Peter’s Confession That Christ Is God

But perhaps you prefer the authority of a greater person. You ought not, indeed, to make light of the authority of anyone of either sex to whom the confession of the mystery gives weight; for whatever a person’s condition, however humble his position, the value of his faith is not lessened by it. Still, let us question no beginner or untaught schoolboy, nor a woman whose faith might perhaps seem only elementary, but that greatest of disciples among the disciples and of teachers among the teachers, who presided over and governed the Roman church, and who held the chief place in the priesthood as he did in the faith. Tell us, then, tell us, we beg you, Peter, chief of the apostles, tell us how the churches ought to believe in God. It is right that you should teach us, since you were taught by the Lord, and that you should open to us the gate whose key you received. Shut out all those who try to tear down the heavenly house, and those who try to get in by secret holes and unlawful approaches; for it is clear that no one can enter the gate of the kingdom except one to whom you reveal the key given to the churches. Tell us, then, how we ought to believe in Jesus Christ and confess our common Lord. You will surely answer without hesitation: “Why do you ask me how the Lord should be confessed, when you have my own confession of him in front of you? Read the gospel, and you will not need me myself, since you have my confession. Indeed, you have me myself when you have my confession; for though I carry no weight apart from my confession, the confession itself gives weight to my person.” [a]

Tell us, then, Evangelist, tell us the confession; tell us the faith of the chief apostle. Did he confess that Jesus was only a man, or God? Did he say that there was nothing but flesh in him, or did he proclaim him the Son of God? When the Lord Jesus Christ asked whom the disciples believed and confessed him to be, Peter, the first of the apostles, answered, one in the name of all; for the answer of one expressed the faith of them all. But it was fitting that he should answer first, so that the order of answering might match the rank of honor, and that he might go ahead of them in confession as he went ahead of them in age. What, then, does he say? “You are,” he says, “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

I have to use a plain and simple question to refute you, you heretic. Tell me, please: who was the one to whom Peter gave that answer? You cannot deny that it was the Christ. Then I ask you, what do you call Christ, man or God? Man, certainly, without any doubt; for this is the source of your whole heresy, that you deny Christ is the Son of God. That is also why you say that Mary is Christotokos, but not Theotokos, because she was the mother of Christ, not of God. So you maintain that Christ is only a man and not God, and therefore that he is the son of man, not of God. What, then, does Peter answer to this? “You are,” he says, “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The Christ whom you declare to be only the son of man, he testifies is the Son of God. Whom would you have us believe, you or Peter? I imagine you are not so shameless as to dare prefer your own opinion to that of the first of the apostles. And yet what would you not dare? How can you help scorning the apostle, if you can deny God? “You are, then,” he says, “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Is there anything puzzling or obscure in this? It is nothing but a plain and open confession: he proclaims Christ to be the Son of God. Perhaps you will deny that the words were spoken; but the evangelist testifies that they were. Or do you say the apostle told a lie? But it is a dreadful lie to accuse an apostle of lying. Or perhaps you will claim that the words were spoken of some other Christ? But that is a new kind of monstrous invention. What, then, is left for you? Only one thing: since what is written is read, and what is read is true, you should at last be driven by force and compulsion, since you cannot claim it is false, to stop attacking its truth.