Question: Did apostle Peter meet Jesus in a vision before he died in Rome? In Latin they say, 'Domine, Quo Vadis?' which translated means, 'Lord, where are you going?' has been the tradition upon which the catholics use Matthew 16: 18-19 to claim that Peter was the first pope of the Roman church. What is your take on that? Could you please make a outline of Biblical timeline of Peter the apostle's life approximately from his early times to his death if possible through Scripture?
Answer: Greetings to you in Jesus wonderful name!
According to Catholic tradition, St. Peter and St. Paul were both executed in Rome around the year 67 C.E. during the reign of the infamous emperor Nero. The story (found in early Christian writings but not in the New Testament), states that Peter was freed from prison in Rome after he and Paul converted their jailers. Peter was then persuaded by fellow Christians who were concerned for his safety, to flee Rome. As he left, Peter encountered the resurrected Jesus. Astonished, Peter asked “Domine quo vadis?” (Lord, where are you going?). Jesus replied “I go to Rome to be crucified anew.” When he heard these words, Peter understood that his actions were cowardly and that he must return to Rome. There, he was arrested and crucified upside down at his request because he did not feel worthy of dying as Jesus had.
John, 13:36-37, where Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, where art thou going?” and Jesus replies, “I am going where thou canst not follow me now, but shalt follow me afterwards.” Then Peter said to him, “Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I am ready to lay down my life for thy sake.”
Why could Peter not be able to follow Jesus at that time when Jesus spoke? Because Peter was not still born from above and empowered by the Spirit of God to be filled by Him (John 20:22; Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, 14-15), therefore in the flesh Peter could not handle the challenges that lay ahead of him (Luke 22:31-34; Matt 26:40-41). That is why in John 13:38, Jesus could very clearly predict "the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times".
In other words, Jesus very clearly says that when Peter was young as at that time he told it, that when ever challenges arise he was depending upon His own strength to defend himself and walked in his own will to do all his wishes, but when he becomes old by walking for years of self sacrifice to "Feed His lambs, Tend His sheep and Feed His Sheep", when he becomes old and spiritually mature to take up his own cross and carry it day in day out to fulfill the will of God for his life, then when challenges and dangers to his very life existence would arrive at the end of his earthly life, he would surrender his own will to the Holy Spirit and that He would carry him by His grace and strength to be crucified in Rome literally. On reaching Rome, upon the very request of Peter saying, 'Crucify me upside down, because I am not worthy to be crucified like my Master Jesus Christ', he was crucified upside down according to the tradition. Hallelujah! Exactly to the very word, the life journey of Apostle Peter ended just the exact way Jesus predicted of how he would die as a martyr to glorify God. What a victorious end to the mighty apostle to the Jews!
Matthew 16:18-19 - "Thou art Peter, and it is upon this rock that 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; and whatever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
If we ask the question in what way, Jesus built his Church, is it upon Peter's name? The catholic tradition has lied to people claiming Peter as their first pope, but actually in context Jesus was saying to Peter, "You are Peter [(i.e.) the small rock], and it is upon this rock [(i.e). Big Rock Jesus Christ the Son Of God revelation within Peter (Matt 16:15-17)] that I will build my Church" So what is the keys of the kingdom of heaven in context? It is the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Messiah who is God in the flesh, that became the key to loose the chains of darkness by the power in His name and faith in his name (Acts 3:12, 16), and heaven responded to apostle Peter by responding with the supernatural behind his ministry that started with Pentecost and ended only after thirty four years, in Rome where he died as a martyr at last in the perfect will of God. Glory to God!
From the very name 'Roman Catholic Church', we can understand and dissect the true nature of this harlot church. God has from the beginning has separated the political headship from religious headship to keep the people of God holy and separated for devotion towards God. We see the very word 'Roman' is the political headship from the beast of Rome has mixed with the religious headship of the Catholic Church which means 'Universal Church'. We know that Rome was that which killed both leading apostle to the Jews who is apostle Peter and the leading apostle to the Gentiles who is apostle Paul (Gal 2:8), both were killed in Rome according to the tradition of the times. My question is, if Peter was martyred by Rome, how could he become the first pope of the Catholic Church as they claim him to be?
Except the reference of both Paul staying and teaching in Rome at the end of his life (Acts 28:16, 30-31), and Peter at the end of his life, writing to the familiar Churches around the world from Rome and calling it as 'Babylon' symbolically which is the spiritual code language for Rome among the apostles in the first century (Rev 17:5, 7, 18; 18:10, 16, 18, 21). Babylon is the great city of Rome according to the apostles.
To be exact regarding this, only from 313 AD, the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which accepted Christianity: 10 years later, it had become the official religion of the Roman Empire. Under the Constantinian dynasty Christianity expanded throughout the Empire, launching the era of State church of the Roman Empire. When only in 313 AD both Constantine and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan decriminalizing Christian worship, how could apostle Peter who was killed by them nearly two and half century before could become the first bishop or pope of the Catholic Church? The lies propagated by this catholic Church have destroyed millions and millions of poor souls and have kept them in eternal darkness and doom in successive generations. O dear Lord have mercy!
The first recorded official persecution of Christians on behalf of the Roman Empire was in AD 64, when, as reported by the Roman historian Tacitus, Emperor Nero attempted to blame Christians for the Great Fire of Rome. According to Church tradition, it was during the reign of Nero that Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome. Christians suffered from sporadic and localized persecutions over a period of two and a half centuries. Their refusal to participate in the Imperial cult was considered an act of treason and was thus punishable by execution. During the Great Persecution (303–311), the emperor Diocletian ordered Christian buildings and the homes of Christians torn down and their sacred books collected and burned. Christians were arrested, tortured, mutilated, burned, starved, and condemned to gladiatorial contests to amuse spectators. The Great Persecution officially ended in April 311 AD.
According to the Bible, catholic church is the "great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication" (Rev 19:2), "by its sorcery all nations were deceived' (18:23), "in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth" (Rev 18:24), finally at the end of time before the Second Coming Of Jesus Christ, God will "avenge of her the blood of His servants shed by her." (Rev 19:2). God's final plea to his true saints on earth is to, "Come out of her, my people" (Rev 18:4) before the rapture takes place. Because of her sins, the earth will be plagued after the rapture of the true Church. Because the catholic church is "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Rev 17:5), we usually marvel with great amazement, of how she could suddenly turn all of its religious siblings in all the earth suddenly through ecumenism and religious syncretism to form one world religion of the end time in our generation (Rev 17:6). The marriage of politics and religion has been strongly built in to its very system through 'pope', who is considered as the unofficial king over all the kingdoms operating under it (Matt 23:8-10). Rome is "that great city" "which reigns over the kings of the earth" (Rev 17:18).
Make no mistake regarding this, papacy, the office and jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome, the pope (Latin papa, from Greek pappas, “father”), who presides over the central government of the Roman Catholic Church, is the head of the Roman Government. Most holders of the office have been Roman or Italian, with a sprinkling of other Europeans, including one Pole, and one Latin American pope. Pope is the brain child of religious and political union in one. Through this office, the Romans have built a empire from the west that rules the whole world till today. The Church of Jesus Christ has been the most persecuted among all in the world by this Babylonic city of Rome, which is the politico-religious King of the world (Rev 18:20). The Roman Catholic church is a wolf in sheep's clothing that Jesus and the apostles have always warned to the true Church of the living God, which is the pillar of truth (Matt 7:15-20; 1 Tim 3:15-16). Beware of its sorcery and deception O saints, especially in these end of end times where it is going to play a central role for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to rule for a Millennium along with the Church!
Here is the following TIMELINE OF APOSTLE PETER'S LIFE FROM THE BIBLE:
1 BC - Approximate time of the birth of Simon, son of Jonah, in the Galilean town of Bethsaida.
25-27 AD - Simon marries and has children. His family, along with his mother in-law, settles in Capernaum.
30 AD - Simon meets Jesus through the help of his brother Andrew who was a follower of John the Baptist. – John 1:40-41 While Peter and Andrew are fishing at the Sea of Galilee, Jesus sees them and asks them to follow Him. – Matthew 4:18, Mark 1:16-18
Jesus visits Peter’s house and cure Peter’s sick mother-in-law. – Matthew 8:14-15, Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:38-39
Peter casts his net in the deep ocean after being told by Jesus to do so. He tells Jesus that they have tried all night to do so and without success. When he did as he was told, they caught a great number of fish. – Luke 5:4-7
Jesus add to the name of Simon, Peter (from the Greek word petros meaning rock or stone). – Mark 3:16, Luke 6:14, John 1:42
31-32 AD – Peter becomes one of the witnesses to a miracle Jesus performed, raising a little girl back from the dead. – Matthew 9:23-26, Mark 5:37-43, Luke 8:51-55
The apostles and Simon Peter see Jesus walking on water, Peter asks Jesus to command him to walk to Him. Peter tries to walk on water, but he failed. – Matthew 14:28-29, John 6:19-20
Simon Peter makes a pronouncement about the deity of Jesus. – Matthew 16:16, John 6:68-69
Jesus tell Peter that he will build his church on him. – Matthew 16:18
After Jesus proclaims that He will be killed and then rise on the third day, Peter rebukes Him. – Matthew 16:21-23, Mark 8:31-33
Peter, along with James and John, witness the transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of Moses and Elijah on a mountain. – Matthew 17:1-3, Mark 9:2-3, Luke 9:29-32
33 AD – Jesus makes a prediction that Peter will deny Him three times before a rooster crows. – Matthew 26:34, Mark 14:30, Luke 22:34, John 13:38
Peter tells Jesus that he will never deny Him. – Matthew 26:35, Mark 14:31
Peter and the others were sleeping while Jesus was praying in The Garden of Gethsemane. – Matthew 26:40-46, Mark 14:37-42, Luke 22:45-46
When Jesus is arrested by the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, Peter takes his sword out and cuts off the ear of a servant. – Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50, John 18:10
The prediction of Jesus comes true when Peter denies Him three times. – Matthew 26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72, Luke 22:55-60, John 18:16-27
Peter and the other apostles receive word from Mary Magdalene that the body of Jesus is no longer there in the tomb. – Mark 16:10, Luke 24:9, John 20:1-2
Peter rushes to Jesus’s tomb to confirm the news. – Luke 24:12, John 20:3
Jesus appears to Peter before appearing to the other apostles. – Luke 24:34, 1 Corinthians 15:5
Jesus appears in front of the eleven apostles. – Mark 16:14, Luke 24:36, John 20:19
Jesus gives Peter and the other apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit. – Luke 24:49, John 20:21-23
While Peter and six others were fishing at the Sea of Galilee, Jesus appears and ask them if they have any fish. – John 21:4
Peter makes a confession of love towards the risen Jesus three times after meeting him on the shores of Galilee. – John 21:15-17
Peter and a large group of people gather at a mountain in Galilee to see Jesus. – Matthew 28:16, 1 Corinthians 15:6
33-48 AD – By default, Peter becomes the leader of the remaining disciples who had been with Jesus and tells them they should choose someone to replace Judas Iscariot, who had committed suicide. – Acts 1:16-26
Now filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter gives a message to the people in Jerusalem. – Acts 2:14-36
John, along with Peter, encounter a man who had never walked since birth, and Peter heals him and the man is able to walk. – Acts 3:6-8
One of the ruling parties of that time, the Sadducees, take John and Peter into custody. – Acts 4:3
Peter, John with him, are told by the Sadducees to stop telling people about Jesus. – Acts 4:18
Peter confronts a husband and wife regarding property they lied about. Both end up dead. – Acts 5:3-9
Peter and John are sent to Samaria to teach them about the word of God. – Acts 8:14
Peter travels to different places to teach and to encourage other believers in Jesus Christ. He also visited Lydda. – Acts 9:32
God uses Peter to bring a little girl back to life. – Acts 9:40
Cornelius, a Roman centurion, summons Peter to his house in Caesarea. Peter at that time was staying in Joppa. – Acts 10:1-6
For the first time, Peter realizes that God shows no partiality when it comes to those receiving His word. – Acts 10:34
Cornelius for the first time hears through the words of Peter about Jesus Christ. This the first account that the Gospel is also meant for non-Jewish people (Gentiles). – Acts 10:37-48
Jewish believers in Jerusalem argue with Peter for being in the company of non-Jews. – Acts 11:1-3
James, the brother of John, is killed by the sword by order of Herod, who intentionally wanted to cause trouble for the church. – Acts 12:1-2
When Herod realized that what he had done had made him popular with the Jews, he had Peter arrested and put in prison. – Acts 12:3
An angel of the Lord God takes Peter out of prison. – Acts 12:7-8
Paul confronts Peter’s behavior when he is in the presence of non-Jewish believers and Jewish believers. – Galatians 2:11
64 AD – Peter is crucifies up-side-down because he felt unworthy to die the same way as Jesus.
Much Love and Blessings...
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