Patristic interpretation of Matthew 16:18

Matthew 16 - Interpretation

Demanding a sign from heaven. Simon's naming Peter. Christ's requirements for His followers.

Comments Matthew 16:1 Pharisees, Sadducees

Matthew 16:12 The teaching and approach to the interpretation of the Scriptures, as well as the requirement for practical application of God's commandments, were apparently so wrong that Jesus warned His disciples about the methods of these religious schools.

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees: a small piece of leaven is enough to change the state of the entire dough

Matthew 16:13 - 19 Peter - Jesus calls Simon the son of Jonah by a new name. Most likely, Jesus here refers to His disciple by the ancient Aramaic word “peter,” which means “breakthrough.” This word was used in application, for example, to the breaking of water or to the first birth - birthright. That is, to everything that, through effort and pressure, led to some kind of breakthrough, a new beginning. And this word perfectly suits the events described here:

Jesus asks the disciples who people think He is. The first of all people, of all humanity, to pronounce the words “ Christ ” and “ Son of the Living God ” is Simon. This is an extraordinary event for Jesus, in which He sees a breakthrough on the part of all mankind, of which Simon was the first.

"Petra" is translated from Greek as "rock". And, although the Greek translator goes on to translate “ stone ,” Jesus never spoke Greek. Jesus spoke ancient Aramaic. Therefore, the translation “breakthrough” here is most likely.

Next, Jesus says that on a breakthrough in understanding by those who He is and will be built, His Church will be built. And the assaults ( not gates, but assaults . Another inaccuracy in the translation is assumed here: the Aramaic word gates and attacks are spelled the same) of hell will not overcome the work of Christ.

keys to the kingdom of heaven —

The keys to the Kingdom of God may look like this: these are the keys to houses in Judea in the early 2nd century AD

Kingdom of heaven

Matthew 16:27 How many boxes have you collected ?

Jewish traveling bag from the 2nd century AD.

And this is a “modern box”: this is what a travel bag offered for sale looks like for a traveling Jew. If Shabbat finds him on the road, the bag contains everything he needs to meet Shabbat

Matthew 16:28 Immediately after these words of Jesus that some of those present would see Him “coming in His kingdom,” Matthew places the story of Jesus’ enlightenment on the mountain. Apparently, Matthew understood these words of Jesus as fulfilled on the mountain with a situation of enlightenment.

Matthew 16:31 Lack of faith - most likely, the concept of “little” here means “short in time,” “short period.” The measure of the amount of faith is the time in which a person remains faithful to a particular idea. This is the power of faith.

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came and, tempting Him, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.

He answered them: “In the evening you say: “There will be a bucket, because the sky is red”; and in the morning: “It’s bad weather today, because the sky is purple.” Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.” And, leaving them, he went away.

Having crossed to the other side, His disciples forgot to take the loaves.

Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

They thought within themselves and said: “ This
means
that we did not take the loaves.”

Realizing this, Jesus said to them: “Why do you think to yourself, you of little faith, that you did not take the loaves?

Do you still not understand and remember about the five loaves of bread for five thousand people

and how many boxes did you collect?

And about the seven loaves of bread for the four thousand, and how many baskets did you pick up?

How do you not understand that it was not about bread that I told you: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?” Then they realized that He was telling them not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Having come to the countries of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am?” They said: “Some are for John the Baptist, others for Elijah, and others for Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He says to them: “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Then Jesus answered him: “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven;
and I say to you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it;
and I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Then Jesus

He forbade His disciples not to tell anyone that He was Jesus Christ.

From that time on, Jesus began to reveal to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, and high priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day rise again.

And, calling Him back, Peter began to rebuke Him: “Be merciful to Yourself, Lord! Let this not happen to You!” He turned around and said to Peter: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a temptation to me! Because you think not about what is God, but about what is human.”

Then Jesus said to His disciples: “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me,
for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” . What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?
Or what ransom will a man give for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward everyone according to his deeds.

Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

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Although the Pharisees and Sadducees differed from each other in dogmas, they acted in agreement against Christ. They ask for a sign from the sky, such as for the sun or moon to stop. For they thought that signs on earth were performed by the devil and Beelzebub. The foolish ones did not know that Moses also did many signs on the earth in Egypt; the fire that came down from heaven onto Job’s property was from the devil. Therefore, not everything that is from heaven is from God, and not everything that happens on earth is from demons.

He answered them: in the evening you say: there will be a bucket, because the sky is red; and in the morning: today there is bad weather, because the sky is purple. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot recognize the signs of the times.

The tempting question exposes them, calling them hypocrites, and says: how among the phenomena in heaven, one serves as a sign of bad weather, and the other - buckets, and there is no one who, seeing a sign of bad weather, would expect a bucket, and there is no one who, seeing a sign of a bucket, expecting bad weather, so one should think about Me: one is the time of My first coming, and the other is the time to come. Now signs are needed on earth, but heavenly signs are reserved for the time when the sun will darken, the moon will darken and the sky will change.

An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. And leaving them, he went away.

The generation is evil because they tempt Him, and the generation is adulterous because they depart from God and cleave to the devil. Although they ask for a sign from heaven, He does not give them, except for the sign of Jonah, that is, that after spending three days in the belly of the great whale - death, he will rise again. Regarding this sign, you can say that it is from heaven, for at His death the sun was darkened and the whole creation was changed. Pay attention to the objection: “no sign will be given to him except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Signs were given to them, that is, they happened for their sake, although the Jews did not believe. Therefore, leaving them as incurable, the Lord left.

Having crossed to the other side, His disciples forgot to take the loaves. Jesus said to them: Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Just as leaven can be sour and old, so the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which became sour and introduced the ancient traditions of the elders, wounded souls. And just as leaven is a mixture of water and flour, so the teaching of the Pharisees is a mixture of words and corrupt life. He did not tell them clearly: beware of the teaching of the Pharisees - in order to remind them of the miracles over the loaves.

They thought within themselves and said: this means that we did not take the loaves. Having realized this, Jesus said to them: Why do you think within yourselves, you of little faith, that you did not take the loaves? Do you still not understand and remember about the five loaves of bread for five thousand people, and how many boxes you collected? nor about seven loaves for four thousand, and how many baskets did you pick up? How do you not understand that I did not tell you about bread: beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Then they realized that He was telling them not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

They thought that it was He who told them to beware of desecration by Jewish food, which is why they reasoned among themselves about the fact that they did not take the loaves. The Lord reproaches them as foolish and lacking in faith. They are foolish because they did not remember how many loaves and how many He fed. Since they did not believe that although they did not buy bread from the Jews, He could go further, they were called of little faith. When the Lord exposed him more strongly (for meekness is not good everywhere), they immediately realized that He called teaching leaven. A prudent reproach has such great power everywhere.

Having come to the countries of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples: Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am?

The Apostle Matthew mentions the one who built the city because there is another Caesarea - Strato, but not in this one, but in that one the Lord asks them. He leads the disciples far from the Jews so that, without fear of anyone, they can speak boldly. First of all, he asks about the opinion of the people in order to raise the disciples to greater understanding and so that they do not fall into the same poverty of understanding that is noticed among many. And he does not ask who the Pharisees say I am, but the people. Sincere people understand.

They said: some for John the Baptist, others for Elijah, and others for Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

Those who called Him John were among those who, like Herod, thought that John, after his resurrection, received this gift (the gift of miracles). Others called Elijah because He rebuked and because they expected him to come; still others - by Jeremiah, because His wisdom was from nature and without teaching, and Jeremiah was appointed to prophetic service while still a child.

He says to them: Who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And again Peter, as passionate as he is, warns and truly confesses Him as the Son of God.

Then Jesus answered him; Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

He blesses Peter as having received knowledge by God's grace; agreeing with him, shows, on the other hand, that the opinions of other people are false. “The son of Jonah” said to him, as if to say: just as you are the son of Jonah, so I am the Son of My Heavenly Father, His Only Begotten. Knowledge is called revelation, since the secret and unknown was revealed by the Father.

And I say to you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

For His part, the Lord gives Peter a great reward; it is on him that the church will be founded. Since Peter confessed Him to be the Son of God, He says: this confession which you have confessed will be the foundation of those who believe, so that everyone who intends to build the building of faith will lay this confession as the foundation. If we have acquired thousands of virtues, but do not have a right confession as a basis, then we are creating something rotten. Saying “My church” indicates that He is the Lord of all, for everything serves God. The gates of hell are the persecutors who brought Christians down to hell. And heretics are also the gates leading to hell. So, the church defeated many persecutors and heretics. And each of us is a church, being the house of God. So, if we stand firmly on the confession of Christ, then the gates of hell, that is, sins, will not prevail against us. Being brought up from these gates, David said: He who lifts me up from the gates of death. From which gate, David? From two: from murder and adultery.

And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

As God, Christ says with authority: “I will give it to you”; Just as the Father gave you revelation, so I am the keys. By keys we mean forgiveness or prohibition that loosens or binds sins, for those who, like Peter, have been awarded episcopal grace have the power to forgive and bind. Although to one, for only Peter it was said: “I will give it to you,” but it was given to all the apostles. When? When the Lord said to them: “Whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven them,” for “I will give” signifies the time to come, that is, the time after the resurrection. The virtues are also called heaven, and their keys are works, since through doing, as if with the help of certain unlocking keys, we enter each of the virtues. If I do not do, but only know what is good, then I have only the key of knowledge and remain outside. He who does not walk in them is bound in heaven, in virtues, for he who is diligent is permitted in them. Let us not sin, lest we be bound by the bonds of our own sins.

Then Jesus forbade His disciples not to tell anyone that He was Jesus Christ.

Christ wanted to hide His glory in the shadows until the cross. If people had heard before suffering that He was God, and then seen Him suffering, how would they not have been tempted? So, He hides Himself from many in order to be known without temptation after the resurrection, when the Spirit will smooth out everything through miracles.

From that time on, Jesus began to reveal to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day rise again.

The Lord tells His disciples in advance about His suffering, so that when it comes unexpectedly, they will not be tempted, thinking that He did not foresee and suffered against His will. When they learned, thanks to Peter’s confession, that He was the Son of God, then He revealed to them about His sufferings. But to the sadness there is also the joyful thing that on the third day he will awaken from death.

And having called Him away, Peter began to rebuke Him: Be merciful to Yourself, Lord! let this not happen to you.

What was revealed, Peter confessed correctly, but regarding what was not revealed, he was mistaken, so that we understand that apart from God he would not have uttered that great thing. So, not wanting Christ to suffer, and not knowing the mystery of the resurrection, the apostle says: “Be merciful to yourself, Lord! Let this not happen to You."

He turned and said to Peter: get away from Me, Satan! you are a temptation to me! because you think not about what is God, but about what is human.

Because Peter said correctly, Christ pleases him, but because he unreasonably feared and wanted Him not to suffer, Christ reproaches him, saying: “Get away from Me, Satan! By “Satan” we mean the enemy. So, “depart from Me,” that is, do not resist, but follow My will. He calls Peter that because Satan did not want Christ to suffer. He says: for human reasons, you think that suffering is indecent for Me. But you do not understand that God accomplishes salvation through this and that this most befits Me.

Then Jesus said to His disciples: If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

Then. When? When he rebuked Peter. Wanting to show that Peter sinned by keeping Him from suffering, he says: you are holding Me back, but I tell you that not only the fact that I will not suffer is harmful for you; but you cannot be saved unless you die, like everyone else: man or woman, poor or rich. “If anyone wants” - the Lord said these words to show that virtue is a matter of free choice, and not coercion. What follows Jesus is not the one who only confesses Him as the Son of God, but also goes through all the horrors and endures them. “Deny yourself,” he said, meaning with the preposition “from” complete renunciation. For example, even if he has nothing to do with the body, but despises himself, as we are used to saying: such and such a person refuses such and such, instead, he has no friend or acquaintance. So, everyone must have no love for the body in order to take up the cross, that is, choose death and diligently seek death, and shameful death. For such death was the cross among the ancients. But he says: “and follow Me,” for many robbers and thieves are crucified on the cross, but they are not My disciples. So, let him follow, that is, let him show every other virtue. He who yesterday was dissolute but today has become abstinent denies himself. Such was Paul, who denied himself according to the word: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” He chooses the cross, dying and crucifying himself for the world.

For whoever wants to save his soul will lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Exhorts us to martyrdom. He who denies the Lord gains a soul for the present, that is, saves it, but he destroys it for the future. He who suffers for Him will destroy his soul for the sake of Christ; but he will find it in incorruption and eternal life.

What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? or what ransom will a man give for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward everyone according to his deeds.

Suppose, he says, that you have acquired the whole world, but what is the benefit of the body prospering if the soul is in a bad state? It is similar to the fact that the mistress of the house wears torn rags, and the maid wears shiny clothes. For in the future life no one can give ransom for his soul. Here you can give tears, lamentations, alms, but not there. There will come an incorruptible Judge, for He judges everyone according to their deeds, but also a terrible one, since He comes in His glory and with the angels, and not humiliated.

Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

He said that the Son of Man would come in His glory, and so that they would believe, he said that some of those standing here would see, as far as possible for them, in the transfiguration the glory of the second coming. At the same time, he shows what glory those who will suffer for Him will have. Just as His flesh shone then, so by analogy the righteous will be enlightened at that time. Here he means Peter, James and John, whom He took to the mountain and showed them His kingdom, that is, the future state, when He will come and the righteous will be enlightened. Therefore he says: some of those standing here will not die until they see Me transformed. Pay attention that those who stand in goodness and are strong see the brightest transformation of Jesus and constantly succeed in faith and commandments.

MF 16

Bible. New Testament. Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 16

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