Peter or Paul

[TheSarge]

You are exactly right my friend! Today being the day that Pentecost celebrated in Church is a good day for this lesson. I know that the Holy Spirit changed me from the wicked sinner that I was in to the God loving repentant sinner that I am today. It wasn't that long ago that I would have been right their with Owl telling you Christians what fools were and now, 2 years later I'm considering going to seminary. Funny what the Lord will do with us when we give Him the chance.

Which means you are living proof of the lesson Jesus was trying to teach us back then.

[FlaGator]

For the record, Peter was not the first Pope. Although he was the 'Rock upon which' Christ will build his Church, Peter was the chief Apostle and who the other Apostles deferred to when disputes arose between them and he was changed with Evangelizing the Jews. The Pope is strictly a Roman Catholic Church position. The first Pope is considered to be Gregory the Great who became head of the Roman Catholic Church (Bishop of Roman) in 590 A.D. It was he who instituted much of the dogma that defines the Catholic Church.

With respect, Peter IS considered the first Pope in the Catholic Church. He was the bishop of Rome, and that's where he was executed. The second Pope, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, was St. Linus. According to Roman Catholic tradition, there were 63 Popes before St. Gregory the Great (Although you are definitely correct about Gregory's  importance. We're still using his calendar, for example.)

Catholic Encyclopedia

The Catholics consider Peter the first Pope, but much of the rest of Christianity does not. The Catholic Church had not been established in Peter's life time. The Catholic Church was established in 313 under Constantine by the Edict of Milan and organized in 325 at the Council of Nicaea. Catholics and Protestants will always disagree about this so we might have to agree to disagree or else continue a debate that started 500 years ago.

[Splashdown]

The Catholics consider Peter the first Pope, but much of the rest of Christianity does not. The Catholic Church and not be establish in Peter's life time. The Catholic Church was established in 313 under Constantine by the Edict of Milan and organized in 325 at the Council of Nicaea. Catholics and Protestants will always disagree about this so we might have to agree to disagree or else continue a debate that started 500 years ago.

Fair enough!