Matthew 16:18, commentary and pictures

The rock on which the church is built is Christ himself, not Peter. Peter's name means a stone, a rolling or loose stone, in contrast to Christ as the altogether stable and immovable Rock, and the foundation is the truth Peter confessed by revelation from the Father that Jesus is Christ the Son of the living God. The gates of hell are the powers of death and evil opposed to Christ, and they shall not overcome his church or his true and faithful people though they suffer opposition and persecution. The church Christ himself institutes, builds and sustains is made up of faithful souls in covenant with God in every nation and age, bought with the blood of his only-begotten Son, and it began small and has spread through the world beyond the power of man to destroy. No opposing power can overcome her while she remains loyal to God, obedient to his commandments and clothed in Christ's righteousness, so believers are to press together in unity, loving as brethren and standing together in heart, mind and purpose.

Peter and the Rock

The rock on which the church is built is Christ himself, not Peter, and the words “this rock” point to himself as the foundation against which the powers of hell will not prevail. That foundation is Christ’s divinity as the Son of God, the living presence of God made near through his atoning sacrifice, intercession, and loving rule, so that the church depends on faith in him and on drawing nourishment from him rather than on human theories, plans, opinions, methods, or leaders. Trusting in human beings to rule or instruct others turns people away from Christ, while Christ crucified is to be lifted higher and higher and his divine sonship held as a mystery to be believed though the finite mind cannot explain or fathom it.

The name Peter means a stone, a rolling stone, or a loose stone, in deliberate contrast to Christ as the altogether stable, immovable Rock, the tried and precious cornerstone and living Rock whose body was broken and bruised for humanity. “Peter” denotes a loose stone that can be moved, while “this rock” denotes Christ himself as the church’s sure foundation that cannot be overcome by the powers of death and evil.

The rock is also the truth Peter confessed, that Jesus is Christ the Son of the living God, which Peter knew not by flesh and blood but by revelation from the Father in heaven, and the church is built upon Christ in his divinity as the Truth, the Light, and the Life of the world. The promise that the gates of hell will not prevail rests on that steadfast confession of Christ’s divinity, which Christ commended by taking the title Son of God to himself, so that his church will stand through trial. The disciples understood the promise as assurance of a firmly established, unshakable kingdom, which is why his immediate declaration that he must go to Jerusalem to be rejected, insulted, and killed appeared to them a mystery contradicting the firm establishment just promised.

Peter himself is proved not to be the rock because the gates of hell did prevail against him when he denied his Lord with cursing and swearing, and the powers of evil overcame him. The promise and the keys with authority to bind and loose were therefore spoken not to Peter alone nor to any supreme ruler over the church, but to the disciples and to the Christian church in every age, giving Peter no authority or superiority above the other disciples. Jesus’ words address the whole Christian church that Christ builds, which the gates of hell will not overcome.

Peter’s later firmness before the Sanhedrin recalled the same foundation, for after conversion and being filled with the Holy Spirit he stood courageously and modestly, no longer trusting in himself. His strength came through the Spirit and was used to honor Christ as the church’s foundation stone.

Setting of the Promise

The declaration about building upon the rock came immediately after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Son of the living God. Peter did not learn this from flesh and blood, but knew it by revelation from the Father in heaven. Christ commended and accepted that belief by taking to himself the title Son of God.

He promised that his kingdom would be established so firmly on earth that the gates of hell, the powers of evil, would not prevail against it. He gave this assurance before gathering the disciples to open their minds concerning his coming humiliation and shameful death at the hands of his persecutors. He then declared at once that he must go to Jerusalem to be rejected, insulted by the scribes and Pharisees, and killed on the cross. Because the disciples understood the promise as assurance of an unshakable kingdom, this announcement that he must die appeared to them a mystery contradicting the firm establishment just promised. That teaching that Christ is the Rock on whom the church is built was linked with the plans of a newly formed congregation to build a meeting house.

Identity of the Church

Christ himself institutes, organizes, builds and sustains his church, and it was not established by human power, might, wisdom or inventions. What began as small, in contrast to the world's way of beginning with pomp and boasting that exalts human agents and comes to nothing, God made the day of small things the beginning of the glorious triumph of truth and righteousness that has spread through the world. Human power cannot destroy her, and the promise holds because the Holy Spirit keeps all who in faith and trust are committed to his charge as an overflowing fountain of life, making them more than conquerors and victorious over all opposition, with holy angels guarding them as they advance. She is a divine model with authority and ordinances to be respected and with gospel order and organization for worldwide work, made up of those who accept God's invitation to salvation, so that missionary work brings more people into it.

The church on earth is constituted of faithful souls in every age whom God takes into covenant relation with himself. That covenant unites the church on earth with the church in heaven. She was bought with the precious blood of his only-begotten Son, so betrayal of her sacred trust is treachery to him who bought her. He sends forth his holy angels to minister to her, and through that keeping hostile powers and the powers of evil have been unable to defeat or overcome his people through persecution, conflict and darkness. In every age he raises up watchmen, faithful witnesses and sentinels to revive, restore and build up his people in the most holy faith and to warn against false theories and doctrines that would corrupt faith and bring distraction, discord and strife, carrying the work forward from generation to generation as workers lay down their armor and others take it up.

The true church is those in every nation and age who believe with all the heart in the Lord Jesus and are accepted of God, and out of this church no one can be saved. Its foundation is the same Rock, the same Christ, not Peter himself or an institutional church, for Peter received his name because he faithfully confessed Christ, and no other creature is presented as foundation besides Christ as both foundation and chief cornerstone. The church built on him is composed not of ministers only but of many believers, all centered in Christ as branches in the parent vine stock, the True Vine. Jews and Gentiles enter this one true church through repentance and faith in Christ, the middle wall of partition being broken down, so that broken branches are gathered and engrafted again into Christ and invigorated with his life.

She is God's fortress and city of refuge which he holds in a revolted world. She is the one object on earth receiving his special love and regard, and the theater where he shows grace and mercy on human hearts. He builds her by giving ample means to receive a large revenue of glory from his redeemed purchased people, endowing her with his righteousness as his depository where the wealth of his mercy, love and grace appears in full and final display. Christ is the great center from which radiates all glory, looking upon his people in untainted purity and spotless perfection as the reward of all his suffering, humiliation and love and the supplement of his glory, and those called to the marriage supper of the Lamb are blessed. The rich, full, abundant gift of the Holy Spirit surrounds her as an encompassing wall of fire so the powers of evil cannot overpower her.

She will not perish because the promised Saviour, the Prince of life, would come from her, and all who receive him can be saved. That promise of the Saviour was God's strongest pledge that the powers of evil would not overcome his commandment-keeping people. Israel would have triumphed over its enemies if it had remained loyal to Christ's words spoken to them from the pillar of cloud.

Unconquered Through the Ages

The gates of hell are the powers of death and evil set against Christ, and they shall not overcome His church nor His true and faithful people. Like their Master they may suffer opposition and persecution through human agents, yet they remain secure against Satan's efforts to destroy them. The abundant gift of the Holy Spirit surrounds the church as a protection like an encompassing wall of fire. For six thousand years faith has been built upon Christ, and though Satan's wrath has beaten against the Rock of salvation it remains unmoved.

Though enfeebled and defective in appearance, the church has stood through ages of moral darkness and centuries of strife and persecution, with the pure doctrines of the Bible unfolding within her from age to age through successive generations to the present time. Though she appeared weak, with only a handful of believers facing the power of demons and evil men, her followers had no reason to fear. Satan and his agents have often looked successful in sweeping Christ's representatives from the earth, and the fiercest persecution by sword and fire killing thousands has at times nearly wiped out Christianity and made the promise look ready to fail, but the promise has held. Truth buried by sown error and heresies lives and springs up afresh to bear its harvest, watered by the blood of martyrs, thousands of others rise to fill the breach left by the slain, and staunch witnesses for God keep faith alive on earth despite the rank growth of the tares of error, so the work moves forward. In every age God raises up watchmen, faithful witnesses and sentinels, to revive, restore and build up His people in the most holy faith and to warn against false theories and doctrines that would corrupt faith and bring distraction, discord and strife, carrying the work forward from generation to generation as workers lay down their armor and others take it up, with heavenly angels sent to minister to her.

The Protestant Reformers built upon Christ Himself, so the gates of hell could not prevail against them despite opposition from the rulers of darkness. That the gates of Hades have not prevailed and God still has a people on earth supports the expectation that spiritual gifts will be developed in connection with the third angel's message, bringing the church back to apostolic ground so it can be a light to the world. Opposed to Christ's church is the church over which Satan presides, whose members as children of disobedience choose sin, labor to void God's holy law, mingle evil with good and remove the distinction between good and evil, whereas Christ's church seeks to separate evil from good and will not willingly tolerate wrongdoing but expels it from heart and life.

Universities and institutions become those great gates of hell leading to ruin unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the hearts of youth, for every institution in which men are not unceasingly occupied with the word of God must become corrupt. No child should be placed where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. The powers of hell opposing Christ's work include Satan working through racial prejudice and antagonism to make it difficult to proclaim the last message of mercy among the colored people. That same assurance that Satan's attacks will not finally overcome Christ's work applies to the Health Retreat as an instrumentality of God: Satan would triumph if it closed, but it would live if God's people did their duty.

Ground of Her Victory

No opposing power can overcome the church when she remains loyal to God, obedient to his commandments, honoring the Lord God of Israel and faithful to her allegiance, for she is God's agency for proclaiming truth and empowered to do his special work. Then the excellence of divine power dwells within her, so that the forces of the enemy are as unable to overpower her as chaff is to resist the whirlwind. A bright, glorious day lies before her if she puts on the robe of Christ's righteousness and withdraws from all allegiance to the world. Those who build on God's Word as the sure foundation can stand against all the powers of hell, while human teachings set up against that foundation will fall. This assurance belongs to Protestants and to all who build on that sure foundation, that opposition cannot overthrow them.

The abundant gift of the Holy Spirit surrounds the church like an encompassing wall of fire, and the powers of evil cannot overpower what is so guarded. The church is endowed with Christ's righteousness as his depository where the wealth of his mercy, love and grace appears in full and final display, receiving ample means to return a large revenue of glory from his redeemed purchased people. The Holy Spirit keeps everyone who in faith and trust is committed to his charge, sustaining the church as an overflowing fountain of life to enjoy, which makes God's servants more than conquerors, victorious over all opposition. Holy angels guard those who strive in harmony with God's law and keep faith as they advance his work. The church's stability comes from God and not from human strength, for human power did not establish her and cannot destroy her, and his work founded on lasting principles of right continues by his Spirit rather than by human might or power.

God's way is to make the day of small things the beginning of the glorious triumph of truth and righteousness, in contrast to the way of the world which begins with pomp and boasting that exalts human agents and comes to nothing. She is founded on Christ the Rock of Ages, the living presence of God made near through his atoning sacrifice, intercession and loving rule over the church. She depends on faith in Christ and on drawing spiritual nourishment from him, not on human theories, plans, opinions, methods or leaders, for trusting in human beings to rule or instruct others leads away from Christ. The rock is not Peter but Christ as the Son of God, the Son of the living God confessed by Peter, and the church is built upon Christ in his divinity so that hell cannot overpower it. That divinity is to be steadfastly maintained and proclaimed with positive certainty and no doubt, lifting up Christ crucified higher and higher, holding his divine sonship as a mystery to be believed even though the finite mind cannot explain or fathom it.

A church founded on him is built through Scripture, prayer and faith, and members are to lean wholly on Christ and build their lives on this secure foundation which earth and hell cannot prevail against. Being entrenched in Christ as the sure refuge and rock does not make a person infallible in judgment or free from danger, because the devil is not dead and still leads with false suggestions and imaginings. Safety in the rock requires receiving the light God gives, overcoming pride of opinion and imagination in nobleness of mind and generosity of spirit, respecting the mind and judgment God gives other workers, and going through a process of education, otherwise the life will be miserable, weak, and weighed in the balance and found wanting. Every sincere member who has taken the steps of conversion and openly confessed Christ may take the promise personally as part of the body of Christ, able to say I am the Lord's, and in his strength invincible.

The promise forbids anxiety, questionings, distrust, doubt, complaint and a doleful attitude that dishonors God, limits the Holy One of Israel, grieves the Spirit and misrepresents the Lord as giving promises he does not fulfill and leaving his people alone to battle the powers of darkness. It requires believing and appropriating his promises with comfort, hope and courage every hour and every day. Satan cannot prevail against Christ, so when he tries to discourage God's people and hinder the proclamation of truth they are to continue the work God has given them despite his opposition.

Unity and Mission Call

God has a church which Christ himself builds, and the powers of hell cannot overthrow or defeat it. Because Christ has so promised, believers are to press together in unity, for strength is in unity. That pressing together is loving as brethren and being pitiful and courteous.

To press together is to reject every accusing, tearing-down notion and every false claim to great light. The certainty that Christ builds an enduring church gives weight to his warnings about false prophets coming in sheep's clothing and about multiplied false claims of Christ here and there. It also means heeding the messengers God sends with divine credentials rather than following such deceptions.

God has delegated power to his church on earth, and he leads and teaches his people so that they can guide others. They must therefore stand together in heart and mind and purpose. Those who reject counsel and rely on their own judgment depart from the faith and help Satan oppose what God is building.

Since Christ builds his church, his people must build up the cause and not tear it down. Every soul with experience and every professed believer with even a jot of influence must come to the front and give that influence to build up, pressing all forces together against the powers of darkness gathering to take Jesus from their midst and to take the children into the devil's ranks. With the crisis right upon them this demands genuine conversion instead of selfish, hypocritical, dead religion, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, seeking God in homes with weeping and fasting and prayer, and working where angels and Christ and God work to see the salvation of God.

The church is God's empowered agency for proclaiming truth and doing his work, instituted and organized by Christ himself and not established by human might, might or wisdom, so that human power cannot destroy it. It is a divine model whose authority and ordinances are to be respected, advancing by gospel order and organization for its worldwide work. Though it began small it has spread throughout the world, and Christ has sustained it through every age. It is made up of those who accept God's invitation to salvation, and missionary work brings more people into it. Christ calls people to work with him, using their God-given abilities to save perishing souls, and students who leave school as missionaries for God and draw people to Christ take part in this unconquerable work, including labor in the cities.