Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Matthew
Book: Matthew
Chapter: 16
Overview:
The
Pharisees and
Sadducees ask a sign.
(1-4) Jesus cautions
against the doctrine of the
Pharisees.
(5-12) Peter's
Testimony
that
Jesus was the
Christ.
(13-20) Christ foretells his
sufferings, and rebukes
Peter.
(21-23) The necessity of
self-denial.
(24-28)
1-4 The
Pharisees and
Sadducees were opposed to each other in
principles and in conduct; yet they joined against
Christ. But
they desired a sign of their own choosing: they despised those
signs which relieved the necessity of the sick and sorrowful,
and called for something else which would gratify the curiosity
of the proud. It is great hypocrisy, when we slight the signs of
God's ordaining, to seek for signs of our own devising.
5-12 Christ speaks of spiritual things under a similitude, and
the disciples misunderstand him of
Carnal things. He took it ill
that they should think him as thoughtful about
Bread as they
were; that they should be
So little acquainted with his way of
preaching. Then understood they what he meant.
Christ teaches
By
the
Spirit of
Wisdom in the
Heart, opening the understanding to
the
Spirit of
Revelation in the
Word.
13-20 Peter, for himself and his brethren, said that they were
assured of our
Lord's being the promised
Messiah, the Son of the
living
God. This showed that they believed
Jesus to be more than
Man. Our
Lord declared
Peter to be blessed, as the teaching of
God made him differ from his unbelieving countrymen.
Christ
added that he had named him
Peter, in allusion to his stability
or firmness in professing the
Truth. The
Word translated "
Rock,"
is not the same
Word as
Peter, but is of a similar meaning.
Nothing can be more wrong than to suppose that
Christ meant the
person of
Peter was the
Rock. Without doubt
Christ himself is
the
Rock, the tried foundation of the
Church; and woe to him
that attempts to lay any other!
Peter's
Confession is this
Rock
as to doctrine. If
Jesus be not the
Christ, those that own him
are not of the
Church, but deceivers and deceived. Our
Lord next
declared the authority with which
Peter would be invested. He
spoke in the name of his brethren, and this related to them as
Well as to him. They had
No certain knowledge of the characters
of men, and were liable to mistakes and sins in their own
conduct; but they were kept from error in stating the way of
acceptance and
Salvation, the rule of obedience, the believer's
character and experience, and the final doom of unbelievers and
hypocrites. In such matters their
Decision was right, and it was
confirmed in
Heaven. But all pretensions of any
Man, either to
absolve or retain men's sins, are blasphemous and absurd. None
can forgive sins but
God only. And this binding and loosing, in
the common language of the Jews, signified to forbid and to
allow, or to teach what is lawful or unlawful.
21-23 Christ reveals his mind to his people gradually. From
that time, when the apostles had made the full
Confession of
Christ, that he was the
Son of God, he began to show them of his
sufferings. He spake this to set right the mistakes of his
disciples about the outward pomp and power of his kingdom. Those
that follow
Christ, must not expect great or high things in this
world.
Peter would have
Christ to dread suffering as much as he
did; but we mistake, if we
Measure Christ's
Love and patience
By
our own. We do not read of any thing said or done
By any of his
disciples, at any time, that
Christ resented
So much as this.
Whoever takes us from that which is good, and would make us fear
to do too much for
God, speaks
Satan's language. Whatever
appears to be a
Temptation to
Sin, must be resisted with
abhorrence, and not be parleyed with. Those that decline
suffering for
Christ, savour more of the things of
Man than of
the things of
God.
24-28 A true
Disciple of
Christ is one that does follow him in
duty, and shall follow him to
Glory. He is one that walks in the
same way
Christ walked in, is led
By his
Spirit, and treads in
his steps, whithersoever he goes. "Let him deny himself." If
self-denial be a hard lesson, it is
No more than what our Master
learned and practised, to redeem us, and to teach us. "Let him
take up his
Cross." The
Cross is here
Put for every trouble that
befalls us. We are apt to think we could
Bear another's
Cross
better than our own; but that is best which is appointed us, and
we ought to make the best of it. We must not
By our rashness and
folly pull crosses down upon our own heads, but must take them
up when they are in our way. If any
Man will have the name and
credit of a
Disciple, let him follow
Christ in the work and duty
of a
Disciple. If all worldly things are worthless when compared
with the
Life of the body, how forcible the same argument with
respect to the soul and its state of never-ending happiness or
misery!
Thousands lose their souls for the most trifling gain,
or the most worthless indulgence, nay, often from mere sloth and
negligence. Whatever is the object for which men forsake
Christ,
that is the price at which
Satan buys their souls. Yet one soul
is worth more than all the world. This is
Christ's
Judgment upon
the matter; he knew the price of souls, for he redeemed them;
nor would he underrate the world, for he made it. The dying
transgressor cannot purchase one
Hour's respite to seek
Mercy
for his perishing soul. Let us then learn rightly to value our
souls, and
Christ as the only
Saviour of them.