Matthew 16:18 — "Upon This Rock"

The Wesleyan Church rejects the Roman Catholic interpretation of Matthew 16:18 as establishing papal authority or a papacy. In Wesleyan understanding, the 'rock' refers to the faith-confession that Peter articulates — 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God' — or to Christ Himself as the ultimate foundation of the Church.

Wesleyan theology affirms the headship of Christ alone. Jesus is the sole head of the Church; all believers are priests before God through Christ's mediation. While Peter and the apostles have foundational roles in establishing the Church's doctrine and practice (through Scripture), no apostolic successor can claim universal jurisdiction or infallibility. The 'keys of the kingdom' are understood as spiritual authority given to all believers to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in Christ's name.

The Wesleyan tradition, in its Methodist heritage, has always resisted hierarchical church structures that concentrate authority in a single person or office. Methodist connectionalism emphasizes shared leadership among elders and superintendents — a polity that reflects the Wesleyan rejection of papal supremacy and preference for distributed apostolic authority among the people of God.