding of the Church of Rome:
  1. He is the Apostle to the Gentiles, and Rome is of the Gentiles.
  2. He wrote an Epistle to the Romans, in which he stated he would come to them to impart some spiritual gift.
  3. Christ told him: “As you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”
  4. His principle was “not to preach where Christ was already named… not building on another man’s foundation,” indicating that he was the first to preach in Rome.
  5. In the Book of Acts (Chapter 28), it is reported that the chief Jews in Rome asked him about Christianity, saying: “We know nothing about this sect except that it is spoken against everywhere,” suggesting the absence of organized preaching before him.
  6. The fact that Paul stayed for two years in Rome is mentioned at the end of the Book of Acts, teaching and preaching.
• Stance on the Supremacy of Rome:
  • He indicates that Catholics claim Peter founded Rome to make Rome the “chief of the churches,” based on the succession of supremacy from Peter.
  • He emphasizes that not a single verse in the Holy Bible states that Peter went to Rome.
  • He rejects the idea of absolute supremacy over the Christian world, citing Christ’s saying: “It shall not be so among you,” and that supremacy is not inherited.
  • He posed an unanswered question to Catholics: If Peter was martyred in 67 AD, and John the Apostle (one of the three pillars) was still alive until 95-97 AD, how could the Bishop of Rome (a subordinate) preside over John the Apostle?
  • He affirmed that the Ecumenical Council is the supreme authority that governs the General Church, not a single head