BubbaBasher wrote, “Jesus gave himself to us before there was a church.”
And you replied to him...”But that is not what Scripture says:” and then quoted a passage that is not in Matthew 6:18, but in Mathew 16:18...
“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.” Mat 6:18
You, FatherofFive, as so many others are prone to do, are quick to take a verse out of context. Please read it again in context of what Scripture says in Matthew 16...
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 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. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
(Matthew 16:13-20 KJV)
Peter is not, nor ever will be the rock upon which Jesus built the church...He, Jesus, the Son of the Living God, is that ROCK. The ‘keys’ were given to each of His disciples who were with Him when He spoke these words. They are given to us, the church, the Body of Christ, and this was completed on the Day of Pentacost, when the Holy Spirit descended to gather the firstfruits of the Body, the Bride, of Christ.
I would also remind all reading this that the name ‘Peter’ means stone, or piece of a rock, not ‘rock’.
And why? Because the Pope is certainly to be interpreted in the light of the teachings of his own Church, which set forth that the "Church" extends to other Christians, i.e. is not confined to the paid-up pewsitters of Roman Catholic parishes. What does the Catholic Church say about our fellow Christians? (from the Catechism):
"For there are many [other Christians] who honor Sacred Scripture, taking it as a norm of belief and a pattern of life, and who show a sincere zeal. They lovingly believe in God the Father Almighty and in Christ, the Son of God and Saviour. They are consecrated by baptism, in which they are united with Christ. They also recognize and accept other sacraments within their own Churches or ecclesiastical communities...
They also share with us in prayer and other spiritual benefits. Likewise we can say that in some real way they are joined with us in the Holy Spirit, for to them too He gives His gifts and graces whereby He is operative among them with His sanctifying power.