Matthew 16:16-18

[AfterTheFlood]

What is this "rock" upon which He will build the church? The Roman Catholic position is of course Peter and the classic protestant position is that it is the 'confession' of Peter tht Jesus was the Christ. Yet I see in these passages that the substance isn't the confession or Peter's stature but rather "For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." Leading up to this the desciples are being tutored plainly in the 'mysteries' of God that are given to others only in the form of parables. We see Christ explaining the parables to them plainly in ch.13 -16 of Matthew so the revelation of God as being the rock certainly fits contextually AND Peter's confession is clearly viewed by the Lord as the product or fruit of the Father's revelation of the Lords nature.

Thoughts?

 

[whirlwind]

What is this "rock" upon which He will build the church? The Roman Catholic position is of course Peter and the classic protestant position is that it is the 'confession' of Peter tht Jesus was the Christ. Yet I see in these passages that the substance isn't the confession or Peter's stature but rather "For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." Leading up to this the desciples are being tutored plainly in the 'mysteries' of God that are given to others only in the form of parables. We see Christ explaining the parables to them plainly in ch.13 -16 of Matthew so the revelation of God as being the rock certainly fits contextually AND Peter's confession is clearly viewed by the Lord as the product or fruit of the Father's revelation of the Lords nature.

Thoughts?

• Psalms 28:1 Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my Rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
  
  28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him.
  
  28:8 The LORD is their strength, and He is the saving strength of His anointed.
  
  28:9 Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

The Lord is our Rock and that Rock is the Word and...

• John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The strength with which He saves is found in the Word...the Rock....Christ. He feeds us His Word and, if we hear, we are lifted "up for ever."

I agree with you....Peter is not the rock.