Cornerstone Qualities

In a previous posting, I had talked about how Simon Barjona was given his name. He was given the name Peter or "Rock." A recent conversation with Wanda King compelled me to revisit this topic in order to clarify meaning. This was an interesting conversation because I feel it led me to a new understanding to calling. The wording I had used in the blog implied that Peter was "the rock" of the church, implying Jesus was not. This was not my intent but interesting to say the least.

The following is my understanding of Peter's position based on reflecting on the conversation with Wanda and reflecting in the word.

Here are the verses in the NASB

Matt 16:15-20
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."
NASU

Simon here is acknowledging the name given to Jesus. The name gives the identity , the calling, and the authority given by God. Jesus uses the phrase "I also say that you are..." revealing that it was, in a sense, His turn to share with Peter his destiny and calling. The original term, Petra, means a large, massive stone. This implies that Peter was unable to be moved. He was solid and unwavering.

Each of us is given a name that reflects our identity and calling. We are each a mirror of God reflecting different attributes of God. No one person reflects all the attributes of God. In this particular situation, Jesus was giving Peter his name reflecting His solid foundation, His immovable nature. Peter's mission was to reflect the solidity of God.

For this reason, Peter was given a high honor. Because Peter reflected Jesus's cornerstone qualities, he was given authority as one of the founders of the early church. It was his mission to pass along the unshakable foundations of God to each of the members of the body of Christ. God's word, from Christ through Peter would be solid and grounded, and thus, he was trusted with the "Keys of the Kingdom."

It is only in that state where we are solid and grounded in His word and who He is that we can be trusted with the Keys of the Kingdom!

Disclaimer: The contents of this message are to be prayed over and tested by prayer and scripture. The contents of any blogs written are my best understanding of any knowledge I obtain. The contents of this message may come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to: books I have read, words from God, words I have heard, memories, experiences, and my own imagination. It is my intention to share what knowledge I have gleaned from all available sources and "connect the dots" between those points of knowledge. God Bless!