Catholics are often asked if they trust solely in Jesus for their salvation. The answer from Catholics would be a resounding yes because Jesus is the sole cause of our eternal salvation. Sometimes I wonder if protestants truly trust in Jesus when it comes to his Church. Catholics trust in all the words that Jesus spoke in the Bible.
Protestants seem to not trust Jesus’s words that the Gates of Hell would not prevail over His Church. In practice, protestants seem to argue that the Gates indeed prevailed for 1500 years over the Church. As a way of getting around this, they will create all sorts of fanciful histories regarding the true Church being underground. History says otherwise.
Let us take a look at Jesus’s words that I trust in one hundred percent.
Matt 16:18-19
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock [2] I will build my church, and the gates of hell [3] shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed [4] in heaven.”
Here we see that Jesus promises that he will build his Church on Peter the Rock. The Greek word used for Peter(Kepha in Aramaic) is Petros. The Greek word for Rock(Kepha in Aramaic) used is Petra. Petra is a feminine word, so translating Kepha to Petra would not have made sense, so the masculine word Petros was used.
Next, we see Jesus promising that the Gates of Hell will not prevail on His Church. Catholics trust Jesus’s words here, how many Protestants can truthfully say the same thing!
So true. So true.
Thanks for the comment timglass.