Why was it important that Saint Peter received this message from God first?

Answer 1

Peter,being a Hebrew himself , was chosen or 'predestined' to be the cephas, or 'The Rock' upon which Christ Himself would build his church. Remember Christ the Bridegroom of the Bride, The Heavenly 'Church' in Glory and it is right that he is appointed by the Saviour of the New Church Himself, The lamb of God.

Cephas, 'the rock, is not only a rock by STATURE, but by his DEGREE OF FAITH itself!It is 'Faith which pleases God before ALL OTHER THINGS, as Jesus explicitly said to the apostles, 'Blessed are those who belive but have not yet seen'

Christ, the mediator and maker of ALL THINGS of including the Universe itself, was born before 'Time ITSELF BEGAN ' [See Genesis Chapt

• 1) and also is directly involved in the MAKING AND THE BUILDING of His own church.thus the Hebrew writer refers to Christ in this context as 'The Capstone', all things are built around this 'cornerstone of FAITH'.

It is on this universal and spiritual 'building material ' that Christ founds his church and begins the BUILDING BY FAITH , of His Bridegroom.

If King David of the Old Testament was the 'kingly image' of Christ the king with human failings, then Peter, the denying apostle , is the similar type in the New Tesatment of how God will build, through His Christ, a New Testament ecclesiastical structure.

This message contains both the mystical faith given by God alone to His true church and the foundations of a Glorifying hope for ALL New Testament believers.

The Hebrew Writer attests to this in a further historical but non ecclesiastical lineage in Chapter 11 of his Letter. [by Ray Shankland]