The rocks of Jesus and Peter

[Rebecca_Fleming]

What is the difference between Jesus being the rock and Peter being the rock?

 

[Bookcat]

catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9811chap.asp

 

[Genesis315]

To me, Peter’s “rockness” is a derivative of Christ’s. Peter’s not a rock on his own merit, but only through the power given to Him by Christ.

 

[piejesu]

To me, Peter’s “rockness” is a derivative of Christ’s. Peter’s not a rock on his own merit, but only through the power given to Him by Christ.

This an interesting answer. Perhaps some of our more learned brethren could contrast it with the quote below from Sermon 26 of St. Augustine. The whole of which can be read at NewAdvent.org newadvent.org/fathers/160326.htm

“Now this name of Peter was given him by the Lord, and that in a figure, that he should signify the Church. For seeing that Christ is the rock (Petra), Peter is the Christian people. For the rock (Petra) is the original name. Therefore Peter is so called from the rock; not the rock from Peter; as Christ is not called Christ from the Christian, but the Christian from Christ. “Therefore,” he says, “You are Peter; and upon this Rock” which you have confessed, upon this Rock which you have acknowledged, saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, will I build My Church;” that is upon Myself, the Son of the living God, “will I build My Church.” I will build you upon Myself, not Myself upon you.”

 

[Fidelis]

Maybe we should look at the New Testament passages that contain the word “rock” and compare them so we can get a clearer picture of what you want to discuss.

Omitting the references that speak about an obvious literal rock (the rock rolled back from the entrance to the tomb, the rocky ground in Jesus’ parable that the seeds fell on), here are the remaining references to “rock” (or “stone”) in the NT.

Refering to Peter and his confession of Jesus as Messiah and Lord, in which Christ proclaims Peter as the foundation of the Church which Christ will establish:

Matthew 16:13-19
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Referring to the teaching of Jesus, his words being the basis upon which we are to build our lives if you do not want to fall into temporal or eternal ruin:

Matthew 7:24-25
"Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

And a parallel passage:

Luke 6:47-49
47 Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep, and laid the foundation upon rock; and when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But he who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

There are several passages that reference Psalm 118:22 and/or Isaiah 8:14 that talk about Jesus being:
a) The rock upon which our faith is built.
b) The rock that causes some to stumble.
c) The rock that crushes those who reject him.

**Matthew 21:42 **
Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Mark 12:10
Have you not read this scripture: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner;

Luke 20:17-18
But he looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner’? Every one who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on any one it will crush him.”

Acts 4:11
This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner.

**Romans 9:33 **
as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall; and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

1 Peter 2:4-8
4 Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious; 5 and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not believe, “The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner,” 8 and “A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall”; for they stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

And finally, a purely spiritual and mysterious reference by St. Paul which seems to identify the supernatural rock that provided water to the Israelites in the desert with Christ:

1 Corinthians 10:4
and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

So, to answer your questions, when Christ (or his teaching) is referred to as a “rock” in the New Testament, it is as the foundation of our faith, and that there will be those who will stumble upon him and his words.

The one reference to Peter as being the work is specifically about him, his confession about Jesus, and about the Church. Even though a similar word, or words, is used, the context and subjects of the passage are completely different.

Hope that helps.