Papal History

Bob Waters gives a lengthy and detailed account of the history of the papacy and the dubious claim that Peter was the first pope, and that the earliest "popes" were actually popes, as we understand them, at all.

The papacy did not spring full-grown from Matthew 16. It evolved and developed- and it is very far from being self-evident that the "popes" of the first century and a half were popes at all in any sense we would recognize today- that is, unless we have an ecclesiastical axe to grind!

It has always seemed to me that Peter was primarily an evangelist, whereas the office of pope is more of an admistrative, pastoral office. Peter wasn't even the head pastor, to use modern designations, of the Jerusalem church! James was. So it seems strange to peg Peter as the undisputed, authoritative leader of the early church.