Other passages of Holy Scripture indirectly support the view that Jesus Christ is the foundation stone by characterising the words of the Lord, i.e. the Gospels, as a rock. When we speak of the word of the Lord, we mean the word of God which also means Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, and vice-versa.
(11) Ιn this way our argument is reinforced as the Gospels can represent Christ. This principle is confirmed by other passages as well, foremost amongst which is, in our opinion, John 8.25 where the Lord, answering the Jews' question «σύ τίς ει ;», spoke the renown phrase, «Την αρχήν ο,τι και λαλώ υμίν», which is explained: «That which Ι have said unto you from the beginning (or generally, already)
(12)». Το wit, «Ι am that which Ι tell you, that which Ι teach yοu».
We have used this passage from John here not only because we consider it a foundational principle of the first rank concerning the nature of Christ, but also because the problems and subjects of the passage are almost the same with Matt. 16. l3ff from whence comes the passage under study here. Ιn both cases questions and answers revolve around the same person and problem of Christ, with the difference that in the first case he is asking while in the second he is answering.
But the importance of John 8.25, which gives particular weight to the confession therein, is the fact that He who is answering is the person (Christ) about whom the problem is posed «Who are you ?» (συ τις ει
. Consequently, we have an authentic self-confession and at the same time confirmation of what we have said above, that
by the word of the Lord we mean Jesus Christ.
With the above observation we may now indicate the passages of Holy Scripture which liken the Word of God, the words of the Lord (i.e. Christ) with a rock (Πέτρα
. Thus we have an excerpt from the Gospel according to St Matthew with the Lord's distinctive words : «Πας ουν όστις ακούει μου τους λόγους τούτους και ποιεί αυτούς, ομοιωθήσεται ανδρί φρονίμω, όστις ωκοδόμησεν αυτού την οικiαν επι την πέτραν. Και κατέβη η βροχή και ήλθον oι ποταμοί και έπνευσαν οι άνεμοι και προσέπεσαν τη οικία εκείνη, και ουκ έπεσεν τεθεμελίωτο γαρ επί την πέτραν» (Matt. 7. 24-25). Α similar passage is recognisable in St Luke's Gospel: «Πας ο ερχόμενος προς με και ακούων μου των λόγων και ποιών αυτοίς
… όμοιός εστιν ανθρώπω οικοδομούντι οικίαν, ος έσκαψεν και εβάθυνεν και έθηκεν θεμέλιον επί την Πέτραν» (Luke 6.47-48). Ιn these passages, then, we have the testimony that Christ,
the Son and Word Λόγος of God, is the rock (Πέτρα uρon which it is possible to build His house safely, so as it stands unshaken.
The passages contemplated above not only call to mind but also reinforce the given interpretation of Matt. 16. 18 that the rock (Πέτρα upon which the Church of God would be built so as to withstand Hell, is Christ, the Son and Word of God.
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