The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-07
SAINT PETER NOT A POPE.
REV. DIR. JORDAN SAYS HE WAS
ONLY AN APOSTLE.

No Reliable Evidence, scripturaI or
! Otherwise, That He Was Ever in
Rome or That He was Ever the
Head of the Church There or Else
where, DR.. Jordan Said-Was "a Ser
want of christ and one Among
Many Brethren-He Was an ApOs-
tie. But "a FaIIibIe One.
Peter the Apostle and Not the Pope
was the subject of Rev Dr. J. D. Jordan's
discourse at the Firs Baptist Church LAST
night. DR.. Jordan took the position that
| there is no reliable evidence either scrip
| tural or otherwise, that the Apostle Peter
was ever in Rome or that he was ever the
| recognized head of the church at Rome or
| elsewhere.
DR. Jordans text was the first verse of
| the first chapter of the Second Epistle of
| Peter, beginning with the words, Simon
Peter, servant and an apostle of Jesus
| Christ" Dr. Jordan upheld his position
| by a discussion of the life and character
! of the apostles as shown by scriptural
mention, including his own utterances
| concerning himself:
| spirit of controversy" said DR.. Jordan.
81 have no theory of my own to set up,
and no disposition to pull down the theory
| Of any one else. I only desire TO know the
| truth about Simon Peter, the apostle of
| our Lord To settle the question about his
| life, character and Office l hold that the
scriptures are the only court of appeal,
| and deny the traditions of men TO be taken
as testimony. We learn from the scrip
| lures that Peter was fisherman and the
| son of a fisherman. He was of humble
| but respectable origin. Our Lord was
| carpenter and the son of a carpenter. Az
| ter all it is the man and not the occupa-
| ton. He was ardent and self confident
| He loved quick and fast or hated strongly
| Confidently did he promise TO cleave to the
! Lord longer than any other, but he failed
! to keep his promise.
! He was a disciple of John the Baptist
| and was brought to Christ by his brother
| Andrew. Those who find Christ should
| bring others 10 him. Little is said of An
drew, but he did a great work when he
| brought his brother Simon to Jesus
He was very impulsiVe man. This we
| notice in His speech and conduct at the
| TRANSPORTATION; in his rebuke to the Lord,
| when the Lord foretold His own death;
when ne declared that he was ready to
! SO NttL tllt lAOibs even 70 pGlSln ana
death; when he leaped out OF the boat to
walk to the Lord upon the water; in his
! speech, when the Lord was about to wash
! his feet at the last supper; in the garden
! of Gethsemane, at the betrayal, when
he drew his sword and cut off the ear of
| the servant of the high priest when
| he denied his Lord when he
| jumped out of the boat and swan ashore
| to the Lord, after the resurrection of his
| Lord.
He was an apostle, but not pope
| He is nowhere called a pope nor limited
| al as Pope in all the scriptures. There
| is no proof that he ever was in Rome. If
| in Rome then there is no evidence that
| he was head of the church there or else
where. With all his self-conhdence Peter
! nowhere claims to be a pope. He nowhere
| exercised the authority of a modern pope.
The difficulties lying in the way of
| those who claim that Peter was a pope -
said DR.. Jordan, ARE these: They must
show that Peter was the lone founder and
foundation of Christianity. This is i'm
| possible, for the truth is all to the con-
trary. The scriptures teach that the Lord
Jesus Christ is the chief corner stone and
only founda don, and the founder of Chris
tianity. They must further show that
Peter was the vice rege7lc of God and the
sovereign of all other Christians. Neither
of these facts can be shown either from
The scriptures or good and reliable his
| tory. Eeter was only one among many
| brethren. They must show that the sup
posed authority was transmissable and
was really transmitted. 1t would be a
strange thing to be continually taking
out one chief corner stone and putting
another in its place. They must show
that Peter both lived and died in
Rome-neither of which is certain
| They must show that Peter was infallible.
which is a dangerous and forlorn task.
Peter was in deed and in word a fallible
man. The Lord called him satan" or a
temptOr. He denied his Lord. He had a
mistaken notion about the Gentiles and
had to see vision 20 get him right and
| Paul had to Withstand him to his face for
some of his errors. Think of an infalible
pope being withstood and set right by a
| fallibe apostle"
Peter was "a servant and apostle cf
Jesus Christ That is the way he address,
ed himself to the churches and Christians.
He taught that we are saved through faith
| in Jesus Christ and not by baptismal re-
| generation, or by the supposed absolution
| Of preached bishop or pope Salvation
| by grace through faith is the only saliva
ton taught in the New Testament scrip
| lures. The sinner is invited and required
to come to Christ for himself and not by
proxy or through any other agent Any
who wiz may come to Christ by faith and
| he saved and a. churches and church dig
nitaries cannot prevent their salvation.
neither can all these combined save one
| single soul who does not come to God
| through Christ, for Christ says, No man