{"id":967,"date":"2011-10-05T10:18:39","date_gmt":"2011-10-05T10:18:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christian-gospel.info\/?p=967"},"modified":"2011-10-05T10:18:39","modified_gmt":"2011-10-05T10:18:39","slug":"christ-and-the-church-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/?p=967","title":{"rendered":"CHRIST AND THE CHURCH: PART 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

MATTHEW 16: 13-28<\/strong><\/p>\n

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Christ’s prophecy concerning the church is recorded only in the gospel that emphasises His kingship, so the two ideas are not incompatible.\u00a0 It is perfectly possible for Christ to be the King of Israel, one day to reign on the earth, and also, at this present time, to be the Head of the church.\u00a0 The Mount of Transfiguration event took place after Matthew 16, so the kingdom is still to come.\u00a0 Peter, who was present on the mount, declares that the Old Testament prophetic word had been confirmed to him when Christ was transfigured, 2 Peter 1:16-21.
\nThe prediction concerning the church comes after a succession of indications that Israel intended to reject its rightful king, and that Christ was turning to the Gentiles as a consequence.<\/p>\n

Notice the way the Gospel of Matthew shows the Lord Jesus gradually turning from the nation of Israel, in preparation for His new work of building the church after the Day of Pentecost:<\/p>\n

\u00a0Matthew 11:20-30- He rebukes the cities where most of His mighty works were done;\u00a0 thanks His Father for His wise purposes; indicates that the Father has committed all things into His hands; turns to\u00a0the individuals in the nation\u00a0with the words, “Come unto Me”, 11:28.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

12:1-8- an appeal to an incident when David, the anointed king, was on the run from Saul, 1 Samuel 21:1-6.<\/p>\n

12:9-13- a man with a withered hand.\u00a0 King Jereboam had been judged like this for stretching out his hand against a man of God; how much more dangerous is it for the rulers to seek to destroy the Son of God, 1 Kings 13:1-4.\u00a0 Compare also Zechariah 11:17, where the idol shepherd is Antichrist.<\/p>\n

12:14-21- The Pharisees seek to destroy God’s Beloved and Elect One, and He will show judgement to the Gentiles, and in Him shall the Gentiles trust.<\/p>\n

12:22-23- the blind and dumb man represents the nation, blind to His glories, and dumb in His praise.\u00a0 The people recognise that He does not hate the blind as David did, 2 Samuel 5:8.\u00a0 Note that when blind men are cured in Matthew there is always a reference to Him as Son of David, 9:27; 12:22,23; 21:9-14.<\/p>\n

12:24-37- Unable to deny that Christ performed miracles, the Pharisees assert that He did them by the power of Satan.\u00a0 This is sin against the Holy Ghost, for it was by His power that the works were done, and to equate the Holy Spirit with the Devil is blasphemy.\u00a0 This shows how far the nation had gone in its rejection of Christ.<\/p>\n

12:38-42- Sign of Jonah the prophet who went to the Gentiles, who repented; sign of Queen of Sheba who came from the Gentiles, and believed; both are indications of the change in God’s dealings which would take place after the death and resurrection of Christ.<\/p>\n

12:43-45- the nation is labelled a wicked generation, influenced by evil spirits in its opposition to Christ.<\/p>\n

12:46-50- those who have the closest natural ties are put after those who have spiritual links with Christ.\u00a0 No claim can be made upon Christ because He is a fellow Jew.<\/p>\n

13:1-52- The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven expounded.\u00a0 The king does not wield a sword, but sow seed.\u00a0 Note the significant move out of the house (of Israel), to the seaside, (the wider world of the Gentiles).\u00a0 In verse 36 there is a return to the house, for after the church age there will be those in Israel who will need to be aware of God’s plans for the end of the age of tribulation.\u00a0 The disciples represent these at this point, just as they do in Matthew 10, where in verse 25 they are told they will have not have gone over the cities of Judah before Christ comes.\u00a0 Clearly not a reference to the disciples personally.<\/p>\n

13:53-58- Christ’s claims to be Son of God are rejected in the words, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?”\u00a0 Unbelief marks the nation to such an extent that it hinders the works of Christ.<\/p>\n

14:1-12- A similar situation to when Herod the Great, (Herod the Tetrarch’s father), slaughtered the innocents.\u00a0 The hostility of the authorities is unchanged.\u00a0 Verses 3-12 refer to an incident two years before, for Matthew is highlighting the fact that attitudes have not altered.\u00a0 Compare Luke 3:19, 20, where the imprisonment of John is recorded, even though he is about to baptise Christ.\u00a0 This emphasises the fact that the baptism of Christ indicated His commitment to rejection and suffering.<\/p>\n

14:13-21- A startling contrast is now presented.\u00a0 Herod, on his birthday (when he could be expected to be in a good mood for once), in his hatred, gives John the Baptist’s head on a dish, whereas Christ in compassion feeds 5000 with bread.<\/p>\n

14:22-36- The disciples alone on the lake, with Christ praying on the mountain, and then coming to them.\u00a0 One of Matthew’s dispensational pictures, telling of believers passing through much trouble, (the storm on the lake), but sustained by the intercession of Christ on high.\u00a0 The disciples are being prepared for the absence of the King, who, nonetheless, as a King-Priest, makes intercession for them on high.\u00a0 This will also have meaning for tribulation saints.<\/p>\n

15:1-20- The nation exposed for its hypocrisy, preferring the teachings and traditions of men to the commandments of God.<\/p>\n

15:21-28- Gentile “dog” blessed.\u00a0 Note that the Lord uses the word for dog that means a little dog, the family pet, rather than the scavengers of the streets.\u00a0 He thus shows His gentleness and compassion, for “A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench\u2026and in His name shall the Gentiles trust”, Matthew 12:20,21.<\/p>\n

15:29-39- healing of multitudes, (note lame and blind mentioned first), on mountain, the symbol of a kingdom, then the feeding of the 4000.\u00a0 Matthew is presenting a foretaste of the millenial age before he tells us of the prediction of the church age.\u00a0 So the kingdom is emphasised both before and after the prophecy regarding the church.<\/p>\n

16:1-4- Demand for a sign from the Pharisees and Sadducees, both of whom had rejected the testimony of Christ’s miracle ministry.\u00a0 No further sign to be given, except that of His death and resurrection, as pictured in the experience of Jonah.\u00a0 Fair weather symbolised His works of mercy.\u00a0 Foul weather, the judgements coming upon the nation, whether at AD 70 or in the tribulation period.\u00a0 See 1 Thessalonians 2:15,16.\u00a0 Caesarea Phillipi was the scene of much bloodshed when the Romans suppressed the Jewish rebellion as AD 70 approached.<\/p>\n

16:5-12- warning about moral leaven in preparation for church age conditions.\u00a0 The leaven of the Pharisees is the evil of mere outward profession of religion.\u00a0 The leaven of the Sadducees is evil of rationalism, and the doubting of God’s word.\u00a0 Both these things would prove a snare during the age of the church.<\/p>\n

16:13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi-<\/span><\/strong> named after Caesar, so a Gentile atmosphere prevails here.\u00a0 But world politics will not prevent the church being built.\u00a0 The disciples, just local fisherman,\u00a0familiar only\u00a0with the shores of Galilee, are going to be sent into all the world.\u00a0 There was a temple dedicated to the god Pan here, but world religion will not prevent God’s purpose through the church.\u00a0 Nearby one of the sources of the Jordan (the river of death and judgement), gushed out of the rock, but all that was brought in by sin is overcome by Christ.\u00a0 This place is the site of a decisive battle in the days of the Greek empire, but a more decisive battle was won by Christ at Calvary, and no force is of power to frustrate His ongoing purpose to build the church.\u00a0 The area was one of great natural beauty, yet nothing can compare with heavenly realities.\u00a0 He asked His disciples saying, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am”?-<\/span><\/strong> That is, what is result of My ministry?\u00a0 What think ye of Christ is always the test, Matthew 22:41-46.\u00a0 “If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins”, John 8:24.\u00a0 Those described as men are the multitudes, in contrast to the Pharisees, whose opinion was obvious.\u00a0 Son of man- relevant man and real man.\u00a0 His title in relation to all men, as opposed to Son of Abraham and Son of David which link Him with Israel, and Son of God which tells of His relationship to God.<\/p>\n

16:14\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And they said, “Some say that Thou art John the Baptist-<\/span><\/strong> the committed, uncompromising, unworldly, preacher.\u00a0 Some, Elias-<\/span><\/strong> the courageous, reforming, miracle-worker, (unlike John the Baptist, who did no miracles, John 10:41).\u00a0 And others, Jeremias- <\/span><\/strong>the weeping prophet, who the Rabbis said was the man of sorrows in Isaiah 53.\u00a0 Or one of the prophets- <\/span><\/strong>the good qualities of all the prophets were seen in Christ.\u00a0 This was no surprise, for the prophets were born of God, and therefore had the life of God.\u00a0 It was to be expected that they would display some of the characteristics of the Lord Jesus, who is God manifest in flesh.\u00a0 They should have said that the prophets were like Him, not He was like the prophets.\u00a0 Note there is no reference to Moses, despite Deuteronomy 18:15-19.\u00a0 See Acts 3:22,23.\u00a0 They found no legality in Christ, but nonetheless they should have believed He was the one Moses spoke of.\u00a0 In Luke 9:7-9 Herod and the people wonder whether Christ is one of these men risen from the dead, so they do not give the Lord credit even for being the Son of Man in His own right, but simply (and superstitiously) think Him to be a resurrected prophet.<\/p>\n

16:15\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He saith unto them, “But whom say ye that I am?-<\/span><\/strong> “Ye” and “I are emphatic.\u00a0 “Ye” in contrast to men, “I” in contrast to the imaginary Christ men spoke of.\u00a0 “But” anticipates the better answer of the apostles.<\/p>\n

16:16\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And Simon Peter answered-<\/span><\/strong> The name Simon means hearing, so he had lived up to his name.\u00a0 Peter is the Greek form of the name given him by Christ in John 1:42.\u00a0 So the two names give the order of his experience.\u00a0 Simon when he heard and responded to God’s word through Christ, Peter when born again, ready to be built into the church on the Day of Pentecost.\u00a0 Thou art the Christ-<\/span><\/strong> that is, the Messiah of Old Testament prophecy.\u00a0 The Son of the Living God-<\/span><\/strong> the subject of New Testament revelation.\u00a0 The Living God, in contrast to Pan, the lifeless idol of the heathen, whose temple was not far away.\u00a0 Note living things in Peter’s epistles.\u00a0 There is no attempt to compare Him with others, for this is impossible if He is the Son of God.\u00a0 It is sad, however, to hear Peter putting Christ on a level with Moses and Elijah in 17:4.<\/p>\n

16:17 Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona-<\/span><\/strong> a reference back to John 1:42, “Thou art Simon the son of Jona.\u00a0 Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone”.\u00a0 Peter now comes into the good of the dwelling with Christ that Andrew and his companion had experienced the previous day.\u00a0 He himself would later write of coming to Christ as a living stone, and being built up a spiritual house, 1 Peter 2:4,5. The Hebrew word for son comes from the word to build, for a man’s house, or family, was built up by sons.\u00a0 (See Exodus 1:21, where God blessed the midwives with children, or “built them houses”).\u00a0\u00a0 The use of the word bar for son is said to show Christ spoke in Aramaic.\u00a0 Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee-<\/span><\/strong> Peter had not “received by tradition from the fathers”, 1 Peter 1:18.\u00a0 But My Father which is in heaven-<\/span><\/strong> as already indicated, the name Simon means “hearing”, so Peter has listened to the word from the Father as He spoke in Christ.\u00a0 “He that heareth my word, and believeth (on) Him that sent me” (when He speaks through Me), John 5:24.\u00a0 The particular word in question was on the subject of His Deity. “My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me”, John 7:16.\u00a0 “Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me”, John 6:45.\u00a0 “God\u2026hath spoken unto us in His Son”, Hebrews 1:2.<\/p>\n

16:18\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And I say also unto thee-<\/span><\/strong> not “I also say”, as if what the Father said is now followed by what the Son says.\u00a0 Rather, it is “but I say also”, continuing to speak for My Father.\u00a0 This indicates the equal authority of Christ, and establishes His authority over the church.\u00a0 That thou art Peter-<\/span><\/strong> as interpreted by John l:42, this means a stone.\u00a0 So Peter is distinguished from the rock, but is linked with build.\u00a0 And upon this rock-<\/span><\/strong> not “upon thee”, but upon this, that you have just stated.<\/p>\n

The following points should be borne in mind-
\n\uf076 The truth of the Sonship of Christ is foundational.\u00a0 “Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”, 1 Corinthians 3:11.\u00a0 (If it is essential that He be the foundation of the local assembly, it is clearly vital that He be the foundation of the whole church).\u00a0 See also the words of Peter himself in 1 Peter 2:6; and also Isaiah 28:16, from which he quotes.
\n\uf076 The Rabbis described Abraham as the rock on which the earth was founded, so the idea of a system built upon a person was not foreign to the Jews.\u00a0
\n\uf076 The word for Peter is “petros”, a masculine word meaning stone or rock.\u00a0 The word for rock is “petra” a feminine word which always and only means rock.\u00a0 A “petros” takes character from a “petra”, just as believers are said by Peter to be partakers of the Divine nature, (and God Himself is called a Rock in Deuteronomy 32:4,15,18,30,31).\u00a0
\n\uf076 Peter himself referred to the Lord Jesus as a stone when he was addressing the builders of Israel in Acts 4:5-13.\u00a0 It is true that the word he used, as also in 1 Peter 2:4,5,6,7,8 is “litho”.\u00a0 But this is the word that is used of the stones of the Temple in Jerusalem, Matthew 24:2.
\n\uf076 Peter would be a poor foundation, since he is called Satan in verse 23.\u00a0
\n\uf076 Peter refers to Christ as a Living Stone, and believers as living stones built upon Him, 1 Peter 2:4,5.\u00a0 It is not possible for Peter to be the foundation, and also be built on the foundation.
\n\uf076 He never suggests that he is the stone, as the Roman Catholics teach.\u00a0 Pope Pius 4th decreed that nothing should be taught that the fathers are not agreed upon.\u00a0 They are evenly divided, and Augustine changed his view, and said all should believe what they like about it!\u00a0 The statistics are as follows: 17 of the Fathers said the rock was Peter; 44 said it was Peter’s faith; 16 said the rock was Christ; 8 said that it was all the apostles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I will build my church-<\/span><\/strong> note that this is a future work, for there is no suggestion in Scripture that Old Testament believers are part of the church.\u00a0 The truth regarding the church was a mystery hidden in God, (not even in God’s word), until revealed through the apostle Paul.\u00a0 See notes on Ephesians 3.\u00a0 The verb to build is continuous in the future, and does not just refer to stones being built on the Rock at conversion, but also their constant edification, Ephesians 4:12; 2:20.\u00a0 “Groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord”, Ephesians 2:21.\u00a0 Evangelist and teacher both build on Christ’s behalf.\u00a0 The word for build is to build a house, so the idea is of a homely place.\u00a0 Note that the Lord Jesus Himself takes full responsibility for the work of building, even though in practice He uses those men that He gives as gifts to edify and build up, Ephesians 4:11-16.\u00a0 And the gates of hell<\/span><\/strong> (hades) shall not prevail against it-<\/span><\/strong> the only member of the church to go to Hades is the Head of the church, even Christ.\u00a0 He now has the keys to lock the gate so that no Christian goes there.\u00a0 Also, He now has the key of death to ensure that every Old Testament believer comes out from there, Revelation 1:18.\u00a0 The Church’s proper place is in association with Christ in resurrection, and is not an earthly concept at all.\u00a0 It has to do with things before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4, whereas Israel, God’s earthly people, will enter a kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world, Matthew 25:34.\u00a0<\/p>\n

16:19\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven-<\/span><\/strong> the kingdom of heaven is the sphere of profession, for sons of the kingdom of heaven can be cast out into outer darkness, Matthew 8:11,12, whereas only those born again can enter the kingdom of God; there are no mere professors there, John 3:3,5.\u00a0 Jewish scribes were given a symbolic key when they entered their profession.\u00a0 “Woe unto you lawyers, for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered”, Luke 11:52.\u00a0 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisee, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer them that are entering to go in”, Matthew 23:13.\u00a0 Peter is given a special role in the matter of entering the kingdom of heaven, for he will be the one to first announce the gospel to Jews and Gentiles.\u00a0 He will also be the first to lay the doctrinal foundation of Christianity after Pentecost, being given a right perspective on things in view of the change in God’s dealings with men.\u00a0 It is a mistake to think that Peter never really understood the truth of the church.\u00a0 When he writes about “things hard to be understood” in 2 Peter 5:16, he was not telling of his personal difficulty, but that of others.\u00a0 Peter uses his keys at Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius.\u00a0 He lets in a Gentile even though he is the apostle to circumcision, Galatians 2:8,9.\u00a0 Paul, the apostle to Gentiles, had passed through Caesarea to go to Tarsus, Acts 9:30, but he was not chosen to go to Cornelius.\u00a0 Even Philip the evangelist, who lived at Caesarea, Acts 8:40, was not used to open the door of faith unto the Gentiles, Acts 14:27.\u00a0 Note that Peter was not given either the keys to heaven, the keys of the kingdom of God, or the keys to the church.\u00a0 It is only the kingdom of heaven, the sphere of profession that he is given authority in.\u00a0 He cannot decide who goes to heaven, nor can he forgive sins, which God alone can do, Luke 5:21,24.\u00a0 And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: And whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven- <\/span><\/strong>Peter’s confession was a confession of faith, which all must make if they are to be saved.\u00a0 So as an evangelist, it was Peter’s responsibility to see to it that the truth of the sinfulness of man was impressed upon his hearers, and so bind their sins to them, and then tell them the good news of the forgiveness of sins in Christ, and so loose them if they professed to believe.\u00a0 See how he did this in Acts 2:35, (they are enemies of Christ), verse 36, (they are guilty of crucifying Him), and verse 38, (they need to repent of their sins).\u00a0 In this way he bound the sins to the people by his preaching.\u00a0 Then in verse 38 he held out the prospect of the remission of sins, and thus gave them the opportunity of being loosed from their sins.\u00a0 So also, when he opened the kingdom of heaven to the Gentiles with his other key.\u00a0 He declares that God has appointed Christ to be judge of the living and the dead, Acts 10:42, with its implications with regard to Cornelius’ sins.\u00a0 Then he tells of the possibility of being loosed, as he speaks of the remission of sins in verse 43.\u00a0 The words bound and loosed were used by the rabbis in this way.\u00a0 Peter’s statement about the Lord Jesus is also a confession of truth, and as a “scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven”, Matthew 13:52, and as a steward over his Lord’s household, Luke 12:41-44, (words spoken firstly to Peter), he was to guide the saints into the truth, and as such, must set out what is allowed and what is not.\u00a0 The Lord commanded him with the words “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren”, Luke 22:32, and 1 Peter 4:10,11 shows that what the apostles gave were commandments from the Lord Himself.\u00a0 In this context, to bind meant to declare to be binding conduct.\u00a0 To loose meant to release from obligation.\u00a0 In this way, the church is built upon the (doctrinal) foundation of the apostles and prophets, Ephesians 2:20.\u00a0 Notice how the apostle is quick to add that Jesus Christ is the chief corner stone, holding the whole building together, and giving it alignment.<\/p>\n

16:20\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Then charged He His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ-<\/span><\/strong> Clearly a temporary measure, since this was one of the main teachings of the apostles post-Pentecost.\u00a0 Given that He is rejected by the nation, it was inappropriate to make Him known in His national capacity.\u00a0 Individual faith was still a possibility.\u00a0 We also note that the disciples as a body are addressed now, instead of Peter alone.<\/p>\n

16:21\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples-<\/span><\/strong> consistent with His word to them in the previous verse.\u00a0 The making known for the first time of the truth regarding the church marks a definite stage in the dealings of God, and the Lord must be made known appropriately.\u00a0 He is not Jesus the Messiah to the church, specifically, but Christ the Lord.\u00a0 As Messiah He is king, as Lord He is head.\u00a0 How that He must go unto Jerusalem-<\/span><\/strong> note the “must” of determination to do God’s will.\u00a0 Jerusalem is the city of the great king, but He goes there to hang upon a cross, not sit upon a throne.\u00a0 It is interesting to notice that Matthew only records the presence of Christ in Jerusalem at His temptation, 4:5.\u00a0 Although qualified to reign by His total refusal of the Devil’s offer, and despite the fact that in His Royal Address in Matthew 5-7 He describes Jerusalem as the city of the great king, Matthew 5:35, He nonetheless only goes to Jerusalem to die.\u00a0 This is all the more noticeable because Luke records the journeys of Christ to Jerusalem as early as chapter 9 of his gospel.\u00a0 And suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes-<\/span><\/strong> “your rulers”, Acts 3:17, “you builders”, Acts 4:11.\u00a0 The main opinion-formers and leaders in Israel will reject Him, because they prefer human wisdom to Divine revelation.\u00a0 The elders would correspond, perhaps, to the idea of king, (elders would make decisions in the gate, like Absalom of old, who sat in the gate and turned the hearts of the people against David, 2 Samuel 15:1-6).\u00a0 Chief priests would seek to maintain the Levitical order, and the scribes would correspond to the prophets.\u00a0 And be killed-<\/span><\/strong> that He would be killed would make many think that He was not, after all, the true Messiah.\u00a0 In fact, such scriptures as Isaiah 53 would show that He who suffered and died, was the root out of a dry ground, the root of David.\u00a0 Note the violence of the language- killed, a deliberate, cold-blooded outrage upon justice and decency.\u00a0 They killed the prince of life and desired a murderer instead.\u00a0 And be raised again the third day-<\/span><\/strong> the Divine response to the killing is the raising.\u00a0 By prophesying these things, the Lord is putting His reputation as a “man that hath told you the truth” to the test.\u00a0 The mark of a prophet sent from God is that his words come true, Deuteronomy 18:15-19, Acts 3:22,23.<\/p>\n

16:22\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from Thee Lord-<\/span><\/strong> Perhaps feeling some special authority was his since he had been given great responsibilities in verse 19, Peter acts in typically hasty manner.\u00a0 Instead of taking in the truths being unfolded about Christ’s death and resurrection, he seeks to prevent it.\u00a0 Filled with Jewish feelings about the Messiah, he thinks only in terms of a Messianic reign.\u00a0 This shall not be unto Thee-<\/span><\/strong> His determination was still strong in Gethsemane, where he used a sword to try to prevent the arrest. We must beware of zeal that is not in company with knowledge, Romans 10:2; 1 Timothy 1:13.
\nThankfully his zeal was channelled into righteous actions after Pentecost.\u00a0 Even though he was led on that occasion to quote a passage which spoke of the Day of the Lord, he quoted it only to speak of salvation, Acts 2:16-21.<\/p>\n

16:23\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But He turned, and said unto Peter-<\/span><\/strong> by physically turning, the Lord confronted Peter personally, looking him in the eye, so to speak, and thus spoke directly to him, and not to the others. Get thee behind Me, Satan, thou art an offence unto Me-<\/span><\/strong> Peter was no doubt taken aback by this stern rebuke.\u00a0 When the Devil sought worship from Christ, he was dismissed immediately, lest anything come between the Lord Jesus and his Father, whom He set always before His face, which was why He was not moved away from God’s will, Psalm 16:8.\u00a0 Peter is seeking to hinder Christ’s progress to the cross by placing the stumblingblock of Jewish prejudice in the way.\u00a0 In fact, he himself was the offence, or stumblingblock.\u00a0 Cf. Peter’s reference to Christ in 1 Peter 2:8 as a rock of offence, “petra skandalon”.\u00a0 There the person of Christ offends Israel because He is not what they expected.\u00a0 Note that whereas in verse 18 Peter is addressed as one who is a stone, now he is a stumblingblock.\u00a0 This shows the folly of thinking that Peter is the rock foundation of the church.\u00a0 This lesson is reinforced by the fact that the Lord calls him Satan.\u00a0 For thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men-<\/span><\/strong> note that men, when they act contrary to God’s will, are doing the Devil’s work, for Peter is governed by Jewish thoughts, yet is addressed as Satan, for the Lord pinpoints the source of the evil.\u00a0 Savour means to mind, regard, to take a side; “Thou art on man’s side, not God’s”.<\/p>\n

16:24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me-<\/span><\/strong> When He has shown that the cross and suffering are definitely ahead, then the call to discipleship can be issued.\u00a0 A true disciple will count the cost before he sets out, Luke 14:25-35.\u00a0 Will speaks of “desire”, not simply a future event.\u00a0 Those who follow Christ must be aware that He was heading for a cross, not a crown.\u00a0 Let him deny himself-<\/span><\/strong> nothing must stand in the way of this commitment.\u00a0 Self is a major obstacle to full devotion.\u00a0 And take up his cross and follow Me-<\/span><\/strong> The cross of Christ is unique, but the true follower will not shrink from fellowship with Christ in the rejection the cross represents.\u00a0 In this way His cross becomes ours.\u00a0 The teaching regarding the cross is brought out in Paul’s epistles- Galatians 1, “I am crucified with Christ”; Romans 6, “Our old man was crucified with Christ”; Galatians 5, “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh”; Galatians 6, “The cross…by which the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world”.<\/p>\n

16:25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it-<\/span><\/strong> the word for life is soul, the person.\u00a0 To save one’s person is to live for self, and is the opposite of denying self.\u00a0 The cross puts an end to self.\u00a0 And whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it-<\/span><\/strong> To lose life is to give up one’s own interests in favour of Christ’s.\u00a0 Note it must be “for My sake”, not with the thought of gaining merit, and certainly not as a form of penance, that neglecting of the body which is condemned in Colossians 2:23, and which in fact is satisfying to the flesh.\u00a0 Find it- at the Judgement Seat of Christ it will be found in the form of reward, and at Christ’s appearing it will be found in the form of glory for the One who made it possible, and for the enjoyment of life in the kingdom.\u00a0 Compare 1 Peter 1:7, “found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”. Then, “Whom having not seen (as He will be when He comes to earth), ye love”.\u00a0 Love to Christ will displace love for self.<\/p>\n

16:26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?-<\/span><\/strong> Such a one will “find” nothing at the end of a life seeking gain for himself.\u00a0 In the light of eternity, to gain everything material is to lose everything eternal.\u00a0 See Philippians 3:7, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ”.\u00a0 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?-<\/span><\/strong> As a man looks back over a wasted life, (even if he has gained the whole world), he realises that all he has accumulated is not enough to buy back lost opportunities.\u00a0 Compare Ephesians 5:16, “Redeeming the time, for the days are evil”, or in other words, “take the hours of the day to the marketplace and sell to the highest bidder, thus putting a high value on them, for days spent as the world spends them are evil and worthless”.<\/p>\n

16:27\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For the Son of Man shall come-<\/span><\/strong> Here the Lord looks on to the day when He does come to reign, and when His followers shall be with Him, and when He shall be glorified in His saints, 2 Thessalonians 1:10.\u00a0 The degree He is glorified then will be the degree we have denied ourselves in favour of His interests now.\u00a0 In the glory of His Father with His angels-<\/span><\/strong> Only those things which glorify Christ can be associated with the glory of His Father, and be on display in that day.\u00a0 Other things will have been burnt up.\u00a0 His angels excel in strength and fly swiftly to do heaven’s bidding, and this zeal should mark the believer.\u00a0 And then shall He reward every man according to his works-<\/span><\/strong> Reward means recompense.\u00a0 The self-denial has meant hardship, and in the day of glory this will be recompensed.\u00a0 Note that denying self is not a negative thing, for it produces works.<\/p>\n

16:28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom-<\/span><\/strong> a reference to the vision seen on the holy mount, which confirmed the Old Testament prophecies, 2 Peter 1:16.\u00a0 Note that the preview of the kingdom is given after the revelation about the church, to assure us that the church does not replace the kingdom. The “some” were Peter, James and John.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MATTHEW 16: 13-28 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS Christ’s prophecy concerning the church is recorded only in the gospel that emphasises His kingship, so the two ideas are not incompatible.\u00a0 It is perfectly possible for Christ to be the King of Israel, one day to reign on the earth, and also, at this present time, to be the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":4,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[328,508,566,629,674,721,769],"class_list":["post-967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christ-and-the-church-part-1","tag-bound-on-earth","tag-israel","tag-loosed-on-earth","tag-peter","tag-rock","tag-soul","tag-unbelief"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}