13 When G1161 Jesus G2424 came G2064 into G1519 the coasts G3313 of Caesarea G2542 Philippi, G5376 he asked G2065 his G846 disciples, G3101 saying, G3004 Whom G5101 do men G444 say G3004 that I G3165 the Son G5207 of man G444 am? G1511
And G2532 it came to pass, G1096 as G1722 he was G1511 alone G2651 praying, G4336 his G846 disciples G3101 were with G4895 him: G846 and G2532 he asked G1905 them, G846 saying, G3004 Whom G5101 say G3004 the people G3793 that I G3165 am? G1511 They G1161 answering G611 said, G2036 John G2491 the Baptist; G910 but G1161 some G243 say, Elias; G2243 and G1161 others G243 say, that G3754 one G5100 of the old G744 prophets G4396 is risen again. G450 G1161 He said G2036 unto them, G846 But G1161 whom G5101 say G3004 ye G5210 that I G3165 am? G1511 G1161 Peter G4074 answering G611 said, G2036 The Christ G5547 of God. G2316
And G2532 Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto him, G846 The foxes G258 have G2192 holes, G5454 and G2532 the birds G4071 of the air G3772 have nests; G2682 but G1161 the Son G5207 of man G444 hath G2192 not G3756 where G4226 to lay G2827 his head. G2776
For G1063 even G2532 the Son G5207 of man G444 came G2064 not G3756 to be ministered unto, G1247 but G235 to minister, G1247 and G2532 to give G1325 his G846 life G5590 a ransom G3083 for G473 many. G4183
Forasmuch G1893 then G3767 as the children G3813 are partakers G2841 of flesh G4561 and G2532 blood, G129 he G3348 also G2532 himself G846 likewise G3898 took part G3348 of the same; G846 that G2443 through G1223 death G2288 he might destroy G2673 him that had G2192 the power G2904 of death, G2288 that is, G5123 the devil; G1228 And G2532 deliver G525 them G5128 who G3745 through G1223 fear G5401 of death G2288 were G2258 all G3956 their lifetime G2198 subject G1777 to bondage. G1397 For G1063 verily G1222 he took G1949 not G3756 on G1949 him the nature of angels; G32 but G235 he took on G1949 him the seed G4690 of Abraham. G11 Wherefore G3606 in G2596 all things G3956 it behoved him G3784 to be made like G3666 unto his brethren, G80 that G2443 he might be G1096 a merciful G1655 and G2532 faithful G4103 high priest G749 in things pertaining to G4314 God, G2316 to G1519 make reconciliation for G2433 the sins G266 of the people. G2992 For G1063 in G1722 that G3739 he G3958 himself G846 hath suffered G3958 being tempted, G3985 he is able G1410 to succour G997 them that are tempted. G3985
How G5613 God G2316 anointed G5548 Jesus G2424 of G575 Nazareth G3478 with the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 and G2532 with power: G1411 who G846 G3739 went about G1330 doing good, G2109 and G2532 healing G2390 all G3956 that were oppressed G2616 of G5259 the devil; G1228 for G3754 God G2316 was G2258 with G3326 him. G846
And G2532 said, G2036 Behold, G2400 I see G2334 the heavens G3772 opened, G455 and G2532 the Son G5207 of man G444 standing G2476 on G1537 the right hand G1188 of God. G2316
The people G3793 answered G611 him, G846 We G2249 have heard G191 out of G1537 the law G3551 that G3754 Christ G5547 abideth G3306 for G1519 ever: G165 and G2532 how G4459 sayest G3004 thou, G4771 G3754 The Son G5207 of man G444 must G1163 be lifted up? G5312 who G5101 is G2076 this G3778 Son G5207 of man? G444
And G2532 as G2531 Moses G3475 lifted up G5312 the serpent G3789 in G1722 the wilderness, G2048 even so G3779 must G1163 the Son G5207 of man G444 be lifted up: G5312
And G2532 he saith G3004 unto him, G846 Verily, G281 verily, G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 Hereafter G737 G575 ye shall see G3700 heaven G3772 open, G455 and G2532 the angels G32 of God G2316 ascending G305 and G2532 descending G2597 upon G1909 the Son G5207 of man. G444
But G1161 that G2443 ye may know G1492 that G3754 the Son G5207 of man G444 hath G2192 power G1849 on G1909 earth G1093 to forgive G863 sins, G266 (then G5119 saith he G3004 to the sick of the palsy,) G3885 Arise, G1453 take up G142 thy G4675 bed, G2825 and G2532 go G5217 unto G1519 thine G4675 house. G3624
Whosoever G3739 G302 therefore G1063 shall be ashamed G1870 of me G3165 and G2532 of my G1699 words G3056 in G1722 this G5026 adulterous G3428 and G2532 sinful G268 generation; G1074 of him G846 also G2532 shall G1870 the Son G5207 of man G444 be ashamed, G1870 when G3752 he cometh G2064 in G1722 the glory G1391 of his G846 Father G3962 with G3326 the holy G40 angels. G32
And G2532 Jesus G2424 went out, G1831 and G2532 his G846 disciples, G3101 into G1519 the towns G2968 of Caesarea G2542 Philippi: G5376 and G2532 by G1722 the way G3598 he asked G1905 his G846 disciples, G3101 saying G3004 unto them, G846 Whom G5101 do G3004 men G444 say G3004 that I G3165 am? G1511 And G1161 they answered, G611 John G2491 the Baptist: G910 but G1161 some G243 say, Elias; G2243 and G2532 others, G243 One G1520 of the prophets. G4396 And G2532 he G846 saith G3004 unto them, G846 But G1161 whom G5101 say G3004 ye G5210 that I G3165 am? G1511 And G1161 Peter G4074 answereth G611 and saith G3004 unto him, G846 Thou G4771 art G1488 the Christ. G5547
Then G2532 Jesus G2424 went G1831 thence, G1564 and departed G402 into G1519 the coasts G3313 of Tyre G5184 and G2532 Sidon. G4605
For G1063 as G5618 Jonas G2495 was G2258 three G5140 days G2250 and G2532 three G5140 nights G3571 in G1722 the whale's G2785 belly; G2836 so G3779 shall the Son G5207 of man G444 be G2071 three G5140 days G2250 and G2532 three G5140 nights G3571 in G1722 the heart G2588 of the earth. G1093
And G2532 whosoever G3739 G302 speaketh G2036 a word G3056 against G2596 the Son G5207 of man, G444 it shall be forgiven G863 him: G846 but G3739 whosoever G1161 G302 speaketh G2036 against G2596 the Holy G40 Ghost, G4151 it shall G863 not G3756 be forgiven G863 him, G846 neither G3777 in G1722 this G5129 world, G165 neither G3777 in G1722 the world to come. G3195
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Matthew 16
Commentary on Matthew 16 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 16
None of Christ's miracles are recorded in this chapter, but four of his discourses. Here is,
And all these are written for our learning.
Mat 16:1-4
We have here Christ's discourse with the Pharisees and Sadducees, men at variance among themselves, as appears Acts 23:7, 8, and yet unanimous in their opposition to Christ; because his doctrine did equally overthrow the errors and heresies of the Sadducees, who denied the existence of spirits and a future state; and the pride, tyranny, and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who were the great imposters of the traditions of the elders. Christ and Christianity meet with opposition on all hands. Observe,
To expose this, he observes to them,
This discourse broke off abruptly; he left them and departed. Christ will not tarry long with those that tempt him, but justly withdraws from those that are disposed to quarrel with him. He left them as irreclaimable; Let them alone. He left them to themselves, left them in the hand of their own counsels; so he gave them up to their own hearts' lust.
Mat 16:5-12
We have here Christ's discourse with his disciples concerning bread, in which, as in many other discourses, he speaks to them of spiritual things under a similitude, and they misunderstand him of carnal things. The occasion of it was, their forgetting to victual their ship, and to take along with them provisions for their family on the other side of the water; usually they carried bread along with them, because they were sometimes in desert places; and when they were not, yet they would not be burthensome. But now they forgot; we will hope it was because their minds and memories were filled with better things. Note, Christ's disciples are often such as have no great forecast for the world.
The corrupt principles and practices of the Pharisees and Sadducees are compared to leaven; they were souring, and swelling, and spreading, like leaven; they fermented wherever they came.
Mat 16:13-20
We have here a private conference which Christ had with his disciples concerning himself. It was in the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, the utmost borders of the land of Canaan northward; there in that remote corner, perhaps, there was less flocking after him than in other places, which gave him leisure for this private conversation with his disciples. Note, When ministers are abridged in their public work, they should endeavour to do the more in their own families.
Christ is here catechising his disciples.
Well, this is the question; now let us observe,
Peter's answer is short, but it is full, and true, and to the purpose; Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Here is a confession of the Christian faith, addressed to Christ, and so made an act of devotion. Here is a confession of the true God as the living God, in opposition to dumb and dead idols, and of Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent, whom to know is life eternal. This is the conclusion of the whole matter.
Upon occasion of this great confession made of Christ, which is the church's homage and allegiance, he signed and published this royal, this divine charter, by which that body politic is incorporated. Such is the communion between Christ and the church, the Bridegroom and the spouse. God had a church in the world from the beginning, and it was built upon the rock of the promised Seed, Gen. 3:15. But now, that promised Seed being come, it was requisite that the church should have a new charter, as Christian, and standing in relation to a Christ already come. Now here we have that charter; and a thousand pities it is, that this word, which is the great support of the kingdom of Christ, should be wrested and pressed into the service of antichrist. But the devil has employed his subtlety to pervert it, as he did that promise, Ps. 91:11, which he perverted to his own purpose, ch. 4:6, and perhaps both that scripture and this he thus perverted because they stood in his way, and therefore he owed them a spite.
Now the purport of this charter is,
Now,
Now the keys of the kingdom of heaven are,
Some make the giving of the keys to allude to the custom of the Jews in creating a doctor of the law, which was to put into his hand the keys of the chest where the book of the law was kept, denoting his being authorized to take and read it; and the binding and loosing, to allude to the fashion about their books, which were in rolls; they shut them by binding them up with a string, which they untied when they opened them. Christ gives his apostles power to shut or open the book of the gospel to people, as the case required. See the exercise of this power, Acts 13:46; 18:6. When ministers preach pardon and peace to the penitent, wrath and the curse to the impenitent, in Christ's name, they act then pursuant to this authority of binding and loosing.
Mat 16:21-23
We have here Christ's discourse with his disciples concerning his own sufferings; in which observe,
From that time, when they had made that full confession of Christ, that he was the Son of God, then he began to show them this. When he found them knowing in one truth, he taught them another; for to him that has, shall be given. Let them first be established in the principles of the doctrine of Christ, and then go on to perfection, Heb. 6:1. If they had not been well grounded in the belief of Christ's being the Son of God, it would have been a great shaking to their faith. All truths are not to be spoken to all persons at all times, but such as are proper and suitable to their present state. Now observe,
Observe,
See why he called Peter Satan, when he suggested this to him; because, whatever stood in the way of our salvation, he looked upon as coming from the devil, who is a sworn enemy to it. The same Satan that afterward entered into Judas, maliciously to destroy him in his undertaking, here prompted Peter plausibly to divert him from it. Thus he changes himself into an angel of light.
Thou art an offence to me. Note,
Mat 16:24-28
Christ, having shown his disciples that he must suffer, and that he was ready and willing to suffer, here shows them that they must suffer too, and must be ready and willing. It is a weighty discourse that we have in these verses.
Now what are these terms?
The great encouragement to steadfastness in religion is taken from the second coming of Christ, considering it,