16 And G1161 Simon G4613 Peter G4074 answered G611 and said, G2036 Thou G4771 art G1488 the Christ, G5547 the Son G5207 of the living G2198 God. G2316
She saith G3004 unto him, G846 Yea, G3483 Lord: G2962 I G1473 believe G4100 that G3754 thou G4771 art G1488 the Christ, G5547 the Son G5207 of God, G2316 which G3588 should come G2064 into G1519 the world. G2889
For G1063 therefore G1519 G5124 we G2872 both G2532 labour G2872 and G2532 suffer reproach, G3679 because G3754 we trust G1679 in G1909 the living G2198 God, G2316 who G3739 is G2076 the Saviour G4990 of all G3956 men, G444 specially G3122 of those that believe. G4103
Now G1161 when the centurion, G1543 and G2532 they that were with G3326 him, G846 watching G5083 Jesus, G2424 saw G1492 the earthquake, G4578 and G2532 those things that were done, G1096 they feared G5399 greatly, G4970 saying, G3004 Truly G230 this G3778 was G2258 the Son G5207 of God. G2316
Then G1161 they that were in G1722 the ship G4143 came G2064 and worshipped G4352 him, G846 saying, G3004 Of a truth G230 thou art G1488 the Son G5207 of God. G2316
But G1161 Jesus G2424 held his peace. G4623 And G2532 the high priest G749 answered G611 and said G2036 unto him, G846 I adjure G1844 thee G4571 by G2596 the living G2198 God, G2316 that G2443 thou tell G2036 us G2254 whether G1487 thou G4771 be G1488 the Christ, G5547 the Son G5207 of God. G2316
For who is there of all flesh, H1320 that hath heard H8085 the voice H6963 of the living H2416 God H430 speaking H1696 out of the midst H8432 of the fire, H784 as we have, and lived? H2421
For G1063 they G518 themselves G846 shew G518 of G4012 us G2257 what manner G3697 of entering in G1529 we had G2192 G2192 unto G4314 you, G5209 and G2532 how G4459 ye turned G1994 to G4314 God G2316 from G575 idols G1497 to serve G1398 the living G2198 and G2532 true G228 God; G2316
And G1161 what G5101 agreement G4783 hath the temple G3485 of God G2316 with G3326 idols? G1497 for G1063 ye G5210 are G2075 the temple G3485 of the living G2198 God; G2316 as G2531 God G2316 hath said, G2036 G3754 I will dwell G1774 in G1722 them, G846 and G2532 walk in G1704 them; and G2532 I will be G2071 their G846 God, G2316 and G2532 they G846 shall be G2071 my G3427 people. G2992
And G2532 saying, G3004 Sirs, G435 why G5101 do ye G4160 these things? G5130 We G2249 also G2532 are G2070 men G444 of like passions G3663 with you, G5213 and preach G2097 unto you G5209 that ye should turn G1994 from G575 these G5023 vanities G3152 unto G1909 the living G2198 God, G2316 which G3739 made G4160 heaven, G3772 and G2532 earth, G1093 and G2532 the sea, G2281 and G2532 all things G3956 that are therein: G1722 G846
I will declare H5608 the decree: H2706 the LORD H3068 hath said H559 unto me, Thou art my Son; H1121 this day H3117 have I begotten H3205 thee.
I H4481 H6925 make H7761 a decree, H2942 That in every H3606 dominion H7985 of my kingdom H4437 men tremble H1934 H2112 and fear H1763 before H4481 H6925 the God H426 of Daniel: H1841 for he is the living H2417 God, H426 and stedfast H7011 for ever, H5957 and his kingdom H4437 that which shall not H3809 be destroyed, H2255 and his dominion H7985 shall be even unto H5705 the end. H5491
And G2532 when the tempter G3985 came G4334 to him, G846 he said, G2036 If G1487 thou be G1488 the Son G5207 of God, G2316 command G2036 that G2443 these G3778 stones G3037 be made G1096 bread. G740
Nathanael G3482 answered G611 and G2532 saith G3004 unto him, G846 Rabbi, G4461 thou G4771 art G1488 the Son G5207 of God; G2316 thou G4771 art G1488 the King G935 of Israel. G2474
But G1161 if G1437 I tarry long, G1019 that G2443 thou mayest know G1492 how G4459 thou oughtest G1163 to behave thyself G390 in G1722 the house G3624 of God, G2316 which G3748 is G2076 the church G1577 of the living G2198 God, G2316 the pillar G4769 and G2532 ground G1477 of the truth. G225
My soul H5315 thirsteth H6770 for God, H430 for the living H2416 God: H410 when shall I come H935 and appear H7200 before H6440 God? H430
Hath G2980 in G1909 these G5130 last G2078 days G2250 spoken G2980 unto us G2254 by G1722 his Son, G5207 whom G3739 he hath appointed G5087 heir G2818 of all things, G3956 by G1223 whom G3739 also G2532 he made G4160 the worlds; G165 Who G3739 being G5607 the brightness G541 of his glory, G1391 and G2532 the express image G5481 of his G846 person, G5287 and G5037 upholding G5342 all things G3956 by the word G4487 of his G846 power, G1411 when he had G4160 G2512 by G1223 himself G1438 purged G4160 G2512 our G2257 sins, G266 sat down G2523 on G1722 the right hand G1188 of the Majesty G3172 on G1722 high; G5308 Being made G1096 so much G5118 better than G2909 the angels, G32 as G3745 he hath by inheritance obtained G2816 a more excellent G1313 name G3686 than G3844 they. G846 For G1063 unto which G5101 of the angels G32 said he G2036 at any time, G4218 Thou G4771 art G1488 my G3450 Son, G5207 this day G4594 have G1080 I G1473 begotten G1080 thee? G4571 And G2532 again, G3825 I G1473 will be G2071 to G1519 him G846 a Father, G3962 and G2532 he G846 shall be G2071 to G1519 me G3427 a Son? G5207
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared G5319 to G3754 be G2075 the epistle G1992 of Christ G5547 ministered G1247 by G5259 us, G2257 written G1449 not G3756 with ink, G3188 but G235 with the Spirit G4151 of the living G2198 God; G2316 not G3756 in G1722 tables G4109 of stone, G3035 but G235 in G1722 fleshy G4560 tables G4109 of the heart. G2588
And G1161 we know G1492 that G3754 the Son G5207 of God G2316 is come, G2240 and G2532 hath given G1325 us G2254 an understanding, G1271 that G2443 we may know G1097 him that is true, G228 and G2532 we are G2070 in G1722 him that is true, G228 even in G1722 his G846 Son G5207 Jesus G2424 Christ. G5547 This G3778 is G2076 the true G228 God, G2316 and G2532 eternal G166 life. G2222
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,