“But then again, perhaps you think the man Peter is the rock.”
There you go again. In post 5262 (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2578704/posts?page=5262#5262), I gave you my answer on this question at length, largely via a long quote from Albert Barnes. And anyone reading it would see I disagree with Catholics on the meaning of the passage in Matt 16.
But it doesn’t matter what I say I believe. My tagline is not an unChristian one. Jesus said, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” - Matt 7
Mr Barnes comments on it thus:
“Verse 6. Give not that which is holy, etc. By some, the word holy has been supposed to mean flesh offered in sacrifice, made holy, or separated to a sacred use. But it probably means here anything connected with religion—admonition, precept, or doctrine. Pearls are precious stones found in shell-fish, chiefly in India, in the waters that surround Ceylon. They are used to denote anything peculiarly precious, Revelation 17:4; 18:12-16; Matthew 13:46. In this place they are used to denote the doctrines of the gospel. Dogs signify men who spurn, oppose, and abuse that doctrine; men of peculiar sourness and malignity of temper, who meet it like growling and quarrelsome curs, 2 Peter 2:22; Revelation 22:15. Swine denote those who would trample the precepts under feet; men of impurity of life; corrupt, polluted, profane, obscene, and sensual; who would not know the value of the gospel, and who would tread it down as swine would pearls, 2 Peter 2:22; Proverbs 11:22. The meaning of this proverb then is, do not offer your doctrine to those violent and abusive men, who would growl and curse you; nor to those peculiarly debased and profligate, who would not perceive its value, would trample it down, and abuse you.”
http://www.studylight.org/com/bnn/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=007
There comes a point where someone has to decide if the other person is listening or not...and if not, then my tagline is good advice on how to proceed.
Here's what Barnes says...
Both these interpretations, though plausible, seem forced upon the passage to avoid the main difficulty in it....Others have thought that he (Jesus) 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.”
What "difficulty?" That Christ is the rock? Of course Christ is the rock, as Alamo-girl's excellent research thread reminds us...
Barnes continues...
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.
That's not what the Scriptures teach. That is what Rome teaches. I doubt you could find even one Baptist on this forum who would agree with you on this.