This is an exerpt from a book of the teachings of the Pope of the Coptic Church, Pope Shenouda III. I just want to verify that this is also what the Eastern Orthodox hold, and other resources also to look further into this.
Read the whole book at http://www.stmark-la.com/book.html
PRIMACY OF PETER:
]The Papists relied on apocryphal books of the second century, the pseudo-Clementines, and imagined with a purpose that the Apostle Peter is the founder of the Roman Church and their first bishop. While the Holy Scripture discusses matters and showed that the Apostle Peter was equal among equals in the apostolic synod of Jerusalem, and at another time is sharply rebuked by the Apostle Paul, as is evident from the Epistle to the Galatians. (GaL 2:11).
Moreover, the Papists themselves know well that the very passage of the Gospel to which the Pontiff refers, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church", (Matt. 16:18) is in the first centuries of the Church interpreted quite differently, in a spirit of orthodoxy, both by tradition and by all the divine and sacred Fathers without exception; the fundamental and unshaken rock upon which the Lord has built His own Church, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail, being understood metaphorically of Peter's true confession concerning the Lord, that 'He is Christ, the Son of the living God.' (Matt 16:16). Upon this confession and faith the saving preaching of the Gospel by all the apostles and their successors rests unshaken. Whence also the Apostle Paul, who had been caught up into heaven, evidently interpreting this divine passage, declares by divine inspiration, saying: "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master's builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ," (1 Cor. 3:10,11).
But it is in another sense that Paul calls all the apostles and prophets together the foundation of the building up in Christ of the faithful; that is to say, the members of the body of Christ, which is the Church;" (Col. 1:24) when he writes to the Ephesians: "Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone". (Ephesians 2:19,20; I Peter 2:4; Rev. 21:14)
Such, then, being the divinely inspired teaching of the apostles respecting the foundation and the Prince of the Church of God, of course the sacred Fathers, who held firmly to the apostolic traditions, could not have or conceive any idea of an absolute primacy of the Apostle Peter and the bishops of Rome; nor could they give any other interpretation, totally unknown to the Church, to that passage of the Gospel, but that which was true and right; nor could they arbitrarily and by themselves invent a novel doctrine respecting excessive privileges of the Bishop of Rome as successor, if so be, of Peter; especially while the Church of Rome was chiefly founded, not by Peter, whose apostolic action at Rome is totally unknown to history, but by the heaven-caught apostle of the Gentiles, Paul, through his disciples, whose apostolic ministry in Rome is well known to all. (Acts 28,15; Rom 15:15-16; Phil 1:13)
]1. Who is the greatest?
Then He (Jesus) came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "what was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?" But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:33-35).
Note here, that Christ did not assign one of the twelve to be their head or superior, but if anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. This is a new concept for being first, and that is to serve no to be served.
In the gospel of St. Luke chapter 22 verses 24-27 says: "But there was also rivalry among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He (Jesus) said to them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the tables Yet I am among you as the one who serves.
Note here also, Christ did not assign one of the twelve to be first or their superior.
2. Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ:
[When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said: some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon BarJonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bound on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16. 13-19).
The promise made to Peter has been realized in respect to the whole body of pastors, which proves that Christ only spoke to Peter as representing his colleagues, as being a type of the apostle's body. (The Papacy, page 40, by Abbe Gueftee).
The rock which Christ will build His church on is, "You are the Christ, the Son of God", because it is impossible that our Lord builds His church on someone who eventually will die, and bring His Church to naught!
Jesus Christ has declared that He was Himself, that stone Designated by the prophets. Matthew 21:42 says; Did you never read in the scriptures: the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone". (Luke 20:17,18) continues; "whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will crush him."
St. Paul says that Christ was that Rock, in 1Corinthians 10:4; "and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ". St. Peter also teaches the same truth, in his first epistle; "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone "(I Peter 2:7) (Ps. 118:22), "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense". (I Peter 2:8).
WHO IS THE ROCK, JESUS or PETER?
a. Build on the Rock: "Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24).
b. Build on the Rock: "But why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say? whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock " (Luke 6:46-48).
3. Sending out the Twelve:
And He, Jesus, called the twelve to him, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits, He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts - but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics" (Mark 6: 7- 9).
Note here: that our Lord did not assign a superior for them, but called all the twelve, and He (Jesus) sent them out.
4. The Denial and Restoration of Peter:
And Simon Peter followed Jesus... and stood at the door outside... then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you? Peter said, "I am not." (John 18:15-1 7). "Peter denied twice more after that" (John 18.25-27) , thus a total of three denials.
Our Lord Jesus restored Peter discipleship back.
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" Peter said to Him, "Yes Lord; You know that I love You. Jesus said, Feed my lambs. And this was on three times". (John 21:15-17).
Now, when Peter denied our Lord, he fell from being a follower of our Lord. Now Jesus had to restore the fellowship and discipleship of Peter before giving him the honor of priesthood along with the other disciples.
So Christ Questioned Peter's love for Him, then told him to feed and tender His sheep and lambs, and restored him as a disciple once more by telling him "follow Me," (John 21:19).
5. Priesthood was granted to all disciples:
]
Then Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:21-23).
6. The Jerusalem Council was headed by James in the presence of SimonPeter, Paul, Barnabas, and other disciples:
So the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter (conflict over circumcision) and certain men declared that unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. While Paul and Barnabas declared how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the gentiles.
Then James answered and concluded the Council saying; "Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from meat of strangled animals and from blood." (Acts 15:1-21)
The final word was for James since he was the bishop of Jerusalem and head of the council.
Peter spoke in the council only as a member of the assembly, not even the first, but after many others.
James, Bishop of Jerusalem, summed up the discussion, as the actual president of the assembly, proved the resolution which was adopted, and dated.
The apostles then did not consider St. Peter as the foundation stone of the church. Consequently the papal interpretation of the famous text, "The Petrus," is contrary to Holy Scripture as it is to tradition.
Who established the church of Rome, Peter or Paul?
]A.When they saw that the gospel for the circumcised had been committed to me (Paul) as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter, for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the gentiles. (Galadans 2:7,8).
So Paul was an apostle for the gentiles, while Peter was for the circumcised (Jews).
The Epistle to the Galatians was written between 56-57 A-D which was 16 years after Peter had baptized Cornelius the gentile i.e. 40 AD, and yet still did not consider Peter as the apostle of the gentile, because that incident was once!
The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans:
]
]Tells us about the responsibility of Paul toward the Romans, whom he served and preached to. A relationship of love and service among many believers in Rome
cont.....)[
The final word was for James since he was the bishop of Jerusalem and head of the council.
Peter spoke in the council only as a member of the assembly, not even the first, but after many others.
James, Bishop of Jerusalem, summed up the discussion, as the actual president of the assembly, proved the resolution which was adopted, and dated.
The apostles then did not consider St. Peter as the foundation stone of the church. Consequently the papal interpretation of the famous text, "The Petrus," is contrary to Holy Scripture as it is to tradition.
Who established the church of Rome, Peter or Paul?
]A.When they saw that the gospel for the circumcised had been committed to me (Paul) as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter, for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the gentiles. (Galadans 2:7,8).
So Paul was an apostle for the gentiles, while Peter was for the circumcised (Jews).
The Epistle to the Galatians was written between 56-57 A-D which was 16 years after Peter had baptized Cornelius the gentile i.e. 40 AD, and yet still did not consider Peter as the apostle of the gentile, because that incident was once!
The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans:
]
]Tells us about the responsibility of Paul toward the Romans, whom he served and preached to. A relationship of love and service among many believers in Rome
cont.....)[
