Peter still leads all followers of Christ
By Msgr. John Wynand Katende
Posted on: Friday 28th August 2026
In Matthew 16:23, Jesus says to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.",
Last Sunday I shared a reflection on how God trained Peter to head the Church, through different stages of faith-building. The stages involved many tests, arising from Peter’s human weaknesses and from Satan’s temptations. Yes, God also tests those He loves, to strengthen their faith.
The harsh rebuke quoted above happened after Jesus had told His disciples He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, and die. But, driven by love and protective human instinct, Peter pulls Jesus aside and tells Him this will never happen. Jesus rebukes Peter, knowing Peter is thinking with human ideas of power instead of God's plan for sacrifice.
The text, has, however, raised mixed interpretations. The mooted question here is whether Jesus literally called Peter "Satan".
Protestant reformers believe so and repudiate the papacy. They argue that Peter's flawed nature proves he was never meant to be an infallible supreme pontiff. They combine their argument with Paul’s later rebuke to Peter in Antioch (Galatians 2:11-14). According to them, the Catholic Church must have invented the papacy later in Church history, rather than an office established in Matthew 16:18, where Jesus says to Simon: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church".
The Reformers disagreed with the Roman Catholic claims of unbroken papal succession linked exclusively to Peter. They argued that if every statement spoken to Peter applied automatically to his purported successors, then popes would also have to be considered "Satan”. John Calvin called it a "childish" mode of argument for the Catholic Church to apply Christ's promises to Peter as exclusively belonging to the central governing body of the worldwide Catholic Church and the sovereign authority of Vatican City (Roman See).
On account of their interpretation, many Protestants identified the Papacy as the Antichrist, mentioned in 1 John 2:18. The term "antichrist" refers both to a general spirit of denying Jesus in the flesh and a specific incoming deceiver.
Catholic theology interprets that Jesus was not addressing Peter as a demon-possessed entity or a malicious secret agent. He was rebuking the mindset and the spiritual influence driving Peter’s words, which prioritized human comfort over God’s redemptive mission.
The Church interprets that the phrase "get behind me" also means "follow me." It is literally the same as the one Jesus uses when calling the Disciples to follow Him the first time. In other words, Jesus calls Peter back to his true place as a follower who must accept the cross, not lead the way. The passage calls to mind that following Christ means accepting sacrifice and hard trials instead of seeking comfort (Matthew 16:24).
The Church goes on to clarify that Popes, though sinful, are held to be protected from teaching error, not kept free from personal sin or poor judgment. Jesus did not, hence, strip Peter of his authority after the rebuke.
In Catholic theology, the papacy serves as the visible foundation and perpetual sign of unity among bishops and the faithful. As the successor to Saint Peter, the Pope acts as a central pastoral bridge who holds together the worldwide communion of the Church across diverse cultures and nations.
The Catholic Church teaches that Christ gave its teaching office, the Magisterium, the exclusive authority to provide an authentic and definitive interpretation of Sacred Scripture. This authority rests with the bishops in union with the Pope, operating alongside Sacred Tradition to safeguard Christian doctrine. "First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." (2 Peter 1:20).
Pathetically, private interpretations of Scripture, as taught by Protestant Reformers, has caused many Church divisions. Ironically, leaders of independent churches claim authority to interpret the scriptures for others. Lutherans follow the private interpretation of Luther, and so on.
Church divisions are also driven by abuse of office, human pride, cultural differences, and power struggles. The Apostle Paul views unity in Christ as essential for believers. He tells believers to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).