Who Is the Rock, Peter or Christ?
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
This beautiful Renaissance fresco of Christ giving the keys to Peter is painted on the wall of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Obviously, it was created to reinforce the Roman Catholic doctrine of the supremacy of the Roman pope who, as that church teaches, is the successor to the Apostle Peter. Let's take a look at the Scriptures to learn what the Old Testament patriarchs and New Testament Apostles - including St. Peter himself - wrote on this subject.
When Christ asked His disciples - "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied - "'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven'" (Matthew 16:16-19).
This passage is controversial because the Greek text uses one word, petros (meaning "little stone"), for Peter, but another word, "petra" (meaning "massive rock") for "on this rock," which, as Protestants assert, refers to Christ. A problem here is that the Gospel of Matthew was probably first written not in Greek, but rather in Aramaic (the form of Hebrew spoken at that time), and the words "Peter" and "rock" would be the same one word, "cephas" in Aramaic. So we're back to square one.
But after the Day of Pentecost, Peter himself identified this rock as being Christ - "Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom you crucified, Whom God raised from the dead, in Him does this man stand here before you whole. He is 'the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the chief Cornerstone'" (Acts 4:10-11, quoting from Psalm 118:22).
Peter again quotes this Psalm - "...the Lord is gracious: coming to Him, the living Stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Because it is contained in Scripture, 'Behold, I lay in Zion a chief Cornerstone, elect, precious: He who believes in him will not be disappointed.' For you therefore who believe is the honor, but for such as are disobedient, 'The Stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief Cornerstone,' and, 'A Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offense.' For they stumble at the Word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed" (1 Peter 2:3b-8).
What about those keys and binding things on earth? In this passage, Jesus addressed those words directly to Peter because "you" is singular in Greek. But in parallel passages, Jesus uses "you" in the plural, giving all of His Apostles this authority to bind and loose: "Most assuredly I tell you, whatever things you [plural] will bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever things you [plural] will release on earth will be released in heaven" (Matthew 18:18). Also, "Whoever's sins you [plural] forgive, they are forgiven them. Whoever's sins you [plural] retain, they have been retained" (John 20:23).
There should be no doubt that Peter was the leader of the Apostles. But these passages indicate that he shared authority with the other Apostles and that their head, the Rock, the chief Cornerstone, is Christ Himself.
This beautiful Renaissance fresco of Christ giving the keys to Peter is painted on the wall of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Obviously, it was created to reinforce the Roman Catholic doctrine of the supremacy of the Roman pope who, as that church teaches, is the successor to the Apostle Peter. Let's take a look at the Scriptures to learn what the Old Testament patriarchs and New Testament Apostles - including St. Peter himself - wrote on this subject.When Christ asked His disciples - "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied - "'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven'" (Matthew 16:16-19).
This passage is controversial because the Greek text uses one word, petros (meaning "little stone"), for Peter, but another word, "petra" (meaning "massive rock") for "on this rock," which, as Protestants assert, refers to Christ. A problem here is that the Gospel of Matthew was probably first written not in Greek, but rather in Aramaic (the form of Hebrew spoken at that time), and the words "Peter" and "rock" would be the same one word, "cephas" in Aramaic. So we're back to square one.
But after the Day of Pentecost, Peter himself identified this rock as being Christ - "Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom you crucified, Whom God raised from the dead, in Him does this man stand here before you whole. He is 'the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the chief Cornerstone'" (Acts 4:10-11, quoting from Psalm 118:22).
Peter again quotes this Psalm - "...the Lord is gracious: coming to Him, the living Stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Because it is contained in Scripture, 'Behold, I lay in Zion a chief Cornerstone, elect, precious: He who believes in him will not be disappointed.' For you therefore who believe is the honor, but for such as are disobedient, 'The Stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief Cornerstone,' and, 'A Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offense.' For they stumble at the Word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed" (1 Peter 2:3b-8).
What about those keys and binding things on earth? In this passage, Jesus addressed those words directly to Peter because "you" is singular in Greek. But in parallel passages, Jesus uses "you" in the plural, giving all of His Apostles this authority to bind and loose: "Most assuredly I tell you, whatever things you [plural] will bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever things you [plural] will release on earth will be released in heaven" (Matthew 18:18). Also, "Whoever's sins you [plural] forgive, they are forgiven them. Whoever's sins you [plural] retain, they have been retained" (John 20:23).
There should be no doubt that Peter was the leader of the Apostles. But these passages indicate that he shared authority with the other Apostles and that their head, the Rock, the chief Cornerstone, is Christ Himself.
Several of the above quotations are free translations from the Old Testament, for example - "The Lord of hosts, Him shall you sanctify; and let Him be your fear, and let him be your dread. He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a Stone of stumbling and for a Rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a trap and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken" (Isaiah 8:13-15). So it is the Lord of hosts who is the Stone of stumbling and the Rock of offense.
Further - "Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tried Stone, a precious Cornerstone of sure foundation: he who believes shall not be in haste" (Isaiah 28:16). Also - "Do not fear, neither be afraid: haven't I declared to you of old, and shown it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed, there is not. I do not know any other Rock" (Isaiah 44:8). It is clear from these verses that the incarnate God Himself is the Stone, the Cornerstone, and the Rock.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Chaldeans, had a vision of a huge image. The prophet Daniel interpreted the king's vision thusly - "You watched until a Stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the Stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth" (Daniel 2:34-35).
Christ referred to this passage and applied it to Himself: - "Jesus said to them, 'Did you never read in the Scriptures, "The Stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the Corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes?"'" (Matthew 21:42; see also Mark 12:10 and Luke 20:17). All three of the synoptic Gospels mention this idea, so it must have been important to the Early Church.
Now let's see what the Apostle Paul wrote on this question - "Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn't arrive at the law of righteousness. Why? Because they didn't seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling Stone; even as it is written, 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling Stone and a Rock of offense; And no one who believes in Him will be disappointed'" (Romans 9:31-33). It's clear from the context that he is referring to Christ.
Again, St. Paul writes - "For no one can lay any other Foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11). Also - "...and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ" (ch. 10:4).
Finally - "So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built on the Foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief Cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:19-21). There should be no doubt remaining in anyone's mind about Who is the Rock: it is most certainly Christ Himself.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! Christ is among us! He is and ever shall be!
Further - "Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tried Stone, a precious Cornerstone of sure foundation: he who believes shall not be in haste" (Isaiah 28:16). Also - "Do not fear, neither be afraid: haven't I declared to you of old, and shown it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed, there is not. I do not know any other Rock" (Isaiah 44:8). It is clear from these verses that the incarnate God Himself is the Stone, the Cornerstone, and the Rock.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Chaldeans, had a vision of a huge image. The prophet Daniel interpreted the king's vision thusly - "You watched until a Stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the Stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth" (Daniel 2:34-35).
Christ referred to this passage and applied it to Himself: - "Jesus said to them, 'Did you never read in the Scriptures, "The Stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the Corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes?"'" (Matthew 21:42; see also Mark 12:10 and Luke 20:17). All three of the synoptic Gospels mention this idea, so it must have been important to the Early Church.
Now let's see what the Apostle Paul wrote on this question - "Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn't arrive at the law of righteousness. Why? Because they didn't seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling Stone; even as it is written, 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling Stone and a Rock of offense; And no one who believes in Him will be disappointed'" (Romans 9:31-33). It's clear from the context that he is referring to Christ.
Again, St. Paul writes - "For no one can lay any other Foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11). Also - "...and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ" (ch. 10:4).
Finally - "So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built on the Foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief Cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:19-21). There should be no doubt remaining in anyone's mind about Who is the Rock: it is most certainly Christ Himself.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! Christ is among us! He is and ever shall be!
(Linked to www.Hosken-News.info of 22 Sep. 2018.)
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Jesus and His 12 disciples were all Jews. What we today call Christianity was for the first four decades or so, until 70 A.D., considered a sect of the Jewish religion. After Jesus rose from the dead, at first the disciples stayed around Jerusalem. It took the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts ch. 7) to "give them a good kick in the pants" and get them moving out of Jerusalem. In Acts ch. 8, we read that Saul, then a sect-hunter, ravaged the church and dragged believers into prison. Verse 4 states - "Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the Word." (I took this as my life verse when I was a teenager.) The disciples went as far as Samaria, preaching only to the Jews.