In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples who they thought He was. Peter, as usual, is ready with an answer when he proclaims: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus, in confirming Peter’s answer tells him that “flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Jesus continues His point by saying: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Mt. 16:16-18). Although much has been made of this verse by both Catholics and Protestants, neither Peter nor his confession of Jesus as the Christ will be our focus here. I only want to make the reader aware of a simple pronoun: “My.” Jesus referred to the church as “My church.” The church belongs to Jesus, not to us.
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