In the Gospel of Thomas, we have the following verse:
(12)
(1) The disciples said to Jesus: “We know that you will depart from us. Who (then) will rule over us?”
(2) Jesus said to them: “No matter where you came from, you should go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being.”
Does this refute the Catholic claim that Peter is the rock that the church would be built on?
How can the so called Gospel of Thomas make the bold claim that heaven and earth came in to being because of James the Just,for who is he that is so special,for he is only a person like all the rest of the people,and God said what makes you different from another person.
Jesus said that born of women there has not been a greater than John the Baptist,and that includes James,Peter,and Mary,for John had the Spirit in the womb,not manifest in flesh,and not to save him,but to give John power to be able to live the right lifestyle for he was to prepare the way for Jesus in the future.
Jesus said upon this rock I will build My Church as He was speaking to Peter,and the keys to the kingdom were given to him for he preached the first message to get the Church going.
The Church is built upon Christ,and no one else,for He is the chief cornerstone,and no other foundation can be laid but Christ.
But Peter is the first person to be added to the Church built upon Christ,and then the rest built upon each other as they come to the truth like a building of bricks.
The whole Church is built upon Peter,after Christ,for he is the first one added to the Church.
If Jesus was referring to Himself as the rock all the Church is built upon Him,and if He was referring to Peter then all the Church is still built upon Jesus,but all the Church after Jesus is built upon Peter.
Peter was not the first Pope,and Peter had a problem of fearing the circumcision,Jews,for he would eat with the Gentile saints,but when they came around he would leave the Gentiles to eat with the Jews,and Paul withstood him to the face,and said he did not walk uprightly according to the Gospel of truth,for Peter was to be blamed.
We only follow Christ,who is the head of the Church,not the Pope was claims to be the head of the Church,but is not.