The Roman Catholic Church has built its entire papal structure on the assertion that Peter was the first pope, that Jesus made him the “rock” upon which the church is built (Matthew 16:18), and that this primacy was passed down in unbroken succession to the bishops of Rome.

A plain, literal reading of the Bible—checked against the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts—utterly destroys this claim. The verses Rome cites either say nothing about a papacy or actively contradict it

1. Matthew 16:18 – “Upon this rock I will build my church”

Catholic Claim: “Thou art Peter (Πέτρος), and upon this rock (πέτρα) I will build my church.”Greek Reality:

• Πέτρος (Petros) = a stone, a piece of rock (masculine).
• πέτρα (petra) = a massive rock, bedrock, cliff (feminine).

Jesus deliberately switched from the masculine Petros to the feminine petra to show He was NOT building on Peter himself. In Attic and Koine Greek, this gender distinction is unmistakable. The Aramaic/Hebrew equivalent makes it even clearer:

• Aramaic (Peshitta): ܟܐܦܐ (Kepha) for Peter, but Jesus says “upon this kepha” while pointing to Himself (the confession in v. 16 is the rock). The Syriac church fathers (Ephrem, Aphrahat) never understood this as papal.
• Hebrew Gospel tradition (Shem-Tob): “You are a stone (eben), and upon this rock (tsur) I will build…” — eben and tsur are never interchangeable for the same object.

Paul confirms the true rock: 1 Corinthians 10:4 – “that Rock (πέτρα) was Christ.”
Ephesians 2:20 – the church is built upon the apostles AND prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone. Peter himself never claimed to be the rock: 1 Peter 2:4–8 quotes Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 28:16, applying the “rock” and “chief corner stone” titles exclusively to Jesus.

2. Matthew 16:19 – “Keys of the kingdom” and binding/loosing

Catholic Claim: Peter alone received the keys and supreme binding authority.Greek/Aramaic Reality:

• The verbs “bind” (δῆς) and “loose” (λύσῃς) are future perfect periphrastics in Greek: “shall have been bound/loosed” — indicating heaven’s prior action, not Peter’s initiative.
• In Matthew 18:18, Jesus gives the exact same authority to ALL the disciples (plural: λύσητε, δήσητε).
• John 20:23 – again, the whole group receives the power to remit/retain sins.

The “keys” are the gospel message itself (cf. Isaiah 22:22 in Hebrew context is a steward, not a perpetual dynasty). Peter used them first at Pentecost (Acts 2) and with Cornelius (Acts 10), but never claimed exclusive or perpetual possession.

3. Peter’s alleged primacy in lists and leadership

• 1 Corinthians 3:11 – “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” No Peter-foundation allowed.
• Ephesians 2:20 – Foundation = apostles (plural) + prophets, Christ the cornerstone. Peter is one of many.
• 1 Corinthians 1:12–13 – Paul rebukes the very idea of exalting Peter: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?”

4. Peter’s own testimony and behavior

• 1 Peter 5:1 – Peter calls himself a “fellow elder” (συμπρεσβύτερος), never “supreme pontiff” or “Vicar of Christ.”
• Acts 15 – James, not Peter, presides and issues the decree at the Jerusalem Council (v. 19: “I judge” – κρίνω).
• Galatians 2:11–14 – Paul publicly rebukes Peter “to the face” for hypocrisy. A pope cannot be corrected by a lesser apostle.

5. Old Testament types Rome misuses

• Psalm 18:31 / 28:1 / 118:22 / Isaiah 28:16 / Deuteronomy 32:4 – All call God/Christ the Rock (צוּר / πέτρα), never Peter.
• 1 Samuel 2:2 – “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock (צוּר) like our God.”

6. Historical silence

• No writer before the late 3rd century (Cyprian, then twisted by Rome) ever called Peter the bishop of Rome or head of the church.
• The earliest Roman bishop lists are contradictory and late (Irenaeus c. 180 AD is the first, and even he says the church is built on the faith of Peter and Paul, not Peter alone).

Conclusion

The Greek gender switch (Petros ≠ petra), the Aramaic distinction, Peter’s own writings, Paul’s correction of Peter, the plural giving of the keys and binding authority, and the unanimous testimony of the Old Testament that God alone is the Rock—all demolish the papal reading of Matthew 16. Peter was a stone in the building; Jesus Christ is the only Rock upon which the church stands. Rome’s claim is built on a linguistic sleight-of-hand that collapses under the original languages and the plain testimony of Scripture.1 Corinthians 3:11 is final: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Peter himself would be the first to reject the papacy.

Don’t forget to Subscribe for Updates. Also, Follow Us at Society-Reviews, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Odysee, Rumble, and Twitch