The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-06-23
The Foundations and Power Of The Church
Sermon Delivered at the sinp
NJ. II. Church. sunday, .

Ie&t: st. Matthew, 16-1H-And
say also unto thee. That thou art
Peter, and upon this rock l will huild
my church; and the gates OF hell
shall not prevail against it,"
1t was the end Of tho second year
or Christs ministry and after he had
wrought the astounding miracle OF
1eedlng the five thousand, that many
OF his followers withdrew from him.
Ihe crises had come" says one,
and naturally, while the enemies
ufeW their, bands Of union moro
closely together against Christ, he
turned to test the fidelity of his
friends, and to. develop his views
more explicitly to them" 1t is
true that in the midst Of a busy
NE OF healing and teaching the peo-
pie Christ paused long enough to
ASK Whom do men say that | the
son or man amp" AS much as to
say. What is the result Of my min
1stry? What saith the world, that
mas heard my word and seen my
works, In regards to my nature?"
me disciples might have said in
Beefzebub, the prince of the devils.
But none but the malignant Phara-
sees said that; and they could not
1ndQctrinatc the. people with SO dark
calumny. On the heart Of the mass
es Jesus had at least left a reverent
impression Of himself. SO they an
swer. Some say that Thou art John
the Baptist; some, Elias; and others
Jerem1as, or one OF the proDhets.'
Now the question is put to them,
Whom do yc say that | amp" This
IS the important question for which
the whole is appointed
You will notice that the question
Is put to them ALL 1t is whom do
ye' and not whom do YOU say that |
the son OF man am. The disciples
as body, an entire body, have been
concerned. AS the question is put
to them all Peter is simply the
spokesman for the others. It has
been said that Peter is the foreman
and pronounces the verdict for all
the rest; and he receives an, investi-
ture from Christ for them all"
Thus to Peters answer, Christ re-
piled, Thou art Peter, and upon
this rock l will build my church" has
received different interpretations
from the scholars Of the church,
The first is the construction given by
the church Of Rome. This church
aftirms that the rock is Peter individ-
ually, that the commission constitute
m 10
ity, inherited from him by the bish-
ops Of Rome. An answer to this
construction Is found in the elo-
quent and truthful words Of DR.. d.
D. Whedon. Says he, mot Peter
alone, as may be shown, but each of
>he apostles was a rock and a recip-
lent Of the keys, and all were CO.
equal in powers. In the next place,
were the authority conveyed to Peter
alone, and personally, it must still
be shown that this personal preroga-
tive was among the successional
attributes conferred upon him. In
the last place, that Peter was ever
bishop of Rome is without historical
foundation.
There are those who make the
rock designate Christ himself. This
class Of thinkers holds that it is de-
rogatory to Christ's dignity for there
to be any other foundation stone Of
his church than Christ himself. They
contend that Christ said this, "Thou
art Peter, a stone, and upon this rock
(pOinting perhaps to hiniself3 | will
build my church. But this is incon-
sistent with tho laws Of natural in
terpretation
There are others still who under
stand that the confession which
Peter made was a rock. Thou ar 4
stone, and upon this rock of truth
which thou hast confessed, and upon
this faith which thou hast profcsscd,
will l build my church. But Biblical
language always holds men, not
truths, to be foundation stones The
rock is not the doctrine, nor the
confession, but the confessor. Once
more | refer to DR.. WhcdOn who says
81 understand that it is the apostle |
himself who is the rock; yet not as
man, nor as a private confcssor
Of the Savior's Mcssiahship, nor as
Lord Of the Apostolic Twelve, but !
as a specimen and representative Of
what all twelve we're. For the
Church is said by the Apostle Paul
in writing to the EphCscians (2nd |
Chap. 1929 to be built upon the |
apostles and prophets. Peter him
self q. Peter 2:5) says, "Y6 also,
as lively stones, are built up a spir-
itual house; an holy priesthood, to Of