The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Church was built on Peter, who was given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, based on Matthew 16:18.
And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 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 16:17-19 ESV)
The following taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part One, The Profession of Faith, Section Two, The Profession of the Christian Faith, Chapter Three, I Believe In the Holy Spirit, Article 9 "I Believe In the Holy Catholic Church", Paragraph 4. Christ's Faithful - Hierarchy, Laity, Consecrated Life showed how the Roman Catholic Church used this verse to expand into Apostolic Succession:
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The episcopal college and its head, the Pope
880 When Christ instituted the Twelve, "he constituted [them] in the form of a college or permanent assembly, at the head of which he placed Peter, chosen from among them." Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter and the rest of the apostles constitute a single apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are related with and united to one another."
881 The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head." This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.
882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful." "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered."
883 "The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, as its head." As such, this college has "supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff."
936 The Lord made St. Peter the visible foundation of his Church. He entrusted the keys of the Church to him. the bishop of the Church of Rome, successor to St. Peter, is "head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and Pastor of the universal Church on earth"
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But who is the Rock? What does the Bible says about the Rock?
The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4 ESV)
You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth. (Deuteronomy 32:18 ESV)
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2 ESV)
Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; (Psalm 144:1 ESV)
For who is God, besides the LORD? And who is a rock, besides our God? (2 Samuel 22:32 NASB)
For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? (Psalm 18:31 KJV)
The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation (Psalm 18:46 ESV)
The Rock in the Old Testament was God.
The Rock in the Old Testament was God.
For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:1-4 ESV)
The Rock was Christ. This can be further confirmed by the Bible describing Christ as the cornerstone, that is, the foundation.
The Rock was Christ. This can be further confirmed by the Bible describing Christ as the cornerstone, that is, the foundation.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. (Psalm 118:22 ESV)
And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (Isaiah 8:14 ESV)
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. (Isaiah 28:16 NASB)
Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? (Matthew 21:42 ESV)
Have you not read this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; (Mark 12:10 ESV)
But he looked directly at them and said, What then is this that is written: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone? (Luke 20:17 ESV)
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. (Acts 4:11 ESV)
For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. (1 Peter 2:6-8 ESV)
So the Church was build on the Rock, the cornerstone, the foundation, which is Christ.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19-21 ESV)
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5 ESV)
Did the Bible ever say that the Church is built on Peter? Let us look at Matthew 16:18 again. Jesus said, "on this rock I will build my church". Did Jesus say, "on Peter will I build my church"?
Who has the keys?
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5 ESV)
Did the Bible ever say that the Church is built on Peter? Let us look at Matthew 16:18 again. Jesus said, "on this rock I will build my church". Did Jesus say, "on Peter will I build my church"?
Who has the keys?
And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (Isaiah 22:22 ESV)
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. (Revelation 3:7 ESV)
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (Revelation 1:18 KJV)
Who else can bind and loose?
"If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him in private. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he won’t listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. If he pays no attention to them, tell the church. But if he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever and a tax collector to you. I assure you: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:15-18 HCSB)
The testimony of the New Testament
When we read the Acts of Apostles, we noticed that Peter was the leader only from chapters 1 to 12. From chapters 13 onward, Paul was the focus. Even in the Church of Jerusalem, it was James the Lord's brother that seem to be preeminent (Acts 15:1-31).
When Paul named the pillars of the Church, he named James, followed by Peter and John.
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. (Galatians 2:9 KJV)
Who else can bind and loose?
"If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him in private. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he won’t listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. If he pays no attention to them, tell the church. But if he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever and a tax collector to you. I assure you: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:15-18 HCSB)
The testimony of the New Testament
When we read the Acts of Apostles, we noticed that Peter was the leader only from chapters 1 to 12. From chapters 13 onward, Paul was the focus. Even in the Church of Jerusalem, it was James the Lord's brother that seem to be preeminent (Acts 15:1-31).
When Paul named the pillars of the Church, he named James, followed by Peter and John.
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. (Galatians 2:9 KJV)
The Epistles in the New Testament are arranged by authors. Again we see that Paul is first, followed by James the Lord's brother, then Peter, John and Jude.
Conclusion
Although Peter was the leader in the initial stage, the leadership of the Jewish Church was passed to James and the leadership of the Gentile Church to Paul. Thus it was obvious from the New Testament that the Church was not built on Peter, but the Rock, who is Jesus.
Conclusion
Although Peter was the leader in the initial stage, the leadership of the Jewish Church was passed to James and the leadership of the Gentile Church to Paul. Thus it was obvious from the New Testament that the Church was not built on Peter, but the Rock, who is Jesus.
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