The True Builder of the Church

12 Pentecost,  A p16, August 27, 2017
Isaiah 51:1-6  Psalm 138
Romans 12:1-8  Matthew 16:13-20

Lectionary Link

Mr. Francis Stanley built an early version of the automobile or car but he did not call it an automobile or car.  He called his vehicle the Stanley Steamer.  Early engine propelled vehicles were also called horseless carriages.  What if I were to rewrite a story of Mr. Stanley for children today and I had Mr. Stanley say, "Hmm.  I am going to build a car.  I am going to build an automobile."  Would that be accurate, yes or no?  Yes and no.  Yes, it was an early example of what would later become called a car or automobile.  It would be true for the purposes of translating concepts from an earlier period in order to be understood in the language usage of a later period.  For the sake of historical accuracy, it would be wrong though, because Mr. Stanley would not have used the words "car" or "automobile."

In our Gospel lesson for today, we have similar example of translating a social phenomenon of an earlier period into the jargon of a later period.  In the words of Jesus to Peter, he said, "I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not stand against it."  First, during the time of Jesus, the church did not exist.  Jesus was not a member of the church, because it didn't exist.  Of the four Gospels, only the Gospel of Matthew uses the word church.  It is a Greek word, "ekklesia" which literally meaning "called out" or those who are called out.  But in certain secular use, "ekklesia" was used to designate a local political ward.

So we have an irony.  Why did the writer of Matthew's Gospel use both the Aramaic and Greek name of Peter?  Cephas and Petros?  Why didn't the writer use both the Aramaic and Greek words for "church?"  The ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures used the Greek word for church to translate two Hebrew words, qahal and edah, referring to assembly, gathering or congregation.  There is a similar word to qahal in Aramaic, the language which Jesus spoke. 

In the writings of St. Paul, the notion of church becomes more fully developed as the gatherings of people who came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.  And by about the year 80, people who believed that Jesus was the Messiah were being excommunicated from the synagogues.  So, after the church was becoming known as a gathering of the followers of Christ, this Greek term, church was the logical term to translate as having come from the mouth of Jesus, when he said to Peter, "I will build my church."

In language, it is natural for us to translate and present the past in more current language.  We might call the Stanley Steamer, an early automobile even though that is not what Mr. Stanley called his invention.  St. Paul and the writer of the Gospel of Matthew came to use the Greek word for church and so they translated the early words of Jesus into their current understanding of the church.

A second point is similar is this: We interpret the Bible from our reading context.  This Gospel has been used by the ancient Western Catholic tradition to establish what is called the Petrine Primacy.  This is the belief that St. Peter was chief among the Apostles because Jesus said that "he was figuratively and by name," the rock on which the church would be built.  However, many of Protestant persuasion have challenged this.  They assert that the Rock is Christ and Christ is the Rock and the Chief Cornerstone on which the church is built.  So, for some interpreters, the rock on which Jesus builds the church refers not to Peter but to the confession of Peter, namely when he said, "You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."  But the word "pun" on Peter and Rock in the Greek means that "rock" might refer to Peter.  Since "On this rock" only occurs in the Gospel of Matthew, it could mean that the churches of the Matthew writers were interested in establishing lines of authority because in the early decades there were competing religious leaders and groups.  Some saw the necessity to establish Peter as one who represented a direct connection to Jesus.  In the written record of the New Testament, it is more obvious that St. Paul was the theological "rock" and architect of the church, but unlike Peter, St. Paul did not walk with Jesus as an original disciple.

The third and last point, I would like to make is this: The confession of Christ as the Messiah is important.  The leadership of Peter was important.  But I believe that the most important phrase in today's Gospel is Jesus saying, "I will build my church....."  Peter and the twelve indeed were co-builders and Paul was a co-builder of the church but we can never forget that the true builder is the Risen Christ within us making the church happen.

Today, this reality is the same.  I cannot say, "I, Phil will build the parish church of St. John the Divine...."  Each of us at St. John the Divine need to experience the Risen Christ within us saying, "I will build the parish church of St. John the Divine in Morgan Hill."  Sometimes it seems as though the church is being built; sometimes it seems as though it is in decline and we can feel personally responsible when the church does not seem to be making building progress.

Let us remember that Christ is the one who said, "I will build my church."  It is our duty to be faithful in the ministry when the church seems to be building and when it seems to be in decline.

Today, we build the church in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism as we celebrate the entry of our friend into the communion of our church and parish.  We give Christ the full credit for the building of His church.  It is our duty to be faithful in apparent success and apparent decline, even as part of being faithful means we are ever looking for ways for the Gospel to be successful in the lives of all who come to this parish.

Christ is the builder of the church.  He said, "I will build my church..."  May God help each of us to be faithful to Christ who is the true founder and builder of the church.  Amen.