17 “And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17–19 (ESV)
Following Peter’s confession of Christ (Matt.16:13-16), Jesus pronounced an oracle of weal, or blessing, upon His disciple. Simon received not only a unique commissioning from the Lord, but also a significant name change. It was then Jesus gave Peter, and the other disciples, four promises.
First, Jesus promised He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. To prevail (κατισχύσουσιν; katischysousin) means to dominate and overpower.
Second, Jesus promised to give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus stated He would appoint Peter, and also the other apostles, an important foundational responsibility as He built His church. What did the Lord mean by using this metaphor?
Keys (κλείς; kleis) is normally an instrument for locking and unlocking doors. It is a means of entrance or the power of entrance. Metaphorically, Jesus used this term to refer to the entrance to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus gave Peter a singular responsibility that would involve people entering into a covenant relationship with Christ as Savior and Lord.
Thirdly, involved in having the authority of the keys, Jesus further instructed Peter that “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Binding and loosing respectively mean forbidding and permitting.
“This metaphor specifies how the apostles are foundational to the church. They have been given binding and loosing powers of ‘keys’ which lock and unlock doors. The apostles open the kingdom to those who share Peter’s confession and exclude those who will receive their testimony to Christ (Matthew 10:14-15),” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul. “The apostolic foundation of the church is laid in the written Word of God., the Scriptures, which are now the keys of Christ’s authority in the church (Ephesians 2:20; 3:5), through the power of the Spirit (Matt. 18:18).”
“The one who ‘has the keys’ (Rev. 1:18; 3:7) of the kingdom of heaven determines who should be admitted and who must be refused admission. That the apostles as a group exercised this right is clear from the entire book of Acts. All did this on an equal basis (Acts 4:33): there was no boss or superintendent. Nevertheless, as has already been shown, the influence of Peter was outstanding. By means of the preaching of the Gospel he was opening the doors to some (Acts 2:38-39; 3:16-20; 4:12; 10:34-43), closing them to others (3:23),” states Dr. William Hendriksen.
Peter was the first apostle to share the Gospel to the Jews (Acts 2), to affirm the Gospel preached to the Samaritans by Phillip (Acts 8), and the first apostle to preach the Gospel to a Gentile (Acts 10). Peter led the way in exercising the power of the keys.
This divine responsibility remains for each and every believer in Christ. The church is God’s witness (Acts 1:8). May each of us be found faithful and never ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16-17).
Soli deo Gloria!
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