PETER'S CONFESSION	PAUL'S CLAIM
Matt. 16:13-19	I Cor. 3:10.15
"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? "And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. "He saith unto them, but whom say ye that I am? "And Simon Peter answered and said, THOU ART THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH; AND THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT. "AND I WILL GIVE UNTO THEE THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: AND WHATSOEVER THOU SHALT BIND ON EARTH SHALL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN: AND WHATSOEVER THOU SHALT LOOSE ON EARTH SHALL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN."	"ACCORDING TO THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH IS GIVEN UNTO ME, AS A WISE MASTER-BUILDER, I HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION, AND ANOTHER BUILDETH THEREON. BUT LET EVERY MAN TAKE HEED HOW HE BUILDETH THEREUPON. "FOR OTHER FOUNDATION CAN NO MAN LAY THAN THAT IS LAID, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST. "NOW IF ANY MAN BUILD UPON THIS FOUNDATION GOLD, SILVER, PRECIOUS STONES, WOOD, HAY, STUBBLE, "EVERY MAN'S WORK SHALL BE MADE MANIFEST FOR THE DAY SHALL DECLARE IT, BECAUSE IT SHALL BE REVEALED BY FIRE; AND THE FIRE SHALL TRY EVERY MAN'S WORK OF WHAT SORT IT IS. "IF ANY MAN'S WORK ABIDE WHICH HE HATH BUILT THEREUPON, HE SHALL RECEIVE A REWARD. "IF ANY MAN'S WORK SHALL BE BURNED, HE SHALL SUFFER LOSS: BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; YET SO AS BY FIRE."

 

It should be carefully noted that it was Peter's confession that won for him the name Petros, A Stone, and it was upon this confession ("this rock", Gr. Petra) that Christ was to build His church.  In claiming that the church is founded upon Peter himself, Rome utterly disregards the context, exalts Peter above Christ and flatly contradicts the Word of God which says:

"OTHER FOUNDATION CAN NO MAN LAY THAN THAT IS LAID, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST" (I Cor. 3:11).

But it should be noticed particularly that Peter confessed Jesus as "the Christ (Heb. Messiah, Anointed One), the Son of the living God."

The twelve, remember, had been sent out to preach: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 10:5-7).  Christ Himself, of course, was God's Anointed Son, chosen to occupy the throne in this kingdom.

As the Lord, more and more rejected in Israel, now asks His disciples: "Whom say ye that I am," it is thrilling to hear Peter reply instantly and without qualification: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

This truth: Jesus as rightful King and Son of God, was to be the very foundation of the Messianic church¹ and this is how true believers recognized the Lord at that time.

On another occasion Peter reaffirmed his faith in Jesus as the Messiah when he said:

"We believe and are sure that Thou art that CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD" (John 6:69).

Nathanael recognized Him in the same way, and said:

"Rabbi, Thou art THE SON OF GOD; Thou art THE KING OF ISRAEL" (John 1:49).

Martha said:

"Yea Lord: I believe that Thou art THE CHRIST, the Son of God, which should come into the world" (John 11:27).

John, writing about our Lord's earthly life, closes his gospel record:

"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book:

"But these are written, that ye might believe that JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD; and that believing ye might have life through His name" (John 20:30,31).²
 
 

We know, however, that Israel as a nation rejected Christ and the building of the Messianic church could not go on to completion.  Messiah, the Foundation and Corner Stone was rejected and the building, even today, lies in ruins.  Thus God is showing Israel that her house will not stand unless she recognizes Jesus as His Son and her King.

Meanwhile God is building another house, or at least another part of the great compound structure referred to in Eph. 2:21,22.  The building of this house, the church of this age, was a secret which Peter and the eleven knew nothing about when they followed Christ as king and offered His kingdom to Israel at Pentecost.

The plans and specifications for the building of this church were committed to Paul by the glorified Lord Himself.  He says, by the Spirit:

"ACCORDING TO THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH IS GIVEN UNTO ME, AS A WISE MASTER-BUILDER,³ I HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION AND ANOTHER BUILDETH THEREON" (I Cor. 3:10).

When Paul says: "I have laid the foundation," he does not mean that the church of this dispensation is not also to be founded upon Christ, for in the next verse he states clearly that no other foundation can be laid than Jesus Christ.  This is why it is so important that "every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon" (3:10).  Indeed, in Eph. 2:20 he also says that we are "built upon the foundation of [laid down by] the apostles and prophets." That is, we are "built upon Jesus Christ."

The point in Paul's claim is that we now know Christ in a different way.  Whereas Peter and the eleven knew Him as the King to reign on earth, we know Him (the same Person) as the glorified Head of the body (Eph. 1:19-23).

Paul, by the Spirit, indicates that a dispensational change has taken place, when he says:

"Wherefore HENCEFORTH know we no man after the flesh: yea, THOUGH WE HAVE KNOWN CHRIST AFTER THE FLESH, YET NOW HENCEFORTH KNOW WE HIM NO MORE" (II Cor. 5:16).

Before that time men were expected to trust in Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God," the King to reign as God on David's throne.  But with the raising up of Paul Israel's rejection of Christ was assumed and we trust the rejected King as our glorified Lord and Savior.  Hence Paul declares:

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth JESUS AS LORD, and shalt believe in thy heart that God RAISED Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9, R.V.).

We must be careful not to confuse this church described in Ephesians with that of which our Lord spoke to Peter.  That was a prophesied church.  This was a mystery.  The plans and specifications for that church are found in the Old Testament Scriptures.  The plans and specifications for this church were "kept secret since the world began" (Rom. 16:25), "hid from ages and from generations" (Col. 1:26), "in other ages . . . not made known" (Eph. 3:5), but now revealed to and through the Apostle Paul.

Peter and Paul, then, both built upon the same foundation, but whereas the millennial church will be built upon our Lord as Israel's Messiah, the church of the present dispensation is built upon Him as the glorified Head of the body, rejected on earth, but exalted far above all, at God's right hand in heaven.

This distinction is clearly brought out by a comparison of Acts 2 with II Tim. 2.

In the former passage Peter declares that God has raised Christ from the dead to sit on the throne of David (Acts 2:29-36).  In the latter passage Paul exhorts Timothy:

"Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

"REMEMBER THAT JESUS CHRIST OF THE SEED OF DAVID WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL:

"Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds: but the Word of God is not bound" (II Tim. 2:7-9).

To understand what the apostle means when he says that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was (also) raised from the dead according to his gospel, we must turn to Eph. 1 and 2, where we find him praying that believers might be given the spiritual perception to see

". . . what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

"AND WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US-WARD WHO BELIEVE, ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER,

"WHICH HE WROUGHT IN CHRIST, WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, AND SET HIM AT HIS OWN RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES" (Eph. 1:18-20).

"BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY; FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US,

"EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS, HATH QUICKENED US TOGETHER WITH CHRIST, (BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED;)

"AND HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER, AND MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:4-6).

Surely Peter would have preached such a message at Pentecost, had he known it.  But he did not know it.  At Pentecost he proclaimed Christ only as the Savior-King whom God had raised from the dead to sit on David's throne.  He called upon Israel to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins so that the times of refreshing might come and God might send back Jesus, whom they had rejected and crucified (Acts 3:19-21).

Peter's ministry, indeed, was accompanied by miraculous signs which "vanished away" during Paul's ministry, but who would sigh for "Pentecostal power" when he has come to know the power of Christ's resurrection? (Eph. 1:19,20, Phil. 3:10).

It is this message which Satan hates so bitterly and opposes so viciously that Paul suffered trouble for it as an evil doer, even unto bonds.  And little wonder!  It had seemed that with Israel's rejection of Christ all hope for the world was gone; that man had made his own salvation impossible; that God's promises had failed.  And then came the revelation of the mystery!  The chief of sinners was saved and sent forth to proclaim "the gospel of the grace of God." The very cross which had spelled man's condemnation was now revealed as the effective means of his salvation, and those trusting in Christ's shed blood were freely granted the remission of their sins and given a position in Christ at God's right hand in the heavenlies!
 
 

Paul was not self-important in calling himself the "master-builder" of the church of this dispensation.  He makes it clear that this position ,was given to him "according to the grace of God." Indeed, he always associates his unique position with the grace of God, for his conversion and commission was the supreme demonstration of that grace (See Rom. 1:5, 12:3, 15:15,16, I Cor. 15:9,10, Gal. 1:15,16, 2:9, Eph. 3:7,8 and I Tim. 1:12-16).

Moses was the master-builder of the tabernacle.  God gave him the plans and specifications for it, and said: "See . . . that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount" (Heb. 8:5).

As Moses represents the law, Paul represents grace.  Paul too was a master-builder, for to him God committed the plans and specifications for a greater building, "an holy temple," the church which is Christ's body.  Step by step the details were made known to him by direct revelation so that, as "a wise [intelligent] master-builder," he had the right and responsibility to outline them to us, the builders.
 
 

Why are God's builders failing so utterly to build according to the plans and specifications set forth in Paul's epistles?  Why do they ignore the warning:

"I HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION . . . LET EVERY MAN TAKE HEED HOW HE BUILDETH THEREUPON."

They have taken Petrine material and built it upon the Pauline foundation.  They have talked about "building the kingdom" and have tried vainly to carry out the so-called "great commission." They have taken water baptism, tongues, healings and signs of the times from another dispensation and have brought them into the dispensation of the grace of God after God has caused them to "vanish away," until the church is so confused and divided that few know what to believe.

This comes from taking too lightly the apostolic anathema of Gal. 1:8:

"BUT THOUGH WE, OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN, PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL UNTO YOU THAN THAT WHICH WE HAVE PREACHED UNTO YOU, LET HIM BE ACCURSED."

Are our spiritual leaders unaware of the condition of the church or have they forgotten that they will give an account to God for their workmanship when the building is inspected?

Surely God is not to blame for the present condition of the church.  The builders are to blame.  Instead of preaching the Word rightly divided, they have fed their congregations with milk and music.  Some catchy phrase, some striking verse from here or there or anywhere, regardless of its context; this, along with some sort of entertainment, is made to do for what should be intelligent and spiritually powerful preaching of the Word.  And the majority of Christians have been fed on this sort of diet for so long that they are spiritually sick--so sick that their leaders feel justified in continuing the light diet indefinitely.

It is often argued that souls are being saved, but will the builders of the church never awaken to the fact that hands raised or people coming forward do not measure the success of their work?  Will their work abide?  That is the question.  Not does it receive public approval, but will it abide the divine inspection?

Too often spiritual leaders have applied Paul's warning in I Cor. 3:10-17 to Christian conduct in general, while the passage deals specifically with the builders and their workmanship in the erection of the church.  The result: look at the church-- yes, even the Fundamental, Bible-believing church.  Examine it carefully and see whether the building is in sound condition.  See whether it is composed mostly of "gold, silver, precious stones," or of "wood, hay and stubble." And then ask yourself what the great divine Inspector will say to the builders when He examines their workmanship.

Many an evangelist, many a preacher, who enjoys prominence and popularity today will weep in that day, to see his work go up in flames.  Even though "he himself shall be saved" it will be a dreadful thing to "suffer loss" when the rewards are given out.

How may God's workmen overcome faulty building and escape disapproval of their work by the great Building Inspector?  There is only one way:

"STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD, A WORKMAN THAT NEEDETH NOT TO BE ASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH" (II Tim. 2:15).
 
 

1.  How did Simon win for himself the name Petros, A Stone?

2.  On what Petra, or rock, then, was Christ to build "His church"?

3.  Give Scripture to prove that this church was not to be built upon Peter himself.

4.  To what church did our Lord refer in Matt. 16:18?

5.  To what did our Lord promise to give Peter the keys?

6.  Give proof that the Lord could not have referred to "the church which is His body."

7.  Give two other Scriptural examples indicating that believers at that time looked to Jesus as Messiah and Son of God.

8.  How must men confess Jesus today to be saved?  Give Scripture.

9.  What is the relation between our Lord and the church of this present dispensation?

10.  At Pentecost Peter declared that God had raised Christ from the dead for what purpose?

11.  What further revelation did Paul receive and make known about the resurrection of Christ?

12.  Paul later reminded Timothy that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, had been raised from the dead according to what?

13.  What relation does Paul sustain to the building of the church of this dispensation?  Give Scripture.

14.  How does he admonish the builders in this connection?

15.  Of what different types of materials may God's building be composed?

16.  By what means will the workmanship of the builders be tried, and what will be the one great test of satisfactory workmanship?

17.  How will the results affect the builders?

18.  Give Scripture to prove that the salvation of the workmen will not be affected by the quality of their workmanship.

19.  According to I Cor. 3:10-15, who is to blame for the condition of the church today?

20.  What Scripture indicates how we may be sure to be approved as God's workmen?