Matthew 16:16-26

16 Shim`on Kefa answered, "You are the Mashiach, the Son of the living God."

17 "Shim`on Bar-Yochanan," Yeshua said to him, "how blessed you are! For no human being revealed this to you, no, it was my Father in heaven.

18 I also tell you this: you are Kefa," [which means `Rock,'] "and on this rock I will build my Community, and the gates of Sh'ol will not overcome it.

19 I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."

20 Then he warned the talmidim not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

21 From that time on, Yeshua began making it clear to his talmidim that he had to go to Yerushalayim and endure much suffering at the hands of the elders, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers; and that he had to be put to death; but that on the third day, he had to be raised to life.

22 Kefa took him aside and began rebuk ing him, "Heaven be merciful, Lord! By no means will this happen to you!"

23 But Yeshua turned his back on Kefa, saying, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God's perspective!"

24 Then Yeshua told his talmidim, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him say `No' to himself, take up his execution-stake, and keep following me. For

25 whoever wants to save his own life will destroy it, but whoever destroys his life for my sake will find it.

26 What good will it do someone if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or, what can a person give in exchange for his life?