Your absolutely ignoring why Christ said that in the first place. Your taking a response to a revelation from God, and misinterpreting it...
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
That is the foundation, that is the teaching upon which the gates of hell cannot prevail... not a man. Foundation is the teaching of who Christ is, taught us by revelation from God, brought forward throughout history through the testimony of the Apostles, to our time... that is our foundation. Not Peter the Apostle, the man, but the revelation of God, given to God's people.
That revelation is our foundation, with Christ as our head through the testimony of the Holy Spirit, the seal of all believers. Brought forward in time via the Apostles, who gave us their testimony, of what they witnessed and did through the power of God...
This testimony cannot be drowned out or replaced by any declaration of a man taking the place of Christ in His church. As Jesus said, the gates of hell can never prevail. The truth cannot be hidden, or locked away...
Well, no.
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples,
Jesus went to Caesarea Philippi and asked His disciples a question. Now, the way it is phrased, it almost sounds as though Jesus went to Caesarea Philippi EXPRESSLY to ask the question which He asked. But even more, to make the specific statement which He made.
I love to read Biblical commentaries because, I personally, have never been outside the U.S. But Biblical commentaries can tell you so much about the context in which the Scriptures were written. This one, I learned from reading one of
Scott Hahn's books.
Caesarea Philippi is a very special place.
In the time of Jesus, a river flowed through this area and went into a cave, a hole in a huge rock. It was the belief of the Romans that this cave was the entrance into hell. On the top of this rock, the Romans had constructed a temple, in our terms, a church to one of their gods.
And this sets up the rest of this Gospel.
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
Jesus asked, "who do the people of Israel say that I am?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
They answered what they had overheard the people saying. Some thought that Jesus was John the Baptist. We recently saw that Herod thought that Jesus was the reincarnation of John the Baptist. The disciples said that other people thought He was the second coming of Elijah, one of the greatest Old Covenant prophets.
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
But Jesus was just warming up. He puts them on the spot with the next question. "Who DO YOU, my students whom I have been guiding for at least two years now. Who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply,"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
And this is why St. Peter is one of my most beloved Saints. There is no indication in this Gospel that he hesitated even one little bit. "You are the Son of God who is to come into the world!"
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And Jesus says to him, "you are right. But it isn't because you are so brilliant. You can only know this if you are given the inspiration from my Father in heaven."
And so I say to you, you are Peter,and upon this rock I will build my Church,
"And now, since you have correctly revealed who I am, I will tell you who you are. You are Rock and on this Rock I will build my Church."
Right here, think back on where they are standing. As Jesus says these words, I envision that His arms sweep out to point towards that huge rock in the horizon and the temple that sits on top. But that is a Pagan church on top of that rock and that is a place where idolatry and orgies regularly take place. Therefore, hell has prevailed upon that church. Therefore, Jesus continues:
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Jesus then gives St. Peter the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Essentially saying that St. Peter will have the power and authority to save people's souls.