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Rev. Robert M. Celeste
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Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 epi taute petra oikodomeo mou ekklesia Matthew 16:18
The Earth is 24,901.55 miles around. That would make it 7925.4 miles in diameter. Did you know that other than about the top one foot, all the rest of that seven thousand nine hundred and twenty five and fourth tenths miles is made up of rock with a bit of gravel and sand between it and the top one foot of soil? Yup, 99.999% of the earth is rock, some of it molten, but rock just the same.
Now let’s look at the Greek words in the title in English, upon this rock I will build My church.
The controversy amongst interpreters, commentators and those of us who do expository writings of Scripture has been focused on that word “rock”. The Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and a few others see the word “rock: as being Peter and therefore claim he was the first bishop, the first pope or whatever. That is plain and simply a real stretch or better yet a fabrication. Others, the more serious Bible students of the orthodox Protestant Christian faith, look at the word “rock” as Rock, meaning Jesus. This is a much more acceptable interpretation and one in which I tend to agree, or did agree with till a week or so ago, at which time the Holy Spirit seemed to be telling me something else. And that something else is what we are going to look at today.
First let us look at it in context.
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?
And they said, “Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.”
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged He His disciples that they should tell no man that He is Jesus the Christ. Matthew 16:13-20
Now, let’s next pull apart “upon this rock I will build My church” epi taute petra oikodomeo mou ekklesia.
Word by word.
epi: is a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition of time or place.
taute: is a dative case, accusative case and genitive case respectively of the feminine singular of Strong’s Greek 3778; (towards or of) in this context meaning this.
petra: means a mass of rock literally or figuratively. A mass of rock, not an individual rock, but a mass of rock.
oikodomeo: is to be a house-builder, i.e. constructor (figuratively) build(-er, -ing, up), in addition to edifying , embolden.
mou: means simply I, me, mine (own), my.
ekklesia: means a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both):--assembly, church.
So, as Jesus used the word “petra”, it does not appear He is referring to Himself and it sure doesn’t offer much hope for those who claim it is Peter. It is a mass of rock, not a single rock or Rock, but a mass of rock, like the earth.
In His use of the word oikodomeo: it is as a builder, not the building, but the builder, a builder of the church a place for His “mou” own “ekklesia” church assembly, giving His saints here on earth a place to meet.
Therefore I am convinced that what Jesus is saying is this:
You are Peter, now Peter and you others listen, for here on this earth I will build My church, here on the entire earth will be My church and as long as they stay together and are not split apart, even the gates of hell cannot withstand them and their prayers.
Now let me give you some supporting Scripture. In verse 19 Jesus says, apparently to Peter, but due to other Scripture in Matthew 18 and John 20, we would have to think He is talking to all of His Apostles. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
In Matthew 18:18 Jesus says this: Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Now this is obviously, by it’s context, being said not to Peter alone, but to all of His Apostles, for verse 19 adds to it Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father which is in heaven.
Jesus continues for in John 20:23 Jesus says: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. Now, look at the context in which Jesus was speaking and to whom.
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week (Sunday), when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. John 20:19-24
It wasn’t just Peter that was there. It was not only Peter that Jesus was talking to in Matthew 16:19, and I am convinced that is was neither Peter nor the Lord Himself that Jesus was talking about when He said “‘upon this rock I will build My church’ epi taute petra oikodomeo mou ekklesia.” I am convinced that Jesus is saying that His church will be built on the entire earth, that it will be worldwide, and that if it prays together, if it stays together focused on Him, then even the gates of hell could not prevail against it.
For if He were not building a church on the entire earth, why send disciples out to every corner of the earth to preach the one and only Gospel, the one and only way to heaven? There is not one Gospel for China, another for the US and a third for the Arab world. No, there is one Gospel for all of mankind worldwide, and that Gospel is the key to the church Christ was referring to when He said “epi taute petra oikodomeo mou ekklesia. ‘upon this rock I will build My church’”.
I am convinced that if we, the true Born Again Washed in the Blood of the Lamb Christians, will stop this interdenominational bickering then not only will the gates of hell fall before us, but God Himself will hear our prayers, and heal our land(s). Why can’t we focus on Salvation and preaching the Gospel instead of letting denominational garbage fracture and divide us? By the way, I can answer that question. One money, two power, three we are more interested in building little fiefdoms than we are in building the Kingdom of God and being privates in His army.
Too many of my brothers in the clergy want to think of themselves as shepherds instead of hirelings. There is but one Shepherd and that is The Christ. We are His laborers, the ones He has entrusted to herd His sheep, to feed His sheep.
Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto him, “Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee.” He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, “Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee.’ He saith unto him, Feed My sheep. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto Him, ‘Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.’ Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep. John 21:15-17
Jesus never said to Peter, be the shepherd of my sheep, no He said, feed them.
We, the clergy are not fiefdom builders, we are not shepherds, we are the hirelings Christ has hired to guard, protect, feed and nourish up His lambs and sheep. And if we don’t do what we are supposed to do we are hirelings that have come to rob and to steal. Rob and steal by taking from Christ His role and trying to fill it ourselves, and who do we get that from? Who in Scripture has said “I will be like the most High”?
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