Did Jesus Say the Church Can Never be Defeated?

Did Jesus Say the Church Can Never Be Defeated?

Dear Sir:
We have had a warm discussion about Matthew 16:18. Does not Jesus say the church can never be defeat by the Devil?
-Mattias

Dear Mattias:
The passage in Matthew 16:18 does not say that Satan cannot prevail against the church. Jesus told his disciples he was going to build his church on the grand truth confessed by Peter ...that he was the Christ, the son on the living God... Then he said that the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Note that in vs. 21 he began to show the disciples that he must be killed and raised up. They would wonder, "Lord, if you are killed how can you build your church?"

His answer was "I will be resurrected on the third day". Hades is the place of the dead. Experienced told them that once a person had died his work on earth was finished. None could escape Hades. But Jesus knew he would be resurrected, so he confidently assured them that the gates of Hades would not be able to keep him prisoner. He would be raised and proceed to build his church as promised. The misunderstanding many people have of this passage is based on the poor translation of the King James Version, "the gates of Hell." The Greek term is Hades, the place of the dead. Those who fail to note this fact inadvertently fall into a misunderstanding of the promise.

Sincerely,

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