Gann's Commentary on the Bible

Take heed ... -- That is, be cautious, be on your guard.

the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees -- Leaven is used in making bread.

It passes secretly, silently, but certainly through the mass of dough. See the note at Matthew 13:33. “None can see its progress.” So it was with the doctrines of the Pharisees. They were insinuating, artful, plausible. They concealed the real tendency of their doctrines; they instilled them secretly into the mind, until they pervaded all the faculties like leaven.

Matthew 16:17

Blessed ... happy, honored, privilleged, Luke 1:28 of Mary, cf. Matt 5. Here Peter is announced "blessed" because he was given the "keys". see Matthew 16:19 concerning the "keys".

Matthew 16:18

my ... emphatic position in the Greek.

hell ... hades, same as Acts 2:27; Acts 2:31

church -- Note the singular; (Greek parallel construction to Luke 12:18.)

prevail against ... overpower; (illustration, any attack against it will not succeed because it is built on a high rock.) cf. 1 Corinthians 3:11;

church -- The foundation upon which the church is built is the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Acts 4:11; 1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:4 f.

[* This entire conversation here is predicated upon the location where Jesus and the apostles were, at Caesarea Philippi (Matt 16.13) and the temple there that was built on a famous rock, and the location of the legendary "gates of hell". Study this location in several good Bible encyclopedias! Jesus and he apostles may well have been standing there on that spot during this conversation! (Even Josephus makes a mention of the place Ant. xv. 10.3)]

See Sermon "The Church That Jesus Built" Topic Notes "Sermons_Gann.topx"

CHURCH --Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 5:23-27, Acts 20:28.

The Church is the "Body of Christ," Ephesians 1:22-23, Colossians 1:18; Colossians 1:24,

There is one body- Ephesians 4:4-6, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Colossians 3:15,

"Churches of Christ"- Romans 16:16,

"Church of God" - 1 Corinthians 1:2, Acts 20:28

"Churches of Galatia" - Galatians 1:2 etc. locations

"Churches of the saints" - 1 Corinthians 14:33

"Church of the firstborn [ones]" - Hebrews 12:23

Saved "Added by the Lord"- not "Voted In," Acts 2:47, 2 John 1:9-10,

Was the church built on Peter? God sent His Son, who lived a perfect life, and was a perfect example. Why would He then choose a man who was not perfect, who cursed Christ, who was sometime prejudiced, to built the church on him when He could select Christ, His Son upon which to built?

,Matthew 16:19

keys ... Peter used the "keys" to open the "kingdom" to the Jews in Acts 2.14, and to the first Gentiles in Acts 10:5; Acts 10:21.

With regard to "keys" see note of Matthew 23:13, and Luke 11:52

KINGDOM

"At hand"- Matthew 3:2,

To come in first century with "Power"- Mark 9:1,

But "Power" to come with Holy Ghost- Acts 1:8,

This happened on the day of Pentecost- Acts 2:1-4.

The Kingdom was in existence in Paul’s day- Colossians 1:13.

It is the Church- Matthew 16:18-19.

shall be bound in heaven ... The verb is a perfect, passive, participle, "shall have been bound " "shall have been loosed". This verb presents "actions in the past with results lingering to the present." The force of this message is that Jesus is telling his apostles they are to bind on people only what heaven has bound upon them, and to loose only what heaven has loosed upon them.

To apply this principle to us today, preachers should "speak where the Bible speaks, and to be silent where the Bible is silent."

shall be bound ... This instructions is not given just to Peter, but to all the apostles in Matthew 18:18.

Matthew 16:24

cross ... not just a burden that falls on us, but something we choose, i.e., to deny self, die to self.

Matthew 16:27

according to his deeds ... Re: Degrees of Reward; How many souls one won, cf. Daniel 12:3; 1 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 3:9; 1 Corinthians 3:12-14; 1 Corinthians 3:19; 1 Peter 4:18; Not big mansions and little mansions, but in the ability to enjoy it, 1 Thessalonians 2:19;

Matthew 16:28

see Son of Man coming ... Some in Jesus’ audience would see the Kingdom as it came into bloom on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Peter in Acts 11:15 speaks of the events of Pentecost as "the beginning." The terms "church" and "kingdom" are used interchangeable in the New Testament see Acts 16:18-19. See point #2 below.

Some Various Comings of Christ

*1 Emmanuel, Matthew 1:23; John 1:14; John 6:38; Galatians 4:4 This was the coming of the Lord in the flesh, his birth at Bethlehem.

2 Pentecost, Matthew 16:28 (Mark 9:1) Mark 14:62, Matthew 26:64 In some significant way it could be said that Christ also came on Pentecost representatively when he sent his promise of the Holy Spirit.

3 To Paul at His Conversion __ Acts 26:16, Acts 22:7-9 ; 1 Corinthians 15:8 The Lord came to Paul so he could see him alive after his crucifixion and thus qualify him to be an apostle.

4 In Visions -- To Paul at Jerusalem, Acts 22:17-18 (after conversion); At Corinth, Acts 18:9; again at Jerusalem, Acts 23:11

5 AD 70, His coming in judgment upon the Jews for their rejection. Matthew 24:27, Matthew 24:30, Matthew 24:44, Matthew 24:39; Mark 13:26-30; Luke 21:20-27; Hebrews 10:37; James 5:8

This brought an end to their nation, the temple, the physical priesthood coming from Levi, the end of animal sacrifices, etc. ("Last days"[of the Jewish dispensation] plural)

*6 The Resurrection Day (His Second Coming, -- Cf. "Last Day" singular) 1 Thessalonians 4:13 ff to 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 15:23-24 ff; John 14:1-3;

John 5:28; John 11:24; John 6:39; John 6:40; John 6:44;