- Introduction:
-Months back, I had written a detailed article addressing the Roman Catholic interpretation of Matthew 16:18, explaining how viewing the Apostle Peter as the rock is problematic. The identity of that reference would much more likely refer to the believer's confession of faith. Well, this short article contains a couple of additional observations that I have gathered on this issue.
- The Roman Catholic Good News Bible Implicitly Recognizes The Distinction Between The Greek Terms Of "Petros" And "Petra":
- Furthermore, It Seems As Though Many Roman Catholics Have Forgotten The Fact That The Old Testament Once Referred To Abraham As "The Rock"--Does That Make Him The First Pope, Too?:
-"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many." (Isaiah 51:1-2)
- The Roman Catholic Catechism Flatly Contradicts Scripture Because It Teaches That The Christian Church Is Literally Built On The Apostle Peter (CCC # 552):
-"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:11)
- What About The Aramaic?
-Roman Catholic apologists contend that the foundational "rock" reference of Matthew 16:18 can only refer to the Apostle Peter (Greek "Cephas") because in the Aramaic language, his name is translated as "Kepha", and they reason the verse to read: "You are Kepha, and upon this Kepha I will build my church." But this argument falls short in every way, considering that we do not even have any manuscript copies of Matthew in Aramaic. In other words, this Roman Catholic apologetic is based purely on fanciful speculation. This is because the original language used in the process of writing the New Testament is koine Greek, which naturally distinguishes between the meaning of the words "petra" and "petros" (see article linked in the introduction for further details). Neither are the two terms ever used interchangeably in the New Testament.
