"'There are, among the ancient authors those who interpret SUPER HANC PETRAM to mean upon this faith, or upon this confession of faith, by which thou hast acknowledged Me to be the Son of God, as S. Hilary, S. Gregory of Nyssa, S. Chrystostom, and S. Cyril of Alexandria. S. Augustine, going even further, interprets SUPER HANC PETRAM to mean upon Me Myself, that is, upon Christ Himself, since Christ is the Rock. And Origen says that SUPER HANC PETRAM means upon all those who hold this faith'" (Qt. in F.N. Oxenham, The Validity of Papal Claims, page 26).
"For what was said to him was not 'Thou art the rock,' but 'Thou art Peter.' But the rock was Christ, having confessed whom (even as the whole Church confesses) Simon was named Peter. Which of these two interpretations is the more likely to be correct, let the reader choose" (Augustine, Retractions, Book 1, Chap. 21). Now as for the interpretation he preferred and expounded in sermons, Augustine made it clear that he 'frequently explained [that] the words of our Lord' refer to 'him whom Peter confessed when he said: 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God'" (Ibid.).
"But, as a matter of fact, so far from this being the 'clear' meaning of this text [that Peter is the rock], there is nothing whatever in this text itself to make this meaning 'clear,' and there is a great deal in other parts of Scripture which renders such a meaning inadmissible" (F.N. Oxenham p. 25. The Validity of Papal Claims).
Tuesday, August 02, 2016
Matthew 16:18ff (Super Hanc Petram)
The Jesuit commentator Maldonatus says:
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In response to the argument that Matthew 16:18ff does not clearly refer to Peter as the foundation of the Church but instead to his faith, Christ, or all believers who share Peter’s confession, we must carefully examine both the biblical text and the historical context. The cited interpretations by various Church Fathers and theologians are important, but they do not undermine the Catholic understanding that Peter himself is the "rock" upon which Christ built His Church. Let me explain why the traditional Catholic view remains the most consistent interpretation.
The direct reading of the text in Matthew 16:18 is as follows: "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." Here, Jesus is engaging in a deliberate wordplay between Peter’s name (Greek: PETROS) and the word for rock (PETRA). In the original Aramaic that Jesus likely spoke, both words would have been identical: KEPHA (rock). The immediate context makes it clear that Jesus is conferring a unique role upon Peter, not merely praising his faith but establishing him as the leader of the Church.
While it is true that Scripture often refers to God or Christ as the "rock" (e.g., Deuteronomy 32:4, 2 Samuel 22:47, 1 Corinthians 10:4), this does not conflict with Peter being called the rock in Matthew 16:18. In biblical language, multiple uses of the same metaphor can coexist. For example, while God is the ultimate shepherd (Psalm 23), Jesus also calls human leaders to be shepherds (John 21:15-17). Similarly, Christ, the chief cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6), can appoint Peter as the foundational rock of His Church. This does not diminish Christ’s role but highlights Peter’s unique leadership within the Church’s structure.
In Matthew 16:19, Jesus promises Peter the "keys of the kingdom of heaven," a powerful symbol of authority that evokes the steward in Isaiah 22:22, who was given the keys to the house of David, signifying a position of great responsibility and power. This is not a metaphor for faith alone but a real transfer of authority. The power to "bind and loose" (also given to the apostles in Matthew 18:18) refers to making authoritative decisions in matters of doctrine and discipline within the Church. It is clear from these verses that Jesus is establishing Peter as a leader with unique authority.
While the argument highlights that some Church Fathers, like Augustine, interpreted the "rock" as referring to Peter’s faith or to Christ, it is essential to note that these interpretations do not contradict the Catholic position. Augustine himself vacillated between interpretations, sometimes seeing Christ as the rock and at other times acknowledging Peter’s role. However, even those Fathers who emphasized the confession of faith as the "rock" did not deny Peter’s foundational role. For example, Chrysostom, who spoke of faith, still recognized Peter as having been granted leadership over the Church.
The Catholic Church’s interpretation of Peter as the foundation of the Church is not just a doctrinal claim but is historically grounded. From the earliest centuries, the Church Fathers and councils affirmed the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, Peter’s successor. The early Church understood the office of Peter as a perpetual one, passed down through apostolic succession, ensuring the continuity of Christ’s Church. Even in Augustine’s later writings, he acknowledged the importance of Peter’s successors in Rome.
The unique role of Peter as the leader of the apostles and the Church is evident throughout the New Testament. Peter is consistently listed first among the apostles (e.g., Matthew 10:2) and is given a special mission to strengthen his brethren (Luke 22:32) and to shepherd Christ’s flock (John 21:15-17). These texts indicate a special commission entrusted to Peter alone, which further supports the Catholic understanding of his foundational role.
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