Gospel of The Mystery
...and to make all men see what is the Dispensation of the Mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things. - Eph. 3:9
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. - 2 Tim. 2:15
February 24, 2022
What did the Lord Jesus mean when he said "upon this rock I will build my church"?
by Raphael Paz
Scripture reading:
Matthew 16:13-20
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
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.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (Gk. petros), and upon this rock (Gk. petra) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
To sum up the scripture reading above, The Lord Jesus commended Peter because by his confession, he came to a correct conclusion about the person of Christ, that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of the living God. The Lord added, however, that Peter had not determined this conclusion by his own ability or intelligence but it was revealed to him by God the Father which is in heaven.
Peter (Greek = petros) meaning, a loose and movable stone as in John 1:42 (see below), is not the rock (Greek = petra) denoting an unmoveable rock or a rock situated in it's original place (in situ). The rock or the very foundation upon which the Lord would build His church is the truth of the great confession that Peter had made, that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of the living God.
John 1:42 KJV "And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone."
It was not Peter (Gk. petros), the man, who would be the foundation rock (Gk. petra) for petra is feminine noun expressed or implied, referring to Peter's "confession" (which is Feminine). It was Peter's confession that was the one subject of the Father's revelation and the Son's confirmation.
Another reason that Peter cannot be the foundation on which the church would be built is because a few verse later, in Matthew 16:23, the Lord called Peter Satan:
Matthew 16:23 King James Version
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
The statement in Matthew 16:19 below is not limited to Peter alone for in Matthew 18:18-20, The Lord was speaking not only to Peter but to the other disciples also (verse 1).
The Lord here speaking to Peter:
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
The Lord speaking to the disciples:
Matthew 18:18-20 King James Version
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Peter's declaration about the Messiah's person (that Christ is the Son of the living God) is the bedrock foundation upon which the Lord Jesus would build His church.
Definition of terms:
Cephas (Gk. kephas) = a stone, is Peter's name in Aramaic, as was his appelative Bar-jona
Simon Bar-jona (Aramaic = Simon, son of Jona)
Peter (Greek = petros) meaning, a loose and movable stone
rock (Greek = petra) denoting an unmoveable rock or a rock situated in it's original place (in situ).
Cross references:
John 1:41-42 King James Version
41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
1 Corinthians 3:11 King James Version
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:9
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
The tradition that Peter is the foundation upon which the church is to be built on is only a tradition.
Admonitions from the Lord to be heeded, to give consideration or attention about tradition:
Mark 7:9-13
9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Colossians 2:8 ESV
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Matthew 15:3 ESV
He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
Mark 7:3-9 ESV
(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ...
Matthew 15:3-6 New King James Version
3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 ESV
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
1 Timothy 4:7 ESV
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;
1 Timothy 1:4 ESV
Nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
Matt. 22:29 Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God."
John 20:31 King James Bible
But these (Scriptures) 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.