You are PETER, and on this ROCK I will build my church

[tonychanyt]

In the OT, the rock is often used to refer to God, Psalm 18:

2 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.

This metaphor is repeated in the NT, 1 Corinthians 10:

4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Jesus was gracious when he spoke in Matthew 16:

18 I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Peter,
Πέτρος (Petros)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4074: Peter, a Greek name meaning rock. Apparently a primary word; a rock; as a name, Petrus, an apostle.

rock
πέτρᾳ (petra)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4073: A rock, ledge, cliff, cave, stony ground. Feminine of the same as Petros; a rock.

HELPS Word-studies

4073 pétra (a feminine noun) – "a mass of connected rock," which is distinct from 4074 (Pétros) which is "a detached stone or boulder" (A-S). 4073 (pétra) is a "solid or native rock, rising up through the earth" (Souter) – a huge mass of rock (a boulder), such as a projecting cliff.
4073 (petra) is "a projecting rock, cliff (feminine noun) . . . 4074 (petros, the masculine form) however is a stone . . . such as a man might throw" (S. Zodhiates, Dict).

What is the meaning behind Jesus giving Simon the name Peter?

Peter, the little rock, was compared to the big rock of the foundation. It's a pun in Greek.

What is the significance behind Jesus giving Simon the name Peter?

It showed how gracious Jesus was to Peter using a pun. Also, the Holy Spirit used Peter to start the nascent church. Peter gave a sermon on Pentecost, and 3000 souls were saved in Jerusalem (Acts 2:41). Peter and John went to Samaria and laid their hands on some believers for them to receive the Paraclete/Spirit (Acts 8:17). Peter preached in Cornelius' house. He was a gentile. The Holy Spirit fell on the gentiles (Acts 10:47).

 

[Diamond7]

Peter, the little rock, was compared to the big rock of the foundation. It's a pun in Greek.

We see this in Revelation 21:14 "The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." The disciples determine the doctrine that we build upon. Only Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of Israel. The disciples were amazed when the gentiles were able to receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus use to call the gentiles: "dogs".

 

[oikonomia]

The changing of the name of someone in the Bible usually means God will change them
them into another kind of person.

Simon in his natural being could not remain. Christ changes his name because His salvation
will not allow a man to remain totally the same. We all must and will be transformed to be living stones
for the dwelling place of God in spirit.

You and I were born again (if we are Christians) in order to be transformed into His image from one degree of
glory to another until we are like the Son. Only in this way can Christ build His church. Only this group
of transformed humans can withstand victoriously any attack of death and hades.

So the church is build upon the foundation of Christ the God-man. And He being not only the foundation but
the cornerstone of the building must build together many like Him. The transformation is the building up in love.

The old man, the fallen man unredemmed, unsanctified, untransformed and ungodly, can never be the building
material for the victorious church that Christ said He would build upon the revelation of His being the Son of the living God.

And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matt. 16:16-18)

 

[oikonomia]

Both seeing Who Christ is AND seeing what the church is is only by revelation.

And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens. (Matt. 16:17)

It is easy to see Jesus was a good man by the natural mind.
It takes revelation from God the Father to see Christ is the Son of God.

It is easy to see the church as a collection of people, not much different from a fraternity, or institution, or society of some kind.
It takes revelation from God to really see what the church is. She only exists in spirit, ie in the mingling of God's Spirit with the spirits of redeemed human beings.

We need to ask God to show us the church as she really is.
We should not take for granted either one so easily - that we see Who Christ is or that we really see the church that He said He would build.

Peter, the man who got transformed, never forgot what Jesus is or what we of His house are.
Peter wrote years latter that Christ is the cornerstone and we also are living stones built up into a spiritual house.

Coming to Him, a living stone, rejected by men but with God chosen and precious,
You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house . . . (1 Peter 2:4,5)