Chapter 16:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Malachi Mark
Matthew 16
Verse 1. A sign from heaven - Such they imagined Satan could not
counterfeit. Mark viii, 11; Matt. xii, 38.
Verse
2. Luke xii, 54.
Verse
3. The signs of the times - The signs which evidently show, that
this is the time of the Messiah.
Verse
4. A wicked and adulterous generation - Ye would seek no farther
sign, did not your wickedness, your love of the world, which is
spiritual adultery, blind your understanding.
Verse
5. Mark viii, 14.
Verse
6. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees - That is, of their false
doctrine: this is elegantly so called; for it spreads in the soul, or
the Church, as leaven does in meal. Luke xii, 1.
Verse
7. They reasoned among themselves - What must we do then for
bread, since we have taken no bread with us?
Verse
8. Why reason ye - Why are you troubled about this? Am I not
able, if need so require, to supply you by a word?
Verse
11. How do ye not understand - Beside, do you not understand,
that I did not mean bread, by the leaven of the Pharisees and
Sadducees?
Verse
13. And Jesus coming - There was a large interval of time
between what has been related, and what follows. The passages
that follow were but a short time before our Lord suffered. Mark
viii, 27; Luke ix, 18.
Verse
14. Jeremiah, or one of the prophets - There was at that time a
current tradition among the Jews, that either Jeremiah, or some
other of the ancient prophets would rise again before the Messiah
came.
Verse
16. Peter - Who was generally the most forward to speak.
Verse
17. Flesh and blood - That is, thy own reason, or any natural
power whatsoever.
Verse
18. On this rock - Alluding to his name, which signifies a rock,
namely, the faith which thou hast now professed; I will build my
Church - But perhaps when our Lord uttered these words, he
pointed to himself, in like manner as when he said, Destroy this
temple, John ii, 19; meaning the temple of his body. And it is
certain, that as he is spoken of in Scripture, as the only foundation
of the Church, so this is that which the apostles and evangelists
laid in their preaching. It is in respect of laying this, that the
names of the twelve apostles (not of St. Peter only) were equally
inscribed on the twelve foundations of the city of God, Rev. xxi,
14. The gates of hell - As gates and walls were the strength of
cities, and as courts of judicature were held in their gates, this
phrase properly signifies the power and policy of Satan and his
instruments. Shall not prevail against it - Not against the Church
universal, so as to destroy it. And they never did. There hath been
a small remnant in all ages.
Verse
19. I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven - Indeed
not to him alone, (for they were equally given to all the apostles at
the same time, John xx, 21, 22, 23;) but to him were first given
the keys both of doctrine and discipline. He first, after our Lord's
resurrection, exercised the apostleship, Acts i, 15. And he first by
preaching opened the kingdom of heaven, both to the Jews, Acts
ii, , and to the Gentiles, Acts x, . Under the term of binding and
loosing are contained all those acts of discipline which Peter and
his brethren performed as apostles: and undoubtedly what they
thus performed on earth, God confirmed in heaven. Matt. xviii,
18.
Verse
20. Then charged he his disciples to tell no one that he was the
Christ - Jesus himself had not said it expressly even to his
apostles, but left them tb infer it from his doctrine and miracles.
Neither was it proper the apostles should say this openly, before
that grand proof of it, his resurrection. If they had, they who
believed them would the more earnestly have sought to take and
make him a king: and they who did not believe them would the
snore vehemently have rejected and opposed such a Messiah.
Verse
21. From that time Jesus began to tell his disciples, that he must
suffer many things - Perhaps this expression, began, always
implied his entering on a set and solemn discourse. Hitherto he
had mainly taught them only one point, That he was the Christ.
From this time he taught them another, That Christ must through
sufferings and death enter into his glory. From the elders - The
most honourable and experienced men; the chief priests -
Accounted the most religious; and the scribes - The most learned
body of men in the nation. Would not one have expected, that
these should have been the very first to receive him? But not
many wise, not many noble were called. favour thyself - The
advice of the world, the flesh, and the devil, to every one of our
Lord's followers. Mark viii, 31; Luke ix, 22.
Verse
23. Get thee behind me - Out of my sight. It is not improbable,
Peter might step before him, to stop him. Satan - Our Lord is not
recorded to have given so sharp a reproof to any other of his
apostles on any occasion. He saw it was needful for the pride of
Peter's heart, puffed up with the commendation lately given him.
Perhaps the term Satan may not barely mean, Thou art my enemy,
while thou fanciest thyself most my friend; but also, Thou art
acting the very part of Satan, both by endeavouring to hinder the
redemption of mankind, and by giving me the most deadly advice
that can ever spring from the pit of hell. Thou savourest not - Dost
not relish or desire. We may learn from hence,
1. That whosoever says to us in such a case, favour thyself, is
acting the part of the devil:
2. That the proper answer to such an adviser is, Get thee behind
me:
3. That otherwise he will be an offense to us, an occasion of our
stumbling, if not falling:
4. That this advice always proceeds from the not relishing the
things of God, but the things of men. Yea, so far is this advice,
favour thyself, from being fit for a Christian either to give or take,
that if any man will come after Christ, his very first step is to
deny, or renounce himself: in the room of his own will, to
substitute the will of God, as his one principle of action.
Verse
24. If any man be willing to come after me - None is forced; but if
any will be a Christian, it must be on these terms, Let him deny
himself, and take up his cross - A rule that can never be too much
observed: let him in all things deny his own will, however
pleasing, and do the will of God, however painful. Should we not
consider all crosses, all things grievous to flesh and blood, as what
they really are, as opportunities of embracing God's will at the
expense of our own? And consequently as so many steps by
which we may advance toward perfection? We should make a
swift progress in the spiritual life, if we were faithful in this
practice. Crosses are so frequent, that whoever makes advantage
of them, will soon be a great gainer. Great crosses are occasions
of great improvement: and the little ones, which come daily, and
even hourly, make up in number what they want in weight. We
may in these daily and hourly crosses make effectual oblations of
our will to God; which oblations, so frequently repeated, will soon
amount to a great sum. Let us remember then (what can never be
sufficiently inculcated) that God is the author of all events: that
none is so small or inconsiderable, as to escape his notice and
direction. Every event therefore declares to us the will of God, to
which thus declared we should heartily submit. We should
renounce our own to embrace it; we should approve and choose
what his choice warrants as best for us. Herein should we exercise
ourselves continually; this should be our practice all the day long.
We should in humility accept the little crosses that are dispensed
to us, as those that best suit our weakness. Let us bear these little
things, at least for God's sake, and prefer his will to our own in
matters of so small importance. And his goodness will accept
these mean oblations; for he despiseth not the day of small things.
Matt. x, 38.
Verse
25. Whosoever will save his life - At the expense of his
conscience: whosoever, in the very highest instance, that of life
itself, will not renounce himself, shall be lost eternally. But can
any man hope he should be able thus to renounce himself, if he
cannot do it in the smallest instances? And whosoever will lose
his life shall find it - What he loses on earth he shall find in
heaven. Matt. x, 39; Mark viii, 35; Luke ix, 24; xvii, 33; John xii,
25.
Verse
27. For the Son of man shall come - For there is no way to escape
the righteous judgment of God.
Verse
28. And as an emblem of this, there are some here who shall live
to see tho Messiah coming to set up his mediatorial kingdom, with
great power and glory, by the increase of his Church, and the
destruction of the temple, city, and polity of the Jews.
Chapter 16:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Malachi Mark
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
