God's Prime Minister

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” – Matthew 16:18-19 (ESV)

Most of us Catholics know that when Jesus handed Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven, He was establishing Peter as the first pope. And as we read Acts during the Easter season, it’s a great time to see how Peter boldly and faithfully achieved this role.

However, what less people know is that Jesus wasn’t doing something new. He was fulfilling the practice of the Old Testament kings by establishing a prime minister: a man who managed the king’s affairs and had charge of the palace…and therefore its keys (Is. 22:15-22). This is exactly what Jesus was giving Peter—and all subsequent popes—the power and the charge to do.

So, let’s remember that the pope is God’s right hand man on earth and has charge of the keys of the kingdom and deserves our allegiance while we await the return of the king.

© Isabelle Wood 2025

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