Anglican interpretation of Matthew 16:18 affirms Peter's primacy among the apostles while rejecting Roman Catholic claims to papal universal jurisdiction. The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral (1888) affirms 'the historic episcopate locally adapted' as essential to Anglican ecclesiology. Peter and his confession are the rock; the church is built on the apostolic foundation.

Anglican bishops stand in apostolic succession from the apostles, including Peter. The see of Canterbury holds a primacy of honor (not jurisdiction) among Anglican bishops, analogous to patristic conceptions of the Bishop of Rome's role before medieval claims to absolute authority. This 'via media' between Catholic and Protestant readings is characteristic of Anglican ecclesiology.