Discuss: Is the "church" to be built on Peter, the confession of faith, something else, etc.? Explain.
Discuss: Do you want to go though the "gates" of "hell"? Explain.


Discuss: Does this verse give the church the authority to do whatever they decide to do?

The context changes with the next verse.

The name "Simon" is that of "Peter". The "Bar-jona" means "Son of Jonah". The name "Barabbas" means "Son of the father" as in "Abba" as in "father" or "daddy". Note that "Abba" is an Aramaic word that is now a (modern) Hebrew word.

More: The Father and Abba

There are many books along the lines of "The gates of hell". The Hebrew equivalent to "Hades" is "Sheol".
A traditional or literal interpretation refers to a cave in the area of Caesarea Philippi. There are many sites on earth that lay claim to such a title.

This reasoning follows a commonly used technique that force-fits a literal interpretation into a verse. Urban legends that arise are repeated such that, eventually, it is just accepted.

One book (ISBN 978-0692266786) is Jesus said: "I Will Build My Church!": "And the Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail Against It!" by Rudi Louw (author). Amazon. (as of 2024-04-03).

Many sermons, book, etc., are written based on the modern English meaning of a word, which often originated with the Latin, rather than using the original Greek meaning of the word - which often requires some research.
Here is part of the introduction. And now Jesus says that “the gates of hell, the gates of hades; the resistance of the enemy to maintain his ground will not prevail against us!” That means that as we share these things with people, the enemy will not prevail in his efforts to keep them ignorant and deceived concerning their true identity revealed in Jesus!

The ancient Greek word "πύλη" ≈ "wing of gates, door, entrance".

A "gate" is like a "door" in that it allows access from one side to the other. Which is the easier or preferred direction depends on context.

In networking:

• A "bridge" (or "switch") allows traffic in both directions in a similar manner.
• A "router" or "gateway" allows traffic in both directions in a dissimilar manner.

How might the idea of a "bridge" or "router" or "gateway" compare with the "gates" of "hell"?

• The ancient Greek word "πυλών" ≈ "gateway".
• The ancient Greek word "πύλη" ≈ "wing of gates, door, entrance".

The Latin word "inferus" ≈ "low, souls of the dead, netherworld, underworld, Hell".

The Latin word "praevaleo" ≈ "able, superior, prevail".

• "prae" ≈ "before".
• "valeo" ≈ "able, powerful" and is the source of "value", "valence", etc.

In the GNT and LXX:

• The Latin "praeva-" is used in 133 times in 133 verses.
• The Greek «κατισχυ-» is used 85 times in 79 verses.

In only 3 verses are they both in the same verse. Thus, there does not appear to be a lot of overlap in meaning.

What follows ore the other 2 verses.

Thus, the "gates" of "hell" shall not "come to full strength" to (not "against"):

☐ "it" or "she" as the "church".
☐ "it" or "she" as a "gate".

Might this mean that the "gates" of "hell" are not "closed" and any "gait" into the "wide" or "open area" will be "unimpeded" and not "closed" or "impeded". Thus, one should be careful not to "wander" or "err". Are there any "free will" implications in the meaning of this verse?

The ancient Greek word "κατισχω" ≈ "come to full strength". The GNT sometimes uses the idea of "prevail".

• The ancient Greek prefix "κατά" ≈ "down, against".
• The ancient Greek word "ἰσχύς" ≈ "strength, power, might".

The idea of the Greek prefix and word is that of "getting down to strength". The English way of saying this is to "come up to strength".

The ancient Greek word "κατισχω" ≈ "come to full strength". The GNT sometimes uses the idea of "prevail".

• The ancient Greek prefix "κατά" ≈ "down, against".
• The ancient Greek word "ἰσχύς" ≈ "strength, power, might".

The idea of the Greek prefix is that of "getting down to strength". The English way of saying this is to "come up to strength".

The Greek for "snare" is more of a physical trap and not a conceptual one as in "offend". The ancient Greek word "σκάνδαλον" ≈ "trap, snare" as in entice, tempt, etc.

The next verse is a different context. The "accounted worthy" is not is some Greek manuscripts. Instead, it is "come to full strength". Which meaning makes better sense given the context?

More: Matthew 11:6: Idiomatic misinterpretations that offend

More: Matthew 11:1-6: Trapped by an offensive misinterpretation of Jesus

Obviously those voiced "prevailed" in the modern sense of the word. But did those voices "come to full strength" as in a "crescendo" in music? Then Pilate made the decision.

It appears that what Pilate did is translated back into the previous verse. This is like a Monday morning quarterback writing what happened in the game knowing what would happen and putting those ideas into the historical narrative.

Pharaoh's "heart" was "brought up to full strength" such that he did not "hearken" or "listen".

More: Song: Hark the herald angels sing

The "strengthen" is that of "bringing up to full strength".

The Middle English word "gin" ≈ "cleverness, scheme, device, machine". The "cotton gin" was a "device" or "machine" is in an "engine".

The Old English word "grin" ≈ "snare, gin, noose".

More: A snare laced by a lasso string

To "kindle" a "fire" such that it "compasses" is to bring it "up to full strength".

It only takes a spark to get a fire going,

More: Song: Pass it on

Discuss: Do you want to go though the "gates" of "hell"? Explain.

The ancient Greek word "ἀναιδής" ≈ "shameless, ruthless".

• "ἀν" ≈ "not" (as a prefix).
• "αἰδώς" ≈ "shame, respect, reverence".

The modern Greek word "αναιδής" (a-neh-THEES) ≈ "impudent, brash, shameless" .

This word could be used as a play on words with "Hades" but does not appear to have been used as such in the LXX.

Note that the LXX has differences.

• The "grave" is called «αδης» or "hades", named for the Greek god of the underworld. The word "hades" means "unseen".
• In addition to the "earth", the sub-underground world of the dead, «ταρταρυς» is added. The word «ταρταρυς» is also used by Peter in 2 Peter.
• In addition to "fire", "water" is also used (a second time).



More: Tartarus and the bottomless pit

It gets pretty hot in Texas.
If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent out Texas and live in Hell. Union General Philip Henry Sheridan (1831-1888).

The Greek for "destruction" is that of those "many" in the "wide area" who do not find the "narrow" "gate" for the "few".

Discuss: Do you want to go though the "gates" of "hell"? Explain.

There are two ways through the "gates". Which side are you on?

The two ways appear to be "God's way" and "man's way" which can be called humanism.

The "Didache" is a special Greek manuscript knowns as "The teaching of the twelve apostles". It is a short and early (first century A.D.) manuscript.

The Didache was considered by some early church fathers as scripture but eventually was considered (by most) as highly authoritative but not at the level of scripture.

The very first line of the Didache states that there are two ways, one of life, one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways. This is a nice top-down backward-chaining way of starting the text. Barnabas makes a similar statement.

More: Like a good neighbor, Jesus is there

More: Didache: The doctrine of teaching

Narrow "gates" and wide plazas or plateaus.

• One needs to find the narrow way through the narrow/strait gate. Not many find this way out to life.
• The broad plateau/plaza (not a gate) leads to destruction. Unless one finds and goes through the narrow gate, one is already in the broad way to destruction.

Do you see the connections in the following?

• Moses, as Jesus, raptured the people from the strong man of the world, the Egyptian Pharaoh, to take them to the promised land of milk and honey in the Exodus or way out.
• Jesus, will rapture his chosen vessels (people) from the strong man of the world, Satan, to take them to the promised land in paradise. Early Christians were called the way.

• The (hidden) flaming sword was left to keep open the way to paradise and life.
• The assembly of believers is to be built on the rock of Jesus and not on the sand of man. The gates (there may be one for each person) of Hades (what is not seen) are not at full strength, providing a narrow or strait opening, for which to make one's way along the narrow path and gate, kept open by the (unseen) flaming sword.

How many "gates" are there?

The Church, when built on a sand human hierarchy, is the master and has the keys to the kingdom of heaven or kingdom of the air or kingdom of the birds. They can bind and loose in the reality of earth and air as now exists.
The purpose of keys is that of closing something. Why are there multiple keys? Is there a key for each person? Is there a gate for each person? The word key comes from the idea of closing something.
The reality of where we exist appears to be Hades with the unseen flaming sword. For the assembly of believers, the gate to life has been kept open, but just narrowly. At a point in time, Jesus will close that gate and reality as we know it will disappear. A new reality will be created. Only those who made it through the narrow gate will see that reality.

One hears of some people saying that others will "go to hell". That is, go through the "gates of hell" to get to "hell".

From the above verses and reasoning, it appears that we will all end up in "hell", so to speak, if we do not get through the narrow "gate of hell" to "life". That "gate" is not yet at "full strength". It appears that the "rapture" is the way Jesus has of getting the remaining believers through that "gate" before it reaches "full strength" and "closes".