Power of the Gospel / David Jeremiah

 

Power of the Gospel And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18    Modern planning, decision making, and strategizing take place in designated “rooms.” In government, it might be a “situation room.” In the military, it might be a “war room.” And in the corporate world, it would likely be a “boardroom.” But in the ancient world, much of the governance of a large city would take place at the city gate. The central gate of a city was more than just an opening in the wall; it contained room for a gathering of elders and leaders to deliberate (Lamentations 5:14).

Recommended Reading: Ruth 4: 9 – 12

When Jesus told Peter and the disciples that “the gates of Hades” would not prevail against His Church, He may have had this ancient role of a gate in mind. In other words, no plans or deliberations by the enemies of God would ever prevail against the Church. “Hades” was a Greek term for the underworld, generally equivalent to the Hebrew Sheol. So no powers of darkness or of hell will ever overcome the people of God. The Gospel has the same power today as it had in the first century—it is the “power of God” (Romans 1:16). Wherever Jesus has been proclaimed, we see lives change for the good. Josh McDowell