51 New Testament Proofs for Pauline Primacy and the Papacy: A [ironical] Response

to Roman Catholic Apologist a!e Armstrong "#ason $ngwer%

Pauline Primacy-51 Reasons
1. Paul is the only apostle who is called God's chosen vessel who will bear His name
before Jews and Gentiles (Acts 91!".
#. Paul is the last apostle chosen by God$ apart from the other twelve.
%. &he resurrected 'hrist appears to Paul in a different way than He appeared to the
other apostles (Acts 9%()".
*. Paul is the only apostle who publicly rebu+es and corrects another apostle (Galatians
#11".
!. Paul is the only apostle who refers to his authority over all the churches (1
'orinthians *1,$ ,1,$ # 'orinthians 11#-".
). Paul is the only apostle to call himself .father. (1 'orinthians *1!".
,. Paul is the steward of God's /race (0phesians %#". &his means that Paul is the
overseer of salvation. 1ellowship with Paul and his successors is necessary for
salvation.
-. Paul is mentioned more in the 2ew &estament than any other apostle.
9. &he boo+ of Acts$ which mentions all of the apostles$ discusses Paul more than any
other apostle.
13. Paul was the first apostle to write a boo+ of scripture.
11. Paul wrote more boo+s of the 2ew &estament than any other apostle.
1#. Paul is the first apostle to be ta+en to Heaven to receive a revelation (# 'orinthians
1#1(*".
1%. Paul is the only apostle 4atan was concerned about enou/h to /ive him a thorn in
the flesh (# 'orinthians 1#,".
1*. Paul seems to have suffered for 'hrist more than any other apostle (# 'orinthians
11#1(%%".
1!. Paul seems to have received more opposition from false teachers than any other
apostle did$ since he was the Pope (5omans %-$ # 'orinthians 1313$ Galatians 1,$
)1,$ Philippians 11,".
1). Paul seems to have traveled further and more often than any other apostle$ as we see
in Acts and his epistles$ which is what we mi/ht e6pect a Pope to do.
1,. 7nly Paul's teachin/s were so advanced$ so deep$ that another apostle ac+nowled/ed
that some of his teachin/s were hard to understand (# Peter %1!(1)". Peter's
understandin/ of doctrine doesn't seem to be as advanced as Pope Paul's. Paul has the
primacy of doctrinal +nowled/e.
1-. Paul was the first apostle whose writin/s were reco/ni8ed as scripture (# Peter %1!(
1)".
19. Paul sin/les himself out as the standard of orthodo6y (1 'orinthians 1*%,(%-".
#3. 7nly Paul refers to himself havin/ a rod$ a symbol of authority (1 'orinthians *#1".
#1. Paul initiates the council of Acts 1! by startin/ the debate with the false teachers
(Acts 1!#" and deliverin/ a report to the other church leaders (Acts 1!*".
##. Peter's comments in Acts 1!,(11 are accepted only because Pope Paul /oes on to
confirm them (Acts 1!1#".
#%. 9hen the 'orinthians were dividin/ over which apostle to associate themselves
with$ Paul's name was the first one mentioned (1 'orinthians 11#".
#*. Paul was the only apostle with the authority to deliver people over to 4atan (1
'orinthians !!".
#!. Paul had the best trainin/ and education of all the apostles (Philippians %*()".
#). Paul is the only apostle to call the /ospel .my /ospel. (5omans #1)".
#,. Paul writes more about the identity of the church than any other apostle does (1
'orinthians 1#$ 'olossians 1$ 0phesians *(!"$ which we mi/ht e6pect a Pope to do. Paul
is the standard of orthodo6y and the :icar of 'hrist on earth$ so he has the primary
responsibility for definin/ what the church is and who belon/s to it.
#-. Paul writes more about church /overnment than any other apostle does$ such as in
his pastoral epistles.
#9. Paul discusses church unity more than any other apostle does (1 'orinthians 1#(1*$
0phesians *"$ su//estin/ that he was the one responsible for maintainin/ church unity
because of his papal authority.
%3. Paul writes more about the /ospel than any other apostle does (5omans$ Galatians".
As the leader of 'hristianity$ Paul was most responsible for e6plainin/ the /ospel and
other 'hristian doctrine.
%1. After Jesus$ Paul spea+s more about the +in/dom of God than anybody else does
(Acts 1*##$ 19-$ 1 'orinthians *#3$ Galatians !#1$ # &hessalonians 1!". After
leavin/ earth$ Jesus passed on the responsibility of teachin/ about the +in/dom of God
to Paul$ the +in/ of the church on earth.
%#. Paul spea+s of revealin/ mysteries more than any other apostle does (5omans 11#!$
1 'orinthians 1!!1$ 0phesians !%#$ )19$ # &hessalonians #,"$ since he was the chief
teacher of the church.
%%. Paul was the only apostle other people tried to impersonate (# &hessalonians ##"$
since he had more authority than anybody else.
%*. Paul's clothin/ wor+s miracles (Acts 1911(1#".
%!. Paul is delivered from death more than any other apostle (Acts 1*19$ #-%()$ #
'orinthians 11#%".
%). &he Jewish e6orcists in Acts 191% associate themselves with Paul rather than with
any other apostle.
%,. &he demons in Acts 191! reco/ni8e Paul's primacy.
%-. &he Jews in Acts #1#- reco/ni8e Paul's primacy$ sayin/ that he's the man they hold
most responsible for teachin/ 'hristianity everywhere.
%9. Paul had authority over the finances of the church (Acts #*#)$ # 'orinthians 9!$
Philippians *1!(1-".
*3. Paul acts as the chief shepherd of the church$ ta+in/ responsibility for each
individual (# 'orinthians 11#9". 1or e6ample$ Paul was Peter's shepherd (Galatians
#11".
*1. Paul interprets prophecy (# &hessalonians #%(1#".
*#. 7nly Paul is referred to as bein/ set apart for his ministry from his mother's womb
(Galatians 11!".
*%. Jesus 'hrist is revealed in Paul (Galatians 11)"$ meanin/ that Paul and his
successors are the infallible standard of 'hristian orthodo6y.
**. Paul is the only apostle who wor+s by himself$ only later coordinatin/ his efforts
with the other apostles (Galatians 11)(1-".
*!. 7nly Paul is referred to as bearin/ the brandmar+s of 'hrist (Galatians )1,".
*). 0very 'hristian was interested in Paul and what was happenin/ in his life$ loo+in/
to him as their e6ample and their encoura/ement (Philippians 11#(1*".
*,. 'hristians served Paul (Philippians #%3".
*-. Paul wor+ed more than the other apostles (1 'orinthians 1!13"$ since he had more
responsibilities as Pope.
*9. Paul was to be delivered from every evil deed (# &imothy *1-"$ meanin/ that he
was infallible.
!3. 7nly Paul is referred to as passin/ his papal authority on to successors who would
also have authority over the church of God (Acts #3#-".
!1. Amon/ the seven churches addressed in 5evelation #(%$ the church of 0phesus is
mentioned first$ since the bishops of 0phesus have primacy as the successors of Paul.
&he church in 0phesus .cannot endure evil men. (5evelation ##"$ meanin/ that the
bishop of 0phesus is infallible when spea+in/ e6 cathedra on matters of faith and
morals. &he 0phesian church puts false teachers to the test (5evelation ##" by
e6ercisin/ its papal authority. &he bishop of 0phesus has the responsibility of evaluatin/
all teachers and declarin/ which are orthodo6 and which are not. 2one of the other
churches in 5evelation #(% are described as havin/ this authority.