Matthew 16:18 King James Version
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.
This is a common verse that a lot of people have heard of when they’re searching for the origin of the Christian Church. Many assumed without reading the proper context that the rock being referred to in the verse is Peter just because his name means “rock”, but if we study the Bible and look for supporting verses this is not true.
First we look at the previous verses to gain proper context
Matthew 16:13-18 King James Version
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, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
When Jesus asked His disciples what do men from Caesarea Philippi say about Him, they answered that He’s a prophet, some say He’s Elijah or Jeremiah or even John the Baptist, but when Jesus ask His disciples ”But whom say ye that I am?”, Peter answered “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Upon Peter’s right answer, Jesus proclaims that He will build His church not on Peter but Himself because as Peter said Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God, and there are verses to support this.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 King James Version
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
The disciples clearly knew who the “Rock” was and it is Jesus Christ and if we go back to the time of Moses in Deuteronomy we read.
Deuteronomy 32:1-4 King James Version
1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
They always knew that the Rock is the Lord God even before they knew the name of Jesus Christ.
Peter cannot be the rock of the church simply by reading at the last part of the verse in Matthew 16:18, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” and reading the succeeding verses of the same chapter
Matthew 16:21-23 King James Version
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
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.
Jesus called Peter, Satan, clearly contradicting Matthew 16:18 if we refer Peter as the rock of the church. Also in Matthew 26:69-75 we read that Peter denied Jesus three times before the cock crew as Jesus’ foretold would happen, that is a bad testimony to be called the rock of the church.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preached.
Matthew 7:24-25 King James Version
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain 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.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Those who hear and do His will, will have a strong foundation and those who don’t will easily fall, because as Deuteronomy 32:4 says “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
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Psalm 18:2 King James Version
“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
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Hope this may be a blessing to the readers.
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