A Refutation of the MacArthur Bible Commentary’s Assertion that the Rock in Matthew 16:18 is a “Boulder-Like Truth”

The rejection of papal authority by Protestant revolters of the 16th century has been transmitted to this day and influences how contemporary Protestant communities interpret Peter’s status in Matthew 16:17–19. The MacArthur Bible Commentary, by John MacArthur, is a popular resource containing arguments used by some Protestants to deny Peter any special role in Matthew 16:18. In the biblical text, Jesus asks His disciples what they think about Him and Peter confesses that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus responds,

A Refutation of Matt Slick’s Exegesis of Matt 16:18

The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus entrusted St. Peter the Apostle with the unique office to be the rock or foundation to keep the Church firm in her faith and this mission has continued through St. Peter’s successors, the popes.¹ Several biblical texts support St. Peter’s unique role including Peter being renamed by Jesus, Peter always being mentioned first in the list of the apostles, and Jesus telling Peter to “Feed my lambs.” Matt Slick, the founder of the helpful Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website, disagrees with the Catholic Church’s position and argues that Peter is not the rock on which Christ built His Church.² Instead of proving Peter’s preeminence among the apostles, it will be demonstrated that Slick’s argument is not exegetically sound and he does not adequately disprove the Catholic Church’s position.