will build my church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (NASB). The NLT says, “all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” But wait: How do the gates of a city “overpower” or “conquer” an army? Don’t armies attack gates when they are storming a city? Gates are defensive structures! This verse should read, “The gates of Hades will not withstand [the church].”[9] How could gates ever “overcome” the church? Many interpreters and translators have completely missed the point here. This traditional