[CynicalBear]

>> The reason, of course, is that Matthew knew full well that what the sentence seemed to say was just what it really was saying. It was Simon, weak as he was, who was chosen to become the rock and thus the first link in the chain of the papacy.<<

The very same Peter that Christ shortly after in the same conversation said to Peter: Matthew 16: “23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

Then there is God’s statement in Isaiah 44:8, "Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none."

1 Cor. 10:4, "and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock (petras) which followed them; and the rock (petra) was Christ."

God says there is no other Rock and Paul says in 1 Cor. That Christ is the Rock. All that verbeage to get to an erroneous conclusion when all we had to do was listen to God.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “ All that verbeage to get to an erroneous conclusion when all we had to do was listen to God.” <<

.
And therein lies the total story of the “catholic” church, form its founding in the 4th century, to the present. An edifice of deception.