Rock – Quest For Truth

Picture Scripture: “Roots For The Storm” (Mark 4:35-41)

July 16, 2022Tagged 99, anchored, beach, boat, cemetery, compass, deep blue, deep roots, demoniac, demonic, foundation, Gerasenes, graveyard, Hebrews 6:19, landfall, legion, lost at sea, Luke 15, Mark 4:35, Mark 4:36, Mark 4:37, Mark 4:38, Mark 4:39, Mark 4:40, Mark 4:41, ninety-nine, ocean, pigs, possessed, possession, Rock, rooted, roots, sailing, sailor, sand, Sea of Galilee, ship, shoreline, sinking, Son of the Most High God, stern, Storm, stranded, sunk, swine, tombs, waves, we are many, wind2 Comments

(Mark 4:35-41)
“35 On that day, when evening came, He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ 36 Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’ ”

…———…

Jesus calmed a storm while on the Sea of Galilee. This story is actually the centerpiece of three different stories that are linked together. The storm exists right in the middle of it all. When there is a storm, people typically shift their focus on the storm. In 2020, we all experienced our own storm that we called the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic. That storm seemed to envelop us, and it changed our lives and redefined our priorities. Many people felt like the waves were breaking overhead, inundating the boat. Many people, filled with fear, panicked and believed they were perishing. But understand this: the storm doesn’t deserve to be the center of our attention and it’s not what we should be placing our focus on. So, if your focus is currently on the storm you’re experiencing in life, may the Holy Spirit provide you with wisdom, enabling you to completely change your perspective about the focal point. May the Lord open your eyes and give you spiritual sight, seeing the depth beyond the surface of worldly ways. May the Lord open your mind to a new understanding and help you realize what is truly important in life. May GOD fill you with the peace that surpasses all human understanding as you rest in Him. Amen.

In chronological order, prior to Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus had been accused by the religious Pharisees of deriving his miraculous powers from Satan or demonic forces. They heard that He healed a blind man who also couldn’t speak, giving the man both sight and the ability to speak. And so these religious leaders — who believed themselves to be the best of the best and holiest of the holiest — demanded that Jesus give them a miraculous sign to prove to them He was who He said He was in order to authenticate His authority (Matthew 12:22-38).

Rather than appeasing the appetite for a performance of miraculous marvel and wonder, to be the greatest showman, Jesus resisted that temptation and instead called attention to the fact that anyone who is not with Him and opposes Him is actually working against GOD. Jesus then went on to explain to the crowd that His real family are the ones who do the will of the Father, not only hearing the Word of GOD, but also putting it into practice (Matthew 12:48-50; Mark 3:33-35; Luke 8:21). We must actually do what the Word says, not merely know what it says (Matthew 7:24-25; John 13:17; Romans 2:13; James 1:21-25). Satan himself knows GOD’s Word and even tried to use GOD’s Word to twist the Truth in order to tempt Jesus into sinning and abandoning His mission while He had spent His 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). So, it will not do you any good to know GOD’s Word if you don’t actually apply it to your life.

This is important because Jesus then goes on to teach the parable of the Farmer and the scattering of the seeds, about how seed fell to the different types of ground: the path, the rocks, the thorns, and the fertile soil. And Jesus also taught the parables of the weeds, the hidden treasure, and the fishing net. These, parables — which will be examined at a later time — essentially sum up the importance of being deeply rooted in GOD rather than the world.

And now, we reach the center of the three stories, which is Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. First, it must be noted that Jesus left the crowds behind in order to get in the boat with His disciples (Mark 4:36). GOD is always on the move! Are you following the Lord or your own way? Because you need to know that if you make the choice to follow the Lord, you’re going to end up in a storm, or multiple storms. Expect it and accept it! As mentioned in the “GOD-Breathed” Picture Scripture, dedicated disciples, as followers of Christ, we are going to be hated by the world, experience trials and tribulation, pain and persecution (Matthew 10:22; John 15:18-21). What is the cost of dedicated discipleship? Everything. Like Joseph of Aramathea, there will always be risk and sacrifice involved. But Jesus also tells us in John 16:33 that He warns us about this in advance so that we may have peace in Him. Jesus told us that here on Earth, we’re going to experience this; however, we should take heart (comfort) because Jesus has overcome the world.

So, at this point in the story, the disciples have chosen to follow Jesus. And now they’re in a boat with Him. It is written that Jesus was asleep when the storm came upon them. Jesus wasn’t worried! Despite the roar of the whipping wind, the crash of the waves, and the swaying of the boat, Jesus was unalarmed and peacefully sleeping. Jesus doesn’t merely possess peace — He is peace (Isaiah 9:6; John 14:27)! The interesting thing about this story is that it wasn’t the storm that woke Jesus up — it was the voices of the Lord’s children! And after Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves, He then rebuked His disciples and told them they needed stronger faith. And now, we might, as the reader of this story, allow pride within us, saying to ourselves, “How could they lack faith like that? They were with the Lord! The Lord was with them! Well, if I were them and the Lord was with me—” Stop! Ponder. Isn’t the Lord with us as well (Matthew 28:20; John 14:26; 15:26-27; 16:7,13)? Or do you lack faith? GOD is not some distant deity like a deadbeat dad who only comes around on your birthday. So, do you need greater faith or do you realize that the Lord is with you right now? Don’t you see? This is the importance of the parable about the scattered seeds and the roots from the seeds. The deeper our roots in GOD, the stronger our faith will be. The depth of our roots is like a boat’s anchor which holds it in place. It is written in Hebrews 6:19 that our hope in the Lord is an anchor of the soul. How deep are your roots? When the storms of life come upon you, are you going to fall away?

Prior to this moment in the boat, Jesus had already spoken into their lives (Matthew 7:21-27). Jesus told them that doing the will of the Father is important, and the person who not only listens to the Word, but actually applies it to their lives, will be like a person who builds his house on the solid Rock foundation. And when (not if, but when) the storms of life come, that house will not collapse. This represents sturdy, unwavering faith. And because Jesus had spoken to them about this prior to them ever being in this situation in the boat, I’m willing to bet that they remembered His words and were thinking about it the rest of the boat ride until they got to their destination. They collapsed. They panicked. The storm came and they didn’t pass the test. And that just reveals what a wonderful Teacher the Lord truly is. He allows us to make mistakes so that we can learn. So, be honest with yourself: how are you doing in the storm? How deep are your roots? Do you have an anchor? How great is your faith?

Now, we arrive to the third and final part of the three stories. And just as we arrive to the shoreline of this third story, Jesus and His disciples arrive on the other side of the sea and make landfall. First and foremost, we must recognize that they made it through the storm and arrived to their destination on the other side. It is written in the inspired Scripture that it was Jesus’s idea to cross to the other side of the sea on a boat. This means that Jesus knew that they would enter into a storm. Yet Jesus allowed them to go through it. Why? Because the Lord is the loving Teacher and He knew they were going to get through it. It was a learning experience for His disciples. The storm did not steer them to the other side, to their destination, but it could have prevented them from arriving if they allowed it to alter their course and abandon their mission. But as deeply rooted, faith-filled, completely committed Christians, our trust is in the Lord and we will praise Him while in the storm!

And so, they arrived. They made it through one storm, but now they’re about to experience another (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39). When they arrive into the country of the Gerasenes, two wildly violent and demon-possessed men come running toward them when they see Jesus. Perhaps the demons within thought this was their chance to take Jesus out and that’s why they ran toward Him. Or perhaps the inner man who desperately desired freedom ran to Jesus, momentarily breaking away from the demons’ control over him. While the man was running toward Jesus, the Lord commanded the evil spirits out and they fell before Jesus, not as powerful as they believed themselves to be. Understand this: The demons cried out to Jesus, “Son of the Most High God”, for Jesus to have mercy on them. Now even demons (who are fallen angels) believe that Jesus is who He says He is. But belief that Jesus is will never be enough (James 2:19). We must believe that Jesus is, but also trust in Jesus and confess that He is our Lord and Savior.

Now, you need to understand that the disciples just witnessed Jesus use His power and authority to control nature and calm a storm. Not only that, but the disciples are still shaken by the fact that their lack of faith could have caused their whole ‘house’ to collapse. And now they’re standing in a foreign location where the people believe no one should be, with two demon-possessed men. Should they attack? Should they just watch and see what Jesus does? Is this the time for them to redeem themselves? (What would you do?) They were in an area far away from their comfort zones. This is gentile area. Non-Jewish. These demon-possessed men live in a cemetery. They came from that area. And because they came out from the tombs, it is symbolic that they came out from death. This is a true collision of life and death, good and evil. According to Jewish ceremonial laws, the men Jesus encountered were unclean in three ways: (1) they were Gentiles (non-Jews), (2) they were demon-possessed, and (3) they lived in a cemetery. According to tradition, if these deranged men touched the disciples, then they would also be unclean themselves. Why in the world would Jesus take them to this place? “What are you up to, Lord? Why am I here? Why am I in the place I’m in? I don’t understand what’s happening!” Do you feel that way? “Why am I here? What’s happening? What do you want me to do?” I think most of us feel that way sometimes.

Jesus demands of the demons, “What is your name?” But why is this important? This is about identity. Yes— demons have names. Why? Because they’re fallen angels. They might have rebelled against GOD, but they are still creations of GOD, granted the great gift of free will. But instead of answering directly, out from the mouth of a demon possessed man comes, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” And then the evil spirits beg Jesus not to send them to the abyss but instead to be allowed to enter into the nearby swine. Jesus then gave them permission and they entered about 2,000 pigs and caused them to drive themselves off the cliff, drowning in the water below.

Now, a legion was the largest unit of the Roman army, consisting of approximately 6,000 soldiers. So, it’s understandable why these two men were so overcome and overpowered by demon possession. Can you imagine having that many evil spirits within you? But when the demons asked Jesus to allow them to enter the pigs, they apparently had a secret agenda of destruction and wanted to drive those pigs off the cliff. Jesus knew that. So, why did He give them permission to do this? Well, it seems evident that Jesus allowed this to happen for a few reasons. According to Old Testament law (Leviticus 11:7), pigs were unclean animals. So, people shouldn’t have been eating them anyway. But the main reasons, it seems, is that Jesus wanted to reveal the value of human life and also use this as a test for those living in that area.

After the pigs rushed over the cliff and into the sea, the herdsmen fled to the nearby town and told everyone about the incident; consequently, a crowd soon gathered. But if the herdsmen had to go get the crowd, that means Jesus and His disciples would have had time to flee the scene. But Jesus didn’t leave. He stayed. This is truly the reason why Jesus allowed the demons to enter into the swine and send them surging into the sea: this incident brought all the people to one place so that Jesus could test them and provide them with the same opportunities for healing and forgiveness that others had elsewhere. When these people arrived, they saw a man who had once been demon-possessed yet was now completely sane. But instead of celebrating a restored human life, the crowd reacted in fear and demanded that Jesus leave their presence. Now, ponder: they all had the same reaction that the demon-possessed man had — they reacted out of fear and rejection. So, were those people actually better off than the man who had been demon-possessed? They might have believed so because they had comfort and a lifestyle considered to be normal. But rather than celebrating a restored human life, the people placed their focus on their own livelihoods, businesses, money, etc. The people had prioritized profit over people, the love of money and a comfortable existence over the true life they could have had in the Lord. They would rather give up Jesus than lose safety, security, comfort, and convenience. Two men had been set free from Satan’s snare, but the people of that town thought only about themselves. Now understand this: Jesus knew they would demand He leave their presence. Yet Jesus provided them the same opportunity everyone else had been offered. That’s the love of GOD.

Jesus tells us that everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin (John 8:34). Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said that the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2Corinthians 3:17). So, ponder: how many people of that area in this story were set free that day? By the time Jesus departed from them, how many people were still slaves to the ways of the world? In a great reversal, Jesus revealed that those who had considered themselves to be free were actually slaves to the ways of the world.

An issue of the heart:

• GOD knows our thoughts and examines our hearts (1Samuel 16:7; Psalm 94:11; Matthew 9:4).

• The heart is the start and directs the deeds. A repentant person receives a changed heart; a changed person can change culture/society. However, the ones with hardened hearts will fall into death just as the swine fell over the cliff and drowned in the sea (Proverbs 4:23; 28:14; Matthew 12:34; 15:18-19; Romans 2:5).

• Hearts can change. And when they do, priorities change (Jeremiah 24:7; 32:39; Ezekiel 11:18-20; 18:31; 36:26).

• When we desire for GOD’s will to be done, evil is incompatible and inconceivable (Luke 22:42).

Truly, the real battlefield is within you. The heart and the mind. So, how deep are your roots? What is the depth of your faith? Do you trust that GOD’s will is what is best and what is right? Do you truly believe what is written in Romans 8:28 that GOD works together all things for our good? Are you seeking first the Kingdom of GOD (Matthew 6:33)? Do you prioritize GOD’s will above everything else?

Why did Jesus go to the country of the Gerasenes? The answer is found in Luke 15 within the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. The Lord will leave the 99 in order to go find the one. And there is more joy in Heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to GOD than over 99 others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Now, there is a very minor yet extremely important detail of this story that must be examined. When the people of the town showed up, the man who had been demon-possessed and naked was now completely sane and fully clothed. Where did he get the clothes? The clothes either belonged to the man, and they were retrieved from some place they had been sitting for years, or the clothes came from one of the disciples, or Jesus Himself. Scripture doesn’t say. Regardless, this is the picture of redemption and restoration that was originally seen in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned when GOD clothed them (Genesis 3:21). But this is also the picture of our future restoration on the new earth under the new heavens with the Lord when we will see people clothed in white (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 7:9-17; 21:3-6). And the clothing and the covering is also the picture of our new bodies we will receive in the life to come (2Corinthians 5:1-10).

Understandably so, the man, after being restored, asks Jesus to go with Him. Surprisingly, Jesus tells the man no. And I can imagine one of the disciples saying to Jesus, “Wait. What? Dedicated disciples are hard to find, Lord. Why would you not let this man come with us?” Most of the time, Jesus urged those He healed to keep quiet. But this time, Jesus told the man to go tell everyone. So, why the difference on this occasion? Because the man was essentially being sent to do the Great Commission and be a witness for the Gospel. Jesus started the grafting in of the Gentiles (Romans 11)! It is an awesome picture of GOD’s love! The man was changed. But now he had to go actually live a life of change to truly have Christ within. Therefore, Jesus did not reject him! In stark contrast, Jesus commissioned that man to be an evangelist!

It is written in Matthew 12:43-45 that “when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

It is written in 2Peter 2:20-22: “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A dog returns to its own vomit,’ and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.’ ”

Understand that this goes full circle, arriving back to the parable of the Farmer and the scattered seeds, where the seeds landed on the different types of ground. How deep are your roots? What is the depth of your faith? Do you trust the Lord? Do you trust the Lord enough for you to actually live out the life you’re supposed to live? Don’t let words merely be words!

Jesus told the changed man, rather than going with Him, to go to his family, and tell them of his changed life. And that man took action and proved that he had a changed life. This is what it means in James 2:17 when it says, “faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

The disciples found themselves in a storm of uncertainty! The villagers of that area found themselves in a crisis! GOD will often allow us to lose what we want and what we rely upon so that we will realize who we truly need and what’s truly important. This is about our priorities, our central focus. We cannot have deep roots in GOD and strong faith unless GOD’s will is priority number one, second to none. Are you seeking first the Kingdom of GOD (Matthew 6:33)? Is GOD’s Word the Bread of Life (John 6:35,48-51) and the Living Water (John 4:10-14; 7:38)? Faith moves us into action while trusting in the Lord.

How deep are your roots? What is the depth of your faith? If you know you need deeper roots and greater faith, it’s time to take action from the Word. If your house doesn’t hold up well in this current storm, you’re not going to do well in the times that are soon coming. If you want to survive the storm and have your house of faith hold up through anything, you must have deep roots. And the only way to do that is to know GOD’s Word and obey GOD’s Word by actually living out GOD’s will. And as it is written in Hebrews 6:19, hope in the Lord is the anchor of our souls.

Let’s conclude with a prayer. Lord, please fill us with conviction and help us come into alignment with Your will. And please give us bold courage to take action from the Word you give us. I boldly declare: yes— I do walk by faith and not by sight. Even when I find myself in the middle of a storm, I know You are the anchor of my soul! Lord, as I spend time with you in prayer, please give me that revelation and instruct me as to what you would have me do. And once I receive that prompting, please embolden me to be obedient and take action, loving and helping people, shining light into the darkness of this world, and leading people to You. May I partner with You in the work for the Kingdom. Thank You in advance for correcting my direction and altering my course while guiding me every step I take. I am ready for the storm because I know what You have planned for me on the other side. Amen.

…———…

The Artist J:

In Mark 4:38 the disciples asked Jesus, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Have you ever found yourself in a fearful situation like the disciples were going through in these verses? Something so tough and so hard that it shook your faith and made you fearful enough to question whether God really cared that you were even going through it? If you’ve felt this way you wouldn’t be alone. Many men and women of God throughout scripture have been in the same boat. (Pun intended.)

Even though the disciples’ faith may have been scarce during these rough seas, we can actually learn something from these fearful men that were chosen of God during this terrifying lesson for them.

When the disciples were in this storm, fear sweeping over them, waves breaking over and filling up the boat, and feeling like they were going to perish from the ferocity of the storm that had assailed them, they still took their troubles and cast them on Jesus. They woke Him up.

This is a common theme in scripture when anybody called by God was going through a tough time. When things get rough, followers of God press into Him even harder, fasting, praying and crying out with all their might.

Take Hannah for example in 1Samuel 1:10 where it says “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.”

Or David when God was disciplining him for his sin, and his baby was going to die. 2Samuel 12:16-17 says, ”David prayed to God for the baby. David fasted and went into his house and stayed there, lying on the ground all night. The elders of David’s family came to him and tried to pull him up from the ground, but he refused to get up or to eat food with them.” David was told what was going to happen to his baby but he still had to lay his troubles on God.

Or Psalm 88 written by Heman the Ezrahite who was the grandson of the prophet Samuel and who was appointed by David as a choirmaster. He wrote in the midst of a heavy heart, “O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol [the grave]. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves [the disciples were led into literal waves]. Selah. You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them.

I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah. Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? [In a since saying as the disciples, “teacher, do you not care we are perishing”] Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? [In the disciples’ case, they were probably asking themselves “Why is He sleeping?”] Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me.

They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together. You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.”

Heman the choirmaster was in severe distress in these verses and yet he cried out to the Lord in song, seeking to gain God’s attention. Not that He didn’t already have it, for the Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and always hears the prayers of His saints, but He doesn’t always respond immediately.

Esther and Mordecai fasted and prayed before Esther was to confront the king, or also when all the Jews were to fight against Haman’s decree.

Esther 4:16 says, “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

The point of all these examples is that when we are going through a major trial or are in severe distress, we are not to wallow in our fear, but instead take hold of Christ and cling to Him with everything we have and all the faith we can muster up, as little as it may be at the moment.

Mark 4:39-40 then says, “And [Jesus] got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ ”

Why are you afraid? Scripture lets us know time and time again we are not to be afraid. In Philippians 4:6-7 we are commanded not to be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

Our job is to simply tell God our trouble and then trust the Lord in the middle of it, letting him take care of the rest. All we are to do is cast all our troubles on Him and He says He will sustain us. That’s why we can have rest, because once we’ve prayed about our troubles and transferred them to Jesus, it’s no longer our troubles, they’re His troubles now. God will see to them how He best sees fit according to His will, and you can be guaranteed that it will always be for His glory and for your own good.

Psalm 37:5 says to “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and He will act.”

Psalm 37:7-9 says, ”Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him….” “Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.”

Psalm 37:39-40 says, “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”

Fear not. Fret not. Don’t be anxious. Instead pray, commit your way, take refuge in and trust in God, and He will act.

You see, Jesus told His disciples to get in the boat and set sail to the other side, so if Jesus told them to do it then in reality they didn’t need to worry at all, because they were doing God’s will. They were under God’s authority, His direction, and could of had rest because rest and peace comes not from varying circumstances but from knowing God and doing God’s will. He is in control, completely sovereign. The stormy winds made the waves of the sea so chaotic and the disciples so fearful that they didn’t have faith that Jesus was even more powerful than the storm. This is what a lack of faith in God does in our own lives even to this day. Without knowing and trusting that God is sovereign and in control of every one of our circumstances, even the ones that seem bad, and without realizing that God is infinitely more powerful than whatever it is you’re going through, then we do just like the disciples did and focus only on what’s going on around us and becoming increasingly more fearful and anxious, tearing away at our peace that comes from Jesus, asking, “Why is God sleeping during my circumstances?”

Fully unaware that if God led us in that direction then no matter what storms come against us God is fully in control and is working it for your good and His glory. Jesus leads and we just trust him and have rest.

For example, look at Matthew 11:29-30. Jesus says “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light, but many people have a misconception that this means we are to be yoked together with Jesus. But thinking you’re in a partnership with Jesus can actually lead to more distress and unrest. Jesus says it’s HIS yoke. When does the master ever yoke himself together with the oxen? The master yokes oxen together to steer them and lead them on the path it should take. In this case, sailing to the other side of the sea of Galilee through a storm.

Jesus isn’t just asking us to partner with Him, He’s asking us to place yourself under His authority, under His lead and guidance over your life. That is in turn what gives you rest.

Think about this, at a workplace the person in a leadership position deals with more stress than someone who just follows what they’re told to do. One has the burden of coming up with plans, and keeping things in order, making sure the business is properly maintained and running efficiently, instructing the laborers and managing their schedules and workloads, where they all need to be and what they need to be doing. While on the other hand, the workers themselves have lighter burdens, without all the extra stress and pressure of keeping the business running. All they have to do is what they’re told. They just have to obey the leading of their superior and their burden will be light.

It’s the same with Jesus. Let Him make the plans and bear all the stress, all you have to do is obey Him, just do what He tells you. Fully aware that He will lead you on the best possible path for you with just the right amount of work for you to handle.

And finally if the disciples who asked Jesus if He cared that they were perishing, only could have realized that Jesus was only there with them on that boat, going through the storms of life with them in bodily flesh, because God cared that we were perishing. Jesus was only on the earth in the flesh because we were perishing from the wages of our sin, a spiritual storm that was killing all mankind and He cared so much that He took it upon Himself to calm the storm.

Jesus asked the disciples in the boat “do you still have no faith?”

But the thing is that Jesus still calmed the sea and wind for them. Because Jesus is God, and if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself (2Timothy 2:13).

God was and is and always will be faithful to keep His own from perishing.

Take a look at the benefits of the disciples going through this frightening experience. God used the fierce storm to show the disciples something about Himself that they had not known before. They learned something incredible about Jesus that they would not have previously known if Jesus hadn’t led them into the great tempest and crashing waves. Before the disciples entered that boat they knew Jesus was powerful, and they had seen Him heal people and do miracles, but now they had an even greater understanding of just how fearfully powerful and how glorious Jesus really was! They now understood that Jesus even had authority over nature.

Little by little, through every miracle, and through every difficulty, and every event, through every word spoken, Jesus was teaching his disciples a little bit more about Himself than they knew before, forming greater faith in them. He wanted them to understand that He was God better on that day than they did the day before, and Jesus still does that with us.

Jesus is the perfect image of God, and the longer you follow Him and the more you spend time with Him the more clearly you see that image. Everything we go through is designed with the purpose of decreasing our faith in our own merits and increasing our faith in Christ!

-I was led into the storm,

All I saw was the waves crashing and the thunder roar,
My heart was sinking faster than the boat’s flooding floor,
“AM I PERISHING?!
WILL I EVER SEE THE SHORE?!
MY MASTER TOLD ME TO SET SAIL ACROSS THE SEA,
BUT A STORM CAME AND ALL HE DOES IS SLEEP!
TEACHER, IF YOU DON’T WAKE NOW THEN THIS WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME! ”
Then suddenly the master arose,
A sternness on His face, and calmly composed,
Steadily He walked to front of boat, and gazed out at the storm, waves crashing higher than the side of our boat had widely formed,
He stretched out his hand, eyes fixed on the sea with an intensity you could feel,
Suddenly my every hair rose up on the back of my neck with a chill,
As I heard three simple words
“PEACE BE STILL.”
And peaceful it was,
the storm gone without a trace,
Jesus turned with a concerned look on his face,
“Why were you afraid, have you yet no faith?”
The waves had vanished,
And the wind had erased.
My fears of the storm had now swapped their place,
My awe was now on this man of mercy and grace,
I’m absolutely terrified and yet completely amazing, is this God that I’m standing with face to face?
But who am I that God Himself would want someone like me to sail with Him?
“But who else could be on this ship that can silence the sea and the wind?”

Picture Scripture: “Cornerstone” (Matthew 16:18-19)

July 14, 2021Tagged bishop, church, cornerstone, episkopos, foundation, Peter, petra, petros, Pope, presbuteros, Rock, Roman Catholicism4 Comments

(Matthew 16:18-19)
“18 ‘I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.’ ”

———

Where did the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church come from? In the early days of the Roman Empire, Rome was the imperial capital. The church there was the largest and wealthiest in the empire. By the middle of the third century its membership approached 30,000. It had no rival in the west.

In addition, certain early Christian writers from the second century and after had referred to Peter and Paul as founders of the church at Rome and to Rome’s bishops as successors to the apostles. Yet this respect for the history of the church of Rome did not prevent these same writers from openly disagreeing with the bishop of Rome when they believed him to be in error. In fact, up to the times of Emperor Constantine (312-337 A.D.), the bishop of Rome exercised no authority outside the city.

As the church developed under Constantine, it naturally tended to follow the pattern of the empire, with the bishop of a provincial capital having authority over the bishops of the other cities of the province. In 325 A.D., the Council of Nicea recognized the bishops of Alexandria, Egypt; Antioch, Syria; and Rome as preeminent in their areas.

In 330 A.D., Constantine moved his residence from Rome to Constantinople, meaning “City of Constantine” (which is today’s Istanbul). Authority in the church moved east along with Constantine. Soon the bishop of Constantinople was considered to have authority equal to the bishops of Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome.

In 440 A.D., Leo I was elected bishop of Rome. He immediately proclaimed himself the supreme head of all Christendom. He established the ecclesiastical dynasty of Peter, which continues in the Roman Catholic Church today. In 451 A.D., Emperor Valentinian III put this into law: “As the primacy of the Apostolic See is based on the title of the blessed Peter, prince of episcopal dignity, on the dignity of the city of Rome, and on the decision of the Holy Synod, no illicit steps may be taken against this See to usurp its authority.”

In 451 A.D., another church council was called at Chalcedon, a suburb of Constantinople. Approximately 450 bishops were invited, but no more than 340 were present at any one time. Although Leo did not attend, his influence was evident. Thus, it was to everyone’s surprise that the council gave the bishop of Constantinople authority equal to that of the bishop of Rome, making Constantinople for the east what Rome was for the west. The action of this council confirmed the independent authority of the bishop or patriarch of Constantinople over the eastern church. Leo’s representative at the council protested vehemently, but the decision stood. The church now had two heads: the bishop of Rome over the western church and the bishop of Constantinople over the eastern church.

In the sixth century, the bishop of Rome came to be called the Pope. The word pope comes from the Latin word papa and was originally a reference to the fatherly care exercised by all bishops. In subsequent centuries the Roman Catholic Church (as the western church came to be known) has remained monolithic. The eastern church subdivided into many self-governing ethnic Orthodox churches, which together compose a federation known as the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The whole controversy between the eastern church and the western church was based upon the assumption that there is an office of “bishop” that is different from and has greater authority than the office of “pastor” or “elder.” But is that true? What church offices were present in the New Testament Church? Well, according to what’s written in GOD’s Word, Jesus sent all His disciples (apostles) to make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that the Lord commanded (Matthew 28:19-20). All apostles were appointed to be overseers of churches (Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1; 1Timothy 3:1-2; Titus 1:7; 1Peter 2:25), whether they were “elders” [presbuteros] or younger in age like Timothy (1Timothy 4:11-16). The divine arrangement seen throughout the New Testament was for a plurality of these overseers to be appointed in each church (Acts 14:23; 20:17; Philippians 1:1; 1Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14).

That word “overseer” is the English translation of the Greek word episkopos, meaning an overseer, superintendent, guardian, or someone in general charge of a church. To be an overseer, one must be diligent and watch carefully after the well-being of those in the overseer’s care. A good example of this can be seen in 1Peter 5:1-4 when Peter himself wrote, “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

The Pope And The Rock:

So, if the title or position of Pope never existed in GOD’s Word, nor did any Pope exist in the origin of church existence when overseers were established, why would there now be a Pope? The Roman Catholic Church claims that Peter was the first Pope, the successor of Christ. They claim, therefore, that Peter is Christ’s vicar and the visible and infallible head of the church, having power and authority over all the other apostles and the entire church. Catholic leaders also claim that Christ built His church upon Peter and gave him the keys to unlock and close the kingdom of Heaven and Hell to anyone as he chose. They assert that the popes in past history up to the present are Peter’s successors, and have the same power of the keys.

These unsupported and farfetched claims are based on the verses found in Matthew 16:18-19. But a careful and critical examination of these verses only reveal the Truth that a Pope never existed because Peter was never the Rock. Examine verse 18 again: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

The New Testament was originally written in Greek, from which the Latin, English, and other versions were translated. If you study the Greek text you will discover that the word “Peter” and the word “rock” (on which Christ was to build His church) are two separate and distinct words, each having a different meaning. The word “Peter” in Greek is petros, which means “a piece of rock; a stone; a single stone; movable, insecure, shifting, or rolling.” The word “rock” is petra which means “a rock; a cliff; a projecting rock; mother rock; huge mass; solid formation; fixed; immovable; enduring.”

The word petros for Peter in the Greek is in the masculine gender and the word petra for the rock is in the feminine gender. Petros and petra are two distinct words in the Greek. Petros is a shifting, rolling, or insecure stone, while petra is a solid, immovable rock. In the English language the gender is not specified by the article. We say the fork, the spoon, the knife, or the rock; the words have the same article. In the Greek, as in many of the modern languages, each noun and corresponding article is in the masculine, feminine, or neuter gender. In many cases it is an arbitrary arrangement, regardless of sex.

However, the article in Greek is important. If one noun is in the masculine it must have a masculine article, and if it is in the feminine it must have a feminine article. The specific text under examination in the Greek shows that petros is in the masculine, and petra is in the feminine, proving that they are two distinct words; and each one has a different meaning. Now the question is, on which of the two, petros or petra, did Christ establish His church? Was it on petros, which is a movable stone, or petra, an immovable rock? Examine the text again:

“I also say to you that you are Peter (Petros; masculine), and upon this rock (petra; feminine) I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

The text clearly indicates that the church of Christ is built on petra and not on Petros. Now, who is this petra or rock on which Christ built His true church? Was it Peter? Though Peter was not the petra, he was one of the rocks Jesus chose to be an apostle (John 15:16). But GOD’s Word reveals to us who this petra is when Jesus Himself said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock [petra]. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock [petra] (Matthew 7:24-25; see also Luke 6:46-49). Thus, Jesus informed us that it is His Word that is the rock [petra] and firm foundation on which everything should be established.

Moreover, Paul states clearly in 1Corinthians 10:4 that Jesus is the Rock: “For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock [petra] which followed them; and the rock [petra] was Christ.”

Therefore, Scripture clearly states that petra refers to Christ and not to Peter, who is Petros. Further, other Scriptures inform us that the Lord is the Rock and the Cornerstone, which is our firm foundation (Isaiah 28:16; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2Samuel 22:2-3; Psalm 118:22; Ephesians 2:20; 1Peter 2:6-7).

If Peter was the rock on which Christ was to build His church, Peter could not have been overcome; however, the fact is that he was overcome. Didn’t he deny his Lord? Peter’s denial happened after Christ told him that “this rock” would not be overcome. Moreover, Jesus told Peter on one occasion: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matthew 16:23). And as if that’s not enough evidence already, Peter himself provides the answer as to who the Rock is in Acts 4:8-12 and 1Peter 2:4-8 when Peter said that Jesus is the chief Cornerstone (quoting Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16).

And again, Paul also tells us that the Rock is Christ. He says, “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1Corinthians 3:11). Peter is never designated by the word petra or called the chief Cornerstone or known as the firm foundation. Thus, both Peter and Paul agree that Christ is the Rock. Yet the Pope claims the title for himself. Which testimony should we accept? Let GOD be found true, though every man be found a liar (Romans 3:4).

If the church was built on Peter, then Peter would have been the head of the church. However, Peter was not the head of the church in his day. No one called Peter the Pope, or Father Peter, or Holy Father Peter. Rather, Jesus said, “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:8‑11). Thus, all apostles were mere overseers and servants.

The command of “Do not call anyone on earth your father” did not refer to an earthly parent, but to the spiritual Father. Jesus recommended our paying full respect to earthly parents when He quoted the commandment to honor our fathers and mothers (Mark 7:10). Sometimes 1Corinthians 4:15 is used as an attempt to prove that we may call spiritual leaders our fathers. Paul wrote: “For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” But Paul was saying that they were begotten through the Gospel and not through Paul. Scripture always interprets Scripture. As their “father” in the faith, Paul feels the same “godly jealousy” that a father experiences toward his daughter. In Jewish culture, it was the father’s responsibility to commit at his daughter’s betrothal that he would present her as a pure virgin at her wedding (Deuteronomy 22:13-24; see 2Corinthians 6:14-7:1). Here the “betrothal” was the Corinthians’ conversion through Paul’s ministry, the husband is Christ, and the “wedding day” is the day of Christ’s return (John 14:3; Ephesians 5:27; Colossians 1:22; Revelation 19:6-9). Paul’s picture of the church as engaged to Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7-8) carries on the Old Testament view of Israel as betrothed to GOD. Again, Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). It is through the Gospel that we are begotten, and not through Paul or any other person. It is the Gospel that is the power of GOD unto salvation, and not man. And this is why the Lord’s Word is the firm foundation on which everything should be established. And this is also why Paul says neither he or any other apostle is more important than any other because it is only GOD who saves and produces growth in us (1Corinthians 3:4-9).

If Jesus delegated Peter as the head of the church, why did the other disciples quarrel among themselves as to who would be the greatest (Luke 9:46)? If this decision had already been made by Christ, why should the others fret about it? The other disciples would have submitted to the wish of their Master. Thus, it seems evident that no such appointment had been made by Jesus. And if Peter was the head, it would be difficult to explain the anointing of John that was evident in John 13:21-25; 21:20-23, and the fact that John wrote the book of Revelation.

Neither Peter nor any of his successors were heads of the true church. Paul explains this when he told us that the head of every man is Christ (1Corinthians 11:3). (See also, Romans 12:5; 1Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:22) We are the body; Jesus is the head. We are responsible to the head, which is Christ, and not to men who try to circumvent the work of Christ and take His place. Christ is the head of every person, and we are responsible to Him as individuals.

Peter was married (Matthew 8:14), and Popes do not marry. If the first Pope could marry, why later pronounce that no priest (or Pope) can marry?

Peter was not infallible in his views on the Christian life. Even Paul had to rebuke him for his hypocrisy, because he was not “straightforward about the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14).

The Bible clearly declares that Christ is the foundation of the Christian church, insisting that “no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1Corinthians 3:11).

The only sense in which Peter had a foundational role in the church, all the other apostles shared in the same way. Peter was not unique in this respect. For Paul declared that in this sense the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20). Indeed, the early church “were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching [not just Peter’s]” (Acts 2:42). Even “keys of the kingdom” given to Peter (Matthew 16:19) were also given to all the apostles (Matthew 18:18).

There is no indication that Peter was the head of the early church. When the first council was held at Jerusalem, Peter played only an introductory role (Acts 15:6-11). James seems to have a more significant position, summing up the conference and making the final pronouncement (Acts 15:13-21). In any event, Peter is never referred to as the “pillar” in the church. Rather, Paul speaks of “pillars” (plural), such as, “James and Cephas and John” (Galatians 2:9). Peter (Cephas) is not even listed first among the pillars; again, James seems to have a more prominent position as being listed first.

Many Protestant interpreters believe that Jesus’s reference to “this rock” upon which His church would be built was to Peter’s solid (rock-like) testimony that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). But even if “this rock” has reference to Peter (Petros; rock; masculine), which is a possible interpretation, he was only a rock in the apostolic foundation of the church, not the Rock. Nor is Peter the only apostolic rock. Even Peter himself admitted that Christ is the chief rock (“corner stone,” 1Peter 2:7). And Paul notes that the other apostles are all part of the “foundation” (Ephesians 2:20). And because the entire body of Christ is the [feminine] Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32; Revelation 19:7-9; 21:1-2), the rock [petra; feminine] is most certainly the Lord’s Word spoken through the entire church Body. And so when Jesus said, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it,” it is evident that the Lord’s Word is the Rock on which His church was established; further, the gates of Hades have not overpowered the church still to this day. Why did it matter that Cephas was Peter? Because the Lord spoke it just as He did when Abram became Abraham (Genesis 17:5) and Jacob became Israel (Genesis 32:28). And why is the Lord’s Word the immovable foundation? Because the Word is eternal and never changes (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35; Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, “this rock” was referring not to Peter, but to “I also say” because what the Lord says is everlasting, immovable, and will not return void (Isaiah 45:23; 55:11).

Conclusion:

There exists no evidence in the Bible that Peter was the Rock or a Pope, or that a position of a Pope ever existed biblically in the origins of the church. Peter wrote two epistles, but he does not use the title of Pope in either of them; in addition, Peter himself proclaims Jesus to be the Rock and Cornerstone. Moreover, the church in the days of the apostles did not recognize Peter as Pope or the head of the church. Neither does the true church today. In fact, a position as the head of the church is akin to the prideful proclamation of Christ’s prominent place. The only one arrogant enough to do this is Satan. So, from whom did the position of the Pope truly originate? The Pope is a nope and that is why GOD inspired Martin Luther and all the reformers to break away from the Roman Catholic’s heretical teachings. Praise GOD for the reformers and the reformation movement; otherwise, you would have to give your thanks to the Pope and hope he delivers the message for you. But because of the Rock (Jesus), we now have direct access (Hebrews 10:19-22) to GOD and can approach Him as true children with our praises, prayers, and petitions.

Ephesians 2:18-22 says, “for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

Is Christ the Cornerstone of your life? Who or what is your firm foundation? Who is your Rock?

The Artist J:

In Matthew 16:13-19 Jesus asked his disciples, “ ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 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.’ ”

Why is it that Jesus called Peter “blessed” in these verses? Was it because of who Peter was, or was it because Peter knew who Jesus was? Peter was blessed because he knew and believed the truth, that Jesus was the Christ. The son of God, literally God in the flesh, also called Immanuel, meaning “God with us” (John 1:14, Philippians 2:6-7, Matthew 1:23).

The greek word for Christ is Christos, which is exactly equivalent to the Hebrew mashiyach [or, Messiah; Messias], which means “The Anointed One.” So Peter was calling Jesus the prophesied Savior who was spoken of in Scripture and was anointed by God. Peter knew that the man standing before him was Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus the Christ).

Jesus then explains that this profession of the truth is not revealed by flesh and blood, meaning it’s not an understanding that is natural to our sinful nature or a knowledge that could ever be obtained through human intelligence, but is only revealed by God the Father who is in heaven through the Holy Spirit.

1Corinthians 1:18-21 also explains this: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.’ Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the FOOLISHNESS of the message preached to save those who believe.”

So God has made the Gospel sound foolish to those who are perishing in order to break the pride of those who consider themselves wise in the world. The flesh is no help at all (John 6:63). Understanding the gospel only comes through the Holy Spirit giving you understanding, and Jesus the author of faith giving us each a measure of faith to believe (Hebrews 12:2; Romans 12:13).

Jesus continues talking to Peter, saying “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” On what rock is Jesus referring to here? On Peter the person, or on the solid and firm confession that Peter had just declared that Jesus is God, the anointed one? It’s this confession that Peter had made and that every single Christian must declare that is the rock that God’s church is built upon, and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. That Jesus is the Christ.

That is not to downplay immense contributions to the building of the church that Peter, along with all the other apostles made through the positions of authority that God gave them as apostles, but Jesus makes it very clear, along with Peter himself that Christ is the rock that is the foundation of the church.

Peter writes in 1Peter 2:4-7 saying, “As you come to him [Jesus], a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house [so we as believers are all also living stones, but smaller stones that are built up upon THE stone, the firm and solid foundation of Christ], to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone [referring to Jesus], a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.’ ”

Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone upon which the entire church is founded and held together on. The stone that was rejected that has become the cornerstone, or the foundation.

In Luke 20:9-16, Jesus explains this farther by giving a parable about a certain vineyard owner who represented God. The owner leased his vineyard to vinedressers (who is referring to Israel in the parable). Jesus went on to say that the owner sent servants (God’s prophets) to them to obtain fruit from his vineyard, but they beat them and sent them away, so the owner (God) sent his beloved son (Jesus) to them and they killed him. Jesus goes on to say that God will now give the vineyard to others, talking about the inclusion of gentiles in God’s kingdom. Jesus then says this in verses 17-18 and quoting from Psalms 118:22, “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Jesus is declaring to His listeners from this parable that He is the cornerstone that was rejected, and every single person will one day have to deal with this stone. Either they will fall upon the stone in brokenness or be crushed by the stone in condemnation. Jesus is the Rock of our salvation, and either way you come in contact with Him the outcome is brokenness. Either brokenness by the state of our sin and His immense goodness and mercy to forgive us, or crushed by our weight of His wrath by rejecting that forgiveness.

Acts 4:11-12 says, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Finally, all those are blessed who believe that Jesus is God and the Christ who came into the world to save sinners. For just as Peter, and Paul, and all the apostles and believers before us, we had all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life, and if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Peter was blessed that he confessed Christ while Jesus was with him, but Jesus also says “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Roman’s 3:23; John 3:16; Romans 10:9; John 20:29).

So be blessed knowing that if you are a Christian then you also are a living stone joined with other living stones and built into a spiritual house (the church) to be a holy priesthood. Accepted by God on the bases of Jesus Christ, the living stone!

Jesus gave up His spirit, tearing the vale at the seems. Breaking the hostility between I and Adonai El Elohiym. The Lord the mighty God, this firm foundation, the rock, Yeshua Hamashiach is where I plant my feet and in whom I place my trust. Securely standing on my Lord and Savior, my friend, Jesus. The builder of the church and one who makes it able to stand, the one solid stone in midst of a world of shifting sand, unmovable, immutable, He will never change, and He will never fail, if the gates of hell itself wage a war against the church the flames still will not prevail. So fall on Christ before the stone falls on you, better to be broken before the Lord, than crushed when His patience is finally through.

Superhero: More Than Conquerors

July 14, 2018June 2, 2019Tagged agnostic, agnosticism, Ant-man, Antman, apocalypse, apologetics, atheism, atheist, avengers, bad, Batman, Black Panther, Black Widow, born again, Captain America, captain marvel, Christianity, conqueror, Cyclops, David, DC, Deadpool, Doctor Strange, Doomsday, Dwayne Johnson, eternal, eternity, ethics, faith, Fantastic Four, forgiveness, gauntlet, God, Goliath, good, grace, Groot, Guardians of the Galaxy, guilty, heroic, heroine, Holy, Hulk, hurdle, immorality, Incredibles, Infinity War, innocent, Iron Man, Ironman, Jesus, judgment, Justice League, knockout, KO, love, Magneto, marvel, materialism, materialist, mercy, mma, morality, morals, naturalism, naturalist, Nick Fury, Nightcrawler, power, race, Redeemer, redemption, repentance, rescue, right, righteous, Rock, salvation, saved, saving, Savior, Saviour, Scarlet Witch, Silver Sufer, sin, sinful, smash, Spider-man, Spiderman, stones, Storm, super, superhero, superheroes, superhuman, Superman, Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtles, Thanos, Thor, TKO, TMNT, truth, ufc, vision, Wolverine, Wonder Woman, wrong, X-men, Xmen13 Comments

If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…

This is Part 13 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty. In Part 9, we saw that superheroes never give up! In Part 10, we saw that superheroes don’t need recognition – they are motivated only by love! In Part 11, we saw that relationships matter and teamwork works! In Part 12, we saw that the struggle is real; however, Jesus is the real solution to our real problems.

In this message (Part 13), we will see that despite problems, superheroes are more than conquerors!

Superheroes have problems. Sometimes, they even have giant problems. But any good fighter will agree with me when I say that size doesn’t matter. The old adage is true: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Take for example the mighty giant Galactus from Marvel comics. As big as he was, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers had been able to bring him down. How? By simply being superheroes. That means they were loving enough to resist evil, seek solutions, sacrifice themselves if necessary by offering their services, going above and beyond the call of duty, never giving up, and uniting as a team.

Giants being defeated isn’t mere fantasy imagined in comic books; in fact, real life examples from boxing and MMA or UFC fighting proves that size doesn’t matter:

In the Bible, David also had to face a giant problem: Goliath. In 1Samuel 17:11, Goliath challenged the Israelites. Saul and the entire army recoiled in fear. They had a defeatist attitude. We all tend to believe that our problems are bigger than they actually are. (How many times have you worried about a problem that ended up not being a problem?) Goliath’s strengths and size were so obvious that others failed to see his vulnerability. By failing to see Goliath’s vulnerability, they failed to recognize their opportunity. Don’t look at the ‘can’ts’ of life; rather, look at the ‘cans’! We are called to look past the problems, through the potential, and to the possibility!

David tried to encourage the men (17:26,30), but they allowed fear to overcome them. Unable to motivate others to step up, David chose to rise up to the challenge (17:32).

At first, Saul rejected David’s offer to fight Goliath because Saul didn’t believe in David (17:33). Understand this: there will always be people who will tell you that you’re too young, too inexperienced, too fragile, too weak, too small, you don’t have the right appearance, you’re not ready, or there’s nothing special about you. A comedian, Fred Allen, said one of my all-time favorite quotes: “If criticism had any real power to harm, then the skunk would be extinct by now.” But more important than the words of a comedian, the Word of our Creator says you’re not too young to be a righteous example:

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”
(1Timothy 4:12-16) -NLT

What goes into your mind is determined by your decision of whom you allow to speak into your life. When you allow negativity within your mind, you allow those negative thoughts to move you into action. Action is inevitable and unavoidable; if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. If you choose to do nothing, you chose to do something. The Israelites allowed the words of Goliath within them; those words became negative thoughts; those negative thoughts moved them into action: to sit. Goliath basically told them they are worthless dogs and they need to sit. And sadly, they did. Like obedient dogs, they sat.

David’s response to the problem of Goliath was to rise up and say to Saul, “I can do this” (Romans 8:31,37)! Saul saw David’s faith and heard his response to Goliath as something like this: “You may be a big lion bro, but you’re not the alpha male — I serve the Lion of Judah! Come at me bro! Bring it on! Feelin’ froggy? Leap! Boy, I’ve killed lions and bears — you ain’t nothing but a punk!” — And Saul, taken aback by David’s confidence, was pleasantly surprised!

We need to be bold, confident, and fearless in the name of GOD! Why do you think I’m so fearless and bold in the name of Christ? I know the GOD who rescued me in the past and I know that GOD is with me and for me! And because GOD is with me and for me, who could ever be against me?! Physically, in this life on Earth, yes – many people can come against me, harm me, and even kill me. But they can do absolutely nothing to my soul and they possess no power to change my eternal destination because nothing can separate us from the love of GOD (Romans 8:39).

Saul liked David’s passion and courage yet essentially told David, “Yes! But… put on my armor” (1Samuel 17:38). That was Saul’s problem — his big BUT! Saul needed to get his big ‘BUT’ out of the way! The armor that Saul wanted to put on David was his own deadweight of doubt, fear, confusion, worry, insecurity, anxiety, and stress. David needed to ‘Taylor Swift’: [“I’m too young to lead, that’s what people say”] Shake it off! Actually, David needed to take it off. It was never his burden to carry. David took Saul’s armor off and essentially told Saul, “Listen to me! You were moved by my faith, but then you tried to make me immovable under the deadweight of your own doubt. Allow me to move freely in faith.”

Understand this: Goliath’s strengths were David’s handicaps. If David tried to do what Goliath did, he would have lost. When it comes time for action in the spiritual war of life, you can only use what you’ve been trained to use. David used what he had practiced and mastered, what he knew he could rely upon: his trust in GOD, his staff, and his sling. As a shepherd, David had been trained to protect the flock. Essentially, he told Saul, “Let me protect the flock — I can do this! It’s what I do! When others look at Goliath, they see a problem too big to defeat; however, when I look at Goliath, I see a target too big to miss! Dude, I can’t miss that fool — he’s huge!”

In 17:43, Goliath mocked David because of his shepherd staff. Goliath essentially said, “Am I the dog? Do you plan on using your stick to play fetch with me? No! You’re the dog! Now sit — just like the others!” Goliath tried to act like the Rock from WWE: “Know your role, Jabroni and shut your mouth!”

But David courageously responded to Goliath by essentially saying, “You’re a fool if you believe this stick is my weapon — I have GOD and that’s truly all I need to defeat evil; GOD is going to hand you over to me” (17:45).

Goliath had a ‘staff infection’ – he was so focused on David’s staff that he didn’t even see the sling, let alone the stone that would be coming his way. We need to realize that the battle ultimately belongs to GOD. In Exodus 14:26-31, GOD used the sea to cover the Egyptians and claim victory. In Joshua 6:15-21, GOD caused the walls of Jericho to fall to achieve victory. In 2Kings 6:17-23, GOD used the sight of many angels to secure a peaceful victory. Jesus won the war for us when He willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross and resurrected three days later. And the ultimate victory will come in the second coming of Christ. The battle belongs to GOD. Until then, it is our duty to walk by faith, live righteously, and do what’s right.

David’s motive to defeat Goliath was not for fame or fortune, prizes or praise; rather, it was so “that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear” (1Samuel 17:47). The credit belongs to GOD, not our weapons; our praise should be to GOD alone. The Lord doesn’t save by force with a sword; in stark contrast, the Lord saves by willingly sacrificing Himself for us on our behalf (John 3:16-18). That is the main message of the Bible! And that’s what David wanted everyone to know — all glory goes to GOD!

David picked up five smooth stones from the brook (1Samuel 17:40). Why such a small weapon for such a big opponent? Isn’t a small weapon against a great opponent a great risk? Not with complete trust in GOD! Okay, but why five stones? Why not just one or double the efforts and collect ten stones? Let’s first look at it from a logical and practical approach. What if David missed? He would have four more chances. What if it took more than one stone to bring Goliath down? He would have the ammunition ready. What if after bringing Goliath down, some other froggy fellow stepped up and felt courageous enough to challenge David? He would have more stones ready. So, why not carry more than five stones? Well, just as David knew Saul’s armor would weigh him down, he also knew that carrying more than what was necessary would also weigh him down. In fact, some scholars theorize that the other four stones were for the other four giants. In 2Samuel 21:15-22, four other giants are listed as descendants from the giants in Gath (see also 1Chronicles 20:5). David wasn’t even worried about Goliath — he planned on taking them all down! David came prepared because he had trained for that moment his entire life (1Samuel 17:34-37).

Ponder on the small stone. A small smooth stone. GOD cares about the great things and the tiny things equally. Think about this: If you were to go back in time to figure out how those very stones ended up there, it was GOD’s design! After all, how long does it take for a stone to actually become a stone? How is a stone formed? And how does a stone become smooth over time? It’s a long explanation, but it takes many years. And how long did those stones sit there until David picked them up? So, GOD formed the victorious stones many years before that battle even took place; many years before Goliath was ever born. And GOD has in mind every person years before they are ever born (Jeremiah 1:5). GOD is able! Humans simply never take the time to notice. May the words of this message be your victorious stones that you will use to prevail against your giant problem(s). Ponder on this: how long has this message of David and Goliath been sitting and waiting for you to pick it up? How long has the Word of GOD been sitting there, waiting for the next conqueror in Christ to pick it up and use it?

David defeated Goliath with a single stone. And that’s quite fitting – we see in the New Testament that sinners were supposed to be stoned. Goliath got stoned. And when the Philistines saw that Goliath died, they fled (1Samuel 17:51). And what did David do? Did he start singing, “I started from the bottom now I’m here”? No! Understand this: there’s a big difference between being confident and being cocky. Confidence is rooted in GOD; cockiness is rooted in pride. David was confident; Goliath was cocky. The major problem with being cocky is that pride precedes destruction and an arrogant spirit gives way to the fall (Proverbs 16:18).

If we take away the strong point of the problem, everything else will fall apart and then fall into place. And this is why it is written in James 4:7-8 (NLT), “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”

The strong point of the problem was not Goliath! Take your eyes off your perceived problem! The strong point of the problem has been and will always be Satan and other demons. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Without the devil there, all the demons are going to run! Without the leader, the followers will flee. And this is why it is written in Ephesians 6:11-18 to put on the full armor of GOD. Why? Because “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

The full armor of GOD was the armor David was already wearing and the reason he took off the deadweight of Saul’s worldly armor. David essentially said, “I’ve already got armor on!” But what if David didn’t have his awesome faith in GOD? What if he allowed doubt and fear into his thoughts like the others did? What if he tried to be just like everyone else and wear that worldly armor? What would have happened if he carried what he was never meant to carry? The smallest things are actually the biggest things. So, even though many people think the story of David and Goliath is about a giant and big problems to overcome (which it is), I believe the story is more about the little things of life. The story of David and Goliath is not about a big problem; rather, it’s about seeking the solution, regardless of how insignificant that solution may appear to be. In this case, the solution was a small stone.

The little things will add up and weigh you down. But the little things will also come together to create your victory. Every single tiny thing that you do – even if it appears insignificant – links together to create a long and large chain of connected events that make a huge difference – not only for your life, but everything you do changes people around you. Where you are at right now is training you for where GOD will take you in the future. But if you’re not in the right places, listening to the right people, practicing the right habits, it may take you a lot longer to get to where GOD wants you to go. David happened to be at the right place at the right time because he had been doing the right things with the right motives (1Samuel 13:14; 16:11,19,22-23; 17:15; Acts 13:22). Where are you in life? What are you learning? Whom are you allowing to speak into your life? How are you training? For what are you training?

Everything you choose to do or not do propels you into action. But which direction are you going? Are you going to sit on the sidelines and actively watch or are you going to rise up and actively fight against evil by choosing to live a righteous life? The Israelites had only two choices: (1) sit and watch and then become slaves to the Philistines, or (2) rise up and resist evil and live in the freedom GOD desired them to experience.

We must intentionally place our focus on all the small things. All the small ways that GOD has blessed us and is setting us up for later success. What are your stones of victory that GOD has provided for you? They’re already here/there! You just have to look for them. But then, after recognizing them, you must also pick them up and use them.

The battle belongs to GOD. What are you carrying that you were never meant to be carrying? Doubt? Fear? Depression? Suicidal thoughts? The burden of sin or that you’re not good enough? The burden of excessive demand for you to be perfect? It’s time you give your heavy burdens to GOD. Take that off! Don’t carry what you were never meant to carry. Like David taking off Saul’s armor of deadweight, it’s time for you to take your deadweight off.

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’ ”
(Matthew 11:28-30) -NLT

The “rest” that Jesus promises is love, healing, restoration, and peace with GOD, but it’s not the end of all work/labor. We do have to carry something — we are all called to take up our cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). But that’s easy to bear and is light in comparison. A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that people put on an ox or oxen so they can be teamed up to do work. If we’re yoked to the world and its ways, we are a slave to our society and culture and must do what the world tells us to do: pull others down to get ahead, get revenge, sleep around, etc. Here’s the thing: if you’re teamed up with the world, you’re going to be yoked to a lot of lazy people and you’re going to pulling a lot of deadweight. You’re going to be carrying some burdens you were never meant to carry. But if we’re yoked with Jesus, [“Jesus take the wheel”] then we’re not of this world, Jesus does most of the hard work, takes lead and makes our journey lighter and easier, and all we’re called to do is love GOD and love others (Matthew 22:36-40) while sharing the Gospel. How difficult is that?

Understand this: our problems don’t define us; exterior circumstances should never alter our inner dispositions. Everyone has problems; however, our problems don’t prevent us from succeeding. Like hurdles in a race, success comes from overcoming the problems. We must not believe we are unable to jump simply because a hurdle exists. [“When a hurdle comes along, you must jump it!]

What are your hurdles that you need to jump over?
What deadweight are you carrying that you need to take off?
What are your stones of victory that you need to pick up?

Superheroes don’t place their focus on how big the problem appears to be; instead, they narrow their focus onto the solution, regardless of how small it may seem to be. In the 2019 movie, Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man didn’t place his focus on the big problem (Thanos); instead, he narrowed his focus onto the small solution (the infinity stones). Because of this, Iron Man collected defeated Thanos by with stones — just like like when David defeated Goliath! Regardless of how big your problem appears to be, GOD is bigger. Therefore, when your giant problem approaches you, pick up your stones of victory and shout, “Come at me bro! Bring it on!” Understand this: I AM is inevitable. In the end, the Lord wins and the children of GOD are redeemed and restored (Revelation 21-22).

“Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!”
(Romans 8:37) -TPT

Just as David picked up five stones of victory, we also have five ‘stones’ of victory. Five Scriptures are key in understanding that we are more than conquerors. It is written in John 1:5 that darkness cannot overcome the light. John 8:12 tells us that the Lord is the Light. Ephesians 5:8 tells us that we are light in the Lord and we walk as children of Light. John 16:33 tells us that Jesus has overcome the world. And 1John 5:4 tells us that everyone who has been born of GOD overcomes the world and that our faith enables us to be victorious. In 1John 5:4, the word for overcoming is the Greek word nikos. It means to conquer. It was used to portray athletes who had gained the mastery of the competition and ultimately reigned supreme as champions over the games. This means that we are the ultimate champions and this describes our superior position as children of GOD over the world. We are fully armed with everything we need to be super-conquerors in this life! It’s time to understand who you are in Christ!

The Pope Is A Nope

October 31, 2017October 31, 2017Tagged 95 theses, Alexandria, All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, anointed, anointing, Antioch, apocrypha, apologetics, apologia, apostle, apostolic, authority, Beelzebub, begotten, bible, Bible study, bishop, Catholic, Catholicism, Chalcedon, Christ, Christian, Christianity, church, Constantine, Constantinople, cornerstone, Council of Nicea, Council of Trent, deacon, devil, disciple, discipleship, dynasty, eastern, ecclesia, ecclesial, ecclesiastic, Egypt, elder, emperor, empire, episcopal, epistle, father, foundation, God, gospel, Greek, Halloween, Heaven, Hell, historian, historical, history, Holy, immovable, imperial, Istanbul, Jesus, leader, Leo I, living stone, Lucifer, Martin Luther, mass, Messiah, monolithic, monotheism, New Testament, Nicene Creed, October 31, Old Testament, Orthodox, papa, pastor, Paul, Peter, petra, petros, Pope, praise, pray, prayer, priest, rabbi, reform, reformation, reformer, religion, revelation, Rock, Roman, Rome, rosemary, ruler, Saint, salvation, Satan, saved, servant, serve, server, serving, spirit, spiritual, Synod, Syria, teach, teacher, teaching, The Rock, theism, translate, translation, truth, Valentinian, Vatican, vicar, Virgin Mary, western, worship, Yahweh, YHWH5 Comments

Some History:

In addition, certain early Christian writers from the second century and on had referred to Peter and Paul as founders of the church at Rome and to Rome’s bishops as successors to the apostles. Yet this respect for the history of the church of Rome did not prevent these same writers from openly disagreeing with the bishop of Rome when they believed him to be in error. In fact, up to the times of Emperor Constantine (312-337), the bishop of Rome exercised no authority outside the city.

As the church developed under Constantine, it naturally tended to follow the pattern of the empire, with the bishop of a provincial capital having authority over the bishops of the other cities of the province. In 325, the Council of Nicea recognized the bishops of Alexandria, Egypt; Antioch, Syria; and Rome as preeminent in their areas.

In 330, Constantine moved his residence from Rome to Constantinople, meaning “City of Constantine,” today’s Istanbul. Authority in the church moved east along with Constantine. Soon the bishop of Constantinople was considered to have authority equal to the bishops of Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome.

In 440, Leo I was elected bishop of Rome. He immediately proclaimed himself the supreme head of all Christendom. He established the ecclesiastical dynasty of Peter, which continues in the Roman Catholic Church today. In 451, Emperor Valentinian III put this into law: “As the primacy of the Apostolic See is based on the title of the blessed Peter, prince of episcopal dignity, on the dignity of the city of Rome, and on the decision of the Holy Synod, no illicit steps may be taken against this See to usurp its authority.”

In 451, another church council was called at Chalcedon, a suburb of Constantinople. Approximately 450 bishops were invited, but no more than 340 were present at any one time. Although Leo did not attend, his influence was evident. Thus, it was to everyone’s surprise that the council gave the bishop of Constantinople authority equal to that of the bishop of Rome, making Constantinople for the east what Rome was for the west. The action of this council confirmed the independent authority of the bishop or patriarch of Constantinople over the eastern church.

Leo’s representative at the council protested vehemently, but the decision stood. The church now had two heads: the bishop of Rome over the western church and the bishop of Constantinople over the eastern church.

In the sixth century, the bishop of Rome came to be called the pope. The word pope comes from the word papa and originally was a reference to the fatherly care exercised by all bishops. In subsequent centuries the Roman Catholic Church, as the western church came to be known, has remained monolithic. The eastern church subdivided into many self-governing ethnic Orthodox churches, which together compose a federation known as the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The Pope And The Rock:

So why the pope? The Roman Catholic Church claims that Peter was the first pope, the successor of Christ. They say he is therefore Christ’s vicar and the visible and infallible head of the church, having power and authority over all the other apostles and the entire church. Catholic leaders also claim that Christ built His church upon Peter and gave him the keys to unlock and close the kingdom of Heaven and Hell to anyone as he chose. They assert that the popes in past history up to the present are Peter’s successors, and have the same power of the keys.

These far-reaching claims are based on the verses found in Matthew 16:18-19. Let us make a careful and critical examination of these verses and see what Jesus said and what He actually meant:

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 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.”

The New Testament was originally written in the Greek, from which the Latin, English, and other versions were translated. If you study the Greek text you will find that the word Peter and the word Rock (on which Christ was to build His church) are two separate and distinct words, each having a different meaning. The word Peter in Greek is petros, which means “a piece of rock; a stone; a single stone; movable, insecure, shifting, or rolling.” The word rock is petra, which means “a rock; a cliff; a projecting rock; mother rock; huge mass; solid formation; fixed; immovable; enduring.”

The word petros for Peter in the Greek is in the masculine gender and the word petra for the rock is in the feminine gender. Petros and petra are two distinct words in the Greek. Petros is a shifting, rolling, or insecure stone, while petra is a solid, immovable rock. In the English language the gender is not specified by the article. We say the fork, the spoon, and the knife. The three words have the same article. In the Greek, as in many of the modern languages, each noun and corresponding article is in the masculine, feminine, or neuter gender. In many cases it is an arbitrary arrangement, regardless of sex.

The article in Greek is important. If one noun is in the masculine it must have a masculine article, and if it is in the feminine it must have a feminine article. The text under consideration in the Greek shows that petros is in the masculine, and petra in the feminine, proving that they are two distinct words; and each one has a different meaning. Now the question is, on which of the two, petros or petra, did Christ establish His church? Was it on petros, a movable stone, or petra, an immovable rock? Examine the text again:

“And I tell you [to Peter], you are Peter [petros; masculine gender], and on this rock [petra; feminine gender] I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The text indicates clearly that the church of Christ is built on petra and not on Petros. Now, who is this petra or rock on which Christ built His true church? Let the Holy Bible again provide the answer. If the Bible provides the answer, we make no mistake in accepting it because the definition is authentic.

“and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock [petra] was Christ.”
(1Corinthians 10:4)

Here we have evidence that petra refers to Christ, and not to Peter, who is petros. (See more examples: Isaiah 28:16; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2Samuel 22:2-3; Psalm 118:22; Ephesians 2:20; 1Peter 2:6-7)

If Peter is the rock on which Christ was to build His church, Peter could not be overcome and the gates of Hell could not prevail against him. But the fact is that he was overcome, and the gates of Hell did prevail against him. Didn’t he deny his Lord? That happened after Christ told him that the Rock was not to be overcome. Jesus told Peter on one occasion: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:23). Peter himself gives the answer as to who the Rock is in Matthew 16:16, Acts 4:8-12, and 1Peter 2.

Paul also tells us that the petra is Christ. He says, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1Corinthians 3:11). Peter is never designated by the word petra. Thus, Peter and Paul agree that Christ is the Rock. Yet the pope claims the title for himself. Which testimony should we accept?

“Let God be true though every one were a liar.”
(Romans 3:4)

If the church was built on Peter, then Peter would have been the head of the church. However, Peter was not the head of the church in his day. No one called Peter the pope, or Father Peter, or Holy Father Peter. Rather, Jesus said, “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23:8‑11)

“Call no man your father” did not refer to an earthly parent, but to the spiritual Father. Jesus recommended our paying full respect to earthly parents when He quoted the commandment to honor our fathers and mothers (Mark 7:10).

Sometimes 1Corinthians 4:15 is used to prove that we may call spiritual leaders our fathers. Paul writes: “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” They were begotten through the Gospel and not through Paul.

Again, Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). It is through the Gospel that we are begotten, and not through Paul or any other person. It is the Gospel that is the power of GOD unto salvation, and not man.

If Jesus delegated Peter as the head of the church, why did the other disciples quarrel among themselves as to who would be the greatest (Luke 9:46)? If this decision had already been made by Christ, why should the others fret about it? The other disciples would have submitted to the wish of their Master. Thus it seems evident that no such appointment had been made by Jesus. And if Peter was the head, it would be difficult to explain the anointing of John that was evident in John 13:21-25, John 21:20-23, and the fact that John wrote the book of Revelation.

Neither Peter nor any of his successors were heads of the true church. Paul explains this when he told us that the head of every man is Christ (1Corinthians 11:3). (See also Romans 12:5; 1Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:22) We are the body; Jesus is the head. We are responsible to the head, which is Christ, and not to men who try to circumvent the work of Christ and take His place. Christ is the head of every person, and we are responsible to Him as individuals.

Conclusion:

There exists no evidence in the Bible that Peter was the Rock or a pope. Peter wrote two epistles, but he does not use the title of pope in either of them; in addition, Peter himself proclaims Jesus to be the Rock and Cornerstone. Moreover, the church in the days of the apostles did not recognize Peter as pope or the head of the church. Neither does the true church today. The pope is a nope and that is why GOD inspired Martin Luther and all the reformers. Praise GOD for the reformers and the reformation movement; otherwise, you would have to give your thanks to the pope and hope he delivers the message for you. But because of the Rock (Jesus), we now have direct access (see Hebrews 10:19-22) to GOD and can approach Him with our praises, prayers, and petitions.

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
(Ephesians 2:18-22)