Peter was to have any primacy or superiority over the rest of the apostles ? There is not the slightest proof that such a meaning was attached to the words in the New Testament times, or that Peter had any rank or dignity above the rest of the twelve.
The true meaning of the promise to Peter appears to '' be, that he was to have the special privilege of first open- ing the door of salvation, both to the Jews and Gentiles. This was fulfilled to the letter, when he preached on the day of Pentecost to the Jews, and visited the Gentile Cornelius at his own house. On each occasion he used '' the keys," and threw open the door of faith. And of this he seems to have been sensible himself : " God," he says, " made choice among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel, and be- lieve." (Acts XV. 7.)
Finally, what are we to understand, when we read the words, " Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven ?" Does this mean that the apostle Peter was to have any power of forgiving sins, and absolving sinners .^ Such an idea is derogatory to Christ's special office, as our Great High Priest. It is a power which we never find Peter, or any of the apos- tles, once exercising. They always refer men to Christ.
The true meaning of this promise appears to be, that Peter and his brethren, the apostles, were to be specially commissioned to teach with authority the way of salva- tion. As the Old Testament priest declared authorita- tively whose leprosy was cleansed, so the apostles were appointed to -^ declare and pronounce" authoritatively,