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Matthew 16 is really pretty clear. Christ says, speaking to Peter, "You are "Rock" (Petros in Greek; Kepha in Aramaic) and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, and I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven ...")

Except for the brief digression whose subject is the church, the subject of the whole sentence is Peter, Cephas, "rocky". If Christ wanted to emphasize in this passage that he himself is the rock to the exclusion of all others, he picked a rather strange time to rename Peter, "rock", and a rather strange mode of speech which left that concept not only unspoken, but not even vaguely implied.

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" If Christ wanted to emphasize in this passage that he himself is the rock to the exclusion of all others, he picked a rather strange time to rename Peter, "rock",..."

Except that he didn't choose that time????

MATTHEW 4:

[18] As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

Except that he didn't choose that time????

He's not renaming Simon in Matthew 4:18. That's the evangelist talking, and he's writing to Christians a few years after the resurrection who knew exactly who "Simon called Peter" was. Matthew designates him "Simon called Peter" in 4:18 to distinguish him from other men named "Simon," in particular Simon the zealot party member.

Thank you so much for the ping to your sidebar!

Seems to me there are two views, either Christ named Simon Peter in the incident recorded in Matthew 16 - or Simon was already known as Peter and Christ used that other name to emphasize His point in Matthew 16.

I have no leaning in the Spirit either way on that point but strongly on the point that God is the Rock (Deu 32:1-4) - and Peter is more like Abraham in the construction of the body of believers, both Christian and Jew. Which is to say, first rocks in their confessions - and both called by Almighty God.

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock [whence] ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit [whence] ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah [that] bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. – Isaiah 51:1-2

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. – Matt 16:17-18