Not really my friend. What is there is what you have been told by the RCC. With just a little time it is very easy to do the exegesis of the Scripture in question.
First of all, when we look at the Greek of
Matthew 16:18, we see something that is not obvious in the English---------
"...you are Peter (πέτρος, petros) and upon this rock (πέτρα, petra) I will build My church...".
In Greek nouns have gender. It is similar to the English words actor and actress. The first is masculine, and the second is feminine. Likewise, the Greek word "petros" is masculine; "petra" is feminine.
Peter, the man, is appropriately referred to as
Petros. But Jesus said that the rock he would build his church on was not the masculine "petros" but the feminine
"petra."
Let me illustrate by using the words "actor" and "actress:...…….
"You are the actor; and with this actress, I will make my movie."
Do see that the gender influences how a sentence is understood? Jesus was not saying that the church will be built upon Peter but upon something else.
- Deut. 32:4, "The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice."
- 2 Sam. 22:2-3, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; 3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge."
- Psalm 18:31, "And who is a rock, except our God."
- Isaiah 44:8, "Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none."
- Rom. 9:33, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed."
It should be obvious from the Word of God that the rock Jesus was referring to was not Peter--but himself.
Is Peter the rock on which the Church is built? | CARM.org