BARNES' NOTES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT
Verse 18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter. The word Peter, in Greek, means a rock. It was given to Simon by Christ when he called him to be a disciple, John 1:42. Cephas is a Syriac word, meaning the same as Peter--a rock, or stone. The meaning of this phrase may be thus expressed: "Thou, in saying that I am the Son of God, hast called me by a name expressive of my true character. I, also, have given to thee a name expressive of your character. I have called you Peter, a rock, denoting firmness, solidity; and your confession has shown that the name is appropriate. I see that you are worthy of the name, and will be a distinguished support of my religion.
And upon this rock, etc. This passage has given rise to many different interpretations. Some have supposed that the word ROCK refers to Peter's confession; and that he meant to say, upon this rock-- this truth that thou hast confessed, that I am the Messiah--and upon confessions of this from all believers, I will build my church. Confessions like this shall be the test of piety; and in such confessions shall my church stand amidst the flames of persecution--the fury of the gates of hell. Others have thought that he referred to himself. Christ is called a rock, Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:8. And it has been thought that he turned from Peter to himself, and said: "Upon this rock, this truth that I am the Messiah--upon myself as the Messiah--I will build my church." Both these interpretations, though plausible, seem forced upon the passage to avoid the main difficulty in it. Another interpretation is, that the word rock refers to Peter himself. This is the obvious meaning of the passage; and had it not been that the church of Rome has abused it, and applied it to what was never intended, no other would have been sought for. "Thou art a rock. Thou hast shown thyself firm in and fit for the work of laying the foundation of the church. Upon thee will I build it. Thou shalt be highly honoured; thou shalt be first in making known the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles." This was accomplished. See Acts 2:14-36, where he first preached to the Jews, and Acts 10:1 and following, where he preached the gospel to Cornelius and his neighbours, who were Gentiles. Peter had thus the honour of laying the foundation of the church among the Jews and Gentiles. And this is the plain meaning of this passage. See also Galatians 2:9. But Christ did not mean, as the Roman Catholics say he did, to exalt Peter to supreme authority above all the other apostles, or to say that he was the only one on whom he would rear his church. See Acts 15, where the advice of James, and not of Peter, was followed. See also Galatians 2:11, where Paul withstood Peter to his face, because he was to be blamed--a thing which could not have happened if Christ, as the Roman Catholics say, meant that Peter should be absolute and infallible. More than all, it is not said here or anywhere else in the Bible, that Peter should have infallible successors who should be the vicegerents of Christ, and the head of the church. The whole meaning of the passage is this:
"I will make you the honoured instrument of making known my gospel first to Jews and Gentiles, and will make you a firm and distinguished preacher in building my church."
Will build my Church. This refers to the custom of building, in Judea, on a rock or other very firm foundation. See Barnes "Matthew 7:24". The word church means, literally, those called out, and often means an assembly or congregation. See Acts 19:32; Gr.; Acts 7:38. It is applied to Christians as being called out from the world. It means, sometimes, the whole body of believers, 1:22; 1 Corinthians 10:32. This is its meaning in this place. It means, also, a particular society of believers, worshipping in one place, Acts 8:1; 9:31; 1 Corinthians 1:2, etc. Sometimes, also, a society in a single house, as Romans 16:5. In common language, it means the church visible--ie. all who profess religion; or invisible, i.e. all who are real Christians, professors or not.
And the gates of hell, etc. Ancient cities were surrounded by walls. In the gates, by which they were entered, were the principal places for holding courts, transacting business, and deliberating on public matters. See Barnes "Matthew 7:13". The word gates, therefore, is used for counsels, designs, machinations, evil purposes. Hell means, here, the place of departed spirits, particularly evil spirits. And the meaning of the passage is, that all the plots, stratagems, and machinations, of the enemies of the church, should not be able to overcome it--a promise that has been remarkably fulfilled.
oy vey. Peter had thus the honour of laying the foundation of the church among the Jews and Gentiles.
Unfortunately, Barnes puts on the brakes before he gets to the part about Peter receiving the keys to the kingdom of heaven. That's indisputably an office of power given to Peter. Leave that out, and sure, Peter looks like some kind of ecclesial wedding planner going out and setting the stage for Paul and James. But included in the scope of Jesus' calling Peter "Rock", receiving the keys to the kingdom is clearly an appointment of power. Peter is the man at the gate. Jesus literally relinquishes his decision-making authority to Peter ("because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.") It's a verse which is ignored at the peril of those who wish to fit Peter into the crowd of other apostles instead of recognizing the very words of Christ as evidence par excellence of his anointed mission ("feed my sheep").
More than all, it is not said here or anywhere else in the Bible, that Peter should have infallible successors who should be the vicegerents of Christ, and the head of the church.
An incredible statement. Barnes' thus believes that the will of God was to establish a Church that would be prone to error following the life of Peter? If he can extrapolate that, one could also extrapolate that Jesus only wanted the Apostles to make disciples of "all nations" that existed during their lifetime and just stop there.
God cannot create anything which is privated, except he who suffers the transmission of Original Sin from his parents upon conception. If the Church is truly the body of Christ, there can be ZERO error. Any privation in the establishment of the Church is a declaration that God created something evil (deprived of goodness in some way). Therein lies the infallibility of the Church in teaching on faith and morals.
"I will make you the honoured instrument of making known my gospel first to Jews and Gentiles, and will make you a firm and distinguished preacher in building my church."
Yes - if the "keys to the kingdom" were not explicitly given over to Peter. But they were, and thus, authority over all others. That verse cannot be simply tossed aside. It is indisputably a handing over of power which is guarded by that which the Father reveals to Peter. So, in essence that power is entitled to Peter, but with the guidance of heaven. Why was this necessary? Because Christ willed for a visible Church that would make present His incorporeal Trinitarian life to us lowly humans whose "eyes have not seen" the actual nature (substance) of God.
And if it can be agreed that Peter received wisdom and authority at the outset of the Christian faith - theoretically - in order to guard the Church from error, why would God suddenly pull the rug out from His own people when many articles of faith had yet to be defined? (Triune God, the hypostatic union, the very divinity of Christ) The battle of the Church against the Gnostics, the Montanists, the Aryans, etc. is either proof that the Church was given infallible authority, or the world has been consigned to theological error for almost two thousand years. (Really - it's the word of the Church versus the word of the heretics. If the imbued authority of the Church in the matters of faith and morals is not evident, the possibility exists that the Gnostics were right.)