Did Jesus Truly Say,
“I Will Build My Church Upon Peter”
Matthew 16:13-20
By Chuck Ness
Until now I have not shared my opinion of what I think of the many inherent ways the Catholic Church has misinterpreted Scripture throughout the years. I can no longer be silent on the subject, because it is one that the Catholic Church has used to teach heresy.
When Jacob blessed his sons, his blessings were also prophecies about each son's descendants. Through time these prophecies were fulfilled. From the first born to the last, Jacob blessed his sons. (Genesis 49:1-27)
However, Judah would receive the lion’s share of the blessings.
”Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.”
Calvinists like to use Paul's reference in Romans 9:13, which refers to the story of Jacob and Esau, to support their Calvinist doctrine of predestination. Yet when we read Genesis 25:27-34, we know that Esau willingly, on his own, forfeited his birthright by selling it to Jacob. Thus it should be obvious that it was not by God’s election, but rather by Esau’s own free will choice. It's a misinterpretation of the Scriptures to claim this text teaches predestination?
To properly understand the text in question, one must understand the main reason Paul wrote his letter to the Jewish and gentile believers in Rome. His purpose was to reconcile their differing opinions, particularly about the obligation of the Jewish law, the advantage of the Jew, and the way of justification. At the time the two groups inside the new Christian church were trying to defend their own special opinions. Thus Paul’s desire was to explain to his converted countrymen the great doctrines of Christianity, and the relation of the Law of Moses to the Christian.
I created a new chart that lists 23 women from the Scriptures. There are more than 23 women I could cover, but I took the 23 I felt were more recognizable to most Christians. Now, we all know who these women are, and their stories. From Eve to Mary, these women have had as great an impact on mankind as the men. Three, or maybe 4, are not known for their love of the One true GOD, while the others are remembered for their strength and courage in the face of adversity.
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