Matthew 16:18-19 states (NKJV):
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
It is clear from verse 19 that Jesus, in giving the “keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter”, approves of Peter in (1) proclaiming the gospel (opening the kingdom to believers), and (2) exercising discipline and judgment (forbidding and permitting practices and teachings).
One of the very first things that Peter taught was the definition of Jesus’ Church, describing it as a community of believers referred to as “living stones” being built into a spiritual house, with Christ as the cornerstone.
The Church as a Spiritual Building (1 Peter 2:4-8)
- Peter writes:”As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood…” (1 Peter 2:4-5).
Peter emphasizes that Jesus is the “cornerstone” (1 Peter 2:6-8), the foundation upon which the Church is ultimately built.
6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”8 and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
The theme of The Church as a Spiritual Building in 1 Peter 2:4-8 aligns closely with Jesus’ teaching to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:21-24. Both passages emphasize the transition from worship tied to physical locations to a spiritual and faith-centered relationship with God.
Key Parallels Between 1 Peter 2:4-8 and John 4:21-24:
- Jesus’ Teaching to the Samaritan Woman:
- John 4:21-24:“Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. … Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
- Theme:
- Jesus emphasizes that true worship is no longer tied to physical locations (e.g., Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem) but is based on worship “in Spirit and truth.”
- The focus shifts to a spiritual relationship with God, accessible to all through faith.
- Peter’s Description of the Church as a Spiritual House:
- 1 Peter 2:4-8:“… you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
- Theme:
- Believers are described as “living stones,” forming a “spiritual house” built on Christ, the cornerstone.
- Worship becomes an offering of spiritual sacrifices, aligning with God’s will rather than physical rituals or temple-based worship.
“My Church”
From Matthew 16:18, it is clear that the expression “my church” is referring to Jesus Christ’s Church. The Greek expression for “Jesus Christ’s Church” is:
ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
(hē ekklēsia tou Iēsou Christou)
The total value of this expression is 3440, as shown in the table below:
| # | Greek | English | Greek Value | Cumulative |
| 1 | ἡ (hē) | The | 8 | 8 |
| 2 | ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) | Church | 294 | 302 |
| 3 | τοῦ (tou) | of [the] | 770 | 1072 |
| 4 | Ἰησοῦ (Iēsou) | Jesus | 688 | 1760 |
| 5 | Χριστοῦ (Christou) | Christ | 1680 | 3440 |
It is astonishing that the that Carmichael Lambda function evaluated at 3440 is exactly 168, which is the identifier of the Lord’s Prayer in the Gospel of Luke. Indeed, the name “Christ” itself carries the number 168, given that the equivalent Greek word, Χριστοῦ, has the value 1680=168 x 10.
The implication is astounding. Jesus Christ named His very own Church after His prayer!
Conclusion: The Church of Jesus Christ, referred to in Matthew 16:18, is the spiritual body of believers (a visible, Spirit-filled community of believers), worshiping the Father in spirit and truth, and united by faith in Jesus Christ through the Lord’s Prayer (and by, extension, the Last Supper).
The Lord's Prayer: A Mathematician's Creed 