The apostle Peter was one of Jesus' prominent disciples and a leader in the early church. The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church is that Peter was the first bishop of Rome, or pope, and that he had special authority over the church. This teaching is not generally accepted by other Christian denominations. One of the arguments used to support this view comes from Matthew 16:19 Matthew 16 19 * This interpretation of the passage must be considered true * Peter must be accepted as the first bishop of Rome * The doctrine of Apostolic Succession must be believed