Matthew 16:13-23

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13 ¹Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is? ”

14 And they said, “Some say ²John the Baptist, others say ³Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. ”

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am? ”

16 Simon Peter replied, ⁴“You are ⁵the Christ, ⁶the Son of ⁷the living God. ”

17 And Jesus answered him, ⁸“Blessed are you, ⁹Simon Bar-Jonah! For ¹⁰flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, ¹¹but my Father who is in heaven.

18 And I tell you, ¹²you are Peter, and ¹³on this rock^[a] I will build my church, and ¹⁴the gates of ¹⁵hell^[b] shall not prevail against it.

19 I will give you ¹⁶the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and ¹⁷whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed^[c] in heaven. ”

20 ¹⁸Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

21 ¹⁹From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that ²⁰he must go to Jerusalem and ²¹suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on ²²the third day be raised.

22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! ^[d] This shall never happen to you. ”

23 But he turned and said to Peter, ²³“Get behind me, Satan! You are ²⁴a hindrance^[e] to me. For you ²⁵are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. ”

Cross References

• 1. 16:13 For ver. 13-16, see Mark 8:27-29; Luke 9:18-20
• 2. 16:14 ch. 14:2; Mark 6:14; Luke 9:7
• 3. 16:14 Mark 6:15; Luke 9:8; [ch. 17:10; Mark 9:11; John 1:21]
• 4. 16:16 John 11:27
• 5. 16:16 See ch. 1:17
• 6. 16:16 See ch. 14:33
• 7. 16:16 Deut. 5:26; Josh. 3:10; Ps. 42:2; Jer. 10:10; Dan. 6:20; Hos. 1:10; Acts 14:15; 2 Cor. 3:3; 1 Tim. 4:10
• 8. 16:17 [ch. 13:16]
• 9. 16:17 [John 1:42; 21:15-17]
• 10. 16:17 1 Cor. 15:50; Gal. 1:16 (Gk.); Eph. 6:12; Heb. 2:14
• 11. 16:17 1 Cor. 2:10; 12:3; [ch. 11:25; John 6:45]
• 12. 16:18 [ch. 10:2; John 1:42]
• 13. 16:18 Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:14; [ch. 7:24]
• 14. 16:18 Job 38:17; Isa. 38:10
• 15. 16:18 See ch. 11:23
• 16. 16:19 [Isa. 22:22; Rev. 1:18; 3:7]
• 17. 16:19 [ch. 18:18; John 20:23]
• 18. 16:20 Mark 8:30; Luke 9:21; [ch. 17:9]; See ch. 12:16
• 19. 16:21 For ver. 21-28, see Mark 8:31–9:1; Luke 9:22-27; [ch. 17:12, 22, 23; 20:17-19]
• 20. 16:21 ch. 20:18; [Luke 13:33]
• 21. 16:21 ch. 17:12, 22, 23; Luke 24:7
• 22. 16:21 See ch. 27:63; John 2:19
• 23. 16:23 [ch. 4:10]
• 24. 16:23 See ch. 13:41
• 25. 16:23 Rom. 8:5; Phil. 3:19; Col. 3:2; [Phil. 2:5]

Footnotes

• [a] 16:18 The Greek words for 'Peter' and 'rock' sound similar
• [b] 16:18 Greek 'the gates of Hades'
• [c] 16:19 Or 'shall have been bound . . . shall have been loosed'
• [d] 16:22 Or “[May God be] 'merciful to you, Lord!”'
• [e] 16:23 Greek 'stumbling block'