Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Why do some Protestants think that Petros and Petra within the Bible mean two different things?

Some claim that in the Bible (Matth. xvi) Petros (Πέτρος) means pebble and petra (πέτρᾳ) means rock.

If you are one to believe this, how did you come to this conclusion?

Update:

From what I have researched, Biblical Greek is Koine Greek. In Koine Greek Petros was never used as it was not a word. Petra was the only word, but it is a feminine word so they changed the suffix of Petra and made it masculine by using "os" (ος) instead of "a" (α). Kind of like Latin, all words that end in "a" or "æ" are feminine with the exception of Profession. While "r" & "us" are usually Masculine, and "um" is neuter.

Though even with that knowledge, Christ used the Aramaic-Syriac word cephah (ܟ݁ܺܐܦ݂ܳܐ), as the Greek transliteration of this word (Κηφᾶς) is used in John i. 42. This information alone would render the whole debate redundant, though there are still those who still try to prove that these words have different meanings. I am just curious as to why this is.

6 Answers

Relevance
  • Anonymous
    10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Of course your 100% correct but the anti Catholics have to have reasons to deny the Church Christ founded so do not expect them to want to understand or try to. Just like one of the silliest answer some of them give saying Jesus was standing there pointing at him self while saying thou are rock.

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    Some will say that Peter (Petros) in Greek means small pebble not "Rock" which is true, but Jesus didnt speak Greek, he spoke Aramaic and he called St. Peter "Cephas" which means "Rock". In Greek Petros (Pebble) is masculine and Petra (Rock) is Feminie, the translators couldnt use the Feminine to describe a Male so they went with the masculine Petros. When confronted by someone who says the "Greek" translation of "Petros" is Pebble be sure to remind them that Jesus didnt speak Greek.

    "There are not more than 100 people in the world who truly hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they perceive to be the Catholic Church. ....As a matter of fact, if we Catholics believed all of the untruths and lies which were said against the Church, we probably would hate the Church a thousand times more than they do."

    -----Archbishop Sheen

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs6qZd_xP1w

    Peace be with you

    <<<Devout Catholic>>>

    http://catholicmyths.blogspot.com/

  • 4 years ago

    a million. i'm getting to work out rarely-seen buddies day after today. 2. My society and atmosphere instructor became away for the full week. 3. it became a attractive day at present. the sunlight became golden-like and it merely made me sense so radiant! (4. i'm finally shifting on from some thing i've got long previous through for right now 8 months. and that kinfolk are properly after the hurricane that handed by utilising their city. )

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    the original words were aramaic.cephas meaning rock . if jesus had meant peter or 'cephas to be a pebble he would have called him .'evna.' and the greek interpretation would have been 'lithos.'

    thou art cephas =rock and upon this cephas =rock i will build my church

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    God and Jesus are called "the rock" several places in the Old and New Testament. Jesus is the cornerstone of the church.

  • 10 years ago

    Peter is the pebble, Peter's confession "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God" is the boulder.

    Peter is NOT the first Pope. the first Pope was in the 300s.

    The Catholic church revises history to suit its agenda.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.