by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
To continue, in Matthew 16:13 as our Lord came into the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi in Bashan, at the foot of Mt. Hermon, he asked his disciples who is it that people believed him to be. He was using his favorite title: “Son of Man,” (τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου) as a distinct way of expressing his divine identity as prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14.
In the next verse, his disciples answered that some say he was (the now dead) John the Baptist, who came back to life; but others thought he was the prophet Elijah, or Jeremiah, or some other prophet. Their answers indicated some speculation as to the true identity of our Lord. Even the tetrarch Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptist executed, was saying in Matthew 14:2 that he believed that the Baptizer had risen from the dead and was somehow in the Lord Jesus and thus, empowered to perform miraculous signs and wonders. The prophet Elijah is mentioned probably because of Malachi 4:5. Malachi had made an eschatological prophecy that Elijah would be sent back by the LORD to help his people (See 1 Kings 17:1 – 2 Kings 2:11). Jeremiah is probably in the Jews’ minds for the prophecy of the coming “righteous Branch” (Jeremiah 23:5-6) and the New Covenant promise (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Jeremiah thus, was also identified with their messianic expectations. The last conjecture about some other prophet may probably have Deuteronomy 18:15 in view, with God raising another prophet like Moses. Their speculations showed a high regard for the Lord Jesus as a person and his mighty works but did not yet fully reflect his true identity.
The Jews of his time were expecting deliverance from Roman imperial rule and the reestablishment of the independent Kingdom of Israel. Messianic expectations were reaching fever pitch during those times. The “anointed one,” the Messiah was to come; to be a great military leader; he would be a Davidic king; a human being who would accomplish these things with God’s direction and empowering.
And then in verse 15, the Lord asked them pointedly who they believed him to actually be. Immediately, Simon Peter, in verse 16 answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In the Greek, Simon Peter emphatically declared not only that he was the Christos/Messiah (Σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστὸς) but that he was the son of the living God (ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος); not just a son. In calling him the son of God, Simon Peter was ascribing some notion of divinity to him. Perhaps the apostle had already made the connection of the “Son of Man” title with Daniel 7:13-14, and with the concept of a “more-than-just-human” messiah. Indeed, the apostle had captured the essence of the Lord’s identity more than the other people.
The Lord Jesus then praised Simon Peter, using the word Μακάριος (“makarios”), meaning blessed or happy. Μακάριος is the same word used by our Lord in his Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11). This Greek word is the the origin of the English word macarism. It is equivalent of the Hebrew אַשְׁרֵי, “ashrei” meaning blessed.
In pronouncing Simon Peter blessed and happy (because he is blessed/praised) our Lord accepted his answer and remarked that this revelation did not come from anyone but from his Father in heaven; God himself.
Now we come to the two of the most discussed/debated parts of the passage. First, Matthew 16:18, as our Lord continued:
18κἀγὼ δέ σοι λέγω ὅτι σὺ εἶ Πέτρος, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς·
And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and (the) gates of Hades will not withstand it.
In the Greek, the word play is evident: Πέτρος (“Petros”) sounds like πέτρᾳ (“petra”); the two words are related but not identical. Aside from being the second name of Simon, πέτρος (“petros”) means a small, isolated or detached rock/stone; one you can pick up and throw (https://biblehub.com/greek/4074.htm). On the other hand, πέτρᾳ (“petra”) means a large solid mass of connected rock, bedrock, rising through the earth; much like a projecting cliff, ledge, cave or stony ground (https://biblehub.com/greek/4073.htm).
[This is not the first time Simon Peter (“Petros”) is given this name as we already know he is called this from earlier verses, such as Matthew 4:18, 8:14, 10:2, 14:28, 14:29, 15:15 and 16:16. Furthermore Simon Peter is also called Κηφᾶς (“Kephas” or “Cephas”) in John 1:42; 1 Corinthians 1:12, 3:22, 9:5, 15:5; and Galatians 1:18, 2:9, 2:11 and 2:14. Κηφᾶς is the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic כֵּיפָא “kepha”. This word also means a rock.]
Now the Bashan/Mt. Hermon geography and the pictures I shared earlier of Caesarea Philippi/Banias gives us a picture of what the Lord was referring to when he said that over/on this rock, he will build his church.
The Lord probably pointed to the stony ground that rises up to the huge cliff of solid rock where the pagan temples stood. The πέτρᾳ (“petra”) over/on which our Lord Jesus would build his church can’t be a small rock/stone. The picture is of the Kingdom of God attacking the gates of Hades and reclaiming all the territory. It was this solid rock/bedrock; this entire mountain with its cliffs, caves and stony ground that was to be attacked and taken over.
Gates are intrinsic means of defense for walled cities in ancient times. It helps keep enemies out and its people safe inside. The Lord Jesus is declaring that the forces of Heaven are attacking and the defensive gates of hell will not withstand it or prevail against it. An Old “Testament (OT) rough parallel comes to my mind: the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream revealed and interpreted by Daniel (see Daniel 2:31-35 and 2:44-45). The Kingdom of God will destroy and crush all the other human kingdoms set up before it. The stone, not cut out with human hands, that struck the statue’s feet of iron and clay in the Babylonian king’s dream and crushed the entire statue became a great mountain that filled the entire earth (Daniel 2:34-35). Daniel interpreted this as the divine kingdom set up by God and that this will endure forever (Daniel 2:44-45). Now, the Lord Jesus declares that even the “gates of Hades” will also be destroyed by this Kingdom of Heaven.
We will continue next week.
God bless us all.