Did Jesus Really Say, “I Will Build My Church”?

Matthew 16:18 records Jesus saying (Berean Standard Bible),

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock [the confession of Jesus as the Christ] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”

Did Jesus really say “…I will build my church.”

Is this the accurate translation of the Greek manuscripts?

Most Bibles translate the Greek manuscripts as I will build my church.

But there are three translations (and there may be more) that have I will build my assembly.

World English Bible
I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

Literal Standard Version
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Assembly, and [the] gates of Hades will not prevail against it;

Young's Literal Translation
'And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;

Assembly is the correct translation…not church.

The word often translated as church is the Greek word ekklésia.

The definition of ekklésia is an assembly or gathering of people.

During the time of Jesus on earth and following his ascension, ekklésia could refer to people gathering in a synagogue, in a public meeting space, at a home, or any other place for a gathering.

Ekklésia could also be used for those gathering to riot, which is how it is used in Acts 19:23-41 when those who sold silver shrines of Artemis rioted against Paul and his companions. I highlighted in ORANGE the words that have been translated from the word Greek ekklésia.

32The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. 37You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 38If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” 41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

With the correct understanding that Jesus said, “I will build my assembly,” let’s examine the Bible to see this assembly Jesus was building.

In Ephesians, Paul explains that God is building a spiritually assembly of believers from all nations.

We read about this assembly in Ephesians 2:11-22 when Paul explained that God is joining believers from the nation of Israel and believers from other nations into a dwelling place where he lives by his spirit.

This assembly is called the new humanity that does not include the old covenant of law that once separated the people of Israel from the Gentiles.

Jesus destroyed the law with its commandments and regulations that once served as a barrier between the people of Israel and the Gentiles.

Following the destruction of the law, God began building his household of grace, his spiritual dwelling place of grace…his spiritual temple of grace where he lives by his Spirit.

Jesus is the chief cornerstone of the spiritual temple God is building.

A cornerstone brings two sides of a building together.

Jesus is the cornerstone bringing the people of Israel and the Gentiles together to build God’s spiritual temple of grace.

Each believer, whether someone from Israel or another nation, is a precious spiritual stone God uses to assemble his spiritual temple.

Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:4-6,

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says [Isaiah 28:16]:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

This is the assembly Jesus said he would build.

It is the spiritually assembly of grace consisting of believers from all nations who God joins together with Jesus as the chief cornerstone.

This spiritual temple, this spiritual building, this spiritual household of grace continues to expand today as more and more people believe in Jesus and are assembled into God's spiritual temple where he lives by his spirit.