If Peter is the “rock” upon which the church is built, why is it that Paul wrote most of the New Testament?
I guess this is sort of an odd question because it assumes that the writing of the New Testament is the role of the person on whom the church is built. Peter did write sections of the New Testament, but it’s true that Paul wrote more than Peter, as did John and Luke. In actuality, I don’t believe Paul wrote most of the New Testament. The other books make up more writing than Paul’s works, and although Paul wrote more letters I believe Luke’s writings take up more actual space despite the fact that he only wrote two books.
But I digress. Paul was simply in a better place to write the things that were necessary for the New Testament by virtue of the fact that he was the traveler of the two and did more missionary work. Paul’s letters covered a lot of ground. Peter being a foundation for the church had nothing to do with literature; it had to do with his actions as recorded in the first twelve chapters of the book of Acts. Peter was the preacher at Pentecost in Acts 2, which is the moment that most people believe the church itself was born. Peter then went on to lead the early church as other leaders were brought up in the faith.
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3 comments:
some have taken the position that the "rock" Jesus spoke of was Peter's statement, not Peter himself...One of Thayer's def. = metaphorically a man like a rock, by reason of his firmness and strength of soul...since the Church is not built on a man, but Jesus Himself.
just a thought :) great blog
Im definitely aware of this position, and there are others like it involving greek usage and arguments from logic, but in my opinion they fall short. Ive studied the passage in the greek and the way it reads it still seems that Jesus was calling Peter the rock on whom he will build the church. I understand the only thing about Jesus being the one the church is built on, but it seems more accurate to say that he is the one the church is built BY. There are other Scriptures that talk about prophets and apostles being the foundation of the church.
The questions is a fallacy. One Peter is not the "rock." The rock that Jesus is referring to is the revelation of Jesus Christ. This belief is a belief that has held over from the Catholic church in order for them to hold unto the lingerie of the Pope from Peter. Jesus starts this phrase with a question Mat 18:13 "...Who do men say that I am?" Peter responds after all the other disciples got it wrong with ""You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." then Jesus tells Peter who He is. "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." The Rock of the Church was not a man who doubted Jesus and sank into the sea; who would later betray Jesus. The rock of the church was not the man who caved into peer pressure from those wanting to enforce circumcision, nor is the rock of the Church from the man who would repent of all of this and become the mighty pillar and man of God that Peter was. It is the faithful, always loyal, uncompromising, never erroring revelation of Jesus Christ.
God Bless,
-Daniel
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."~Mat 7:24-25
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