Last Updated on 24. November 2025 by Andi

Who is the Rock on which Jesus builds His Church? (Matthew 16:18)

Who is the Rock that Jesus talks about in Matthew 16:18? Is this Rock, on which Jesus builds His Church, the Apostle Peter, the Pope, or the Chief Apostle of the NAC? These claims have been made by various churches. In this article, **I refute this claim** using the whole Bible and the original Greek text. I show: Jesus Christ is the true Rock.

• 1. The Catechism of Two Churches
  • 1.1 Peter the Rock in the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church
  • 1.2 Peter the Rock in the Catechism of the New Apostolic Church
  • 1.3 Three Positions on the Rock in Matthew 16: A Comparison
• 2. Analysis of the Central Bible Passage: Matthew 16:15-19
  • 2.1 The Rock in the Old Testament
  • 2.2 The Rock in the New Testament
• 3. Jesus, the Spiritual Rock in the OT and NT
• 4. The Rock in Matthew 16:15-18
• 5. The Rock is Jesus Christ, Not Peter
• 6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Rock in Matthew 16
• 7. Sources and More Theological Articles on My Blog

1. The Catechism of Two Churches

Both the Roman Catholic Church and the New Apostolic Church have a leader who claims the “Rock Office” for himself: The Pope and the Chief Apostle. Both churches refer to the Bible passage in Matthew 16, verse 18. I will examine this claim using the Bible. We will determine if the argument, which is based on only one Bible verse, truly holds up. Let’s first look at what is written in the catechisms of both churches:

1.1 Peter the Rock in the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church

In the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, it says:

The Lord made Simon alone, whom He named Peter, the rock of His Church. He entrusted him with its keys and appointed him shepherd of the whole flock.

from the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church 1997, German translation 2005

In paragraphs 880 to 882, the Church further explains that this Rock Office has now been transferred to the Pope and that he, as the “unshakeable rock,” is the head of the Church.

1.2 Peter the Rock in the Catechism of the New Apostolic Church

Similar to the Roman Catholic Church, the New Apostolic Church writes in its Catechism:

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Head of His Church. In this Church, the Chief Apostle ministry has the task of exercising the Petrine ministry according to the words of Jesus (Mt 16:18, 19 is cited here). Jesus speaks of the foundation and building of His congregation in connection with the special position of the Apostle Peter. He is the “rock” on which Jesus Christ builds His Church. The Son of God has thus created an indissoluble link between the Rock Office and His Church. The Rock Office and the Church of Christ are given to people for salvation in Jesus Christ. The service and the tasks that the Lord entrusted to the Apostle Peter are exercised today by the Chief Apostle.

Catechism of the New Apostolic Church, Chapter 7.6.6 (checked on 11/21/2025)

1.3 Three Positions on the Rock in Matthew 16: A Comparison

To clearly contrast the different interpretations, the following compact overview summarizes the most important arguments:

2. Analysis of the Central Bible Passage: Matthew 16:15-19

Let’s look at this Bible passage, and then we will examine it by considering the whole Bible. Finally, I will look at the meaning of the Matthew verse. We will do this with the help of the original Greek text. Here is the text:

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:15-19 (Luther 2017)

It is true: The text gives the impression that Peter is the rock upon which Jesus builds His church. Is this interpretation biblically sound? I want to approach the text on two levels: First, I will examine who the rock is based on the whole Bible. Then, we will take a closer look at the passage in Matthew 16 with the help of the original Greek text.

2.1 The Rock in the Old Testament

With the help of a concordance, I checked all Bible passages in which the word “Rock” appears. I discovered that it is God Himself who is called “Rock” in the Old Testament. Here are a few examples among many:

He is the Rock. His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.

Deuteronomy 32:4 (Luther 2017)

There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2 (Luther 2017)

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.

2 Samuel 22:2 (Luther 2017)

It is interesting that all three passages come from songs or prayers of thanksgiving: The Song of Moses, Hannah’s praise, and David’s psalm of thanksgiving give glory to God by calling Him the Rock. Even more: God is portrayed as the only Rock. Furthermore, many Bible passages express that the characteristic of this Rock is that HE—God—brings salvation and deliverance:

He scorned the Rock of his salvation – The Rock of my salvation – Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer

Deuteronomy 32:15; 2 Samuel 22:47; Psalm 19:14 (Luther 2017)

Furthermore, Isaiah describes God as an everlasting rock who will never change:

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 26:4 (Luther 2017)

The disciples were certainly familiar with these passages, which clearly testify that only God Himself is symbolically called the Rock.

2.2 The Rock in the New Testament

Jesus Christ was certainly well aware of these passages, as He knew the Old Testament very well. Is it realistic to believe that Jesus gave the title “Rock” to His disciple Peter, who had so often proven his fallibility? Let’s take a look at the New Testament to see where Jesus, Paul, and Peter spoke about the Rock. Afterward, we will take a deeper look at the passage where Jesus spoke with Peter. Jesus first spoke about a rock here:

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 7:24 (Luther 2017)

Here it is already clear that our faith requires a foundation, a rock.

Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 8:14) in Romans 9:33 and relates these words to Jesus Christ:

Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.

Romans 9:33 (Luther 2017)

So, Paul identifies the Rock here and equates Him with Jesus Christ!

But it is not only Paul, but also Peter himself (the alleged Rock), who quotes the same passage from Isaiah and also points to Jesus Christ:

For it stands in Scripture (Isaiah 28:16): “Behold, I am laying in Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22), and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense” (Isaiah 8:14). They stumble because they disobey the word…

1 Peter 2:6-8 (Luther 2017)

So Peter himself—whom the churches say is the Rock—quotes several Old Testament passages here to point out that Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone, the “Rock of Offense.”

3. Jesus, the Spiritual Rock in the OT and NT

It is always good to see that the Old and New Testaments speak of the same God and harmonize perfectly with one another. We will now see that the New Testament clearly reveals the “Rock” of the Old Testament, which I quoted above, as Jesus Christ. This is also proof of the unity of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Paul speaks about the people of Israel, and his conclusion is:

and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:4 (Luther 2017)

Paul is referring here to Exodus 17:6. The people of Israel are in the desert and are thirsty. God commands Moses to strike a rock so that water comes out. Moses does it, and the people have water to drink. Just as God gave the people of Israel living water from the Rock, Jesus Christ gives living water to everyone who believes in Him today. The woman at Jacob’s well also experienced this, to whom Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

By the way: The fact that God gave the people of Israel water from the rock that Moses struck reminds us of Jesus Christ, who was struck on the cross for us so that we can find redemption.

The Rock therefore has a spiritual meaning that points to Jesus Christ: “The Rock was Christ.” In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is thus presented as a Rock on which we stand securely if we believe His word and accept Him. God, the everlasting Rock, becomes human in Jesus Christ, and whoever builds on Him has built on solid ground.

Now let’s look again at the Bible passage in Matthew 16, which the two churches consider proof that their church leaders are the “Rock.” Let’s see what is meant here:

4. The Rock in Matthew 16:15-18

Who is the Rock now? Many clear Bible passages testify that God in Jesus Christ is the Rock. Doctrinal statements should always be judged by the clear Bible passages and not the unclear ones. What did Jesus mean when, at first glance in Matthew 16, He called Peter the rock of the church?
If we look at the original Greek text, we see that Jesus says here:

…You are Peter (petros, i.e., stone or small rock), and on this Rock (petra, i.e., bedrock or massive rock formation) I will build My church…

from Matthew 16:18 (Luther 2017)

Jesus therefore uses two different Greek words here. Peter (petros) is a stone, a small rock – and Jesus (petra) is the massive rock.

Thus, today all believers are living stones of the “spiritual temple,” the church. This is what Peter, who as the alleged Rock should know best, says again:

…you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:5 (Elb)

Jesus is the massive rock. Peter—and all believers—are stones, small rocks, in this massive rock.

It is good to consider verse 18 in its overall context. Jesus speaks these words after Peter testifies: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” In response, Jesus identifies Peter as a small rock (or stone), and Himself as the massive rock (or bedrock). The massive rock is Jesus Himself, just as Peter said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” It is on this confession, or on Himself, that Jesus builds His worldwide church, into which all believers are incorporated as “living stones”!

5. The Rock is Jesus Christ, Not Peter

Jesus Christ is the Rock; He builds His church, His congregation. Thank God we do not have to rely on fallible people. The history of the churches has clearly shown: Both popes and chief apostles are fallible and absolutely unsuitable to hold a position on which we should build our faith. Jesus is the Rock! This fits seamlessly with the Old Testament passages that call God the only Rock—and in the New Testament, God the Rock is revealed in Jesus Christ.

Nowhere in the Bible is Peter described as the Head of the apostles, the church, or even as its Rock. Nor could he pass on this “office.” Let us build our faith only on Jesus Christ and not on a fallible human! Then we will not be disappointed.

The following words beautifully describe this Rock that will give you rest:

A rock is needed.
An inner peace,
which is deeper than mental understanding,
human love,
personal success
and the accumulation of possessions.
There is a Rock,
that will give you peace,
when all other things have been taken from you.
This Rock is Jesus Christ,
and it is within you to find in Him that
which you are looking for.
In His grace, He will not play hide-and-seek with you.
Cry out to Him in your weakness and exhaustion.
He will find you and be your Rock.
**He is the Rock you long for,
He is the only one who can make you feel,
that all is well.
And when you give up your hope
in the deceptive rocks of this fallen world
and begin to yearn for the true Rock,
He will reach out and set you on solid ground.**
Paul David Tripp in “Shelter in the Time of Storm” (Crossway 2009)

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Rock in Matthew 16

7. Sources and More Theological Articles on My Blog

For this article, I used the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church (German Translation 2005) and the New Apostolic Church (current as of 2025), as well as the Bible in the following translations:

• Elberfelder Bible (Elb) 2006, © 2006 by SCM R. Brockhaus in SCM Verlagsgruppe GmbH Witten/Holzgerlingen
• The Bible according to Martin Luther’s translation, revised 2017, © 2016 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart

Articles in the category “Living Faith”
Articles on the New Apostolic Church