St. Peter and St. Paul

The two greatest apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, have been commemorated together on June 29 for nearly eighteen centuries, almost since the time of Christ. Our congregation, like many others, is named after St. Paul, while countless other congregations are named for St. Peter, or perhaps, St. Peter and St. Paul together. But while the name of St. Paul may be upon our building, it is the name of Christ Jesus that marks our hearts and makes us Christians. For we were not, as St. Paul reminds us, baptized into the name of Paul, or of Peter, or of any other apostle, but we were baptized into the name of the Jesus. Yes, the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, but it is Jesus Christ Himself [who is] the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:19).

The papacy uses the Gospel text from Matthew 16 as the basis for the power and authority of the pope, claiming that St. Peter is the cornerstone upon which Jesus builds His church. While it is true that Jesus says, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church” (Mt 16:18), the very next thing he says to Peter is, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mt 16:23). Should we try to build a church upon a sinful man, Jesus’ words to Peter warn us of the very short jump from pope to antichrist. And when we look more closely at the text, we find that Jesus does not promise to build His church upon Peter at all, but upon Himself.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church.”(Mt 16:15–18). Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, and upon this rock I will build My church. What is this rock? What is this truth that flesh and blood has not revealed to Peter? “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The cornerstone of the church is not Peter, it is Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, whom Peter had just confessed.

How sad it is that the entire claim of the papal supremacy rests upon the misreading of a single passage of Scripture. And this is clear even before we consider the two different words that Jesus uses for rock. Jesus says to Peter, “Your name is Petros, and upon this petra I will build my church.” “Your name is Peter, Petros—little rock, little pebble, easily moved by the shifting currents of this world—but upon this petra—this massive, immovable, unchangeable bedrock—upon this, I will build my church.” Jesus can’t be saying that He will build His church upon Peter. He’s not even using the same word. The church is not built upon sinful flesh and blood. What a poor foundation that would make. The church is built upon this confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This is a foundation that can withstand the gates of hell. This is a foundation that will endure throughout the ages.

St. Paul warns of the danger of building on any other foundation. “Let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay that that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 3:10–11). Anything built on a foundation other than Christ will be burnt up and destroyed, but the church that is built upon Christ will endure.

This has been proven true countless times in the history of God’s people. Sinful pride is always tempted to build upon sinful men, and the papacy has no monopoly in this regard. Consider how many charismatic leaders have led God’s sheep astray, whether in radical, fringe groups such as the Peoples’ Temple under Jim Jones, or personality cults of the big box churches that can be found in nearly every city. So much devastation, so many lives destroyed, so many souls lost by building on a poor foundation—on any other foundation—which is not Christ Jesus.

We too must be on guard against this danger because your own sinful nature is eager and happy to build on a false foundation. Just because Lutherans do not have a pope, does not mean that we are any less prone to idolatry than other Christians. And we can make idols of any good thing that God has given us, including the pastor. Some of you don’t like me. That’s ok. I suppose God has spared you from the temptation of making an idol of me. But others here do like me. And what would happen if I took a call to another congregation? What would change here? Hopefully nothing. If you came here this morning because of me, then repent. That is a poor foundation. Who am I? No one. St. Paul writes, the great apostle for whom our church is named, writes, “Who then is Paul, [and who is Peter,] and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” (1 Cor 3:5–7).

Consider the terrible burden it would place upon us if we, somehow, were responsible for building the church. Sometimes I think of the poor pastors who labor under that burden, or the elders, or church council members who have become convinced that their efforts will determine whether the church stands or falls. “It’s on us to bring in the lost. Everything depends on us and our gifts. We’ll borrow the marketing strategy and the value of Chick-fil-a. It worked for them; it should work for us. We’ll staff the church with charismatic personalities. We’ll get a really great band. We’ll bring people by creating a safe and inviting atmosphere…”

What a relief it is to hear once again the promise of our Lord Jesus: “Upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus will do the work. That’s His promise. He will build His Church. And He will do so by revealing to us, through the Holy Spirit, that which flesh and blood could never begin to comprehend or confess: that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is the confession of St. Peter. It is the core of all St. Paul’s teaching. Indeed, everything witnessed and written by the apostles can be summed up with these words: “These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (Jn 20:31) Or as St. Paul wrote, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Cor 2:2)

Here at last is the solid foundation, the petra, the unmoveable, unshakable bedrock upon which the church is built. Strip away everything else—the struggles for power, the temptations toward idolatry, our love for programs and gimmicks and marketing strategies. When all these things are pushed aside, what remains is Christ crucified for sinners of whom I am chief. Upon this rock Christ will build His church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And within His church, our Lord gives for our use the keys of the kingdom of heaven: the key that unlocks the gates of hell and looses the chains of poor, miserable, sinners, and the key that open the gate of heaven. Amen.