768. We will say something here about the truth that the Lord spoke to Peter regarding the keys of the kingdom of heaven and the power of binding and loosing (Matthew 16:15-20).

Roman Catholics say that Peter was given this power, that it has been handed down to the Popes as Peter's successors, that the Lord thus left all His power to Peter and those after him, and that the Pope acts as His vicar on earth. But it is nevertheless clearly apparent from the Lord's own words that He gave not a bit of power to Peter, since the Lord says, "On this rock I will build My church."

The rock symbolizes the Lord in respect to His Divine truth, and the Divine truth or rock there is the one Peter confessed before the Lord spoke those words. This is what Peter confessed:

(The Lord said to His disciples,) "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:15-16)

This is the truth on which the Lord builds His church, and Peter then represented that truth. And it is apparent from this that it is a confession of the Lord as being the Son of the living God which has power over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18), on which the Lord builds His church - thus upon Himself and not on Peter.

That the Lord is meant by Peter is something known in the church.

[2] I once spoke with the Babylonian tribe in the spiritual world about the keys given to Peter, asking whether they believe that the Lord transferred His power over heaven and earth to Peter.

Because this was the chief tenet of their religion, they vehemently insisted that He did, saying that there was no doubt about it, as it was clearly stated.

But on my asking whether they know that in every part of the Word there is a spiritual meaning, which is the meaning of the Word in heaven, they said at first that they were unaware of it. However, later they said that they would inquire into it; and when they did, they were told that there is a spiritual meaning in every part of the Word, which is as different from the literal sense as anything spiritual is from something natural. Moreover, they were also told that no person named in the Word is so named in heaven, but that instead angels understand in it something spiritual.

Finally they were informed that instead of Peter in the Word, angels understand the truth of the church springing from goodness, which is likewise meant by the rock that is mentioned there together with Peter; and that they could know therefore that Peter was not given any power, but that it belonged to truth springing from goodness. For all power in heaven is the power of truth springing from goodness, or of goodness by means of truth. And because all goodness and all truth come from the Lord, and nothing from any man, they could know that all power is the Lord's.

When they heard this, the Babylonian tribe angrily said that they wanted to know whether that is the spiritual meaning in these words. Therefore they were given the Word that is found in heaven, which contains not the natural sense but a spiritual one, because it exists for angels, who are spiritual. And when they read that Word, they clearly saw that Peter was not mentioned there, but instead truth springing from goodness from the Lord.

Having seen this, they angrily threw it away. They would almost have torn it to pieces with their teeth, except that at that moment it was taken away.

Thus they were convinced, even though they did not want to be convinced, that the Lord alone has all power, and less so any man because the power is Divine. ¹

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