The Life of Christ

• The reason is because the Father had not yet given that full revelation to anyone, with the exception of Peter.

Mt. 16:15-16 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

This heartfelt revelation came freely to a number of disciples after the resurrection, but Peter received it well beforehand.

• By saying He was the Christ, it meant that He was the anticipated Messiah, the Anointed One.

• By also stating that Jesus was the Son of the Living God meant that He was God, Incarnate.

• The essence of the revelation the Father gave Peter was that the Messiah and the Son of God would be one and the same person.

• However, later near the time of Jesus’ passion, Caiaphas the high priest amazingly puts these two thoughts together in Mk. 14:61: “…again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’”

• The timing of Peter’s strong confession encouraged Jesus, having come shortly after so many of His disciples had walked away (Jn. 6:69).

Mt. 16:17-18 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.”

Who or what is this rock upon which “Jesus will build His church?"

• The Catholic Church assign its identity to Peter, based upon the wording of the sentence: "You are Peter (Petros), and upon this rock (petra) will I build My church." The downside of this view, however, is that the sentence is awkward, both in structure and content.

• In addition, the Greek word for Peter is "Petros," which usually means a small stone.

• The Greek word for rock is "petras," meaning a large stone, such as the Rock of Gibraltar.

• If Jesus intended the rock be Peter, He may have said, "and upon this petros, or small stone, will l build this church."

We also notice a gender shift from the masculine (Peter) to the feminine “rock,” additionally making the Catholic interpretation awkward.

• Also, if this statement had been intended as the foundation of so important a doctrine as that of the permanent supremacy of Peter, it would likely have been recorded in more than just one place.

• Finally, there is not even solid evidence that Peter was ever the Bishop of Rome, from which began the succession of Popes.

There are two more plausible identifications of the “rock”:

• 1) The rock is Jesus: "And upon Myself will I build my church.” 1 Pet. 2:6-8 shows Jesus as the stone the builders rejected.

• 2) The rock is the confession made by Peter: “Jesu s is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

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