The Apostles Research Paper

Words: 918
Pages: 4

Many people, especially Protestants, object to the Catholic Church and her organized body. Often they object to the Papacy, the sacraments, and even the priesthood. They claim that this institution is not how Jesus willed the Christian faith to be. However, by reading the Bible, and observing Jesus’ selection of the Apostles, the selection of Peter, Christ’s own words about organization, we can see that Jesus deliberately intended for the Catholic faith to be to be visibly organized.
We know that Jesus selected the Apostles to be the leaders of his church, because he distinctly made them separate from other people by giving to them special authority, powers, and a mission. In Matthew 18:18, Jesus tells the Apostles that whatever they “bind
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We know this from Scripture. In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter is clearly in charge. It is He who declares Gentiles can join the Church; he leads the Apostles in choosing Judas’ successor and in preaching on Pentecost. In the Gospel of Luke at the last supper, Jesus tells Peter that even though he will deny him three times, Peter would become the a source of strength for the apostles. In John 21: 15-17, when Peter reaffirms his love for Christ 3 times, Jesus tells him to “feed my sheep.” Jesus wants Peter to lead and instruct his flock, the church. The most explicit verse about Jesus declaring Peter to be leader of the Church is in Matthew 16:18-19. Jesus says to Peter, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And whatever you bind on earth, will be bound in heaven. And I will give to you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Jesus is saying that Peter will be the head of Christ’s Church and that as leader, Peter has the power to interpret and apply God’s law the Church. While the other apostles are given this power as well in Matthew 18:18, Peter receives it first and individually. Peter is also the only one to be given “the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” This proves that Peter …show more content…
What these people fail to acknowledge is the Church being an organized body is Biblical. In the Acts of the Apostles we see the Church community and their leaders. There where counsels where the leaders made decisions, regular time to gather for the Eucharist, and a structure of deacons, priest, and bishops. But the apostles didn’t just come up with this organization on their own; it came from Christ’s teachings. Frequently Jesus referred to the Church as a flock of sheep, a city, or even a kingdom. Just as a sheep has a shepherd, a city has a mayor, and a kingdom has a king, the Church has leaders too. And these leaders guide and care for the community, as Christ