Upon This Rock: St. Peter and the Primacy of Rome in Scripture and the Early Church (Modern Apologetics Library)

Ray, a former Evangelical Protestant and Bible teacher, goes through the Scriptures and the first five centuries of the Church to demonstrate that the early Christians had a clear understanding of the primacy of Peter in the see of Rome. He tackles the tough issues in an attempt to expose how the opposition is misunderstanding the Scriptures and history. He uses many Protestant scholars and historians to support the Catholic position. This book contains the most complete compilation of Scriptural and Patristic quotations on the primacy of Peter and the Papal office of any book available. It has over 500 footnotes with supporting evidence from Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical, and non-Christian authorities. "As an Evangelical Protestant, Stephen Ray realized that the real issue dividing Catholics and Protestants was authority. Everything else was secondary to the issue of authority. Protestants accept the authority of the Bible alone, whereas Catholics understand the authority to be residing in the Magisterium, the Scriptures and the Sacred Tradition.". "Ray goes through the Scriptures and writings from the first five centuries of the early Church to demonstrate that the early Christians had a clear understanding of the primacy of Peter in the See of Rome. He tackles the tough issues in an attempt to expose how the opposition is misunderstanding the Scriptures and history. He uses many Evangelical Protestant scholars and historians to support the Catholic position. This book contains the most complete compilation of Scriptural and Patristic quotations on the primacy of Peter and the Papal office of any book currently available."--BOOK JACKET. Introduction: St. Peter And The Primacy Of Rome -- Part One: The Apostle Peter. Biblical Study: Peter The Man, The Apostle, And The Rock -- Historical Study: Was Peter In Rome, Was He The First Bishop Of Rome, And Was He Martyred In Rome? -- The Opposition -- Part Two: The Primacy Of Peter In The See Of Rome. Oldest Documents: Earliest Christian Documents Reveal The Primacy Of Peter In The See Of Rome -- The First Five Centuries: The Primacy Of Rome In The Early Church -- Part Three: Current Church Teaching -- Appendix A: The Chronological List Of The Popes -- Appendix B: An Old Testament Basis For The Primacy And Succession Of St. Peter. By Stephen K. Ray. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 299-313) And Indexes.