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This is something that has never happened before. The Vatican this morning publicly displayed what's believed to be bone fragments from Saint Peter and Apostle of Jesus Christ and the world's first Pope. Was Peter the first Pope? I want to give you three reasons as to why we know or how we know that Peter was most definitely not the first Pope and the Roman Catholic Church is lying and extremely and completely wrong about Peter. You say how do you know that Peter is not the first Pope? Well number one because Peter had a wife. Popes have no wives. According to Catholic.org the first written requirement for priests to remain celibate and without children is in Canon 33 of the Council of Elvira 304 AD. Just 21 years later Roman Emperor Constantine didn't like that blanket ban on marriage so some priests did have wives and others didn't. That lasted a while until the 11th century when Pope Gregory the seventh issued a decree for all priests to be celibate. Are you there in Matthew 8? We've been looking at it. Look at verse 14 and when Jesus was coming to Peter's house he Jesus saw his Peter's wife's mother laid and sick of a fever and he touched her hand and the fever left her and she arose and ministered unto them. In Mark chapter 1 and verse 30 the Bible says this but Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever and anon they tell him of her. If you have a mother-in-law it's because you have a wife. Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law because he was married. Jesus the Bible says he saw his wife's mother Simon's wife's mother Mark 1 chapter 30 and the point is this Peter had a wife. Popes have no wives so therefore Peter was not a pope. Let me just say this about this doctrine because the Roman Catholic Church teaches that the spiritual leadership which they call priests but now they're starting to call them pastors that they should not be married that they should be celibate. They teach that the priest should not be married they teach that as they go up the the ranks they should not be married and the Pope himself is not married and this is their spiritual leadership. They say our spiritual leaders should not get married. There is a practical advantage to having a celibate clergy and that may be part of Saint Paul's thinking when he for example tells Saint Timothy to be a good soldier for Christ and not to get entangled in civilian affairs which would presumably include things like having a family. We also know that Paul himself recommended celibacy and not just for ministers but he certainly practiced it himself and he makes point of that in his epistles. This is the opposite of what the Bible teaches. The Bible actually teaches that in order to be a pastor you have to be the husband of one wine but this doctrine that teaches that forbidding people from allowing them to get married that is a wicked doctrine. First Timothy 4 look at the Bible says now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. So we're about to learn about these seducing spirits and doctrines of devils speaking lies in hypocrisy having their conscience seared with a hot iron. First Timothy chapter 4 look at verse 3 forbidding to marry. Forbidding to marry when someone forbids other people from getting married according to the Bible that is a seducing spirit and doctrines of devils. He says forbidding to marry that sounds like the Roman Catholic Church and then he says this and commanding to abstain from meat. Doesn't that sound like the Roman Catholic Church with their Lent? And commanding to abstain from meat which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe it all the truth. So if the question is asked was Peter the first Pope well you must consider that Peter had a wife and Popes have no wives. But here's the second reason why I don't believe that Peter was a Pope and the second reason is this Peter refused worship. Popes receive worship. Notice Acts chapter 10 and verse 25. Acts chapter 10 verse 25 and as Peter was coming in Cornelius met him now remember Cornelius has seen a vision he's been told to bring Peter and that Peter is gonna bring this message to him and the Bible says and as Peter was coming in Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. So Cornelius falls down at the feet of Peter and he begins to worship him. Notice how Peter responds verse 26 but Peter took him up saying stand up I myself also am a man. Peter said I'm a man just like you don't worship me because the only person that should be worshipped is God. But yet today the Pope he's not like Peter he's not like Peter who refuses to receive worship no the Pope receives worship. I mean just watch the Pope as he goes to all these different places he's got all sorts of people groveling at his feet falling down before him kissing his hands kissing his feet the Pope's received worship yet Peter refused worship he said I myself also am a man don't worship me don't bow down. When you bring up this point here's what people say they'll say oh they're not worshipping the Pope when they bow down in front of them and grovel at his feet they kiss his big toe and they kiss his hands they're not worse they're just bowing down they're not worshipping they're just being reverend and bowing down. The objection assumes that bowing before something or someone necessarily involves worship but this is not true. Today even we as Christians we've been fooled by the liberal Christians out there who tell us that worship is something you do in a service right they have their worship service and what do they do in their worship service? God is so amazing. Here's the problem with that nowhere in the Bible do you find that as being worshiped. You know that all throughout the Bible worship consistently worship consistently is bowing down in front of someone I could I could show you a hundred verses I'm not gonna take some time to do it let me show you a couple Joshua chapter 5 verse 14 and he said nay but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come and Joshua notice his response fell on his face to the earth and did worship and said unto him what saith my Lord unto his servant see in the Bible worship is bowing down before God it's not standing up at a rock concert with your lighter that's not worship worship is bowing down it's getting down prostrate in your in your face before his feet and worshipping him and here we're told that Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship go to Psalm 95 look at verse 6 oh come let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our maker why does the Bible say that here's why it says that because that's what worship is worship is about out so when Cornelius bowed down before Peter Peter said stand up I also am a man like you and he refused to allow someone to bow in front of him because he refused worship but you know what Pope's do today they receive worship they allow people to bow down in front of them and listen we should not bow before anybody except God but let me give you a third reason why I do not believe that Peter was the first Pope now in Matthew 16 this is where the Roman Catholics take their teaching that Peter was the first Pope and that the church was founded upon Peter in Matthew 16 and verse 15 the Bible says this he saith unto them Jesus is asking a question to his disciples he asked this question but whom say ye that I am he just got done asking them who do men say that I am and they gave him all sorts of answers now he's saying okay but whom say ye that I am and Simon Peter answered and said thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God he affirmed the fact that he was the chosen Messiah and that he was deity that he was the Christ and the Son of the Living God verse 17 and Jesus answered and said unto him blessed art thou Simon Barjona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven what is Jesus referring to what what was what is it that flesh and blood did not reveal to Peter but my father which is in heaven it was that statement that truth thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God Jesus says Jesus is referring back to the statement that Peter made Peter said thou art the Christ Jesus said whom say ye that I am and Peter responds thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God and Jesus says you know that statement you know that truth you just said Peter that was not revealed to you by flesh and blood that was revealed to you by my father which is in heaven that's the context that we enter into verse 18 and I say also unto thee thou art Peter and upon this rock now the Roman Catholic Church will say see there Jesus is looking at Peter and he says your Peter and upon this rock Peter I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it but I will prove to you that that is not what Jesus was saying when Jesus said upon this rock he is referring to the truth that just came out of Peter's mouth when he said thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God say well how do you know that here's how I know that because all throughout the Bible all throughout the Bible the rock has always been God go to Psalm 18 Psalm 18 in verse 2 the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer notice my God the Lord is my rock then he says my God my God is the Lord my God is my rock my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high tower so well that's just one verse okay how about verse 31 same song Psalm 18 31 for who is God save the Lord now when it says save the Lord there what that means is except for the Lord he's saying who is God save the Lord or who is a rock save our God he says who is a rock except for our God you say why because the Lord is my wrong my God my strength in whom I will trust look at verse 46 same chapter Psalm 18 verse 46 the Lord liveth and blessed be my rock and let the God of my salvation be exalted all throughout the Bible all throughout the Bible the rock all throughout the Old Testament the Lord God he has been the rock but yet the Roman Catholic Church will say no Peter is the rock sorry when Jesus is speaking of the rock he's really referring back to Peter you can see this for example in Craig Keener's commentary on Matthew in our own tracks of Catholic answers we've shown this in much older commentaries such as the work of DA Carson a very famous exegete the problem of course is that the words are different because Peter can't be referred to rock as a feminine noun in Greek and you can't if you call Peter the same if you use the same name you're essentially calling in Patricia okay there's a problem with that go to John chapter 1 John chapter 1 the problem with saying that Peter is the rock is that it goes in in complete contradiction of what Jesus said John chapter 1 and verse 40 one of the two which heard John speak and followed him was Andrew Simon Peters brother he first find of his own brother Simon and say then to him we have found the Messiah's which is being interpreted the Christ and he brought him to Jesus and when Jesus beheld him he said thou art Simon the son of Jonah thou shalt be called Cephas Simon Peter Cephas these are all names of the same person Jesus changed his name he says thou art Simon the son of Jonah thou shalt be called Cephas you say well what does Cephas mean well the Bible it's its own dictionary which is by interpretation a rock is that what it says no which is by interpretation a stone see Peter the name Peter means stone but it doesn't mean rock it would've been blasphemous for Jesus to look at Peter say you're the rock because these believers would have known that throughout the Old Testament throughout the Old Testament the rock has always been our God go to 1st Corinthians chapter 10 look at verse 4 and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drink of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Peter is that what it says that rock was Christ is that I thought God was the rock well Jesus is God Christ is God so he's the rock and when Jesus looked at Peter and he said thou art Peter he wasn't saying thou art Peter and upon this rock he was actually saying remember Peter you're just a pebble you're just a stone thou art Peter and upon this rock upon this truth that you just declared that I am the Christ the Son of the Living God upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it see the church was not founded upon the stone of a man named Peter but the church was founded upon the rock of the Lord Jesus Christ so the question is this if the question is this was Peter the first Pope you need to consider the fact that number one Peter had a wife and popes have no wives number two Peter refused worship and popes receive worship but number three Peter was a stone Cephas and the church was founded upon the rock which is the Lord Jesus Christ