Matt 16:18 reads as follows (emphasis
added):
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
κἀγὼ δέ σοι λέγω ὅτι σὺ εἶ Πέτρος,
καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω
μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς.
Much ink has been spilt about this passage
vis-à-vis the Roman Catholic Papacy, which is a discussion for another time.
However, I do wish to address what I find to be a mistake made in the current
footnotes to the LDS edition of the Bible. The note to Matt 16:18 reads:
Here is a subtle wordplay upon ‘Peter’ (Greek petros = small rock) and ‘rock’ (Greek petra = bed rock). Christ is the Stone of Israel.
Unfortunately, this argument, though
popular, does not hold up, and is one that I hope LDS apologists and commentators
will discard. Firstly, in John 1:42, we read:
And
he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the
son of Jona; thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone.
Most scholars, with the exception of an absolute minority of
commentators such as Chrys Caragounis (Peter
and the Rock [1990]), argue that the Aramaic term kephas (כֵּיפָא) was uttered twice by Jesus in Matt 16:18,
reflecting a word play that the Greek captures, viz., “You are kepha and on this kepha I will build my Church” (Caragouis argues that Jesus said "you are kepha and upon this minrah . . . ") The use of πετρος for Peter instead of περτα is simply due to the fact that the latter is
being used as a male name, thus the –ος ending, while the latter it is being used
as a noun, not a proper name.
Note the following from these Protestant
scholars:
“That thou art Peter”—At his first calling, this new name was announced
to him as an honour afterwards to be conferred on him (John 1:[42]). Now he
gets it [in Matthew 16:18], with an explanation of what it was meant to convey.
“And upon this rock”—as “Peter” and “Rock” are one word in the dialect
familiarly spoken by our Lord—the Aramaic or Syro-Chaldaic, which was the mother
tongue of the country—this exalted play upon the word can be fully seen only in
languages which have one word for both Even in the Greek it is imperfectly
represented. In French, as Webster and Wilkinson remark, it is perfect, Pierre-pierre.
(Robert Jamieson, Andrew Robert Faussett, and David Brown, One Volume Commentary, 47-48, as cited by Scott Butler, Norman
Dahlgren, and David Hess, Jesus, Peter,
and the Keys: A Scriptural Handbook on the Papacy [Santa Barbara, Calif.:
Queenship Publishing, 1996], 17)
PETER (Gr. Petros). Simon
Peter, the most prominent of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Peter’s original name was
Simon (Aram. Sim’on, represented by Simon and Symeon). Jesus gave him the Aramaic name kepha “rock” (Matt. 16:18); Luke 6:14 par.; John 1:42), which is in
Greek both transliterated (Kephas;
Eng. Cephas) and translated (Petros).”
Allen C. Myers, ed., The Eerdmans Bible
Dictionary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1987), 818 (as cited by Butler
et al. Jesus, Peter and the Keys, 26)
Also note the following under the entry of
πετρα in BDAG:
b. in wordplay (as
symbol of firmness Reader, Polemo p. 265) w. the name Πέτρος (GGander, RTP n.s. 29, ’41, 5-29). The apostle so named, or the
affirmation he has just made, is the rock on which Christ will build his church
(for the figure s. Od. 17, 463: Antinous fails to shake Odysseus, who stands
firm as rock.—Arrian, Anab. 4, 18, 4ff; 4, 21, 1ff; 4, 28, 1ff πέτρα is a rocky district [so also Antig. Car. 165] as the foundation of an
impregnable position or a rocky fortress; 4, 28, 1; 2 this kind of πέτρα could not be conquered even by Heracles.—Diod. S. 19, 95, 2 and 4; 19,
96, 1; 19, 97, 1 and 2; 19, 98, 1 al. ἡ πέτρα [always with the article] is the rock [Petra] that keeps the Nabataeans
safe from all enemy attacks; Stephan. Byz. s.v. Στάσις: πόλις ἐπὶ πέτρης μεγάλης of a city that cannot be taken) Mt 16:18 (s.
ADell, ZNW 15, 1914, 1-49; 17, 1916, 27-32; OImmisch, ibid. 17, 1916, 18-26;
Harnack, SBBerlAk 1918, 637-54; 1927, 139-52; RBultmann, ZNW 19, 1920, 165-74,
ThBl 20, ’41, 265-79; FKattenbusch, Der Quellort der Kirchenidee: Festgabe für
Harnack 1921, 143-72, Der Spruch über Pt. u. d. Kirche bei Mt: StKr 94, 1922,
96-131; SEuringer, D. Locus Classicus des Primates: AEhrhard Festschr. 1922,
141-79; HDieckmann, Die Verfassung der Urkirche 1923; JJeremias, Αγγελος II 1926, 108-17; ECaspar, Primatus Petri 1927; KGoetz, Pt. als Gründer
u. Oberhaupt der Kirche 1927; JGeiselmann, D. petrin. Primat (Mt 16:17ff) 1927;
BBartmann, ThGl 20, 1928, 1-17; HKoch, Cathedra Petri 1930; TEngert, ‘Tu es
Pt’: Ricerche relig. 6, 1930, 222-60; FSeppelt, Gesch. d. Papsttums I ’31,
9-46; JTurmel, La papauté ’33, 101ff; VBurch, JBL 52, ’33, 147-52; JHaller, D.
Papsttum I ’34, 1-31; ACotter, CBQ 4, ’42, 304-10; WKümmel, Kirchenbegr. u.
Gesch.-bewusstsein in d. Urgem. u. b. Jesus: SymbBUps 1, ’43; OSeitz, JBL 69,
’50, 329-40. OCullmann, TManson mem. vol., ’59, 94-105; OBetz, ZNW 48, ’57,
49-77; cp. 1QH 6:26-28; HClavier, Bultmann Festschr., ’54, 94-107.—OCullmann,
TW VI 94-99: πέτρα. S. also the lit. under Πέτρος, end).
Also note BDAG’s entry under πετρος, defining the term as “rock,” not a “small
rock”:
5898 Πέτρος
• Πέτρος, ου, ὁ (ὁ πέτρος=‘stone’ Hom.+; Jos., Bell. 3, 240, Ant. 7, 142.—Π. as a name can scarcely be pre-Christian, as AMerx, D. vier kanon. Ev.
II/1, 1902, 160ff, referring to Jos., Ant. 18, 156 [Niese did not accept the
v.l. Πέτρος for Πρῶτος], would have it. But s. ADell [πέτρα 1b] esp. 14-17. Fr. the beginning it was prob. thought of as the Gk.
equivalent of the Aram. כֵּיפָא= Κηφᾶς: J
1:42; cp. Mt 16:18 and JWackernagel, Syntax II2 1928, 14f, perh. formed on the
analogy of the Gk. male proper name Πέτρων: UPZ 149, 8 [III BC]; 135 [78
BC]; Plut., Mor. 422d.—A gentile named Πέτρος in Damasc., Vi. Isid. 170. S.
also the Praeses Arabiae of 278/79 AD Aurelius P.: Publ. Princeton Univ. Arch.
Expedition to Syria III A, 1913, 4 no. 546) Peter, surname of the head of
the circle of Twelve Disciples, whose name was orig. Simon. His father was a
certain John (s. Ἰωάννης 4)
or Jonah (s. Ἰωνᾶς 2).
Acc. to J 1:44 he himself was from Bethsaida, but, at any rate, when he
met Jesus he lived in Capernaum (Mk 1:21, 29). Fr. that city he and his brother
Andrew made their living as fishers (Mk 1:16). He was married (Mk 1:30; cp. 1
Cor 9:5), but left his home and occupation, when Jesus called, to follow him
(Mk 1:18; 10:28). He belonged to the three or four most intimate of the
Master’s companions (Mk 5:37; 9:2; 13:3; 14:33). He
stands at the head of the lists of the apostles (Mt 10:2; Mk 3:16;
Lk 6:14; Ac 1:13). Not all the problems connected w. the
conferring of the name Cephas-Peter upon Simon (s. Σίμων 1)
have yet been solved (the giving of a new name and the reason for it: Plato [s.
ὀνομάζω 1]
and Theophrastus [Vi. Platonis 2 ln. 21 in Biog. p. 388 W.= Prolegom. 1 in CHermann,
Pla. VI 196 Θεόφραστος, Τύρταμος καλούμενος πάλαι, διὰ τὸ θεῖον τῆς φράσεως Θ. μετεκλήθη];
CRoth, Simon-Peter HTR 54, ’61, 91-97). He was at least not always a model of
rock-like (πέτρος is a
symbol of imperturbability Soph., Oed. Rex 334; Eur., Med. 28 al.) firmness
(note Gethsemane, the denial, the unsuccessful attempt at walking on water; his
conduct at Antioch Gal 2:11ff which, though, is fr. time to time referred to
another Cephas; s. KLake, HTR 14, 1921, 95ff; AVöllmecke, Jahrbuch d. Missionshauses
St. Gabriel 2, 1925, 69-104; 3, 1926, 31-75; DRiddle, JBL 59, ’40, 169-80;
NHuffman, ibid. 64, ’45, 205f; PGaechter, ZKT 72, ’50, 177-212; but s. HBetz,
Gal [Hermeneia] p. 105f w. n. 442). Despite all this he was the leader of
Jesus’ disciples, was spokesman for the Twelve (e.g. Mt 18:21; 19:27;
Mk 8:27ff; Lk 12:41; 18:28) and for the three who were
closest to Jesus (Mk 9:5); he was recognized as leader even by those on
the outside (Mt 17:24). He is especially prominent in the pronouncement
made Mt 16:18. Only in the Fourth Gospel does Peter have a place less
prominent than another, in this case the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved’ (s. Hdb.
exc. on J 13:23). In connection w. the miraculous events after Jesus’ death (on
this ELohmeyer, Galiläa u. Jerusalem ’36; WMichaelis, D. Erscheinungen d.
Auferstandenen ’44; MWerner, D. ntl. Berichte üb. d. Erscheinungen d.
Auferstandenen: Schweiz. Theol. Umschau ’44) Pt. played a unique role: 1 Cor
15:5; Lk 24:34; Mk 16:7. He was one of the pillars of the early church (Gal
2:9 [Κηφᾶς]).
Three years after Paul was converted, on his first journey to Jerusalem as a
Christian, he established a significant contact w. Peter: Gal 1:18. At least
until the time described in Gal 2:1-10 (cp. Ac 15:7) he was prob. the
head of the early Christian community/church. He was also active as a
missionary to Israel Gal 2:8; cp. 1 Cor 9:5 (Κηφᾶς).—MGoguel,
L’apôtre Pierre a-t-il joué un role personnel dans les crises de Grèce et de
Galatie?: RHPR 14, ’34, 461-500.—In 1 Pt 1:1 and 2 Pt 1:1 he
appears as author of an epistle. On Paul’s journey to Rome: Ἀρτέμων ὁ κυβερνήτης τοῦ πλοίου ἦν λελουμένος ὑπὸ Πέτρου Artemon,
the ship’s captain, was baptized by Peter AcPl Ha 7, 20. It is probable
that he died at Rome under Nero, about 64 AD.—In the NT he is somet. called Σίμων (q.v.
1; in Ac 15:14 and 2 Pt 1:1 more exactly Συμεών=(שִׁמְעוֹן; except
for Gal 2:7f Paul always calls him Κηφᾶς )q.v.(. Both names Σίμων Π. Mt 16:16; Lk 5:8;
J 1:40; 6:8, 68; 13:6, 9, 24, 36;
18:10, 15, 25; 20:2, 6; 21:2f, 7b,
11, 15. Σίμων ὁ λεγόμενος Π. Mt
4:18; 10:2. Σίμων ὁ ἐπικαλούμενος Π. Ac 10:18; 11:13. Σίμων ὃς ἐπικαλεῖται Π. 10:5, 32.—Outside
the NT it is found in our lit. GEb 34, 59; GPt 14:60 (Σίμων Πέτρος); ApcPt Rainer; GMary 463 (2
times); AcPt Ox 849 (4 times); 1 Cl 5:4 (Paul follows in 5:5); 2 Cl 5:3f (a
piece fr. an apocr. gosp.); IRo 4:3 (Πέτρος καὶ Παῦλος); ISm 3:2=GHb 356, 39; Papias
(2:4, w. other disciples; 15, w. Mark as his ἑρμηνευτής).—Zahn, Einl. II §38-44; KErbes,
Petrus nicht in Rom, sondern in Jerusalem gestorben: ZKG 22, 1901, 1ff; 161ff
(against him AKneller, ZKT 26, 1902, 33ff; 225ff; 351ff); PSchmiedel, War der
Ap. Petrus in Rom?: PM 13, 1909, 59-81; HLietzmann, Petrus u. Pls in Rom2 1927; GEsser, Der hl. Ap.
Petrus 1902; CGuignebert, La primauté de St. Pierre et la venue de Pierre à
Rome 1909; FFoakes-Jackson, Peter, Prince of Apostles 1927; HDannenbauer, D.
röm. Pt-Legende: Hist. Ztschr. 146, ’32, 239-62; 159, ’38, 81-88; KHeussi, War
Pt. in Rom? ’36, War Pt. wirklich röm. Märtyrer? ’37, Neues z. Pt.-frage ’39,
TLZ 77, ’52, 67-72; HLietzmann, Pt. röm. Märt.: SBBerlAk ’36, XXIX; DRobinson,
JBL 64, ’45, 255-67; HSchmutz, Pt. war dennoch in Rom: Benedikt. Monatsschr.
22, ’46, 128-41.—On Mt 16:17-19 s., in addition to the lit. on κλείς 1
and πέτρα 1b:
JSchnitzer, Hat Jesus das Papsttum gestiftet? 1910, Das Papsttum eine Stiftung
Jesu? 1910; FTillmann, Jesus u. das Papsttum 1910; AKneller, ZKT 44, 1920,
147-69; OLinton, D. Problem der Urkirche ’32, 157-83; KPieper, Jes. u. d.
Kirche ’32; AEhrhard, Urkirche u. Frühkatholizismus I 1, ’36.—JMunck, Pt. u.
Pls in der Offenb. Joh. ’50 (Rv 11:3-13).—OCullmann, Petrus2, ’60 (Eng. tr. Peter,
FFilson2, ’62), L’apôtre Pierre:
NT Essays (TManson memorial vol.), ’59, 94-105; OKarrer, Peter and the Church:
an examination of the Cullmann thesis, ’63; RO’Callaghan, Vatican Excavations
and the Tomb of Peter: BA 16, ’53, 70-87; AvGerkan, D. Forschung nach dem Grab
Petri, ZNW 44, ’52/53, 196-205, Zu den Problemen des Petrusgrabes: JAC ’58,
79-93; GSnyder, BA 32, ’69, 2-24; JGwynGriffiths, Hibbert Journal 55, ’56/57,
140-49; TBarnes, JTS 21, ’70, 175-79; GSchulze-Kadelbach, D. Stellung des P. in
der Urchristenheit: TLZ 81, ’56, 1-18 (lit.); PGaechter, Petrus u. seine Zeit,
’58; EKirschbaum, The Tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul (transl. JMurray) ’59;
EHaenchen, Petrus-Probleme, NTS 7, ’60/61, 187-97; SAgourides, Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης ἐν τῷ τετάρτῳ Εὐαγγελίῳ, Thessalonike, ’66; DGewalt,
Petrus, diss. Hdlbg, ’66; RBrown, KDonfried, JReumann edd., Peter in the NT,
’73; CCaragounis, Peter and the Rock (BZNW 58) ’89.—Pauly-W. XIX ’38, 1335-61;
Kl. Pauly IV 674-76; BHHW III 1430f. LGPN I. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.
One could go into more
technical detail and discuss other issues, but this argument, though popular in
the 19th century in Protestant polemics against the Papacy have long
been retired by more informed Protestant scholars (e.g., D.A. Carson), and even
anti-Catholic authors go as far to claim that Peter is “the rock” that the Church will be built upon (e.g., Eric
Svendsen, Evangelical Answers
[1999]). While I do believe that there are overwhelming historical and biblical
problems with the defined dogma of the Roman Catholic papacy (for a detail of a
lot of the historical issues against Rome’s claims, see Edward Denny’s seminal Papalism
[1912]). However, the πετρος/πετρα issue is not only dated; if a Latter-day Saint were
to use it in a discussion with an informed Catholic, they will not go far with
it.
As an aside, David Keller
has a very good article, "The
Apostolic Foundation" that touches upon Matt 16:18-19 and other
like-texts from an informed LDS perspective.