Jesus said that the rock He would build His church on was not the
masculine "petros" (which would be Peter) but the feminine "petra."
The Gospel of Matthew was written in Greek, or possibly Aramaic, not Hebrew.
The oldest known manuscripts of Matthew are in Greek.
The feminine "petra" occurs four times in the Greek New Testament:
- Matt. 16:18, "And I also say to you that you are Peter (petros), and upon this rock
(petra)I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it."
Matt. 27:60, "and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock (petra); and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away."
- 1 Cor. 10:4, "and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock (petras) which followed them; and the rock (petra) was Christ."
1 Pet. 2:8, speaking of Jesus says that he is "A stone of stumbling and a rock (petra) of offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed."
Peter says Petra is Jesus. This is consistent with Scripture elsewhere where
the term rock is sometimes used in reference of God but never of a man.
- Deut. 32:4, "The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice."
- 2 Sam. 22:2-3, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge."
Isaiah 44:8,
"Is there any God besides Me, or is
there any other Rock? I know of none."
- Rom. 9:33, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed."
JESUS had to 'choose' someone. for HIM and after HIM, and i hope 'everyone perceive', 'as it is written' for our 'spiritual knowledge of the Kingdom of GOD', we are in, as our New Covenant/Testament/Agreement, to 'practice' and 'abide' and 'bear much fruit' and 'our fruit must abide'.
