Journal: Central Bible Quarterly
Volume: CENQ 08:4 (Winter 1965)
Article: The Doctrine Of The Keys
Author: Richard C. Weeks

CenQ 8:4 (Winter 1965) p. 1

The Doctrine Of The Keys

Richard C. Weeks

Professor at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College

Owatonna, Minnesota

Introduction

Both historically and exegetically, this study aims to examine the unwarranted claims of the Roman Catholic church in ascribing to the apostle Peter the place of exalted headship over Christ’s church on earth at the occasion of our Lord’s departure to be with the Father God. This position of authority, they reason, was to be transmitted by Peter to his successors in the bishopric at Rome together with the alleged apostolic sacerdotal power. The New Testament passage from which they set forth this claim is Matthew 16:19, which tells of Christ giving to Peter “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

Once the fallacy of Rome’s interpretation of the Doctrine of the Keys is admitted, the whole papal framework falls, for then the “pope” has no claim to supremacy over the Christian church or faith. Thus Rome clings to the teaching of Peter’s headship with all tenacity. Two passages of Scripture are of special importance, Matthew 16:13–20 and Matthew 18:15–18.

It would be beyond the scope of this study to attempt to deal with every phase of Roman teaching which asserts the right and power to religious absolutism in the Christian church. While the Roman churchmen declare that tradition of the church is a true guide in substantiating their claims, yet they recognize that even this tradition must be based on or have its roots and beginnings in the pronouncements of Jesus. The words of Christ recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter sixteen and verses 18–19, seem to the Roman church to provide the authority to their claims. The Douay (Catholic) version of the Bible reads at that passage as follows: “And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

CenQ 8:4 (Winter 1965) p. 2

And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed in heaven.” It will be noted that this reading is almost identical with that of the same passage in the King James version.

It is not important here to consider the interpretation of what our Lord meant when he pronounced Peter’s name and said “upon this rock will I build my church.” It might be well to say that the traditional interpretation of this by the Roman church...