so, as we have suggested, by first distinguishing Peter from the other apostles and then by claiming that his apostolic authority is continued in the single line of Bishops of Rome. Now it is true that in the early years of the New Testament era Peter was a leader among the apostles. A case can even be made that he was the “first among equals” (primus inter pares) in some sense. Consider the following data. There are approximately 140 references to Peter in the four Gospels, some 30 more than all