Inspirational: The Church Built on the Rock

by: Linda Kirby/WGON 12.1.25

Who is the true church? With so many claiming Christ yet embracing the world and idolatry, we are left to ask: upon whom was their church built? Jesus warned, “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:16). And Paul reminds us, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

When Jesus said to Peter, “Upon this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18), many believe He did not mean Peter himself, whose name means “rock.” If the foundation were Peter, then the church would inevitably fall—just as man fell (Romans 5:12). But no, Jesus is the Rock: “For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). By building His church upon Himself, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18), because He is unshakable.

One interpretation is that after Jesus declares that God the Father had revealed the truth to Peter, that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God, He says, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). The word for “Peter,” Petros, is a masculine noun that means “a detached stone, a stone that might be thrown or easily moved” (Zodhiates, S., The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, AMG Publishers, 1992, p. 1,154). The word for “rock” next mentioned is a different Greek word, petra, a feminine noun that means “a mass of rock” or “a cliff” and therefore something foundational (ibid.; see also Matthew 7:24–25). The difference in the two terms may suggest that Jesus was contrasting Peter with Himself. That is, Jesus was saying, “You are the small rock, but I am the foundation of the church.” This view finds support in other passages that present Christ, not Peter, as the foundation of the church (1 Corinthians 3:11) and the life-giving rock (1 Corinthians 10:4). ( GotQuestions.org)

Yet in our time, many “churches” have become indistinguishable from the world. They have welcomed its abominations—even into the pulpit. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2). The Catholic tradition built its foundation upon Peter, a man, and quickly fell into idolatry. But the true Church of Jesus Christ was built upon Jesus, the Rock, and it still stands: “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

Those assemblies that collapse under sin were never truly built upon Christ. They built upon sinking sand, and so they fell: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand” (Matthew 7:26–27). The true Church, though small, remains firm in Jesus: “Enter by the narrow gate… For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13–14). While others who claim His name drift into compromise, the Church founded on the Rock stands immovable: “Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).

For the believer seeking fellowship, discernment is vital. If you join a church built on sand, you too will fall. But if you join a church built on the Rock—Jesus Christ—you will stand firm in your faith: “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him” (Hebrews 7:25). The gates of hell cannot prevail against the church founded on Him.

Choose wisely. It is the difference between sinking into the sin of the world or standing steadfast in Christ:  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). And because He alone is our foundation, we can declare with confidence: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).