In my previous post entitled, “Christ is the only Foundation,” I told you that among the two interpretations of the words of Christ that says, “…You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church (NIV)…” Mr. Rico Morales chooses to use and believe on the first interpretation. This interpretation says: Simon’s name was called by Christ Peter. Peter means rock or stone. And the rock that Christ referred to when He said, “…and on this rock, I will build my church…” is Simon Peter.

In his response to the said article, he accused me of failing to understand his points. Well, of course I understand what he’s trying to point out. That’s why I know what interpretation he is using. If I didn’t get what he’s thinking of, then I shouldn’t know what interpretation he is using.

So, he tried to explain it to me like this:

Matud pa ni Mr. Selboy sa Mat. 16:18 si Kristo maoy cornerstone, matud ko nga wala ko magsalikway nga si Kristo ang batong pasukaranan o cornerstone sa iyang simbahan nga gitukod, apan sa maong sitas naghisgot si Kristo nga iyang tukoron ang iglesiya sa bato. Tinood si Kristo mao ang magtutukod pero adunay gitukoran. Ang pangutana unsaon man pagtukod kong walay tukoranan? (Rough translation: According to Mr. Selboy, in Matthew 16:18, the cornerstone is Christ but according to me, I am not denying that Christ is the cornerstone of his church that he built. However, in that verse, Christ was talking that he would build his church on the stone or rock. It’s true that Christ is the builder but there was also a foundation. The question is, how could he build if there’s no foundation?)

From this explanation, it is clear that Mr. Rico Morales is really using only his own wisdom and totally forgetting the truth that the real Apostle Peter revealed:

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. (II Peter 1:20, NIV)

And the result is that his belief is a direct contradiction to the truth. He tried to show me that his belief is in parallel to the teaching of the real Apostle Peter that Christ is the cornerstone:

“6For in Scripture it says:
1See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.’ 7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,’” (I Peter 2:6-7, NIV)

But by saying that Peter is the foundation of the church is like he’s saying that cornerstone is different to foundation. Even if we will consider his belief that the cornerstone is different to the foundation, he still contradicted the truth because the only foundation is Christ not Peter according to the teaching of the Apostle Paul:

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 3:11, NIV)

I accused him at my previous post that he’s using the commentaries of the Catholic scholars in explaining his belief. My accusation was based on his claims that:

Today, the overwhelming consensus of the great majority of all biblical scholars and commentators is in favor of the traditional Catholic understanding.

And these words is actually a plagiarism to the original article as shown on the screenshot below:

This is the proof that Mr. Rico Morales is just depending on the explanation of someones who are not witnesses of the incident recorded in Matthew 16:18. And just like what I said on my previous post, these people are not the real witnesses of the incident recorded on Matthew 16:18 because these people started to exist long after the death of the real Apostles.

Foundation and Cornerstone of the Church of Christ

Mr. Morales claimed that his belief was based on Christ’s teachings. However, it is clear that he contradicted the teachings of the Apostles which are also the teachings of Christ. If he really based his belief on the teachings of Christ then his belief should not go against the teachings of the Apostles because what the Apostles had taught were all based on the teachings of Christ.

16″He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:16, NIV)

8For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. (John 17:8,NIV)

There’s no wonder why Mr. Rico Morales and the likes contradicted the truth by interpreting the verse they read using their own wisdom. They are just doing what those people referred to by Apostle Peter in II Peter 3:16 were doing before:

16He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (II Peter 3:16, NIV)

Mr. Rico Morales accused me of being poor in reading comprehension. And just like what I told you on my previous post, it’s just fine for me to be considered idiot in earthly wisdom as long as my belief is in parallel to the wisdom from God or from the teachings of Christ and the Apostles.

I stand firm on my belief that the rock foundation of the church is Christ and no other foundation that can be laid other than the one that has been laid already, who is Christ.

In Matthew 16:18, Simon’s name was changed to Peter but Christ is referring to Himself when he mentioned a rock where the church should be built. And even if Simon’s name was changed to Peter, Simon couldn’t be the rock foundation. He’s just one of the stones that are built into spiritual house:

“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. (I Peter 2:5, NIV)”

But the foundation of this house or building is Christ:

19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19-21, NIV)

My only advice to Mr. Rico Morales, learn to follow the teachings of the Apostles and don’t ever contradict their teachings. And remember always that the belief of the true followers of Christ are in parallel to the teachings of Christ and the Apostles.

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