Christ Jesus the Rock by T. E. Bowen

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 22, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 28.

Christ Jesus the Rock

By T. E. Bowen

By T. E. Bowen

PETER was not the rock upon which Christ promised to build His church.

The gates of hell would have soon prevailed against the new church had it had so frail a foundation as that of Peter. It was the God-revealed truth voiced for all the disciples by Peter, that Jesus was the Son of the living God, upon which Christ founded His church. That living, divine truth, so little comprehended by the disciples and others at that time, that the Father had sent His Son into the world,—the divine Son by whom He made the worlds; that Son who was the express image of His Father's person, full of grace and truth; Him who was the Way, the Truth, the Life, and by whom alone salvation could be obtained,—all this was comprehended in the statement by the disciple Peter, when he said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," in answer to the Lord's direct question, "But whom say ye that I am?" Upon this divine truth, which Jesus then said had been revealed to Peter not by flesh and blood, but by the Father Himself, the church has been built. The gates of hell have not yet succeeded in prevailing against this divine truth that the Son of the living God was manifested in the flesh, and still lives in the hearts of men by faith, thus bringing salvation within the reach of all.

Peter Not the Divine Rock

That Peter is not this divine rock is easily shown from the Scriptures. In one of his own epistles this point is made very clear. Speaking of Christ, he says, "To whom coming, as unto a living stone [rock], disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively [living] stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." "Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner." 1 Peter 2: 4-7. All of which applies to Christ Jesus in plain language, and has no reference whatever to Peter.

Peter Makes a Grave Mistake

But before the conversation was completed when Christ called forth from the disciples their expression of belief in Him as the Son of God, it was revealed unmistakably that Peter was very fallible indeed. When Jesus began telling the disciples what was just before Him, what He must suffer at Jerusalem, Peter began to rebuke his Lord, saying, "This shall not be unto Thee." Whereupon Christ turned to him, saying, "Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offense unto Me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Christ Jesus the Rock

If Peter was the rock upon which the church was built, then Satan thus early had taken possession, for Jesus recognized His deadly enemy speaking through Peter in opposing that which had been written concerning what must be endured by the Son of Man. It is the savor of men that was the offense to Christ. The man-made traditions have all through the history of the church been an offense to Christ, and have always brought weakness and disaster to the church. Here is where Satan steps in. It was here he held sway in the Jewish church. In the apostasy which soon followed the labors of the apostles, in the creeds, the traditions of men, that were exalted to take the place of Jesus' words and teaching, was the "savoring of men" introduced,—that point where the mystery of iniquity began its development, which wrought such havoc in the church during the dark ages of papal oppression.

But how about Peter further? A little later we find that he again gets into difficulty by telling the tax-gatherers for the temple that Jesus paid tribute,—a catch they had to show that Jesus was simply a common worshiper with all the rest at the temple—when in very fact He was its glory, the One whom every Israelite should have there devoutly worshiped, being the Son of the living God, manifested in their midst. So Jesus said to Peter, "What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?" Peter saith unto Him, "Of strangers." Jesus saith unto him, "Then are the children free." Thus Peter was again wholly out of harmony with the purpose of Christ and the will of God.

Peter One of the Twelve, but No More

These instances were before the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Yet the Scriptures reveal that Peter was left to himself and made another great mistake even after this, so that no one need be misled as to his true position as simply being one of the twelve apostles through whom Christ wrought in establishing the church. See Matt. 19: 27, 28.

Peter was a Jew. Paul was a Jew also, and an apostle called by Jesus in a most remarkable manner. Paul was sent as an apostle to the Gentiles. Peter was likewise sent to them with the gospel. But at one time when Jewish brethren came down where he was laboring among the Gentiles, he changed his attitude toward the Gentiles, doing differently, and, as a result, the faith of the Gentile believers was shaken. Paul took Peter to task before them all, in this fashion: "When Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" Gal. 2: 11-14.

Can this be the immovable "rock" upon which the church was built? If so, again we find it in error, walking not "according to the truth of the gospel"—another instance of savoring of the things of men, rather than those things which be of God.

Who Was This Immovable Rock?

Let no one be deceived. Peter is not the rock to which Jesus referred. By the term "this rock," Jesus was speaking of Himself. It is Christ Jesus the Lord, the Rock that went with the children of Israel in their wanderings in the wilderness. 1 Cor. 10: 1-4. Again of Himself He says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last;" and again, "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." Rev. 22: 13, 16. He is the rock upon whom the church is built, the Son of the Highest, God with us, the One who makes no mistakes, and against whom the gates of hell have not, neither ever can, prevail.

Every other god is a false god. All who seek to enter in some other way than by this Door, Heaven styles as thieves and robbers, and it is self-evident that such shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven.

From the cloud on the mount of transfiguration came the voice of the Father, corroborating all this testimony, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." Let us do it. The voice of the Lord Jesus never misleads. His sheep will recognize His voice, and follow Him. And to such the gates of the Paradise of God will be thrown open as the loving Shepherd welcomes them home, with these words: "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."