Matthew 16:18, The Gates of Hell

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

//Jesus’ endorsement of Peter, here, carries a lot more meaning than one might understand from a cursory reading. As with so much of the scripture, first-century context is critical.

Jesus is leading his disciples through Caesarea Philippi as he makes this statement. The home of Pan, the goat god. You can visit the site of Pan’s monstrous altar-in-a-cliff...