Matthew 16

1 And the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to him tempting [And Pharisees and Sadducees tempting him came nigh to him], and prayed him to show them a token from heaven.

2 And he answered, and said to them, When the eventide is come, ye say, It shall be clear, for heaven is ruddy; [+And he answering said to them, The evening made, ye say, It shall be clear, for the heaven is red, either ruddy;]

3 and the morrowtide, To day tempest [and the morrow, Made to day tempest], for heaven shineth heavily. Then ye know how to deem [wisely] the face of heaven, but ye be not able to know the tokens of times [but ye be not able to know the signs of times].

4 An evil generation and adulterous seeketh a token; and a token shall not be given to it, but the token of Jonas, the prophet. And when he had left them, he went forth [he went away].

5 And when his disciples came over the sea, they forgot to take loaves.

6 And he said to them, Behold ye, and beware of the sourdough of Pharisees and of Sadducees.

7 And they thought among them[selves], and said [saying], For we have not taken loaves.

8 But Jesus witting said to them, What think ye among you of little faith, for ye have not taken loaves?

9 Yet ye understand not, neither have mind of five loaves into five thousand of men, and how many baskets ye took [and how many coffins ye took]?

10 neither of seven loaves into four thousand of men, and how many baskets ye took?

11 Why understand ye not, for I said not to you of bread, Be ye ware of the sourdough of Pharisees and of Sadducees?

12 Then they understood, that he said not to beware of [the] sourdough of loaves, but of the teaching of Pharisees and of Sadducees.

13 And Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea of Philippi, and asked his disciples, and said [saying], Whom say men to be man's Son?

14 And they said, Some John Baptist; others Elias; and others Jeremy, or one of the prophets.

15 Jesus said to them [Jesus saith to them], But whom say ye me to be?

16 Simon Peter answered, and said, Thou art Christ, the Son of God living [Thou art Christ, the Son of quick God].

17 [Forsooth] Jesus answered, and said to him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood showed not to thee, but my Father that is in heavens.

18 And I say to thee, that thou art Peter, and on this stone I shall build my church, and the gates of hell shall not have power against it. [And I say to thee, for thou art Peter, and upon this stone I shall build my church, and the gates of hell shall not have might, or strength, against it.]

19 And to thee I shall give the keys of the kingdom of heavens; and whatever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound also in heavens; and whatever thou shalt unbind on earth, shall be unbound also in heavens.

20 Then he commanded to his disciples, that they should say to no man, that he was Jesus Christ.

21 From that time Jesus began to show to his disciples, that it behooved him to go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things, of the elder men, and of the scribes, and of princes of priests [of the elders, and scribes, and princes of priests]; and be slain, and the third day to rise again.

22 And Peter took him, and began to blame him, and said [saying], Far be it from thee, Lord; this shall not be to thee.

23 And he turned, and said to Peter, Satan, go thou after me; thou art a cause of stumbling to me; for thou savourest not those things that be of God, but those things that be of men. [The which, turned, said to Peter, Satan, go after me; thou art (an) offence to me; for thou savourest not, or understandest not, those things that be of God, but those things that be of men.]

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, If any man will come after me, deny he himself, and take his cross, and follow me;

25 for he that will make his life safe, shall lose it; and he that shall lose his life for me, shall find it.

26 For what profiteth it to a man [Soothly what profiteth to a man], if he win all the world, and suffer impairing of his soul? or what (ex)changing shall a man give for his soul?

27 For man's Son shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall yield to every man after his works.

28 Truly I say to you, there be some of them that stand here [there be some of men standing here], which shall not taste death, till they see man's Son coming in his kingdom.

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.