[daniel1212]

"Jesus was not referring to Himself as the Rock - as Protestants admit in their better moments:" Regardless what a few Prots opine, the only interpretation of who the Rock refers to is found by examining the rest of Scripture. For in contrast to Peter, that the LORD Jesus is the Rock (“petra”) or "stone" (“lithos,” and which denotes a large rock in Mk. 16:4) upon which the church is built is one of the most abundantly confirmed doctrines in the Bible (petra: Rm. 9:33; 1Cor. 10:4; 1Pet. 2:8; cf. Lk. 6:48; 1Cor. 3:11; lithos: Mat. 21:42; Mk.12:10-11; Lk. 20:17-18; Act. 4:11; Rm. 9:33; Eph. 2:20; cf. Dt. 32:4, Is. 28:16) including by Peter himself. (1Pt. 2:4-8) Rome's current catechism attempts to have Peter himself as the rock as well, but also affirms: “On the rock of this faith confessed by St Peter, Christ build his Church,” (pt. 1, sec. 2, cp. 2, para. 424) which understanding some of the ancients concur with.

The "this rock" upon which Christ said I will build My church is "petros," which is the word which is used for physical rocks, as in the rock a wise man builds his house upon: "He ...laid the foundation on a rock [petra]: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. [petra] (Luke 6:48) It is also used for the tomb of Christ which was carved out in the rock [petra]. (Matthew 27:60)

While men can argue about the significance of the difference between the Greek (the language the Holy Spirit chose to express the New Testament revelation in) words “Petros” (Peter, or stone in Jn. 1:42) and “petra” (rock) in Mt. 16:18, and what the LORD might have said in Aramaic (and your own appeal to a Hebrew Matthew was dealt with), the phrase “this stone” (“touton lithosis”), used to identify the cornerstone which is the foundation of the church, (Mt. 21:42) is only used of Christ as regarding a person. (Mt. 21:44)

It is by the “rock of this faith” that the church not only exists but it gains its members. (1Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13) And it is by the essential faith which Peter expressed that church overcomes: "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1Jn, 5:5; cf (1Jn. 2:13,14,25)

[vladimir998]

All of your interpretations on Matthew 16:18 are known to be wrong by even Protestant scholars. What you’re defending has no defense. All of your arguments have already been refuted in what I posted and linked to.

[SouthernClaire]

I very much appreciate your arguments, Daniel.

I would like to ask you, what happened to Peter’s flock? And were the Jews, prior to the stoning of Stephen, still expecting the Kingdom of Israel to come very soon?

Whom did Jesus have in mind as who was to be His church when He told Peter that He would build His church, at the time He said it to Peter, that is?

Thank you always and forever, Daniel. I’ve learned a lot from you during the years.