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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
peter and paul...stephen and john the baptist	joseph	Friday, March 28, 2008
Question: well i think this question is a little weird. anyway, Peter was the first Pope, but often his name is followed by St. Paul (...of the Blessed apostles peter and paul...) Were peter and Paul equal when they lived or did paul acted somewhat like a cardinal? and then St. Stephen is called the first martyr, but then again i realized that St. john was put to death first before him. why is St. stephen considered the first martyr. I hope ypu can enlighten me on these things. i think they are really weird questions but please help me out anyway. Thank you. :-)
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Joseph: St. Paul was a major figure in the Church to be sure. His missionary trips were significant in the expansion of the Church. But he was not equal to St. Peter in ecclesial rank but submitted to the authority of St. Peter who was the Pope. St. Stephen was the first martyr. His death is recorded in the Book of Acts (chapters 6-7). He died around A.D. 35 only a couple years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. St. John the Baptist was a pre-Christian martyr. He was killed before the advent of the Christian Covenant. God bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

peter and paul...stephen and john the baptist

joseph

Friday, March 28, 2008

Question:

well i think this question is a little weird. anyway,

Peter was the first Pope, but often his name is followed by St. Paul (...of the Blessed apostles peter and paul...) Were peter and Paul equal when they lived or did paul acted somewhat like a cardinal?

and then St. Stephen is called the first martyr, but then again i realized that St. john was put to death first before him. why is St. stephen considered the first martyr.

I hope ypu can enlighten me on these things. i think they are really weird questions but please help me out anyway. Thank you. :-)

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Joseph:

St. Paul was a major figure in the Church to be sure. His missionary trips were significant in the expansion of the Church. But he was not equal to St. Peter in ecclesial rank but submitted to the authority of St. Peter who was the Pope.

St. Stephen was the first martyr. His death is recorded in the Book of Acts (chapters 6-7). He died around A.D. 35 only a couple years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

St. John the Baptist was a pre-Christian martyr. He was killed before the advent of the Christian Covenant.

God bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum