Petra Versus Petros

Nothing has caused so much division and confusion than these words by Jesus Christ. It has been twisted so as to create a “religion” that is far from what Christ’s teachings were! The Apostle Paul taught clearly that Jesus is the head of the body, the Church!

Colossians 1:17-18 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (18) And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

This clearly teaches us that Peter is not the head of the Church, as the Catholic church teaches. It is Christ who is the Head. It is Christ who is the Rock on which the Church is built. He is the only Rock.

Deuteronomy 32:4  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Deuteronomy 32:15  But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

Who is the “the Rock of his salvation”? Acts 4:11-12  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  (12)  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Deuteronomy 32:18  Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

Deuteronomy 32:30  How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?

Deuteronomy 32:31  For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

2 Samuel 23:3  The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

1 Corinthians 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

So applying this to the graphic above, one can see how these verses were twisted. Christ would not contradict the Scriptures for they are perfect! Jesus is revealed in all the books contained in the Bible! The entire Bible is all about Jesus so why would Jesus bring Peter into the mix and say Peter is the rock?

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Jesus stated that God the Father had revealed this truth to Peter in verse 18. The Greek word for Peter is petros. In my research, I learned that this word is a masculine noun that means:

A detached stone, a stone that might be thrown or easily moved” (Zodhiates, S., The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, AMG Publishers, 1992, p. 1,154).

The Greek word for rock in the phrase “upon this rock,” is petra, not petros. Petra is a feminine noun that means a mass of rock or a cliff, which is bigger than petros. It reminds me of when Jesus talked about building your house upon the Rock in Matthew 7:24-25. Why would there be two different uses? Of course, Jesus knew that the Catholic church would take this and create its own religion. Here is a religion with an ounce of truth turned into many, many heresies!

However, I believe these verses are talking about Peter’s statement that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. Jesus said that this is what the Father revealed to Peter. Israel would not recognize her Messiah but Peter and the other Apostles were learning that Jesus was/is their Messiah! That is the foundation of the born-again Church! Peter and the Apostles would be part of that foundation with Jesus being the Chief Cornerstone!

Ephesians 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Paul could have easily worded this verse “and are built upon Peter, the apostles and prophets…” But Peter is not even mentioned here. The apostles and the prophets are the foundation according to Ephesians 2:20. Therefore, Peter cannot be the rock spoken of by Christ. Christ would not contradict the seven verses (eight uses) using the capitalized word “Rock.” Rock is used to represent God, the Lord Jesus Christ! When you study God’s Word as a whole, you come to the same conclusion. You cannot take a few verses and base an entire religion on it. It will eventually be like the house built on sinking sand. The lies and errors will eventually cause the foundation to fail.

Isaiah 28:10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Isaiah 28:13  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

But not the foundation of Christ, our living Rock! If you happened to stumble onto this post, I pray that it has helped you to understand what Jesus meant in today’s verses. If you do not know Christ as your Saviour, I pray that you will follow this link and read the Bible verses that will show you how you can be saved.

Solid Ground

Photography by Linda Dunlap

(Deu 32:4)  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

There are many titles for Jesus Christ. Today I am looking at the verses which contain the word “Rock” (capitalized) and how it applies to Christ. The Holy Spirit put these words in the Scriptures for a reason. It’s when we dig for gold that we find the nuggets, amen?

When we look at this verse in context, we find that this was part of a song of Moses. Each of the different names for God meets a specific need in man. What need does today’s verse provide for us? What do you think of when you envision a rock? I think of the coastline at Heceta Head Lighthouse in Florence, Oregon.

The rocks and mountainsides are so beautiful! They remind me of strength, stability and longevity. These rocks take the crashing of the waves without falling apart! When visiting there, they had pictures from when it was first built. The same three rocks are there today and they have not diminished throughout the years.

There is no better way to honor God than to recognize His strength in our lives. The believer needs to wholly lean on the Lord in times of desperation. It is these times that He draw us to Him. He is our strength. So how can Jesus Christ be the Rock in today’s verse? Let’s take a look at:

(Psa 27:1)  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

David says that the LORD (when capitalized like this, it refers to Jehovah, the Lord) is his light and salvation. We will not only find Jesus here but we will also see that Jesus is God. All Scripture fits together and there are no contradictions found in its pages.

(Joh 8:12)  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

David said that the LORD is his light. Jesus said in the verse above, that He is the light of the world.

David also said that the LORD was his salvation.

(Act 4:10-12)  Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. (11)  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. (12)  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. There is no other but the LORD, Jehovah the Lord, Jesus Christ the Saviour of man! He is our Rock!

(Deu 32:4)  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Jesus Christ’s work is perfect – He came to earth in human form and lived a sinless life. He lived the perfect life so that He could be the perfect sacrifice for mankind’s sins. Only His sacrifice can forgive sins.

(2Co 5:21)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

(1Pe 2:22)  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

(Heb 4:15)  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

So, dear reader, we know that our LORD, the Rock, has the strength to save us – to guide us – to help us in our every need! Because He is our Rock, we don’t have to rely on our own strength but wholly lean on His strength! Praise be to God in the highest! Thank you, LORD Jesus, our Rock and our Deliverer!

©All content on this site is protected under copyright. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is strictly prohibited.

Solid Ground

Photography by Linda Dunlap

(Deu 32:4)  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

There are many titles for Jesus Christ. Today I am looking at the verses which contain the word “Rock” (capitalized) and how it applies to Christ. The Holy Spirit put these words in the Scriptures for a reason. It’s when we dig for gold that we find the nuggets, amen?

When we look at this verse in context, we find that this was part of a song of Moses. Each of the different names for God meets a specific need in man. What need does today’s verse provide for us? What do you think of when you envision a rock? I think of the coastline at Heceta Head Lighthouse in Florence, Oregon.

The rocks and mountainsides are so beautiful! They remind me of strength, stability and longevity. These rocks take the crashing of the waves without falling apart! When visiting there, they had pictures from when it was first built. The same three rocks are there today and they have not diminished throughout the years.

There is no better way to honor God than to recognize His strength in our lives. The believer needs to wholly lean on the Lord in times of desperation. It is these times that He draw us to Him. He is our strength. So how can Jesus Christ be the Rock in today’s verse? Let’s take a look at:

(Psa 27:1)  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

David says that the LORD (when capitalized like this, it refers to Jehovah, the Lord) is his light and salvation. We will not only find Jesus here but we will also see that Jesus is God. All Scripture fits together and there are no contradictions found in its pages.

(Joh 8:12)  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

David said that the LORD is his light. Jesus said in the verse above, that He is the light of the world.

David also said that the LORD was his salvation.

(Act 4:10-12)  Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. (11)  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. (12)  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. There is no other but the LORD, Jehovah the Lord, Jesus Christ the Saviour of man! He is our Rock!

(Deu 32:4)  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Jesus Christ’s work is perfect – He came to earth in human form and lived a sinless life. He lived the perfect life so that He could be the perfect sacrifice for mankind’s sins. Only His sacrifice can forgive sins.

(2Co 5:21)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

(1Pe 2:22)  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

(Heb 4:15)  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

So, dear reader, we know that our LORD, the Rock, has the strength to save us – to guide us – to help us in our every need! Because He is our Rock, we don’t have to rely on our own strength but wholly lean on His strength! Praise be to God in the highest! Thank you, LORD Jesus, our Rock and our Deliverer!

To Name A Few

To be recognized for doing good things can be humbling. Who doesn’t like to be recognized? But when we look at the word “Lord” in Deuteronomy 3:24, we find that the Hebrew word is “Adonai.” Adonai is a wonderful adjective describing God. It means “master,” and when applied to our lives, it can be quite powerful.

When I read the word “master,” it implies the relationship between master and servant. As Christians, we are called to be servants of the Lord Jesus. As we concentrate on His mastership, we must ask ourselves if He is truly Master of our lives? Is He allowed full access to every nook and cranny in our spiritual walk? What does this have to do with today’s verses? Let me show you.

When I was in the work force, I was quite proud of those leaders I supported. I was proud of the business they had built, and would brag about them to anyone who would ask me where I worked. As a Christian, a servant of the Lord Jesus, do I brag on Him? Do I tell others of what He has done, not only in my life, but also in the world? Verse 2 asks, “Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth ALL his praise?”

Why would anyone want to be employed at your workplace if all they hear are complaints? It’s no different with leading others to the Lord. They need to hear of His mighty acts – they need to hear praises of what He has done in your life! The biggest praise for any believer is the fact that He saved you from the path you were on; the one that led to eternal damnation. Amen? Thank You, Lord!!! This same God created the universe and all that is in it! The beauty of a waterfall, or the sound of a babbling brook, the precious newborn baby, are examples of His power! His magnificence is revealed in all things!

So recognize our Master, our Adonai God, and share all the good things He has done in your life. Share your blessings, His goodness and mercy. Remind those around you the reason you are a Christian! Shew forth all His praise!

©All content on this site is protected under copyright. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is strictly prohibited.

Who is the Rock? Day 1

Photography by Chris Michaud

(Deu 32:4)  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Good morning, Reader! This picture totally blesses me! It amazes me that no two clouds are the same. They may appear the same but there’s always a slight difference. As sunrises and sunsets are one of my favorite sceneries, I thought it would be appropriate to start off this new devotional series.

There are many titles for Jesus Christ. In fact, I did a series on this in 2008. If you’ve never studied this topic, it’s totally a blessing! However, today I am looking at the verses which contain the word “Rock” (capitalized) and how it applies to Christ. The Holy Spirit put these words in the Scriptures for a reason. It’s when we dig for gold that we find the nuggets, amen?

When we look at this verse in context, we find that this was part of a song of Moses. Each of the different names for God meets a specific need in man. What need does today’s verse provide for us? What do you think of when you envision a rock? I think of the coastline at Heceta Head Lighthouse in Florence, Oregon.

Photography by Linda Dunlap

The rocks and mountainsides are so beautiful! They remind me of strength, stability and longevity. These rocks take the crashing of the waves without falling apart! When visiting there, they had pictures from when it was first built. The same three rocks are there today and they have not diminished throughout the years.

There is no better way to honor God than to recognize His strength in our lives. The believer needs to wholly lean on the Lord in times of desperation. It is these times that He draw us to Him. He is our strength. So how can Jesus Christ be the Rock in today’s verse? Let’s take a look at:

(Psa 27:1)  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

David says that the LORD (when capitalized like this, it refers to Jehovah, the Lord) is his light and salvation. We will not only find Jesus here but we will also see that Jesus is God. All Scripture fits together and there are no contradictions found in its pages.

(Joh 8:12)  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

David said that the LORD is his light. Jesus said in the verse above, that He is the light of the world.

David also said that the LORD was his salvation.

(Act 4:10-12)  Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. (11)  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. (12)  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. There is no other but the LORD, Jehovah the Lord, Jesus Christ the Saviour of man! He is our Rock!

(Deu 32:4)  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Jesus Christ’s work is perfect – He came to earth in human form and lived a sinless life. He lived the perfect life so that He could be the perfect sacrifice for mankind’s sins. Only His sacrifice can forgive sins.

(2Co 5:21)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

(1Pe 2:22)  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

(Heb 4:15)  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

So, dear reader, we know that our LORD, the Rock, has the strength to save us – to guide us – to help us in our every need! Because He is our Rock, we don’t have to rely on our own strength but wholly lean on His strength! Praise be to God in the highest! Thank you, LORD Jesus, our Rock and our Deliverer!

Solid Rock by Edward Mote

1 My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

2 When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil. [Refrain]

3 His oath, his covenant, his blood,
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain]

4 When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found:
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain]

Most precious Heavenly Father, I cannot imagine my life without Christ in it! I would not be here if it weren’t for His sacrifice on the cross for my sins. I praise You for being there in the whelming floods of my life. All honor and glory belong to You, Lord! There is none like You, God! Thank You for Your precious Gift, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

If you happen to be reading this and are not saved, it is no coincidence. God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!