Matthew 16

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Matthew 16 by verse:

Matthew 16:1-4

2-3     John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 59, 154

1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.  2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather; for the sky is red.’  3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.  4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

16:1 και προσελθοντες οι φαρισαιοι και σαδδουκαιοι πειραζοντες επηρωτησαν αυτον σημειον εκ του ουρανου επιδειξαι αυτοις 16:2 ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις οψιας γενομενης λεγετε ευδια πυρραζει γαρ ο ουρανος 16:3 και πρωι σημερον χειμων πυρραζει γαρ στυγναζων ο ουρανος υποκριται το μεν προσωπον του ουρανου γινωσκετε διακρινειν τα δε σημεια των καιρων ου δυνασθε 16:4 γενεα πονηρα και μοιχαλις σημειον επιζητει και σημειον ου δοθησεται αυτη ει μη το σημειον ιωνα του προφητου και καταλιπων αυτους απηλθεν

Matthew 16:5-12

6      Luke 12:1
9      Matthew 14:17-21
10    Matthew 15:34-38

5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread.  6 Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  7 And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.”  8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?  9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?  10 Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?  11 How is it that you fail to perceive that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

16:5 και ελθοντες οι μαθηται αυτου εις το περαν επελαθοντο αρτους λαβειν 16:6 ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ορατε και προσεχετε απο της ζυμης των φαρισαιων και σαδδουκαιων 16:7 οι δε διελογιζοντο εν εαυτοις λεγοντες οτι αρτους ουκ ελαβομεν 16:8 γνους δε ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις τι διαλογιζεσθε εν εαυτοις ολιγοπιστοι οτι αρτους ουκ ελαβετε 16:9 ουπω νοειτε ουδε μνημονευετε τους πεντε αρτους των πεντακισχιλιων και ποσους κοφινους ελαβετε 16:10 ουδε τους επτα αρτους των τετρακισχιλιων και ποσας σπυριδας ελαβετε 16:11 πως ου νοειτε οτι ου περι αρτου ειπον υμιν προσεχειν απο της ζυμης των φαρισαιων και σαδδουκαιων 16:12 τοτε συνηκαν οτι ουκ ειπεν προσεχειν απο της ζυμης του αρτου αλλα απο της διδαχης των φαρισαιων και σαδδουκαιων

Matthew 16:13-20

Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 94
Juana Inéz de la Cruz, “Villancico for St. Peter,” Divine Inspiration, p. 216
Richard Foster, “Radical Prayer,” Prayer, p. 232

“Radical Prayer”

[Story of talk with God, vision of tree and rock] But then, as I examined the dacaying tree, the word of the Lord came to me saying, “This is my Church!” When I heard the words, tears came to my eyes. I had worked in churches all my life, and I knew it was so—the Church, while huge and with some vestiges of life remaining, was decaying. Then, for some reason unknown to me, I turned 180 degrees and looked back at Haystack Rock in the distance. The tide had come in by now, and the rock was completely surrounded by water, the waves savagely breaking against it. The divine word continued, “But this is what my church is going to be!”

[same paradox, opposite direction—Peter the Rock, then Peter the agent of Satan]

Parker Palmer, The Active Life, p. 117

The Active Life

Jesus needs to wrestle with the issue of his public reputation. … Surely this exchange shows how Jesus had to keep struggling with the temptations posed by his growing reputation.

Helmut Thielicke, “The Point on which I Stand or Fall,” How to Believe Again, p. 38-50
Zhang Xingyao, “How Wonderful Was Peter,” Divine Inspiration, p. 215

13-16     John 1:19-28
14           Matthew 14:1-2; Mark 6:14-15; Luke 9:7-8
16           John 6:68-69
18-19     Genesis 28:10-17
18           Luke 21:32
19           Leviticus 19:18; Isaiah 22:22; Matthew 18:18; John 20:23

16-19      C. Norman Kraus, The Community of the Spirit, p. 62

The Community of the Spirit

Jesus did not promise to build his church on Peter, the superior apostle, but on Peter the confessor of messianic authority. …

Jesus gave the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” (16:19; 18:18) to this community of disciples who recognize his authority to inaugurate the rule of God “on earth as it is in heaven.”

18-19     Madeleine L’Engle, The Irrational Season, p. 98

The Irrational Season

When the gates of hell are trampled down they suddenly become the welcoming door of heaven.

19          Blaise Pascal, “# 869,” Pensées, p. 260

“# 869”

God has not wanted to absolve without the church. As she has part in the offence, he desires her to have part in the pardon.

19          Josh Ritter, quoted by Rachel Held Evans in Searching for Sunday, p. 74

Searching for Sunday

. . . If what’s loosed on earth will be loosed on high,
it’s a hell of a heaven we must go to when we die.

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.  18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.  19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

16:13 ελθων δε ο ιησους εις τα μερη καισαρειας της φιλιππου ηρωτα τους μαθητας αυτου λεγων τινα με λεγουσιν οι ανθρωποι ειναι τον υιον του ανθρωπου 16:14 οι δε ειπον οι μεν ιωαννην τον βαπτιστην αλλοι δε ηλιαν ετεροι δε ιερεμιαν η ενα των προφητων 16:15 λεγει αυτοις υμεις δε τινα με λεγετε ειναι 16:16 αποκριθεις δε σιμων πετρος ειπεν συ ει ο χριστος ο υιος του θεου του ζωντος 16:17 και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτω μακαριος ει σιμων βαρ ιωνα οτι σαρξ και αιμα ουκ απεκαλυψεν σοι αλλ ο πατηρ μου ο εν τοις ουρανοις 16:18 καγω δε σοι λεγω οτι συ ει πετρος και επι ταυτη τη πετρα οικοδομησω μου την εκκλησιαν και πυλαι αδου ου κατισχυσουσιν αυτης 16:19 και δωσω σοι τας κλεις της βασιλειας των ουρανων και ο εαν δησης επι της γης εσται δεδεμενον εν τοις ουρανοις και ο εαν λυσης επι της γης εσται λελυμενον εν τοις ουρανοις 16:20 τοτε διεστειλατο τοις μαθηταις αυτου ινα μηδενι ειπωσιν οτι αυτος εστιν ιησους ο χριστος

Matthew 16:21-28

Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality, p. 38
Edward Schillebeeckx, “Christian ‘to the Death’,” God Among Us, p. 199-203

21-23      Richard Foster, “Radical Prayer,” Prayer, p. 232
21-23      Helmut Thielicke, “The Point on which I Stand or Fall,” How to Believe Again, p. 38-50
23            John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 353

21 From that time Jesus began to show 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 be raised.  22 And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”  23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men.”

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?  27 For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”

16:21 απο τοτε ηρξατο ο ιησους δεικνυειν τοις μαθηταις αυτου οτι δει αυτον απελθειν εις ιεροσολυμα και πολλα παθειν απο των πρεσβυτερων και αρχιερεων και γραμματεων και αποκτανθηναι και τη τριτη ημερα εγερθηναι 16:22 και προσλαβομενος αυτον ο πετρος ηρξατο επιτιμαν αυτω λεγων ιλεως σοι κυριε ου μη εσται σοι τουτο 16:23 ο δε στραφεις ειπεν τω πετρω υπαγε οπισω μου σατανα σκανδαλον μου ει οτι ου φρονεις τα του θεου αλλα τα των ανθρωπων

16:24 τοτε ο ιησους ειπεν τοις μαθηταις αυτου ει τις θελει οπισω μου ελθειν απαρνησασθω εαυτον και αρατω τον σταυρον αυτου και ακολουθειτω μοι 16:25 ος γαρ αν θελη την ψυχην αυτου σωσαι απολεσει αυτην ος δ αν απολεση την ψυχην αυτου ενεκεν εμου ευρησει αυτην 16:26 τι γαρ ωφελειται ανθρωπος εαν τον κοσμον ολον κερδηση την δε ψυχην αυτου ζημιωθη η τι δωσει ανθρωπος ανταλλαγμα της ψυχης αυτου 16:27 μελλει γαρ ο υιος του ανθρωπου ερχεσθαι εν τη δοξη του πατρος αυτου μετα των αγγελων αυτου και τοτε αποδωσει εκαστω κατα την πραξιν αυτου 16:28 αμην λεγω υμιν εισιν τινες ωδε εστωτες οιτινες ου μη γευσωνται θανατου εως αν ιδωσιν τον υιον του ανθρωπου ερχομενον εν τη βασιλεια αυτου

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