When a builder or contractor, or perhaps you as an individual, undertakes a particular building project of one sort or another, there is a lot of work to be done before the project is completed, or before it even gets started. A procedure is followed. The first consideration is purpose and design. There must be a reason for the building. What is it good for? How will it function? Next, there is choosing the materials for the building. What kind of materials will be used? There will be many different kinds of materials needed to complete the building, e.g., strong floor joists, 2 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s, sheet rock, doors, moldings, hardware, siding, etc. Following the selection of materials, they need to be purchased. After the materials have been paid for, they need to be gathered from the different places and brought to the building site. Finally, the materials must be assembled, i.e., put together in the form of the building. Construction begins with the foundation. The proper foundation is most important. Otherwise, all the subsequent preparation and work is in vain. As the building begins, each piece is cut and fitted for its proper place.

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says to the apostle Peter, “I will build my church.” Jesus is the Master Builder. The building is His church, a building not made of wood, brick and mortar or steel, but a spiritual house composed of people. Later the apostle Peter would write in his first epistle: “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5).While this building is spiritual, it is also structured. A procedure was, and is, followed that is illustrated by the procedure used for erecting a physical building.

Christ had a purpose and design for building His church: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Pet. 2:9,10). Christ chose the people for His church with this purpose and design in mind: “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:4-6). Here the illustration breaks down, for Christ did not choose the best or most beautiful materials as we would for our building project. He did not have that luxury! We read in Deut. 7:7: “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you.”

In I Cor. 1:28 we read: “The base things of the world, the things which were despised, has God chosen . . . that no flesh should glory in His presence.” Does this mean that the church of Jesus Christ is made of shoddy materials and workmanship? No it does not. Christ does something to those who make up His church: “And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezek. 36:26,27). “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of obedience, . . . but God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ . . . and raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:1,2,4-7). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (II Cor. 5:17). Thus, Christ rebuilds the materials that make up His church.

Jesus also purchases those people who make up His church. The apostle Paul charges the Ephesian elders: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). Paul writes to the Corinthians: “For you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20). The apostle Peter writes: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18,19).

Next, Christ gathers these people into His church. He brings them together to the place where they may feast upon the Word of God, and where they may worship together in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23,24). Christ gathers His church out of the whole human race from the beginning to the end of the world: “That in the dispensation of the fullness of time He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him” (Eph. 1:10); “And they sang a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).

Finally, Christ assembles His church. He puts it all together to form His body of which He is the head. Each member has his or her place in the body: “For the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased” (1 Cor. 12:14-18); “And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11,12).

Christ is indeed the builder of His church. This becomes very clear when we see how Christ designed, chose, purchased, gathers and assembles His church. No flesh may nor can glory or boast! That Christ is the builder becomes still more evident when we see that Christ builds His church upon Himself: “For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). Not only is Christ the foundation, but also the chief cornerstone. The apostle Peter, quoting Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy, says: “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him shall not be put to shame” (1 Pet. 2:6).

The Scriptures leave no doubt that Christ builds His church, and that is what Christ is telling Peter in Matt. 16:18. In the course of His traveling ministry, always accompanied by the chosen twelve, Jesus expresses an interest in the different opinions that are circulating concerning Himself. And so, on the coast of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks His disciples the question: “Who do men say that I the Son of man am?” (vs. 13). In other words, “What is the latest thing going around about me? What have you been hearing?” Of course, Jesus already knew the answer, but He was preparing the disciples for another question.

There were various answers to Jesus’ question: Jesus’ fame was spreading. People were hearing about Him, about the things He was preaching and doing. And as is quite natural, people were expressing their views and opinions. Some said Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life. Others said He was Elijah, the prophet of judgment, or Jeremiah who prophesied about the kingdom, or some other prophet (cf. Matt. 16:14). Everyone had an opinion. It is the same today. There are many views concerning Jesus—a great teacher, moralist, a myth, a legend, a fake, etc. All of these opinions were wrong then as well as now.

Now Jesus is ready to ask His disciples the next question: “But who do you say that I am?” (vs.15). Peter, who often acts as the spokesman, answers for all of them: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus also knew what was in the hearts and minds of His disciples, and through this question draws from them a confession, a confession that revealed the gift of faith that had been given them: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (vs. 17). Faith is not self-made. Later, the apostle John would write: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn. 1:12, 13). Jesus goes on to tell Peter: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (vv. 18,19).

There have been various interpretations to the preceding verses. The reason is because of what the Roman Catholic Church has interpreted them to mean, i.e., that here Peter is given supreme authority over the church, next to Christ Himself, and has all the power in the church signified by “the keys of the kingdom.” Thus, Peter was the first pope and this power has been passed on from pope to pope down through the centuries to the present. Never mind that Jesus, on another occasion, gives this same authority not only to Peter, but to all of the apostles, (cf. Matt. 18:18). What these verses do teach is the governmental structure, authority and discipline of the church, (cf. Heidelberg Catechism 83-85).

Again, what is abundantly clear and must be understood is that Christ is the Builder of His church. He builds well and permanently so that nothing can, or will, destroy His church. The material and workmanship is His. By the working of His Spirit and the preaching of His Word, He adds souls to His church. He builds it up with “living souls” (cf. I Pet. 2:5). He begins with rock, Himself, as the only and lasting foundation. Then He uses solid, living stones such as Peter. Christ addresses only Peter by name because he has confessed for all of the disciples, but all of them are stones. Peter, like stone or rock, is solid, fixed, firm, not easily swayed by all the different opinions that were going around concerning Christ.

To be sure, we must acknowledge that Peter is given one of chief places among the living stones in Christ’s church, for it is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20). The apostles are the first layer of stones, for we read in Rev. 21:14, that the names of the twelve are written in the foundation of the new Jerusalem. The church is built of living stones into which Peter had been fashioned.

The meaning of Peter’s name, i.e., rock, fits the confession Peter makes. Some say that Jesus is only referring to Peter’s confession in order to get away from Rome’s idea of Peter being the first pope, but you cannot separate the confessor and confession. Jesus uses both together. He uses rocks like Peter with solid, rock-like confessions. This behooves us to look closely at the meaning of Peter’s confession, for it must be our confession if we are to be a part or stone in Christ’s church; “For you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (vs. 16). There is a wealth of meaning in the various names that are given to the Son of God, the living God, Creator of heaven and earth, as opposed to all the idols fashioned by sinful man. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. The Heidelberg Catechism devotes two separate questions and answers to the meaning of that name: “Why is He called Christ, that is, Anointed? Because He is ordained of God the Father and anointed with the Holy Ghost to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption; and our only High Priest, who by the one sacrifice of His body, has redeemed us, and ever liveth to make intercession for us with the Father; and our eternal King, who governs us by His Word and Spirit and defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us. Why are you called a Christian? Because by faith I am a member of Christ and thus a partaker of His anointing, in order that I may confess His Name, may present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him, and that with a free conscience I may fight against sin and the devil in this life, and hereafter in eternity reign with Him over all creatures.” (H. C. Q/A 31, 32)

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”—a solid, rock-like confession from a solid, rock-like confessor. Christ builds His church. It is all His material and workmanship. Are we confessors with a confession like Peter’s? Are we living stones in Christ’s church? That is the kind of material that Christ fashions and uses to build His church. Because His church is so built, the powers of evil, including death, will never prevail against it. What do you think of Christ? Who do you say that He is?

"I Will Build My Church"

Rev. Vernon Pollema

When a builder or contractor, or perhaps you as an individual, undertakes a particular building project of one sort or another, there is a lot of work to be done before the project is completed, or before it even gets started. A procedure is followed. The first consideration is purpose and design. There must be a reason for the building. What is it good for? How will it function? Next, there is choosing the materials for the building. What kind of materials will be used? There will be many different kinds of materials needed to complete the building, e.g., strong floor joists, 2 x 4's, 2 x 6's, sheet rock, doors, moldings, hardware, siding, etc. Following the selection of materials, they need to be purchased. After the materials have been paid for, they need to be gathered from the different places and brought to the building site. Finally, the materials must be assembled, i.e., put together in the form of the building. Construction begins with the foundation. The proper foundation is most important. Otherwise, all the subsequent preparation and work is in vain. As the building begins, each piece is cut and fitted for its proper place.

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says to the apostle Peter, "I will build my church." Jesus is the Master Builder. The building is His church, a building not made of wood, brick and mortar or steel, but a spiritual house composed of people. Later the apostle Peter would write in his first epistle: "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:5).While this building is spiritual, it is also structured. A procedure was, and is, followed that is illustrated by the procedure used for erecting a physical building.

Christ had a purpose and design for building His church: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Pet. 2:9,10). Christ chose the people for His church with this purpose and design in mind: "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:4-6). Here the illustration breaks down, for Christ did not choose the best or most beautiful materials as we would for our building project. He did not have that luxury! We read in Deut. 7:7: "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you."

In I Cor. 1:28 we read: "The base things of the world, the things which were despised, has God chosen . . . that no flesh should glory in His presence." Does this mean that the church of Jesus Christ is made of shoddy materials and workmanship? No it does not. Christ does something to those who make up His church: "And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezek. 36:26,27). "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of obedience, . . . but God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ . . . and raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:1,2,4-7). "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (II Cor. 5:17). Thus, Christ rebuilds the materials that make up His church.

Jesus also purchases those people who make up His church. The apostle Paul charges the Ephesian elders: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). Paul writes to the Corinthians: "For you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:20). The apostle Peter writes: "Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Pet. 1:18,19).

Next, Christ gathers these people into His church. He brings them together to the place where they may feast upon the Word of God, and where they may worship together in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23,24). Christ gathers His church out of the whole human race from the beginning to the end of the world: "That in the dispensation of the fullness of time He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth-in Him" (Eph. 1:10); "And they sang a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9).

Finally, Christ assembles His church. He puts it all together to form His body of which He is the head. Each member has his or her place in the body: "For the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,' is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,' is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased" (1 Cor. 12:14-18); "And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11,12).

Christ is indeed the builder of His church. This becomes very clear when we see how Christ designed, chose, purchased, gathers and assembles His church. No flesh may nor can glory or boast! That Christ is the builder becomes still more evident when we see that Christ builds His church upon Himself: "For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). Not only is Christ the foundation, but also the chief cornerstone. The apostle Peter, quoting Isaiah's Messianic prophecy, says: "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him shall not be put to shame" (1 Pet. 2:6).

The Scriptures leave no doubt that Christ builds His church, and that is what Christ is telling Peter in Matt. 16:18. In the course of His traveling ministry, always accompanied by the chosen twelve, Jesus expresses an interest in the different opinions that are circulating concerning Himself. And so, on the coast of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks His disciples the question: "Who do men say that I the Son of man am?" (vs. 13). In other words, "What is the latest thing going around about me? What have you been hearing?" Of course, Jesus already knew the answer, but He was preparing the disciples for another question.

There were various answers to Jesus' question: Jesus' fame was spreading. People were hearing about Him, about the things He was preaching and doing. And as is quite natural, people were expressing their views and opinions. Some said Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life. Others said He was Elijah, the prophet of judgment, or Jeremiah who prophesied about the kingdom, or some other prophet (cf. Matt. 16:14). Everyone had an opinion. It is the same today. There are many views concerning Jesus-a great teacher, moralist, a myth, a legend, a fake, etc. All of these opinions were wrong then as well as now.

Now Jesus is ready to ask His disciples the next question: "But who do you say that I am?" (vs.15). Peter, who often acts as the spokesman, answers for all of them: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus also knew what was in the hearts and minds of His disciples, and through this question draws from them a confession, a confession that revealed the gift of faith that had been given them: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (vs. 17). Faith is not self-made. Later, the apostle John would write: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (Jn. 1:12, 13). Jesus goes on to tell Peter: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (vv. 18,19).

There have been various interpretations to the preceding verses. The reason is because of what the Roman Catholic Church has interpreted them to mean, i.e., that here Peter is given supreme authority over the church, next to Christ Himself, and has all the power in the church signified by "the keys of the kingdom." Thus, Peter was the first pope and this power has been passed on from pope to pope down through the centuries to the present. Never mind that Jesus, on another occasion, gives this same authority not only to Peter, but to all of the apostles, (cf. Matt. 18:18). What these verses do teach is the governmental structure, authority and discipline of the church, (cf. Heidelberg Catechism 83-85).

Again, what is abundantly clear and must be understood is that Christ is the Builder of His church. He builds well and permanently so that nothing can, or will, destroy His church. The material and workmanship is His. By the working of His Spirit and the preaching of His Word, He adds souls to His church. He builds it up with "living souls" (cf. I Pet. 2:5). He begins with rock, Himself, as the only and lasting foundation. Then He uses solid, living stones such as Peter. Christ addresses only Peter by name because he has confessed for all of the disciples, but all of them are stones. Peter, like stone or rock, is solid, fixed, firm, not easily swayed by all the different opinions that were going around concerning Christ.

To be sure, we must acknowledge that Peter is given one of chief places among the living stones in Christ's church, for it is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20). The apostles are the first layer of stones, for we read in Rev. 21:14, that the names of the twelve are written in the foundation of the new Jerusalem. The church is built of living stones into which Peter had been fashioned.

The meaning of Peter's name, i.e., rock, fits the confession Peter makes. Some say that Jesus is only referring to Peter's confession in order to get away from Rome's idea of Peter being the first pope, but you cannot separate the confessor and confession. Jesus uses both together. He uses rocks like Peter with solid, rock-like confessions. This behooves us to look closely at the meaning of Peter's confession, for it must be our confession if we are to be a part or stone in Christ's church; "For you are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (vs. 16). There is a wealth of meaning in the various names that are given to the Son of God, the living God, Creator of heaven and earth, as opposed to all the idols fashioned by sinful man. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. The Heidelberg Catechism devotes two separate questions and answers to the meaning of that name: "Why is He called Christ, that is, Anointed? Because He is ordained of God the Father and anointed with the Holy Ghost to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption; and our only High Priest, who by the one sacrifice of His body, has redeemed us, and ever liveth to make intercession for us with the Father; and our eternal King, who governs us by His Word and Spirit and defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us. Why are you called a Christian? Because by faith I am a member of Christ and thus a partaker of His anointing, in order that I may confess His Name, may present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him, and that with a free conscience I may fight against sin and the devil in this life, and hereafter in eternity reign with Him over all creatures." (H. C. Q/A 31, 32)

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"-a solid, rock-like confession from a solid, rock-like confessor. Christ builds His church. It is all His material and workmanship. Are we confessors with a confession like Peter's? Are we living stones in Christ's church? That is the kind of material that Christ fashions and uses to build His church. Because His church is so built, the powers of evil, including death, will never prevail against it. What do you think of Christ? Who do you say that He is?