Chapter 1
Upon this rock I will build my church
(John 1:42)
The word "stone" is Peter or Greek Petros which means a small pebble that can be easily moved or blown about by a gust of wind.John 1:42:
And he brought him to Jesus and
when Jesus beheld him, he said, thou
art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt
be called Cephas, (which is by
interpretation, a stone.)
It is a Jewish custom to give another name to a child after much prayer. In the Old Testament God gave men a new name that was characteristic of who they were or what they would do. (Example: Abram was changed to Abraham which meant "a father of many nations")
Jesus Christ giving Simon a new name of Cephas which was Petros, a little stone was characteristic of Peter's life being blown about. One day Peter was following the Lord, the next day he was out fishing. At other times he was willing to lay down his life for Jesus, but prior to the crucifixion he denied his Lord.
In Matthew it gives the contrast of Peter as a small stone and Jesus Christ the Rock!
Matthew 16:15-18:
He saith unto them, But whom say ye
that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said,
thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto
him, Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but My Father
which is in heaven.
And I also unto thee, that thou
art Peter (Petros = a small moveable
stone), and upon this rock (Petra = as a foundation unmoveable) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus Christ was not referring to Peter as the foundation of the church, but he was referring to Peter's statement, "that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God." This "rock" = Greek petra, which is in the feminine gender, and therefore could not refer to Peter, which is in the masculine gender, but refers to Peter's confession of who Christ was!
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