(B) Our Lord’s welcome of the Confession (Mt 167-9 only).—It is clear that our Lord regarded the deliberate confession of His Messiahship as marking a crisis in His relations with the Twelve, and as a pledge of the growth of the kingdom. He answers it with a solemn beatitude addressed to St. Peter (μακάριος el—the only occasion when the Lord pronounces a beatitude on an individual), and by a declaration that his confession had no lower source than a revelation from the Father Himself (cf. Gal 1). And then speaking, as it would appear, as King Messiah (κἀγὼ 5é—‘ The Father has revealed Me as Messiah to the dis- ciple ; I in turn reveal My disciples’ place in the kingdom’), He opens out the future under four metaphors— ᾿
(a) St. Peter as the foundation of the new einen Taking the Syriac versions as our guide, we may conclude that our Lord’s words, spoken in Aramaic, run thus: ‘Thou art Cepha, and upon this Cepha I will build my congregation.’ ere there are three points to be briefly considered—(a) τὴν ἐκκλησίαν μου. The word is used in its ancient theocratic sense, and the meaning is best repre- sented by the paraphrase, ‘I will build my Israel.’ It must be sufficient to refer to Hort’s The Chris- tian Ecclesia pp. 3-18, esp. p. 10f. (8) οἰκοδομήσω. The metaphor of building, to express the idea of creating and giving unity and permanence to a society of men, is not uncommon in the oT (ε.σ. Ps 28°, Jer 18°). It is important to notice that the Lord reserves to Himself the prerogative of activity. He alone is the builder. Compare the Messianic parable in Sibyll. Orac, v. 420 ff. (y) In what sense is Cepha the foundation? Does die word point to the first stone of the building, the foundation-stone, or to the soil, the rock on which the first stones are laid? We may say, in view of our Lord’s earlier saying (Mt 7, Lk 6“),
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that almost certainly the latter is the true inter- pretation.* Thus the Rock is, so far as the sco of the parable is concerned, separated from the stones reared thereon. This last point helps us to answer the question as to the interpretation of the Rock. It is the apostle who has just made the confession that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. The parable itself limits its application. When the foundation has been laid, the apostle’s function as described by the metaphor will have ceased. He will support the first stones of the ecclesia. ae true comment on the Lord’s promise is Ac
Other interpretations of these famous words can be onl briefly noted. (1) The Rock is Christ. This interpretation excluded by the fact that in the Aramaic there is no variation (Cepha . . . Cepha) as in the Greek (wires . . . πέτρᾳ), and that Christ Himself speaks of Himself as the builder. (2) The Rock is St. Peter's confession. This interpretation is excluded by the fact that the confession considered in itself was wholly inadequate. It does not include either the Resurrection or the Divinity of the Lord. Its value was strictly relative to the time when it was made. The same consideration excludes the modification of the above view which explains the Rock of St. Peter's faith. That faith was a quality which varied from time totime. (3) St. Peter as the type of, or in combination with, the other apostles, is the Rock. So Hort (Ecclesia p. 161, e.g. ‘In virtue of this personal faith vivifying their disciple- ship, the Apostles became themselves the first little Ecclesia, constituting a an or upon which,’ etc.). But our Lord's words, as reported by St. Matthew, could not be more per- sonal. To a ine that the Lord addresses St. Peter here as a type of his fellow-apostles, is in effect to imply that no words could be personal unless a Ate reference were explicitly excluded. See also ‘ Additional Note’ on p. 795%.
A clear statement as to the exposition of the words and the lines of pee interpretation is to be found in Lightfoot, Clement ii. pp. 481-490.
(δ) The new Israel as the conqueror.—The ἐκκλησία is an aggressive power. Death—the adversary of Christ—is in possession of his stronghold. But ‘his gates’ (cf. Ps 915 107'*, Job 38”, Is 38”) cannot withstand the attack. The new Israel is victorious against ‘ walled cities’ like the first Israel (ef. ¢.g. Dt 3.5). Such appears to be the meaning. The clause, however, has no special bearing on St. Peter’s functions.
(c) St. Peter as the steward of the kingdom.+— δώσω σοι τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. The words seem to be an intentional reminiscence of the message of Jehovah as to Eliakim (Is 22%): ‘The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder.’ The words are paraphrased in the LXX text represented by B (καὶ δώσω τὴν δόξαν Δαυεὶδ αὐτῷ), but §* has καὶ δώσω καὶ αὐτῷ τὴν κλῖδαν οἴκου A., and A has a conflate reading.
(d) St. Peter as the scribe who ‘binds’ and ‘looses.’ —xal ὃ ἐὰν Shops κιτιλ. In this use of ‘binding’ and ‘loosing’ there cannot be but a close reference τὸ the current technical use of these words to express the authoritative decision of a scribe on a matter of obligation (cf. Mt 5; ef. Edersheim, Life and Times ii. p. 84f.). Such de- cisions on St. Peter’s part in the new kingdom shall be the echoes of decisions already promul- vated in heaven. On these two verses see especially