Catholics/Christians: What does this verse "Matt 16:19" Mean?

Question

17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter,[c] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[d] will not overcome it.[e]

19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[f] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[g] loosed in heaven."

20Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

Also, please list your denomination (each has a different interpretation..depending on how they were taught), so that'd help.

Thanks!

Answer 1

We know that Jesus gave Peter the KEYS TO THE KINGDOM, in Matthew 16:19 Jesus said, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Therefore we know that Peter, will be the one to open to us the way to get to heaven, for he was given the keys!



Let us consider the full aspect of the GREAT COMMISSION given by Jesus before he ascended up into heaven. We have three men who were among those present who wrote what they saw and heard from Jesus.



Matthew tell us in Matt 28:16-20, "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even into the end of the world. Amen."



Mark tells us in Mark 16:15, 16, 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.



Let us also look at Colossians 3:17, Paul tells us "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."



When we look at the three writings, by three different men, of the GREAT COMMISSION, we can only have one meaning, for they were all said by Jesus at the same meeting. Therefore the elements of the Great Commission are:



1. Belief

2. Repentance

3. Water baptism in HIS NAME

4. The Holy Ghost with Supernatural Signs

5. Teaching

6. Healing



In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."



Acts 2:1-4, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were setting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." This (Acts 2:1-4) was the fulfillment of the promise of the Great Commission given by Jesus in Matt 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-18, Luke 24:44-49, and Acts 1:8. When all those at Jerusalem heard the noise coming from the upper room they began to question what was happening. It was then that Peter used the KEYS TO THE KINGDOM, given to him by Jesus. Peter explain what all the commotion was about. After he had finished, those Jews standing there wanted to know more. Acts 2:37 says, "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?



Acts 2:38-39 "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Let us remember that in Acts 2:14 it says that "Peter, standing up with the eleven", lets us know that those who write the Great Commission, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, were also there and heard Peter tell the Jews 'what they should do').



There are only four accounts of any one, using a name, getting baptized after Calvary. They are:



Acts 2:38, this was Peter's first use of the KEYS,



Acts 8:16 this was Philip at Samaria, (Philip also baptized the Ethiopian eunuch, the account given in the 8th chapter of Acts, but it was not recorded what Philip said at that time).



Acts 10:44-48 here Peter again used the KEYS. Acts 10:1-2 says, "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." In today's terms Cornelius would be considered a "Christian", but he was not, according to the Bible, or an angel would not have been sent from God telling him to send for Peter (who had the KEYS). Acts 10:6 says, "......he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do." Acts 10:45-48 "And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days."



Peter was given the keys to the Kingdom with the express purpose of preaching the gospel Message on the day of Pentecost. There were 120 gathered in the upper room that day and if any had disagreed with him they would have spoken out and rebuked him if what he said was not the truth. However, they didn't and 5,000 souls were baptized and added to the church that day.



gatita_63109

Answer 2

Peter means stone or small rock and maybe there was a rock around. Jesus promised over that rock he will build his church. Which normally happens in constructing any building.

The workers have to dig until until they find a hard layer of stone before they start putting up the foundation. It will be made strong that not even hell could destroy it..

And whatever Peter will decide on man's faith on earth, it will be considered in Heaven as God's decision

.

"Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone he was the Christ".



On Matthew 24:4 Jesus made mentioned of the same warning as the last sentence, "Watch out that you are not deceived, many will come in my name (Jesus) and will tell that I am he (the Christ), Do not follow them."

So, what do you think of the MANY religions that we have now carrying the name of Jesus and saying he is the Christ"? Are they telling the truth or are they all deceivers? whom will you listen to Jesus or the churches? www.thename.ph

Answer 3

I believe it means that what ever you do here, you'll get that back in Heaven. This is what I mean. You live the life that Jesus has set an example. Your kind, helpful, the way you live shows that you love Jesus and God to others. This gets you points (sort of) in Heaven. The more point you have, the better the rewards. I know this sounds silly and simplifies it, but the keys to you dream home is waiting for you in Heaven.

Answer 4

Roman Catholic.



Here Christ establishes St. Peter as the first Pope of His Church through a play on words, since Peter means "rock." As Christ says, "the gates of Hades will not overcome it." The Church as Christ established it has been existence since that point in time. To suggest otherwise would be to deny the veracity of Christ's statement. Verse 19 establishes that Christ is giving Peter authority over the Church on earth in Christ's name. It also makes it clear that the Church (meaning the people who make it up) on earth is intrinsically connected to the people who are on Heaven. Though others may have passed on, we are still connected in communion as members of the Body of Christ.

Answer 5

There's absolutely no doubt that Jesus was referring to St. Peter as "the Rock" ... simply because Simon was just given that brand new name, by Jesus.



When God gave Abram a new destiny, he gave him a new name. When God gave Jacob a new destiny, he gave him a new name. Peter the Rock completes this three fold series.



The authentic history of the church and of the world confirms this fact, as well.



The passage about binding and loosing also proves that Jesus was speaking about Peter, since Jesus would have been very unlikely to continue rambling on about himself like that ... especially since he's God ... and all power on earth and in heaven was already his.



Anyone who believes otherwise merely twists the plain text of scripture to suit their own ends, since the facts have always been clear.



The final, irrefutable, and totally authentic proof that Jesus wasn't kidding when he said of St. Peter, "On this Rock I will build my Church." is the fact that the human remains of St. Peter can still be found today, directly below the basilica named for him, in the Vatican, which is indeed the headquarters of the ONLY universal Christan church that Jesus EVER founded.



Looks as though Jesus knew precisely what he was talking about, in more ways than one!



Click the link to read the fascinating, completely true and proven historical account. Then you'll know the whole truth.

http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/Necropolis/JW/TheBonesofStPeter-1.htm



I'm Catholic.



http://douglawrence.wordpress.com/

Answer 6

Peter, or Petra, is the Greek word for "rock."



Many Protestants claim that Peter himself is not the "rock" to which Jesus referred. However, because names were highly important in the biblical and Hebrew worldview, Jesus' renaming of Simon as Rock provides much insight into the role our Lord had in mind for him.



This was the establishment of the Papacy and of the Rite of Reconciliation, also known as confession. Later on in the Bible, in Acts, it tells how Peter and the other Apostles went out and began laying on hands on other men, making them priests. This is the beginning of the hierarchy of the Church, the Pope, Bishops, and priests.



And yes, I'm Catholic.



My source is a book called The One Minute Apologist, which I highly recommend anybody read who has questions about Catholicism, as it contains "essential Catholic replies to over sixty common Protestant claims."

Answer 7

Notice in the context [vss. 13 & 20] that the discussion centers on the identity of *Jesus*:



Mt. 16:13-21:

"13 Now when he had come into the parts of Caes·a·re′a Phi·lip′pi, JESUS went asking his disciples:

“Who are men saying the SON OF MAN is?”

14 They said:

“Some say John the Baptist, others E·li′jah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 He said to them: “you, though, who do you say I am?”

16 In answer Simon Peter said:

“YOU are the CHRIST, the SON of the living God.”

17 In response Jesus said to him: “Happy you are, Simon son of Jo′nah, because flesh and blood did not reveal [it] to you, but my Father who is in the heavens did.

18 Also, I say to you, You are Peter, and on this rock-mass* I will build my congregation, and the gates of Ha′des will not overpower it.

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you may bind on earth will be the thing bound in the heavens, and whatever you may loose on earth will be the thing loosed in the heavens.”

20 Then he sternly charged the disciples not to say to anybody that he was the CHRIST.

21 From that time forward JESUS CHRIST commenced *showing his disciples* that HE must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the older men and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised up."



Whom did the apostles Peter and Paul understand to be the “rock,” the “cornerstone”?



“Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed them, ‘Rulers of the people, and elders! . . . it was by the name of JESUS CHRIST the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today. THIS IS THE STONE rejected by you the builders, but WHICH HAS PROVED TO BE THE KEYSTONE." --Acts 4:8-11, JB: [“cornerstone,” NAB].’”



“Set yourselves close to him [the Lord JESUS CHRIST so that you too . . . may be living stones making a spiritual house. As scripture says: See how I LAY IN ZION A PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE THAT I HAVE CHOSEN and the man who rests his trust on it will not be disappointed. That means that for you who are believers, it is precious; but for unbelievers, THE STONE REJECTED BY THE BUILDERS HAS PROVED TO BE THE KEYSTONE, A STONE TO STUMBLE OVER, A ROCK TO BRING MEN DOWN." --1 Pet. 2:4-8, JB



“You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF for its MAIN CORNERSTONE.” --Eph. 2:20, JB



Rom. 6:9, JB: “CHRIST... will never die again.”



Eph. 5:23, JB: “CHRIST is head of the Church.”

(Reasoning Bk)



By comparing the different verses --all about Jesus Christ-- it is readily apparent that the rock / stone mentioned in them stands for Jesus Christ, himself.



*The Greek word pe′tra (feminine gender) designates a mass of rock (Mt 7:24, 25; 27:51, 60; Lu 6:48; 8:6, 13; Re 6:15, 16) and therefore differs from pe′tros (masculine gender and employed as a proper name, Peter), meaning “piece of rock.” sSo, JESUS was NOT using SYNONYMOUS TERMS. (Mt 16:18) (Insight on the Scriptures)



International Bible Student > Jehovah's Witness

http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm

Answer 8

Jesus was instituting his Church here on earth and the Gates of Hell will not prevail against it. 'Upon this rock I will build my Church'. Peter knew who Jesus was when Jesus asked him as it had been revealed to him by the Father, Jesus own Words Peter was blessed and he holds the Keys to the Gates of Heaven.

Answer 9

I seriously doubt Jesus said any such thing. I think the intentions of jesus were quite different from the religion and ideas established by Paul, who was not a witness to Jesus, never met him, and who wrote some 20 years after Jesus's death.



Correct me if I'm wrong, but these verses do not appear in the very first gospel written, that of Mark.



People tend to conflate the 4 gospels, and also the writings of Paul, as if they all say the same thing.



They do not, and often say very different things.

Answer 10

You can't figure it out unless you read what came before:



Mat 16:15 He *said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

Mat 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Mat 16:17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal {this} to you, but My Father who is in heaven.



What was Jesus saying? He was saying that the fact that Jesus was the Christ was the rock.



Bible must explain itself- and just look up who is the Rock of Salvation mentioned everywhere else in the Bible? It is God himself. Not Peter.

Answer 11

St. Peter was the first Pope. This means that Jesus Christ gave St. Peter authority to watch over His church on earth.

Answer 12

It is widely believed that these passages reflect the moment when Jesus told Peter that he was to be the head of the new church. I am a former Catholic and we also believe that verse 19 was Jesus' initiation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

There are those who will argue that Jesus had no intention of establishing a new religion, that that was Paul's idea, long after Jesus was born. There are also other gospels that are not listed in the accepted cannon of the church, such as the Gospel of Mary, which have passages that make it clear that Mary was to be the leader of the disciples after Jesus' death. Of course, that didn't go down very well with the Founding Fathers of the Christian faith, so that gospel was struck from the official canon.

Answer 13

Christ is talking to Simon and he renames him Peter. He then gives him the keys of the kingdom of heaven, also known as the priesthood. This means that what he binds on Earth is bound in heaven, so any marriages sealed by the priesthood are sealed for eternity. Then he told them not to tell anyone who he was.



The church was built upon the priesthood and nothing can overcome the priesthood. However after Christ's death and the death of the apostles the priesthood was no longer on the Earth and so all of the church's lacked the authority. The priesthood was restored to the earth in the 1800s to Joseph Smith.



www.mormon.com

Answer 14

"Thou art Peter"... As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ; so in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he is pleased to raise him: viz., that he to whom he had already given the name of Peter, signifying a rock, St. John 1. 42, should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor; and should have accordingly all fulness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven.



"Upon this rock"... The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar language of the Jews which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had said in English, Thou art a Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church. So that, by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock, upon which the church was to be built: Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note, that Christ, by building his house, that is, his church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder, St. Matt. 7. 24, 25.



"The gates of hell"... That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself, or his agents. For as the church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock; so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, that is, the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the city or church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever shall at any time prevail over the church of Christ.



"Loose upon earth"... The loosing the bands of temporal punishments due to sins, is called an indulgence; the power of which is here granted.

Answer 15

The Living bible says it best...



Matt16:19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”



pretty clear.

Answer 16

What was revealed was the testimony of Peter that Christ is the son of God. That revelation and testimony of Christ is the foundation of any church, and the testimony of Christ being the Savior has never been taken from the earth.



Then in 19, he gives the priesthood in order to bind what happens on earth in heaven.

Answer 17

jesus was clearly referencing isaiah 22 (where we find the same language). in this passage, we see the establisment of a prime minister position where this person not only speaks for the king, but also whose authority is second only to the king. not only that, but we also see in this passage that this office is one of succession.



with this in mind, it seems very clear that jesus was putting peter (and his successors) in the same kind of authority



i am catholic

Answer 18

Catholics believe that it establishes Peter as the first Pope.

Protestants/Evangelicals believe that Jesus was talking about Himself.

Answer 19

Along with other Scruptures, this is where Jesus is placing Peter as head of his earthly Church.



John 21:15-17 states:



When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."



He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."



He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep.



The Catholic Church believes the Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock.



The Pope is the senior pastor of 1.1 billion Catholic Christians, the direct successor of Simon Peter.



The Pope’s main roles include teaching, sanctifying, and governing.



For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 880-882: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p4.htm#880



With love in Christ.

Answer 20

Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom, not the keys to the church.

The Gospel message and belief that Jesus is the Son of God are the keys to the kingdom.



The entire passage has Jesus stating the HE would build HIS church.

Answer 21

If you'd like more answers, consider asking around this site as well...



http://christianforums.com/

Answer 22

Catholics ARE christians.



This is the begining of the Papacy.