Peter’s Great Confession
TRANSLATION
(13) Now when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (14) And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (15) He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (16) And Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (17) And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but rather my Father who is in heaven. (18) And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. (19) I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (20) Then he exhorted the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
OBSERVATIONS
Jesus’ statement, “I will build my church,” marked a turning point in his earthly ministry in two significant ways. First, it marked the initial time he referred to the church by name. No longer would his efforts be directed only toward the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” but would now include all peoples, both Jews and Gentiles, in forming one new body of which he would function as the “head.” In addition, he would now be devoting himself to preparing his disciples, with Peter in the forefront, to carry on this church-building work because he would soon leave them to return to his Father.
Names predominated among the repetitions found in this segment: “Jesus” (vss. 13 & 17) along with “Son of Man” (vs. 13), “Son of the living God” (vs. 16), “Christ” (vss. 16 & 20), “Simon Peter” (vs. 16), “Simon Bar-Jonah” (vs. 17), and “Peter” (vs. 18). Other repetitions included “disciples” (vss. 13 & 20), the phrase, “Who do people/you say” (vss. 13 & 15), as well as “heaven” (three times in vs. 19), “on earth” (twice in vs. 19), and the paired terms, “bind/bound,” “loose/loosed” (also in vs. 19).
OUTLINE
I. Jesus asked his disciples who people thought he was. (13 & 14)
II. When Jesus asked his disciples the same question, Peter confessed his deity. (15 & 16)
III. Jesus blessed Peter, changed his name, and declared that he would build his church. (17-20)
IDEA STATEMENT
Simon’s confession of Jesus as the Christ resulted in Jesus renaming him Peter and declaring his intention to build his church through the ministry of the apostles.
APPLICATION
The misinterpretation of two difficult phrases in this passage has divided believers over many centuries. The first involved what Jesus meant in verse 18 when he declared, “…you are Peter (petros) and on this rock (petra) I will build my church.” Since the name, “Peter,” meant “stone,” many have assumed that the church would be built on the leadership of Peter. Roman Catholics consider him to be the Bishop of Rome and the first pope in a long line of popes presiding over the one true church according to the principle of “apostolic succession.” However, the two words, “petros” and “petra,” though similar in sound, had different meanings. The first referred to a small stone or pebble while the second meant “boulder.” In giving Simon his new name, “Peter,” Jesus spoke of the “rock” on which he would build his church. In the context, Jesus did not mean the man, Peter, but rather Peter’s God-inspired confession of Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Years later in writing his first epistle, Peter would affirm this understanding by presenting Jesus as the foundation upon which the church is established (1 Pet. 2:4-8). Paul would likewise identify Jesus as the cornerstone on which the church would be built (1 Cor. 3:11).
The second misunderstanding has to do with what Jesus meant when he talked about “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” and the accompanying authority to “bind” and “loose” (vs. 19). Again, Roman Catholic doctrine has taken this statement to mean that the apostles and their successors were given the authority to decide who will go to heaven and who will not. The “elite” among the saved are those canonized by the church as saints. The number of those who are considered already to be in heaven is quite limited. The vast majority of those who have died in the faith are viewed as still suffering in purgatory, on their way to heaven through an arduous process of expiatory purification. Those whom the church has excommunicated are condemned to hell forever without any hope of salvation.
Clearly, this passage implies that the one who is building his church, namely the Lord Jesus, will be the one to determine who is included in his church. The metaphor, “keys,” which he has entrusted to his disciples likely refers to the proclamation of the Gospel as later articulated in the “Great Commission” found in all four of the Gospels and Acts (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15 & 16; Lk. 24:47 & 48; Jn. 21:21-23, and Acts 1:8). As the disciples went forth into all the world and disseminated the “good news” of the Gospel, those who believed their message had their sins forgiven while those who rejected their words remained condemned in their sins (Jn. 20:23). Proclaiming the Gospel, the message of Christ’s atoning work, remains a solemn responsibility which none of us dare take lightly. We must never forget what Jesus told his disciples in this passage: “I will build my church…” which is his body, his beloved bride. Through us Jesus has chosen to do his redeeming work. What a great privilege to serve as his ambassadors!