The status of Peter in the early Church

When we read the Acts, we must bear in mind that the target audience were Gentiles. Therefore, Luke was eager to portray the apostles who were better known to the Gentiles. These apostles might not have the top jobs in the Jerusalem Church. Such was the case of Peter.

The book of Acts can be roughly divided into two parts. The first part was devoted to Peter and the second Paul. Peter was active in the first 12 chapters until he left Jerusalem to run away from Herod's persecution. Peter appeared one last time in the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) and was not mentioned any more in the Acts.
Before Pentecost, it was Peter who proposed a replacement of Judas (Acts 1:15-26). On Pentecost, Peter rose up to deliver the first kerygma to the Jerusalem crowd (Acts 2:14-40). He worked the first miracle to heal a man lame from birth and delivered the second speech (Acts 3). His shadow healed the sick (Acts 5:15-16). He was the spokesman of the Christians before the Jewish Council (Acts 4, 5). It was Peter who condemned Ananias and his wife Sapphira (Acts 5:1-9). Probably, it was Peter who proposed to elect 7 Greek-speaking deacons to share the tasks of daily distribution (Acts 6:1-6). Peter was the first apostle to admit Cornelius, a Roman centurion, a Gentile into the Church (Acts 10-11). After killing James, the brother of John, Herod arrested Peter and wanted to execute him to please the Jews (Acts 12).

Luke had successfully painted a brilliant career for Peter in the Jerusalem Church. However, the fact that Herod first killed James, instead of Peter, suggested that James, and not Peter, was the leader in the Jerusalem Church. No matter what, after Peter had fled from Jerusalem, the leadership fell into the hand of James, the brother of the Lord. When Peter returned to participate in the Jerusalem Council to debate the question of admitting Gentiles into the Church, his speech which silenced the assembly was recorded. Yet, it was James, the brother of the Lord, who had the final say (Acts 15:13-21).

I have no intention to challenge the status of Peter in the Jerusalem Church. No doubt, he was the spokesman of the Apostles in the canonical gospels and in the Acts. Yet, Peter goes down in history, not as the bishop of Jerusalem, but the first bishop of Rome, the first Pope. Though the first batch of Christians were Jews, the Jerusalem Church has vanished from history. I am sure God has not abandoned the Chosen People and there are Jewish Christians nowadays. But Jews are defined by Judaism. It is their identity. They have very little incentive to embrace Christianity. In his mercy, God must have other plans to bring salvation to the descendants of Abraham.

Dear Lord, we are privileged to join Your kingdom and share Your eternal life. Let us humbly learn our lessons in the history of the Church and discern Your will. Amen.