matt 16:18-19 you are Peter --- and upon this rock I will build my church

1. TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT GREEK WORDS ARE USED

a. you are Peter --- petros: an easily movable stone

gender masculine

upon this rock --- petras: a mass of immovable stone

ENTIRELY DIFFERENT GREEK WORDS ARE USED

a. you are Peter --- petros: an easily movable stone

gender masculine

upon this rock --- petras: a mass of immovable stone

church

what is the natural form if Peter was to be the foundation? --- You are Peter and ON YOU I will build my church

2. CHRIST IS THE ROCK --- THE FOUNDATION --- THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH --- ALL NEW TESTAMENT USES OF ROCK --- PETRA --- REFER TO CHRIST

1 pet 2:6-8 stone which builders rejected --- became cornerstone --- stone became ROCK of offense

PETER HIMSELF clearly understood what Christ meant --- here he quotes from old testament prophesies --- referring to Christ as the rock --- petras

1 cor 10:4 all drink same drink --- of spiritual ROCK that followed them --- and the ROCK was Christ --- petras

rom 9:33 lay in Zion --- a stone of stumbling --- a ROCK of offense --- petras

3. OLD TESTAMENT REFERENCES BY NEW TESTAMENT AUTHORS ARE ALL TO CHRIST --- THE ROCK FROM WHICH THE JEWS DRANK

--- THE FOUNDATION

--- HEAD OF THE CHURCH TO COME

exo 17:6 rock at Horeb

referring to this passage --- Paul in 1 cor 10:4 uses " petras " --- in referring to the rock

num 20:11 Moses struck rock twice --- same

isa 8:14 a sanctuary --- a stone to strike --- a rock of offense

Paul refers to this passage in 1 cor 10:4 --- directly quotes from it in rom 9:33 --- Peter likewise directly quotes from it in 1 pet 2:8

ALL use " petras " --- they all refer to Christ

4. NO OTHER SCRIPTURE PASSAGES SAY PETER WAS TO BE THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH

BUT SCRIPTURE AGAIN AND AGAIN REFERS TO CHRIST AS THE HEAD

eph 1:22-23 Christ --- HEAD over --- the church

eph 2:20 Christ the CORNERSTONE

col 1:8 Christ, the HEAD of the body, the church

eph 4:15 we will --- grow up into Him --- who is the HEAD --- even Christ

eph 5:23 husband, head of the wife --- as Christ is HEAD of the church

5. PETER HIMSELF CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT CHRIST MEANT --- HE NEVER CLAIMED PRIMACY LIKE THE POPE NOW DOES

1 pet 1:1 Peter --- an APOSTLE --- to those who reside

1 pet 5:1 I exhort elders --- as FELLOW ELDER

mk 8:27-29 same incident as matt 16:18

no reference whatever to Peter as the rock

yet Mark was the gospel writer for Peter

6. CHRIST INTENDED EQUALITY AMONG ELDERS --- NOT PRIMACY FOR ANYONE

mk 9:34-35 dispute as to who was the greatest

what was Jesus' answer?

see also: matt 18:1-6 --- lk 22:24-37

act 15 example of the first apostles' council elders each spoke their minds if anyone could be said to be head --- it was James --- he had the last say

jn 13 whole chapter is Christ's acted out answer to apostles' bickering as to who would be first in the kingdom

see lk 22:24-27 for full context

what was Christ's answer? --- no one is to be first --- he who seeks to be first must be last

classic object lesson in humility