- Dec 25, 2009
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I was baptized into the Catholic Church (hereafter referred to as the RCC) as an infant. I attended Catholic schools from 1st grade through high school. I attended Mass every week. I was even an altar boy. But about six years ago, at the ripe old age of 50, I determined that the RCC was NOT what it claimed to be and that, in fact, it teaches many heresies.
It wasn't for one reason but, rather, many. But for brevity purposes in my opening post, I will focus on one of those reasons in this post and then will add more as I go.
Before I do, however, please understand that I am NOT attacking Catholics, of whom many are very Godly people, my late father being one of them.
It became clear to me that Jesus's "church" here on Earth wasn't an institution or an organization but, rather, his body of believers, which includes many faithful Christians of many denominations. Why do I believe this?
Jesus told Peter that he was a rock and that on "this" rock, which was/is him (Jesus/God), he would build his church.
Matthew 16:18 YLT (Young's Literal Translation)
And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;
The King Jame's Version (KJV) says it slightly differently:
Matthew 16:18 KJV
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
One can argue that the KJV is the "better" translation (it's not) and say that Peter IS the "rock". However, in scripture, God & Jesus are referred to as the rock many times, as well as a "foundation" and a "cornerstone". Let me share them with you below.
1 Samuel 2:2 ESV
“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
2 Samuel 22:2
He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
Psalm 62:6 ESV
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
Psalm 144:1 ESV
Of David. Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 ESV
For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
Psalm 18:46 ESV
The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—
Matthew 7:24-25 ESV
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Psalm 19:14 ESV
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
1 Peter 2:7-9 ESV
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Isaiah 26:4 ESV
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Psalm 18:1-2 ESV
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
1 Corinthians 3:11-16 ESV
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
Isaiah 51:1 ESV
“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Psalm 61:1-3 ESV
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
Acts 4:11-13 ESV
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
(Note: It's interesting to me that the verse in Acts 4:11-13 refers to Jesus as a "stone" rather than a rock).
1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
I have concluded that Peter was a rock, as were Paul, John, Matthew, etc., but Peter was not the rock. The rock was, is, and always will be God.
It wasn't for one reason but, rather, many. But for brevity purposes in my opening post, I will focus on one of those reasons in this post and then will add more as I go.
Before I do, however, please understand that I am NOT attacking Catholics, of whom many are very Godly people, my late father being one of them.
It became clear to me that Jesus's "church" here on Earth wasn't an institution or an organization but, rather, his body of believers, which includes many faithful Christians of many denominations. Why do I believe this?
Jesus told Peter that he was a rock and that on "this" rock, which was/is him (Jesus/God), he would build his church.
Matthew 16:18 YLT (Young's Literal Translation)
And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;
The King Jame's Version (KJV) says it slightly differently:
Matthew 16:18 KJV
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
One can argue that the KJV is the "better" translation (it's not) and say that Peter IS the "rock". However, in scripture, God & Jesus are referred to as the rock many times, as well as a "foundation" and a "cornerstone". Let me share them with you below.
1 Samuel 2:2 ESV
“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
2 Samuel 22:2
He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
Psalm 62:6 ESV
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
Psalm 144:1 ESV
Of David. Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 ESV
For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
Psalm 18:46 ESV
The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—
Matthew 7:24-25 ESV
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Psalm 19:14 ESV
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
1 Peter 2:7-9 ESV
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Isaiah 26:4 ESV
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Psalm 18:1-2 ESV
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
1 Corinthians 3:11-16 ESV
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
Isaiah 51:1 ESV
“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Psalm 61:1-3 ESV
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
Acts 4:11-13 ESV
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
(Note: It's interesting to me that the verse in Acts 4:11-13 refers to Jesus as a "stone" rather than a rock).
1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
I have concluded that Peter was a rock, as were Paul, John, Matthew, etc., but Peter was not the rock. The rock was, is, and always will be God.
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