Contents of this article:

1. Apostle Peter and Paul’s Teaching
2. The Ephesians 2:20
3. In Bisaya, Efeso 2:20
4. Hiding in the Twisted Translation of the Ephesians 2:20

Apostle Peter and Paul’s Teaching

Mr. Morales wants me to believe him that the Apostle Peter was laid as the foundation of the church of Christ. However, when I checked the teachings of Apostle Peter, I found out that Apostle Peter was not introducing himself as the foundation of the church of Christ. Apostle Peter’s teaching is clear that Christ is the foundation of the church of Christ.

5you 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. 6For 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.” 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, 8and,
“A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (I Peter 2:5-8, NIV)

And there’s one thing that I noticed: When Peter was teaching about the foundation of the church of Christ, Christ was already in heaven. Now, if Apostle Peter was really laid as the foundation of the church of Christ, then he should introduce himself to the members of the church of Christ that he was really the foundation of the church. But based on the truth recorded on the Bible, Apostle Peter constantly introduced Christ as the foundation of the church. We couldn’t find any verse that would tell us that Peter taught that he was the foundation of the church of Christ.

The same is true to Apostle Paul. When Apostle Paul started to teach the truth about the church of Christ, Christ was already in heaven. However, Apostle Paul did not mention that Apostle Peter was laid as the foundation of the church of Christ; instead, he (Apostle Paul) clearly taught that there is no other foundation of the church of Christ except Christ.

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

Even in his letter to the Colossians, Apostle Paul introduced Christ as the foundation of the church by telling the Colossian members to be rooted and built up in Christ:

6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7, NIV)

If during the time when Christ was already in heaven, Peter was already made the foundation of the church of Christ, then Apostle Paul should tell the members of the church of Christ to be rooted and built up in Peter because Peter was supposed to be the foundation. But that’s not what Apostle Paul had taught. Apostle Paul told the Colossian members of the church of Christ to be rooted and built up in Christ. A building is normally rooted and built up on a foundation. Since Christ is the foundation, so the church of Christ should be rooted and built up in Christ.

But Mr. Morales doesn’t want to accept what Apostle Peter and Apostle Paul had taught. He tried to find ways how to oppose the teachings of the Apostles. So, he used the Ephesians 2:20 to tell me that his belief that Peter was the foundation of the church of Christ is true and that the teaching of Apostle Paul that Christ is the only foundation of the church is false.

The Ephesians 2:20

Almost all English translations of the Ephesians 2:20 are in parallel to the New International Version which says:

20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20, NIV)

The verse is talking about the foundation where the building (Ephesians 2:19) has been built up. This foundation is the foundation where the apostles and prophets stood. This foundation is Christ.

The following verses, verses 21-22, support the truth that the foundation where the building was being built is Christ not the apostle and prophets because according to Apostle Paul, the whole building is joined together and being built together in Christ:

21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:21-22, NIV)

Now, if the foundation referred to in Ephesians 2:20 are the apostles and prophets, so the verses 21 and 22 should support that too. But that’s not the case. Just like what I said above, the verses 21 and 22 support the teaching that Christ is the foundation where the building was being joined together and being built.

You might say that apostles and prophets might be parts of the foundation wherein Christ is the main foundation. Well, we can accept that argument if Apostle Paul will support that too. However, in Apostle Paul’s writings in I Corinthians 12:28, he clarifies that the apostles and prophets are parts not of the foundation but of the church which is referred to by Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:20 as building or a house that is built upon the foundation.

28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. (I Corinthians 12:28, NIV)

In other words, the apostles and prophets couldn’t be the foundations of the building because they are not placed as the foundation but as the components of the building. They are among the living stones that are built into a spiritual house as stated in I Peter 2:5:

5you 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)

In Bisaya, Efeso 2:20

When I presented this truth to Mr. Morales, he criticized me and called me idiot and accused me that I couldn’t understand English.

Anyway, to be called idiot is just fine for me. But I wish, if he will call me idiot, he should show me that he really is more knowledgeable than me. He should avoid writing like these in English:

• Anyway, I’m not wonder of Mr. Laplana to not accept the truth because …
• … because he is twisted the Bible.

But I wonder why he who is bright and smart in English, grammar and reading comprehension, most of the time, write his emails in Bisaya or Tagalog.

He even told me that instead of writing my responses in English, I should have written them in Bisaya. Okay! For this part of this article, I will use the Bisaya (Visayan) language.

Si Apostol Pablo sa Efeso 2:20-21 nagaingon:

mga tinukod kamo sa ibabaw sa patukoranan sa mga apostoles ug sa mga manalagna, nga si Jesucristo gayud mao ang pangulo nga bato sa pamag-ang. (Efeso 2:20, Cebuano)

Dinhi niining sitas, klaro kayo ang pagtulun-an ni Apostol Pablo nga ang mga apostoles ug manalagna adunay patukuranan. Ang sitas wala magaingon nga ang mga apostoles ug mga manalagna mao ang tukuranan kundi sila adunay patukuranan. Ug dinha nga patukuranan, naa diha gitukod ang balay nga mao ang iglesia ni Cristo.

Karon, nganong sayop ang pagtuo ni Mr. Morales nga ang mga apostol kuno ug mga manalagna mao ang pundasyon o patukuranan sa iglesia ni Cristo? Kini tungod kay matud gihapon ni Apostol Pablo ang mga apostoles ug mga propeta gibutang diha sa iglesia ni Cristo ug dili diha sa pundasyon sa iglesia ni Cristo (I Corinto 12:28). Ang mga propeta ug mga manalagna mga bahin sa balay nga mao ang iglesia. Ug kauban sila sa mga bato nga gitukod aron mahimong balay (I Peter 2:5). Ug diha sa pundasyon, usa ra ang gibutang diha nga mao si Cristo ug wala nay lain pa ang mahimong ibutang diha gawas ni Cristo (I Corinto 3:11).

Hiding on the twisted translation of Ephesians 2:20

Apostle Paul is very much consistent on his teaching about the foundation of the church of Christ. He didn’t introduce another foundation or foundations of the church of Christ, because according to him Christ is the only foundation of the church of Christ (I Corinthians 3:11).

But Mr. Morales is trying to oppose this teaching of the Apostle Paul by using the twisted translations of Ephesians 2:20. Take note, that what has been used by Mr. Morales in opposing the teaching of Apostle Paul is the twisted version of the Apostle’s Paul’s own writing which goes:

19″ Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people: you are of the household of God. You are the house 20 whose foundations are the apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 19:20, Christian Community Bible)

The statement: “20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,…” is clearly twisted into: “You are the house 20whose foundations are the apostles and prophets…” On the righteous translation of the verse, the mentioned foundation is just one or singular while on this twisted translation, the foundation mentioned is plural. Secondly, on the righteous translation, the foundation mentioned is the foundation of the apostles and prophets, while on this twisted translation, the foundations are the apostles and prophets.

Anyway, I am not wondering if there are people who tried to twist the writings of the Apostle Paul, because Apostle Peter talked about it already:

15Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 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 3:15-16, NIV)

It is already expected that there are people like Mr. Morales who would try to twist the writings of the Apostle Paul so that they can use something to back-up their twisted belief.

And did you know what are the identifying marks of those who would not just mistakenly twist the scriptures but would also intentionally twist the scriptures just to deceive people? Apostle Paul mentioned it on his letter to Timothy:

1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. (I Timothy 4:1-3, NIV)

These identifying marks are: (1) The teaching that forbid people to marry; (2) The teaching to abstain from certain foods (meat). These are the teachings of demons. Of course, Mr. Morales knew that the church where he’s in now is the church that teaches these teachings.

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