Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church - Part Two

 

Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church - Part Two

(Matthew 16: 18)

 

In Part One of my earlier post with this title and subject, I reviewed the circumstances surrounding the Lord Jesus when the Scripture recorded His statement: “And I also say 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. (Matthew 16: 18)”  Many, if not most Christians believe that the Lord was referring to His Disciple Peter as the “rock”, upon which He would build His church. Further, most Christians believe that WE (Christians) are “His church”.

At that time I attempted to establish from the Scripture that Peter had only a brief encounter with Gentiles; that his evangelical focus was the Nation of Israel; and that the Jerusalem Church of which he was a key part was destroyed shortly after his martyrdom. I closed with the rhetorical question: “If Peter was not “The Rock” upon which God would build His church, who was?”

As I ask you to consider another possibility in answer to that question, let’s review the terminology to see that we have the same understanding of the words used. The two key words are “rock” and “church”. As the latter can be addressed more easily, let’s look at it first.

The word “church” is only used in the New Testament, and this occurrence in our title / subject is the first instance of its use. (Matthew 16: 18)  Although some people think of a “church” as a building, our Strong’s Concordance (# 1577) shows that “church” is actually the English translation of the Greek word “ekklesia”.  In this sense, it essentially means ‘a gathering or assembly of Christians for worship in a religious meeting’. (https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/strongs-number-G1577/ )

[As an aside, in the multi-cultural setting of Jerusalem, our Lord Jesus and His Disciples generally spoke in the language dialect of Aramaic and in Hebrew. While Hebrew was used primarily by Israel’s religious leaders, the Roman rulers communicated in Greek. (https://www.christianity.com/wiki/jesus-christ/what-was-the-language-of-jesus.html )]

 

The word “rock” first appears in our Bible in the Book of Exodus (Exodus 17: 6). In that instance, the LORD was instructing Moses as to how to obtain water in the wilderness to satisfy the angry, thirsty millions of Israelites and their animals. The LORD told him to use his rod and strike the rock in Horeb (Mt Sinai), and water would come forth to satisfy their needs.

Our Strong’s Concordance (# 6697) shows that “rock” is the English translation of the Hebrew word “tsuwr”. In this sense, it can literally mean ‘an actual rock or boulder’. However, the term “rock” can also be used figuratively as a reference to God. This alternative use presents an interesting situation as we seek to answer the question raised above. (https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/strongs-number-H6697/ )

As the word “rock” was used by our Lord in the context of “building“ His church, that metaphor seems appropriate if someone is laying a solid foundation upon which to build…and as He said,: “Upon this rock I will build…”  In this context, it seems most appropriate to use the figurative definition, in applying the term “rock” to an individual.  Was the Lord Jesus speaking of Himself?   The answer lies further in the Scripture.

In Bible study, it is always good to remember the lesson taught to us back in Deuteronomy 29: 29. God keeps things secret until He is ready to reveal them. But when He does reveal them, He expects us to believe them and act accordingly. [That is one bit of advice that reminds us to continue in reading the Scripture to find answers to our questions.] 

My Strong’s Concordance notes that of the 119 times the word “rock” is used in the Scripture, only 13 are found in the New Testament. Two of those occurrences are cited in the same sentence, and they relate to Israel in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt and crossing the Red Sea: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10: 4)

To help support that interpretation of Christ as “The Rock” in question for ‘building His church”, I returned to the Concordance to review the word “foundation”, since any building (literal or figurative) will only be able to stand if it is built on a solid foundation. I found the following references spoken of by the Apostle Paul:

·       1 Corinthians 3: 9-11: ⁹ For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.¹⁰ According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.¹¹ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. …and

·       Ephesians 2: 19-22:  ¹⁹ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹ In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²² In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

 

Taken collectively, we conclude from these many references that Jesus Christ is The Rock.  He Himself is the foundation upon which He continues to build His church. Further, in addition to being members of His church, believing Christians have been joined with Him through the Holy Spirit, and have become part of that foundation.

From earlier study we learned that not only Christians but also Jewish believers in Christ Jesus have been united in His Body by the Holy Spirit. Note the following Scripture:

·       Galatians 3: 26-28: ²⁶ For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

So, to be fully accurate… Peter, the other disciples and members of the Jerusalem Church, and all those others who have since believed the Gospel of our Lord Jesus, have become both “rock” and “church”. As members of His church Body, we all have the dual role to serve as components of His “Rock” (foundation) to continue to support His eternal Church. (2 Corinthians 5: 17-20)

The Gospel of God’s Grace: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13.

ADDENDUM / UPDATE

Since I originally made this post, one of my teachers, Pastor Joseph Prince, gave a somewhat different interpretation of the scripture in the title. His point of reference was the response made by Peter when the Lord asked the question (in Matthew 16: 15): "But whom say ye that I am?".  Peter's response was: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." (Verse 16)   The Lord then acknowledged that response as truth, having been received by Peter as a revelation from our Heavenly Father. (Verse 17)

Then the Lord said to Peter: "...thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church..."  (Verse 18)  Because he was the lead spokesperson for the Disciples, the Lord was letting Peter (and the other Disciples) know that the revelation of His true identity itself , that he had received from the Heavenly Father, was to be "the rock" / foundation "upon which" the Lord would establish His Church.  Today, as members of the Lord's Church, we have accepted by faith that indeed, our Lord Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

I find no basis for disagreement with Pastor Prince's interpretation of the Scripture.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com