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Hoyte Nelson's Poems/ Reflections & Biblical Essays
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Essay Upon This Rock (Petra) We
first meet the man called “Peter”(Simon) in the first chapter of John. (John
1: 41) It was then that Andrew his brother brought him to Jesus. It was at this
time that he was called “Petros” by Jesus as recorded in John’s Gospel: “He (Andrew) first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him,
We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he
brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son
of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by
interpretation, a stone.” (John 1: 41,42, kjv). It is from this day onward,
Jesus called him “Petros” (a
stone). Then, almost three years later,
Jesus asked the
disciples this question: “Who do people say that the Son of man is?”(Matthew
16: 13b, (nasv) Thus, the question: “Who is Jesus Christ?
Since Jesus is about to introduce to His disciples His plan for the
building His Church, the right answer to the question is vital to our
understanding of the question before us concerning the church. When Peter,
inspired by God, said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
Then Jesus, directing his remarks to Peter said, “…and, (or “but”
(Halley’s Bible Handbook) upon this rock (Petra) I will build my church…”
(Matthew 16:18). The question for us is this, was he speaking of “Petros,”
(a stone), or was He speaking of Peter’s inspired enlightenment: “Thy art
the Christ, the son of the Living God” If Jesus had said, “Upon this
“stone” (Petros), I will build my church, that would be one thing, but He
didn’t say that. What he said was, “upon this ROCK (Petra), I will build My
Church.” “Petra” is a word used for a large mountainous rock.
Remember, Jesus Himself is called “the Rock (Petra); whereas, the
unbeliever has been called a (Petros) “a rock of offence.” (1 Peter 2: 8) We
have two choices before us: One, we can choose the person of “Peter” (Petros,
a stone) as the rock upon which Jesus has built His church, or, we can choose
the revelation, revealed to Peter by The Heavenly Father, that says: “Thy art
the Christ, the son of the Living God, and upon this ROCK (Petra), I will build
my church.” The Apostle Paul records these words, “…for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 3: 11b, kjv). Another important point of interest in the is the Keys to
the kingdom, given to Peter whereby he was to unlock the doors for the spread of
the gospel beyond the chosen people called “Israel.” Jesus said to him,
“And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever
(non- personal pronoun) thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall also be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt
loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.” (Matthew 16: 17-19, dv). I
believe that the scriptures confirmed this first command on the day of
Pentecost, and subsequently in Peter’s lifetime. (Acts chapters 8,10,11, and
15). The kingdom referenced here is the Kingdom of God established in the heart
and lives of His redeemed people. For example: Peter, on the day of Pentecost, said, “For whosoever shall call on the
name of the Lord shall be saved.” This was a promise never before understood.
To the Jew, it was blasphemy. (How could it be, we are the chosen people of
God)? [Parentheses mine] It was not until Pentecost when
“Tongues,” as the “sign,” of the spread of the gospel, was given
to them, signifying
the breaking down of the wall between the Jew and the Gentile,
that Peter begin to understand his commission. For example: It was at Joppa, and
at the home of Cornelius, that he became aware of the significance of what was
happening. (Read Acts 10 and 11) The vision he had seen there at Joppa, the sheet with
all kinds of unclean animals, represented the peoples of the world, and laid the
foundation of worldwide evangelization. This was the “key” conveyed by our
Lord to Peter following Pentecost that enabled him to say, “Whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2: 21). This was the
mystery that was revealed to the Apostle Paul in the books of Romans, Ephesians
and Colossians: As it is said, “Even
the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made
manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is
the riches of the glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles” (Colossians 1: 26, kjv).
This “mystery” that the Jew and Gentile would be ONE forever in
Christ Jesus. It was Peter who unlocked this door accepting of both the Jews and
Gentiles as one body in Christ forever. (See: Acts 2: 21; 8: 14-17, and again in
chapters 10 and 11). In today’s conflicts among
Christians, it may be some comfort to know that the Apostles also had their
times of personal conflicts. Peter, to whom God has given the “keys” that
unlocked the doors for the spread of the gospel. (Acts 10 and 11), had to deal
with his own prejudices: This is what is recorded by the Apostle Paul’s letter
to the Galatians: “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the
face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain men came from James,
he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated
himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision” (Galatians 2: 11). It is
true that most of us today have faced those same difficulties somewhere in our
background. I’m so glad that we have a forgiving God. |