God had commissioned John the Baptist to baptize the Jews with water. John did not know who “the Christ” (the Messiah or anointed one) was, but God had told him that the Messiah would be the man whom John baptized, who came out of the water with the Holy Spirit descending and remaining on him. “I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit’” (John 1:33).
Matthew 3 records the actual baptism of Jesus. “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). John saw and confirmed this in John 1:34, “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” The following day, John saw Jesus as he was walking and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
PETER – A SMALL STONE
Two of John’s disciples heard John’s declaration and started following Jesus. One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He was the first of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Andrew found Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ” (John 1:41). Andrew then brought Simon to Jesus. John 1:42 says, “And when Jesus saw him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, a stone).”
Cephas (kephas) is Aramaic for “stone” (Strong’s G2786). Simon Peter is called Cephas six times in the New Testament. The Greek word “Πέτρος” (the transliteration is Petros – Strong’s G4074) is translated into English as Peter. Both Aramaic and Greek words (surnames for Simon) mean a small stone or rock. Mark 3:16 also says Jesus surnamed Peter. “And Simon he surnamed Peter.”
“The dual naming of Peter as both Κηφᾶς (Kephas) and Πέτρος (Petros) reflects the cultural and linguistic context of the early church, which was situated at the crossroads of Aramaic and Greek-speaking worlds. This duality also emphasizes the universality of Peter’s mission and the church’s outreach to both Jewish and Gentile audiences.” {1}
JESUS – A LARGE ROCK
In Matthew 16:13, Jesus asked his disciples, saying, “Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?” “And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:14-16).
“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this, the rock, I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And 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. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ” (Matthew 16:17-20).
In spite of what the Roman Catholic Church believes, Jesus was not declaring that He would build His Church (ekklésia) upon Peter, but upon Peter’s divinely inspired statement that “Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter is not the “rock” upon which Jesus’ church will be built. Jesus is the rock that His church will be built upon. The Greek word for “rock” in Mathew 16:18 is “πέτρα” (the transliteration is petra – Strong’s G4073) and means a rock, a large stone, or a cliff. Peter, or “Petros,” is a small rock or stone. You could say Peter was a “chip off the old block,” but he wasn’t “the Rock” that Jesus built His church upon.
Incidentally, the English word “church” is translated from the Greek word “ἐκκλησία” (Strong’s G1577 – ekklēsia). The isopsephy of this Greek word is 294, or (7 + 7) x (7 + 7 + 7). The exact (English) word “church” is mentioned 77 times in the KJV New Testament Bible.
THE JEWISH HISTORY OF “THE ROCK”
Moses was the first one to call God (Jesus) “the Rock.” Before Moses’ death, he composed a song for the children of Israel about the LORD. “I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Four more times in Deuteronomy 32 God is called the Rock (with a capital R in the KJV, indicating divinity). In verse 15, Moses said that Israel “forsook God, which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” The Rock of God’s salvation is Jesus.
The only other verse that has “Rock” capitalized (besides the verses in Deuteronomy) in the KJV Old Testament is in 2 Samuel 23:3, “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” The only time the English word Rock is capitalized in the KJV New Testament is in 1 Corinthians 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” So, there are seven verses in the KJV Bible that mention the capitalized “Rock,” indicating divinity.
In 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Hannah, Samuel’s mother, prayed to the LORD, giving thanks to Him for opening her womb and giving her a son. It turned out to be a pretty remarkable prophecy, as well as a prayer. Here is part of it: “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoices in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:1-2). In this verse, the word “rock” is a translation of the Hebrew word צוּר (the transliteration is ṣûr) and has a gematria of 296 (or 8 x 37).
There are basically two words in the Hebrew Tanakh for “rock.” The first one is the one we just mentioned, צוּר (or ṣûr). It is listed as Strong’s H6697. It is mentioned 78 times in the Tanakh. 64 times it is translated as “rock.” When the English word “rock” refers to God, it is usually translated from the Hebrew word ṣûr. The other Hebrew word for “rock” is סֶלַע (the transliteration is sela). It is listed as Strong’s H5553. It is mentioned 60 times in the Bible. 57 times it is translated as “rock.” Sela is never capitalized in the KJV. Most of the time, the word ‘sela’ refers to a normal rock. However, there are five times that the word is used to compare the LORD to a rock (2 Samuel 22:2, Psalm 18:2, 31:3, 42:9, 71:3).
David was next in the Tanakh to speak about God as a “ṣûr” or “tsur”(rock). He mentioned this word 5 times in 2 Samuel 22-23. Let’s look at a few of them: “The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence” (2 Samuel 22:3). “The LORD (Yahweh) lives; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. (2 Samuel 22:47). The two Hebrew words, צ֥וּר (ṣûr) and יִ,שְׁעִֽי (yiš·‘î), are translated into English as “rock” and “my salvation.” They have a gematria of 686, or (7 + 7) x (7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7). The words “rock” and “salvation” occur (in the same verse) in 11 verses in the Old Testament (7 times in the Psalms).
David (and other authors of the Psalms) used the Hebrew word צוּר (or ṣûr) 26 times in the book of Psalms, much more than any other O.T. book. Interestingly, the gematria of Yahweh (or LORD) is 26. In the Psalms, “ṣûr” nearly always refers to God. Out of the 26 mentions of this Hebrew word in Psalms, 19 times it is translated as “rock,” 5 times as “strength” (or strong), 1 time as “beauty,” and once as “edge” (or sharp).
Here are a few examples: “Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit” (Psalm 28:1). “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (Psalm 73:26). “ And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer” (Psalm 78:35).
Interestingly, the two Hebrew words for “rock” are both used in Psalm 18:2. “Sela” is used first, and the KJV translates it as “rock.” “Sur” is used next, and the KJV translates it as “strength.” “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower”(Psalm 18:2). In this verse, Yahweh is called by eight names, “my rock” (H5553), “my fortress, “my deliverer,” “my God,” “my strength” (H6697), “my buckler,” “horn of my salvation,” and “my stronghold.”
THE STONE CUT WITHOUT HANDS
In Daniel 2, Daniel is brought before King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to interpret his dream. God revealed the dream to Daniel, who then revealed it to Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel told the king that he had dreamed about a massive image standing before him. This image had a head of fine gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet and toes partly of iron and partly of clay (verses 31-33). Then a great stone of supernatural origin—one “cut out without hands” (verse 34)—struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, whereupon the image was broken in pieces and blown away like chaff! The stone became a huge mountain that “filled the whole earth” (verse 35).
Daniel explained to the king that the statue represented four successive kingdoms beginning with Babylon, while the stone and mountain signified a king and kingdom established by God, which would never be destroyed nor given to another people. The stone that smashes the image into little pieces is Jesus Christ, the righteous King of the Earth (Revelation 11:15; 17:14). The mountain is the Kingdom of God that will stand forever. Jesus’ millennial kingdom is the start of this eternal kingdom.
THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE HEAD OF THE CORNER
It is interesting to note that Jesus referred to Himself as a stone that had been “rejected” by men, becoming “the chief cornerstone.” “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” (Matthew 21:42 and Mark 12:10-11). Jesus was quoting the author of Psalm 118:22-23 (probably David) almost verbatim. The “builders” that rejected the “cornerstone” are the unbelieving Jews.
“A cornerstone (the foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.” {2}
Jesus then said, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him” (Matthew 21:43-44). The Kingdom of God will be taken from the unbelieving Jews and will be given to a people who believe In Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Once again “the stone” refers to Jesus.
These words regarding “the chief cornerstone” are some of the most quoted in the Bible. It is first mentioned by the author of Psalm 118. “I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (Psalm 118:21-22).
Besides Psalm 118:22 and Matthew 21:42, other scriptures that mention a “cornerstone”(referring to Christ) are Isaiah 28:16, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, Romans 9:33, and 1 Peter 2:6-7. Peter explained this metaphor very well. “The Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded” (1 Peter 2:3-6).
A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE
Jesus is also called “a stone of stumbling” and a “rock of offence (or offense)” to those who stumble at the word that declares who Jesus is, and what He has done.
“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:7-10).
Isaiah was the first to speak of “a stone of stumbling” and “a rock of offence,” so Peter was actually quoting both David and Isaiah. Isaiah said, “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the LORD, that hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion” (Isaiah 8:13-18).
“The New Testament writers included approximately 250 express Old Testament quotations, and if one includes indirect or partial quotations, the number jumps to more than 1,000.” {3} An accurate and popular saying regarding both testaments of the Bible is, “The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed; the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.”
THE ROCK IN THE WILDERNESS
In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul gives a short history lesson of the Jewish people during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. He also explains who exactly is “the Rock” that Jesus spoke of in Matthew. “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness” (1 Corinthians 10:1-5).
The “cloud our fathers were under” that Paul spoke of refers to the Holy Spirit. “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people” (Exodus 13:21-22). The spiritual Rock that followed them was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, aka the Angel (or Messenger) of the LORD. “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them” (Exodus 14:19).
Immediately after verse 19, the remaining verses in Exodus 14 describe the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptian army by the Angel of the LORD. He is called the LORD, a man of war, in Exodus 15:3. See A Man of War: The Lord is His Name :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready. The Hebrew people passed safely through the sea, just as 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 says. The children of Israel were “baptized” unto Moses in the Red Sea (under the water) and spiritually (under the cloud) by the Holy Spirit and the Angel of the LORD. This is a typology of Jesus being baptized in the Jordan River by John and spiritually by the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in John 1:31-34.
Chapter 16 in Exodus describes the food (quail and manna) that the LORD supernaturally supplied to the children of Israel during their 40 years in the wilderness. Exodus 16 is the first time we see the (translated) words “manna” (bread from heaven) and “sabbath” in the Bible. “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat (Exodus 16:15).
“And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none” (Exodus 16:23,26).
The first time the translated English word “rock” is mentioned is in Exodus 17. The children of Israel had journeyed from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim, and there was no water to drink. The people complained and murmured against Moses until he asked the LORD what to do. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smote the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel” (Exodus 17:5-6).
Notice the LORD (the Angel of the LORD) was standing on the rock that Moses struck with the same rod that he had struck the Red Sea with. The Rock brought water from the rock to sustain the children of Israel. The LORD (the Rock) supernaturally supplied drinking water and food to the Hebrews throughout their 40 years in the wilderness.
A SMALL STONE IS NOT A LARGE ROCK OR FORTRESS
It is clear from 1 Corinthians 10:4 and the other scriptures I have mentioned that Jesus was not referring to Peter as “the rock that I will build my church upon,” as recorded in Matthew 16:18. It is evident that Jesus was referring to Himself as the rock that the church would be built on. The truth of Peter’s words, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” is the reason that Jesus is the rock upon which the church is built upon. Jesus Christ is also the chief “cornerstone” that the builders (the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles) refused. Whoever falls on this stone/rock will be entirely broken.
Jesus is also the stone that will break into pieces the last Gentile world empire (as mentioned in Daniel 2:34). Many Bible scholars believe the sanctuary that God provides for the Jews after the “in the midst” abomination of desolation event of Daniel’s 70th week (the seven-year Tribulation) will be in Petra, Jordan. “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (Revelation 12:6).
Many Catholics like to claim that Peter was the first Pope of the early Church. “There was no one like a ‘pope’ in the first two centuries in Rome, but eventually, by the fourth century, the head bishop in Rome began to take on a much greater authority, especially over churches in the West. They even began to claim to have primacy over all of the churches. It was not until the fifth century that there was anything remotely like a pope in Rome.
Some say that Leo was the first true pope. His reign was from AD 440 to 461. Who the first “pope” was is debatable, but one thing we can say with absolute confidence is that Peter was not the first pope, as there was no pope for the first 300 + years of the church in Rome. Also, historical evidence from the earliest of the church historians does not support the claim that Peter was even the first bishop of Rome, although he did spend time there and was very likely martyred in Rome.
The conclusion regarding Peter is that he indeed was not the founder of the church in Rome, he certainly was not a pope, and therefore obviously was not the first pope. However, it is possible that he was at one time one of the bishops (elders) in Rome. The evidence is not conclusive on this. Although he may have been one of the elders/bishops in Rome, there is no evidence that he was ever the head bishop there. Claims to the contrary are made only to support the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and are not based on evidence.” {4}
Also, see Was Peter ever in Rome? | GotQuestions.org for more information on this subject.
Yes, Jesus Christ is the Rock of Ages. He was even “the Rock” ages before He had the name Jesus. The song ‘Rock of Ages’ is a hymn written by Augustus M. Toplady in 1775. The lyrics of the song express the speaker’s dependence on Jesus as the rock of God’s salvation and his confidence in His protection.
LYRICS TO ROCK OF AGES
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
- Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone. - Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die. - While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord” (Psalm 27:5-6). Psalm 27 KJV – The LORD is my light and my salvation; – Bible Gateway.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Randy Nettles
Endnotes:
{1} Strong’s Greek: 2786. Κηφᾶς (Képhas) — Cephas
{3} Old Testament Passages Referred to or Quoted in the New Testament