Matthew
I will build My church
What Jesus was building was
to withstand the gate…
The entrance of Hell.
Hell…
The grave or place of departed souls.
The gates of hell,
the grave, is described as prevailing, overpowering.
Only one person escaped…
Enoch who walked with God 365 years.
Enoch walked with God;
then he was no more,
because God took him away.
Genesis 5:24
All others from Adam and Eve
were overpowered by the grave.
The wadges of Sin is death Romans 3:23
Church
Once Peter received revelation
from the Father in Heaven
that Jesus was the Messiah,
the Christ, the Son of the living God…
The reality of it is opened to him.
Not only does Peter see into heaven…
But is given heavenly responsibility.
“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 statement…
I also say to you that you are Peter.
In the Greek would read like this…
I also say to you that you are Petros…
“A piece of rock”
The next statement reads…
And upon this rock I will build My church
and upon this Petra “Mass of Rock”.
So, from the Greek,
Jesus’ statement to Peter would read…
"I also say to you that you are a piece of rock,
and upon this Massive rock I will build My church.
The foundation of the church is a Massive Rock…
Jesus Christ
And on this Massive Rock are pieces of rock like Peter.
Jesus said…
I will build My church.
From the text we see it is made of
a Massive Rock and pieces of rock…
Jesus Christ and those pieces of rock,
who have the revelation of Jesus Christ,
the Son of the Living God.
But let’s stop a moment and look at the word “Church”
2000 years after Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection....
We define the word “Church” as a building,
where people gather to learn about Jesus.
Is this what Jesus was saying when He said…
I will build My church.
We can look up the Greek word for church
and find the Greek word ekklesia…
Which means a calling out, an assembly.
The word ekklesia was not coined by Jesus.
Jesus did not come up with a new term
that we would later use to describe a building.
So, if Jesus used a word already used
in the culture of His day…
How would His disciples view the word, church?
First, we need to remember Matthew
was writing to Jewish people unlike Luke
whose gospel is focused on Gentile.
So, it would have made more since
for Jesus to have said, I will build my Temple
instead of, I will build my church.
Next, we should look at what the word ekklesia
or church, meant to the people of His day.
621 BC, years before Christ,
detailed records tell us the ekklesia was…
“The meeting of the people”.
The Athenian Ecclesia were male citizens
18 years and older and had final control over policy.
The Ecclesia had regular meeting
to set policy, enforced it,
set foreign policy, including treaties…
And issues of peace and war, as well as,
questions of secession of the throne.
They also appointed military commanders,
elected the elders and ephors.
Jesus’ choice of words…
would have been seen much differently
at the time Jesus said it, then now.
Jesus was not saying…
I will build an assembly of believers.
He was not saying…
I will build a building
and call it a church instead of a temple.
Jesus was talking of something much bigger
and something tied more to Gentiles
than Jews who would reject Him.
With this in mind…
You can see why the Jewish leaders
and Roman leaders resisted Him.
You can see why His followers thought
He would rule like King David,
a new kingdom on earth.
What Jesus was building was not to withstand
or conquer Romans, Jews or Gentiles.
to withstand the gate…
The entrance of Hell.
Hell…
The grave or place of departed souls.
The gates of hell,
the grave, is described as
prevailing, overpowering.
Only one person escaped…
Enoch who walked with God 365 years.
Enoch walked with God;
then he was no more,
because God took him away.
Genesis 5:24
All others from Adam and Eve
were overpowered by the grave.
The wadges of Sin is death
Romans 3:23
Scripture Reading
Matthew 16:13-20
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
14 "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."
15 Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."
20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
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