The Gates of Hell

Photo by divemasterking2000

In Matthew 16, Jesus asks his disciples who the people say he is. Their responses vary: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Then he asks, “But who do you say that I am?” to which Peter replies: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Then Jesus makes this statement:

Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:17-18, NIV)

The word translated here as overcome in the NIV is rendered in other translations as overpower and prevail. Many commentators say that this conveys the image of hell attacking the church, but that the church will prevail over everything the enemy throws at it.

But here’s my question: Since when do gates attack?

Gates are used for defense, not offense. Gates are a part of a wall and keeps attackers out of one’s fortress. If the picture here is hell attacking the church, why didn’t Jesus say the armies of hell will not overcome it?

In the NIV, the footnote to “overcome” in v.18 offers an alternative translation: not prove stronger than it. So verse 18 could well read: “...on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prove stronger than it.”

The Wycliffe New Testament renders this verse like so:

…upon this stone I shall build my church, and the gates of hell shall not have might, or strength, against it.

Answers In Action blog makes the point that this verse plainly says something much more dramatic than mere assurance that the church will prevail over all adverse circumstances:

The church will overcome anything the Devil may raise in defense against it. In other words, it is not merely that the church will endure, but more positively that it will take over what the Devil seeks to keep from it.

And...

So, if the gates of Hades or hell cannot prevail against the church, that must mean that the church will mount a successful offense against the powers of evil... In other words, when the gates “will not prevail,” that means that the church, in effect, knocks down the gates.

With a fresh perspective, we can go forward confidentially, knowing that we have “authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm [us].” (Luke 10:19)