It can’t be a surprise this one was coming considering the name of this site. This passage is often called Peter’s confession of faith and has been an anchor for many branches of Christianity even though they interpret it differently. It seems to me that each interpretation is based on a slightly different aspect of the passage. I’m going to show you another view of this passage that I believe is the main point Jesus was trying to teach His disciples based on elements most people don’t notice.
Read Matthew 16:13-28, Mark 8:27-38, and Luke 9:18-27
Other Interpretations
- Some take this to mean the rock is Peter which makes him the first Pope.
- Some say the rock is Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Messiah.
Both these interpretations are at least partially true.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,..
Matthew 16:13
Jesus starts a conversation with His disciples and it is as part of this conversation in verse 16 that Peter makes his declaration. Jesus then responds by calling Peter “Rocky” and declaring on this rock He will build His Church. So Peter, and the other disciples are in a sense part of the foundation of the Church.
Other denominations that the declaration itself; the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, as the foundation of the church. In a way, this takes the first interpretation one step further than saying Peter or the Apostles, and instead expands it to be everyone who believes that Jesus is Son of God. Either way I would agree – without believing that Jesus is the Son of God there is no way you can be part of the Church.
But both of these ideas are missing something.
The Background
City Gates
First part of the history lesson is city gates.
This is the Frontinus Gate, the monumental entrance to the Roman city flanked by two round towers, dating to 84 or 86 AD on the basis of a dedication to Domitian on the gate’s facade, Hierapolis, Turkey.
Or this is the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem.
As you can see from the pictures, a city gate was a massive fortified structure intended primarily for the defense of the city. Over time they came to be used for other purposes as well, especially as the need to defend every city dropped. See Wikipedia or That the World May Know to learn a bit more.
Disciple Etiquette
One of these days I will do a write up of just how much of a commitment it was to be a disciple. For this discussion though I just want to make two points clear:
- A disciple always followed close behind his rabbi. You never knew where the rabbi was going so you couldn’t walk in front of him. You also wanted to hear in case He said something so you never fell behind.
- The oldest disciple was the spokesman of the group. In some ways they were almost a liaison between the teacher and the rest of the disciples. If there was ever something to be done or said it was up to the oldest to do or say it first. Among Jesus’s disciples Peter was the oldest.
Hades / Hell and the worship of Pan at Caesarea Philippi
The underworld. While known by different names it is consistently the place of the dead and often watery. In a Christian / Jewish view especially, it is often symbolic of the home of evil. In many ancient fertility religions it was also the home of the god for part of the year. Pan was one of these fertility gods who spent the winter in a watery underworld. They believed in spring he would come back up and, due to his actions, the rains would come, the crops would flourish, and animals and people would have babies. Now they didn’t believe that teleporting was a skill the god had so he needed a path to come and go from Hades. Many ancient religions placed these entrances, or gates, where water came up from the ground.
At Caesarea Philippi there just happened to be a large stream that came up and flowed out of the base of the mountain. The people of the region decided that not only was this a good place for a temple, but that it was a suitable place to be the headquarters for the worship of the god Pan. And right there as part of the temple, was the gate to Hades.
The Bible
Did Jesus go to the Pan temple?
I can’t prove to you how close He actually brought the disciples. The Jews believed the place was so evil that no good Jew would ever get close, so many people think Jesus stayed well clear of the temple. I believe He brought them to a point where they could see the temple and the people there could hear Him if he yelled. All the Bible says is He went to the area. Regardless of how close they actually got, they were close enough that every one of those disciples was well aware of the presence of that pagan temple.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi..
Matthew 16:13
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi..
Mark 8:27
The Confession of Faith
Jesus has a discussion with His disciples in which he asks them who people say He is. They brainstorm and come up with a few answers. Then Jesus asks who they say He is. I picture them huddling up and discussing it before shoving their spokesman out to give the answer. As they only have one answer and the oldest disciple always answers first it is very logical that Peter is the one to actually answer Jesus! His answer though is very unusual when you look at it closely.
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16
Normally a Jew would simply say “the Son of God” without specifying the “living God”. Why? I believe it is because of their proximity to the temple of Pan! To paraphrase: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the true God. Not this fake garbage.”
Skipping Ahead
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things… he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Mark 8:31-33
This is a difficult passage to explain, especially quickly. I very much doubt Jesus called Peter or any of His disciples there ‘Satan’ – that is just not the type of thing any rabbi would do. This is the explanation I heard that makes the most sense: Jesus is telling the disciples about all the suffering He is about to go through and His heart is breaking. How could anyone not be full of emotion knowing what was to come? So Satan stirs in Peter causing Peter to try to stop Jesus from going to his battle at the cross. Jesus in His emotive state yells at Satan “Get behind me!”, then “Now Peter, let me talk to you. You do not have in mind the things of God..”.
I can’t say for sure that’s how it went but it seems to fit.
The Conversation Grows
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Mark 8:34-37
What crowd is there that Jesus could call to? There likely isn’t another Jew there for miles. Maybe a crowd from the towns of the area gathered to listen. The Greek words translated as “called / said” means to call / summon to oneself or to bid / command. If He is calling a crowd to Him, they must not be right with Him so it is highly unlikely He is addressing people already gathered to hear His teaching. The more likely possibility is that maybe there was a crowd down at the temple. It is even possible there was an annual festival for Pan going on at that time with thousands of people down at the temple actively debasing themselves!
Ashamed of the Teacher
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.
Mark 8:38
Have you ever had a friend or maybe a parent you were with do something you found totally embarrassing? We all have. Have you ever been embarrassed of a stranger that you have nothing in common with? We might think they are crazy or feel sorry for them but that is just not someone we would feel ashamed of.
I picture Jesus finishing addressing the pagans and turning back to His disciples to see their faces filled with shame and embarrassment. They may have even been afraid the crowd may get angry at Jesus’s words and try to kill them! In their shoes (ok, sandals) I would probably feel the same way! Anyway, Jesus turns back to His disciples and tells them not to be ashamed of Him and His word. They are supposed to be confidant in sharing God’s word with those who do not believe.
This brings me back to Matthew 16:18 and the rock.
What Rock?
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Matthew 16:18
Yes Peter and the other apostles are rocks that the Church is built on as is the fact of Jesus being the Son of the living God, but have you noticed the other rock and it’s lesson yet?
Look what the Bible says: “..and on this rock I will build my church,..” as Jesus is saying that I see Him pointing to the temple of Pan with it’s gate to the underworld, “..and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”. Now remember those city gates way at the beginning of the article? In a battle what are they for? Defending. He is telling His disciples that they are not to be ashamed and to go on the attack. And when they do that; not simply in their own power but with the power and guidance of God, the gates of Hell itself will crumble.
I believe that it is on this rock, the ruins of Hell itself, that He will build His Church!
He is not calling us merely to sit in our churches and Christian schools and try to shelter our kids and ourselves from the devil. We are not called to draw unbelievers to come to our church so the pastor can preach a convincing message of conversion to them. We are called to bring the message to those who don’t believe at the place they are at.
In our western culture it’s probably not standing on a milk box at a street corner preaching at everyone who passes by. Maybe it’s helping someone who is struggling financially or babysitting so some young parents can have an evening out. Maybe it’s mentoring a teen who is missing a mother or father or maybe it’s a senior who is all alone. Regardless of who you are, God has called you to bring the good news to others in some form. If we obey and are not ashamed, then stone by stone the gates of Hell will come down.
God bless.
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