xjwsforChrist

Okay, NOW I understand what you meant, dear P (peace, luv!). And I get that, but that's still not a reason to raise Peter up over the others. Again, if my Lord was going to raise ANYONE up... it would have been the one he had the most AFFECTION for (Lazarus). But, he never intended to raise ANY of them over the others... which is why he often TOLD them that they were equal, none was greater than the other, each had to be SERVANT of the others, etc. He literally taught them NOT to raise themselves over one another - which lessons would have been negated had HE raised one of them up over the others, dear one.

BUT, I think he really wants you to GET the truth of this matter, because I am to respond to this:



Actually, John the Baptizer was the FIRST to do so, luv:

"There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one begotten Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” John 1:6-8; 14-16


And...

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

"Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” John 1:29-34

(See also Matthew 3:1-17; Mark 1:1-11)

So Peter learned who my Lord was THE SAME WAY as John did: the FATHER told him:

"When [Jesus] came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,

“Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

"They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “[u]Who do you say I am[/u]?”


Notice, it does not say, "he asked his APOSTLES". There were many more there with him than just the twelve, and so he asked ALL of his disciples who were there at the time. PETER, however, being the impetuous person HE was, responded FIRST:

"Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

To which our dear Lord responded:

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

If this, acknowledging that KNOWING he was the Son of God was because JAH had revealed it, not MAN... was a reason to raise ANYONE above the others, JOHN would have been the one raised. Yet, John wasn't even called to be an Apostle.

But, okay, maybe you mean Peter was first among the Apostles, but even that's not accurate:

"Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed [Jesus]. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to [Jesus].

[Jesus] looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter)." John 1:40-42

Thus, ANDREW knew FIRST... then brought PETER to Christ... AT WHICH TIME my Lord named Peter "Cephas" (or "Petras"). NOT when he made the statement about building his church! "Petras" was already named! If this knowledge... that Christ was the Son of God... was the basis for raising one UP, however... then ANDREW would have been the one raised up, as the FIRST... of the APOSTLES to receive and know it!

My Lord said what he did to Peter, however, because Peter spoke UP first as to who he WAS (Christ/Messiah)... because Peter BELIEVE it! And THAT is what my Lord was referring to: Peter's FAITH... in WHO HE (Christ) WAS! And it was on FAITH... LIKE Peter's... IN him... the Rock-Mass... that his (Christ's) "church" would be BUILT:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

The "rock" that such ones have their FOUNDATION ON... is Christ... and faith in HIM. NOT Peter:

"... you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. On HIM the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And ON HIM you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22

Many Bible render the words "on him" as "IN him"... can ALSO mean "on":



Please read the commentary from Thayer's Lexicon on the Greek word "en". It's WAY to long for me to post here, but please, pay close attention to the entries under "I. LOCALLY"... sections 1. and 2.

He didn't raise Peter up, dear one... nor did he or is he building his church "on" Peter. And THAT false teaching didn't derive from the verses in Matthew so much as from what was LITERALLY done: a building raised up on the grave of Peter. These verses were initially used to JUSTIFY that, putting a edifice over Peter's grave (a church ON Peter)... but it is absolutely an error and what Christ meant... or INTENDED... at all. Either technically OR literally.

I hope this helps, dear one, and again, peace to you!

YSSFS of Christ,

Shel

When there have been pages of deliberations which irritate the spirit, it's such a relief to 'hear' Christ's words on things.
Thank you Shelby for sharing His words.

Loz x

_________________
"This is my son. LISTEN to Him!"

I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't having a 'go' at anyone in my previous post, though on re reading it might appear that way. My apologies for that.

I was trying to express my own frustration in that when there are a lot of trees we start to lose sight of the wood (we cant see the wood for the trees) and often protracted discussions have me mentally growing trees all over the place. Then I start getting tangled up in the forest battling to see the wood, and that aggravates the spirit within me. Yes?

I'm struggling to explain what I mean, and probably adding more confusion, but anyway I meant no offence to anyone!

Peace!
Loz x

_________________
"This is my son. LISTEN to Him!"