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Peter and the Papacy
Catholic Answers ^

Posted on 05/01/2015 2:36:22 PM PDT by NYer

There is ample evidence in the New Testament that Peter was first in authority among the apostles. Whenever they were named, Peter headed the list (Matt. 10:1-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16, Acts 1:13); sometimes the apostles were referred to as "Peter and those who were with him" (Luke 9:32). Peter was the one who generally spoke for the apostles (Matt. 18:21, Mark 8:29, Luke 12:41, John 6:68-69), and he figured in many of the most dramatic scenes (Matt. 14:28-32, Matt. 17:24-27, Mark 10:23-28). On Pentecost it was Peter who first preached to the crowds (Acts 2:14-40), and he worked the first healing in the Church age (Acts 3:6-7). It is Peter’s faith that will strengthen his brethren (Luke 22:32) and Peter is given Christ’s flock to shepherd (John 21:17). An angel was sent to announce the resurrection to Peter (Mark 16:7), and the risen Christ first appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34). He headed the meeting that elected Matthias to replace Judas (Acts 1:13-26), and he received the first converts (Acts 2:41). He inflicted the first punishment (Acts 5:1-11), and excommunicated the first heretic (Acts 8:18-23). He led the first council in Jerusalem (Acts 15), and announced the first dogmatic decision (Acts 15:7-11). It was to Peter that the revelation came that Gentiles were to be baptized and accepted as Christians (Acts 10:46-48). 

 

Peter the Rock

Peter’s preeminent position among the apostles was symbolized at the very beginning of his relationship with Christ. At their first meeting, Christ told Simon that his name would thereafter be Peter, which translates as "Rock" (John 1:42). The startling thing was that—aside from the single time that Abraham is called a "rock" (Hebrew: Tsur; Aramaic: Kepha) in Isaiah 51:1-2—in the Old Testament only God was called a rock. The word rock was not used as a proper name in the ancient world. If you were to turn to a companion and say, "From now on your name is Asparagus," people would wonder: Why Asparagus? What is the meaning of it? What does it signify? Indeed, why call Simon the fisherman "Rock"? Christ was not given to meaningless gestures, and neither were the Jews as a whole when it came to names. Giving a new name meant that the status of the person was changed, as when Abram’s name was changed to Abraham (Gen.17:5), Jacob’s to Israel (Gen. 32:28), Eliakim’s to Joakim (2 Kgs. 23:34), or the names of the four Hebrew youths—Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan. 1:6-7). But no Jew had ever been called "Rock." The Jews would give other names taken from nature, such as Deborah ("bee," Gen. 35:8), and Rachel ("ewe," Gen. 29:16), but never "Rock." In the New Testament James and John were nicknamed Boanerges, meaning "Sons of Thunder," by Christ, but that was never regularly used in place of their original names, and it certainly was not given as a new name. But in the case of Simon-bar-Jonah, his new name Kephas (Greek: Petros) definitely replaced the old. 

 

Look at the scene

Not only was there significance in Simon being given a new and unusual name, but the place where Jesus solemnly conferred it upon Peter was also important. It happened when "Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi" (Matt. 16:13), a city that Philip the Tetrarch built and named in honor of Caesar Augustus, who had died in A.D. 14. The city lay near cascades in the Jordan River and near a gigantic wall of rock, a wall about 200 feet high and 500 feet long, which is part of the southern foothills of Mount Hermon. The city no longer exists, but its ruins are near the small Arab town of Banias; and at the base of the rock wall may be found what is left of one of the springs that fed the Jordan. It was here that Jesus pointed to Simon and said, "You are Peter" (Matt. 16:18). 

The significance of the event must have been clear to the other apostles. As devout Jews they knew at once that the location was meant to emphasize the importance of what was being done. None complained of Simon being singled out for this honor; and in the rest of the New Testament he is called by his new name, while James and John remain just James and John, not Boanerges. 

 

Promises to Peter

When he first saw Simon, "Jesus looked at him, and said, ‘So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas (which means Peter)’" (John 1:42). The word Cephas is merely the transliteration of the Aramaic Kepha into Greek. Later, after Peter and the other disciples had been with Christ for some time, they went to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter made his profession of faith: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16). Jesus told him that this truth was specially revealed to him, and then he solemnly reiterated: "And I tell you, you are Peter" (Matt. 16:18). To this was added the promise that the Church would be founded, in some way, on Peter (Matt. 16:18). 

Then two important things were told the apostle. "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19). Here Peter was singled out for the authority that provides for the forgiveness of sins and the making of disciplinary rules. Later the apostles as a whole would be given similar power [Matt.18:18], but here Peter received it in a special sense. 

Peter alone was promised something else also: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 16:19). In ancient times, keys were the hallmark of authority. A walled city might have one great gate; and that gate had one great lock, worked by one great key. To be given the key to the city—an honor that exists even today, though its import is lost—meant to be given free access to and authority over the city. The city to which Peter was given the keys was the heavenly city itself. This symbolism for authority is used elsewhere in the Bible (Is. 22:22, Rev. 1:18). 

Finally, after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" (John 21:15-17). In repentance for his threefold denial, Peter gave a threefold affirmation of love. Then Christ, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), gave Peter the authority he earlier had promised: "Feed my sheep" (John 21:17). This specifically included the other apostles, since Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me more than these?" (John 21:15), the word "these" referring to the other apostles who were present (John 21:2). Thus was completed the prediction made just before Jesus and his followers went for the last time to the Mount of Olives. 

Immediately before his denials were predicted, Peter was told, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again [after the denials], strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:31-32). It was Peter who Christ prayed would have faith that would not fail and that would be a guide for the others; and his prayer, being perfectly efficacious, was sure to be fulfilled. 

 

Who is the rock?

Now take a closer look at the key verse: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church" (Matt. 16:18). Disputes about this passage have always been related to the meaning of the term "rock." To whom, or to what, does it refer? Since Simon’s new name of Peter itself means rock, the sentence could be rewritten as: "You are Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church." The play on words seems obvious, but commentators wishing to avoid what follows from this—namely the establishment of the papacy—have suggested that the word rock could not refer to Peter but must refer to his profession of faith or to Christ. 

From the grammatical point of view, the phrase "this rock" must relate back to the closest noun. Peter’s profession of faith ("You are the Christ, the Son of the living God") is two verses earlier, while his name, a proper noun, is in the immediately preceding clause. 

As an analogy, consider this artificial sentence: "I have a car and a truck, and it is blue." Which is blue? The truck, because that is the noun closest to the pronoun "it." This is all the more clear if the reference to the car is two sentences earlier, as the reference to Peter’s profession is two sentences earlier than the term rock. 

 

Another alternative

The previous argument also settles the question of whether the word refers to Christ himself, since he is mentioned within the profession of faith. The fact that he is elsewhere, by a different metaphor, called the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20, 1 Pet. 2:4-8) does not disprove that here Peter is the foundation. Christ is naturally the principal and, since he will be returning to heaven, the invisible foundation of the Church that he will establish; but Peter is named by him as the secondary and, because he and his successors will remain on earth, the visible foundation. Peter can be a foundation only because Christ is the cornerstone. 

In fact, the New Testament contains five different metaphors for the foundation of the Church (Matt. 16:18, 1 Cor. 3:11, Eph. 2:20, 1 Pet. 2:5-6, Rev. 21:14). One cannot take a single metaphor from a single passage and use it to twist the plain meaning of other passages. Rather, one must respect and harmonize the different passages, for the Church can be described as having different foundations since the word foundation can be used in different senses. 

 

Look at the Aramaic

Opponents of the Catholic interpretation of Matthew 16:18 sometimes argue that in the Greek text the name of the apostle is Petros, while "rock" is rendered as petra. They claim that the former refers to a small stone, while the latter refers to a massive rock; so, if Peter was meant to be the massive rock, why isn’t his name Petra? 

Note that Christ did not speak to the disciples in Greek. He spoke Aramaic, the common language of Palestine at that time. In that language the word for rock is kepha, which is what Jesus called him in everyday speech (note that in John 1:42 he was told, "You will be called Cephas"). What Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 was: "You are Kepha, and upon this kepha I will build my Church." 

When Matthew’s Gospel was translated from the original Aramaic to Greek, there arose a problem which did not confront the evangelist when he first composed his account of Christ’s life. In Aramaic the word kepha has the same ending whether it refers to a rock or is used as a man’s name. In Greek, though, the word for rock, petra, is feminine in gender. The translator could use it for the second appearance of kepha in the sentence, but not for the first because it would be inappropriate to give a man a feminine name. So he put a masculine ending on it, and hence Peter became Petros. 

Furthermore, the premise of the argument against Peter being the rock is simply false. In first century Greek the words petros and petra were synonyms. They had previously possessed the meanings of "small stone" and "large rock" in some early Greek poetry, but by the first century this distinction was gone, as Protestant Bible scholars admit (see D. A. Carson’s remarks on this passage in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, [Grand Rapids: Zondervan Books]). 

Some of the effect of Christ’s play on words was lost when his statement was translated from the Aramaic into Greek, but that was the best that could be done in Greek. In English, like Aramaic, there is no problem with endings; so an English rendition could read: "You are Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church." 

Consider another point: If the rock really did refer to Christ (as some claim, based on 1 Cor. 10:4, "and the Rock was Christ" though the rock there was a literal, physical rock), why did Matthew leave the passage as it was? In the original Aramaic, and in the English which is a closer parallel to it than is the Greek, the passage is clear enough. Matthew must have realized that his readers would conclude the obvious from "Rock . . . rock." 

If he meant Christ to be understood as the rock, why didn’t he say so? Why did he take a chance and leave it up to Paul to write a clarifying text? This presumes, of course, that 1 Corinthians was written after Matthew’s Gospel; if it came first, it could not have been written to clarify it. 

The reason, of course, is that Matthew knew full well that what the sentence seemed to say was just what it really was saying. It was Simon, weak as he was, who was chosen to become the rock and thus the first link in the chain of the papacy. 


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History
KEYWORDS: catholic; kephas; keystothekingdom; petros; pope; stpeter; thepapacy; thepope; therock; vicarofchrist
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To: BipolarBob
Um, perhaps you missed my point. I can be obtuse at times. Sorry. Jesus gave the keys to Peter so Peter could open the Church Age at Pentecost. It is not necessary to open again that which the Holy Spirit administers, not Peter. The other apostles didn't need keys to the OPEN the 'narrow gate'.

The keys Peter was given were to open the 'narrow gate' accessed by the profession put in Peter's mouth by The Holy Spirit. Some want to make more of the keys than is necessary, because it is one of the foundational powers the Catholic Church (and the Mormons) have tried to claim for themselves. Nothing these 'other' imposter key holders can do will make the Holy Spirit come into the professing believer/faither. Peter opened it, and like the Rock from which water flowed in the Desert, it only need be opened once.

I believe it was the Prophet Joel who was given a vision of the state of the Saved in Christ, but it remained a mystery that The Holy PSirit would come into the believer.faither, profess er with the profession Peter uttered first before the Lord in front of others. That indwelling Holy Spirit earnest of our inheritance is what I believe makes it possible for ONLY the Saved during the Chucrh Age to be snatched away in the Rapture written of by Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles. See [ 1Thess 4: 13-17 and 1Cor 15 ]

321 posted on 05/03/2015 8:04:19 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: RaceBannon; NYer
race Each time the word ROCK is used in the Bible in reference to any providing of the people, it is used as God being the one provided. -- sorry, not quite race, and taking your own examples:

322 posted on 05/03/2015 9:39:54 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: MamaB

People believe their own interpretation of what the Bible says — hence I pointed out that there are Oneness Pentecostals who say the Trinity is a false construct. Then there are various Protestant groups who believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist (Lutherans) and those who don’t. Your post is really asking “Why don’t believe believe in my interpretation of the Bible rather than theirs?”


323 posted on 05/03/2015 9:42:33 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: MamaB

“From my research” — please could you point it out. Even the various non-Catholic folks who reject these don’t say they were false, just that they were not, in their opinion, canon


324 posted on 05/03/2015 9:44:12 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: MamaB; MHGinTN
MamaB -- that's not what anyone does

MHGinTN -- it would be good if you would argue based on reality not some fantasies about what Catholics believe in -- it's like someone arguing with you "why do you beat your wife" -- equally based on non-fact

325 posted on 05/03/2015 9:45:59 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: MamaB
and MamaB, going back to your earlier post, the books you incorrectly label as false are indeed scriptural and in the bible and have been in the Bible among the Copts, Armenians, Ethiopians, Orthodox, Catholics and Assyrians. You may not agree to that, but that’s your choice. However, they are inspiring — reading how Matthias and his sons stood up for their faith is inspiring.

Jesus quoted from the Deuterocanon: Deuterocanonical Books in the New Testament

Also, the early Christians used the Septuagint, not the Masoretic version, as it didn't exist yet.

FYI, the Books of Tobit and Sirach, along with Baruch chapter 6 were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. All are deuterocanonical.

326 posted on 05/03/2015 9:50:26 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: Elsie
well, if you have an argument about the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, take it up with the Lutherans firsT

Quoting from here

In the Sacrament, our Confessions further teach, the same Jesus who died is present in the Sacrament, ...
and here
Q. In communion, do we commune with the sacrificed body and blood of Jesus, or the resurrected body and blood of Jesus? A. The answer to your question is that we receive in, with, and under the bread and wine the true body and blood of Christ shed on the cross, Jesus Christ
Different from the Catholic belief, but still Lutherans believe in the REAL presence in the Eucharist
327 posted on 05/03/2015 9:55:30 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: Elsie

so it’s not only the Roman Catholic, but also the Lutheran and some Anglicans and Methodists and some Reformed like the Reformed Church in America, the United Church of Christ besides the Eastern Orthodox, the Coptic Church, the Armenian Church, the Syrian Church, the Assyrian Church of the East — the majority of Christendom in fact have held to this belief


328 posted on 05/03/2015 9:55:49 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: Elsie
The Lord's Supper, because of its connection with the supper which the Lord took with his disciples on the eve of his Passion and because it anticipates the wedding feast of the Lamb in the heavenly Jerusalem
1 Cor 11:20
20When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
Rev 19:9
9And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

The Breaking of Bread because Jesus used this rite, part of a Jewish meat when as master of the table he blessed and distributed the bread,
Mt 14:19
19And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Mt 15:36
36And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Mk 8:6
6And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
Mk 8:19
19When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
20And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
21And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
above all at the Last Supper
Mt 26:26
26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
1 Cor 11:24
24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
It is by this action that his disciples will recognize him after his Resurrection,
Lk 24:13-35
13And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

14And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

15And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

16But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

17And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

18And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

19And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

20And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

21But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

22Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

23And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

24And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

25Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

26Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

27And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

28And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

29But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

31And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

33And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

34Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

35And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

and it is this expression that the first Christians will use to designate their Eucharistic assemblies;
Acts 2:42
42And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers
Acts2:46
46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Acts20:7
7And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Acts 20:11
11When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed
by doing so they signified that all who eat the one broken bread, Christ, enter into communion with him and form but one body in him.
Heb 13:15
15By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
1 Pet 2:5
5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Ps 116:13
13I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
Ps 116:17
17I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.
Mal 1:11
11For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

329 posted on 05/03/2015 9:58:43 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: Elsie
It is called:

Eucharist, because it is an action of thanksgiving to God. The Greek words eucharistein
Lk 22:19

19And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1 Cor 11:24
24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
and eulogein
Mt 26:26
26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Mk 14:22
22And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
recall the Jewish blessings that proclaim - especially during a meal - God's works: creation, redemption, and sanctification
330 posted on 05/03/2015 9:59:49 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: Elsie; MamaB
20Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Mt 26:28
28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

1 Cor 11:23-26

23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

Everything connects. The hyssop that was used to give Christ the vinegar was the same herb that Israelites used to sprinkle the blood of the lamb on their doorways to mark their houses.

The complete lamb, unblemished, with no broken legs, the perfect sacrifice

331 posted on 05/03/2015 10:02:19 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: Elsie; MamaB
The "Real Presence" of Jesus in the Eucharist is rooted in Christ's own teachings.

When Jesus taught about the Eucharist, he spoke with a profound realism. At the Last Supper, he didn't say, "This is a symbol of my body." He said, "This is my body…" And when he gave his most in-depth teaching on the Eucharist, he spoke in a very realistic way — in a way that makes clear that the Eucharist is not just a symbol of Jesus, but is his flesh and blood made sacramentally present.

Let's enter into that dramatic scene, known as "The Bread of Life Discourse" in John's Gospel chapter six. Jesus had just performed his greatest miracle so far, multiplying loaves and fish to feed 5,000 people. The crowds are in awe. They declare him to be the great "prophet who is to come" and want to carry him off to make him king (John 6:14-15).

But the very next day, Jesus says something that sends his public approval ratings plummeting, something that makes those same raving fans now oppose him. Even some of his own disciples will walk away from him. What does Jesus say that was so controversial? He taught about partaking of his body and blood in the Eucharist. Jesus first says, "I am the bread of life…the true bread come down from heaven" (John 6:35). And he makes clear that he is not bread in some vague, figurative sense. He concludes, "…and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh" (John 6:51).

The people are shocked at this. They say, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (John 6:52).

The Jews listening that day don't take Jesus as speaking metaphorically, as if we are to somehow only symbolically eat of his flesh. They understand Jesus very well. They know he is speaking realistically here, and that's why they are appalled.

Now here's the key: Jesus has every opportunity to clarify his teaching. But notice how that's precisely what he doesn't do. He doesn't back up and say, "Oh wait…I'm sorry…You misunderstood. I was only speaking metaphorically here!" He doesn't soften his teaching, saying "You just need to nourish yourself on my teaching, my wisdom, my love." Jesus does just the opposite. He uses even more graphic, more intense language to drive his point home: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53). And he goes on to underscore how essential partaking of his body and blood is for our salvation.

"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him" (6:54-55).

In fact, Jesus now uses a word for "eat" that has even greater graphic intensity — trogein, which means to chew or gnaw — not a word that would be used figuratively here!

This is not the language of someone speaking metaphorically. Jesus wants to give us his very body and blood in the Eucharist. In fact, Jesus now uses a word for "eat" that has even greater graphic intensity — trogein, which means to chew or gnaw — not a word that would be used figuratively here!

So challenging is this teaching that even many of Christ's disciples are bewildered, saying "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" (John 6:60). Indeed, Christ's words on the Eucharist were too much for some of them to believe. Many of his disciples rejected Jesus over this teaching and left him (John 6:66). And Jesus let them go. He didn't chase after them, saying, "Wait! You misunderstood me." They understood quite well that Jesus was speaking about eating his flesh and blood, and they rejected this teaching. That's why Jesus let them go.

So it's clear that Jesus wants to give us his Body and Blood in the Eucharist. But we still must ask, why? In the Jewish, Biblical worldview of Jesus' day, the body is an expression of the whole person and the life is in the blood. So by giving us his Body and Blood in the Eucharist, Jesus is giving his very life to us, and he wants to unite himself to us in the most intimate way possible. He wants to fill us with his life and heal us of our wounds, strengthen us in his love change us to become more and more like him. That's the life-transforming power of the Eucharist in our lives. In Holy Communion, we have the most profound union with Our Lord Jesus Christ that we can have here on earth.

332 posted on 05/03/2015 10:04:45 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: CynicalBear
Sorry but your point "the distinction of Petros and Petra" does indicate that you haven't used a declination before -- let me give you the example of the same version in different Indo-European langauges

Especially when you remember that the original verse was in Aramaic which does not have this declination for locative from nominative -- so it was "you are Kepha and on this kepha I will build my Church"

333 posted on 05/03/2015 10:11:34 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: CynicalBear; MamaB; NYer; BipolarBob
In fact, over the past 14 years I've seen a common thread among many folks who want to frame a "gotcha" against Catholicism is that they view things exclusively through (and I'm not saying this about you guys in particular) the prism of English

You don't have to know Koine Greek (which is difficult), but knowledge of at least one other language would prevent a lot of mistakes

Case in point, this bit about declinations -- if you know only English, you don't understand this -- you may know the vestiges like who, whom, him etc. but the concept of declining the preceding noun and/or adjective to indicate a sense is alien to English thought (and that makes English a far less precise language -- the most precise one I would hold to be Sanskrit, but classical Latin comes second)

Another case is the frequent accusation that Easter is from Eostre and blah-blah, forgetting that in most European languages Easter is actually Paschal/Wiekanoc/Great Night/Pascua etc.

If one is monolingual, one won't understand it

334 posted on 05/03/2015 11:51:11 PM PDT by Cronos (ObamaÂ’s dislike of Assad is not based on AssadÂ’s brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: MHGinTN

On what day do we read that God declared that He had begotten His Son?


I take it you meant to ask what day do we read that God declared that He was well pleased with His beloved Son.

This is a scene I hold dearly in my heart, particularly from the perspective of the first disciple, Andrew.

I reflect on how fishermen along the Sea of Galilee, including Andrew and his brother Simon, along with their fishing partners James and John, had heard about a mighty preacher named John the Baptist, who was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah, that he was a voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his path.” It happened one day that a group of them went over to listen to John. John was an imposing figure. His garment was made of camel’s hair with a leather belt girded about his waist, and his diet consisted of locust and wild honey. He was preaching a baptism of repentance and baptizing his followers in the River Jordan.

He spoke of one who was to come after him, one mightier than he, that he was not fit to unfasten the straps of his sandals. John said that while he baptized with water, the one to come would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

It happened that the one to come did arrive. His name was Jesus. He was from a village in the hill country above the Sea of Galilee called Nazareth. John wanted Jesus to baptize him, but Jesus said it was necessary that He be baptized by John. So they went into the river. John lowered Jesus into the water, baptizing Him.

As Jesus came ashore, the heavens were torn open and the Spirit descended in the form of a dove and came to rest over Jesus. Then a voice was heard from the sky: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The next day, Andrew and another disciple were with John, and as Jesus walked by, John said: “Behold, the Lamb of God.” So Andrew and the other disciple went and followed Jesus. Jesus noticed them and said, “What are you looking for?” They said, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” And He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went with him and spent the day there, until about four in the afternoon. When they returned, Andrew went and found his brother Simon and said: “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed) and brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John;* you will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

So from the very beginning, Jesus named Peter the rock.


335 posted on 05/04/2015 3:15:35 AM PDT by rwa265
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To: Elsie

Outstanding description.


336 posted on 05/04/2015 3:44:03 AM PDT by Cvengr ( Adversity in life & death is inevitable; Stress is optional through faith in Christ.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
λέγει αὐτοῖς, Ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι; Mat 16:15 (15) He saithG3004 unto them,G846 ButG1161 whomG5101 sayG3004 yeG5210 that IG3165 am?G1511 G5210 ὑμείς humeis hoo-mice' Irregular plural of G4771; you (as subject of verb): - ye (yourselves), you.
337 posted on 05/04/2015 3:48:09 AM PDT by Cvengr ( Adversity in life & death is inevitable; Stress is optional through faith in Christ.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
λέγει αὐτοῖς, Ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι;

Mat 16:15

(15) He saithG3004 unto them,G846 ButG1161 whomG5101 sayG3004 yeG5210 that IG3165 am?G1511

G5210

ὑμείς humeis hoo-mice' Irregular plural of G4771; you (as subject of verb): - ye (yourselves), you.

338 posted on 05/04/2015 3:49:11 AM PDT by Cvengr ( Adversity in life & death is inevitable; Stress is optional through faith in Christ.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Matt 15:19 uses the Dative


339 posted on 05/04/2015 4:06:03 AM PDT by Cvengr ( Adversity in life & death is inevitable; Stress is optional through faith in Christ.)
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To: Cronos
well, if you have an argument about the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, take it up with the Lutherans first

The Almost Catholics?

340 posted on 05/04/2015 4:41:01 AM PDT by Elsie
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