Jesus cautioned His disciples that the time had
not come yet for them to tell of this great truth.
The people didn't know what it meant.

He was their Messiah but He was not the one they
were looking for. After His resurrection they
would understand and then they would preach
it as the

key

truth of their message.

It can be said (literally) that the "gates of hell"
do not prevail against the believer, for they will
never pass through them.

The medieval church perverted this to mean that
the believer goes to torment in the fires of purga-
tory until enough masses have been said for them
to escape.

Another circumstance concerning the promise
that Jesus gave that was perverted; in the
Old Testament days all believers went to hades,
or sheol at death. Even Jacob and David went
to sheol (Genesis 37:35), although not to the
same compartment as the wicked (Luke 16:19-
31).

But at the resurrection of Jesus, paradise was
no longer left in sheol, but was transferred to the
third heaven (Ephesians 4:8-10; 2 Corinthians
12:1-4). So the saints of the New Testament
times do not go to hades, but ascend to the third
heaven for now being "absent from the body" is
to be "present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians
5:8).

It was Peter who opened the doors of the Church
to 3,000 Jews who were converted by one of his
sermons on the day of Pentecost.

And it was also Peter who was at Cornelius' house
and brought into the Christian Church, the first
Gentiles (Acts 10; 15:7).

The promise wasn't given just to Peter; it is
given to the Church, but only as it lives in the unity
of the Body of Christ.

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the king-

dom 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" Matthew 16:19

Peter wasn't the only one to get this promise;

as seen in Matthew 18:18 the keys of the

kingdom of heaven, which included power to

bind and to loose was also given to the apostles.

In a way, Peter by his confession became the
first stone to be built into the structure.
Others following him would become part of it
also. "Now therefore ye are no more strangers
and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints, and of the household of God, And are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief
corner stone. . . . read Ephesians 2:19-22

But that Peter would become the foundaton is
ridiculous. Jesus is the foundation, Peter and
the others only have a part in it.

It may be said that the words of Jesus meant
that even though He was the light, He granted
the disciples (and us) to be the light of the world.
[Matthew 5:14]. So also, as He was the Rock, He
granted the disciples (and us) to be the rocks or
foundation of the church.

The Bible teaches us that the Church is a living
temple built of living stones. Peter repeated the
prophets: "To whom coming, as unto a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of
God, and precious. Ye also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house, and holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ" 1 Peter 2:4-5

WHO IS THE
ROCK....

PETER
OR
JESUS ?

It was upon Peter's confession that 'Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of the Living God' that Jesus was
to build His church.

Even though Peter's name was 'little rock' that
was not the rock Jesus was speaking of. He, Him
self is called the 'Rock' throughout scripture. And
the Bible speaks of not putting our trust in the arm
of flesh (man), so Jesus wouldn't be building His
church upon a man, Peter.

Of course, Jesus didn't mean a building of wood,
stone or anything else like it; but was talking
about a body of believers, filled with the Holy
Spirit.

Those wise in their own eyes fail to see Jesus'
deity even when evidence is foolproof. They
approach it with their human wisdom and not
with humility, so the truth is withheld from
them.


"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank
thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because thou hast hid these things from the
wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto
babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in
thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my
Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the
Father; neither knoweth any man the Father,
save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son
will reveal him" Matthew 11:25-27

Jesus was excited at Peter's response. He said,
"Blessed at thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and
blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my
Father which is in heaven."

Here was a revealed fact, that no man can
acknowledge Jesus as Christ except those who
the Spirit of God reveals this truth.

Jesus hadn't asked them just to find out what the
chief priests and the Pharisees had thought about
Him. He knew they believed He was an imposter
and a charlatan.

But the people believed He was a prophet. They
admired His teachings and wondered at His
miracles.

The question in Jesus' mind was what His disciples
thought of Him. And Peter, without thinking, not
only gave Him the title of Messiah, but also the
Son of God.

It was the great confession that Jesus was the
long-awaited Messiah who was to redeem Israel.

Other disciples had also supposed He was the
Messiah, but when He evaded the opportunity
to receive the kingship and fulfill what they had
imagined to be the true Messiahship, they were
disillusioned and left Him.

The twelve, even though Jesus seemed to have
failed to fulfill their expectation, still clung to
their faith in Him as the Savior of Israel.

Once Andrew had said to Peter, "We have found
the Messiah" [John 1:41]. Philip had said to
Nathanael. "We have found him of whom Moses
in the law, and prophets, did write, Jesus of Naz-
areth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael when he had
seen Jesus had said, "Rabbi, thou are the Son of
God; thou art the King of Israel" [John 1:49].

After Jesus walked on the sea the disciples had
exclaimed, "of a truth thou art the Son of God"
[Matthew 14:33].

And in Capernaum Peter had declared, "And we
believe and are sure that thou art that Christ,
Son of the living God" [John 6:69].

After praying for awhile [Luke 9:18], Jesus
looked at His disciples and asked them two
questions.

He first asked, "Who do men say that I the
Son of man am?" The disciples told the truth,
and admitted that men hadn't accepted Him
as the Messiah but as a prophet. Some had
agreed with others that He was John the Baptist
risen from the dead. Some thought He was Elijah.

The second question was, "But whom say ye that
I am?"