Matthew 16

1 Then came the pharises and saduces and did tempte him desyringe him to shewe them some signe from heve.

2 He answered and sayde vnto the. At even ye saye we shall have fayre wedder and yt because ye skye is reed:

3 and in the morninge ye saye to daye shalbe foule wedder and that because the skye is cloudy and reed. O ye ypocrites ye can discerne ye fassion of the skye: and can ye not discerne ye signes of the tymes?

4 The frowarde nacion and advoutrous seketh a signe and there shall non other signe be geven vnto them but the signe of the prophet Ionas. So lefte he them and departed.

5 And when his disciples were come to the other side of the water they had forgotte to take breed with the.

6 Then Iesus sayd vnto them: Take hede and beware of the leve of ye Pharises and of ye Saduces.

7 And they thought in them selves sayinge: because we have brought no breed with vs.

8 When Iesus vnderstode that he sayd vnto the. O ye of lytell faith why are youre mindes cumbred because ye have brought no breed?

9 Do ye not yet perceave nether remeber those .v. loves when there were .v.M. men and how many baskettes toke ye vp?

10 Nether the .vii. loves when there were .iiiii.M. and how many baskettes toke ye vp?

11 Why perceave ye not then yt I spake not vnto you of breed whe I sayde beware of the leven of the Pharises and of the Saduces?

12 The vnderstode they how that he bad not them beware of the leven of breed: but of the doctrine of the Pharises and of the Saduces.

13 When Iesus cam in to the costes of the cite which is called Cesarea Philippi he axed his disciples sayinge: whom do men saye yt I the sonne of ma am?

14 They saide some saye yt thou arte Ihon Baptist some Helias some Ieremias or one of ye prophetes.

15 He sayde vnto the: but who saye ye yt I am?

16 Simo Peter answered and sayde: Thou arte Christ ye sonne of the lyvinge God.

17 And Iesus answered and sayde to him: happy arte thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for fleshe and bloud hath not opened vnto the yt but my father which is in heve.

18 And I saye also vnto the yt thou arte Peter: and apon this rocke I wyll bylde my congregacion. And the gates of hell shall not prevayle ageynst it.

19 And I wyll geve vnto the the keyes of the kyngdom of heven: and whatsoever thou byndest vpon erth shall be bounde in heven: and whatsoever thou lowsest on erthe shalbe lowsed in heven.

20 Then he charged his disciples yt they shulde tell no man yt he was Iesus Christ.

21 From yt tyme forth Iesus began to shewe vnto his disciples how yt he must go vnto Ierusalem and suffer many thinges of ye Elders and of ye hye prestes and of the scribes and must be killed and ryse agayne ye thirde daye.

22 But Peter toke him asyde and began to rebuke him sayinge: master faver thy sylfe this shall not come vnto the.

23 Then tourned he aboute and sayde vnto Peter: come after me Satan thou offendest me because thou sauourest not godly thinges but wordly thinges

24 Iesus then sayde to his disciples. If eny man wyll folowe me leet him forsake him sylfe and take vp his crosse and folowe me.

25 For who soever wyll save his lyfe shall loose it. And whosoever shall loose his lyfe for my sake shall fynde it.

26 What shall it proffet a man though he shulde wynne all the whoole worlde: yf he loose his owne soule? Or els what shall a man geve to redeme his soule agayne with all?

27 For the sonne of man shall come in the glory of his father wt his angels: and then shall he rewarde every man accordinge to his dedes.

28 Verely I saye vnto you some ther be amonge them that here stonde which shall not taste of deeth tyll they shall have sene the sonne of man come in his kyngdomen.

Matthew 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

The Pharisees and Sadducees ask a sign. (1-4) Jesus cautions against the doctrine of the Pharisees. (5-12) Peter's testimony that Jesus was the Christ. (13-20) Christ foretells his sufferings, and rebukes Peter. (21-23) The necessity of self-denial. (24-28)

Verses 1-4 The Pharisees and Sadducees were opposed to each other in principles and in conduct; yet they joined against Christ. But they desired a sign of their own choosing: they despised those signs which relieved the necessity of the sick and sorrowful, and called for something else which would gratify the curiosity of the proud. It is great hypocrisy, when we slight the signs of God's ordaining, to seek for signs of our own devising.

Verses 5-12 Christ speaks of spiritual things under a similitude, and the disciples misunderstand him of carnal things. He took it ill that they should think him as thoughtful about bread as they were; that they should be so little acquainted with his way of preaching. Then understood they what he meant. Christ teaches by the Spirit of wisdom in the heart, opening the understanding to the Spirit of revelation in the word.

Verses 13-20 Peter, for himself and his brethren, said that they were assured of our Lord's being the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God. This showed that they believed Jesus to be more than man. Our Lord declared Peter to be blessed, as the teaching of God made him differ from his unbelieving countrymen. Christ added that he had named him Peter, in allusion to his stability or firmness in professing the truth. The word translated "rock," is not the same word as Peter, but is of a similar meaning. Nothing can be more wrong than to suppose that Christ meant the person of Peter was the rock. Without doubt Christ himself is the Rock, the tried foundation of the church; and woe to him that attempts to lay any other! Peter's confession is this rock as to doctrine. If Jesus be not the Christ, those that own him are not of the church, but deceivers and deceived. Our Lord next declared the authority with which Peter would be invested. He spoke in the name of his brethren, and this related to them as well as to him. They had no certain knowledge of the characters of men, and were liable to mistakes and sins in their own conduct; but they were kept from error in stating the way of acceptance and salvation, the rule of obedience, the believer's character and experience, and the final doom of unbelievers and hypocrites. In such matters their decision was right, and it was confirmed in heaven. But all pretensions of any man, either to absolve or retain men's sins, are blasphemous and absurd. None can forgive sins but God only. And this binding and loosing, in the common language of the Jews, signified to forbid and to allow, or to teach what is lawful or unlawful.

Verses 21-23 Christ reveals his mind to his people gradually. From that time, when the apostles had made the full confession of Christ, that he was the Son of God, he began to show them of his sufferings. He spake this to set right the mistakes of his disciples about the outward pomp and power of his kingdom. Those that follow Christ, must not expect great or high things in this world. Peter would have Christ to dread suffering as much as he did; but we mistake, if we measure Christ's love and patience by our own. We do not read of any thing said or done by any of his disciples, at any time, that Christ resented so much as this. Whoever takes us from that which is good, and would make us fear to do too much for God, speaks Satan's language. Whatever appears to be a temptation to sin, must be resisted with abhorrence, and not be parleyed with. Those that decline suffering for Christ, savour more of the things of man than of the things of God.

Verses 24-28 A true disciple of Christ is one that does follow him in duty, and shall follow him to glory. He is one that walks in the same way Christ walked in, is led by his Spirit, and treads in his steps, whithersoever he goes. "Let him deny himself." If self-denial be a hard lesson, it is no more than what our Master learned and practised, to redeem us, and to teach us. "Let him take up his cross." The cross is here put for every trouble that befalls us. We are apt to think we could bear another's cross better than our own; but that is best which is appointed us, and we ought to make the best of it. We must not by our rashness and folly pull crosses down upon our own heads, but must take them up when they are in our way. If any man will have the name and credit of a disciple, let him follow Christ in the work and duty of a disciple. If all worldly things are worthless when compared with the life of the body, how forcible the same argument with respect to the soul and its state of never-ending happiness or misery! Thousands lose their souls for the most trifling gain, or the most worthless indulgence, nay, often from mere sloth and negligence. Whatever is the object for which men forsake Christ, that is the price at which Satan buys their souls. Yet one soul is worth more than all the world. This is Christ's judgment upon the matter; he knew the price of souls, for he redeemed them; nor would he underrate the world, for he made it. The dying transgressor cannot purchase one hour's respite to seek mercy for his perishing soul. Let us then learn rightly to value our souls, and Christ as the only Saviour of them.