RRLeath
Member
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2026
- Messages
- 34
Jesus once took his disciples on a field trip to a pagan city at the foot of Mt. Hermon called Caesarea Philippi.
The location was unique because it stood at the base of a cliff where spring water flowed from a cave.
To the pagan mind, then, the cave and spring water at Caesarea Philippi created a gate to the underworld. They believed that their city was literally at the gates of the underworld-"the gates of hell" In order to entice the return of their god, Pan, each year, the people of Caesarea Philippi engaged in horrible deeds, including prostitution and sexual interaction between humans and goats.
When Jesus brought his disciples to the area, they must have been shocked. Caesarea Philippi was like a red-light district in their world and devout Jews would have avoided any contact with the despicable acts committed there.
It was a city of people eagerly knocking on the doors of hell and this is the place Jesus first commissioned Peter and the disciples as builders of His Church!
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (petros) and upon this rock( petra) I will build my church; and the "gates of hell" shall not prevail against it.
(Matt. 16:18) Notice Jesus did not say he was building his church on Peter (petros) but on "petra" the big rock!
Peter was not commissioned as a Pope of the church but Christ called him a small rock that would begin building on a large rock and that large craggy rock they were standing on was the symbol of a pagan world that needed a Savior!
The "gates of hell" would not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ!
Greek words-
Peter-Petros= rock or stone
Rock-Petros=a rock, cliff or ledge
The location was unique because it stood at the base of a cliff where spring water flowed from a cave.
To the pagan mind, then, the cave and spring water at Caesarea Philippi created a gate to the underworld. They believed that their city was literally at the gates of the underworld-"the gates of hell" In order to entice the return of their god, Pan, each year, the people of Caesarea Philippi engaged in horrible deeds, including prostitution and sexual interaction between humans and goats.
When Jesus brought his disciples to the area, they must have been shocked. Caesarea Philippi was like a red-light district in their world and devout Jews would have avoided any contact with the despicable acts committed there.
It was a city of people eagerly knocking on the doors of hell and this is the place Jesus first commissioned Peter and the disciples as builders of His Church!
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (petros) and upon this rock( petra) I will build my church; and the "gates of hell" shall not prevail against it.
(Matt. 16:18) Notice Jesus did not say he was building his church on Peter (petros) but on "petra" the big rock!
Peter was not commissioned as a Pope of the church but Christ called him a small rock that would begin building on a large rock and that large craggy rock they were standing on was the symbol of a pagan world that needed a Savior!
The "gates of hell" would not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ!
Greek words-
Peter-Petros= rock or stone
Rock-Petros=a rock, cliff or ledge
