Bibles to Matthew chapter 16. Don't want to forget. All right, Matthew chapter 16, I'll read verses 13 to 20, and then we'll look at verses 13 to 18. So verse 13, when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples saying, who do men say that I the son of man am?

So they said, some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, but who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to 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 also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.' Then he commanded his disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ. From that time, Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised the third day. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, Far be it from you, Lord. This shall not happen to you.

But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan. You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. Amen. Well,

Introduction

tonight I thought we would look at this familiar passage. I have preached on it several times. I think it's an encouraging passage, not only in terms of the triumph and victory of the church, but as well to educate us on what the church is. I think there's a lot of misunderstanding relative to church and churchmanship.

And I think that if we get Jesus' instruction, it will go a long way to help us in both of those, in a proper appreciation for the church and conduct as church men in the life of God's church. Well, I

Christ's Identity: The Question

want to look first at the question concerning Christ's identity in verses 13 to 15, secondly, the confession concerning His person in verses 16 and 17, and then thirdly, the declaration concerning His church in verse 18. But notice first, with reference to the question concerning His identity, 13a tells us they're in the region of Caesarea Philippi, that's way up north, in the land of Israel, and then he asks the disciples a very pointed question. Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? In other words, what's the prevailing sort of consensus among the people concerning the identity of our Lord Jesus Christ?

We see what they respond there. They say, some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. So those who had not confessed him as the Christ nevertheless saw something different about him. They saw something interesting about him.

They saw that he perhaps was in fact a prophet along the lines of an Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. And so the prevailing consensus was that he was somebody special, but not everybody was certain as to who he was. And of course, he is the Messiah of God, he is the Anointed One, and the fact that Jesus uses that title, Son of Man, I think he uses it conscientiously in light of Daniel 7, 13 and 14. So it's an exalted title.

It's not simply to underscore his humanity, though he does assume our humanity, but it underscores his divinity as well. So then he moves from a general consensus to the disciples in particular. Notice what he says in verse 15. He said to them, but who do you say that I am?

So he asks first about those outside, and they give the response. Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But then he narrows it down to the disciple group, to those immediate ones that are following him, the apostles. So he said to them, who do you say that I am?

Now,

Peter's Confession of Christ

Simon Peter steps up under the confession concerning his person in verses 16 and 17. And oftentimes, in Matthew's Gospel, Simon Peter does function as the spokesman for the disciple group. You see that in 15.15, 16.22, 17.4, 17.24 and 25, 18.21 and 19.27. So certainly there is a priority about Peter, at least in terms of being a spokesman.

There's a priority about Peter as well on the day of Pentecost, as it is him that stands up to preach the gospel. Additionally, he is the first disciple called by Christ to follow him in Matthew 4, 18-20. He's the first named as an apostle in chapter 10, verses 2-4. There's nothing wrong to maintain some degree of priority in Peter.

When you look at the book of Acts, the spotlight in the first half of the book is conspicuously on Peter. Now, in the latter half, it's certainly on the apostle Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles, but there is a priority about Peter. Peter, James, and John were the three closest to Jesus out of the 12. Again, nothing wrong with that.

And so this idea of a priority of Peter is not a problem for a Protestant. Even if the Roman Catholic Church didn't sort of finagle this particular passage, we should not shy away from maintaining some degree of priority with reference to the Apostle Peter. Spurgeon makes this observation concerning the Roman Catholic view of potpourri. He said, if there had been no Romanists to twist this passage, it would have presented no difficulty.

I argue that it doesn't present any difficulty anyway. The fact that Jesus does what Jesus does with reference to Simon Peter is very clear in the context. It does not establish the papal office. It does not establish a succession of popes.

That is something theological or ecclesiastical read into the passage by the Roman Catholic Church. So he's the spokesman. Notice the nature of his confession. So Jesus says, who do you say that I am?

So Simon Peter answered and said,

The Meaning of "Christ"

you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Now, Christ here is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Messiah. And both terms simply mean anointed one. And anointed one in the Hebrew mind would suggest kingship, it would suggest royalty, it would suggest supremacy.

And all these things are fitting and appropriate as a title for our Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prophesied the Anointed One who would come to save His people from their sins. In fact, turn to Matthew chapter 1. In the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ, we see that specific emphasis.

Notice in chapter 1, excuse me, at verse 16. "'And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, "'of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.'" And then in verse 21, we have that familiar saying, "'And she will bring forth a son, "'and you shall call his name Jesus, "'for he will save his people from their sins.'" So there was this messianic expectation on the part of old covenant Israel. It had come to a bit of a fever pitch in the first century. Remember, there had been about a 400-year period of silence since the final prophet Malachi writes.

And so in the midst of this quiet, in the fullness of the time, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law. He assumes our humanity. He dwells among us. He engages in public ministry.

And here He specifically asks His disciples, who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter answers and says, you are the Christ. That is a wonderful statement, a wonderful confession on the part of Peter. But he goes on to say, the son of the living God.

So you are the Christ, that is the son of the living God. Now, the previous instances where Christ is called son of God in Matthew's gospel up to this point, you can turn back to chapter two. Matthew chapter 2, the application of an Old Testament prophecy applied to our Lord Jesus Christ. So in Matthew 2.15, and there was and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying, out of Egypt I called my son.

As well, in chapter 3, at the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father expresses the reality that Jesus is His Son. Notice in 3.17, And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. He's acknowledged by the devil as being the Son of God in Matthew 4, verses 1-11. That's the predicate for the particular temptations that he uses on our Lord Jesus Christ.

As well, he's recognized as the Son of God by the demoniacs in Matthew 8, specifically at verse 29. And suddenly they cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time? And then in chapter 14, he is recognized by the disciples as the Son of God.

So Matthew 14 at verse 33. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God. So when we come to this formal sort of confession, this announcement on the part of Simon Peter, it combines these terms. You are the Christ, the son of the living God, the Lord's relation to the father.

He's the son of God, not the way that we are the son of God. We are the son of God by adoption. We are the son of God by grace. The Lord Jesus is the only begotten son of God by nature.

He is one being with the father through whom all things are made. So when Peter confesses you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the fact that he's the Son of the Living God is different than the relation that we bear to the Father. Again, it's by virtue of the same assets, by virtue of the same substance, by virtue of that reality, that he is consubstantial with the Father. And interestingly, if you go back to the book of 2 Samuel 7, I think that this is a key passage to help us understand what's going on in Matthew 16.

Now in 2 Samuel chapter 7, we have what's called the Davidic Covenant. And in that Davidic covenant, you have David wanting to build a house for God. David has vanquished his enemies, David has secured the kingdom, David has enjoyed or beginning to enjoy a bit of peace from all of the mayhem and the war and the chaos that he's engaged in. So now he's in his mansion, he's dwelling in his mansion, and he's musing on the fact that Yahweh has only a tent.

And so David wants to build a house for God, a more permanent structure, move from tabernacle to temple. So basically, God says, no, it's not going to be you, it's going to be a son. It's going to be a son that comes from your loins that is going to build a house for me. God says, however, he will build a house of David, basically referring to a kingly succession, a dynasty.

So from David's seed, there will be a son of God that will build a house for God. Notice in 2 Samuel 7, 12. When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seat after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build a house for My name." Don't miss the connection in the Davidic covenant with Matthew 16.

There you have a son of God who is building the house of God. and upon this rock I will build my church." This is the fruition, the realization, the application of Davidic covenant in that Jesus, the Son of God, is building a house for God, and that house for God is the church of the Lord Christ. Notice in verse 13, "...he shall build a house for my name. I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he shall be my son.

If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of man and with the blows of the sons of man." Now that is not a reference to Jesus. From David comes Solomon. From Solomon comes Rehoboam. From Rehoboam, again, comes a succession of Davidic kings.

So as far as those men were concerned, if they commit iniquity, they will be chastened. But it will never be the case, as was the case with Saul, where the kingdom would be stripped away from Saul, never to be had again. It's going to stay in the Davidic line. It's going to find its terminus in our Lord Jesus Christ, that pinnacle of the Son of God who builds a house for God.

Notice in verse 15, "...but my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you." When you read 1 and 2 Samuel, you read 1 and 2 Kings, you will notice that, with reference to the line of David, with reference to the kings of Judah, it's not the case that they are fully extinguished. There's always that remnant, there is always that succession, that again, finds its terminus in that son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then verse 16, in your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you, your throne shall be established forever. So I think that's what's going on in terms of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the confessed Son of God, who promises to build the church, to build the house of God for His glory and for the good of His people.

But one

The Living God and the Beatitude

final note in terms of the confession of Peter. So verse 16, you are the Christ, the Son, and then he says, of the living God. That's language that is very common in the Old Testament, especially when contrasting him with dead idols. So when the Old Testament speaks of the living God, when the New Testament speaks of the living God, there's a contrast there between the true God and the dead idols of men.

Sort of like Psalms 115 and 135. When the psalmist mocks the idols of the nations. They have eyes, but they don't see. They have ears, but they don't hear.

They have mouths, but they don't talk. They have noses, but they don't smell. He is mocking them because they're dead. They're not the true and the living God.

A unique thing about our God, the real God, is that He is, in fact, living. All of the idols of man are dead. So then notice, on the heels of this confession, Jesus pronounces a beatitude upon Peter. Verse 17, Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

So there are beatitudes pronounced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 3 to 12. Beatitude simply means the pronouncement of blessedness or happiness upon a particular subject or object, rather. We see another beatitude in Matthew 13 at verse 16, and here specifically, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. Happy are you.

In other words, it's a good thing to confess that Jesus Christ is, or that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. There's happiness in that confession. There's blessedness in that confession. There's joy in that confession.

Look around at the world today. The persons that don't make that confession are not happy people. They're not blessed people. They're wicked people.

They're godless people. They're the people that have no joy. But for the people of God who have seen Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, those are the ones who are truly blessed. Those are the ones who have joy.

Those are the ones who have happiness. Now notice, in terms of this pronouncement of blessing, or this beatitude, it's not because Peter is smarter than the other disciples. It's not because Peter memorized more of the Old Testament than did the other disciples. Peter is not rewarded here for showing exemplary wisdom.

Peter, rather, is the subject of God's sovereign grace. Notice the nature of the pronouncement. Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, whether it be your father, your mother, your grandparents, your synagogue rabbi, or you in your own study. It's not owing to your diligence.

It's not owing to any other human vehicle, but rather it's owing to my Father who is in heaven. In other words, for persons to make this confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, they must know the sovereign grace of our blessed God. Turn to 1 Corinthians 12, where you see something of that in terms of this confession of the lordship of our blessed Savior. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, specifically at verse 3, Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Now there may be a cognitive approach, there may be a sort of a historical or a temporary faith wherein someone might conclude or deduce that yes, as far as the data is concerned, Jesus is the Christ, he is the son of the living God.

But the blessedness and the joyfulness is when it moves from that simple cognition to experimental or experiential faith. to a laying hold of it, to receiving it by God's grace, and that's precisely what's in view here. Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. The knowledge does not come from man. Now, it does in terms of instruction.

It does in terms of preaching and teaching and Bible study and that sort of thing. The revelation of the glory of Jesus Christ comes from the Father. Turn back to Matthew chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11.

Prior to saying, come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, Jesus underscores this reality, that it's the Father who reveals the glory of the Son. Notice in 11.25, at that time Jesus answered and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. So it's God who hides, it's God who reveals. It's God who judicially hardens, and it's God who graciously enlightens.

Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight. All things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. I think it's a wrong reading to conclude, therefore, that then that means there's no hope.

God's purpose is to save a great multitude that no man can number. When you see that intimacy in terms of relation between the Father and the Son in verse 27, and you see the necessity of the Father revealing the Son, and vice versa, Son revealing the Father, remember that they are in unison for that very purpose. God is in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. passages that underscore the absolute sovereignty of God. For whatever reason, we oftentimes conclude that that means it's hopeless for the sinner.

I would argue that it's hopeful for the sinner because God's purpose is the revelation of His Son to a multitude that no man can number. It is the foundation of God's sovereignty that is the basis for evangelistic enterprise. It is the graciousness of God and the revelation of who Jesus is that's the very fire that sets the stage for us to go and preach the gospel for sinners to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. So don't let these statements concerning divine sovereignty ever lessen the emphasis on the free offer of the gospel.

It's just the opposite. It's that sovereignty which is the basis for the verse 28 in Matthew 11. Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden. Jesus doesn't argue, well, there's only this intimacy between me and the Father and just the ones that he's going to reveal.

It's on that basis that he says, come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden. What's the implication? The Father's in the business of revealing the Son. The Son is in the business of revealing the Father.

That's the grand purpose. In the fullness of the time, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law. The whole Bible is the record of God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, that we would take sovereignty passages and then use them against evangelism or against gospel preaching is absolutely ludicrous. That's the foundation for gospel preaching.

So then

The Declaration Concerning His Church

notice the declaration concerning his church in verse 18. First, he gives more revelation to Peter. So verse 17, blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you, in addition to the revelation that you've had, that you confess that I am the Christ, the Son of the living God, I am going to give you more information, and this time, it's going to be focused primarily on my church.

I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." The Lord had previously called Simon Peter in John 1, 42, and here he explains the significance. The Lord pronounced Peter blessed, verse 17, because the Father revealed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, to him. And then, he says specifically, on this rock. Peter means rock.

Of course, the Roman Catholic Church has said, Peter is the rock, the foundation, the Pope, upon which the Church is built. We're going to look at that in just a moment, but before that, what is the Church? The Church is used three times in the Gospels. here in Matthew. Once here, and then twice in Matthew 18 at verse 17.

And I would suggest that here in chapter 16, we're dealing with what we might call the universal church. The people of God, the elect of God, through all ages, from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. The concept of universal or invisible church, the idea being is that God has his people in this world that are his church. That's the concept of universal church.

Some Baptists balk at the concept of universal church. Some Baptists struggle with that. There's some that suggest that the only church there is in the Bible is the local church. I would suggest that that's exactly the opposite as to what Jesus is doing in verse 18.

I will build my church comprehensively, universally, invisibly, every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation, every epoch, every era, every group, every time frame. He's talking about the comprehensive building of the people of God. Chapter 18, specifically in verse 17, local church. If he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.

But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. If we discipline somebody, we don't put it on Facebook. We don't tell the universal church. We tell the local church, the church that that person is a member of.

So there is an obvious distinction in chapters 16 and 18. Sameness in terms of the church as the people of God, but chapter 16, universal, comprehensive, chapter 18, particular and local. So back to chapter 16. The word church is used three times in the Gospels, once here and twice in Matthew 18.

Now the English word church is related to the Scottish and as well Dutch and German, Kirk. And it's related to a Greek word that appears twice in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 11, verse 20, and then Revelation 1, verse 10. And it's the Greek word kuryakon.

This is where we get Kirk, right? Sounds very similar. Kuryakon means that which belongs or pertains to the Lord. that which belongs or pertains to the Lord. And the two instances that it comes up is very intriguing. 1 Corinthians 11 20, the Lord's Supper.

God owns the dinner that you had tonight. God owns the breakfast that you're going to have tomorrow. but there is a supper that is specifically identifiable as pertaining to the Lord. It's the Lord's Supper. It's the sacrament of the Church in which God in His grace serves us those elements to cause us to reflect in a special way upon the broken body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The other instance is in Revelation 1.10. That which pertains or belongs especially to the Lord there is a day. Again, God owns today, which is Wednesday. He owns tomorrow, which is Thursday.

But there is a sense wherein He owns Sunday as a day that pertains especially to Him. It belongs to Him. So the kirk, or church, refers to that kuriakon. The Greek word translated church is ekklesia.

And it is common to define ekklesia from its etymology, the called-out ones. But that's not the best way to interpret ekklesia. Ekklesia corresponds to the Hebrew kahal, which means assembly, convocation, congregation. It is the people of God.

Now, with reference to the Greek term ecclesia, R.T. Frantz says it never denotes a physical structure in the New Testament, but always a community of people. The New Temple is not a building of literal stones, but consists of living stones. Now having said that, what we noticed during COVID was when we were harangued with the idea that you don't need a building in which to worship.

No, the church is the people of God, but the people of God don't like to get rained on. The people of God like to get out of the wind and the cold. So the people of God oftentimes use buildings to house their church services. So no, the church isn't a building, but the people of God who are the church like buildings because that's just the way it is in the 21st century.

So, this is kind of where we're going with reference to church. Universal, chapter 16. Local, chapter 18. And then, of course, the New Testament epistles.

Paul writes to the Corinthians. Paul writes to the Ephesians. Paul writes to the Colossians. The seven churches in Asia Minor in chapters 2 and 3.

Those are specific local churches, and the angel in those specific local churches is most likely the bishop, or the elder, or the overseer, or the pastor in that particular church. So there is this concept, universal, local. Our confession follows the same trajectory in chapter 26. Now, when we look at this statement in verse 18, and I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

The Rock: Three Interpretations

What is the foundation of the church? Well, the identification of the rock. Basically, some say the rock is the person of Peter. That's the position of the Roman Catholic Church.

They say it very clearly. The rock was Peter. Right? So Peter is the first pope.

Peter is the one upon whom the church is built, and then a succession of popes from Peter continues into our present day. The pope, according to Roman Catholic theology, is the vicar or substitute of Christ on earth. He wields power and authority in a way that is consistent if, in fact, he is the vicar of Christ on the earth. Now, there is also, in terms of Protestantism, at least two competing interpretations.

The second interpretation is the rock is Peter's confession of faith. Notice, and I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock. What's the rock? It's the confession that Peter just made, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Ryle favors this. The true meaning of the rock in this passage appears to be the truth of our Lord's messiahship and divinity, which Peter had just confessed. And then the third is similar, but a bit more sort of honed in. The rock is the Christ who Peter confessed.

So I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, the rock being that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the emphasis is on Jesus. Owen favors this. It is not the person of Peter who confessed Christ, but the person of Christ whom Peter confessed. That is the rock on which the church is built.

And when you look at other passages in the scripture, you will see that it's Jesus that is the chief cornerstone. But again, the apostles play a foundational role. Protestants should not shy away from that. God, in His infinite wisdom, sent the Son of His love.

The Son of His love chose twelve men, and those twelve men took up unique roles in the life and ministry of the church. They went out, they made disciples, they planted churches, they baptized. They were foundational in terms of the establishment of the church.

Refuting Papal Authority

Now, in terms of the Roman Catholic understanding of the rock, the R.C. teaches that Peter in his person was the rock, and that this is the justification for papal authority, i.e., he and his successors are the popes who have supreme authority over Christians on earth. And this is a quote from them, the Pope as Bishop of Rome is the successor of St. Peter and therefore the visible head of the church on earth, the vice regent of Christ and the supreme ruler of all Christians. I didn't sign up for that, did you?

The only supreme ruler I have or own or confess is the Lord Jesus, not some hippie that is just feeble and weird. I wouldn't want anything to do with him with reference to any kind of supremacy over my spiritual life. It's just ungodly to even assume that. Now, as I said, there's a priority about Peter.

There's a priority amongst the apostles that modern pastors don't possess. So again, as Protestants, we don't shy away from that. But if we ask the question, was Peter the first pope? Consider that the Apostle Peter did occupy a place of priority among the disciples.

You see it in Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 10, the various places in Matthew where he is the spokesman for the others. The Apostle Peter was not infallible. Papal infallibility doesn't mean that, you know, when they go to the store and they buy, you know, best foods mayonnaise, that was the best possible choice. Papal infallibility doesn't mean that if they, you know, say it's raining and it's not, or they say tomorrow it's going to rain.

That's not, it's when they speak ex cathedra, it's when they're in their official capacity. But even in that, Peter doesn't demonstrate that. He resists the Lord in verse 23. That's why I continued reading there.

But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan. You are an offense to me, for you're not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. If that's his first public act as the Pope, it's pretty pathetic to be called Satan. As well, he denies the Lord in Matthew 26, 69 to 75.

He is under the authority of James in the Jerusalem church, according to Acts 15, and he's rebuked by Paul in Galatians 2, 11-13. If he is the supreme ruler, he's not really good at it. The Lord Jesus was not instituting a succession of popes. If he had, after Peter's death, his successor would have exercised authority over a living apostle, even John.

The idea is that Peter died before John. So if Peter was a pope and then he gave rise to another pope, that pope would have had authority over the Apostle John, which just doesn't make sense. The position of the Roman Catholic Church is not the fruit of responsible exegesis, but an existing ecclesiology that is read into the text. You can do that with the Bible.

I'm not saying it's lawful. I'm not saying it's pleasing to God. I'm not saying that it's legit. But you can read whatever you want into the text of Scripture.

You see, that's not exegesis. Exegesis means to lead out of the passage what the Holy Spirit put in there. We don't bring our mindset and impose it upon the text of Scripture. To derive papal infallibility from a specious reading of verse 18 is a very shaky foundation to lay such a massive bomb upon the people of God.

Papal infallibility? C.H. Spurgeon said no unsophisticated reader of his Bible, I love that. You have to be really sophisticated to see potpourri in this passage.

He says no unsophisticated reader of his Bible sees any trace of potpourri in this passage. The wine of Romanism is not to be pressed out of this cluster. He's right. You've got to put it there.

It's not there. You've got to put it there in order to see it there. The

The Protestant Understanding of the Rock

Protestant understanding of the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the foundation of the Church, I've already mentioned. 1 Corinthians 3, 10 and 11, and then we've got the Lord Jesus utilize the apostles to play a key role in this foundation also. You can turn to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. Protestants shouldn't balk at the role that the apostles played.

We don't confess the infallibility of a papal sort of a leader, but at the same time, we don't minimize the fact that the apostles played a key role. Notice in 2.19, Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." And then in Revelation chapter 21, Revelation chapter 21, similar emphasis, specifically at verse 14. Now, the wall of the city had 12 foundations and on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. So again, no Protestant should have any problem with the foundational role that the apostles played in the establishment of the church.

What Protestantism defies is the notion of papal infallibility hinged upon the apostle Peter and then a succession of popes who came from him. That's what we reject, not the foundational roles of the apostles. And then two quick final thoughts on our passage.

Christ the Builder of the Church

Notice in verse 18 again, I also say to you that you're Peter and on this rock, notice the builder of the church is Jesus. I mentioned this a bit on Sunday night. There's a train of thought that says that the church is to conquer the nations. No, Jesus does that.

The church helps him. The church functions ministerially. We preach, we teach, we shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation. But the building of the church and the conquest of nations and the dashing them down with a rod of iron, that's the prerogative of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice what he says, I will build my church. There's a lot of encouragement in that small phrase. Pastors are to be faithful. Pastors are to be diligent.

Pastors are to be in earnest. The people of God are to be evangelistic. The people of God are to shine His lights in a crooked and perverse generation. But the people of God and the pastors of God need to understand that it's Christ's project and He will build His church.

And that is to encourage us, it is to give us hope. And then notice,

The Gates of Hades Shall Not Prevail

he builds it in such a way that he promises victory and triumph. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. There's two things that are taught here. First, there will be perpetual assault against the church.

The gates of Hades will not prevail, but they will try, they will continue to stand, they will continue to withstand. But notice, it's the gates of Hades. Think we get this passage exactly backwards at times. What you have is the church on the offense. and the gates of Hades defending.

You see that in Colossians 1.13. It speaks of the Father transferring us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love. So you're seeing that plundering of the strong man in this messianic age through the proclamation of the gospel, the attendant power of the Holy Spirit, the salvation of sinners. You're seeing the plunder of the strongman's house.

You're seeing sinners pulled out of that darkness, brought into marvelous light. So he says, the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. There will be that opposition. There will be that tension.

It's not the case that we're ever going to get to a point on this side of glory where there's no further competition between the godless and the godly. I mean, brethren, we're not going to see utopia. We're not going to see heaven on earth. We got to wait to the New Jerusalem to see the absolute destruction of all evil and all wretchedness.

It will be there. but it will not triumph over the church, and that is our Lord's promise. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. There is perpetual triumph on the part of the church. The apostle tells us in Ephesians 3, 20 and 21, to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations.

If there's a generation, there will be the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not to fear and have trepidation that the Muslims are going to win, that the atheists are going to win, that the communists are going to win. Now I'm suggesting they're going to fight. I'm suggesting they're going to oppose.

I'm suggesting they may win some battles here and there. They're not going to win the war because our blessed Savior has promised to build the church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I

Application

think in conclusion that this encourages the church. First, Christ owns it, not us. We are to be stewards in the house of God, to be sure. We are to function in the manner that He has called us to, but it's His house, it is His project.

As well, Christ builds the church, not man. I would suggest that's ecclesiastical good news. Now in that, I'm not saying that we don't preach, I'm not saying we don't teach, I'm not saying that we are not industrious and laborious when it comes to the exposition of God's Word. But I am suggesting that it's Christ who is ultimately the builder of His church.

As well, Christ protects the church. I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." We have his presence, we have his power, we have the spirit of the living God to protect us. As well, Christ defines proper conduct in the church, not us. In other words, we do what he calls us to do.

I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. The fact that it's his church would seem to indicate that his people should ask what his will is for conduct in his house. Not that we just irrigate to ourselves the practice to do whatever it is we choose. No, we are beholden to do exactly what He calls us to do.

And then Christ demands that His people be faithful with reference to the Church. The church is a blessed institution, it is a wonderful organism, it is a wonderful organization that God has ordained for His glory and for the proclamation of His truth, for the salvation of sinners, and for the edification and sanctification of His people. I've often thought that if we love and value and prize Jesus, we will love and value and prize His church as well. Well, let us pray.

Closing Prayer

Our gracious God and Father, we thank you for this, your word concerning the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for the sure promise that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. God, I pray that you would bless the persecuted church in particular, our brothers and sisters that suffer so much for the cause of God and truth. May you just buoy them up, may you stabilize them, may you steal their souls, and may you cause them to persevere in the midst of these hardships and trials.

Bless these ones in Myanmar, Give them the ability, the wisdom, the ingenuity, and the tenacity to get these children to safety. And God, please prepare a way for them. Go with us now. Watch over us as a local church.

Help us to glorify You. And we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well,

Questions and Answers

any questions or comments?

Scripture References

• 2 Samuel 7; 7:12; 7:13; 7:15; 7:16
• Psalms 115; 135
• Daniel 7:13-14
• Matthew 1:16; 1:21; 2:15; 3:17; 4:1-11; 4:18-20; 5:3-12; 8:29; 10:2-4; 11:25; 11:27; 11:28; 13:16; 14:33; 15:15; 16:13-20; 16:22; 16:23; 17:4; 17:24-25; 18:21; 18:17; 19:27; 26:69-75
• John 1:42
• Acts 2; 8; 10; 15
• 1 Corinthians 3:10-11; 11:20; 12:3
• Galatians 2:11-13
• Ephesians 2:19-22; 3:20-21
• Colossians 1:13
• Revelation 1:10; 2:1-3:22; 21:14