Peter: this name signifies a rock

Geneva Study Bible

{5} And I say also unto thee, That thou art {l} Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the {m} gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

(5) That is true faith, which confesses Christ, the virtue of which is invincible.

(l) Christ spoke in the Syrian tongue, and therefore did not use this discourse to distinguish between Petros, which signifies Peter, and Petra, which signifies a rock, but in both places used the word Cephas: but his meaning is what is written in Greek, in which the different word endings distinguish between Peter, who is a piece of the building, and Christ the Petra, that is, the rock and foundation: or else he named him Peter because of the confession of his faith, which is the Church's as well as his, as the old fathers witness, for so says Theophylact. That confession which you have made, shall be the foundation of the believers.

(m) The enemies of the Church are compared to a strong kingdom, and therefore by gates are meant cities which are made strong with wise preparation and fortifications, and this is the meaning: whatever Satan can do by cunning or strength. So does Paul, calling them strongholds; 2Co 10:4.

Scofield Reference Notes

[1] Peter

There is the Greek a play upon the words, "thou art Peter [petros -literally 'a little rock'], and upon this rock [Petra] I will build my church." He does not promise to build His church upon Peter, but upon Himself, as Peter is careful to tell us (1Pet 2.4-9)

[2] church

Gr. ecclesia (ek=="out of," kaleo =="to call"), an assembly of called out ones. The word is used of any assembly; the word itself implies no more, as, e.g., the town-meeting at Ephesus Acts 19:39 and Israel, called out of Egypt and assembled in the wilderness Acts 7:38. Israel was a true "church," but not in any sense the N.T. church--the only point of similarity being that both were "called out" and by the same God. All else is contrast.

See Scofield Note: "Acts 7:38" See Scofield Note: "Heb 12:23"

Margin hell

See note, See Scofield Note: "Lk 16:23"

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