RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-06-10	What Are the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven? (Mt.16:15-19)
		Mat 16:15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Mat 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Mat 16:17 Jesus 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. Mat 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 shall not prevail against it. Mat 16:19 And I will give you the keys of 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." So Jesus asked His disciples, who they believe He is. He is getting at the core issue of discipleship. The identity of Jesus Christ. Whatever else Jesus teaches, if they do not get this right, they will not get anything right. It will all be distorted if it is not built on the truth of who He is. Peter answers correctly. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” You are the unique, divine Son of God. Then Jesus makes clear that Peter did not come up with this on his own. “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (v.17) This central core truth concerning Jesus' true identity as a work of God. Again this was not the work or thought of Peter. Jesus says Peter is “blessed” because God has given this insight. Then Jesus makes a play on words, because Peter's (petros) name means “rock” or “stone” (v.18). Jesus says, “you are rock (petros), and on this bedrock (petra) I will build my church. Notice 3 things: 1. Jesus did not say on you I will build my church. 2. Though Jesus says to Peter, I will give to you the keys, it is said to all Christians in general (Mt.18:18). Mat 18:18 "Assuredly, I say to you [plural, you who are gathered in My name], whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 3. Jesus does not say you are petros and on this petros [Jesus said on this petra] I will build my church. Petra has a different connation than petros. Petra is not a loose stone. It is bedrock stone. The tomb of Jesus was hewn out of the side of a mountain which was solid rock [petra] (Mt.27:60). Mat 27:60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. The same word is used of the wise man who built his house on the rock (Mt.7:24). Mat 7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock So the bedrock on which the church is built, is the bedrock of Jesus' teachings with the rock solid core of His identity. Since Peter is the one who made that confession in this case he is treated as the representative of all who believe on Jesus. So it is these teachings of Jesus that are the keys of the kingdom. When Peter or we speak (Mt.18) the bedrock of Jesus' identity, you are using the keys of the kingdom to open the kingdom in people's lives. Luk 11:52 "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered." The keys of the kingdom always has Jesus at the center. That knowledge with Christ's identity at the center, opens the kingdom to people. That knowledge held or distorted closes the kingdom to people. When Jesus said, “whatever you bind on earth will [future perfect, 'shall have been' of the verb] be bound in heaven” (v.19). In all of this human key turning, we are doing what God has decided should come to pass. Our teaching is essential. God's will is decisive. Now all faithful Christians should take their stand on the bedrock of Jesus' word and identity at the center and speak it. And in so doing you will turn the key of heaven in peoples lives and open the kingdom to them. Every time we faithfully proclaim the Gospel, with Christ at the core, we bind on earth what God has already bound in heaven. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

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