THE FOUNDATION

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. (Matthew 16:13-18)

    The Roman Catholic interpretation of these verses is that Jesus was saying, "Peter, your name means ‘a stone’ (John 1:42) and upon you I will build my church." They allege that Peter was the first pope at Rome and that his authority is passed on to the popes who follow by succession. They teach that tradition and the decrees of the pope are of equal weight with the Bible and that whatever is bound or loosed by "the Church" will dictate that which is bound or loosed in heaven.

    The typical Protestant interpretation is that Jesus was saying, "Peter, the truth that you have spoken is the rock upon which I will build my church." Thus, it is allowed that all who believe and confess that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God" are in a universal invisible church.

    The Baptist interpretation is that Jesus was declaring that He, Himself, was the rock upon which He would build His church. There are many verses throughout Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, 1st and 2^nd Samuel, the Psalms, and Isaiah that refer to Christ and to God as "the Rock" and as "my rock." In Exodus 17 and Numbers 20, the rock in the wilderness is seen as a type of Christ. That rock in the wilderness is referred to in 1 Corinthians 10:4 which says that "that Rock was Christ." The prophecy of Isaiah 8:13-15 and 28:16 refer to Christ as "a stone of stumbling," a "rock of offence," a "precious corner stone," and "a sure foundation," as is verified by Romans 9:33. Matthew 21:42 says:

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Psalm 118:22-23 says:

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

1 Peter 2:5-8 describes a church as "lively stones" that "are built up a spiritual house," with Jesus being the "chief corner stone." Ephesians 2:20-22 speaks of a church as being "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone":

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

It is essential that "the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth," (1 Timothy 3:15) be built upon a firm foundation. Jesus said, ". . . upon this rock I will build my church." That Rock was Christ.