What did Christ mean by these words,"On this rock wilt I build my Church?"?

Question

I am not asking What Church you believe He founded but IF He indeed meant for Christianity to be a Church.

Answer 1

I believe that He is the Rock, and the Foundation.
Peter, like the rest of us, is a pebble, or little stone.
The church, not any particular denomination, but THE church, is made up of many such pebbles, all of whom have put their faith in the Rock.

I wrote this poem for my son, several years ago, and thought you might like it, too:

He is with me when I ask
He sends His love in which to bask

He comes to find me when I seek
To uplift me should I grow weak

He's there to open when I knock
He is my everlasting Rock

Answer 2

"Peter" means a small stone. "Rock" in this verse is a different Greek word that meana a large bedrock or foundation,

Jesus was telling Peter that your name is a small stone, but upon this bedrock foundation that was expressed in your confession, I will build my church.

A building cannot be founded on a small stone.

Peter was not the first pope! There is no Biblical authority for a pope!

Notice in Gakatians 2:11, Paul openly rebuked Peter. If Peter was the head of the church, why was Paul abel to openly rebuke him?

Jesus is the head of the Church (Eph 1:22-23)! The foundation on which the Church is built is Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11 says, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Yes Ephesians 2:20 says, the church is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone". Notice however that it is upon the apostles and prophets (both plural) and the basic main part of this foundation is Christ.

The apostles are the foundation only in the sense that we believe through their inspired word (John 17:20-21). They were to teach the things Christ had commanded, but "all authority" belongs to Him (Matt 28:18-20). Christ again is the foundation!

The apostles had no authority to teach their own thing! When Peter did thi, he was rebuked!

Answer 3

Hi Debra, your question is one of those that always sparks serious differences in Catholicism and Protestantism and will continue to do so until the Lord returns to claim His Bride the church, so I guess that it will not be answered here to everyone`s satisfaction.
The same passionate disagreement also occurs regarding the Eucharist and to a lesser extent the sacrament of Confession.
The problem really began not with Luther as much as with Calvin, Knox, Cranmer and Bucer etc; who added much radical reform than Luther ever did and these men had an unhealthy hatred of Priests and Papal authority.
When Jesus said to St.Peter thou art the Rock etc, He really did mean Peters faith born of his exclamation of who Jesus was, would be the reason that he(Peter) would be rewarded by being made the leader of the Apostles and also of Christ`s new church, further Peter would receive the keys to the kingdom of Heaven with the gift to forgive or retain sins.
Now as far as these reformers were concerned they could not break from the Catholic church while this authority was in place and so they began to preach to the contrary and by thunderous orations they convinced many to accept this heresy too.
Christ has only one body and not 2or 22 and although they fail to understand this but Protestants are actually still Catholic but actually Catholics in disobedience.

Answer 4

The debate rages over whether “the rock” on which Christ will build His church is Peter, or Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16). In all honesty, there is no way for us to be 100% sure which view is correct. The grammatical construction allows for either view. It is our view Jesus was declaring that Peter would be the “rock” on which He would build His church. Jesus appears to be using a play on words. “You are Peter (petros) and on this rock (petra) I will build my church.” Since Peter’s name means rock, and Jesus is going to build His church on a rock – it appears that Christ is linking the two together. God used Peter greatly in the foundation of the church. It was Peter who first proclaimed the Gospel on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-47). Peter was also the first to take the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10:1-48). In a sense, Peter was the rock “foundation” of the church.

Many argue vehemently against the concept that Jesus was declaring Peter to be the rock. While some of these alternate interpretations are indeed plausible, they are motivated, at least in part, by a faulty assumption. The faulty assumption is that if Peter is the rock of Matthew 16:18, this makes the Roman Catholic Church the one true church. Admittedly, the Roman Catholic Church uses this very argument. On the contrary, Peter being the rock in Matthew 16:18 is meaningless in giving the Roman Catholic Church any authority. Scripture nowhere records Peter being in Rome. Scripture nowhere describes Peter as being supreme over the other apostles. The New Testament does not describe Peter as being “all authoritative leader” of the early Christian church. Peter was not the first pope, and Peter did not start the Roman Catholic Church. The origin of the Catholic Church is not in the teachings of Peter, or any other apostle. If Peter truly was the founder of the Roman Catholic Church, it would be in full agreement with what Peter taught (Acts chapter 2, 1 Peter, 2 Peter).

Answer 5

whilst Jesus instructed Peter, "upon this Rock, i'm going to construct my church," He speaking of the Rock of reality which Peter understood whilst Peter suggested, "you are the Christ." It became at that component Jesus gave Peter the religious keys to the dominion of God. So if Peter became given the keys what did Peter tell everybody they could desire to take action as to inherit the dominion? it truly is discovered in the e book of Acts 2:37-39. it truly is the Rock the church is predicated upon. a million. Repent 2. Be baptized in JESUS call 3. get carry of the Holy Spirit See Luke 11:9-13 additionally.

Answer 6

"upon this rock" It could possible mean that Peter was the 'rock' that Christ was referring to. It is probably more accurate to say that "you are the Christ, the son of the living God" is the Rock that Christ was speaking of. The revelation or the truth of who He was. The church is built through a Spiritual birth in Christ Jesus. Christ is the beginning of the church. He was the sacrificial lamb of God. He came to reconcile us back into fellowship with God.

Answer 7

The rock He spoke of was the foundation of the gospel that He came to establish. He did indeed found a church.

Answer 8

These words were said after Peter had said that Jesus was the messiah. Jesus said to Peter "flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my father which is in heaven". The significance of these words is that the Church of God is founded upon revelation. It was revealed to Peter who Christ was and that same revelation is the one that would lead the church. Remember Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came He would lead the disciples into all truth but they had the old testament with them. This truth now was the Word revealed in their day and the Holy Spirit would reveal to them the Word.

Answer 9

Jesus said that to Peter or Pteros which mean in Aramaic "Rock".
He said you are the rock and on this rock I build my church.
He means that Peter is the base of the Christ's church.

Answer 10

The 'Rock' was Peter's confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. There would be no basis at all for ANY church if that were not true.