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gua1274: 9 months ago

Is Peter Really the Rock?

what is the biblical meaning the word upon this rock i will build?

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Answer 1

Bemused: 9 months ago

From what angle are approaching these biblical questions? I can't tell if you really want to know and are open to an answer that might not be what you personally believe, or if you are just trolling to bait the Christians and then pull out some Ancient Greek language switcheroo that disproves everything any Christian has ever said.

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Answer 2

CalenWilson: 9 months ago via iPhone

It means solid ground a permanent foundation?

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Answer 3

MonaSez: 9 months ago | Last edited at 6:29PM on 8/9/2012

Peter was the first/main/chief Disciple (later Apostle) and God's work is built upon this foundation, that the Apostles are the Ambassadors of Christ and the foundation upon which to continue to build the work/faith that Christ started.

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Answer 4

strawberrygirl: 9 months ago | Last edited at 6:33PM on 8/9/2012

The chief cornerstone of any building was that upon which the building was anchored. If Christ declared Himself to be the cornerstone, how could Peter be the rock upon which the church was built? It is more likely that the believers, of which Peter is one, are the stones which make up the church, anchored upon the Cornerstone, "and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame" (1 Peter 2:6). (cont in comments)

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strawberrygirl: 9 months ago

The Roman Catholic Church uses the argument that Peter is the rock to which Jesus referred as evidence that it is the one true church. Peter's being the rock is not the only valid interpretation of this verse. Even if Peter is the rock in Matthew 16:18, this is meaningless in giving the Roman Catholic Church any authority. Scripture nowhere records Peter being in Rome. Scripture nowhere describes Peter as being supreme over the other apostles. The New Testament does not describe Peter as being the "all authoritative leader" of the early Christian church. Peter was not the first pope, and Peter did not start the Roman Catholic Church. The origin of the Catholic Church is not in the teachings of Peter or any other apostle. If Peter truly was the founder of the Roman Catholic Church, it would be in full agreement with what Peter taught (Acts chapter 2, 1 Peter, 2 Peter).http://www.gotquestions.org/upon-this-rock.htm

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Bemused: 9 months ago

It is widely debated, even amongst Catholics.
Semantics are all fine and good, but I think that when people start to get really nitpicky about dates and exact locations and ancient translation, it really washes out the meaning behind the ideas and interpretations.

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gua1274: 9 months ago

Mat 16:18 So I tell you, you are Peter. And I will build my church on this rock. The power of death will not be able to defeat my church.
G 4073 Pet-ra Feminine of the same as G4074; a(mass of ) rock( literally or Figuratively)-rock strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary

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Truthisobvious: 9 months ago

gua
what exactly is this implying? I am deeply curious what is meant by your comment? Please explain for me.

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Answer 5

Jerusalem07: 9 months ago via iPhone

No, Peter is not the rock; what he answered to Jesus is the rock or foundation for the church.
Matthew 16:15-18
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and sId, Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.
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.
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 rock being the statement
" Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." the foundation for today's church. Peter statement inspired from God and not Peter is the foundation. Jesus is our salvation not Peter.

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Answer 6

Lior: 9 months ago via iPhone | Last edited at 8:37PM on 8/9/2012

No. And my answer is twofold. First, Mark 16 ends at verse 8, as is well known. Anything after that, the verse of interest included, is a much later forgery. So that statement actually does not appear in the NT, much as Catholics may like it.
My second answer is that the original Greek uses two different words: you are a pebble [petros], and (perhaps meaning but) upon this rock [petra] I will build...". It might actually mean the exact opposite: you Simon Peter are just a small pebble, I cannot build my church on you, but will instead build it on a rock. Many Protestants like this interpretation, as it throws the rug from underneath the Vatican's claim of apostolic succession. Is the distinction in the Greek significant? Possibly. But remember that Jesus did not speak in Greek, he spoke in his vernacular Aramaic, and even if he said that (which is highly doubtful as that's a late addition to Mark, not to be found in what Mark actually wrote), he used words in Aramaic and we don't know which. Maybe the author - who translated Jesus's words from Aramaic to Greek - understood him correctly, maybe not. On top of that, the writers of the gospels weren't very good Greek writers. Their Greek is often bad and with poor grammar and syntax. It's not even certain the author even knew there was a stark difference between petros and petra.
Either way, the answer must be a resounding no.

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momo004: 9 months ago via Android

Hey congrats, you hit the milestone of 2000 questions (random I know).

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Lior: 9 months ago via iPhone

Yeah, looks like plenty... maybe I should make better use of my time...

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yirmeyahu: 9 months ago via iPhone

Confused about Mark? The reference is in Matthew 16.

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yirmeyahu: 9 months ago via iPhone

I agree about it being a small stone in contrast to a massive rock though.

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momo004: 9 months ago via Android

Lol

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Lior: 9 months ago via iPhone

Ah ah. My bad. Should have checked and not just rely on memory. I remembered 16:16 or something, and then went on with Mark. Still a gospel starting with M... LOL. I of course withdraw the first comment, stick with the second.

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Answer 7

yirmeyahu: 9 months ago via iPhone

The word petros means stone in Greek. In Matthew 16 Jesus emphatically addressed Simon (later known as Peter) as Petros and then said upon this petra (a mass of rock) he would build his Church. It seems to me that it was a play on words, saying that Peter was a very small part of the larger foundation of what would become the Church, specifically the disciples who would later recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

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