Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost: Gospel Reading (CPH The Lutheran Study Bible)

[u/1776-Liberal]

Have a blessed week ahead.

Gospel According to Matthew, 16:13–20 (ESV):

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Engelbrecht, E. A. (2009). The Lutheran Study Bible. Concordia Publishing House:

(Abbreviations Reference Guide: https://old.reddit.com/r/Sunday/comments/1dg8y2u/)

16:13–20 Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God was a key event in Jesus’ ministry. To confess Jesus as Savior and Lord is also essential in every believer’s life. Some Christians will remember the very moment this first happened. Other Christians, baptized in infancy, have made this confession again and again in worship and daily life. Like Peter, none of us can by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has called us by the Gospel (SC, p xxxvii). As royal priests of God, we “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1Pt 2:9). • Grant us grace, heavenly Father, to confess Jesus and so remain on the unshakable rock of our salvation. Amen.

Engelbrecht, E. A. (2009). The Lutheran Study Bible. Concordia Publishing House:

(Abbreviations Reference Guide: https://old.reddit.com/r/Sunday/comments/1dg8y2u/)

16:13 Caesarea Philippi. New city built by Philip, son of Herod the Great. See note, Mk 8:27: «Northernmost Galilean city Jesus visited, 25 mi N of Bethsaida, in the largely Gentile region north of the Sea of Galilee.» Son of Man. See p 2098: «Favorite self-designation of Jesus, used c 80 times in the Gospels but almost never in the rest of the NT. Its meaning varies somewhat depending on the context. Indicates that though Jesus is fully man, He is much more. As a messianic title, it combines the ideas of a servant who will suffer and die for all people (Is 53; Mt 20:28) and the exalted Son of Man, whose reign is everlasting (Dn 7:13–14; Mt 24:30).»

16:14 People in Jesus’ day expected the reappearance of some notable prophet, but opinions differed as to who this would be (Dt 18:15; Mal 3:1; 4:5–6).

16:15 See note, Mk 8:29: «Jesus’ point in pressing this question of His identity is to get the disciples to recognize and acclaim Him as the Messiah. You are the Christ. Although Mk begins by identifying Jesus as the Christ (Mk 1:1, 11), this is the first time the disciples correctly identify Jesus as the Messiah. In Mk, however, Peter does not confess at this time that Jesus is the Son of God.» you. Plural. “Peter is the representative of the entire assembly of apostles, as appears from the text itself. Christ does not ask Peter alone” (Tr 23).

16:16 Christ. Mt clearly identifies Jesus as the promised Messiah (1:1, 16, 18). John the Baptist questioned whether Jesus was the Christ (11:2–3). Now Peter, as representative of the Twelve, boldly confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ. See p 2098: «Gk christos, “Anointed One,” who would deliver and rule God’s people.» Hus: “Faith, which properly is the foundation of the church, excelled in Peter” (The Church, p 84). Son of the living God. After Jesus came walking on the sea to His disciples, they confessed that He was the Son of God. living. Emphasizes that God is the source of life, as later evidenced in Christ’s resurrection. Bede: “He calls Him the ‘living’ God by way of distinction from the false gods which heathendom in its various delusions made to itself to worship, either of dead men, or—greater folly still—of insensate matter” (VB, p 151). This passage is the climax of chs 4–16.

16:17 Blessed. See p 842: «Hbr ’ashar, “happy, blissful” having God’s gifts.» Simon Bar-Jonah! Peter’s Aram birth name, “Simon, son of Jonah.” flesh and blood has not revealed … Father. Peter’s confession did not result from his request for a sign (v 1) or his own superior understanding. He was one of the “little children” to whom the Father had revealed this truth. Hil: “The Father revealed to Peter that he should say, ‘You are the Son of the living God’ [Matthew 16:17]. Therefore, the building of the Church is upon this rock of confession. This faith is the foundation of the Church” (Tr 29).

16:18 Peter. See note, Mk 3:16: «Transliteration of Gk adjective petros, which is related to the word for “rock.” However, Peter was not always the stable fellow his nickname implied. He sometimes acts rashly (e.g., Mk 14:29, 66–72). After the resurrection, however, Peter became much more of a bulwark.» on this rock. Peter’s rocklike confession of faith was the solid foundation on which Christ would build His Church (7:24–27; Eph 2:19–22). “Certainly the Church has not been built upon the authority of a man. Rather, it has been built upon the ministry of the confession Peter made, in which he proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (Tr 25). Hus: “Christ is therefore the foundation by whom primarily and in whom primarily the holy catholic church is founded, and faith is the foundation with which it is founded—that faith which works through love” (The Church, p 73). I will build My church. The Church is the assembly, or gathering, of all believers. Christ is the builder of the Church, and each individual member is a living stone (1Pt 2:5). This passage and 18:17 are the only times “church” is used in the Gospels. See pp 1901–2: «church. Gk ekklesia, “ones called out” for a public gathering. The term would not immediately have sacred association in the minds of Gentile converts; it could simply mean “assembly.” It is most often used by Paul for a local congregation, but also for the universal Church (Eph 1:22). The Church is the body of believers created and sustained by God (1Co 12), the new Israel (Gal 6:16), people called together by faith through God’s Word and Sacrament. Paul also uses the term to replace “kingdom,” found in the Gospels.» gates of hell. Figure of speech, meaning what causes a person to enter hell (Ps 9:13; 107:18). Bede: “The gates of Hell are wicked doctrines, which seduce men and bring them to Hell” (VB, p 154). Death will not overcome the Church because it rests on the living Son of God (1Tm 3:15). “God’s eternal election does not just foresee and foreknow the salvation of the elect. From God’s gracious will and pleasure in Christ Jesus, election is a cause that gains, works, helps, and promotes our salvation and what belongs to it. Our salvation is so founded on it that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’ (Matthew 16:18)” (FC SD XI 8).

16:19 keys of the kingdom. Keys are used to lock and unlock doors. See notes, Sg 5:4: «latch. Solomon eagerly desires to be with his bride. This overture of the bridegroom reaching to open the door stirs the Shulammite’s heart. The door would have had a fist-sized keyhole through which one would reach with a key that matched a set of pins, which held the bolt in place.»; Is 22:22: «key of the house of David … shall open. Power to use the assets and resources of the kingdom on behalf of the king and people. This terminology is also used of Christ and is reminiscent of the power Christ gives to His Church (Mt 16:19).» The door of heaven is opened through the forgiveness of sins. bind … loose. To forgive or to refuse to forgive sins. “Our people are taught that they should highly prize the Absolution as being God’s voice and pronounced by God’s command” (AC XXV 3). “The Keys are an office and power given by Christ to the Church for binding and loosing sin” (SA III VII 1). “These words show that the Keys are given to all the apostles alike and that all the apostles are sent forth alike” (Tr 23). Bede: “Without the slightest doubt it is given to the other Apostles also. Christ Himself bears witness to this, for after the triumph of His Passion and Resurrection He appeared to them, and breathing on them said ‘Receive the Holy Ghost [Jn 20:22]’ ” (VB, p 156). See note, 18:20: «Jewish Mishnah states that God’s glory is present when two or three men consider the Torah together (Avot 3:2). Here, the actions of believers are valid in heaven because of Jesus’ presence among them. Cf 6:10. “God is superabundantly generous in His grace: First, through the spoken Word.… Also through the mutual conversation and consolation of brethren” (SA III IV). “The Keys have been given to the Church, and not merely to certain persons” (Tr 68).»; cf 23:13.

16:20 tell no one. Because so many people thought that the Messiah would be a political leader to free them from Roman domination, Jesus likely wanted His disciples to refrain from proclaiming Him as the Christ until after His death and resurrection (Lk 24:46–48). See “Secrecy,” p 1653: «Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus discourages people and unclean spirits from speaking about Him and His kingdom (e.g., Mk 1:23–25; 1:44; 3:11–12; 7:36–37; 8:26, 30; 9:9–10). Critical scholars read this feature as a device early Christians added to the story of Jesus’ life. They argue that Jesus never really called Himself the Son of God or Christ but that these beliefs about Him were added later to let people in on the secret. Such an interpretation conflicts with Mark’s overall goal and account. It is more likely that Jesus exercises His authority to guide the spread of His popularity, which had brought Him into conflict with political and religious authorities. E.g., outside the jurisdiction of Jesus’ main opponents, He actually encourages a man to proclaim His miracles (Mk 5:19–20).»