New Pope's First Message? 'A Name is a Sign'

Reuters | April 14, 2005 | Tom Heneghan

[Tennessee_Bob]

Pope Bob

Thanks, but no - I put in my application, but they said that something in the background check just didn't pan out.

[AnAmericanMother]

First you say it was "the", not "this". You were unfortunately wrong, and you were called on it.

Now you say it's a "bastardized" metaphor - well, it's clearly a metaphor, because Saint Peter was not a chunk of granite at the foot of Mt. Hermon.

I think you just showed me a weasel.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Pope Eggman? Pope Walrus?

[johnb838]

"It's a practice that goes back as far as the Book of Genesis, where Abram changed his name to Abraham," said John-Peter Pham, a former Vatican diplomat and papal historian.

"Simon changed his name to Peter, which means rock," he added. "Because Christ said he was the rock on which he would build the Church."

I couldn't really keep reading after this. These men didn't change their names. God changed their names.

What's a John-Peter Pham? Sounds like a liberation-theology anti-catholic.

[johnb838]

How about Ronaldus Magnus II?

[johnb838]

John Paul George Ringo?

[hosepipe]

[ First you say it was "the", not "this". You were unfortunately wrong, and you were called on it. ]

I said it was "A" rock not "THE" rock... big difference..
I said Nothing about "THIS" anything..
We might be on the same page here..

[johnb838]

He was out all night with the Grand Marquis...

[johnb838]

his funeral was also on the day of an eclipse.

What eclipse? I didn't hear about any eclipse.

[netmilsmom]

I thought GPZ meant how did you translate that Greek so fast!!

[johnb838]

Didyou ever realize that Maxwells silver Hammer was about the death of the pope? Theeeenk about it, man.

Bang Bang Maxwells silver hammer came down on his head,
Bang Bang Maxwells silver hammer MADE SURE HE WAS DEAD

See??????

[AnAmericanMother]

My apologies. Of course you said "a". In this passage, it's neither "the" NOR "a".

There IS no "a" (indefinite article) in Greek. If the speaker means "a", he uses no article at all (you can't tell the difference in Greek between "rock" and "a rock"; they are the same).

In this passage, Christ doesn't say "the" -- he says "this very" - the word tauth -transliterated taute - you may recognize it from our word tautology. It means "the same". It's intensified with the demonstrative pronoun th , so it's not just "this rock" - it's "this very same rock right here". Don't see how he could be much more emphatic than that. It just isn't possible that he meant "a" rock.

[SolomoninSouthDakota]

Perhaps it WILL be Cardinal Ratzinger and he will choose the name Josephus. I read from a good source (I am sure it was a Saint such as Catherine) that toward the final days on earth there would be a great renewal in devotion to St. Joseph.

[AnAmericanMother]

Greek 101-102 followed up with a little Thucydides and Homer will do that to you . . . < g >

Seriously, greekbible.com is a wonderful resource with a built-in lexicon (I check it against Liddell & Scott though). I had two years of Classical and Homeric Greek in college, and I continue to read it for fun. Although I do read a lot of koine (New Testament-era) Greek now, I never studied it in school.

Besides, you know the "this rock" - "a rock" (or sometimes "a pebble") argument just comes up ALL the time . . . < g >

[chindog]

Pope Peal...
But wait... There's more... for only $19.95...

[Alouette]

John Paul George Ringo

[LauraJean]

Yes, I like that name.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Was that you that I was talking that over shortly before the Pope died? Someone had mentioned the ceremony for the Pope's death included tapping him on the head with a silver hammer...

[hosepipe]

[ In this passage, Christ doesn't say "the" -- he says "this very" - the word tauth -transliterated taute - you may recognize it from our word tautology. It means "the same". It's intensified with the demonstrative pronoun th , so it's not just "this rock" - it's "this very same rock right here". Don't see how he could be much more emphatic than that. It just isn't possible that he meant "a" rock. ]

Not at all if you "get" the metaphor.. If you do not get it, the metaphor can mean a number of things.. Thats usually why a metaphore IS used, to make a partivular point.. Not to forget he was talking about a meeting place made of many rocks.. while he was saying the very metaphor to THAT rock..