Matthew 16

— but the sign of the prophet Jonas.] As Jonah’s being preserved three days in the fish’s belly was a sign of his being a true Prophet sent from God; so the circumstance of My being buried three days in the earth, and then rising up from thence, shall be to you a sign that I also am a Prophet sent from God, to call you to repentance. Dr. Whitby.

— I will build my church.] The Church to which our Lord here promises stability, and a final conquest over the power of the grave, is the building raised by Himself as the master builder; that is, by persons commissioned by Him, acting under His directions, and assisted by His Spirit, on the solid rock of the truth of St. Peter’s faith. That faith was a faith in the mediatorial offices of Christ, in His Divinity, and in the mystery of the incarnation. Whatever he raised by man upon any other foundation, however it may assume the name of a church, is no part of Christ’s building, and has no interest in these glorious promises. Bishop Horsley.

— the gates of hell] That is, Death, the grave, destruction, shall not prevail against it. Dr. Hammond.

— the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.] This promise of perpetual stability is to the Church universal of Christ: it affords no security to any particular church, if her faith or her works should not be found perfect before God. The time will never be when a true church shall not be somewhere subsisting on the earth; but any individual church, if it fall from its true profession, may sink into ruins. Of this, history furnishes but too abundant proof, in the examples of churches once illustrious, watered with the blood of the first saints and martyrs, which are now no more. Bp. Horsley.

— whatsoever thou shalt bind &c.] Meaning, that whatsoever things he should declare to be lawful or unlawful on earth, should be ratified in heaven: this privilege was afterwards extended to the rest of the Apostles, Matt. xviii. 18, and seems to correspond to the power of remitting or retaining sins in general, conferred on them jointly after our Lord’s resurrection, John xx. 23, according to the Gospel terms of salvation; by which only mankind shall be acquitted or condemned at the day of judgment. Dr. Hales.

— into an high mountain] It has been constantly believed that this was mount Tabor in the tribe of Zebulun, mentioned at Judg. iv. 14. Dr. Whitby.

“This is a high mount,” says Mr. Maundrell, “round and beautiful, standing by itself in the plain of Eadraion, at a short distance from Nazareth, towards the east. After a very laborious ascent, which took up near an hour, we reached the highest part of the mountain, which has a plain area at the top, fertile and delicious, of an oval figure, extended about two furlongs in length, and one in breadth. It is enclosed with trees on all parts, except towards the south. It was anciently surrounded with walls and trenches, and other fortifications, of which there are remains to this day. There are in several cisterns of good water; there are also three contiguous grottos made to represent the three tabernacles, which St. Peter proposed to erect, when astonished at the glory of the transfiguration. From the top of mount Tabor is a most extensive prospect, which well repays the labour of the ascent.” Dr. Wells.

Matthew 16:5

5. — to the other side.] The other side of the sea of Galilee. See Mark viii. 13.

Matthew 16:6

6. — beware of the leaven &c.] Jesus, taking occasion from the similitude of bread to draw some useful instructions for His disciples, bids them take care to avoid the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, meaning their doctrines and hypocrisy, which were to spread like leaven. Dr. S. Clarke. It is a caution to avoid the precepts of those men who place the sum of their religion and worship in outward performances, which avail nothing to the sanctification of the soul. Dr. Whitby.

Matthew 16:9

9. Do ye not yet understand, &c.] Do ye not know how easy it would be for Me to provide bread, if that were the thing about which I am concerned? Dr. S. Clarke.

Matthew 16:13

13. — Cesarea Philippi.] This town was situated to the north of the sea of Galilee, at the distance of thirty miles from it, near the spring-head of Jordan. Its former name was Paneas, but this was changed into Cesarea by Philip the tetrarch, who repaired and beautified it, in honour of Tiberius Cesar; and in order to distinguish it from another Cesarea, mentioned frequently in the Acts of the Apostles, lying on the Mediterranean sea, it was called “Cesarea Philippi.” Bp. Pearce.

It still retains its original name. “We arrived at Beninze or Pananas, the ancient Cesarea Philippi. This city, formerly so flourishing, is now destroyed, and on its ruins has arisen a little hamlet of about twenty miserable huts, inhabited by Mahometans. The circuit of the walls of the ancient city is easily distinguishable.” Sectors.

Matthew 16:14

14. — Jeremias, or one of the prophets.] Jeremiah is

Matthew 16:16

16. — the Christ, &c.] The promised Messiah, the natural and very Son of God. Deum Stanhope.

— the living God.] A most ancient appellation of the Deity used by the Jews in opposition to the dead idols of the heathen. Grotus.

St. Peter’s answer, connected with our Lord’s question, ver. 13, amounts to this: Thou, who sayest rightly of Thyself that Thou art the Son of Man, art Christ, the Son of the living God. The title of the Son of Man belongs to Him as God the Son; the title of the Son of God belongs to Him as Man. The former characterizes Him as that one of the Three Persons of the ever-blessed Trinity which was made Man; the other characterizes Him as that Man which was united to the Godhead. St. Peter’s confession therefore amounts to a full acknowledgment of the great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh to destroy the works of the devil; and the truth of this faith is the rock on which Christ promises to build His Church. Bp. Horsley.

Matthew 16:17

17. — Bar-jona.] Which means in Syriack, “The son of Jonas.”

— flesh and blood hath not &c.] Man hath not revealed it unto thee, &c. This faith of thine is not built on mere human testimony, but on miracles and doctrines which thou hast heard and seen, which are the testimonies of God Himself, whereby He hath testified concerning me, to thee and to others such as thou art, Matt. xi. 26. Dr. Hammond.

Matthew 16:18

18. — thou art Peter.] The Greek name “Peter” signifies a rock or stone, as does also “Cephas,” John i. 49.

— and upon this rock &c.] And upon thee who art this rock, I will build My Church, laying the first foundation of it upon thy preaching to the Jews, Acts ii. 41, 47, and to the Gentiles, Acts x. 5; xv. 7, &c.

Anno DOMINI 52. c Mark 6. 27. Luke 9. 18. Christ sheweth his sufferings and resurrection. Anno DOMINI 32. g John 20. 33.

I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:19

19. And I will give unto thee &c.] That is, Thou shalt first open the kingdom of the Messiah, and make the first publication of the Gospel to the Gentiles; and whatsoever ordinances thou shalt, by the assistance of the Holy Ghost, make and establish (see Acts xv.) for the orderly settlement of the church, thy determination shall be ratified and confirmed by God. Dr. S. Clarke.

— I will give—the keys] That is, the power of making laws to govern My Church. It is evident, that by this expression of giving the keys to St. Peter, our Saviour did not mean to give him any supremacy over the other Apostles, or over the whole Church, because He says that these keys were given to him, that with them he might bind and loose; but this expression is

Matthew 16:20

20. Then charged he &c.] See the notes at chap. viii. 4. The public acknowledgment of this important truth might have provoked the Jews to put Him to death, before the time was come, which the Divine wisdom had appointed for that event. Bp. Mann.

Matthew 16:21

21. From that time forth &c.] Referring to the confession of St. Peter, that He was Christ the Son of the living God. He did not think proper to disclose to them His approaching death, till their faith had attained some degree of constancy and firmness. But, when once it appeared that they not only esteemed and loved their Master as a wise and virtuous man, that they not only revered Him as an inspired teacher of righteousness, but that they believed in Him as the Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer of Israel; it then became seasonable to remove their prejudices, to extinguish their hopes of sharing in the splendour of an earthly kingdom, and to prepare and fortify their minds against all that “contradiction of sinners,” which they with their Master were in this world to endure. Bishop Horsley.

— how that he must go unto Jerusalem.] The form of expression is remarkable, must go, must suffer, &c. All these things were thus ordained by Providence, yet, as to outward appearance, depended entirely on man’s free agency. Bp. Horsley.

— and be killed, and be raised again] This is the earliest intimation, which the Evangelists have recorded, delivered by our Saviour to His disciples, of His approaching death and sufferings. See note at chap. xx. 19. Dean Stanhope.

Matthew 16:22

22.— Be it far from thee.] This, in the original, is a peculiar phrase borrowed from the Hebrews, which signifies literally, May He (God) be propitious to thee; that is, God forbid it. Bp. Pearce. St. Peter, whose thoughts were full of the glory and greatness of the Messiah, was so disturbed with what our Lord had said, that he could not forbear expostulating with Him. Dr. S. Clarke.

Anno DOMINI 32. Christ’s followers must deny themselves. Anno DOMINI 22. h Chap. 10. 26. Mark 8. 24.

Matthew 16:23

23.—Get thee behind me, Satan:] Satan signifies an enemy; and “offence” means hindrance, or impediment, chap. xviii. 6, which St. Peter cast in our Saviour’s way, by opposing the method which God had appointed for the salvation of mankind through a suffering Messiah. Bp. Mann.

The Holy Jesus, rebuking him, tells him that he was, in the tendency, though not in the design of his words, a tempter, an adversary to Him; and influenced by human weakness, instead of religious fortitude. Abp. Seder.

Matthew 16:24

24.—let him deny himself, &c.] Let him resign himself absolutely to the will of God, renouncing all worldly desires, and resolving both to do and suffer whatever God shall think fit to require of him. Dr. S. Clarke. See note at chap. x. 38.

—and follow me.] In self-denial and in suffering. Abp. Tillotson.

The self-denial which our Saviour claims from His disciples in nothing more than a willingness to part with all earthly comforts and conveniences, to quit all our temporal interests and enjoyments, and even life itself, for the sake of Him and His religion. And He who commands us to perform this duty, hath Himself in His own person given us the greatest example of self-denial, in that He denied Himself more, and suffered more grievous things than any of us can do. He bore the insupportable load of all the sins of mankind, and of the wrath and vengeance due to them. Never was sorrow like unto His sorrow. He underwent more affliction, and had more contempt poured upon Him, than ever was upon any of the sons of men; and yet He endured all this with incredible patience and meekness, with the greatest evenness and constancy of mind, and with the most perfect submission and resignation of Himself to the will of God. If then He thus denied Himself, well may we, who have much less to deny, but much more cause and reason for it. He did it voluntarily and of choice, but it is our duty. He did it for our sakes, we do it for our own. His own goodness moved Him to deny Himself for us, but gratitude obliges us to deny ourselves in any thing for Him. We deserved nothing from Him, but He has wholly merited all this, and infinitely more, from us. Abp. Tillotson.

Matthew 16:25

25. For whosoever will save &c.] Whosoever shall save his life in this present time, by basely complying with temptations to forsake his religion, shall most truly lose it by incurring death everlasting: but he that constantly perseveres, and loses his life in this present time, to preserve his religion and virtue, does most truly save it unto everlasting happiness. Dr. S. Clarke.

Matthew 16:26

26.—what is a man profited, &c.] These words ask a question, which comes the most home to every man’s concern, of any that can possibly enter into his thoughts. It implies, that the salvation of a man’s soul is so infinitely more important to him, so beyond and above any thing he can get, or any thing he can lose, any thing he can enjoy or suffer on this side the grave, that nothing which the world offers can make up for the loss of it, or be a compensation when that is at stake. This truth is self-evident; but unhappily, evident as it is, it is not thought of, it is not considered, it is not believed, in the degree to which it ought. Archdeacon Paley.

Matthew 16:27

27.—in the glory of his Father] The same glory is called the glory of Christ, Matt. xxv. 31, and of the Father, of which the Son partook, John xvii. 5; and of both the Son and the Father in the parallel place, Luke ix. 26. Grotius.

Matthew 16:28

28.—There be some standing here, &c.] I can assure you, He says, there are some here present, who will live to see the kingdom of God begun, in His glorious resurrection and ascension, and in His executing judgment on the unbelieving Jews, in the final destruction of their city and nation. Dr. S. Clarke. One of the Apostles, St. John, lived till after the destruction of Jerusalem. Bp. Pearce.

—the Son of man coming in his kingdom.] That is, the Messiah affording an earnest of His intended future punishment, by the severe punishment He will execute on the unbelieving and disobedient Jews of this age. Dr. Whitby.

The evident tendency of our Saviour’s words, in the latter part of this chapter, was to prepare the minds of His disciples for the cruel treatment which both He and they were to undergo, and at the same time to raise their drooping spirits by setting before their eyes His own exaltation, and their glorious rewards in another life. Bp. Porteus.

Chap. XVII. ver. 1.—taketh Peter, James, and John] These three disciples seem to have been distinguished by our Lord’s peculiar confidence, and to have generally attended Him on important occasions. St. John was so, as we know, (John xiii. 23,) in an eminent degree. St. James, his brother, would, from that near connexion, probably be brought more frequently under his Master’s notice; and, as St. Peter was the very person who had expressed himself with so much indignation on the subject of our Saviour’s sufferings, it was peculiarly necessary that he should be admitted to the ensuing spectacle, which was calculated to calm those emotions, and to remove that disgust, which the first mention of them had produced in his mind. Bp. Porteus.

P The transfiguration of Christ Anno DOMINI 22. ther, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,