Religious Opposition to the Papacy

It is a Catholic lie that the Catholic church was the first church. It is also a Catholic lie that the papacy can be traced back to Peter, or that the papacy has any Biblical foundation at all. In fact, there was never a time when the papacy and the Romanists were without major opposition.

Rejection of Rome's Apostolic Foundation

Corinth, Philippi, and Ephesus were founded by Paul, moreso than was Rome. In fact, the first pope, Gregory I (590 - 604) even pointed this out. He said that Alexandria and Antioch had apostolic foundations just as legitimate as Rome's, and chronologically, they actually came about before Rome. John Mark (according to tradition) founded the church in Alexandria, for instance.

Gregory was trying to show that Constantinople wasn't anything special compared to Antioch and Alexandria. He and the patriarch of Constantinople were in competition. Following this argument, he was also admitting that these other churches were superior to Rome.

The Bible says that Peter went to "another place." According to his own writing, Peter went East (to Babylon and other places mentioned), not West (Rome was west). Some tradition says he was taken to Rome in ad 68 and killed with Paul, but if this is true, there is still absolutely no evidence for Peter going to Rome before this incident. Paul, in writing to the Romans, never mentioned Peter, though he mentioned many others.

Rejection of Simon Peter's Papacy

Innocent I (bishop at Rome from 401 - 417) claimed that Peter was the first pope. Chrysostom (bishop at Constantinople), Ambrose (bishop of Milan), Jerome (author of the Latin Vulgate), Augstine, and others all disagreed with Innocent. While Innocent tried using Matthew 15 to prove Peter's papacy, all those listed above rejected this idea, saying that the rock upon which the church was built was either 1) the confession of who Christ is or 2) Christ Himself.

Rejection of the Primacy of Rome

The early church flat-out rejected the idea that any one bishop or church was superior to the others. Origen (2nd and 3rd century) specifically denied that the Church was built upon Peter, and said that all successors of the apostles are equally authoritative.

Cities' Opposition to the Papacy

Antioch

Antioch claimed supremacy to Rome because they were before Rome, and they sent missionaries (including Paul) before Rome had its first believer.

Alexandria

Tradition says John Mark founded the church at Alexandria (in the East). He was an associate of Peter's, who went East (not West, as the Romanists claim). Alexandria claimed supremacy to Rome because it was founded earlier. Nicea (325) recognized the equality of Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria.

Constantinople

The Council in Constantinople (381) said Constantinople was at least equal with the other churches.

Jerusalem

Chalcedon in 451 added Jerusalem to the list of equal churches. It was yet another church that existed prior to Rome.