No such Armaic Gospel of Matthew or any other gospel has ever been found. The Holy Spirit chose Greek to give the Gospel to the early Christians not Armamic. The Greek provided the nuances necessary to convey precisely the truth and distinctions Christ had in mind in Matthew 16:17-19.
If Christ wanted us to beleive that Peter was the foundation rock of the Church he could have just said, "
You are Peter and upon YOU I will build my Church." Peter did not understand him to mean that, as Peter uses the feminine "petra" in 1 Peter.2:8 in application to Christ in a building context where the church is made up of "living stones" but Christ is the corner stone of the foundation that the Jews stumbled over.
1 Pet. 2:4
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock (petra) of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Furthermore, Paul identifies Christ NOT PETER as the "foundation" upon which the church is built confirming Peter's applicaton of "petra" to Christ rather than to himself:
I Cor. 3:10
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 ¶ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, in 1 Peter 5:1,3 Peter denies any elevated position above any other elder:
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder.....
3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
Peter did not build the church at Rome. There is no record of Him building it. When Paul wrote and greeted the church at Rome, there was no greeting to Peter. Moreover, he explicitly states he wanted to come to Rome to have "fruit" there but He would not go where he had to build upon some other man's foundation.
Romans 15:20
Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:
If Peter had built the church, Paul could not have said that. If Peter was there Paul could not have failed to salute him. Moreover, Paul distinctly tells the Galatians that Peter claimed to be an apostle of the circumcision and Paul to the circumcision.
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. - Gal. 2:9
Paul explicitly tells the Church at Rome that they were under his apostleship as an apostle to the Gentiles:
Rom. 15:15 Nevertheless, brethren,
I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,
16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
17 ¶ I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.
18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,
19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
The truth is, that the church at Rome was probably built by those who were converted on the day of Pentecost under the preaching of Peter (Acts 2:10). Also, some who were converted under Paul were influential in further building the church up (Rom. 15) as Paul names many there which were his converts. In Paul's prison epistles when he was at Rome he makes no mention of Peter at all which is inexplicable if Peter was there as he says that "no man stood with me." If Peter was there then he became an apostate and did not stand with Paul:
2 Tim. 4:16 ¶
At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
In your estimation? - Right... I addressed this in post #95
Your answer?
Your guess?
It just seems?
I would like to remind your that the exception does NOT prove the rule. There is, however, tons of Early Church writings to back up the fact.
IMO? Where is the historical evidence that "...the hierarchy of the church of Rome had defected from the faith by the time of the Edict of Milan (AD312) when Constantine and Licinius made a marriage of christendom and Paganism"?
Oh - I see. After the apostles died there were no longer any sinners left... Again - were it not for the Crusades, we would be bowing to Allah and speaking some flavor of farsi right now.
I believe that honor belongs to Nero and Diocletian...
Oh - come on... You know as well as I that the Protestants butchered and murdered Catholics.
Well, that would be YOUr opinion - history doesn't back you up as I've repeatedly shown.
Peace!