Christian-History.org does not receive any personally identifiable information from the search bar below.

Papal Primacy: Did Firmilian, the Bishop of Caesarea, support It?

A reader wrote me to tell me that "my claims about church history are patently unresearched." Specifically, he assured me that "Firmilian acknowledges that Stephen took the throne of Peter."

Note: Since writing this article, I have written Rome's Audacious Claim, a study of how Rome's modern claim to "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church" developed. My statement below that Cyprian (and Firmilian) believed that the unity of the churches depended on all bishops, together as one unit, being descended from Peter, chief of the apostles, is true. This is a third-century development, but it is what they believed. Nonetheless, Firmilian and Cyprian both accepted that Stephen, bishop of Rome from 256-258, was indeed sitting in the chair of Peter because Peter was an elder in the church of Rome during the last few years of his life (1 Peter 5:1, 13). Neither thought Stephen could force his doctrinal opinion on them because of this, and both thought Stephen was dishonoring Peter by trying to excommunicate churches for disagreeing with him. I link Firmilian's letter in the paragraph below so you can read it yourself.

My book, Rome's Audacious Claim, goes through the church fathers to refute the claim of Roman Catholic apologists that there was a pope in the first century. It explains how fourth-century events explain the rise of the papacy, the (later) development of Roman Catholicism, and then opens the door on the sordid results of Roman religious rule. Available where books are sold. See Amazon reviews.

The statement that "Firmilian Acknowledges that Stephen took the Throne of Peter" is partly capitalized, so it's possible the writer took that from some Catholic version of Firmilian's (the bishop of Caesarea) letter to Cyprian, which is listed as letter 74 of Cyprian's letters in the Protestant Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. V. It's entirely possible a Roman Catholic collection of the early fathers might have a heading like that.

Here was my response:


Thanks, for writing. However, I'm really not sure what to do with someone who tells me "Firmilian acknowledges that Stephen took the throne of Peter," but sends me a quote that says,

I am justly indignant at this so open and manifest folly of Stephen ... who contends that he holds by succession the throne of Peter. (par. 17)

Obviously Firimilian didn't agree with Stephen that he held the throne of Peter.

Cyprian's was bishop of Carthage from AD 249-257. By that time, appealing to apostolic churches was very important. Bishops of churches like Alexandria and Antioch exercised authority over large areas.

Note: the writer had also sent me a quote showing that Cyprian asked Stephen, bishop of Rome, who had been appointed bishop of Arles after their former bishop, Marcian, had been excommunicated. The next paragraph addresses that quote.

Rome was the only apostolic church in the west. The bishop there did have some authority not only in Italy, but also in North Africa. If you look on a map, you'll find Arles on the outskirts of Italy, northern. This would have been an area where the appointment of a bishop would indeed have involved help from Rome. It would be my supposition that even in Carthage, where Cyprian was, that when Cyprian was replaced, Rome would have approved his replacement.

However, Cyprian—and Firmilian even more so—both opposed Stephen's claim to hold the throne of Peter, which Cyprian clearly assigns to all bishops in On the Unity of the Church (par. 4 & 5a) and which Firmilian opposed in the very quote you sent me. Cyprian led a council of 87 bishops in north Africa who unanimously rejected his claim to be "a bishop of bishops."

The point of all that is not to prove that the Roman bishop is not a bishop of bishops. I have plenty of other ways to prove that. The point of my quotes of Cyprian is to show that the RCC is picking and choosing its quotes of Cyprian and is dishonestly and unjustifiably portraying Cyprian as a supporter of papal primacy when he was not.

This is an ad written by me, Paul Pavao: I get a commission if you buy Xero shoes, which does not increase your cost. Barefoot running/walking is the best thing for your feet--if we did not walk on cement, asphalt, and gravel. Normal shoes compress your toes and do a lot of the work your lower leg muscles should be doing. Xero shoes are minimalist and let your toes spread and your feet do the work they are supposed to do. More info at the link.
spacer

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Early Church History Newsletter

You will be notified of new articles, and I send teachings based on the pre-Nicene fathers intermittently.

Back issues availabel

When you sign up for my newsletter, your email address will not be shared. We will only use it to send you the newsletter.

Email

Name