From Facebook:
Matthew 16 follows a VERY specific formulation
A) Blessing
B) Explanation
C) Further Explanation
Three times in a row.
A) Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah
B) FOR flesh and blood has not revealed this to you
C) BUT my father in heaven.
A) I tell you YOU ARE ROCK
B) AND upon this rock I will build my church
C) AND the gates of hell will not prevail against it
A) I give you the KEYS to the KINGDOM
B) THAT whatever you bind on earth is bound on heaven
C) AND whatever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven
This format of a tri-fold blessing alone makes it clear that Peter is the rock Jesus is primarily referring to here, as well as the office of the keeper of the keys, the prime minister or chief steward, which has its roots in the house of David (and as the angel says to Mary, Jesus will sit on the throne of David) – we see these keys and their VERY similarly worded authority in Isaiah 22:22:
“Whatever he opens, none shall shut, whatever he shuts, none shall open”
Read around vs 22 and you’ll see that this key to the kingdom given by the heir of David represents a man placed as a firm peg in a sure spot, a father to the kingdom, etc.
And of course, the name that Jesus gives to Simon – the MOMENT he meets him (John 1:42) is actually an Aramaic word: Kepha. It gets transliterated from Aramaic into Greek as Cephas. John, in that verse, helps us understand that Cephas means Peter.
He point out – rightly – that Peter denied him thrice and what’s fascinating is that Jesus KNEW this would happen and even still PROMISED his prayer would be effective for Peter. Read Luke 22: 31-34:
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you (plural) as wheat. But I have prayed for you (singular), Simon, that your (singular) faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
And of course, this helps explain what Jesus does at the end of John’s (21:16) gospel when he – three times – ask Peter if he loves him “more than these” and then charges him to Shepherd his flock. The word Ποίμαινε literally means both “rule” and “shepherd.”
(And in Greek, Cepha/Cephalos actually means head, so THERE is your pun!)
Lastly, the Petros/Petra distinction existed in Attic greek, but not really in Koine. If Peter wanted to distinguish Simon from the profession of faith, he should have called him in Greek Lithos, or in Aramaic Evna. He does neither. He only changes the gender so as to prevent calling Peter Mrs. Rock.