Matthew 16:8-30

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:12

‘Then they understood that he bade them not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” So the truth finally dawned on them that He was not warning them against physical bread or bribery, but against what the Pharisees and Sadducees were teaching. Perhaps consideration on that helped to prepare them for the questions that were shortly to come. read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:13

‘Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” ’ Once again Jesus is found in Gentile territory, at Caesarea Philippi, north of the Sea of Galilee, in the territory of Herod Philip. And there He calls on His disciples to tell Him Whom men are saying that He is. Caesarea had been built into a large city by Philip in honour of Augustus Caesar, and called Caesarea Philippi, both in order to distinguish it from the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:13-20

Peter Openly Confesses That Jesus Is The Messiah (16:13-20). In Matthew 11:25-27 Jesus had spoken of the fact it was His Father who revealed things to ‘babes’, including the truth about the Son Whom He alone fully knows, and that He Himself as the Son, reveals the Father to whom He wills. Now we are provided with the first prominent example of one who has had revealed to him, by the Father, the truth about the Son. Challenging His disciples as to how they see Him Peter replies that He is the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:14

‘And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ’ Their reply brings out something about Jewish expectations. We already know about the rumour that Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead (Matthew 14:2), and it is clear from this that it was quite widespread. Herod believed it out of fear, many, who had been smitten on hearing of his death, believed it out of hope. There was also a great expectation of the return of Elijah, as... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:15

‘He says to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ’ Then Jesus directly challenges His disciples as to Whom they think He is. They had had plenty of time to make their minds up, and He had in the past given them much to think about. Now He will discover what they have really learned. read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:16

‘And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God.” ’ As we would expect it is Peter who blurts out a response. The disciples appear to have been quite willing to let him take the lead in such matters, probably due to their own lack of confidence. One thing Peter was not lacking in was self-confidence. It does not, however, mean that they saw him as their leader. They looked on Jesus as their leader. He was simply their spokesman. This is emphatically... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:17

‘And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” ’ Jesus then commends Peter for his insight. It is something of an official declaration rather than just a reply, as is demonstrated by His giving him his full name, ‘Simon son of Jonah’. Jonah may have been his father’s name, or alternately it may have been a name that linked him with the prophet Jonah, who was also a ‘confessor of Christ’ by... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:18

“And I also say to you, that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church (congregation/assembly), and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” And He then declares that Peter is the Rock-man, and that on ‘this Rock’, the rock of the words that he has spoken (compare Matthew 7:24 where building on a rock signifies building on Jesus’ words) will be built the new congregation that He has come to establish. Just as each man was to build his own life on the rock of Jesus’ words so... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:19

“I will give to you the keys of the kingly rule of heaven, and whatever you will bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” ’ Peter then continues to be honoured for what he has said, but we must remember that the privilege he receives is that of a servant, not of a master. He is to be given 'the keys of the Kingly Rule of Heaven' (but not necessarily the only keys). He will be, as it were, ‘a doorkeeper to the house of the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:20

‘Then he charged the disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ.’ Having declared His Messianic purpose Jesus now urged on His disciples the need to not, as yet, proclaim Him as the Messiah to the public. The reason for this was almost certainly because Israel’s view of the Messiah was such that the people might gain the wrong idea and seek to raise men to arms in support of His cause, while the Roman authorities would gather from the claim that He was an insurgent. So it... read more

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