CHURCH HISTORY IS PRESENTED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE BIBLE Home Start With Matthew 16:18 and Acts 1:1 – 2:47 Matthew 16:18 ^18 And I say to you, “You are Peter and to upon this rock^a I will build My church^b, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!” (Matthew 16:18) Matthew 16:18 is peculiar to (occurs nowhere else except in) Matthew’s Gospel. It is not found in Mark, Luke, or John. The English words “Peter” and “rock” are translations of the Greek words, Πετρος, Petros and πετρα, petra, respectively. Jesus called Peter Σιμον Βαρ Ιωνα, Simon Bar-jona , meaning “Son of Jonah”, in Verse 16:17. The name Jonah is the English translation of the Hebrew name, נהוי, Yownah, 3124. Yownah, נהוי, is the same as 3123, נהוי, which has a meaning of “dove ” or “pigeon”. According to John 1:42, Jesus also called Peter “rock” and also said, “You are Simon, the son of Jonah”, which is an English translation of the Greek words Συ ει Σιμων ό υίος ΄Ιωνα. However, Jesus, according to John, did not say that He would build His church on Peter. In Verse 1:42, the English word “rock”, is a translation of the Greek word Κηφας, Cephas, which has an Aramaic origin, 2786 in Strong’s Greek Dictionary. The words Βαρ Ιωνα are a reference to the prophet Jonah who was spewed out by a great fish onto the shores of the Mediterranean. Jonah denied God’s command to go to Ninevah and cry out against that city. Jonah attempted to escape by entering a ship at Joppa, which was bound for Tarshish (in Spain), on the opposite or western end of the Mediterranean Sea. God raised a great storm at sea that convinced Jonah to obey. Jonah was cast into the sea by the sailors in order to calm the sea. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish (being inside for three days and three nights), and then spewed out on land, possibly at Tyre.^c (Jonah 1:1-2:10) According to Matthew 26:69-75 and parallels, Peter denied Jesus three times at Jerusalem during Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. According to Acts 10:9-16, Peter denied the Heavenly voice three times at Joppa, before he was taught to accept all people. Whimsically and sarcastically but meaningfully, Jesus referred to Peter as being like Jonah^d, both denied God but were righted (rescued from their own obstreperous ways) by Him. It is not, that is, to be presumed that Peter was a biological descendant of Jonah or that he was bringing bad fortune, as the sailors thought of Jonah. The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (are without repentance; Romans 11:29) The parallel lines of the lives of Jonah and Peter are evident to the discerning eye. Students are, therefore, now free to associate the words Simon, Peter, Rock, Cephas, Jonah, Bar Jonah, the Son of Jonah, Petros, petra, Joppa, Tarshish, Tyre, three, three days and three nights, My church, Jesus Christ as the rock, Jesus’ three days and three nights in the tomb like Jonah in the fish, like Jonah He came out, ichthus, dove, Holy Spirit, … . ^aFor the word “rock”, see Jesus Christ as the “Rock”. (1 Corinthians 10:4) ^bThe word, “church”, Εκκλησια, ekklesia (1577), appears only twice in the four Gospel accounts, in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17. They appear many times in the Epistles, q.v. ^cThe Hebrew word for Tyre, rock, stone, etc., is צר, Tsur, 6865. Tarshish, Tyre, and Joppa were connected to one another as Mediterranean seaports. In particular, they were linked by the cargo of tin from Glastonbury, England. See Joseph of Arimathea, the Tin Man, who took Jesus’ body to his tomb where He had lain three days and three nights. ^dSee John 8:44, where Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” Whether or not Jonah, Peter, or those of whom Jesus spoke were the biological descendants, the sons, of Jonah, they behaved as if they followed Jonah’s actions - trying to escape from God. Acts 1:1 – 2:47 ^1The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, ^2Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: ^3To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: ^4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye have heard of me. ^5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:1–5) The similarity between Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1-3 To Be Continued