Like a Rock



Like a Rock: How Jesus Built His Church

The first classic rock song I thought of to fit this theme was Like a Rock by Bob Seger. Recently, I was having a conversation with a good friend, and it became clear he didn’t fully understand what Christians mean by the “One, Holy, catholic, and Apostolic Church.” That conversation motivated me to finally finish this post that I started a while ago.

Let’s get right to the heart of the issue. Here’s a clear explanation from Scripture → Old Covenant → Early Church → Church structure:

Jesus didn’t just leave us a book, He established a Church.

1. Jesus deliberately founded a Church (Matthew 16:18–19)

“You are Peter (Rock), and upon this Rock I will build my Church… I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…”

A few key things here:

  • Jesus renames Simon to Peter (Rock)

    • In Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke), it’s the same word: Kepha (Rock)

  • He says “I will build my Church” (Greek: ekklesia)

Ekklesia refers to a real, gathered assembly, and in the ancient world was often used for structured civic assemblies with authority, not merely an invisible group (cf. Strong’s Concordance, G1577).

2. “Keys of the Kingdom” = Old Testament authority

Jesus giving Peter the keys is a direct callback to:

  • Isaiah 22:20–22: The king gives the key of the house of David to his royal steward

That office:

  • Had real authority

  • Could “open and shut”

  • Was an ongoing office, not a one-time role

So Jesus, the Son of David, is:

  • Restoring the Kingdom

  • Establishing a visible leadership structure

  • Appointing Peter in a unique role within it

3. “Bind and loose” = authoritative teaching authority

In Jewish context, “bind and loose” meant:

  • To teach with authority

  • To make binding decisions

This authority is also given to the apostles (Matthew 18:18).

This is governing authority within a real community.

4. Jesus Ordains the Apostles

Jesus didn’t just gather followers, He appointed and empowered leaders:

  • Mark 3:13–15 — He appoints the Twelve

  • Luke 10:16 — “He who hears you hears Me”

  • John 20:21–23 — Authority to forgive sins

This authority continues through ordination:

  • Acts 1:20–26 — Matthias replaces Judas

  • 1 Timothy 4:14 — Laying on of hands

  • 2 Timothy 1:6 — Authority passed on

  • Titus 1:5 — Leaders appointed in every town

This shows apostolic succession, not a one-time leadership.

5. The Church Was Structured from the Beginning

The New Testament reveals a clear structure:

Bishops (Overseers – episkopoi)

  • 1 Timothy 3:1–2

  • Titus 1:7

Presbyters (Elders / Priests)

  • Acts 14:23

  • James 5:14

Deacons

  • Acts 6:1–6

  • 1 Timothy 3:8–13

This is a visible, organized Church, not a loose collection of believers.

6. This fulfills the Old Covenant pattern

God has always worked through a structured people:

Old Covenant:

  • Israel

  • Priesthood

  • Leadership structure

New Covenant:

  • The Church

  • Apostles

  • Ordered ministry

God doesn’t abandon structure, He fulfills it.

7. The Early Christians Confirm This

  • Clement of Rome (c. A.D. 96) — Apostolic succession

  • Ignatius of Antioch (c. A.D. 107) — Unity under the bishop

  • Irenaeus of Lyons (c. A.D. 180) — Apostolic continuity through bishops

They clearly believed in a visible, authoritative Church founded by Christ.

8. But wait… where does the word “catholic” come from?

This is where things get really interesting.

In the New Testament, believers weren’t originally called “Christians” right away:

  • Acts 9:2 — Followers of Jesus were called “The Way”

  • Acts 11:26 — “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch”

But very early on, the Church is described with another word:

  • Ignatius of Antioch (c. A.D. 107) wrote:

    “Wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic Church.”

The word “catholic” simply means “universal” the fullness of the Christian faith, not a denomination.

This shows that within just a generation of the apostles, Christians already understood the Church as:

  • One

  • Universal

  • Visible

  • United under leadership

I actually cover this more in-depth in a previous Blog. You can read that here: https://jmredding5.blogspot.com/2025/08/origin-of-word-catholic-and-its.html

We’ll get into terms like Orthodox, Protestant, Lutheran, non-denominational, and others in future blogs.

10. Final Thought

When Jesus said, “I will build my Church,” He wasn’t speaking metaphorically.

He built it like a rock—with structure, authority, and continuity.

And that’s exactly how the earliest Christians understood it.


Comments

Post a Comment