Gates of hell interpretation

[incense]

We Catholics interpret the Bible phrase “the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church” as meaning that the Church will never end, it will always beat the enemy.

I heard a Protestant minister point out that gates do not attack, they are defensive. So the correct interpretation would be that the Church would always win when battling evil.

It sort of means the same, except if we never attack evil, would we still win?

Anyway, someone with some Greek knowledge might be able to throw some more light as to why we interpret it as the Church always existing.

Thanks.

 

[puzzleannie]

We Catholics interpret the Bible phrase “the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church” as meaning that the Church will never end, it will always beat the enemy.

Is.

can you point to a source for this interpretation? specifically “beat the enemy” because I can’t recall having explained in just that way unless by “enemy” you mean satan, who of course will not and cannot prevail over the Church, no matter how much he may attact individuals within her.

 

[Manfred]

We Catholics interpret the Bible phrase “the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church” as meaning that the Church will never end, it will always beat the enemy.

I heard a Protestant minister point out that gates do not attack, they are defensive. So the correct interpretation would be that the Church would always win when battling evil.

It sort of means the same, except if we never attack evil, would we still win?

Anyway, someone with some Greek knowledge might be able to throw some more light as to why we interpret it as the Church always existing.

Thanks.

The RSV Catholic Edition (no, not the work-in-progress RSV-2CE; the original of 1965-66) translated “gates of hell” as “powers of death”, with the phrase “gates of Hades” in a footnote.

Neither Death itself (Hades, the abode of the dead) nor Satan and the host of Hell will prevail against the Church Militant’s struggle against them.

 

[incense]

Young’s literal translation uses “gates of hades”:

Matthew 16:18 (Young’s Literal Translation)

18`And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;

But it still might have been an expression, which makes sense because a rock or foundation doesn’t move either. So how could two non-moving objects oppose each other in battle (before missiles ; )) ?

This was probably an example of the minister translating literally when he should have been interpreting meaning and therefore, coming up with a conclusion which isn’t quite right.

I don’t remember if his purpose was anti-Catholic or not, but I believe that he was pushing his listeners to always be fighting evil and not idly sitting back feeling. And we do know that evil is always actively working.

 

[geekborj]

We Catholics interpret the Bible phrase “the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church” as meaning that the Church will never end, it will always beat the enemy.

I heard a Protestant minister point out that gates do not attack, they are defensive. So the correct interpretation would be that the Church would always win when battling evil.

It sort of means the same, except if we never attack evil, would we still win?

Anyway, someone with some Greek knowledge might be able to throw some more light as to why we interpret it as the Church always existing.

Thanks.

I have not explored this idea looking into the previous interpretations. However, at first glance, i see that Gates of Hell would only mean “entrance to Hell/Damnation.” These entrances can only be seen as Actual Sins which we are all tempted.

Hence, even the sin of those in position of Office (e.g. Pope sinning) cannot make the Church incapable of dispensing the graces of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, as long as we are in that Church that Christ built we can be saved but only if we get into and stay within. This fact is very parallel to Noah’s Ark.

 

[reclavea]

I’ve heard an interpretation in a sermon by a priest where a definition of what a gate is
and it’s purpose was given.

Typical usage is for it to keep out and seclude.

The interpretation went on with the meaning that
the church is on the offensive not defensive.

“… the gates of hell will not prevail against the church”.

This sits well with me.

 

[Xavier53]

We Catholics interpret the Bible phrase “the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church” as meaning that the Church will never end, it will always beat the enemy.

I heard a Protestant minister point out that gates do not attack, they are defensive. So the correct interpretation would be that the Church would always win when battling evil.

It sort of means the same, except if we never attack evil, would we still win?

Anyway, someone with some Greek knowledge might be able to throw some more light as to why we interpret it as the Church always existing.

Thanks.

 

[adriancombe]

We Catholics interpret the Bible phrase “the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church” as meaning that the Church will never end, it will always beat the enemy.

I heard a Protestant minister point out that gates do not attack, they are defensive. So the correct interpretation would be that the Church would always win when battling evil.

It sort of means the same, except if we never attack evil, would we still win?

Anyway, someone with some Greek knowledge might be able to throw some more light as to why we interpret it as the Church always existing.

Thanks.

You will find the answer if you look at Matt 7:13.

There Jesus says the gate that leads to perdition is wide any many enter it. This word is the same in Greek in both passages (pylh). So, the victory of the Church is getting folks to not enter that gate.

 

[Xavier53]

The “gates of hell” will not prevail, because, when it goes against the Church, it goes against the Body of Christ, which is, was, and ever will be (See Revelations).
The gates of hell are not only going against the Church, its offensive manuevers are subtle and deceptive because they operate in the spirit of darkness.
It is a continuous spiritual battle, but, in the end We Win, that is, those who have not succumbed to evil, and given up their soul. The Church, founded by Christ (Mt 16:18), guarantees that the “gates of hell” will not prevail, because, Christ knew ahead of time, that it would be an all out offensive attack “against” the Church (nothing defensive here).
Our response is NOT to attack evil, it is to dwell in Jesus. He will do the attacking for us.
It is humanly impossible for us to win an attack against evil, but, the Body of Christ is impenetrable.
God bless.
Xavier

 

[tjfitz]

I heard the interpretation of the gates of Hell not prevailing meaning they won’t keep closed against the Church’s militancy once at, of all places, a Right to Life convention. It was heard in remarks delivered by a minister of a little Protestant church. At another such convention, a different little Protestant church minister delivered what seemed like a conversion address to the crowd.

I think in both cases, each minister simply couldn’t refrain from going after the mostly-Catholic listeners and trying to sway them to the minister’s private interpretation of a biblical reference.

In any case, I’d say it is likely to lead to error to study and dissect and parse paragraphs and phrases from the Bible in a translated language, and in a time and culture completely different from those in which its authors lived. That’s my best thinking for saying that private interpretation without the guidance of the Church that wrote the New Testament is a bad idea, and probably is the reason there are thousands of little Protestant churches, many headed by their own “pope” whose flock may number as many as 100!

 

[CHRISTINE77]

Jesus, in Matt. 16, told Peter in effect, “Son of Jonah, you shall slip and fall, and hell shall lock you up in condemnation. But the gates of hell will not prevail against you or anybody else in my Church if you will choose to remember my mercy and call upon me. Hell’s gates closed in upon Jonah, but they did not prevail against him. He was set free. Neither will you be bound by hell’s gates. You are upon a rock - Me. My mercy will be your precious stay.”

The above is an except from a very excellent interpretation of the passage about the gates of Hell: mikeblume.com/gates.htm

 

[lhk0pd]

I understand it as simply the Church can not be destroyed. Hell is the English translation for Hades and Hades as i understood it means the grave which makes sense as a Grave is where the dead are left. So the Church will never die in so many words.[/BThink about it we could shrink as small as a handful of believers but still not be destroyed. And at the rate people are full filling the Prophesy that in the latter days people will be lovers of worldly things rather than lovers of GOD this is in Pauls second letter to timothy.]

 

[allenthorn]

Maybe the Gates of Hell were erected to keep Satan in, and defend against Christians. Our duty is prevail over Satan, so the gates of his world cannot keep out Christians when we try to pull out sinners.

 

[reclavea]

The church being in a defensive mode makes sense prior to Christ. However, after his coming and his resurrection, the church is in the offensive.

I can’t really think of the church in a “hide”, “block”, “repel”…mode now.
The light shines in the darkness. This puts the church in an offensive mode.
And the offensive is proclaiming and affirming Jesus (truth itself).

The devil influences the world in all sorts of horrid ways but most particular with “lies”.
This is the major cause of evil IMO. The church is on the offensive with pure “truth” (Jesus the Christ) until he comes again.

Peace

 

[incense]

Jesus, in Matt. 16, told Peter in effect, “Son of Jonah, you shall slip and fall, and hell shall lock you up in condemnation. But the gates of hell will not prevail against you or anybody else in my Church if you will choose to remember my mercy and call upon me. Hell’s gates closed in upon Jonah, but they did not prevail against him. He was set free. Neither will you be bound by hell’s gates. You are upon a rock - Me. My mercy will be your precious stay.”

The above is an except from a very excellent interpretation of the passage about the gates of Hell: mikeblume.com/gates.htm

I think that’s a pretty insightful interpretation. It makes more clear what the Church has taught. Although he does minimilize Peter’s role in the Church, after apparently proving it.

Unfortunatley, the fellow’s site appears to be enough anti-Catholic that someone of limited knowledge, like me, can’t use his material. I clicked on a section about how Christians have been wrong for the past 1700 years,- he says it’s the pagan Greek influence that eliminated our third part (body, soul and spirit) - and at least I know that he left out some pertinent material about Thomas Aquinas. Thomas Aquinas said a prayerful old lady understood God better than him. And he quit writing his great thoughts because he considered them folly after a particularly intense experience of God. This is not a man who only intellectualized religion.

 

[incense]

The devil influences the world in all sorts of horrid ways but most particular with “lies”.
This is the major cause of evil IMO. The church is on the offensive with pure “truth” (Jesus the Christ) until he comes again.

Peace

So if we put that together with the thought that the gates of Hell have entrapped a soul, the Truth will set them free.

The gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church in freeing souls with Truth.

 

[chewchoo]

this is a different perspective, basically derived from steve ray talks. but the location of this speech by Jesus was at caesarea philippi. in Jesus’ time it was the site of a pagan temple, the gates of hell to be precise. and it was a giant rock formation as well. the church will conquer the pagan world… steve didn’t go into the interpretion as much as the logistics and the pagan usage of that site. thinking back now, many of the early churches were built atop of old pagan temples. it kinda flows with this passage in the bible and the location that Jesus chose to speak it.

 

[reclavea]

So if we put that together with the thought that the gates of Hell have entrapped a soul, the Truth will set them free.

The gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church in freeing souls with Truth.

That makes perfect sense to me, after all what is truly at stake here is “souls”.

 

[scameter18]

“The gates of hell, &c. That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself or his agents. For as the Church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock; so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, i.e. the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the city or Church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever shall at any time prevail over the Church of Christ. (Challoner) — The gates, in the Oriental style, signify the powers; thus, to this day, we designate the Ottoman or Turkish empire by the Ottoman port. The princes were wont to hold their courts at the gates of the city.”

-Haydock’s Catholic Bible commentary, 1859 %between%

 

[Manfred]

“The gates of hell, &c. That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself or his agents. For as the Church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock; so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, i.e. the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the city or Church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever shall at any time prevail over the Church of Christ. (Challoner) — The gates, in the Oriental style, signify the powers; thus, to this day, we designate the Ottoman or Turkish empire by the Ottoman port. The princes were wont to hold their courts at the gates of the city.”

-Haydock’s Catholic Bible commentary, 1859 %between%

Advantage: Haydock! (again)