Posted on 07/02/2024 9:03:14 AM PDT by ebb tide
Saint John of Patmos in his Apocalyptic vision wrote about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. That was His vision.
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was thinking of the description found in Acts 15:22
Then it pleased the apostles and ancients, with the whole church, to choose men of their own company, and to send to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas, who was surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren.
That’s the D-R translation, BTW.
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”to break it down
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
It is clear that Jesus means Rock is the rock on which Jesus builds His church
It is also clear that the Church Jesus founded is one with His disciples as shepherds and continuers. That is the One Holy CAtholic and Apostolic Church - whether Catholic or Eastern Orthodox or Oriental Orthodox or Assyrian
“Jesus in turn “names” Simon as “Rock””
No Yeshua does not “name” Simon (Peter) as “the Rock”.
Petra (Peter) means “rock”.
Yeshua is using a play on words, the name Peter (Petra) versus the “rock” of His Church, which he as not saying was Peter, but was Peter’s answer to His question, which Peter correctly said that He was Christ. It is that belief, not Peter, which Yeshua was stating as the foundation of His Church. It is not an earthly Church, but a spiritual one which Yeshua recognizes with those who accept that He is the Christ. That is the Church that cannot be overcome by the gates of hell.
Ebb tide is correct on Mary’s role pointing us towards her Son and creator, God Jesus (who was God in the womb as well as forever).
Christ is our one and absolutely unique mediator. The fact that Jesus is our one mediator does not preclude him from communicating this power by way of participation. The Bible also declares: “But you are not to be called Rabbi, for you have one teacher, (Gr. – didaskolos) and you are all brethren.” This text cannot be any clearer, yet James 3:1 and Ephesians 4:11 tell us we have many teachers (Gr. – didaskoloi) in the Church. The key is to understand that the many teachers and mediators in the body of Christ do not take away from Christ as the one teacher and mediator because they are, in a sense, Christ on this earth and they serve to establish his offices of teacher and mediator in him. As members of the body of Christ graced with a specific task by Christ they can say with St. Paul in Galatians 2:20, “It is not I, but Christ who [teaches] in me…”
Jesus does name Peter as “Rock”.
There is no play on words as is clear if you read from verse 13 onwards
verse 16 “Peter says “you are the Son of the Living God”
verse 18 Jesus says “you are Rock and on this rock I will build my church”.
It doesn’t have any way in which Jesus says “you are Rock and on ME I will...” - that is completely different from the text.
In the Koine Greek of the Gospel writings both petros and petra simply meant “rock.” If Jesus had wanted to call Simon a small stone, the Greek lithos would have been used.
And let’s look at what language Jesus SPOKE these words in - nearly 100% this was Aramaic - Aramaic was the language Jesus and the apostles and all the Jews in Roman Judea and Galilee spoke.
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians (4 times) and 4 times in 1 Corinthians we have the ARAMAIC form of Simon’s new name preserved = KEPHAS.
What does KEPHAS mean? it means ROCK, not a little stone or pebble - what Jesus said to Simon in Matthew 16:18 was this: ‘You are Kepha, and on this kepha I will build my Church.’
This church is the inauguration of the Kingdom of God - it is the Church BOTH on heaven and on Earth - the Church militant (on earth) and the Church triumphant (in heaven).
In Christ we are alive - even those in heaven
“This church is the inauguration of the Kingdom of God”
No, it is HIS Church, founded by Him, not by Peter, and He, not Peter or any follower of Rome is its HEAD. There is no “Vicar of Christ”, there is only Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You read of Catolico dogma, not scripture.
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