3799 - Upon This Rock by O. C. L.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 9, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 26.

3799 — Upon This Rock

By O. C. L.

Read thoroly the context. To the questionings in regard to Jesus, Peter had answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Our Lord told him that this was not a matter of his own clear insight, or human wisdom, but that the Father had revealed it to him. Then He declares, "Thou art Peter"—that is, a stone; "and upon this rock"—this confession of Christ by Peter—God's church would be built, and the gates of hell should not prevail against it. Peter uses a similar figure in his first epistle, the second chapter, that "ye"—all Christians—are living stones, built on the great foundation-stone, Christ. Now to the scripture in question, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Now this did not mean that Peter arbitrarily, as a man, had a right to bind or to loose, only as God gave him the message. Peter was entrusted with the gospel message, as were all the other apostles. See John 20:23. That message which Peter bore to the world had all the power of binding or loosing men, as men related themselves to it. The sinners who accepted it, it released from the bonds of sin. Those who rejected it, even the righteous, were bound in sin. This was not a new conception of things to Peter. The same truth had been taught to Jeremiah of old. "See," said the

Lord to His prophet, "I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." Jer. 1:10. As to how this should be done is told us clearly by Jeremiah himself, in chapter 18:7-10: "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them." Jeremiah was set over kingdoms to build and to plant, or to throw down, by the message which God Himself gave him. The message was bigger than the man; the word that he bore from the Infinite was bigger than the man who bore it. So it was with Peter; so with every other true minister of Christ.