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Mat 16:21. Ἀπὸ τότε, at that time and thenceforward-ἤρξατο, κ.τ.λ., began, etc.) It is clear, therefore, that He had not shown it them before.[755] The Gospel may be divided into two parts, from which the Divine plan of Jesus shines forth. The first proposition is, Jesus is the Christ; the second, Christ must suffer, die, and rise again (cf. Joh 16:30-32), or more briefly, Christ by death will enter into glory. Jesus first convinced His disciples of the first proposition (de subjecto):[756] in consequence of which they were bound to believe Him concerning the second (de prædicato), even before His passion. After His ascension, the people first learnt the second proposition (prædicatum), and thence were convinced of the first (de subjecto); see Act 17:3. As soon as Jesus had persuaded His disciples of the first proposition (Mat 16:16), He added the second.[757] Afterwards He led them to the mountain of Transfiguration.[758] The order of the evangelic harmony is of great importance with regard to the observing of these things. Men frequently teach all things at once: Divine wisdom acts far otherwise.-δεικνύειν, to show), i.e. openly.-ὅτι δεῖ Αὐτὸν ἀπελθεῖν, that He must go) and at the same time relinquish that mode of living to which the disciples had become habituated.-παθεῖν, to suffer) When aught of glory accrued to Jesus, as in this instance by the confession of Peter, then He was especially wont to make mention of His approaching passion. This first announcement mentions His passion and death generally; the second, in ch. Mat 17:22-23, adds His being betrayed into the hands of sinners; the third, in ch. Mat 20:17-19, at length expresses His stripes, cross, etc. The first was nearer in point of time to the second, than the second to the third.-πρεσβυτέρων, ἀρχιερέων, γραμματέων, elders-chief priests-scribes) Three classes of those who ought to have led the people to the Messiah; corresponding nearly to the Council of Justice, the Consistory, and the Theological Faculty of modern times.-ἐγερθῆναι, to be raised) He adds nothing yet of His ascension. By degrees, all further and later particulars are disclosed; see Mat 16:27.
[755] Except in covert [enigmatical] words.-V. g.
[756] “De subjecto,” “de prædicato,” lit. “of the subject,” “of the prædicate.” I have ventured to render the passage in language more generally intelligible.-(I. B.)
[757] Viz., In Mat 16:21, etc., as to His suffering, death, and resurrection.-ED.
[758] Where the same voice sounded from heaven, as before His baptism, “This is my Beloved Son;” there being added the Epiphonema, or appended exhortation, “Hear Him.” To wit, He was to be heard, or given heed to, especially in regard to those things which had constituted the main subject of the conversation very recently held on the mountain (between the Lord and Moses and Elias, Luk 9:31), concerning his approaching “decease at Jerusalem”-concerning His Passion, I say, His Death and His Resurrection.-Harm., p. 370.