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C. P. Benischek's avatar

Excellent Point, Mr. McC. I love St. Peter and your brief for him and the Petrine Office. Great essay.

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Marty Tate's avatar

Good article.

I am curious about your thoughts on way of reading Matthew 16 that I have not read elsewhere but that strikes me as plausible and perhaps just overlooked.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says to Peter, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church." In Greek, the word for "Peter" is "Πέτρος" (Petros), which means "rock," and the word for "rock" in "upon this rock" is "πέτρα" (petra). Both words are related and signify a rock or stone, indicating a solid foundation. But I am struck by the possibility that our Lord’s reference to “this rock (petra)” might not be an alternative way of describing “Peter (Petros)” but instead might be a forward looking reference to the divine powers granted to the office that Peter will occupy; i.e. petra is not merely a strange outcome of the fact that the Aramaic and Greek for rock don’t align in terms of gender, but is an intended reference by Jesus to the divine powers he is giving to the office in verse 19 and it is that divine office that is the rock upon which He will build his church. The divinely protected office that Peter will eventually occupy is what will preserve the church, not Peter’s confession or Peter himself. It is rather the office that he will be the first to occupy.

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,* and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

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