1732 | Matthew 16:4
how to in ter pret the ap pear ance of the sky , but you can not in ter pret the signs of the times . a f 4 A wicked and adul ter ous gen er a tion looks for a sign , but none will be given it ex cept the sign of Jo nah .” g Jesus then left them and went away .
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When they went across the lake , the dis ci ples for got to take bread . 6 “ Be careful ,” Jesus said to them . “ Be on your guard against the yeast of the Phar i sees and Sad du cees .” h
7 They dis cussed this among them selves and said , “ It is be cause we didn ’ t bring any bread .”
8 Aware of their dis cus sion , Jesus asked , “ You of lit tle faith , i why are you talk ing among yourselves about having no bread ? 9 Do you still not understand ? Don ’ t you remember the five loaves for the five thou sand , and how many bas ket fuls you gath ered ? j 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thou sand , and how many bas ket fuls you gath ered ? k 11 How is it you don ’ t un der stand that I was not talk ing to you about bread ? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Phar i sees and Sad du cees .” 12 Then they un der stood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread , but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees . l
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
16:13-16pp — Mk 8:27-29 ; Lk 9:18-20
13 When Jesus came to the re gion of Caes a rea Philippi , he asked his dis ci ples , “ Who do peo ple say the Son of Man is ?”
14 They re plied , “ Some say John the Bap tist ; m others say Eli jah ; and still oth ers , Jer e miah or one of the prophets .” n
15 “ But what about you ?” he asked . “ Who do you say I am ?”
16 Si mon Pe ter an swered , “ You are the Mes siah , the Son of the liv ing God .” o
17 Jesus re plied , “ Blessed are you , Si mon son of Jo nah , for this was not re vealed to you by flesh and blood , p but by my Fa ther in heaven . 18 And I tell you that you are Pe ter , b q and on this rock I will build my church , r and the gates of Hades c will not over come it .
a 2,3 Some early manuscripts do not have When evening comes . . . of the
times . b 18 The Greek word for Peter means rock . c 18 That is , the realm of the dead
16:1 – 4 The demand for a sign closely resembles the episode in 12:38 – 42 . This time some of the otherwise rival groups , the Pharisees and Sadducees ( see note on 3:7 ), “ tested him ” ( v . 1 ). Perhaps the request for “ a sign from heaven ” ( v . 1 ) made Jesus think of the “ appearance of the sky ” ( v . 3 ). Verses 2 – 3 reflect common weather patterns : clouds in the west at dawn portend rain for later in the day ; clouds ( only ) in the east at dusk mean bad weather has passed . 16:4 the sign of Jonah . See note on 12:38 – 45 . 16:6 yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees . The “ teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees ” ( v . 12 ). It could have pervasive influence , like yeast in bread ( see note on 13:31 – 33 ). Misguided teaching is damaging . 16:7 – 8 The disciples ’ obtuseness continues as they try to interpret an obvious metaphor literally . Jesus ’ rebuke is well deserved . 16:9 – 12 If they thought about the feedings of the 5,000 and 4,000 , the disciples would know that Jesus could provide the necessary food . They would also recall the symbolism in those events , especially with Jesus as the bread of life , and they would be looking for the metaphoric meaning in Christ ’ s warning about the “ yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees ” ( v . 6 ; see note there ).
16:13 – 20 The narrative segment that began with the people of Nazareth failing to acknowledge Jesus ’ true identity ( 13:53 – 58 ) now ends with Peter correctly recognizing that Jesus is the Messiah . 16:13 Caesarea Philippi . In the northern part of Israel . The city had formerly been named Paneas , after Pan , the Greek god of the forest . Renamed for Augustus Caesar and Herod Philip early in the first century , the area was an appropriate one in which to ask people about Jesus ’ identity . The correct answer would show Jesus as rival and superior to those other gods and rulers . 16:14 John the Baptist . . . Elijah . . . Jeremiah . . . one of the prophets . All of the suggested options represent prophetic forerunners to the Messiah , but not the Messiah himself . 16:16 – 17 Simon gives the correct answer . Jesus is “ the Messiah , the Son of the living God ” ( v . 16 ). He is not just the prophesied Jewish liberator but one in a uniquely intimate relationship with the only true God of the universe . Simon ’ s understanding has improved even from 14:33 ( see note there ), hence Jesus ’ declaration that this insight was divinely disclosed and not from human beings (“ flesh and blood ,” v . 17 ). 16:18 Peter . . . rock . Greek petros and petra ,
CAESAREA PHILIPPI e r r a
M e d i t n e a n S e a
G A L I L E E
Nazareth
Capernaum
Sea of Galilee
Jordan R .
16:3 f Lk 12:54‐56 16:4 g Mt 12:39 16:6 h Lk 12:1 16:8 i Mt 6:30 16:9 j Mt 14:17‐21 16:10 k Mt 15:34‐38 16:12 l Ac 4:1
16:14 m Mt 3:1 ; 14:2 n Mk 6:15 ; Jn 1:21
16:16 o Mt 4:3 ; Ps 42:2 ; Jn 11:27 ; Ac 14:15 ; 2Co 6:16 ; 1Th 1:9 ; 1Ti 3:15 ; Heb 10:31 ; 12:22
16:17 p 1Co 15:50 ; Gal 1:16 ; Eph 6:12 ; Heb 2:14
16:18 q Jn 1:42 r Eph 2:20
Mt . Hermon
Caesarea Philippi
0 10 km . 0 10 mi .
respectively , a play on words . Some have thought the difference in endings of the two words distinguishes Peter from the rock , with the rock being Christ or Peter ’ s confession about Jesus . But the word for “ rock ” in Greek is the feminine noun petra , whereas “ Peter ,” a man ’ s name , is the masculine petros . The play on words requires the change in gender , even if Peter is the rock . And the wordplay makes best sense this way , because in v . 23 it is Peter himself who suddenly becomes a quite different kind of rock — a “ stumbling block .” build . Most likely refers to those activities Peter undertakes in the rest of the NT — especially leading the church in Jerusalem ( Acts 2 ; 8 ; 10 ) and writing authoritative letters to congregations he helped to evangelize ( 1 – 2 Peter ). Eph 2:20 speaks of the foundation of the church as all of the NT prophets and apostles , suggesting that Peter is merely the chief or representative apostle , with nothing here or elsewhere in the Bible suggesting he is infallible or beginning a process of “ apostolic succession ” of church leadership . my church . The assembly ( Greek ekklēsia ) of God ’ s people , akin to the assembly of the children of Israel throughout the OT . That Jesus can speak of it as his church sets him apart from the church ’ s members as its Lord .