Leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees. A.M. 4032. A. D. 28. CCI. 4. A. D. 28. 14 And they said, "Some say that A.M.4032. thou art John the Baptist: some Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the 11 How is it that ye do not underAn. Olymp. stand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sad-prophets. ducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? An. Olymp. CCI. 4. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye I am? that 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. d 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. e ch. 14. 33. 1 John 4. 15. & 5. 5. Hebr. 1. 2, 5.- - Eph. 2. 8. 1 Cor. 2. 10. Gal. 1. 16. * Mark 8. 27. Luke 9. 18.bch. 14. 2. Luke 9. 7, 8, 9. Mark 8. 29. Luke 9, 20. John 6. 69. & 11. 27. Acts 8. 37. & 9. 20. prove that their supply has come immediately from the hand Some, John the Baptist, &c. By this and other passages we of their bountiful Father. Verse 11. How is it that ye do not understand] We are not deficient in spiritual knowledge, because we have not had sufficient opportunities of acquainting ourselves with God; but because we did not improve the advantages we had. How deep and ruinous must our ignorance be, if God did not give line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little! They now perceived that he warned them against the superstition of the Pharisees, which produced hypocrisy, pride, envy, &c. and the false doctrine of the Sadducees, which denied the existence of a spiritual world, the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, and the providence of God. Verse 13. Cæsarea Philippi] A city, in the tribe of Napthali, near to mount Libanus, in the province of Iturea. Its ancient name was Dan, Gen. xiv. 14. afterwards it was called Lais, Judg. xviii. 7. But Philip the tetrarch, having rebuilt and beautified it, gave it the name of Cæsarea, in honour of Tiberius Cæsar, the reigning emperor: but to distinguish it from another Cæsarea, which was on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and to perpetuate the fame of him who rebuilt it, it was called Cæsarea Philippi, or Cæsarea of Philip. When Jesus came] Exowy de o Insous-when Jesus was coming. Not, when Jesus came, or was come, for Mark expressly mentions that it happened yn oda, in the way to Cesarea Philippi, chap. viii. 27. and he is Matthew's best interpreter.-WAKE FIELD. Whom do men say] He asked his disciples this question, not because he was ignorant what the people thought and spoke of him; but to have the opportunity in getting an express declaration of their faith from themselves, to confirm and strengthen them in it: but see on Luke ix. 20; learn, that the Pharisaic doctrine of the Metempsychosis, or transmigration of souls, was pretty general; for it was upon this ground that they believed that the soul of the Baptist, or of Elijah, Jeremiah, or some of the Prophets, had come to a new life in the body of Jesus. Verse 16. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.] Every word here is emphatic- a most concise, and yet comprehensive confession of faith. The Christ, or Messiah, points out his divinity, and shews his office-the Son-designates his person: on this account it is, that both are joined together so frequently in the New Covenant. Of the living God-Του Θεού, του Tos, literally of God, the Living One. The C. Beza has for Tou (wyros the Living One; Tov owovros, the Saviour, and the Cant. Dei Salratoris, Of God the Saviour. Living-a character applied to the Supreme Being, not only to distinguish him from the dead idols of Paganism, but also to point him out as the source of life, present, spiritual, and eternal. Probably there is an allusion here to the great name Yeve, or Yehovah; which properly signifies being or existence. Verse 17. Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona] Or Simon, son of Jonah; so Bar-jonah should be translated, and so it is rendered by our Lord, John i. 43. Flesh and blood-i. e. MAN:-no human being hath revealed this; and though the text is literal enough, yet every body should know that this is a Hebrew periphrasis for man; and the literal translation of it here, and in Gal. i. 16. has misled thousands, who suppose that flesh and blood, signify carnal reason, as it is termed: or the unregenerate principle in inan. Is it not evident from our Lord's observation, that it requires an express revelation of God in a man's soul, to givę him a saving acquaintance with Jesus Christ; and that not I will build my church; and the whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, gates of hell shall not prevail against it. shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever The church founded on this A. M. 4032. 18 And I say also unto thee, That || 19 And I will give unto thee the An Olymp. thou art Peter, and upon this rock keys of the kingdom of heaven: and CCI. 4. a CCI. 4. John 1. 42. b Eph. 2. 20. Rev. 21. 14. Job 38. 17. Ps. 9. 13. d Ch. 18. 18. John 20. 23. even the miracles of our Lord, wrought before the eyes, will effect this? the darkness must be removed from the heart by the Holy Spirit, before a man can become wise unto salvation. Verse 18. Thou art Peter] This was the same as if he had said, I acknowledge thee for one of my disciples-for this name was given him by our Lord when he first called him to the Apostleship. See John i. 42. Peter, gos, signifies a rock, and our Lord, whose constant custom it was to rise to heavenly things through the medium of earthly, takes occasion from the name, the metaphorical meaning of which was strength and stability, to point out the solidity of the confession, and the stability of that cause which should be founded on THE CHRIST, the SON of the LIVING GOD. vomit out her Devil and all his angels to fight against Christ and his saints, ruin and discomfiture must be the consequence on their part; as the arm of the Omnipotent must prevail. Verse 19. The keys of the kingdom] By the kingdom of heaven, we may consider the true Church, that house of God to be meant, and by the keys, the power of admitting into that house, or of preventing any improper person from coming in In other words, the doctrine of salvation, and the full declaration of the way in which God will save sinners: and who they are that shall be finally excluded from heaven; and on what account. When the Jews made a man a Doctor of the Law, they put into his hand the key of the closet in the temple, where the sacred books were kept, and also tablets to write upon; signifying by this, that they gave him authority to teach, and to explain the Scriptures to the people.—Martin. This prophetic declaration of our Lord, was literally fulfilled to Peter, as he was made the first instrument of open Upon this very rock, etɩ tautn în metga-this true confession of thine-that I am THE MESSIAH, that am come to reveal and communicate THE LIVING GOD, that the dead lost world may be saved-upon this very rock, myself, thus confessed (al-ing, i. e. preaching the doctrines of the kingdom of heaven luding probably to Psal. cxviii. 22. The STONE which the to the Jews, Acts ii. 41. and to the Gentiles, Acts x. 44—47. builders rejected, is become the HEAD-STONE of the CORNER: Xi. 1. xv. 7. and to Isai. xxviii. 16. Behold I lay a STONE in Zion for a FOUNDATION)-Will I build my Church, μov τny exxλnoa, my assembly, or congregation, i. e. of persons who are made partakers of this precious faith. That Peter is not designed in our Lord's words, must be evident to all who are not blinded by prejudice. Peter was only one of the builders in this sacred edifice, Eph. ii. 20. who, himself tells us, (with the rest of the believers) was built on this living foundation stone 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. therefore Jesus Christ did not say, on thee, Peter, will I build my Church, but changes immediately the expression, and says, upon that very rock, T Tauтn тn Teтgα, to shew that he neither addressed Peter, nor any other of the Apostles. So, the supremacy of Peter, and the infallibility of the Church of Rome, must be sought in some other Scripture, for they certainly are not to be found in this. On the meaning of the word Church, see at the conclusion of this chapter. The gates of Hell, mudas Adov, i. e. the machinations and powers of the invisible world. In ancient times the gates of fortified cities were used to hold councils in; and were usually places of great strength. Our Lord's expression means, that neither the plots, stratagems, nor strength of Satan and his angels, should ever so far prevail as to destroy the sacred truths in the above confession. Sometimes the gates are taken for the troops which issue out from them-we may firmly believe, that though hell should open her gates, and Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth] This mode of expression was frequent among the Jews: they considered that every thing that was done upon earth according to the order of God, was at the same time done in heaven: hence they were accustomed to say, that when the priest, on the day of atonement, offered the two goats upon earth, the same were offered in heaven. As one goat therefore is permitted to escape on earth, one is permitted to escape in heaven: and when the priest casts the lots on earth, the priest also casts the lots in heaven. See Sohar. Levit. fol. 26. and see Lightfoot and Schoetgen. These words will receive considerable light from Levit. xiii. 3. & 23. The priest shall look upon him (the leper) and pronounce him unclean. Heb. 1 vetimè otho, he shall pollute him, i. e. shall declare him polluted from the evidences mentioned before, and in ver. 23. The priest shall pronounce him clean 17 11 vetiharo hacohen, the priest shall cleanse him, i. e. declare he is clean from the evidences mentioned in the verse. In the one case the priest declared the person, infected with the leprosy, and unfit for civil society: and in the other, that the suspected person was clean, and night safely associate with his fellows in civil or religious assemblies. The disciples of our Lord, from having the keys, i. e. the true knowledge of the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven, should be able at all times to distinguish between the clean and the unclean, and pronounce infallible judgment: and this binding The disciples charged A.M. 40 thou shalt loose on earth, shall be that they should tell no man that he A.M. 4082. An. Olymp. loosed in heaven. A. D. 28. was Jesus the Christ. A. D. 23. An. Glymp. CCL. 4. Ch. 17. 9. Mark 8. 30. Luke 9. 21. John 11. 27. 1 Cor. 2. 8. ch. 8. 4. & 9. 30. and loosing, or pronouncing fit or unfit for fellowship with the members of Christ, being always according to the doctrine of the gospel of God, should be considered as proceeding immediately from heaven, and consequently as divinely ratified. mayest first open the door of faith to them; but if thou askest by what rule that Church is to be governed, when the Mosaic rule may seem so improper for it, thou shalt be so guided by the Holy Spirit, that whatsoever of the Law of Moses thou shalt forbid them, shall be forbidden; whatsoever thou grantest That binding and loosing were terms in frequent use among them, shall be granted, and that under a sanction made in the Jews, and that they meant bidding and forbidding, grant-heaven.' Hence, in that instant, when he should use his ing and refusing, declaring lawful or unlawful, &c. Dr. Light- || keys, that is, when he was now ready to open the gate of the foot, after having given numerous instances, thus concludes: "To these may be added, if need were, the frequent, (shall I say?) or infinite use of the phrases, 18 Bound and Loosed, which we meet with thousands of times over. But from these allegations the reader sees abundantly enough both the frequency, and the common use of this phrase, and the sense of it also; namely, first, that it is used in doctrine, and in judgments, concerning things allowed or not allowed in the law. Secondly, that to bind is the same with, to forbid, or to declare forbidden. To think that Christ, when he used the common phrase, was not understood by his hearers, in the common and vulgar sense, shall I call it a matter of laughter, or of madness? "To this, therefore, do these words amount: When the time was come wherein the Mosaic Law, as to some part of it, was to be abolished, and left off, and as to another part of it, was to be continued and to last for ever, he granted Peter here, and to the rest of the Apostles, chap. xviii. 18. a power to abolish or confirm what they thought good, and as they thought good; being taught this, and led by the Holy Spirit, as if he whatsoever say, shall bind in the Law of Moses that should ye gospel to the Gentiles, Acts x. he was taught from heaven, that the consorting of the Jew with the Gentile, which before had been bound, was now loosed; and the eating of any creature convenient for food, was now loosed, which before had been bound; and he in like manner looses both these. "Those words of our Saviour, John xx. 23. Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted to them, for the most part are forced to the same sense with these before us, when they carry quite another sense. Here the business is of doctrine only, not of persons; there of persons, not of doctrine. Here of things lawful or unlawful in religion, to be determined by the Apostles; there of persons obstinate or not obstinate, to be punished by them, or not to be punished. "As to doctrine, the Apostles were doubly instructed. 1. So long sitting at the feet of their Master, they had imbibed the evangelical doctrine. their hands of delivering to Satan, of punishing with diseases, plagues, yea, death itself, which Peter did to Ananias and Sapphira; Paul to Elymas, Hymeneus, and Philetus, &c." "2. The Holy Spirit directing them, they were to determine concerning the legal doctrine and practice, being completely instructed and enabled in both, by the Holy Spirit descending upon them. As to the persons, they were endowed with a peculiar gift, so that the same spirit directing them if they would is forbid, it shall be forbidden, the divine authority confirm-retain, and punish the sins of any, a power was delivered into ing it; and whatsoever ye shall loose, that is, permit, or shall teach, that it is permitted and lawful, shall be lawful and per- || matted. Hence they bound, that is forbad, circumcision to the Believers; eating of things offered to idols, of things strangled, and of blood for a time, to the Gentiles; and that which they bound on earth, was confirmed in heaven. They loosed, that is, allowed purification to Paul, and to four other brethren, for the shunning of scandal, Acts xxi. 24. and in a word, by these words of Christ it was committed to them, the Holy Spirit directing, that they should make decrees concerning religion, as to the use or rejection of Mosaic rites and judgments, and that either for a time, or for ever. After all these evidences and proofs of the proper use of these terms, to attempt to press the words into the service long assigned them by the Church of Rome, would, to use the words of Dr. Lightfoot, be "a matter of laughter or of madness." No church can use them in the sense thus imposed upon them, which was done merely to serve secular ends; and least of all can that very church, that thus abuses them. Verse 20. Then charged he his disciples] Aururato, he strictly charged them. Some very good MSS. have retiμNoey, he severely charged-comminatus est, he threatened. These are the readings of the Cod. Beza, both in the Greek and Latin. The Christ.] The common text has Jesus the Christ, but the Foretells his passion and death. A. M. 4032. a CCI. 4. ST. MATTHEW. to shew unto his disciples, how that An. Olymp. he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. b Peter reproved. him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: A. M. 4032. this shall not be unto thee. с A. D. 28. An. Olymp. CCI. 4. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an of fence unto me: for thou savourest not the things 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke that be of God, but those that be of men. better with the scope of the place. A man like Peter, who is of an impetuous spirit, and decides without consideration, upon every subject, must of necessity be often in the wrong. Be it far from thee, Lord] 1xww; Gol Kugit. Be merciful to thy word Jesus is omitted by 54 MSS. some of which are not only of the greatest authority, but also of the greatest antiquity. It is omitted also by the Syriac, later Persic, later Arabic, Sclavonic, 6 copies of the Itala, and several of the Fathers. The most eminent critics approve of this omission, and Griesbach has left it out of the text in both his editions. I believe the inser-self, Lord: see the marg. So I think the original should be rention of it here to be wholly superfluous and improper: for the question who is this Jesus? Peter answers, he is, o Xesos, the Messiah. The word Jesus is obviously improper. What our Lord says here refers to Peter's testimony in ver. 16. Thou art the Christ-Jesus here says, Tell no man that I am the Christ, i. e. the MESSIAH; as the time for his full manifestation || was not yet come-and he was not willing to provoke the Jewish malice or the Roman envy, by permitting his disciples to announce him as the Saviour of a lost world. He chose rather to wait, till his resurrection and ascension had set this truth in the clearest light, and beyond the power of successful contradiction. dered. Peter knew that Christ had power sufficient to preserve himself from all the power and malice of the Jews; and wished him to exert that in his own behalf, which he had often exerted in the behalf of others. Some critics of great note think the expression elliptical, and that the word Os God, is necessarily understood, as if Peter had said, God be merciful to thee ! but I think the marginal reading is the sense of the passage. The French, Italian, and Spanish render it the same way. Blind and ignorant man is ever finding fault with the conduct of God. Human reason cannot comprehend the incarnation of the Almighty's fellow, (Zech. xiii. 7.) nor reconcile the belief of his divinity with his sufferings and death. How many Peters are there now in the world, who are in effect saying, this cannot be done unto thee-thou didst not give thy life for the sin of the world-it would be injustice to cause the innocent to suffer thus for the guilty-But what saith God? His soul shall be made an offering for sin-he shall taste death for every man—the iniquities of us all were laid upon him— Glorious truth! may the God who published it, have eternal praises! Verse 21. From that time forth began Jesus, &c.] Before this time our Lord had only spoken of his death in a vague and obscure manner, see chap. xii. 40. because he would not afflict his disciples with this matter sooner than necessity required : but now, as the time of his crucifixion drew nigh, he spoke of his sufferings and death in the most express and clear terms. Three sorts of persons, our Lord intimates, should be the cause of his death and passion: the elders, the chief priests, and the Scribes. Pious Quesnel takes occasion to observe from this, Verse 23. Get thee behind me, Satan] Yaayɛ OTIOW MOU OXTAIK. that Christ is generally persecuted by these three descriptions Get behind me, thou adversary. This is the proper translation of men: rich men, who have their portion in this life: ambi- of the Hebrew word je Satan, from which the Greek word tious and covetous ecclesiastics, who seek their portion in this is taken. Our blessed Lord certainly never designed that mea life and conceited scholars, who set up their wisdom against should believe he called Peter, DEVIL, because he, through the wisdom of God, being more intent on criticising words, erring affection, had wished him to avoid that death which he than in providing for the salvation of their souls. The spirit predicted to himself. This translation, which is literal, takes of Christianity always enables a man to bear the ills of life || away that harshness which before appeared in our Lord's words. with patience, to receive death with joy; and to expect by Thou art an offence unto me] Σκανδαλον μου ει -Thou art a faith, the resurrection of the body, and the life of the world to stumbling-block in my way, to impede me in the accomplishment of the great design. come. Verse 22. Then Peter took him]-Пaqueros-took him Thou savourest not] That is, dost not relish, ov Qgovus, or, up-suddenly interrupted him, as it were calling him to order-thou dost not understand or discern the things of God-thou see Wakefield. Some versions give gooλacoμsos the sense of calling him aside. The word signifies also to receive in a friendly manner-to embrace; but Mr. W.'s translation agrees art wholly taken up with the vain thought that my kingdom is of this world. He who opposes the doctrine of the atonement, is an adversary and offence to Christ, though he be as sincere Necessity of taking up the cross. CHAP. XVI. As is the work, so shall be the reward. A.M. 4062. 24 a Then said Jesus unto his dis- || or what shall a man give in exchange A.M. 4032. An Olymp. ciples, If any man will come after me, for his soul? CCL. 4. let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? A. D. 28. An Olymp. CCI. 4. 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; 'and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, "There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. Ch. 10. 38. Mark 8. 34. Luke 9. 23. & 14 27. 3.Tim. 3. 12. Luke 17. 53. Jolm 12. 25. 26.64. Mark 8. 38. Luke 9. 26. Acts 11. 22. 1 Thess. S. e Dan. 7. 10. Zech. 14. 5. ch. 25. 31. Jude 14.f.Job 34. 11. Ps. 69. 12. Prov. 21. 12. Jer. 17. 10. & 32. 19. Rom. 2. 6. 1 Cor. 3. 8. 2 Cor. 5. 10. 1 Pet. 1 17. Rev. 2. 23. & 22. 12. Mark 9. 1. Luke 9. 23. in his profession as Peter himself was. Let us beware of false The principles of the Christian life are, First. To have a sincere desire to belong to Christ, If any man be wiLLING to be my disciple, &c. Secondly. To renounce self-dependance, and selfish pursuits.-Let him deny HIMSELF. Thirdly. To embrace the condition, which God has appointed, and bear the troubles and difficulties he may meet with in walking the Christian road.-Let him take up HIS CROSS. Fourthly. To imitate Jesus, and do and suffer all in his spirit.-Let him FOLLOW ME. Let him deny himself] Anagnoɑodw, may well be interpreted, Verse 26. Lose his own soul] Or, lose his life, ny uxn Jux, in the 25th verse, life, and in this verse, soul, I know Verse 27. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father] This seems to refer to Dan. vii. 13, 14. “Behold one like the Son of man came-to the ancient of days--and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people and nations and languages should serve him." This was the glorious Mediatorial kingdom which Jesus Christ was now about to set up, by the destruction of the Jewish nation and polity, and the diffusion of his Gospel through the whole world. If the words be taken in this sense, the angels or messengers may signify the apostles and successors in the sacred ministry, preaching the Gospel in the power of the Holy Ghost. It is very likely that the words do not apply; to the final judgment, to which they are generally referred; but to the wonderful display of God's grace and power after the day of Pentecost. Verse 28. There be some-which shall not taste of death] This verse seems to confirm the above explanation, as our Lord evidently speaks of the establishment of the Christian. Church after the day of Pentecost, and its final triumph after the destruction of the Jewish polity; as if he had said, "Some of you, my disciples, shall continue to live until these things take place." The destruction of Jerusalem, and the Jewish economy, which our Lord here predicts, took place about |