Peter, as the designated Rock, has many lessons to learn before he is finally given the helm.
When was Peter finally given the helm? I am sure you won't say it was John 21, because we all know Jesus didn't address this "Rock" as Peter, rather as "Simon, son of John". Jesus repeated this three times for emphasis. There is no question the man Jesus was "Simon, son of John". Do you wonder why? No "Rock", but "Simon".
Food for thought:
Remember, in this man Peter, the rock. He’s the one, you see, who on being questioned by the Lord about who the disciples said he was, replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ On hearing this, Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you’...’You are Peter, Rocky, and on this rock I shall build my Church, and the gates of the underworld will not conquer her. To you shall I give the keys of the kingdom. Whatever you bind on earth shall also be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall also be loosed in heaven’ (Mt 16:15 - 19). In Peter, Rocky, we see our attention drawn to the rock. Now the apostle Paul says about the former people, ‘They drank from the spiritual rock that was following them; but the rock was Christ’ (1 Cor 10:4). So this disciple is called Rocky from the rock, like Christian from Christ.
"Why have I wanted to make this little introduction? In order to suggest to you that in Peter the Church is to be recognized. Christ, you see, built his Church not on a man but on Peter’s confession. What is Peter’s confession? ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ There’s the rock for you, there’s the foundation, there’s where the Church has been built, which the gates of the underworld cannot conquer (John Rotelle, O.S.A., Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine (New Rochelle: New City Press, 1993), Sermons, Volume III/6, Sermon 229P.1, p. 327).
When was Peter finally given the helm?
The steward is in charge when the King leaves. I suppose Pentecost is considered a good point.
"Why have I wanted to make this little introduction? In order to suggest to you that in Peter the Church is to be recognized. Christ, you see, built his Church not on a man but on Peter’s confession. What is Peter’s confession? ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ There’s the rock for you, there’s the foundation, there’s where the Church has been built
An old argument, but its wholesale substitution of Peter's confession for Peter himself based on Peter being only "Rocky" doesn't make sense. First, it relies on
Petros being a diminutive for
petra, which it isn't, as explained earlier. And secondly, the name is a noun, not an adjective.
Moreover, such an interpretation files in the face of the linguistic, grammatical, scriptural, and historical evidence which all point to the Catholic interpretation.
Very briefly,
- In both Aramaic and 1st century Koine (NT) Greek, Jesus renames Simon to "large rock". There is no doubt.
- A then-contemporary rabbinic expression equated "rock" with Abraham as the father of the Jewish nation. Abraham, renamed by God from Abram to "father of nations", was the patriarchal head of the first covenant. In like manner, God renamed Simon to Rock, the foundation of his new church "to all nations", the first patriarch of the new covenant. The Jewish listeners to Matthew's (Jewish) Gospel would immediately understand the import of these words.
- The use of 'this' refers to the immediately preceding proper noun, Rock (Peter's name). Reference to any other noun or verb would require a 'that' at a minimum.
- In Greek the word for "this" (touto) means "this very." Thus, what Jesus actually said to Peter was:
"You are Rock and on this very rock I will build my Church." - Peter is given the keys. In ancient Jewish culture, and the OT (e.g., Is 22:22), the keeper of the keys was the chief steward under the King. Jesus is appointing Peter to run things in his 'absence'. Jesus is Lord in heaven. Peter, as Steward, is to run his visible kingdom.
- Time and time again the Church Fathers, those Christians closest to Jesus and the Apostles, clearly acknowledged Peter's primacy in writing.
If you'd like, I'd be happy to give you a longer exposition.