What is the meaning of Matthew 16:18?

This verse is used to create a foundation for the false teaching of the Catholic Church, which claims that Jesus ordained Peter as the first pope and that Peter is the rock of the church.Again, this is a case of a verse taken out of context. If you read the previous verses starting with verse (13), you find that Jesus asked the disciples who others thought He was. Then He asked the disciples who they thoughtHe was in verse (15). In verse (16) we find that Peter answered by saying "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." In other words, Peter referred to Christ as the Rock. It leads us to the answer of who the Rock is in verse (18). When Christ said in verse (18) "That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church," He was referring to Peter's testimony that he said of Christ. In the Greek, Peter means "petros" which refers to a small pebble, while Christ means "petra" which refers to a mountain. This is what Jesus meant when He addressed Peter in verse (18). He basically said "Peter, you are a small pebble and upon this testimony (The Rock or mountain) I will build my church. Peter even testifies of this and refers to other Christians as "lively stones" in 1 Peter 2:5 and refers to Christ as being the "chief corner stone" in 1 Peter 2:6.In Matthew 16:19, this refers to all Christians because Christians know what salvation is because they trusted Jesus. Christians have the Word Of God as well to open the door of Heaven for a lost sinner to come in.

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