Mariology - the conclusion of the matter

[Cassandra]

Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

1 Corinthians 10:4
And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

Deuteronomy 32:4
“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

1 Peter 2:6
For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

1 Corinthians 3:11
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Samuel 2:2
“There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

Matthew 7:24-27
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Psalm 18:46
The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—

Psalm 118:22
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

1 Peter 2:8
And “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.



Ephesians 2:20
Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Psalm 62:2
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

Psalm 18:31
For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?—

Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste."

None of these describe Peter. What Peter said was the foundation "Thou art Christ, the son of the Living God."

 

[Mungo]

Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

1 Corinthians 10:4
And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

Deuteronomy 32:4
“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

1 Peter 2:6
For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

1 Corinthians 3:11
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Samuel 2:2
“There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

Matthew 7:24-27
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Psalm 18:46
The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—

Psalm 118:22
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

1 Peter 2:8
And “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.



Ephesians 2:20
Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Psalm 62:2
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

Psalm 18:31
For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?—

Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste."

None of these describe Peter. What Peter said was the foundation "Thou art Christ, the son of the Living God."

Yes I know Jesus is the Rock. That is what makes Jesus' renaming of Simon as Rock so significant. When God renames someone it has a meaning and Jesus renaming Peter as Cephas (Rock) is significant. The significance come in Mt 16:18 "And I tell you, you are Peter [Rock], and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it."

St. Paul refers to Cephas in 8 places in both his first letter to the Corinthians and in his letter to the Galatians. For example:
“and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” (1Cor 15:5)
“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas” (Gal 1:18)
“and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars” (Gal 2:9)

 

[Cassandra]

Jesus changed a lot of people's names. He is speaking of what Peter said. The church is built on the chief cornerstone --Christ, not Peter.
Mt 16:18 "And I tell you, you are Peter [Rock], and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it."



Ephesians 2:20
Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, The church is built on Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Psalm 18:31
For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?

 

[theefaith]

Again you can say that about any church.
And I don't believe Peter is the rock.
Jesus is the Rock.

Jesus is the only savior and the rock but not the rock upon which the church is built, it is His church and He alone builds it upon peter and the apostles eph h 2:20

 

[Mungo]

Jesus changed a lot of people's names.

Who else did Jesus change the names of?

He is speaking of what Peter said.

No he isn't. He is speaking to Peter and making a point about his new name.

The church is built on the chief cornerstone --Christ, not Peter.
Mt 16:18 "And I tell you, you are Peter [Rock], and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it."

I haven't claimed that Peter is the cornerstone.

Ephesians 2:20
Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, The church is built on Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Now you are contradicting Scripture. Your quote says the Church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

Psalm 18:31
For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?

And there wasn't until Jesus renamed Simon as Rock.

 

[Illuminator]

1 Cor. 3:11 – Jesus is called the only foundation of the Church, and yet in Eph. 2:20, the apostles are called the foundation of the Church.
Similarly, in 1 Peter 2:25, Jesus is called the Shepherd of the flock, but in Acts 20:28, the apostles are called the shepherds of the flock.
These verses show that there are multiple metaphors for the Church, and that words used by the inspired writers of Scripture can have various meanings. Catholics agree that God is the rock of the Church, but this does not mean He cannot confer this distinction upon Peter as well, to facilitate the unity He desires for the Church.

2 Sam. 22:2-3, 32, 47; 23:3; Psalm 18:2,31,46; 19:4; 28:1; 42:9; 62:2,6,7; 89:26; 94:22; 144:1-2 – in these verses, God is also called “rock.” Hence, from these verses, non-Catholics often argue that God, and not Peter, is the rock that Jesus is referring to in Matt. 16:18. This argument not only ignores the plain meaning of the applicable texts, but also assumes words used in Scripture can only have one meaning.

The Biblical Church - Scripture Catholic

 

[BreadOfLife]

Jesus changed a lot of people's names. He is speaking of what Peter said. The church is built on the chief cornerstone --Christ, not Peter.
Mt 16:18 "And I tell you, you are Peter [Rock], and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it."

Ephesians 2:20
Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, The church is built on Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Psalm 18:31
For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?

When you consider that Jesus and the Apostles were speaking Aramaic and not English or even Greek - everything is a little clearer.

Contrary to the Protestant position that Jesus was talking about Peter's "confession of faith" and NOT Peter, let's consider what Paul calls Peter in his letters. He refers to him as "Cephas", which is a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic, "Kepha", which means "Rock". It doesn't mean "small pebble" like the Greek Petros - but simply ROCK.

What Jesus actually said to Simon was: "You are Kepha and on this Kepha, I will build my Church" (Matt. 16:18).

Also, remember whose names are on the Twelve Foundations of the New Jerusalem - the Apostles. Because Peter is ALWAYS named first (protos) in every single listing of the Apostles in Scripture - there is little doubt that his name is on the first foundation.

"Petros" is used in the Greek of Matt. 16 because it is a masculine noun and is being used to describe a man. It would be grammatically incorrect for Matthew to refer to Peter as "Petra" because that is a feminine noun - so he used the masculine noun.

Finally - the idea that Jesus is the ONLY person referred to as "Rock" in Scripture is false.
In Isaiah 51:1 - we see Abraham referred to as the "Rock". Simon also being referred to as the "Rock" is not without precedent . . .

 

[Illuminator]

Twelve Quotations from Ten Protestant Biblical Scholars

William Hendriksen
member of the Reformed Christian Church
Professor of New Testament Literature at Calvin Seminary
The meaning is, “You are Peter, that is Rock, and upon this rock, that is, on you, Peter I will build my church.” Our Lord, speaking Aramaic, probably said, “And I say to you, you are Kepha, and on this kepha I will build my church.” Jesus, then, is promising Peter that he is going to build his church on him! I accept this view.
New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew
(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1973), page 647
JPK page 14

Gerhard Maier
leading conservative evangelical Lutheran theologian
Nowadays a broad consensus has emerged which — in accordance with the words of the text — applies the promise to Peter as a person. On this point liberal (H. J. Holtzmann, E. Schweiger) and conservative (Cullmann, Flew) theologians agree, as well as representatives of Roman Catholic exegesis.
“The Church in the Gospel of Matthew: Hermeneutical Analysis of the Current Debate”
Biblical Interpretation and Church Text and Context
(Flemington Markets, NSW: Paternoster Press, 1984), page 58
JPK pages 16-17

Donald A. Carson III
Baptist and Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Seminary
(two quotations from different works)
Although it is true that petros and petra can mean “stone” and “rock” respectively in earlier Greek, the distinction is largely confined to poetry. Moreover the underlying Aramaic is in this case unquestionable; and most probably kepha was used in both clauses (“you are kepha” and “on this kepha”), since the word was used both for a name and for a “rock”. The Peshitta (written in Syriac, a language cognate with Aramaic) makes no distinction between the words in the two clauses. The Greek makes the distinction between petros and petra simply because it is trying to preserve the pun, and in Greek the feminine petra could not very well serve as a masculine name.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Volume 8 (Matthew, Mark, Luke)
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), page 368
JPK pages 17-18
The word Peter petros, meaning “rock” (Gk 4377), is masculine, and in Jesus’ follow-up statement he uses the feminine word petra (Gk 4376). On the basis of this change, many have attempted to avoid identifying Peter as the rock on which Jesus builds his church. Yet if it were not for Protestant reactions against extremes of Roman Catholic interpretations, it is doubtful whether many would have taken “rock” to be anything or anyone other than Peter.
Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary — New Testament, vol. 2
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), page 78
JPK page 18

John Peter Lange
German Protestant scholar
The Saviour, no doubt, used in both clauses the Aramaic word kepha (hence the Greek Kephas applied to Simon, John i.42; comp. 1 Cor. i.12; iii.22; ix.5; Gal. ii.9), which means rock and is used both as a proper and a common noun.... The proper translation then would be: “Thou art Rock, and upon this rock”, etc.
Lange’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: The Gospel According to Matthew, vol. 8
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1976), page 293
JPK page 19

John A. Broadus
Baptist author
(two quotations from the same work)
Many insist on the distinction between the two Greek words, thou art Petros and on this petra, holding that if the rock had meant Peter, either petros or petra would have been used both times, and that petros signifies a separate stone or fragment broken off, while petra is the massive rock. But this distinction is almost entirely confined to poetry, the common prose word instead of petros being lithos; nor is the distinction uniformly observed.
But the main answer here is that our Lord undoubtedly spoke Aramaic, which has no known means of making such a distinction [between feminine petra and masculine petros in Greek]. The Peshitta (Western Aramaic) renders, “Thou are kipho, and on this kipho”. The Eastern Aramaic, spoken in Palestine in the time of Christ, must necessarily have said in like manner, “Thou are kepha, and on this kepha”.... Beza called attention to the fact that it is so likewise in French: “Thou art Pierre, and on this pierre”; and Nicholson suggests that we could say, “Thou art Piers (old English for Peter), and on this pier.”
Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew
(Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 1886), pages 355-356
JPK page 20

J. Knox Chamblin
Presbyterian and New Testament Professor
Reformed Theological Seminary
By the words “this rock” Jesus means not himself, nor his teaching, nor God the Father, nor Peter’s confession, but Peter himself. The phrase is immediately preceded by a direct and emphatic reference to Peter. As Jesus identifies himself as the Builder, the rock on which he builds is most naturally understood as someone (or something) other than Jesus himself. The demonstrative this, whether denoting what is physically close to Jesus or what is literally close in Matthew, more naturally refers to Peter (v. 18) than to the more remote confession (v. 16). The link between the clauses of verse 18 is made yet stronger by the play on words, “You are Peter (Gk. Petros), and on this rock (Gk. petra) I will build my church”. As an apostle, Peter utters the confession of verse 16; as a confessor he receives the designation this rock from Jesus.
“Matthew”
Evangelical Commentary on the Bible
(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1989), page 742
JPK page 30

Craig L. Blomberg
Baptist and Professor of New Testament
Denver Seminary
Acknowledging Jesus as The Christ illustrates the appropriateness of Simon's nickname “Peter” (Petros = rock). This is not the first time Simon has been called Peter (cf. John 1:42), but it is certainly the most famous. Jesus’ declaration, “You are Peter”, parallels Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ”, as if to say, “Since you can tell me who I am, I will tell you who you are.” The expression “this rock” almost certainly refers to Peter, following immediately after his name, just as the words following “the Christ” in v. 16 applied to Jesus. The play on words in the Greek between Peter’s name (Petros) and the word “rock” (petra) makes sense only if Peter is the rock and if Jesus is about to explain the significance of this identification.
The New American Commentary: Matthew, vol. 22
(Nashville: Broadman, 1992), pages 251-252
JPK pages 31-32

David Hill
Presbyterian minister and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biblical Studies
University of Sheffield, England
On this rock I will build my church: the word-play goes back to Aramaic tradition. It is on Peter himself, the confessor of his Messiahship, that Jesus will build the Church. The disciple becomes, as it were, the foundation stone of the community. Attempts to interpret the “rock” as something other than Peter in person (e.g., his faith, the truth revealed to him) are due to Protestant bias, and introduce to the statement a degree of subtlety which is highly unlikely.
“The Gospel of Matthew”
The New Century Bible Commentary
(London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1972), page 261
JPK page 34

Suzanne de Dietrich
Presbyterian theologian
The play on words in verse 18 indicates the Aramaic origin of the passage. The new name contains a promise. “Simon”, the fluctuating, impulsive disciple, will, by the grace of God, be the “rock” on which God will build the new community.
The Layman’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, vol. 16
(Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1961), page 93
JPK page 34

Donald A. Hagner
Fuller Theological Seminary
The natural reading of the passage, despite the necessary shift from Petros to petra required by the word play in the Greek (but not the Aramaic, where the same word kepha occurs in both places), is that it is Peter who is the rock upon which the church is to be built.... The frequent attempts that have been made, largely in the past, to deny this in favor of the view that the confession itself is the rock... seem to be largely motivated by Protestant prejudice against a passage that is used by the Roman Catholics to justify the papacy.
Matthew 14-28
Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 33b
(Dallas: Word Books, 1995), page 470
JPK pages 36-37

 

[theefaith]

When you consider that Jesus and the Apostles were speaking Aramaic and not English or even Greek - everything is a little clearer.

Contrary to the Protestant position that Jesus was talking about Peter's "confession of faith" and NOT Peter, let's consider what Paul calls Peter in his letters. He refers to him as "Cephas", which is a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic, "Kepha", which means "Rock". It doesn't mean "small pebble" like the Greek Petros - but simply ROCK.

What Jesus actually said to Simon was: "You are Kepha and on this Kepha, I will build my Church" (Matt. 16:18).

Also, remember whose names are on the Twelve Foundations of the New Jerusalem - the Apostles. Because Peter is ALWAYS named first (protos) in every single listing of the Apostles in Scripture - there is little doubt that his name is on the first foundation.

"Petros" is used in the Greek of Matt. 16 because it is a masculine noun and is being used to describe a man. It would be grammatically incorrect for Matthew to refer to Peter as "Petra" because that is a feminine noun - so he used the masculine noun.

Finally - the idea that Jesus is the ONLY person referred to as "Rock" in Scripture is false.
In Isaiah 51:1 - we see Abraham referred to as the "Rock". Simon also being referred to as the "Rock" is not without precedent . . .

Why does Christ give him the keys of jurisdictional authority that the prime minister holds under the king to administer the kingdom? Isa 22:21-22

How do you govern the church and administer the kingdom with a confession?

How do you give jurisdictional authority to a confession? (Keys of the kingdom)

How do you give a confession the power to bind and loose?