Chrys C. Caragounis Peter an d th e Roc k W DE G Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York 1990 Beiheft zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche Herausgegeben vo n Erich Gräßer 58 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Caragounis, Chrys C., 1940 — Peter and the rock / Chrys C. Caragounis. p. cm . — (Beiheft zur Zeitschrift für die neutestament- liche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche, ISSN 0171-6441 ; 58) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-89925-684-8 (U.S . : alk. paper) 1. Bible. N.T. Matthew XVI, 18 —Criticism, interpretation, etc . 2. Church —Biblical teaching. 3 . Peter, the Apostle, Saint. 4 . Bible. N.T. Matthew XVI, 18 —Criticism, interpretation, etc . — History. I. Title. II. Series: Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche ; Beiheft 58. BS410.Z7 Hef t 58 [BS2575.6.C5] 225.6 s-dc20 [226.2 6 ] 89-4889 3 CIP Deutsche Bibliothek Cataloguing in Publication Data Caragounis, Chrys C.: Peter and the rock / Chrys C. Caragounis. — Berlin ; New York : de Gruyter, 1990 (Beiheft zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaf t und die Kunde der älteren Kirche ; 58) ISBN 3-11-012396- 7 NE: Zeitschrif t fü r di e neutestamentliche Wissenschaf t un d di e Kunde der älteren Kirche / Beiheft ISSN: 0171-6441 © Copyrigh t 1989 by Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin 30. All rights reserved , includin g those of translation into foreign languages. N o part of this book ma y b e reproduce d o r transmitte d i n an y for m o r b y an y means , electroni c o r mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in Germany Printing: Werner Hildebrand, Berlin Binding: Lüderitz & Bauer, Berlin Dedicated to My Brother Peter Caragounis, M.Sc. PREFACE The impulse s t o th e presen t investigatio n hav e come fro m various quarter s an d variou s times , whe n i n discussion s with fellow-scholars, I becam e awar e o f th e prevalenc e o f th e interpretation tha t the petra of M t 16:1 8 is to b e identified wit h Petros and that consequently the Apostle Peter is to be regarded as the foundatio n of the Church. Since this 'consensus' seemed to cut across the line s o f theological stance , I became intrigued to discover wha t compellin g philologica l an d exegetica l reason s had brought about this consensus. The present wor k is the resul t o f some arduous labor i n the various area s t o whic h th e investigatio n ha s taken me . My results, I fear , ar e no t supportiv e o f th e curren t 'consensus 1, which seem s t o hav e bee n achieve d partl y throug h failur e t o take int o accoun t th e whol e evidenc e an d partly throug h th e adoption o f certai n unjustifie d assumptions . In thi s study th e premises fo r th e abov e conclusion s ar e subjecte d t o rigorous scrutiny an d the conclusions are called int o question. In fact, it is th e clai m o f thi s stud y tha t th e curren t interpretatio n ha s been base d o n outdate d o r otherwis e inadequat e data an d that the presen t stat e o f th e evidenc e rathe r point s t o th e opposit e direction. A t an y rate , I hereb y la y befor e th e scholarl y community th e results I have obtained an d the reasons that led me to them. In the hope that I am making a small contribution toward th e understandin g of this important text, I now commit my findings to the wise evaluation of my colleagues . My special thank s are due to Professor D r Erich Gräßer for his prompt an d unhasitating readiness to include this book in the series of the Beihefte zu r Zeitschrift fü r di e neutestamentliche Wissenschaft. Needles s t o say , h e i s not responsibl e fo r any eventual defects. VIII Prefac e I also wish to thank Professor Dr H. Wenzel and Frau Felicia Dorfert, bot h o f Walter de Gruyter, for their co-operation and input in the production of this book. Lund 15th October 198 9 Chry s C Caragounis CONTENTS Preface VI I Introduction 1 Part One : Th e Philological Evidenc e Ch. 1. The Greek Evidence 9 Ch. 2. Πέτρος , Πέτρ α and Derivatives as Names 1 7 Ch. 3. The Aramaic Evidence 2 6 Ch. 4. The Syriac Evidence 3 1 Ch. 5. The Word-Play 4 4 Part Two : The Exegesi s Ch. 1. Mt 16:17-19 and Scholarly Discussio n 6 1 Ch. 2. The Context of Mt 16:13-20 6 9 Ch. 3. The Structure of M t 16:13-20 8 2 Ch. 4. Πέτρο ς and πέτρ α in Mt 16:18 8 8 Conclusions 11 5 Bibliography 12 1 Index of Passage s 14 4 Index of Authors 15 4 INTRODUCTION As woul d b e expected , ther e i s a n immens e amoun t o f literature o n the subject of Peter and the rock.1 This does not in itself constitut e a problem othe r tha n tha t i t make s originalit y hard.2 Burgess mentions that in his reading he often came across "claims of a breakthrough in the understandin g of the Matthew 16 passage whic h turned ou t no t t o b e new at all ; an d then a decade o r s o late r th e sam e suppose d discover y woul d b e announced from another quarter".3 Yet i t would seem that all these "discoveries" or 'rediscoveries' have no t bee n i n vain . Fro m man y quarter s i t i s nowadays stressed tha t certain conclusions have become so well established that the y can be regarded as opinio communist After centurie s of disagreemen t it would appear tha t Protestant an d Catholic ar e at las t unite d i n referrin g th e roc k upo n whic h th e Churc h according to Mt 16:1 8 is to be built, to the Apostl e Peter. 5 But that i s also the end of th e agreement . For example, the further 1. Burgess, A History o f th e Exegesis of Matthew 16:17-19 from 1781- 1965, offers a bibliography of about one thousand works, though he claims (p . 185) t o hav e consulte d som e thirtee n t o fourtee n thousand volumes. 2. Cf. Seitz, JBL 6 9 (1950), 329. 3. History, vf . 4. Cf. Ringger in Begegnung de r Christen, 273: "Es darf als o heute als exegetisch geschicher t gelten , dass πέτρ α 'Fels' im Felsenwor t auf Petrus pers nlic h geht." Cf. Burgess, History, 167. 5. E.g. Grundmann , Da s Evangelium nach Matth us , 389; Albright - Mann, Matthew, 195,198 ; Buttrick , Th e Gospel according t o S t Matthew, (IntB , VII), 448, 450; Filson, A Commentary o n the Gospel according to St Matthew, 187; Gaechter, Das Matt h u s Evangelium, 527ff.; Cullmann , TDNT VI , 99 ; Ringger i n Begegnung de r Christen, 271ff.; Burgess , History, 167f . Se e also a long lis t i n Ringger, Begegnung der Christen, 311f. 2 Introductio n question o f Petrin e successio n i s still rejected b y Protestants.6 Thus, it is still not possible to consider the results arrived at as free fro m confessiona l influence. 7 On the other hand, it would be false t o give the impression that all Protestant exegetes refer πέτρ α t o Peter, 8 an d ther e ar e no w Catholic s who do so in a rather restricte d sense, associating the Twelve along with Peter.9 It ough t als o t o b e clea r tha t mos t Protestant s exegete s who refer πέτρ α to Peter do so under the assumption that the passage is inauthentic,10 i.e. tha t it is either a later interpolation by some 6. E.g. Cullmann , Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr; Burgess , History, 169ff.; Grundmann, Matth us , 396 ; Filson, Matthew, 186. 7. Cf. Grundmann, Matth us , 385 : "Konfessionell e Erw gungen haben die Exeges e inhaltlic h s t rk t bestimmt" , whil e Albright-Mann, Matthew, 195 , describe the dismissa l of the identification of πετρ ά with Pete r as being a "confessional interpretation" and the denial of Peter' s primacy as "a denial of the evidence". See also Schmid in Begegnung, 348 , and Hoffmann, Neues Testament un d Kirche, 94f, who speak of a de-ideologization (Entideologisierung) of the debate. 8. A few o f thos e who refuse to identify πετρά with Peter are : Strack- Billerbeck, Kommentar zu m Neuen Testament au s Talmud un d Midrasch I , 731f.; Gloege , Reich Gottes un d Kirche i m Neuen Testament, 274ff.; Allen , Matthew, 176 ; Buttrick , Matthew, 450 ; Gundry, Matthew, 334; Beare , Matthew, 355f. 9. Cf. Gaechter, Matth us , 529 : "Man w rd e dem Zusammenhang nicht gerecht, wolt e man die Aussage 'Du bist der Fels' ganz auf Simon beschr nke n .. . Also sind si e (i.e . th e Twelve ) in gewisse m Sinn einbezogen i n de n Sats : 'D u bis t de r Fels'." See further Mussner, Petrus und Paulus: Pole der Einheit, 21f . 10. According to Burgess , History, 42ff. , th e passag e bega n t o b e treated a s inauthentic in 1781 through an anonymous article (later discovered t o hav e bee n b y Friedric h Andrea s Stroth). By 1911 F. Dibelius coul d write: "Kau m ei n kritische r Theolog e h l t da s f r ein echte s Jesuswort" {Das Abendmahl: Eine Untersuchung be r die Anf ng e de r christlichen Religion, 63f.). Other s includ e Bultmann, ZNW 1 9 (1919-20), 170f. ; id., Theol.Bl. 20 (1940) , 265ff. ; K mmel , Kirchenbegriff un d Geschichtbewusstsein i n de r U r gemeinde un d be i Jesus, 32ff.; v . Campenhausen , Kirchliches Amt und geistliche Vollmacht in der ersten drei Jahrhunderten, 140ff.