Keys of the Kingdom
It’s a famous section of scripture, with Jesus promising to build his church on the rock, and that rock is the confession Peter had just made, that “you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” The church will stand on the rock of Jesus’ Messiahship; the fact that he is the Son of God. But then Jesus continues the discourse. To Peter he says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
What does he mean? The Catholic Church will say this is evidence that Peter is the first Pope. They believe Peter is the rock Christ will build his church on, and they believe he has the ability to forgive sins since he has the keys to the kingdom and can bind or loosen what he wants. As I’ve stated above, most non-Catholics believe the rock the church is built on is Christ, the Son of God (the confession Peter made), not Peter himself. When in Rome in 2017 we learned that statues of Paul have him holding a sword (of the Spirit), and those of Peter have him holding keys. So, what about those keys? What did Jesus mean by giving them to Peter?
In Acts 2 we find the apostles gathered, as Jesus instructed them. “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). Then Jesus sends the Holy Spirit he had promised. “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house.” Tongues of fire appeared to them and rested on them, and they began to speak in other tongues as they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Just as a burning bush appeared to Moses to initiate his ministry, and just as a pillar of fire guided the Israelites, now tongues of fire indicate the initiation of the apostle’s ministry. They speak in other tongues, and we see why. People had come from all nations for the feast of Pentecost (or First-fruits), called Pentecost because it happened 50 days after Passover. Because several languages were represented, “tongues” allowed everyone listening to understand (“each one was hearing them speak in his own language” vs 6).
Then Peter goes before the crowd that gathered and using prophecies, demonstrates to them that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah. The people are cut to the heart and say, “What shall we do?” Peter tells them. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:37-39). He just used the keys of the kingdom to allow the Jews in, opening the door of salvation to those who respond in faith, repenting and being baptized. But the crowd gathered that day was primarily Jews. The message of Jesus is for all people.
In Acts 10 Peter has a dream and so does a Gentile in Caesarea named Cornelius. Cornelius sends for Peter, and because of Peter’s dream (“What God has made clean, do not call common”) he goes. (Gentiles are non-Jews, considered unclean by most Jews.) Once he arrived, Cornelius explains his dream to Peter, who puts their dreams together and realizes what God is telling him. “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him”. So, he preaches Jesus to these Gentiles. The Holy Spirit comes on them like what happens on Pentecost. Peter declares, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:47, 48). He has used the keys of the kingdom to allow Gentiles in, opening the door of salvation as they are baptized.
Thus, Peter has ushered in salvation (whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven) for all people, by using the keys Jesus gave him to preach, first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles.
Question: What does the term “kingdom” mean for you as a Christ-follower?
What does he mean? The Catholic Church will say this is evidence that Peter is the first Pope. They believe Peter is the rock Christ will build his church on, and they believe he has the ability to forgive sins since he has the keys to the kingdom and can bind or loosen what he wants. As I’ve stated above, most non-Catholics believe the rock the church is built on is Christ, the Son of God (the confession Peter made), not Peter himself. When in Rome in 2017 we learned that statues of Paul have him holding a sword (of the Spirit), and those of Peter have him holding keys. So, what about those keys? What did Jesus mean by giving them to Peter?
In Acts 2 we find the apostles gathered, as Jesus instructed them. “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). Then Jesus sends the Holy Spirit he had promised. “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house.” Tongues of fire appeared to them and rested on them, and they began to speak in other tongues as they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Just as a burning bush appeared to Moses to initiate his ministry, and just as a pillar of fire guided the Israelites, now tongues of fire indicate the initiation of the apostle’s ministry. They speak in other tongues, and we see why. People had come from all nations for the feast of Pentecost (or First-fruits), called Pentecost because it happened 50 days after Passover. Because several languages were represented, “tongues” allowed everyone listening to understand (“each one was hearing them speak in his own language” vs 6).
Then Peter goes before the crowd that gathered and using prophecies, demonstrates to them that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah. The people are cut to the heart and say, “What shall we do?” Peter tells them. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:37-39). He just used the keys of the kingdom to allow the Jews in, opening the door of salvation to those who respond in faith, repenting and being baptized. But the crowd gathered that day was primarily Jews. The message of Jesus is for all people.
In Acts 10 Peter has a dream and so does a Gentile in Caesarea named Cornelius. Cornelius sends for Peter, and because of Peter’s dream (“What God has made clean, do not call common”) he goes. (Gentiles are non-Jews, considered unclean by most Jews.) Once he arrived, Cornelius explains his dream to Peter, who puts their dreams together and realizes what God is telling him. “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him”. So, he preaches Jesus to these Gentiles. The Holy Spirit comes on them like what happens on Pentecost. Peter declares, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:47, 48). He has used the keys of the kingdom to allow Gentiles in, opening the door of salvation as they are baptized.
Thus, Peter has ushered in salvation (whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven) for all people, by using the keys Jesus gave him to preach, first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles.
Question: What does the term “kingdom” mean for you as a Christ-follower?