Peter as rock

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 05-30-18 | Msgr, Charles Pope

[Salvation]

Peter as rock

Question: A Protestant told me recently that Peter can’t be the rock since Jesus is described as the rock and cornerstone of the Church, and he showed me a couple of places where Jesus is described as the cornerstone and even a stumbling block to unbelievers. Is there an answer for this? — Allen Desome, Washington, D.C.

Answer: Of course Jesus, Peter and others who are called “rock” or stone are not literally chunks of stone. What we have in such attestations is the application of a metaphor. Scripture, like any lengthy document uses many metaphors, similes and analogies. Such things can be true in different ways.

In the Scriptures we see that Peter is called “the rock” by Jesus (Mt 16:18). Jesus is also called a stone (1 Pt 2:6). And the apostles and prophets are called foundation stones and Jesus as the cornerstone (Eph 2:20). The Book of Revelation describes the Twelve Apostles as foundation stones (Rev 21:14). So there are a number of “stone” references that need not be mutually exclusive.

Jesus is the deepest and surest foundation of the Church. That the Apostles, prophets and, in a special way, Peter are rock is understood in a subordinate sense. That is, they are rock and foundation for the Church on account of the grace and support of Jesus.

The Protestant to whom you refer fails to see the context and metaphorical sense of the texts and terms. He also fails to see that Jesus, while not abandoning his Church as her true head and foundation, does assign Peter a unique status to be the visible and identifiable rock on which the Church will be built. Peter (and his successors) is the rock, but he does not stand in midair. He is supported by Christ and his grace and affirmed by him as the visible rock and head of the Church. The Protestant approach is to see the Church as invisible. But Jesus did not establish an invisible Church. It is visible and with a visible rock and head: Peter and his successors.

[metmom]

There’s no point in arguing with someone as deceived as he.

If plain Scripture is not enough and he’s going to accuse us of TWISTING it by simply posting it, he’s put himself at odds with God and nothing we can say will make the least difference.

Only a work of God in his life can remove the kind of blindness that is being displayed there.

[editor-surveyor]

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You made an accusation out of the blue.

Do you believe that others can read your spiritual condition?

Are you thus saying that you do reject the Covenant that offered a path to eternal life?

Get a grip!
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[editor-surveyor]

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Yehova has worked massively in ‘his’ life to show ‘him’ the clear word, thus demolishing the adversary’s “christian doctrine” that leads away from Yehova’s truth.
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[Luircin]

Ed, I don’t CARE what you or Rood say any more.

Don’t ping me to anything you say.

[editor-surveyor]

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You just happened to be in the string.

I can’t imagine many other reasons why anyone would ping you if you hadn’t pinged them.
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[imardmd1]

Petros has many figurative meanings, and that is the noun most used.

Find one instance anywhere in the Koine Greek New Testament or Septuagint Old Testament that the word Πέτρος (Petros) is not the nickname of a man, which when translated into the English of KJV/AV is the proper noun "Peter", the word identifying Simon bar Jona.

Until you do, don't waste any more of your or my time remarking on it.

[rwa265]

How can they be in *full communion* if they refuse to acknowledge the authority of the pope?

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Sorry for the delay in responding; I just came off a retreat.

There are 14 regional Orthodox Churches that are in communion with each other, and constitute what is called the Orthodox Church. These churches are not in full communion with the Catholic Church and accordingly do not accept the authority of the Pope. The Orthodox of America is the 15th regional church, but is not recognized by several of the Orthodox regional churches.

There are 23 Eastern Catholic churches that are in full communion with each other, and constitute what is called the Eastern Catholic Church. These churches are also in full communion with the Catholic Church and accept the authority of the Pope.

Wikipedia provides a more complete answer to your question:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches#Papal_supreme_authority

[metmom]

Thank you.

I hope your retreat went well.

I always find them to be special times with God.

[MHGinTN]

Luke 22:20 hē kainē diathēkē ... the new covenant

20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

[rwa265]

Thanks for your well wishes. The retreat did go well.

[imardmd1]

Heb 10:9 AV: "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second."

"Take away" means to abolish, to utterly remove without ever oming back.

[MHGinTN]

That you. Lest some be confused, the Covenants in question do not save, they are the means by which God brings individuals to ‘believe God, so it can be counted for them righteousness’.

[ravenwolf]

That is a fact.

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Oh, a fact huh, it is also a fact that since Jesus spoke in Aramaic he probably used the word Cephas just as he did in John 1:42.

[ravenwolf]

Hat a petty minded thing to think and accuse others of. -------------------------------------------------------- I am not sure which defination of petty you are talking about and it is your believe that changing the language does change the meaning after it has already been spoken. So lets put it into greek so that i can determine your meaning before i answer that. μηδαμινός mi̱daminós μικροπρεπής mikroprepí̱s μικρός mikrós τιποτένιος tipoténios Jesus spoke in Aramaic but you say that the meaning was completly changed because it was written in Greek, come on, give our Lord a chance to say what he wanted to say.

[ravenwolf]

Do you recall the long, fiercely pitched battle you waged against Scripture bc Greek differentiates between cousins and brothers? The inspired Word of God clearly, unquestionably refers to Jesus’ *brothers,* - NOT His ‘cousins.’

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Yes, i remember it very well and i found in scripture that the mother and father of two of the so called brothers were sons of another Mary and her husband clopas.

But as expected never got no response from you when hit with facts.

Back to you.
Your battle is not with fellow believers. Your battle is with God.

Jesus told the religious leaders that their father was the devil, is he your father also?

[ravenwolf]

I believe in Messiah Jesus as Lord and Master, not in Simon called Peter nor his supposed wanna-be “successors.”

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So do i but that does not mean i am going to call Jesus a liar when he said that Simon would be called Cephas which is rock in Aramaic.

Changing the language is not going to change the meaning after it has already been spoken.

[ravenwolf]

Paul did NOT say that the church was built on PETROS which he very easily could have if he meant the church was built on Peter.

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You must have a very short attention span.

I have already said i do not know if Jesus was saying that Peter was the rock Jesus was going to build his Church on.

What i said is right here.

John 1:42
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

The Greek has it as stone but that does not change the meaning of what Jesus said in Aramaic, any one who says Peter was not called a rock is calling Jesus a liar, but are themselves a liar.

[ravenwolf]

Mathew 23;3
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

[ravenwolf]

The name “Peter” is just simply a convenient and uniquely irreproducible tag assigned by the foreknowing Master to distinguish him from all other Simon/Simeons favored with that identity. No more, no less.

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So you say Jesus was a liar? “horse manure”.

[ravenwolf]

And Jesus cleansed the pigs, halleluya.