~Brandon James Scott Scholl
Matthew 16:18 is one of the most highly debated scriptures about Roman Catholicism. I’ve heard people time and time again claim that it’s the scripture that proves that all popes are successors of the apostle Peter. However, I’ve done my own research and study and I believe I understand it.
First, let’s look at a few scriptures before verse 18 and then the one after it.
“13(Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." 15He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."17And 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." ~Matthew 16:13-19 NASB
Okay, now let’s see if we can break this down a little bit.
So, Jesus is talking to the disciples and asking them questions about who people think the Messiah is. All of them explained that people thought all sorts of different people were the Messiah. Then, Christ asked them who they thought it was and Simon Peter explained that He was the Christ. At which point He explained that it wasn’t man that showed Peter this truth, but it was God.
That gives us enough context to now dive into a bit of controversy.
One of the biggest things, as I mentioned before, is the Catholic church believing that this scripture says that Christ’s church will be built upon Peter. This, to them, means that the church will be built upon the leader of all the believers and they believe that to be the pope. However, that’s not what is supported as we dig deeper into this scripture.
Now, some people would start getting upset about now because of how I differentiated “petra” and “Petros”. However, here’s an interesting fact, the same rock that Christ says He’ll build His church on is mentioned the exact same Greek word “Petra” in a few other scriptures that might help you understand what rock He was exactly referring to.
”The Rock! (Petra) His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.” ~Deuteronomy 32:4 NASB
”Do not tremble and do not be afraid;
Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?
And you are My witnesses
Is there any God besides Me,
Or is there any other Rock? (Petra)
I know of none.” ~Isaiah 44:8 NASB
There are other scriptures that are the same way. 2 Samuel 22:2-3, Psalms 18:31, Romans 9:33. When Rock is mentioned in all of these scriptures, it’s referring to God. Meaning that God is the foundation of what Jesus’ church is built on.
Now, let’s debunk a quick little response from the Catholic Church. Numerous websites that I looked over and the different things that I read from other Catholics explain that the Gospels were actually written in Aramaic originally. They claim that in the Aramaic it can be proven that Peter was meant to be the first pope and start that line. However, to this day, there was never a copy of the Gospels recovered in Aramaic. The farthest back it’s been found is Greek.
Bottom line, the scripture doesn’t support the Catholic church having a pope or using them as a leader of the church that makes decisions. The Catholic church hasn’t used proper exegesis on this section to understand what it says. So, they aren’t listening to what God is telling them to do within their church, they’re listening to a man. When that’s the setup, it’s not Christian or anything like it. And, if my memory serves me right about the Ten Commandments, we aren’t to have idols or anything else before God. If the Catholic church is using the pope as the lead, I believe that would be someone replacing God.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Christian life & Who's in Charge?
~Brandon James Scott Scholl.
"I didn't say it was going to be easy, I said it was going to be worth it."
That's a quote from a picture that hung in my dad's office with Jesus on it. Of course Jesus never said it but I used to sit and just stare at it and wonder what that meant. At the time I was about 7 and had no idea what it was even referring to. Now, however, I completely understand what it means.
" And you will be hated by all men because of my name: but he who is strong to the end will have salvation."
~Matthew 10:22 BBE
That scripture could not be any truer. When you follow Christ through your calling, life certainly isn't going to be easy. The enemy does whatever he can to destroy us and there are many times that we do get beat down. Yet, thank God for His grace.
For myself, I'm currently going through a rather painful but humbling experience. Since June of 2009 I've had severe muscle spasms and pain in my lower back. After numerous tests I was diagnosed with a bi-lateral broad-based disk bulge between L5-S1 (lower back) that December. After a little while, the pain was manageable and I walked with a cane because of the nerves affecting my left leg. I was prescribed a strong dose of Norco to deal with the pain if necessary. Ever since, my pain is usually a 7 out of 10. This has affected my education, my job, and all other areas of my life.
Earlier this year, I was hit in the lower back and ever since, I have been using a cane again and the Norco is a nightly thing. I went back to my neurosurgeon recently and had an MRI done. The results were that I not only inherited her quite high opiate tolerance, but I also back degeneration for the rest of my life.
A surgery was scheduled for November 15 and I was preparing to handle four months of recover with two months of physical therapy. Earlier this week, however, I received a letter from my insurance saying that my surgery was denied because it was seen as "medically unnecessary".
As of right now we are appealing their decision and resubmitting everything. When I first got that letter and read it, my family was asleep and it was three in the morning. After reading it, the first thing I did was walk around the house and grasp what it meant. More pain, more problems, and the one thing that is the most important through all of this, more time and focus on God.
This morning in church my pastor talked about how sometimes the only way God can get our attention and we run to Him is by simply putting us through trials.
" For the Lord sends punishment on his loved ones; everyone whom he takes as his son has experience of his rod.
It is for your training that you undergo these things; God is acting to you as a father does to his sons; for what son does not have punishment from his father?"
Hebrews 12:6-7 BBE
How else do we learn things except to go through the hard stuff? On the Sunday following September 11, there were hoards of people that went to church because of how devastating the attacks on the World Trade Centers were. Yet, now we want to take God out of EVERYTHING.
When parents have a child hanging in between life and death, you can bet they’re praying. Something big happens in our lives and that’s when we want to think religiously.
God is in control of everything. He’s the one that created everything. The reason why we go through things isn’t simply just because the enemy is always attacking us and we’re having to defend ourselves or ask God for His help. If you look at the story of Job, it wasn’t that the enemy was attacking him because he was doing something he was supposed to, it was because God allowed the enemy to do it. Through the trials and attacks that Job went through, he realized things as well.
What we have to remember is that things aren’t going to be easy when we’re Christians. Life is going to be tough and it’s going to be quite bumpy. Whether it’s problems with friends and family or your surgery was denied by your insurance, God is on the throne and in charge. When you are saved, you don’t get a life that’s going to be simple or become easier just, you get a big bullseye on your back. But even though it’s there, nothing’s going after it unless God allows it. He never gives us more than we can handle, even if the circumstances or events seem otherwise.
"I didn't say it was going to be easy, I said it was going to be worth it."
That's a quote from a picture that hung in my dad's office with Jesus on it. Of course Jesus never said it but I used to sit and just stare at it and wonder what that meant. At the time I was about 7 and had no idea what it was even referring to. Now, however, I completely understand what it means.
" And you will be hated by all men because of my name: but he who is strong to the end will have salvation."
~Matthew 10:22 BBE
That scripture could not be any truer. When you follow Christ through your calling, life certainly isn't going to be easy. The enemy does whatever he can to destroy us and there are many times that we do get beat down. Yet, thank God for His grace.
For myself, I'm currently going through a rather painful but humbling experience. Since June of 2009 I've had severe muscle spasms and pain in my lower back. After numerous tests I was diagnosed with a bi-lateral broad-based disk bulge between L5-S1 (lower back) that December. After a little while, the pain was manageable and I walked with a cane because of the nerves affecting my left leg. I was prescribed a strong dose of Norco to deal with the pain if necessary. Ever since, my pain is usually a 7 out of 10. This has affected my education, my job, and all other areas of my life.
Earlier this year, I was hit in the lower back and ever since, I have been using a cane again and the Norco is a nightly thing. I went back to my neurosurgeon recently and had an MRI done. The results were that I not only inherited her quite high opiate tolerance, but I also back degeneration for the rest of my life.
A surgery was scheduled for November 15 and I was preparing to handle four months of recover with two months of physical therapy. Earlier this week, however, I received a letter from my insurance saying that my surgery was denied because it was seen as "medically unnecessary".
As of right now we are appealing their decision and resubmitting everything. When I first got that letter and read it, my family was asleep and it was three in the morning. After reading it, the first thing I did was walk around the house and grasp what it meant. More pain, more problems, and the one thing that is the most important through all of this, more time and focus on God.
This morning in church my pastor talked about how sometimes the only way God can get our attention and we run to Him is by simply putting us through trials.
" For the Lord sends punishment on his loved ones; everyone whom he takes as his son has experience of his rod.
It is for your training that you undergo these things; God is acting to you as a father does to his sons; for what son does not have punishment from his father?"
Hebrews 12:6-7 BBE
How else do we learn things except to go through the hard stuff? On the Sunday following September 11, there were hoards of people that went to church because of how devastating the attacks on the World Trade Centers were. Yet, now we want to take God out of EVERYTHING.
When parents have a child hanging in between life and death, you can bet they’re praying. Something big happens in our lives and that’s when we want to think religiously.
God is in control of everything. He’s the one that created everything. The reason why we go through things isn’t simply just because the enemy is always attacking us and we’re having to defend ourselves or ask God for His help. If you look at the story of Job, it wasn’t that the enemy was attacking him because he was doing something he was supposed to, it was because God allowed the enemy to do it. Through the trials and attacks that Job went through, he realized things as well.
What we have to remember is that things aren’t going to be easy when we’re Christians. Life is going to be tough and it’s going to be quite bumpy. Whether it’s problems with friends and family or your surgery was denied by your insurance, God is on the throne and in charge. When you are saved, you don’t get a life that’s going to be simple or become easier just, you get a big bullseye on your back. But even though it’s there, nothing’s going after it unless God allows it. He never gives us more than we can handle, even if the circumstances or events seem otherwise.
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