Friday, January 31, 2020

The Eastern Interpretation of the “Rock” as Peter’s Confession




Didymus the Blind

How powerful is Peter’s faith and his confession that Christ is the only-begotten God, the word, the true Son of God, and not merely a creature . . . he recognized the consubstantial and coeternal branch of God, thereby glorifying that uncreated root . . . Peter believed that Christ was one and the same deity with the Father . . . Upon this rock the Church was built, the Church which the gates of hell—that is, the arguments of heretics—will not overcome. The keys to the kingdom of heaven were given to Peter in order that . . . he might open the gates of God’s kingdom to those whose faith agreed both with his own confession and with those things which he and the other apostles heard from Christ. (De Trinitate 1.30 [PG 39:417])

Theodore of Mopsuestia

[The “rock”] is not the property of Peter alone, but it came about on behalf of every human being. Having said that his confession is the rock he [i.e., Jesus] stated that upon this rock I will build my church. This means he will build his church on the same confession and faith (Fragmenta in Mattaeum 92)

[The proper confession of Christ, found in the Church alone is the very] key to the kingdom of heaven, . . . [so that] he who is counted as belonging to the Church and is recognized as its member is a partaker and an inheritor of heaven. (Ibid.)

John Chrysostom

Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; that is, on the faith of his confession. (Homilies on Matthew 54.3)

Gregory of Nyssa

We do not extend our praises to Simon for his fishing, but rather for his firm faith, which is at the same time the foundation of the whole Church. (Altera Laudatio S. Stephani Protomartyris)

Maximus the Confessor

The God of all pronounced that the catholic church was the correct and saving confession of the faith in him when he called Peter blessed because of the terms in which he had made proper confession of him. (Letter to Anastasius)

Basil of Seleucia

Christ called this confession a rock, and he named the one who confessed it “Peter” perceiving the appellation which was suitable to the author of this confession. (Oratio 25.4 [PG 85, 297])

John Damascus

O blessed mouth! O richly privileged lips! O soul that speaks of God! O mind inspired by God, worthy of sharing divine mysteries! O instrument on which the Father plays his son! This is the upright unshakeable faith on which—as on a rock—the Church is established; you have been rightly named for it. (Oration on the Transfiguration)

Ambrosiaster

The Lord said to Peter: On this rock I will build My Church, which means, “On this confession of the catholic faith I establish believers in life.” (Commentary on Ephesians 2:20)

Hilary of Poitiers

Upon this rock of this confession [i.e., Jesus’ divine nature] hat the building of the Church rests. (The Trinity 6.36)

This faith is the foundation of the Church, and therefore the gates of hell are powerless against her. This faith possesses the keys of the kingdom of heaven. What this faith bound and loosed on earth will also be bound or loosed in heaven . . . [T]his is the revelation of the Father, this is the foundation of the Church. (The Trinity 6.37)