Matthew’s ambiguous ‘rock’ quotation has been debated for centuries

Does the word refer to Peter, or what he said?

Sculpture representing St. Peter holding the keys of heaven at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Photo by Iam_os, licensed by Unsplash.

Perhaps the meaning of no single word in the New Testament has been debated more over the centuries than the Greek word petra, nearly always translated as “rock” in Matthew 16:18: “I also tell you that you are Peter, and on …