The Nugget:
Mat 16:18 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.
The Challenge:
- Matthew 16:18 (Roman Catholicism vs. Protestantism): “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Catholics interpret this as Jesus establishing Peter as the first pope, a foundational argument for the papal authority. Protestants typically interpret “this rock” as Peter’s faith or Jesus himself, rejecting the Catholic doctrine of papal succession.
My Comment:
This Post could have been titled “How to Resolve Differing Interpretations of the Bible Part 2.”
Roman Catholics regard this verse (Matthew 16:18) as Jesus establishing Peter as the first Pope. The evidence in the New Testament shows this is not the case. This passage furnishes no foundational argument for papal authority for those who are able to read the New Testament for themselves, for no such office is even hinted at in the Bible itself. The doctrine of papal succession is not to be found in the Bible. These are doctrines of men imposed upon Scripture long after the fact.
The Answer as I have given it in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury and The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
Peter. Gr. Petros. i.e. a stone, a piece of rock, loose and movable, *S# G4074.
This important incident recorded most fully here in Matthew does not seem to be understood by the apostles as giving any primacy or special authority to Peter, for just a short time later they are arguing about who should be greatest in the Kingdom (Mat 18:1 note. Mat 20:21-24).
Matthew 18:1 Notes:
At the same time. Mat 17:24, **Mar 9:33, 34, 35, 36, 37.
Who. That such a controversy as this could repeatedly occur shows both the humanity of the apostles, and most forcibly, that Peter was not understood by the rest of the apostles to have the primacy among them, for they obviously did not so understand our Lord’s words to Peter in Mat 16:18, 19. **Mat 20:20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28; Mat 23:11, Mar 9:34; Mar 10:35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, Luk 9:46, 47, 48; Luk 22:24, 25, 26, 27, Rom 12:10, Php 2:3.
greatest. FS96E4, +Mat 13:32. Note—This question, no doubt, was suggested by the vision in the preceding chapter, and the selection of the three disciples to witness it; as intimated by the words At the same time; in which view it confirms the application of that scene to the Second Advent. As to different degrees of glory in the kingdom of Christ see Mat 10:41; Mat 16:27; Mat 19:28; Mat 20:23, Luk 19:17; Luk 19:19; +*Luk 14:14, 1Co 15:40, 41 with Dan 12:2, 3, Rev 2:25, 26, 27, 28; Rev 20:4. Compare also 1Co 3:8; 1Co 3:14 with 2Jn 1:8 (William De Burgh, New Marginal Readings and References to the Gospels, p. 86). Mat 18:4, Mat 5:19, 20; Mat 23:11; +Mat 23:12, Act 8:19, +*Rom 12:3; +*Rom 12:16.
in. Mat 3:2; Mat 5:19, 20; Mat 7:21, Mar 10:14, 15.
kingdom of heaven. +Mat 4:17; +*Mat 5:3; Mat 6:9, 10; *Mat 20:21, *Act 1:6.
Mat 20:21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
Mat 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Mat 20:24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
upon. Mat 7:24, =Exo 40:8; =Exo 40:18, =Psa 87:1; Psa 87:5, Pro 10:25, Isa 14:32; *Isa 28:16, Dan 2:34, 1Co 3:9, 10, 11, Gal 2:9, Eph 2:19, 20, 21, 22, **1Pe 2:4; **1Pe 2:5, Rev 21:14.
this. Very emphatic, as though pointing to Himself. One of three important passages where “this” stands for the speaker (CB). **Joh 2:19; *Joh 6:58.
rock. Gr. petra, immovable rock. FS22L3, +Deut 32:31, FS135, +Psa 68:28, Gr. Petra. What is the “rock” upon which Christ will build His church? Greek grammar is against “rock” referring to Peter, for “Peter” is masculine gender, while “rock” is neuter gender. Some counter, however, that such nice distinctions in the Greek were not made in the Aramaic, the language which Jesus actually spoke. The fact that there are such nice distinctions in the Greek at numerous points as seen by the figure of speech Paronomasia (FS140, +Gen 4:25), as at Mat 21:41; Mat 22:3; Mat 24:7; shows that Matthew was originally written in Greek, and is not a translation from the Aramaic. No less an authority than Nigel Turner cites this very distinction (Petros, petra) as evidence that Jesus on this occasion spoke in Greek, not Aramaic (Grammatical Insights, p. 181; Grammar of N.T. Greek, vol. iv. p. 38), and that Matthew’s gospel was originally written in Greek, and is not a translation from the Aramaic. The “rock” may be the truth of Peter’s confession, the faith which underlies the confession [agreeing with homologia, which is Feminine, and is rendered confession in 1Ti 6:13, and profession in 1Ti 6:12, Heb 3:1; Heb 4:14; Heb 10:23, Compare 2Co 9:13, Peter’s confession is the foundation to which Christ referred, and not Peter himself. He was neither the foundation nor the builder—(a poor builder, Mat 16:23)—but Christ alone, whom he had confessed (1Co 3:11), CB], or it may be a reference to Christ himself. The latter view seems to be favored by the reference passages. *Mat 7:24, 25, 26, 27, +*Deut 32:4, 2Sa 22:2, Job 30:6, *Psa 18:2; Psa 27:5; **Psa 118:22; Psa 125:1, **Isa 28:16, Jer 4:29, 1Co 3:9, 10, 11; **1Co 10:4, *Eph 2:20, 21, 22, Col 1:18, 1Pe 2:4, 5, 6, Rev 21:14.
I will build. Gr. oikodomeō (S# G3618, Mat 7:24). This verb is first person singular, future tense, active voice, indicative mood. Since the tense of this verb is future, some understand the founding of Christ’s church as future to this time of his speaking. If this is the correct understanding, then the church of the New Testament is distinct from the church of the Old Testament. Others, however, believe that the church is one in both Testaments, though in the Old Testament the church is national, in the New Testament it is universal. In support of the latter view, the church in Mat 18:17 is spoken of as already existing, not future. Various titles and expressions in the New Testament show the church to be in both Testaments (Act 7:38; Rom 11:17, 18, 19, 20, 21; 1Co 3:16, 17; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16; Eph 2:21; Gal 4:26; Heb 12:22). Note—The emblem of a building is sometimes used in Scripture to denote the whole church, including Christ as the chief corner-stone,—the body of which he is the head: but in other places, as here, the church only; Christ being represented as the Builder (see the references). So likewise a foundation has two senses: the first, the support of the building, in which sense it applies to the apostles generally (Eph 2:20, Rev 21:14), and to Peter in particular; for (as remarked by Bishop Pearson on the Creed), “the promise made here was punctually fulfilled, by Christ’s using Peter’s ministry in laying the foundation of the Christian church among both Jews and Gentiles; and in his being the first preacher to them of that faith which he here confesses, and making the first proselytes to it; for St. Peter laid the first foundation of a church among the Jews, by the conversion of 3000 souls (Act 2:41), who, when they gladly had embraced St. Peter’s doctrine, were all baptized; and then (Act 2:47), we find mention of a Christian Church. St. Peter also laid the first foundation of a church among the Gentiles, by the conversion of Cornelius and his friends, Acts 10,” To which it should be added that Peter was the first called to apostleship, and the first to whom it was given to make this full confession of the Christian faith; at the same time that it is evident that the precedence in no one of these particulars could be successive, or belong to any other than the apostle himself (De Burgh, p. 79, 80). =1Ki 7:21; 1Ki 15:4, =2Ch 4:4, Psa 147:2, Pro 9:1, Hos 1:10; Hos 2:23, +*Zec 6:12; +*Zec 6:13, 1Co 3:9, **Gal 2:9, Heb 3:3, 4, **1Pe 2:4; **1Pe 2:5.
my. Mat 18:17, Act 2:47; Act 8:1, Eph 2:20; Eph 3:10; **Eph 5:25, 26, 27; **Eph 5:32, **Col 1:18, 1Ti 3:5; 1Ti 3:15, Heb 3:6.
church. Gr. ekklēsia (S# G1577, Heb 2:12). Deut 18:16, Jos 8:35, 1Ki 8:14, Psa 22:22; Psa 22:25, Joh 10:3, 4; Joh 10:14, 15, 16, Act 7:38; %Act 19:32; %Act 19:39; %Act 19:41 g. +*Act 20:28, Rom 9:25, 26, 27; Rom 11:17, 18, 19, 20, 21; Rom 16:16, 1Co 3:16, 17; 1Co 11:16, 2Co 6:16, Gal 4:26, Eph 1:22; Eph 2:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16; Eph 2:21; Eph 4:15, 16, +*1Ti 3:15 note. Tit 2:14, Heb 10:21; Heb 12:22, 1Pe 2:9.