The Church Of Christ, Where Is It?
Matthew records that Jesus promised to build his church upon a rock. (Matt. 16:18) This suggests that as a wise builder he seriously considered the foundation upon which he was to build.
The foundation is the first consideration of every wise builder; and every builder has always considered it good policy to build upon as firm a foundation as he could find — solid bed-rock, of course, being unsurpassed. Jesus understood the code of a wise builder, and used this principle to illustrate his point in the story of the two builders as recorded in Matthew 7: 24-27. Just as every wise builder considers the foundation carefully before starting to build, Jesus being the wisest of all builders, determined to build his church upon a rock.
We know, of course, that Jesus was speaking metaphorically and did not mean a literal, material "rock." The church, being a spiritual institution, was to have a spiritual foundation; hence, in this connection, "rock" is used in a figurative sense to suggest the impregnable stability of the church's foundation.
Since this foundation is spiritual, it may not seem altogether congruent with our subject which suggests a location — "where is the church?"; but it is interesting and important to note just what rock Jesus referred to when he declared he would build upon such.
Some say that the apostle Peter was that rock, and that Jesus built his church upon Peter.
On a certain occasion Jesus said to this man, "Thou art Simon the son of Jona, thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone." (John 1:42) The Greek name Peter is a translation of the Hebrew name Cephas, which in English means a rock or stone. Christ apparently gave this name to Simon Barjona anticipating the firmness and strength of character which this impulsive fisherman was later to display. In Matthew 16:17 Jesus called Peter by his former name, Simon Barjona, but in verse 18 he used the name "Peter," the name he had given him, and then made the statement: "and upon this rock I will build my church...." Now, the question is, just what did Christ mean by "this rock?" The word "this" is used here as an adjective identifying the rock. It is a term of distinction used to specify or distinguish one thing from another, as this from that, or this instead of that. And so Christ stated, "Thou art Peter (a rock or stone) and upon this rock I will build my church." So the term "this rock" would either distinguish Peter, as the foundation rock, from all other rocks; or it would distinguish the foundation rock from Peter, the rock he had just mentioned. Which does it mean?
The scholars tell us that Christ did not use the same form of the word rock in both places. When he said, "Thou art Peter....," he used the word "petros," which means a stone or detached fragment of rock. This term was, of course, complimentary to Peter, for Christ had given him this name, and he had shown himself worthy of it by the great confession he had just made. But Jesus was certainly not going to build his church upon any human being, regardless of his nature. And even though Peter was complimented by the statement, Jesus was actually showing the contrast between Peter, a little stone or fragment of rock, and the great, massive foundation rock upon which he would build his church. Hence, when he said, "upon this rock I will build my church....," he used the word "petra" which means a massive ledge rock. Peter understood the Lord's statement, for he never once inferred, or implied to anybody else, that he was either head or foundation of the church. Peter was a prominent apostle but he was not primatal [sic]; and he certainly claimed no superiority for himself.
We also learn from Harper's Greek Lexicon that the word "this" as used in Matthew 16:18 is translated from the Greek word which is feminine in gender and could not possibly refer to Peter, who was, of course, masculine in gender. The church itself is feminine, being the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23, 24) Both the foundation and the church are feminine in gender; but Peter and "petros" are both masculine, hence it is conclusive that the church is not built upon Peter.
Then what is the "rock" referred to in Matthew 16:18? Notice the statement that Peter had just made — "Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God." This fact or statement of truth is the rock, upon which the church is built; hence, Christ said "this rock" distinguishing it from the rock he had just mentioned, which was Peter. In other words, Christ was saying to Peter, "You are a stone, or a fragment of rock; but your statement that I am the Son of God is a massive, living rock upon which I will build my church."
Since Peter was not the foundation of the church, even if he had become unfaithful and completely fallen away, the church would not have failed. But if the statement that Peter made (that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God) should be proven false, then the whole dispensation would crumble to dust; we would find ourselves victims of the worst hoax ever imposed upon mankind. Truly, if Peter had been the foundation of the church, any failure on his part would have jeopardized the whole church, for whenever a foundation fails the entire edifice resting upon it topples to destruction.
This is surely one reason why Christ did not, and could not, choose a human foundation for his church; rather he chose a divine foundation which cannot fail. The church and the salvation of mankind rest upon the divinity of Christ as the Son of the living God. If Christ is not the Son of God, he is the most fraudulent liar ever known; but if he is the Son of God, as he claimed, then he is the Savior of the world, and all his promises are true. The hope we have in him is the anchor of our souls. The commands he gave are authoritative for he has all power in heaven and on earth. We must obey him in all things.
Truly the church is founded upon his divinity as the Son of the living God. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 3.11) If one seeks to build on Peter, or on any other human being, he is not building on the true foundation — the rock of Christ's eternal divinity.