Chapter 64
THE ROCK
Matthew 16:18
Before we begin our study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God we ask and pray that You would please grant us the spiritual wisdom and knowledge to be able to understand what You are about to teach us. Father, we also ask and pray that we would not only be hearers of Your Word but also cause Your Words to move us to a closer and deeper relationship with You, Your Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
As you may recall, in the past two chapters (62 and 63) we studied portions of the conversation Jesus had with His disciples when He asked them; “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” This study is a continuation of this conversation. However, this study will focus upon the 18th verse.
Before we do this let us refresh our memories of what Jesus once said to Peter and the rest of His disciples.
This conversation is recorded in,
Matthew 16:13-18
[13] When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” [14] So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” [15] He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” [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.”
As one reflects upon Jesus’ words that are recorded in verse 18, there are at least three questions that come to mind.
1. “Who or what is the rock?”
2. “What is Jesus’ church?”
3. “What did Jesus mean about the gates of Hades?”
We begin our study by examining what Jesus meant by,
THE ROCK
To help understand what Jesus told His disciples then and now us, this portion of this chapter is divided into following three sections:
1. We will read the corresponding Greek words and their associated definitions and usage for the English name of Peter and the English word rock.
2. We will perform a short Biblical survey for the usage and meaning of the word rock.
3. We will see that Jesus used a metaphor to explain to His disciples and now us the foundation upon which He will build His church.
With this background we begin with some,
DEFINITIONS
Before we begin reading the Greek definition and usage for the name Peter and the word rock, let us refresh our memories for the definition of and usage for a metaphor.
According to Webster’s New World Dictionary (Second College Edition)1 a metaphor is: “a figure of speech containing an implied comparison, in which a word or phrase ordinarily and primarily used of one thing is applied to another. Examples of a metaphor would be the following phrases: “the curtain of night” And “the entire world is a stage”.
Moving on to the Greek words, definitions and associated meanings for the two words: Peter and rock we begin with,
Peter
According to Thayer’s Greek – English Lexicon of the New Testament2 Petros is the Greek word for Peter. Petros is a masculine gender proper name signifying “a stone”, “a rock”, “a ledge”, or a “cliff’.” It is used as a metaphor for a soul that is hard and unyielding, and so resembling a rock or stone.
Rock
According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the New Testament3 and the New Testament an Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest4 the Greek word for rock is Petra. The word Petra is a feminine gender word used to denote a large massive rock. The analogy would be a huge rock like Gibraltar.
To further illustrate the difference between these two words, Vine notes that Petros (Peter) is a detached stone or boulder that might easily be thrown away. However, the word Petra, being a massive rock, is typically used to identify a sure foundation. To see this let us read the following excerpt from the parable of the two builders. To do this we go to,
Matthew 7:24-25
[24] “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: [25] and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
Let us notice the following verses,
24-25 … The Greek word Petra, meaning a huge, massive rock, is used to denote a good foundation for the house. Also note that Jesus’ teaching, which is the Word of God, is said to be like a massive rock or a solid spiritual foundation for you and me.
With the above definitions in mind, let us now return to the Bible and see some additional usages for the Greek word Petra or its English translation, rock. To do this let us conduct
A SHORT BIBLICAL SURVEY
We begin with a few samples from,
The Old Testament
Throughout the Old Testament we find many passages that describe our God and Lord as a rock.
Our first example comes from,
2 Samuel 22:1-3
[1] Then David spoke to the Lord the words of this song, on the day when the Lord had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. [2] And he said: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; [3] The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.”
Let us notice the following verse,
2 … Notice that King David addressed the Lord as his rock.
Let us now read the following excerpt from David’s song to the Lord from,
2 Samuel 22:32-33
[32] “For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? [33] God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect.”
Let us notice the following verse,
32 … Note that King David asked the rhetorical question; “Who is a rock, except our God?” In other words, David proclaimed that there is only one true rock. Hence, David is telling us that it is only God upon whom we must build the spiritual foundation of our lives.
The second Old Testament example comes from the Book of Psalms. Specifically let us read from,
Psalm 18:30-31
[30] As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. [31] For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?
Let us notice the following verse,
31 … The same rhetorical question; “Who is a rock, except our God?”
The third and last Old Testament example comes through the prophet Isaiah. In this excerpt, we read how God describes Himself. With this in mind let us now read from,
Isaiah 44:6-8
[6] “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. [7] And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, Since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, Let them show these to them. [8] Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’”
Let us now move on to,
The New Testament
Since, from our Old Testament survey, we have discovered that God our Lord is our Rock, let us now discover the role Jesus Christ has within this foundation.
We already discovered from the parable of the two builders that the teaching of Jesus Christ is also equated to being a rock upon which to build our faith in Him, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. As we read the New Testament we discover that Jesus Christ Himself, the only begotten Son of God, is the cornerstone on this foundation. To see this, let us read the following exhortation for us to go to Jesus. The exhortation for this study is in,
1 Peter 2:4-8
[4] Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, [5] you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. [6] Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” [7] Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” [8] and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
Let us notice the following verses,
4-5 … The true born-again believers are identified as living stones that are being built up to become a spiritual house to God.
6 … God has laid a chief cornerstone upon which this spiritual house is being built.
7 … The stone which the builders, who were the Old Testament priests and elders of Israel, rejected is Jesus Christ. He is the chief cornerstone of the foundation for the spiritual house being built to God.
THE METAPHOR
Before we examine Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 16:18 it is noted that throughout the New Testament we find Jesus often used a physical metaphor to illustrate a spiritual truth. For example, Jesus used a metaphor to describe His death and resurrection. The metaphor Jesus used was the physical temple building to relate to His body. To read what Jesus said when the Jews asked Him for a sign to demonstrate He had the authority to cast out the merchants from the temple area, we go to
John 2:19-22
[19] Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” [20] Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” [21] But He was speaking of the temple of His body. [22] Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
Let us notice the following verse,
21 … Jesus used the physical temple as a metaphor to speak of His own human body.
As Jesus did with the temple, He also used a metaphor to describe Himself as the foundation upon which He would build His church. To see this let us reread the first portion of Matthew 16:18.
Before we do this, let us remember that just before Jesus gave the metaphor, Peter had just proclaimed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. With this background and the Greek annotation in italics let us now reread the following Scripture,
Matthew
16:18a
[18a] And I also say to you that you are Peter [Petros – a stone], and on this rock [Petra- a massive rock] I will build My church,...
Jesus Christ is the rock upon which He will build His church; not Peter.
This brings us to the second topic for this study, which is,
THE CHURCH
The New Testament teaches us that the living stones described in 1 Peter 2:4-8 are,
EACH INDIVIDUAL BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER IS A TEMPLE OF GOD
To refresh our memories of this truth, let us first read an excerpt from where the Apostle Paul reminds the born-again believer that they are a temple of God. To do this let us read from,
1 Corinthians 3:16
"[16] Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"
To emphasize the significance of this, let us now read from,
1 Corinthians 3:17
"[17] … God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."
In addition to each one of us being a temple of God the Holy Spirit, the Bible also teaches us, as described in 1 Peter 2:4-8, that the born-again believers are also collectively being built into a Holy Temple of God. Thus,
EVERY BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER IS A MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
To see this we begin by reading from,
Ephesians 2:19-22
"[19] … you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. [21] In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. [22] And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."
Let us notice the following verses,
19 … Every true born-again believer is a fellow citizen and member of God’s household.
20a … The foundation of the apostles and prophets refers to their ministry. More precisely, it is the Word of God they proclaimed that is the foundation (consider the parable of the two builders).
20b … Again we are reminded that Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone of this foundation.
22 … As we read in 1 Peter 2:4-8, each one of us, who are born-again believers in Jesus Christ, are being built together to become a spiritual house for God the Holy Spirit. It is noted this spiritual house is also called the body of Christ. We discover this by reading from,
1 Corinthians 12:27
"[27] Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
The Bible also teaches us that the body of Christ, composed of the born-again believers, is the church. To see this let us read from,
Colossians 1:18
"[18] And he is the head of the body, the church; ..."
Let us notice the following,
18a … Jesus Christ is not only the foundation for the spiritual house or His body, but He is also the Head of it.
18b … This spiritual house or body of Christ is the church that Jesus Christ said He would build.
SUMMARY
In summary, we find that the church, which is the body of Christ, is not a physical building. No, just as we read in 1 Peter 2:4-8 and Ephesians 2:19-22 the church is a spiritual temple composed of the born-again believers in Jesus Christ.
We now come to the third and last portion of this study. Specifically, let us examine what Jesus meant when He said
THE GATES OF HADES SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE CHURCH
Jesus’ promise that the gates of Hades will not prevail against the church, is a twofold promise.
First, it is a promise to each and every born-again believer in Jesus Christ. These are the individual living stones that Jesus is using to build a spiritual house for God the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, it is a promise to the entire church.
Before we explore these two promises it will be helpful to first cover the meaning of the phrase: “gates of Hades.”
BACKGROUND
The “Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by W. E. Vine5, defines Hades as the region for the lost departed spirits. The word Hades corresponds to the Old Testament word of Sheol. Both Hades and Sheol are the Biblical names for “Hell” or “The Pit.”
Thus, the phrase; “the gates of Hades” represent the forces and powers of Satan’s Kingdom. These are the forces and powers of Satan that attempt to destroy the church and the gospel truths (See Mathew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible)6.
With this background let us first address the promise to,
EACH INDIVIDUAL BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN
Throughout the New Testament Jesus assures us that all who are faithful to Him will not perish but be raised to eternal life. To refresh our memories, let us first read an excerpt of what Jesus said to those who questioned whether or not He was the promised Messiah. The excerpt of interest for this study is in,
John 10:27-28
[27] My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. [28] And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
Let us notice the following verses,
27 … Jesus’ sheep (His disciples) not only hear His voice but also follow Him. In other words, these are not only the hearers of God’s Word but also doers.
28 … In other words, all the powerful forces and entities from the gates of Hades cannot and will not take Jesus’ sheep from His hands.
To amplify upon this promise a bit more let us read an excerpt from when Jesus was explaining to the people that He is the Bread of Life. The passage of interest is in,
John 6:37-40
[37] All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. [38] For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. [39] This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. [40] And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Let us notice the following verses,
37 … Jesus will never cast out anyone who belongs to Him.
39 … God the Father’s will is for Jesus to not lose any of His sheep. His sheep are those who are the born-again believers in Jesus Christ.
40 … As it was with Jesus Christ, so it is with each one of us who belong to Him. Specifically, even death will not hold us!
We now move on to the second portion of Jesus’ promise, which is for
THE ENTIRE SPIRITUAL BUILDING (THE BODY OF CHRIST, THE CHURCH)
It is noted that since the day Jesus spoke the words that: “The gates of Hades shall not prevail against the church”, the church has and continues to be under constant attack from the wicked powers of darkness.
In earlier times there were the persecutions and attack from the Romans, the Greeks, etc. All of these attacks were designed to destroy the church and to ban or discredit the Bible.
In our modern day history we still find intense persecution towards the Christian church and the Bible. For an example, today we can read in the newspapers or in the periodical titled; “The Voice of the Martyrs”, how in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Albania, China, Iran and Sudan, just to name a few, it is illegal to possess a Bible or conduct a Christian assembly. The punishment for violating this law is prison, torture and possibly death. For our last example, we find that, in our very own country, the United States of America, there are places or times when it is not permitted to read the Bible or pray in Jesus’ name. A sad, example of this is within the public classrooms.
In spite of severe and intense persecution we also find that God had and still has His servants to not only preserve His Word but even make it accessible to those who are under these oppressions. For example there is Reverend Richard Wurmbrand. In his book, “Tortured for Christ” we read how, in 1945, when the communists seized Romania and attempted to control the church, Richard Wurmbrand began an underground ministry and church for those who remained faithful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was eventually arrested and suffered much physical and mental torture for his faith.7 However, it is through people like him that the Bible and the church has survived in countries that had experienced some of the darkest moments of the communist reign.
Even today, 2021, in countries such as Afghanistan, Albania, China, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, North Korea, and Vietnam there is intense oppression and persecution of Christianity. In the midst of this, we also find missionaries from organizations such as the New International Bible Society that continue to enter into these countries to bring Bibles, comfort and help to those who remain faithful to our Lord.
In addition to surviving physical persecution we also find that the Bible has and continues to survive slander and criticism. Many men, learned or otherwise, attacked and still attack it with skepticism and mockery. For example, some scientists, such as the late astronomer and philosopher Carl Sagan, declared that the Bible is just a book about religious myths and fables. Many psychologists, such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, whose writings and theories form the basis of our modern day psychological counseling approach and techniques, also have a dim view of the Bible and state that it is only a book of irrelevant tales and myths.
Given the above discussions relative to just some of the various governments, organizations and individuals that have and continue to persecute and criticize the church and the Bible, the question to be asked is, “What is the point of reviewing all this?” Actually, there are two points:
1. In spite of all the attempts to ban it, burn it and stamp it out, the Bible, as compared to other ancient writings, has more surviving manuscript evidence than any ten pieces of ancient literature combined. According to Charles Leache’s book, “Our Bible: How We Got It.”, we read that there are now more than 5,300 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament or portions of the New Testament. Similarly, there are over 10,000 manuscripts in the Latin Vulgate. Thus, in existence today, there are more than 15,300 manuscript copies of the Bible. In comparison, the Iliad by Homer is second with only 643 manuscripts that still remain.9
2. With all the persecutions and attacks against the church it still exists today. This includes: (1) the visible segment of the church, these are those who, in various places, gather openly and (2) the invisible church, these, because of persecution, gather together secretly in homes, caves, woods, etc.
Thus, for the past 2,000+ years we clearly see the truth of Jesus’ words that the “gates of Hades will not prevail against His church”.
CLOSING
Before we close this study let us read what the final outcome will be for the church. To receive a glimpse of this we will read the following excerpt from the vision God gave to the Apostle John.
Revelation 21:1-7
[1] Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. [2] Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. [4] And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” [5] Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” [6] And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. [7] He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
Let us now close this study with the following thought,
John 20:31
[31] … these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Blessed be the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen