Matthew 16 | Christ is Head of The Church....So The Pope Isn't

This week we will be studying Matthew 16 where Jesus affirms Peter's affirmation of His deity and talks about the Rock the Church is built upon. This passage has been hotly debated between Roman Catholics and Protestants (and Eastern Orthodox) until recently. Historically, Roman Catholics have seen the "rock" in Matthew 16 as being a reference to Peter as the first pope. Orthodox and Protestants see Christ as the Head of the Church and thus view Peter differently. With this in mind, you may have heard that the new Pope (Leo XIV) has recently made statements that Jesus (not Peter) is the Rock upon which the Church is built. In the process, he rejected papal infallibility. This Sunday, we will endeavor to exegete the passage well while addressing Church history on the issue.