Does this verse indicate that Peter was the church’s foundation and that he was given unique authority among the apostles? To both of these questions, we answer “No.” The name Peter in verse 18 comes from the Greek term “petros” which means “stone,” whereas the term translated with the English word “rock” is “petra”—two different words. The natural understanding is that the referent of  “petra” is not Peter (“petros”), but something else. In context that would be the statement of faith Peter made, namely, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” in verse 16. That is the truth revealed by God, as indicated in verse 17. And that is foundational, pivotal to everything else.

We have no record that the apostles themselves ever understood Peter to have a unique, preeminent position among them. In Galatians 2:9, Paul acknowledges James, Cephas and John equally as “pillars,” of the church at Jerusalem. Interestingly, Paul used Peter’s Hebrew name, not the Greek name “Petros.” When Paul later wrote to the Romans, the church had already been planted there, yet Paul makes no mention of Peter in his letter. This would have been an extreme insult if, as the Roman church today asserts (on scant evidence), that Peter founded the church there. In fact, Paul harshly rebuked Peter for hypocritical behavior in Galatians 2:11-13. Indeed, by his very actions, Peter was perpetrating the false doctrine that Gentiles needed to become like Jews in order to be justified before God. Peter would be a fallible foundation for the universal church! Scripture clearly states, “No man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3:11).

True, Ephesians 2:20 tells us the church was “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.” There, the metaphor is used in a slightly different way. Jesus did not give us personally authored writings, but instead gave His apostles perfect recall and authorized them pass on His teachings (see John 14:26, 16:13, Acts 1:8). The early church viewed apostolic teaching as foundational (Acts 2:42) precisely because it was the authorized teaching of Jesus. The foundational work was completed with the closing of the NT canon and the church ever since has rested on the apostolic teaching as the ultimate authority in matters of truth and faith. Authority in the church is now not based on ecclesiastical, human hierarchy, but on the infallible Word of God. In seminal form that is the truth Peter confessed in Matthew 16:8.