Upon This Rock

        This is being respectively offered to explain why non-Catholics don’t believe Peter was appointed Pope by Jesus. It is based on Matthew 16: 16- 18. My Catholic friends will not like this interpretation, but it is based on an understanding of Scripture. Indeed, I hope our different understanding of the text won’t strain our friendship. I cherish every Catholic friend I have and they are a number.

         “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Matthew 16: 16-18).

        So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’

        Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16: 16- 18). New King James

        What does the original Greek text mean by what was said? Note, You are “Petros,” the proper name of Peter. It was often used of a small movable stone.

        Next Jesus follows with “upon this Petra” which is feminine and refers to a large boulder that could not be moved..

        The play on words indicates Jesus is not saying, “Peter, I am going to build my church on you personally.” There is no indication that Peter or any of the apostles thought that was what He meant.

        The Petra, the large stone on which Jesus proposed to build His church, was the confession of Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That is what the church is built on, not Peter.

        People of that time understood this analogy: “ the gates of Hades (hell) shall not prevail against it.” The gates of a city were a gathering place where the leaders of the city formed a council and met to discuss issues facing the city. Jesus was saying, “Let the devil get all the demons of hell together and seek to devise a plan to prevent me from building my church and they would not be able to do it.”

        Jesus used another analogy when He said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” The power of heaven is released on earth by God’s word.

        The sacred scrolls were kept locked in a cabinet. The senior priest would unlock it, take the scrolls out and teach the younger priest. When the student learned the meaning of the scrolls the younger priest was given a key to the cabinet and could open and close the cabinet. If he removed the scroll, took it out, and taught the people the power of heaven was released on earth. If he left the cabinet locked and did not take out the scroll and teach it, it was bound in heaven and on earth.

        The foundation of the church is not a man, but the truth articulated by a very special man, Peter, who said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That truth is the foundation on which the church is built. It is a reference to Jesus Himself.