16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:16–18, NKJV)
The church belongs to Christ, not to me, or you, or any other person. Jesus built the church, purchasing it with His own blood (Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25). The Father revelation (confessed by Peter) that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” forms the foundation upon which His church is built. Yet, 1.2 billion Roman Catholics believe this heavenly assembly of the saved (the “called out” ones, the church) is built upon the fleshly foundation of Peter. They have misunderstood the “rock” upon the church is built (v. 18). The name Peter (petros) is defined as “a (piece of) rock” (Strong) or a “stone” (Liddell-Scott), while the word “rock” (petra) upon which the church is built is used “of ledges…a mass of rock” (Liddell-Scott). Jesus did not build His church upon the man, Peter (a stone). He built His church upon the bedrock truth that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. “For no other foundation can anyone lay that that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).
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