The Origins of the Papacy

The Papal monarchy is an institution with ancient roots. Presently the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican City State, prior to the Protestant Reformation, the Papacy was previously the head of the entire Western (Latin) church and ruled directly over a much larger Papal State. Prior to the Eastern Orthodox schism, the Papacy often made good its claim to be the head of the entire Christian world — claims with historic precedents dating back to at least the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The Papacy claims roots that go back even further to authority given by the historic Jesus to the historic Peter. John Hamer of Toronto Centre Place will review the basis for these claims and the historical evidence for the earliest Christian communities in Rome.

Save the date and join us live to participate in the discussion and to ask questions to our lecturer during the Q&A.



#lecture #cofchrist

[glenn-younger]

Bookmarking this to watch several times. It contains an abundance of information. Thank you so much for sharing the fruits of your study!

[robisonlangdon]

Love the longer lectures keep them coming

[KathrynJoyTCSuccess]

Thank you again for an amazing lecture. Having listened to a number of previous ones, I was able to follow without having to go back too many times. I agree with those who say your non-judgmental delivery makes it more believable. 😮 No agenda to try and discern.

[latetotheparty]

I’ve heard this history as taught by Eastern Orthodox teachers. The narrative is very distinct from this telling. This isn’t a bad telling of history, just a very Rome-centered one. There is another viewpoint valuable to have under your belt.

[Narwhy]

Very interesting. So Catholism began really at the time that Constantine embraced Christianity? Not Peter? Peter is only included because he was the preacher and one of the many Christians at the time but in truth, was not Catholic at all? So in reality, its not 2000 years old it began with Constantine who intertwined paganism with Christianity in 325, making it approximately 1600 years old.

2 Timothy 4: 3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

[knightrider]

There were up to three popes at the same time in the past.

[sunnyjohnson]

The Encyclopedia of Religion concedes that “there is no direct biblical proof that Jesus established the papacy as a permanent office within the church.”

[mdleweight]

There is a tomb beneath the altar at St. Peters. It is part of a grouping of mausoleums that occupied Vatican Hill before the church was built. It was excavated (the "scavi") prior to WWII. I saw the tomb for myself, back when the Vatican used to do underground tours. They found nothing in the tomb that definitively linked this tomb with St. Peter. The only human remains in the tomb were the bones of a single hand, and those were hidden behind a stone in one of the tomb's walls. The bones were consistent with being dated to around St. Peter's time but that is the scant evidence to whose tomb this may be.

[GrammarDrops]

What an amazing job! I stumbled on your channel by chance while scrolling down the YouTube timeline. It was very late, though. So, I watched just half of your brilliant presentation yesterday and now I'm watching the second half. Thank you for this real gift. I wish more people in my country could understand spoken English so they could benefit from videos like this. ❤ Sincere greetings all the way from Rio. 🤗

[hamnchee]

Always makes my night to see a new lecture from you guys!

[johnschuh]

The Avignon popes got most of their funding from a system of international “taxation” rather from indulgences. One reason for the Schisms was that so much money went from the Latin principalities to a French City. Hence the desire to get the pope to return to Rome. That and the need to restore order to the papal states.

[helenamcginty]

Very interesting. I loved the historical back and forth. Like a well crafted detective novel.

[jonathanjeffreys]

I love your fluid, informal style. It clearly masks your deeply informed, scholarly and enviably erudite knowledge of your subject. I do like accuracy! I was hooked from the word "go".

[gailhenderson]

Peter in Greek means pebble.. It's what Peter said, "That you are the Christ" is what Jesus was going to build his church on.. Jesus was the rock 🪨 not Peter.. Matt 16:13-16 Matt 16:18 It's not true what the RCC is preaching.

[dorasmith]

I just learned everything on earth except how did the office of the papacy originate.

[onlylove]

Simon /Peter was the only apostle that officially got his name changed, the one who had a nickname was St. John the Beloved, but Simon literally got his name changed to Cephas =John 1:42.
I don't know any church fathers that says Peter was just a nickname

[Rotebuehl]

Self coronation was the ancient ritual of the east! The byzantine emperors did it, the russian czars did it, the orthodox kings did it! Napoleon simply carried it on!

[sallymcmurray]

You should do a video of all the symbolism of the Catholic church. I think that would be really interesting! Thanks.

[mortalclown]

Wow, what a chill dude - brilliant and humble, a very rare combo.
What a depressing topic. Men and their silly rules. Christ loves us all...8 billion of us. God has no favorites. He doesn't damn, either. Imagine that and run with it. Love to all. Paz y luz.

[GizmoFromPizmo]

There is no indication that the Book of Romans is Paul's final letter. In fact, His letter to Timothy talks about about an event that happened to him in Rome. Paul had not yet been to Rome when the letter to the Romans was written.

2 Tim. 1:17 - But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.

But, of course, the woke cancel culture "scholars" would have us believe that Paul never wrote the Pastoral Epistles because they contain things like the structure of the church and the divinity of Christ. The Gnostics will not have the latter and the Papists will not have the former. Cancel culture is alive and well among "well trained scholars". Well trained in what?