Jesus the Rock

[Cooper]

Jesus the Rock
Being a firm believer in the Triune God, I am always interested when I read of Jesus in the Old Testament but I never realised there were so many scriptures that speak of God as a rock. Here are five examples.

Psa_78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the High God their redeemer.

Psa_89:26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

Psa_95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

2Sa_22:32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?

1Co_10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

There are more.
When Jesus asked the disciples, "who say ye that I am?" Simon Peter, knowing the Old Testament and being in the presence of God in Christ, straightaway answered without hesitation and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus answered, and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, who is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter; and upon this rock, meaning himself, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Only Jesus has power over Satan, not Peter.) And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Mat 16:17-19. This is in God's Kingdom here on earth.

The Bible also speaks of Christ the Rock in 1Co_10:4. and in this connection, Morgan gives a helpful reminder:
"Remember, Jesus was talking to Jews. If we trace the figurative use of the word rock through Hebrew Scriptures, we find that it is never used symbolically of man, but always of God. So here at Caesarea Philippi, it is not upon Peter that the Church is built. Jesus did not trifle with figures of speech. He took up their old Hebrew illustration—rock, always the symbol of Deity—and said, "Upon God Himself —Christ, the Son of the living God—I will build my church." (Believers Bible)

And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (1Co 10:4 KJV)

 

[Mungo]

In the first chapter of John’s gospel we read of Jesus’ first meeting with Peter. At that point Peter is called Simon. Jesus says to Peter (vs 42)
"So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas"
Renaming someone is always significant in the Bible. Cephas (sometimes transliterated as Kephas) is Aramaic for Rock (a big one).
Jesus renames Simon as Rock".

So when we come to Mt 16 Peter ("Rock") says to Jesus "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Peter defines who Jesus is, a definition we still use today.

Jesus responds by defining who Peter is "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church"
Peter is the Rock on which Jesus will build his Church.

 

[Cooper]

In the first chapter of John’s gospel we read of Jesus’ first meeting with Peter. At that point Peter is called Simon. Jesus says to Peter (vs 42)
"So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas"
Renaming someone is always significant in the Bible. Cephas (sometimes transliterated as Kephas) is Aramaic for Rock (a big one).
Jesus renames Simon as Rock".

So when we come to Mt 16 Peter ("Rock") says to Jesus "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Peter defines who Jesus is, a definition we still use today.

Jesus responds by defining who Peter is "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church"
Peter is the Rock on which Jesus will build his Church.

Peter is only one of the numerous believers on whom Jesus built the Christian Church, of which Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone.

“You, believers, are like a building that God owns. That building was built on the foundation that the apostles and prophets prepared. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in that building. (21) The whole building is joined together in Christ, and he makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord. (22) And in Christ you are being built together with his other people. You are being made into a place where God lives through the Spirit.” Eph 2:20-22 ERV

Let this be a warning to us all about the danger of taking one verse out of context, and from that one verse, singling out one person and making his out to be more important than all the prophets and apostles put together, of whom he is only one person. Then we wonder why there are so many cults and now we can see why we need to take Timothy’s advice in 2 Timothy 2:15-16 so seriously.

Timothy wrote, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”

Probably the largest church in all of Christendom is guilty of not following Timothy’s advice and by using one verse and one verse alone, it has misled millions of people while self-aggrandizing itself at the same time.
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[Mungo]

Peter is only one of the numerous believers on whom Jesus built the Christian Church, of which Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone.

“You, believers, are like a building that God owns. That building was built on the foundation that the apostles and prophets prepared. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in that building. (21) The whole building is joined together in Christ, and he makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord. (22) And in Christ you are being built together with his other people. You are being made into a place where God lives through the Spirit.” Eph 2:20-22 ERV

Let this be a warning to us all about the danger of taking one verse out of context, and from that one verse, singling out one person and making his out to be more important than all the prophets and apostles put together, of whom he is only one person. Then we wonder why there are so many cults and now we can see why we need to take Timothy’s advice in 2 Timothy 2:15-16 so seriously.

Timothy wrote, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”

Probably the largest church in all of Christendom is guilty of not following Timothy’s advice and by using one verse and one verse alone, it has misled millions of people while self-aggrandizing itself at the same time.
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That only addresses the last line of my post, though I disagree with your claim that Peter is no more important than any of the other apostles
Now address the rest of my post.

 

[Cooper]

That only addresses the last line of my post, though I disagree with your claim that Peter is no more important than any of the other apostles
Now address the rest of my post.

God's foreknowledge.
1:42 Andrew brought his brother to the right place and to the right Person. He did not bring him to the church, the creed, or the clergyman. He brought him to Jesus. What an important act that was! Because of Andrew's interest, Simon later became a great fisher of men, and one of the leading apostles of the Lord. Simon has received more publicity than his brother, but Andrew will doubtless share Peter's reward because it was Andrew who brought him to Jesus. The Lord knew Simon's name without being told. He also knew that Simon had an unstable character. And finally, He knew that Simon's character would be changed so that he would be firm as a rock. How did Jesus know all this? Because He was and is God.

Simon's name did change to Cephas (Aramaic for stone), and he did become a man of strong character, especially after the Ascension of the Lord and the Descent of the Holy Spirit. (Believers Bible)
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[Mungo]

Jesus changed Simon's name to Cephas which is Aramaic for Rock - a big Rock not a mere stone.

 

[Consecrated Life]

Jesus responds by defining who Peter is "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church"
Peter is the Rock on which Jesus will build his Church.

When Jesus mentioned a " rock " in regard to Peter He was speaking of the spiritual consciousness coming forth from Peter at that moment.
Jesus was speaking of the only foundation which saves the Spirit of God, which was moving through Peter.
If you are going to stick to your guns on this as I suspect you will, then you have to also credit Peter with something else Jesus defined him as being with regard to a decidedly more sinister spirit moving his consciousness, " Satan" !

Mat 16:23
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.

Now only somebody with a spiritual discernment miles wide and inches deep would believe that Jesus actually identified Peter as being Satan, just because He called Peter himself, " Satan" .
Likewise for believing Peter himself to be the foundation rock of the church.

 

[Mungo]

When Jesus mentioned a " rock " in regard to Peter He was speaking of the spiritual consciousness coming forth from Peter at that moment.
Jesus was speaking of the only foundation which saves the Spirit of God, which was moving through Peter.
If you are going to stick to your guns on this as I suspect you will, then you have to also credit Peter with something else Jesus defined him as being with regard to a decidedly more sinister spirit moving his consciousness, " Satan" !

Mat 16:23
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.

Now only somebody with a spiritual discernment miles wide and inches deep would believe that Jesus actually identified Peter as being Satan, just because He called Peter himself, " Satan" .
Likewise for believing Peter himself to be the foundation rock of the church.

He was declaring that Peter was the Rock on which the Church would be built.
He is making it clear that Peter is the leader of the apostles and the leader of the Church.
Immediately after this he gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven and the power to bind and loose.

Earlier in Mt 7 he gives the parable of the wise man who built his house on rock.
Jesus is the wise man who is building his house (kingdom) on Peter - the Rock.

 

[Cooper]

He was declaring that Peter was the Rock on which the Church would be built.
He is making it clear that Peter is the leader of the apostles and the leader of the Church.
Immediately after this he gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven and the power to bind and loose.

Earlier in Mt 7 he gives the parable of the wise man who built his house on rock.
Jesus is the wise man who is building his house (kingdom) on Peter - the Rock.

That is totally unbiblical.
Jesus is the rock on which His church is built.
Peter has the keys to God’s kingdom on earth. Not in heaven.

"He is making it clear that Peter is the leader of the apostles and the leader of the Church." (Mungo)
"Jesus is the wise man who is building his house (kingdom) on Peter - the Rock." (Mungo) What!!!!!!
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[Mungo]

That is totally unbiblical.
Jesus is the rock on which His church is built.

Jesus is the cornerstone (Eph 2:19)

Peter has the keys to God’s kingdom on earth. Not in heaven.

17. And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18. And I tell you, you are Peter [Rock], and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.
19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

"He is making it clear that Peter is the leader of the apostles and the leader of the Church." (Mungo)
"Jesus is the wise man who is building his house (kingdom) on Peter - the Rock." (Mungo) What!!!!!!
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You don't think Jesus is a wise man?

 

[Cooper]

Just a quick note so it will not get lost. Acts chapters 15 and 21 record events in Jerusalem, where in the final analysis we see the leaders of the apostles present themselves. In those two chapters, Paul's name occurs 21 times, Barnabas 10 times, Silas 5 times, and Mark twice. (Thought it might be interesting.)

Mungo: Peter's work as an evangelist is on earth. There won't be much he can do in heaven, it will be too late then.

Do you only think of Jesus as a wise man!!! It seems you think the accolade for greatness should go to Peter?
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[Consecrated Life]

He was declaring that Peter was the Rock on which the Church would be built.

So you believe then that Jesus also Declared Peter " Satan ", that His church may be founded by Satan ?
Please explain how this contrary spiritual mechanism Jesus employed in identifying Peter works ?

Mat 16:23

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.

 

[Mungo]

Mungo: Peter's work as an evangelist is on earth. There won't be much he can do in heaven, it will be too late then.

You are trying to evade the clear teaching of scripture by making an irrelevant point.
Jesus said
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Jesus is giving Peter the keys NOW on this earth.
Jesus is giving Peter the power of binding and loosing NOW on this earth

Do you only think of Jesus as a wise man!!! It seems you think the accolade for greatness should go to Peter?
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I never said Jesus was only a wise man.
Stop trying to imply I said something I didn't.

 

[Mungo]

So you believe then that Jesus also Declared Peter " Satan ", that His church may be founded by Satan ?
Please explain how this contrary spiritual mechanism Jesus employed in identifying Peter works ?

Mat 16:23

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.

Some Protestants make a big issue of this verse. But you overdo it.

Today we read the passage in Mark in which Jesus calls Peter Satan! This scene seems a little out of character for Jesus and how he treats his Apostles. What’s really going on here?

First, we have to recall that Mark’s gospel is really the record of Peter’s teaching. It is written by Mark, who was Peter’s assistant and secretary. Thus, as we have mentioned in the past, Peter is notably absent from the Gospel because Peter has learned the lessons of humility well. Therefore it is not surprising that when Peter does appear, he has cast himself in an unflattering light.

Second, this scene happens just after Mark’s recounting of Peter’s declaration at Caesarea Philippi that Jesus is the Christ. (Verse 27 to 30). However, in Mark’s version, the “you are the Rock” and Jesus’ giving of the keys to Peter is missing. This again reflects Peter’s humility in not putting the focus on himself.

Third, notice what Peter is upset about. Jesus is saying that He will have to suffer and die and then be raised. Peter doesn’t want this to happen. He is saying that Jesus should not let it happen. This is the same type of thinking that Satan tempted Jesus with in the desert. In the desert, the devil tried to get Jesus to cast off his humanity and reveal himself to be God and to rule in glory over the earth. Peter is now essentially advocating the same thing. That is why Jesus rebukes Peter is such a harsh way. Salvation will come through suffering, and we all must bear our share. In fact, this is what Jesus tells us in the rest of the passage.
(Catholic 365.com)

But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?

 

[Cooper]

I have you on ignore Mungo.