THE K I NG ' S BU S I N E S S
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Jesus is Himself the chief cornerstone of the church (Eph. 2:20; 1 Cor. 3:11; Is. 28:16) and all built upon Him be come themselves living stones. (1 Pet. 2:6, 6).—Torrey. Gates of hell shall not prevail. Shame on us who grow faint hearted with each discouragement when the Master, with rejection behind and death before Him, found it encour agement enough after so much toil to make a bare beginning of the new tem ple of the Lord, and even in that day of smallest things was able to look calmly forward across the troubled sea of the dark future and already raise the shout of final victory.—-Gibson. v. 19. Keys of the kingdom of heaven. A key is a badge of power or authority. (Is. 22:22; Rev. 3:18 ). The apostolic history explains and limits this trust, for it was Peter who opened the door of Christian opportunity to Israel on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38-42) and to Gentiles in the house of Cornelius. (Acts 10:34-46). There was no assumption by Peter of any other authority. (Acts 15:7-11). Peter claimed no more for himself than to be an apostle by gift (1 Pet. 1:1) and an elder by office (1 Pet. 5 :1 ).—Scofield. The Lord did not assign to Peter any office or duty in connection with His church but He did promise him an im portant post in connection with the kingdom of heaven which was about to be inaugurated. The fulfillment is seen in Peter’s action on the day of Pente cost. The kingdom of heaven which the Lord had announced as “at hand’’ began formally at Pentecost.—Mauro. The. kingdom of heaven is not the church but it is the professing sphere of Christendom.-—-Gaebelein. Whatso-i ever thou shalt bind. This had nothing to do with the destiny of souls. Jesus alone holds the keys of destiny. Bind ing and loosing refers to spiritual dis cernment (word “bind” is literally “dis cern”) of affairs in the church. Note that they did not bind persons but
things (whatsoever, not whosoever). (Jn. 20:22, 23). Refers to such things as ceremonies and Old Testament laws apt to be brought by Jews into the early churctni4—Brooks. As a ‘ Spirit taught man he should also know the mind of God and what he! bound (for bade) would be bound in heaven, and what he loosed (permitted) would be loosed in heaven.—Torrey. To declare what shall be binding (laws and pre cepts) and what shall not be binding.— Bullinger. v. 21. From that time forth. Hith erto He had not touched upon this strongly because the disciples were weak and could not well bear the notice of a thing so melancholy. Christ reveals His mind to His people gradually and lets in light as they can bear it.—Henry. There was no possibility of their ever beginning to understand the atonement till they had grasped the truth of the incarnation. The one is intelligible only in the light of the other. Must go to Jerusalem. The cross had always cast its shadow over our Lord’s path. He did not die as the martyr on whom death comes unexpectedly but He stepped from the throne and became incarnate that He might die. Notice that solemn Must.—Meyer. Be raised again the third day. He never foretold His coming death without adding that He would be resurrected; Does it look as if He died as the result of circum stances that were too strong for Him? He died a victor, not a victim.-—Brooks, v. 22. This shall not be. The devil’s advice is “Spare thyself.” Jesus’ motto is “Give thyself.”—Sel. It did not be come Peter to contradict His master or take upon him to advise Him. Unless we know the Lord’s mind it is not for us to be counsellors. (Rom. 1 1 :3 4 ).--: Henry. v. 23. Get thee behind me, Satan. Peter had taken the place of the tempter and argued for the false kingdom in stead of the true.—Carr. The com-
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