Matthew 16:18 Peter, rock, and church

[Guest]

OK, I found a place he wrote about this:

Matthew 16:18

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock (THIS UNSHAKABLE TRUTH THAT HE IS THE MESSIAH) I will build my COMMUNITY OF FAITH, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

This seems self-explanatory to me. Is there something about it specifically you would like addressed?

This is a play on words since the name Shimon/Simon means "vacillating one" (one can't decide) but the name Kefa/Peter means "rock".

By addressing him as Simon and then saying he will now be called Peter, Yeshua is saying that Simon Peter is no longer vacillating between opinions and has now settled on an immovable truth. On this immovable truth, the community of faith will be built.

This was said at Caesarea Phillipi where there is a bottomless pit known as "the Gates of Hell" and the Romans had built a temple to Jupiter (Zeus)

A Reference Source Yod Gave Follow The Rabbi It May Require $$$ And/or Membership??

[HitmanR2]

I am convinced, as others here are, that the "rock" upon which Christ would build His church; was the revelation given to Peter: "that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God."

We need look no further than the day of pentecost as Peter (the rock) stood upon The Rock of that very same revelation:

[Jon-Marc]

Jesus is definitely the Rock on which the church was built--NOT on Peter. Jesus is the Rock of ages, the Corner Stone of the church. The name Peter does not mean "rock"; it means "stone", and Jesus was referring to Himself in that verse.

[deut31:12]

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (KJV)

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (ESV)

So my question is, how do I understand this verse?

This verse has always been mysterious to me in meaning. Tying this to the "Tend my sheep" injunctions made to Peter at the last appearance of Jesus, is Jesus here appointing Peter as the leader and foundation of the church, as the Catholic Church claims? Or is there a different meaning?

In Acts, Paul doesn't seem to see Peter as authority. Rather, James appears to have the last word on decisional matters....

I would really appreciate feedback on this.

We know that the church was not built upon Peter. It was built upon Jesus. He purchased it with his own blood, he is the chief corner stone, and the church is his bride. Peter truthfully identified Jesus as the Christ and Jesus truthfully identified Peter as being Peter. Remember the parable that Jesus taught about building a house upon the rock and upon the sand? Jesus built the church upon the rock of truth. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church. It is not powerful enough. The gospel of Christ has the power of God to save us.

Jesus was not giving charge to Peter to be the leader of the church.

Matthew 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

Jesus says that they were all just brethren as there is only one master, so he did not appoint Peter to be the leader.

The only charge he gave them was to continue in the spreading of the gospel. Their authority lies in being held accountable in the spreading of the gospel. Nobody was any more important then the other and nobody had positions higher than the other like governments work. Positions in the church stood where responsibilities were divided.

.

[logos7]

IMO from other scriptures we read it is evident, that "and upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18) is referring to Peter's confession of faith, "thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16), not Peter himself.

For if Peter is the rock it goes against Old Testament teaching.

Psalms 18:31

For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?

II Samuel 22:32 says the same thing.

Jesus at the end of His teaching on the Sermon on the Mount stated:

24) Therefore whosoever heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a ROCK:

25) And the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house: and it fell not: for it was founded upon a ROCK.

Near the end of his Gospel John wrote:

But these are written, that ye might BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, and that believing ye might have life through His Name.

John 20:31

We see here that John isn't worry about Peter being a pebble, but about Peter's confession of faith in Matthew 16:16

[Babbler]

You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: the Aramaic word kepa meaning rock and transliterated into Greek as Kephas is the name by which Peter is called in the Pauline letters (1 Cor 1, 12; 3, 22; 9, 5; 15, 4; Gal 1, 18;) except in Gal 2, 7-8 ("Peter"). It is translated as Petros ("Peter") in Jn 1, 42. The presumed original Aramaic of Jesus' statement would have been in English, "You are the Rock (Kepa) and upon this rock (kepa) I will build my church." The Greek text probably means the same, for the difference in gender between the masculine noun petros, the disciple's new name, and the feminie noun petra (rock) may be due simply to the unsuitability of using a feminine noun as the proper name of a male. Although the two words were generally used with slightly different nuances, they were also used interchangeably with the same meaning, "rock." Church: this word (Greek ekklesia) occurs in the gospels only here and in Mt 18, 17 (twice). There are several possibilities for an Aramaic original. Jesus' church means the community that he will gather and that, like a building, will have Peter as its solid foundation. That function of Peter consists in his being witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it: the netherworld (Greek Hades, the abode of the dead) is conceived of as a walled city whose gates will not close in upon the church of Jesus, i.e. will not be overcome by the power of death.

The keys to trhe kingdom of heaven: the image of the keys is probably drawn from Is 22, 15-25, where Eliakim, who succeeds Shebnah as master of the palace, is given "the key of the house of David," which he authoritatively "opens" and "shuts" (Is 22, 22). Whatever you bind. . . loosed in heaven: there are many instances in rabbinic literature of the binding-loosing imagery. Of the several meanings given there to the metaphor, two are of special importance here: the giving of authoritative teaching, and the lifting or imposing of the ban of excommunication. It is disputed whether the image of the keys and that of binding and loosing are different metaphors meaning the same thing. In any case, the promise of the keys is given to Peter alone. In Mt 18, 18 all the disciples are given the power of binding and loosing, but the context of that verse suggests that there the power of excommunication alone is intended. That the keys are those to the kingdom of heaven and that Peter's exercise of authority in the church on earth will be confirmed in heaven show an intimate connection between, but not an identification of, the church and the kingdom of heaven.

[Jedi4Yahweh]

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (KJV)

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (ESV)

So my question is, how do I understand this verse?

This verse has always been mysterious to me in meaning. Tying this to the "Tend my sheep" injunctions made to Peter at the last appearance of Jesus, is Jesus here appointing Peter as the leader and foundation of the church, as the Catholic Church claims? Or is there a different meaning?

In Acts, Paul doesn't seem to see Peter as authority. Rather, James appears to have the last word on decisional matters....

I would really appreciate feedback on this.

I think it bares a two-fold meaning. Yes, Yahshua and the Apostles are the foundation of which the Church is built. I don't think Yahshua was just referring to Peter as the single member of this foundation but all the Apostles. Second meaning I believe refers not to Peter but to his statement of faith of who Yahshua is. The church today is built on our confession of Christ.

[rachel89]

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (KJV)

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (ESV)

So my question is, how do I understand this verse?

This verse has always been mysterious to me in meaning. Tying this to the "Tend my sheep" injunctions made to Peter at the last appearance of Jesus, is Jesus here appointing Peter as the leader and foundation of the church, as the Catholic Church claims? Or is there a different meaning?

In Acts, Paul doesn't seem to see Peter as authority. Rather, James appears to have the last word on decisional matters....

I would really appreciate feedback on this.

Jesus gives the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter, and declares that whatsoever he binds on earth shall be bound in Heaven. Even though all 12 disciples are gathered together for this meeting, Jesus says these things only to Peter.

In the Old Testament, a change of name meant an appointment or special calling or a change in status. Genesis 17:5 ,“Neither shall thy name anymore be called abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations I have made thee.” In Genesis 32:28 God changes Jacob’s name to Israel in order to signify his special role. Therefore, in addition to some other things that Jesus says to Saint Peter in Matthew 16, the change of his name from Simon to Peter serves to confirm Peter’s special role.

No other apostle is given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. In Matthew 18:18 we read that all the apostles are given the power to bind and to loose; but Peter alone is given them. This shows us that the power which is given to all the apostles to bind and to loose in Matt. 18:18, must be exorcised under the keys which are given alone to Peter. Peter has a unique position of authority in the Church.

In John 21:15-17, Jesus tells Peter to rule his sheep, “He saith unto him, Feed my lambs…he saith unto him, Tend my sheep…Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” Jesus is clearly giving St. Peter authority over his flock, the members of His Church.

Most Holy Family Monastery.

Edited August 30, 2010 by rachel89

[mjrhealth]

HitmanR2 you hit the nail on the head.

Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will

Read the previous line. Jesus did not say, upon you, he said to peter, Upon this rock ( revelation ),.

Gal 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

Gal 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Revelation, wtohout it you are going nowhere.

In His LOve

[Matthitjah]

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (KJV)

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (ESV)

So my question is, how do I understand this verse?

This verse has always been mysterious to me in meaning. Tying this to the "Tend my sheep" injunctions made to Peter at the last appearance of Jesus, is Jesus here appointing Peter as the leader and foundation of the church, as the Catholic Church claims? Or is there a different meaning?

In Acts, Paul doesn't seem to see Peter as authority. Rather, James appears to have the last word on decisional matters....

I would really appreciate feedback on this.

Jesus gives the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter, and declares that whatsoever he binds on earth shall be bound in Heaven. Even though all 12 disciples are gathered together for this meeting, Jesus says these things only to Peter.

In the Old Testament, a change of name meant an appointment or special calling or a change in status. Genesis 17:5 ,