Page 81 - Advanced Life of Christ - Student Textbook

At this point, Jesus declares that God had revealed this truth to Peter. The word for “Peter,” Petros,
means a small stone (John 1:42). Jesus used a play on words here with petra (“on this rock”) which
means a foundation boulder, as in Matthew 7:24, 25 when He described the rock upon which the wise
man builds his house. Peter himself uses the same imagery in his first epistle: the church is built of
numerous small petros “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5) who, like Peter, confess that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of the living God, and those confessions of faith are the bedrock of the church.

In addition, the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that Christ is both the foundation (Acts
4:11, 12; 1 Corinthians 3:11) and the head (Ephesians 5:23) of the church. It is a mistake to think that
here He is giving either of those roles to Peter. There is a sense in which the apostles played a
foundational role in the building of the church (Ephesians 2:20), but the role of primacy is reserved for
Christ alone, not assigned to Peter. So, Jesus’ words here are best interpreted as a simple play on words
in that a boulder-like truth came from the mouth of one who was called a small stone. And Christ
Himself is called the “chief cornerstone” (1 Peter 2:6, 7). 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).

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. As we have seen, 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) (https://www.gotquestions.org/upon-
this-rock.html).

The Gates of Hell

Bible scholars debate the actual meaning of the phrase “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
One of the better interpretations to the meaning of this phrase is as follows. In ancient times, the cities
were surrounded by walls with gates, and in battles the gates of these cities would usually be the first
place their enemies assaulted. This was because the protection of the city was determined by the
strength or power of its gates.

As such, the “gates of hell” or “gates of Hades” means the power of Hades. The name “Hades” was
originally the name of the god who presided over the realm of the dead and was often referred to as the
“house of Hades.” It designated the place to which everyone who departs this life descends, regardless
of their moral character. In the New Testament, Hades is the realm of the dead, and in this verse Hades
or hell is represented as a mighty city with its gates representing its power.

Jesus refers here to His impending death. Though He would be crucified and buried, He would rise from
the dead and build His church. Jesus is emphasizing the fact that the powers of death could not hold Him
in. Not only would the church be established despite the powers of Hades or hell, but the church would
thrive in spite of these powers. The church will never fail, though generation after generation succumbs

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