Arguing for the Divine Institution of the Catholic Papacy.

An Argument is proposed below for the Divine Institution of the Catholic Papacy.

The Papacy is defined in the Catechism as the Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church.

881 The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock.400 "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head."401 This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.

882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful."402 "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered."403

Argument proposed -

The Old Testament documents the covenant life of Israel in the covenants made between God and Moses (Ex 19-34), then God and King David (2 Sam 7).

The covenants were promised within the prophets to be superceded by a new covenant (Jer 31:31-34) made along with the divine action of a new Exodus (Isaiah 40-55) and the in-gathering of the nations to a restored Israel (Isaiah 11:11; 43:5, 6; Jer 31:8-10, et al).

The Church is the restored Israel of God, the Church will manifest the perfections of the Davidic kingdom, for the NT fulfills the OT.

As the Davidic kingdom was a kingdom of priests (Ex 19:6), with a prime minister with the power of the keys to bind and loose (Isaiah 22:21-22) over the Davidic kingdom, then the Church is the fulfillment of the Davidic kingdom.

Jesus is the Messiah (Matt. 8:29; 14:33; 26:63-64; 27:43; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70 et al) who causes the new Exodus, new covenant and the restoration of Israel.

As Jesus acts to fulfill the Davidic kingdom, He does so by causing the church to be a kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2:9), with a chief minister who is granted the keys of the kingdom (Matt 16:16-19).

As the Davidic kingdom had successors of priests and kings, then so too the church also has succession from the apostles, who were both priests and kings (as testified by the witness of history).

As Peter was alone given the keys of the kingdom to bind and loose (Matt 16:16-19), then St Peter as head of the apostles must also have had successors, who also have the power to bind and loose (evidence is also attained to the witness of church history concerning the successors to St Peter).

Therefore from the nature of the gospel promised in the OT whereby the church is the fulfillment of Davidic Israel, and the witness of church history, the church has the Papacy instituted by Christ to fulfill the office of chief minister of the restored Israel of God.

Therefore the Papacy is an institution from God.

JM