Mt. 16:13 When Yeshua came into the region of Caesarea of Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
Mk. 8:27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”
Lk. 9:18 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
Caesarea Philippi is northward and inland of Israel at the foot of Mount Hermon. In Hellenistic times this area was called Panias. The name was derived from the Greek Pan or Topan, which means “the god.” It is from this Greek god that we get our image of the devil with horns on his head and a long pointed tail. It is called Banias today because there is no “P” sound in Arabic. Even today little niches can be seen carved out in the rock walls that were places for inscriptions for the god “Pan.”
Source: Daniel 7:13
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Mt. 16:14 So they said, “Some say Yochanan haMatbil, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Mk. 8:28 And they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
Lk. 9:19 So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah, and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
Many Jews of the period associated the image of Elijah with the coming of Messiah (Malachi 3:23). The mention of Yochanan haMatbil also indicates that some people considered him to be the Deliverer who would come. The often misunderstood phrase “one of the prophets” does not indicate that a dead prophet had emerged from his tomb to preach another sermon. Jews of the period thought The Prophet would be like Moses (Deut. 18:15-18)
Source: Deut. 18:15-18; Malachi 3:23
Mt. 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Mk. 8:29a He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Lk. 9:20a He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Mt.16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Mk. 8:29b And Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ.”
Lk. 9:20b Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”
Mt. 16:17 Yeshua answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven.”
“Blessed are you.........” was a rabbinic formula of approval by a rabbi to his disciple (Deut. Rabba 8:97). It was traditional for a rabbi to pronounce a blessing upon a student who gave the correct answer to an intriguing question. Yeshua’s teachings and miracles authenticated the answer of Peter when he declared that Yeshua was the Messiah of God.
Source: Deut. Rabba 8:97
Mt. 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”
“Church” is a poor translation and is not Hebraic. There is not even a word equivalent to church in the Hebrew language. The word that was probably used here is kahal, which means “a witnessing body.”
Yeshua used an interesting word play in this verse when He said, “You are Peter (Petros), and upon this rock (petra) I will build My church.” There seems to be a controversy (Hebrew or Greek) concerning these words, but that is not what is important here. What is important is what Yeshua was saying to Peter and His disciples. The one thing He was definitely not doing was ordaining Peter as the first Pope. It has been revealed to Peter by God in a powerful way, a way that no man could accomplish, that Yeshua was the Messiah of the world. It was upon this great truth that His witnessing body would be built, and Peter and the other disciples would play a small but very important part in it.
The expression Gates of Hades is an O.T. figure for physical death (Psalm 9:13, 117:18; Job 38:17; Isaiah 38:10; Jonah 2:6). The Sadducees thought that by killing Him they would stop His movement, but they were wrong. His physical death on the cross was only the beginning of the movement that would eventually cover the entire earth. History records that, starting with the death of the apostles, the church grew and spread the most during times of severe persecution.
Sources: Psalm 9:13, 117:18; Job 38:17; Isaiah 38:10; Jonah 2:6
Binding and loosing was a rabbinic idiom used legislatively and judicially. Legislatively meant to forbid and loosen meant to permit. Judicially to bind meant to punish and to loose meant not to punish, or to set free. M:Berachoth 2:5,6 says, “It happened that Rabban Gamiliel said the Sh’ma on the first night of his nuptials. His disciples said to him, ‘Hast thou not taught us, O Rabbi, that a bridegroom is loosed from saying the Sh’ma on the first night of his nuptials?’ He immersed on the first night of his wife’s death. His disciples said to him, Rabbi, hast thou not taught us that a mourner is bound (forbidden) to immerse on the first night?’” In this quote we can see how “binding and loosing” are actually used.
Source: M:Berachoth 2:5, 6
The Rabbis were constantly being called upon by their communities to interpret Scriptural commands. For instance, the Bible says that no work was to be done on the Sabbath and certain holidays, but doesn’t say what work consists of. As a result, the Rabbis were called upon to declare what an individual was or was not permitted to do. They bound (prohibited) certain activities and loosed (permitted) others. “Binding and loosing” does not mean that we can take some kind of spiritual rope and tie up the devil or his demons to keep them from doing something or loosing God’s angels to do our command. This is a false teaching that has been in the church for a long time.
Yeshua knew that situations would soon arise that none of His disciples had ever had to face; situations that the Bible gave no clear solutions for. Decisions would have to be made and solutions found. Even more frightening for the disciples, Yeshua their Rabbi, would no longer be there to make the decisions, to say what was permitted and what was prohibited. Peter and the other disciples would soon become the leaders of His movement, the church (kahal). Yeshua confers upon them the symbols of authority, the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (Malkut Shammim). Decisions or rulings that they will make will have the authority of Heaven behind them.
One classic example of this technique in action within the early church is seen in Acts 15 during the controversy concerning whether Gentiles should be admitted into the fellowship without first being circumcised. After the apostles and the elders convened in Jerusalem, Peter showed an example of loosing when he ruled that since both Jews and Gentiles were saved by faith, that circumcision was only a part of the Jewish covenant (Acts 15:9). Then James, pastor of the Jerusalem Church, gave an example of binding when he required the believing Gentiles to repent and obey only the Noachide Laws.
Source: Acts 15:9
This same authority should still exist in the leadership of the church today. Unfortunately, very few men in leadership are really qualified to be there. These positions are more often than not ordained through a political process, rather than a spiritual one. The disciples were with Yeshua for some three years, going through intensive training 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Only after Yeshua was satisfied that they had learned their lessons well enough did He ordain (semikhah) them as rabbis (John 17). Today, a denominational doctrine book seems to take precedence over the Word of God. Throughout the N.T. in-depth personal study and correct interpretation of the Word of God are stressed. God wants His church, especially its leadership, to set the standard for the rest of the world. If the leadership is unable to do this, this authority is not in the church, or is misused or abused.
Mt. 16:19 ”And I shall give to you the keys to 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.”
Mt. 16:20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Messiah.
Mk. 8:30 Then He charged them that they should tell no one about Him.
Lk. 9:21 And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one.
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