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The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917], at sacred-texts.com


Matthew Chapter 16

Matthew 16:9

mat 16:9

baskets

A different Greek word from that translated "baskets" in (Mat 16:10).

Matthew 16:10

mat 16:10

baskets

A different Greek word from that translated "baskets" in (Mat 16:9).

Matthew 16:13

mat 16:13

Son of man

Also (Mat 16:27-28);

(See Scofield) - (Mat 8:20).

Matthew 16:17

mat 16:17

Barjona

Son of Jonas.

Matthew 16:18

mat 16:18

Peter

There is the Greek a play upon the words, "thou art Peter [Greek, "petros" -- literally 'a little rock]', and upon this rock [Greek, "Petra"] I will build my church." He does not promise to build His church upon Peter, but upon Himself, as Peter is careful to tell us. (Pe1 2:4-9).

church

(Greek, "ecclesia" ("ek", means "out of", "kaleo" means "to call"), an assembly of called out ones). The word is used of any assembly; the word itself implies no more, as, for example, the town-meeting at Ephesus (Act 19:39) and Israel, called out of Egypt and assembled in the wilderness (Act 7:38). Israel was a true "church," but not in any sense the New Testament church -- the only point of similarity being that both were "called out" and by the same God. All else is contrast.

(See Scofield) - (Act 7:38).

(See Scofield) - (Heb 12:23).

hell

See (See Scofield) - (Luk 16:23).

Matthew 16:19

mat 16:19

keys of the kingdom

Not the keys of the church, but of the kingdom of heaven in the sense of Matthew 13, that is, the sphere of Christian profession. A key is a badge of power or authority (cf) (Isa 22:22); (Rev 3:7). The apostolic history explains and limits this trust, for it was Peter who opened the door of Christian opportunity to Israel on the day of Pentecost (Act 2:38-42) and to Gentiles in the house of Cornelius. (Act 10:34-46). There was no assumption by Peter of any other authority (Act 15:7-11). In the council James, not Peter, seems to have presided; (Act 15:19); (Gal 2:11-15). Peter claimed no more for himself than to be an apostle by gift (Pe1 1:1) and an elder by office (Pe1 5:1).

The power of binding and loosing was shared (Mat 18:18); (Joh 20:23) by the other disciples. That it did not involve the determination of the eternal destiny of souls is clear from (Rev 1:18). The keys of death and the place of departed spirits are held by Christ alone.

kingdom

(See Scofield) - (Mat 3:2).

Matthew 16:20

mat 16:20

charged

The disciples had been proclaiming Jesus as the Christ, that is, the covenanted King of a kingdom promised to the Jews, and "at hand." The church, on the contrary, must be built upon testimony to Him as crucified, risen from the dead, ascended, and made "Head over all things to the church." (Eph 1:20-23). The former testimony was ended, the new testimony was not yet ready, because the blood of the new covenant had not yet been shed, but our Lord begins to speak of His death and resurrection (Mat 16:21). It is a turning-point of immense significance:

Jesus

Omit "Jesus."

Matthew 16:26

mat 16:26

world

Greek, "kosmos", means "world-system". (Joh 7:7).

(See Scofield) - (Rev 13:8).

Matthew 16:28

mat 16:28

his kingdom

(See Scofield) - (Mat 3:2).


Next: Matthew Chapter 17