Commentary on Matthew 16:13-19: Understanding the Rock and Peter

Matthew 16:13-19 we read of the appointment of Peter as the first pastor of the Christian Church. Important points to learn about this lesson:

First, the question. In verse 13, Jesus asks the disciplines, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" So we see that Jesus was obviously testing the hearts of the disciples to reveal to them their calling. Now we have it that first He asks the disciples to reveal to them the truth which in verse 14, the disciples figure it out. In verse 15, he asks, "But whom do you say that I am?" Then this comes the confession of the faith of Peter.

Notice, Peter's confession in verse 16 when he declares, "Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God." Despite Peter's weaknesses, he had so opened to admit that Christ is the Son of the living God. What a bold confession of faith, though later he would deny the Lord thrice but then in Acts, he would become the first pastor in Jerusalem and preached his first Sunday service in Acts 2. Peter's confession is very important for this fact because, except those people know who Christ is, they will follow a wrong Jesus. But Peter for sure knew he was following the right Jesus. This declaration of faith ordained him as a pastor or a presbyter of the local New Testament Church!

Now notice Peter's ordination as a pastor. He had the qualifications of being teachable, not a brawler or all that is written in 1 Timothy 3:1-1-11 and no doubt his wife was faithful. Notice the charge- Peter gets the blessing from Christ (v. 17). No doubt Peter was a husband of one wife, blameless, vigilant, sober, good behavior, hospitable, teachable, sober, no striker, not greedy but patient, not a brawler, not covetous and no doubt with his wife went with him. 1 Corinthians 9:5 where Peter is referred to as Cephas, Paul confirmed Peter's marriage. So Peter became a model for pastorhood though he is not mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:1-11 since he was no longer the sole pastor but many became pastors to assist Peter in so great a work. Peter's pulpit was credible as to how he became a role model for family living!

In verse 18, we read the revelation of Christ about the Church. So what does Christ charge the first pastor with? Now He declares, "That thou art Peter and upon THIS Rock I will build My Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." Peter could not be the rock as said, "upon this rock." Notice, Christ points the Rock somewhere, Peter is but a stone or a small rock but that was no ordinary rock but a bedrock a sure solid foundation. 1 Corinthians 10:4 declares the truth that Christ is the Rock, even in the Good News Translation says, "And drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual Rock that went with them and that rock was Christ Himself." Not Peter, but Christ Himself. Note, therefore, Peter was assured that the Church that he was going to pastor to was on the solid foundation and then, all other ordained pastors will follow with him. James and Jude, both of Jesus' half-brothers who believed only after His earthly ministry were also to be ordained as well as Timothy. Because Jesus is the solid Rock, nothing can prevail against Him. Even Augustine of Hippo declared Jesus Christ to be the Rock in many of his writings! Christ the Head and the Ruler of the Church means the Church CANNOT be defeated by Satan. Renaming Simon as Peter was because this man was now a new person. Every believer is a new person no doubt and Simon became Peter, his Christian name to which he will be a pastor! The more the Church is persecuted by worldly forces, the more it grows. Think thereof of how the Dark Ages, the Inquisition unto the power and so many a believer were tortured and died brutal deaths as recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs yet the Church just grew. Think of the brave Baptists and Protestant Christians who despite the slaughter, still grew in numbers just as the Christians who were persecuted by pre-papal Rome!

In verse 19, we read giving Peter the Keys of Heaven. However note these are not the literal keys but rather, the Keys to the Gospel. The Keys of Heaven are not that Peter was given the authority to forgive sins but to rather, open the keys of the Gospel. With the Gospel, either they keep men in bondage by not preaching or that men may be freed when they respond to the Gospel they hear. Peter first opened the door of faith in Acts 10:28 as a faithful pastor then the rest were entrusted with the Keys of the Gospel. This was the stewardship of preaching the Gospel and unshackling loose chains. In fact, so great was this power of the Key of the Gospel that we see revival and changed lives. Now, what are these keys?

First, the key of doctrine. Christ had given Peter and the disciples to disperse the Gospel message. In Acts 2, it was for no simple reason He empowered them with the Holy Spirit, the Third Person in the Holy Trinity. God the Holy Spirit, therefore, grants them that power. As said by Presbyterian commentator Matthew Henry, "There is also an ordinary power hereby conveyed to all ministers to preach the Gospel as appointed officers to tell the people in God's name and according to the Scriptures, what is good and what the Lord requires of them: and they who declare the whole Counsel of God use these keys well (Acts 20:27)." In fact in Matthew 28:18-20 the Lord Jesus charged them with to first go to the nations preaching, second to baptize converts in the Name of the Blessed Trinity (Father, Son and the Holy Ghost), third to teach them to observe all things whatsoever Christ had commended (Sola Scriptura) as the Bible with the only source of tradition for the Church.

Second, the key of discipline. As said, when Christ discharged the disciplines, He told them to teach all men according to ALL He had taught (Matthew 28:20) which is the reason why the New Testament exists. Matthew and John must have begun writing their pens and later converts Mark and Luke also wrote their accounts to verify each other, not contradict each other. Then Peter though he only wrote two letters and Paul wrote fourteen, yet Peter's two books confirm the validity of those before him. In fact, Peter in Acts 2 had begun the unleashing of the keys to release everyone from the bondage. How boldly, therefore, did Peter as the first pastor proclaim the Gospel and how humbly he referred himself to be "but a man" compared to the haughty Pope who receives the adoration of the crowds.

In John 21:15-17, Jesus again confirmed Peter in his upcoming pastoral work in a way that despite his failure and fallibility, the latter was still entrusted with being a pastor with every other disciple. Perhaps Matthias the true Christian who replaced apostate Judas Iscariot became a deacon or a pastor, nobody knows. Peter started to carry out Christ's Gospel with street preaching and door to door ministry. Jesus said, "Peter feed my sheep." That is this is the model that every pastor has, to feed the sheep in John 10. They are but undershepherds to the Great Shepherd.