圣经问答
Is Peter the rock upon which the Church is built?
Peter is the confessed rock on whom Jesus builds His church, given the keys of the kingdom and authority to bind and loose.
回答
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus declares, 'thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.' The name Peter (Petros) is the masculine form of the word 'rock' (petra), indicating that Peter himself is the rock on which Jesus builds His church. This is reinforced by Peter's just-given confession: 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Matthew 16:16), which Jesus identifies as a revelation from the Father (Matthew 16:17).
In verse 19 Jesus continues, 'I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' The keys symbolize authority over the kingdom, paralleling the steward role given to Eliakim in Isaiah 22. The binding and loosing refers to authoritative teaching and disciplinary decisions in the church.
Yet the passage also shows Peter's limitation. Moments later, when Peter rebukes Jesus' prediction of suffering and death, Jesus says, 'Get thee behind me, Satan' (Matthew 16:23). Peter is the rock of confession, but remains a fallible disciple who must deny himself and take up his cross (Matthew 16:24). The church is built on Peter's faith-confession and apostolic role, not on his personal sinlessness.
背景
The confession at Caesarea Philippi is the turning point of Matthew's Gospel. After confronting the Pharisees and Sadducees over the sign of Jonah (Matthew 16:1-4) and warning against their teaching (16:5-12), Jesus leads the disciples to Caesarea Philippi, a region associated with pagan worship. There He asks who people say the Son of Man is, and Peter confesses Jesus as 'the Christ, the Son of the living God' (16:13-16). Jesus blesses Peter, renames him rock, promises to build His church, and gives the keys of the kingdom (16:17-19).
Immediately after, Jesus begins to teach that He must suffer, die, and rise again (16:21). Peter's objection to the cross leads to the sharpest rebuke in the Gospels: 'Get thee behind me, Satan' (16:23). Jesus then calls the disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him (16:24-28). The rock-confession and the call to suffering discipleship belong together; the church is built on Christ confessed, not on worldly triumph.
相关经文
- Matthew 16:18 The naming of Peter as 'rock' parallels the renaming of Abram to Abraham (Genesis 17:5) and Simon to Israel (Genesis 32:28), marking a covenantal role. The church is built on the rock-confession of Christ, with Peter as its first apostolic witness.
常见问题
Does this passage mean Peter is infallible or the Pope?
The text gives Peter a foundational role and authority over the kingdom's keys, but it does not describe infallibility. Peter himself is rebuked as 'Satan' moments later (Matthew 16:23). Catholic tradition reads this passage as the basis for papal succession, while Protestant tradition often reads the rock as Peter's confession of Christ or Christ Himself.
What does 'bind and loose' mean?
In Jewish context, binding and loosing referred to authoritative teaching—declaring what was forbidden or permitted—and to disciplinary decisions in the community. Jesus grants this teaching authority to Peter (and later to all the apostles, Matthew 18:18).
Why is Peter called 'rock' right after being called 'Bar-jonah'?
Jesus first identifies Peter's natural origin ('son of Jonah') to stress that the confession comes from the heavenly Father, not flesh and blood (Matthew 16:17). Then He renames Peter as rock, indicating that through divine revelation, Simon becomes the apostolic foundation. The contrast highlights that the rock-role is a gift of grace, not a natural achievement.