Comments on some biblical passages.

Matthew 16:18:

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Much has been said about that verse. Some say that “this rock” does not refer to Peter but to what Peter had just confessed in verse 16. But notice how curious what happens in verse 17 is, where Jesus calls Peter by his original name, Simon. Then he calls him Peter. Why do I say this? Observe these verses:

Genesis 17:4-6

Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

Genesis 17:15-16
God also said to Abraham: As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her; yes, I will bless her, and she shall become mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.

Genesis 32:26-28
And he said: Let me go, for the day is breaking. But Jacob answered: I will not let you go unless you bless me. And the man said to him: What is your name? And he answered: Jacob. Then he said: Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.

John 1:41-42
He first found his brother Simon and said to him: We have found the Messiah (which means Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said: You are Simon, son of Jonah; you shall be called Cephas (which means Peter)

…and that means ROCK

And upon THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH

That is, throughout the Bible, God has changed the names of certain people on various occasions. Whenever he has done something like this, it has been for a concrete reason, and the new name has meant something that defined those people’s role within the people of God. Well, EXACTLY the same thing happens with Peter, whose name was Simon and whom Christ, the first thing he does when he sees him, renames and tells that he will be called Peter, which means stone or rock. Seen in the context of the whole Word of God and in light of what happens in Matthew 16, there is no choice but to accept that Jesus is very clearly indicating Peter’s role in the foundation of the Church that He was establishing.

But, furthermore, in verse 19 he says the following to him:

And 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

Although in Matthew 18:18 Christ says the words about binding and loosing to all the disciples, the fact is that only to Peter does he say that he will give him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is a clear sign of Peter’s leadership role.

More verses:

Matthew 10:2

The names of the twelve apostles are these: FIRST Simon, called Peter…

In all the lists of the apostles, Peter appears first… and Judas Iscariot last. Why might that be?

John 21:15-17

When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter: Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? He replied: Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him: FEED MY SHEEP. He said to him a second time: Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter replied: Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him: SHEPHERD MY SHEEP. He said to him the third time: Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? And he replied: Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him: FEED MY SHEEP

To which of the apostles does Jesus say that he should feed and shepherd his sheep? To Peter.

Luke 22:32: 

…but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, once you have turned back, CONFIRM YOUR BROTHERS.

It is to Peter that Christ says he should confirm his brothers.

Mark 16:7: 

But go, tell his disciples, AND PETER, that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.

It is curious that the angel specifically names Peter, isn’t it?

Let us go to the book of Acts.

Who takes the initiative to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot? Peter (Acts 1:15-26)

Who gives the first preaching of the Church after Pentecost? Peter (Acts 2:14ff.)

Who performs the first miracle of the Church after the Lord’s Ascension?
Peter (Acts 3:1-10). Also read how Peter again gives an important speech beginning in Acts 3:11

Who speaks before the Sanhedrin the first time the Jewish religious leaders try to stop the preaching of the Gospel? Peter (Acts 4:1-22)

Who is responsible for exercising the first serious discipline in the Church of Christ? Peter, in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)

To which apostle does the Lord first show the need to evangelize the Gentiles, who are no longer considered unclean? To Peter (Acts 10). Read also Acts 11:1-18 so that you can see Peter’s importance when the Church accepted that new reality.

Who establishes that Paul’s letters are SCRIPTURE and warns against a bad interpretation of those epistles? Peter (2 Pet 3:15-16)

Author: Luis Fernando Pérez