The San Francisco call., 1896-01-11

which was made the head Of the corner.''
Again ask Mr. Wendte what bearing has
this text on the rock on which Christ built his
church. The meaning OF the apostle is that as
the desplSed stone was put in the place of
honor, so the rejected Christ was now gloritied
Therefore, concludes Mr. Wendte, St. Peter
was not the only rock on which Christ built
his church. Ii this is the result of an honest
and impartial review OF the Bible testimony,
may the good Lord deliver us from such
honesty and impartiality.
tb) THE GIVING OF HIS NAME
Mr. Wendte continues: "AccordIng to Mark
iii:I6 and Luke vi:14 the bestowal of this
name upon Simon took place on an earlier and
not take the trouble OF looking up the texts
The two passages he quotes are the lists of the
names OF the apostles Luke begins: t'Simon
his brother. Mr.. Wendte wishes US to
infer from this that our Lord changed
Simon's name on that occasion. The
list ends, "And Judas Iscariot who
also betrayed him. Are we to infer that
Judas betrayed him there and then? l am
surprised that Mr.. Wendte should descend to
such puerilites. In none of these lists is it
declared that Christ charged Peters name
when the Apostles were called. In all of them
his new name is given, but we must remember
that the gospels were written long after the
death OF our Lord. Just as Judas treachery is
mentioned by all long before il occurred so
Peters exaltation is mentioned by all long
before the promise was made.
(c) PETER WAS THE ROCK. BECAUSE HE SPREAD
tJesus, no doubt" saws Mr. Wendte ode
pended greatly on Peter to spread his gospel
and build up his cause on EARTH
II he did, all can say is that he took very
queer way OF expressing it. Christ SAYS that
he viii build his church on ST. Peter and Mr.
Wendte declares that st. Peter built the church
himself. OF course 10 one denies that St
Peter was builder of the church, but we must
not mix our metaphors. 1t is one thing TO be
the rock on which the city sets impregnabie it
IS another thlng TO spread that eitys lame
abroad. One man may be described by both
metaphors, bat that he is one does not prove
that he is not the other. That he extends the
city's domain does not mean that he is not the
city's lmpregnabie defense. And when Christ
says 81. Peter was the rock his SAYING Is not
Verlhed by the fact that Peter preached the
gospel. Surely Mr.. Wendte would not turn the
Apostle into sort OF evangelical rolling stone.
Id PETER WAS not THE ROCK.
Mr.. Wendte has admitted that Peter was the
rock; ne feels bound in revenge, l suppose to
prove now that ne is not the rock. Peter was
no rock" he says, Gin the eyes of his master
when shortly after Jesus felt called to rebuke
him IN the terrible words. Get thee benind
me, satan, thou are an offense unto me for thou
sayorest not the things that be OF God but
those that be of men Again, Peter was no
rock, when in the high priests house he de-
nleo MS Lord out OF sheer coWa rdiee"
OF course he was not. The words OF Christ
were promise concerning the future. He did
not say 81 build,' but ''l will build" The
chureh was not 10 be built until after the resur-
rectlon and the rock was not prepared until
the church was about to be erected Therefore
the rehuke administered by Christ and Peters
subsequent cowardioe prove only that our Lord
ala not build upon Peters natural gifts or ex-
ceileneles, but upon rock which he himself
would prepare in his own good time such
then, Mr. Editor, are the reasons which Dr..