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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 16:13 - 16:20
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_16:13-20
13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets." 15He said to them, " But who do you say that I am?" 16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." 20Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.
Mat_16:13 "Caesarea Philippi" This was a city in Philip's territory about 20 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. This was Jesus' second attempt to get away with the disciples alone (cf. Matthew 15).
▣ "Son of Man" This phrase was used several times in the OT. It implies humanity (Psa_8:4; Eze_2:1) and deity (Dan_7:13). The phrase was not used by the rabbis of Jesus' day; therefore, it had no nationalistic or militaristic implications. This was Jesus' self-chosen designation because it combined the twin aspects of His person, fully God and fully man (cf. Php_2:6-8; 1Jn_4:1-3). See note at Mat_8:20.
Mat_16:14 "John the Baptist" Herod Antipas guessed that Jesus was actually John the Baptist (cf. Mat_14:1-2).
▣ "Elijah" This was from the prophecy of Mal_3:1; Mal_4:5 which said Elijah would prepare the way for the Messiah. It would have acknowledged the dawning of the new age of the Spirit.
▣ "Jeremiah" The rabbis held that he hid the Ark of the Covenant on Mt. Nebo and that he would bring it out just before the New Age began.
▣ "one of the prophets" This made Jesus a prophet like other OT figures. It could have related to the prophecy of Deu_18:15-22 (cf. Joh_2:2). All of these guesses involved a resuscitation!
▣ "But who do you say that I am" "You" is plural. Jesus asked all of His disciples this question. Peter answered first. His personality made him the spokesman for the group.
Mat_16:16 "You are the Christ" This had been expressed before by Andrew in Joh_1:41, Nathaniel in Joh_1:49, and Peter in Joh_6:69. The Greek title "Christ" is the equivalent of the Hebrew "Messiah" or " Anointed One." See Special Topic: OT Titles For the Special Coming One at Mat_8:20.
▣ "the Son of the living God" Peter did not fully understand Jesus' Messiahship as is obvious from Mat_16:21-23. Therefore, the blessing of Mat_16:17 related to the phrase "Son of the living God." The phrase " living God" was a paraphrase of YHWH which is the from the Hebrew verb "to be" (cf. Exo_3:14). See hyperlink at Mat_1:21.
Mat_16:17
NASB "Simon, Barjonah"
NKJV "Simon Bar-Jona"
NRSV, NJB "Simon son of Jonah"
TEV "Simon son of John"
This Aramaic "Barjonas" meant "son of John."
▣ "but My Father who is in heaven" The content of Peter's confession (Mat_16:16) was not human discovery, but divine revelation. The Spirit is the person of the Trinity who is attributed this task, but here it is the Father, possibly because of the mention of "Son of God."
The gospel cannot be comprehended nor responded to without divine aid (cf. Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65; Joh_10:29). This does not eliminate the mandated human response (cf. Joh_1:12; Joh_3:16; Rom_10:9-13), but it does show that humans can only respond to the initiation from the spiritual realm. The cannot/do not initiate spiritual decisions! The verb tense related to the "binding" and " loosing" of Mat_16:19 reflect this same truth!
Mat_16:18 "Peter" This is the Greek word "petros," a masculine noun. It referred to a detached boulder. For much of his life (i.e., Mat_16:22-23; Mark 14) he was anything but a "rock" !
▣ "this rock" This is the Greek work, "petra," a feminine noun. It referred to bedrock (cf. Mat_7:24). These two words (petros and petra) cannot grammatically link up to each other because of their gender. The disciples did not see this as a reference to Peter's superiority because they continued to argue over who was greatest (cf. Mat_18:1; Mat_18:18; Joh_20:21). These two terms are related but distinct in Greek. There is an obvious play between Peter's faith and the faith of all the apostles. However, in Aramaic there is only one term, "kepha" (" Cephas, Joh_1:42; 1Co_1:12; 1Co_3:22; 1Co_9:5; 1Co_15:5) for both of the Greek terms for "rock." Jesus spoke Aramaic but His words are recorded by inspired writers in Greek. Therefore, we must deal with the Greek text, not a supposed Aramaic statement.
▣ "church" "Ekklesia" was the word used in the Septuagint for "the congregation of Israel" (Qahal, BDB 874, cf. Deu_18:16; Deu_23:2). One must be careful not to read post-Pentecostal definitions and forms into this very early and Jewish passage. These early disciples saw themselves as an extension of the OT people (i.e., Qahal) of God. They were the fulfillment of the OT people. The term itself implied a called gathering for some purpose. Its Greek background was a called town meeting (cf. Act_19:32; Act_19:39; Act_19:41). This term does not occur in Mark, Luke, or John. It occurs in Matthew only three times (cf. Mat_16:8; Mat_18:17 [twice]). The Mat_18:17 text obviously refers to a later period of time. The term does occur often in Acts and Paul's writings.
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▣ "gates of Hades" "Gates" can refer to (1) the idea of a city of death from which no one escapes, (2) a city council meeting held at the gate, or (3) an active scheme of evil against the Church. Hades was from the word "to see" negated, therefore invisible. It equals the OT "Sheol," where the righteous and wicked alike go at the time of death. See Special Topic: Where Are the Dead? at Mat_5:22.
▣ "will not overpower it" This word had an active connotation of "to assault, to gain control." Death and evil have not overcome nor even comprehended (the two meanings of this term) the Church of the Living God.
Mat_16:19 "keys of the kingdom of heaven" This was a metaphor for ownership by gaining entrance. See Isa_22:22; Rev_1:18; Rev_3:7. The keys are the proclamation of the gospel with an invitation to respond. This concept of Hades and heaven having gates like a city goes back to Isaiah (see Special Topic following). The author of Hebrews also uses this metaphor for heaven (cf. Heb_11:10; Heb_11:16; Heb_12:22; Heb_13:4), as does John in Revelation (cf. Rev_3:12; Revelation 21-22).
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▣ "kingdom of heaven" Mark and Luke have, "kingdom of God." The difference is not one of substance, but a difference of recipients. See special topic on the Kingdom of God at Mat_4:17.
NASB, NKJV,
NRSV, NJB "bind. . .loose"
TEV "prohibit. . .permit"
These were rabbinical terms used for legal decisions of permitting or not permitting something. The tense of these two periphrastic verbals is significant. They are both future indicatives of "I Am" with perfect passive participles. They should be translated " shall have been bound" and "shall have been loosed" (cf. Mat_18:18). This reflects the truth that what humans, led by the Holy Spirit, decide on earth about spiritual matters will have already been decided on in heaven. This passage does not express a human decision, but humans following God's lead (cf. Mat_18:18; Joh_20:23).
Mat_16:20 "He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ" The gospel was not yet complete. The current Jewish notions about the work of the Messiah were incorrect. The disciples must wait (cf. Mat_8:4; Mat_9:30; Mat_12:16; Mat_17:9).