Matthew 16:18

You are a rock, Peter. Jesus gave the name Peter to this Simon, son of John (John 1:42). "Peter" means a single stone. And on the rock foundation. Here Jesus uses a word that means a large mass of solid rock the "rock foundation." Peter's confession in Matthew 16:16 clearly identifies this "rock foundation" as Jesus himself. Paul writes: "For God has already placed Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation, and no other foundation can be laid" (1 Corinthians 3:11). Jesus uses two different forms of the word for rock: PETROS Peter, a single stone: PETRA rock foundation, a large mass of rock. I will build my church. Future as Jesus says this; fact in Acts 2. ["Church" is used with only two meanings in the New Testament. It means: (1) the spiritual Kingdom, the "messianic community of all the followers of Christ; (2) the local church or messianic community, made up of a group of believers who unite together for worship and work. This word "church" is NEVER used in the New Testament to mean: the building where the church meets together; or denomination a group who adopt certain distinctive things (usually of human origin) which "wall them off' from others.] There is: (1) The Builder Christ; (2) a Temple, built out of living stones (1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:22); (3) the rock foundation for that Temple-Jesus himself; (4) an enemy death which will oppose the building of the church; (5) a key-holder who will open the door. [Gates of hades is a symbolic phrase which meant "Death" and "the powers of death,"] Which not even death. The Jewish leaders believed that death would end the claims of Jesus, and make it impossible for him to set up his Kingdom. But it was not possible for death to overcome Jesus (Acts 2:24). Death could not prevent his rising from death to set up his spiritual Kingdom. Death cannot destroy the church (Kingdom) by capturing the people who make up the church. All the powers of the Devil and Hell cannot defeat the Plan of God! Jesus raised from death as the guarantee that we too will be raised!