Matthew (Written)

Sunday, 8 February 2026

Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” Matthew 16:22

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Peter, having clutched Him, he began to admonish Him, saying, ‘Propitious, to You, Lord! No, not it will be, this to You!’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus told the disciples about the trials ahead for Him in Jerusalem, including being killed. He also told them about the resurrection on the third day. Peter, who had just stepped forward and proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, now has something to say about Jesus’ words. Matthew notes, “And Peter, having clutched Him, he began to admonish Him.”

A new word is seen, proslambanó, to take aside. It is from pros, signifying motion toward something, and lambanó, to take. In this case, the word pros is used to indicate interacting with, and so it means to “aggressively receive, with strong personal interest” (HELPS Word Studies). A suitable single word that can be taken both literally and figuratively would be clutch.

Peter either actually or figuratively clutched on to Jesus because of His words and began to admonish Him over His words, “saying, ‘Propitious, to You, Lord!’”

Another new word, the adjective hileós, is used. It signifies “propitious.” In Attic Greek, it was used to indicate appeasing divine wrath. It is related to the Greek word hilastérion used in Romans 3:25 and Hebrews 9:5 to indicate the mercy seat of the Ark, which prefigured Christ as our propitiation before God.

Peter’s use of it here is idiomatic. He is essentially saying, “For heaven’s sake!” or “God forbid!” In such an exclamation, it then indirectly signifies, “May God be propitious to you.” However, behind Peter’s intent is, “No way, Jose!” Thus, “God forbid” is a good paraphrase. Having said that, he continues with an emphatic “No, not it will be, this to You!”

The double negative adds heavily to the negative intent of the idiomatic expression. Peter is adamant that Jesus is not going to suffer. And whatever Jesus meant by “be killed” is not going to happen.

As is common with Peter, he has failed to stop and think his words through. Even without understanding that Jesus is God, he is admonishing his Lord, Teacher, and Guide. This is something that is wholly inappropriate for a person in his position. He also acted without further questioning, such as, “What do you mean by…”

But if he had stopped and evaluated Jesus’ words before blurting out his admonishment, the most obvious question of all would be, “What do you mean by, ‘and the third day be roused.’” Whatever Jesus meant by “be killed,” that topic is then qualified by the words “be roused.”

Not having a clue about what Jesus was saying, he should have stopped, formed a question, and then asked in a respectable manner. It may be that his zeal is appropriate, but his approach with that zeal is unacceptable.

Life application: In Galatians 4:17, Paul says, while speaking of Judaizers, “They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.” There are times when having zeal is good. This is especially so when it is in the service of God, honoring our duties as citizens of our nation, or for the benefit of family, friends, the downtrodden, etc.

However, if we don’t put curbs on our zeal, we can fall into the same personal trap Peter did. Our good intentions will turn out to be inappropriate because we didn’t consider all the facts. Likewise, if our zeal is misdirected to start with, like the Judaizers in Galatia, we err in whatever we are doing. Peter found this out when he fell into their trap.

If our misdirected zeal is doctrinal in nature, we are working against what God has ordained. That is why when people shoot off their mouths about doctrinal matters without properly understanding what the Bible says about them, they cannot be pleasing to God.

A simple example is the rapture. We have to determine one of two things first. Does the Bible teach there will be a rapture or not? The answer to that needs to be fully understood before talking about the matter in an instructive manner. Only one answer will be correct. The other will be a false teaching.

The next question would be, does the Bible teach about the general timeframe concerning when it will happen? This would mean pre-trib, mid-trib, pre-wrath, post-trib, etc. Only one answer can be correct. The other answers will be contrary to what God expects of us in our instruction.

The next question might be, “Am I maintaining the proper context for my conclusions?” In other words, a person may be using Jesus’ words from Matthew XX to support his rapture conclusions. Is that appropriate, or is it out of the context of what Jesus taught?

Next, a good question is, “Now that the general timeframe of the rapture has been rightly understood, can I pinpoint the precise timing of it, or is that going to be unknown to us until it happens?”

The Bible does tell us. So if we take a contrary position, we are harming, not helping, with proper instruction on this matter. Our conclusions are false, and thus we are teaching falsely. Those who teach falsely have become false teachers. And what does the Bible say about such people?

These are only a few of the many parameters to be understood about a single lesser doctrine that is found in Scripture. How much more should we be prepared before speaking about the more important doctrines that can lead people to a complete misunderstanding about who God is, how to be saved, etc.?

No wonder James says that not many should become teachers. Unless we are willing to do the hard work to rightly understand and teach what the word of God says, we will be more stringently judged for our words. Read the Bible! Study to show yourself approved!

Lord God, You are wonderful, forgiving of our transgressions because of Jesus. But we still must consider that You are holy and Your word is sacred. May we never attempt to run ahead without thinking things through carefully. We do not want to do Satan’s bidding while intending to honor You. Give us wisdom in this, O God. Amen.

Saturday, 7 February 2026

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Matthew 16:21

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“From then He began, Jesus, to show His disciples that it necessitates Him to depart to Jerusalem and to suffer many from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be roused” (CG).

In the previous verse, Matthew said that Jesus enjoined the disciples that they should tell no one He was the Christ. Matthew continues with, “From then He began, Jesus…”

Some manuscripts add the word “Christ” after Jesus. This seems forced and unnatural, but it is included because of the proclamation that was just made. If it said, “Jesus the Christ,” it would seem more natural. It would also be a suitable contrast for what will be said in the next verse by Peter. But almost all translations, despite using that text for their work, omit the word.

There is an obvious change in the tone of the words. “From then” and “began” signify that something new is introduced and ongoing henceforth. A point in the ministry had been reached that necessitated this new direction. Understanding this, Matthew continues with “to show His disciples that it necessitates.”

A new word, dei, what must happen, is introduced. It is a form of deó, to bind. Thus, there is a binding effect on the matter that cannot be avoided. In this case, because it is a matter of Jesus’ destiny as the Messiah, it will be necessitated as part of fulfilling His divinely set purpose for coming.  Specifically, it was first for “Him to depart to Jerusalem.”

Jerusalem is the place appointed for the events He necessarily needed to go through or accomplish to occur. If one has read the Bible through several times, a short exchange that realizes this thought, and which gives a sense of foreboding, is –

“On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, ‘Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.’
³² And He said to them, ‘Go, tell that fox, “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” ³³ Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.’” Luke 13:31-33

Matthew next records, “and to suffer many.”

Another new word is seen, paschó, to feel heavy emotion, especially suffering. Thayer’s says, “the feeling of the mind, emotion, passion.” This is an alternate form of pathos, the etymological root of our modern word pathos, a word that gives the sense of suffering, experience, and/or strong emotion. Matthew next notes this would be “from the elders and chief priests and scribes.”

To this point, Jesus has been somewhat hounded by these people as they verbally challenged Him. Matthew 12:14 even indicated the thought that they went out and plotted against Him about how they might destroy Him.

Despite this, there has not been any physical attack against Him at this point. Things were to change, however, when He and the disciples began to minister in Jerusalem. Matthew continues to note what Jesus said, “and be killed.”

The word “killed” is plain enough. It is the Greek word apokteinó, first used in Matthew 10:28. It is an intensified form of kteino, to kill. Because of Jesus’ use of this word, one would think the apostles would have understood His death as being a part of what should be expected, because it was told them far in advance.

Peter’s words in the next verse point to his dissatisfaction with what Jesus says. But it includes more than just killing, meaning the suffering of many things. Therefore, it could be that they thought Jesus was speaking in hyperbole or metaphorically. The word is used this way two other times –

“For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed [apokteinó] me.” Romans 7:11

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death [apokteinó] the enmity.” Ephesians 2:14-16

As such, Matthew’s next words, though understood by us because we know the outcome of the story, may also have been completely misunderstood by the disciples. He records, “and the third day be roused.”

The word signifies to awaken or rouse. Strong’s says, “literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence.” With such a broad use of meanings, the confusion of the disciples is completely understandable. Of Jesus’ words here, Vincent’s Word Studies notes –

“This first announcement mentions his passion and death generally; the second (Matthew 17:22, Matthew 17:23), adds his betrayal into the hands of sinners; the third (Matthew 20:17-19), at length expresses his stripes, cross, etc.”

Life application: Jesus has acknowledged that He is the Messiah. He has noted that the basis of Peter’s proclamation, meaning that He is the Christ, would be that upon which He would build His out-calling. As such, it is completely understandable that the disciples would think His words were not really literal. How could someone who was dead do any building of a group of people?

It is easy for us to think of how dull they were, but we hear things like this all the time and don’t take them seriously. A football team may be on its way to an important game without three key members. They got thrown into jail for partying too much and have left the team vulnerable.

The head coach attends a press conference where he says that all will be great. They are the “Messiahs of madness” and would prevail. And yet, in the next two minutes, not knowing his mic is still on, he says to his offensive coordinator, “We are going to get killed down there.” It becomes a sensational story. And more, the Chiefs got totally slaughtered by the Eagles.

Nobody took them at their word, and other than getting proverbially slaughtered, all the players returned home. In tears, yes, but still very much alive.

Be sure to give an ounce of grace to the disciples. We were not there and cannot know all that was on their minds as the days of the life of Jesus and His ministry continued to unfold before their eyes.

Lord God, help us to have a clear perspective of what is going on in Your word. There are things that seem so obvious, and yet, we cannot grasp why they occur. In such instances, give us the wisdom to think through what is said and try to understand it from other perspectives so that we can come to the right conclusion about it. Thank You for being with us in our study of Your superior word. Amen.

Friday, 6 February 2026

Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. Matthew 16:20

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Then He enjoined His disciples that they should say to none that He, He is Jesus the Christ” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus explained to Peter what it meant to possess the keys of the kingdom of the heavens. Next, Matthew records, “Then He enjoined His disciples.”

A new word is seen, diastelló, to enjoin. It is from dia, through, and stelló, to set fast. Thus, the sense is to thoroughly set firmly. To enjoin, in a legal sense, means to prohibit someone from performing by issuing an injunction. This is just what Jesus is doing here. He is thoroughly ensuring “that they should say to none that He, He is Jesus the Christ.”

The emphasis is on Jesus. People have been hailed as the Messiah in Israel many times. This was probably true at Jesus’ time as well. However, Jesus did not want this to be revealed at the time because it would distract from His ability to complete His ministry. If people wanted to suppose He was the Christ based on what He did, that was their choice.

Likewise, to proclaim Him the Christ without a full revelation of what that meant could be injurious to the very meaning of the word. Christ Jesus had to suffer and die as God’s Messiah. To proclaim Him the Messiah before that occurred would lead to a great deal of confusion among the people when He was crucified.

However, afterward, that could become a part of the full confession of what it meant to be the Messiah. And this is exactly what Peter explained to the people in Acts 2 –

“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, ³¹ he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
³⁵ Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’
³⁶ ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’” Acts 2:29-36

Proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah before the work of the Messiah was complete would be putting the cart before the horse. However, noting after the resurrection that Scripture actually taught that the Messiah would suffer, die, and yet not see corruption due to the resurrection, would allow the true meaning of what it meant to be the Christ to be fully expressed.

Life application: Quite often, we withhold information from others to avoid having setbacks in the process of completing whatever necessary things must be done. For someone to go ahead and pronounce a matter before the proper time will only cause problems.

Something as simple as someone having access to a company speech before it is given, maybe for editing or uploading to a website, and then revealing its contents before it is released, may cause harm. Maybe the person has last-minute changes that need to be worked into it. It may be that he is going to appeal to a certain person or group and wants his words to be carefully spoken when the speech is given.

To reveal the content in advance may harm such things. It is the CEO’s sermon to give. Revealing it without his permission is thus inappropriate. This is true with company board meetings, military engagements, etc.

If the president is going to attack another nation, say a nation called Aleuzenev, and the Congress were to find out about it in advance, it is certain that those in the opposing party, like the Marxist Representative COA from New York, would leak the details in an attempt to harm the military operation.

Such examples show us that it is important to keep what we know about unrevealed things to ourselves. When the time is appropriate, the information will get out as it should. There is nothing to be gained from being the first to reveal what should not be revealed.

God has a plan and a set timeline for His redemptive process to be complete. If He were to give the timing of the rapture in advance, for example, instead of getting out and telling others about Jesus, people would sit around doing nothing until that day. It would be harmful and unproductive. Wait, maybe that is not the best example. People do sit around all day doing nothing but speculating about the rapture. See! We need to focus on our duties, not on what others are doing. In the case of the rapture, let God accomplish His plan as He sees fit.

Lord God, help us not to be busybodies by sharing things without restraint. Rather, may we be the type of people who can be trusted with quietly and diligently doing our part as we await Your plan to unfold. The rapture will happen exactly when it should. Until that day, we have work to do. May we do it to Your glory. Amen.

Thursday, 5 February 2026

And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens. And whatever, if you may bind upon the earth, it will be ‘having been bound’ in the heavens. And whatever, if you may loosen upon the earth, it will be ‘having been loosed’ in the heavens.” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus proclaimed Simon Pétros, Peter. He also said that on the Rock, He would build His out-calling, noting that the gates of Hades would not overpower her. Now, still speaking to Peter, He says, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens.”

A new word, kleis, a key, is introduced. The word is used both literally and figuratively. In this instance, it is figurative. A key is what provides access. An example of that is seen in Isaiah 22–

“Then it shall be in that day,
That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah;
²¹ I will clothe him with your robe
And strengthen him with your belt;
I will commit your responsibility into his hand.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
And to the house of Judah.
²² The key of the house of David
I will lay on his shoulder;
So he shall open, and no one shall shut;
And he shall shut, and no one shall open.
²³ I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place,
And he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house.” Isaiah 22:20-23

Eliakim was given the key, meaning access, to the house of David. In Luke 11:52, Jesus refers to the key to knowledge. Again, the use is figurative to indicate access to knowledge. Jesus is giving Peter the keys to heaven. He next explains what that means, saying, “And whatever, if you may bind upon the earth, it will be ‘having been bound’ in the heavens.”

Access to heaven is through faith in Jesus. That is something ahead at this time for Peter. Hence, the future tense, “I will give.” The seal of salvation based on that faith is the Holy Spirit. Peter is being told that he will be the one to bind, meaning prohibit, that which is prohibited in the heavens. That is seen with the use of the perfect participle, having been bound. Likewise, Jesus says, “And whatever, if you may loosen upon the earth, it will be ‘having been loosed’ in the heavens.”

To loosen means to undo and thus to allow. Peter, along with the other apostles, was given the authority to make decisions concerning what was to be done or not done in the church, confirming that which was bound in heaven. It is not a sleight of hand to include the other apostles. Those who wrote the epistles are demonstrating the same authority.

Peter is singled out here as the first to bear this authority. But in what sense? The answer is found in Acts, where the establishment of the church is recorded. From there, its continued expansion is followed throughout its pages. Who first addressed the people of Israel after Christ’s ascension at Pentecost? It was Peter, in Acts 2.

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’
³⁸ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’
⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”

Again, in Acts 8, the message spread to the Samaritans. The people believed, just as those in Jerusalem, but something was missing. Therefore –

“Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, ¹⁵ who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8:14-17

And again, in Acts 10, the message was sent to the Gentiles, specifically Cornelius and his household –

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.” Acts 10:44-46

What is the common element in each account? Peter was present to verify what had already been bound in heaven. The Spirit, the proof of salvation, was poured out on the Jews through Peter’s evangelism. Salvation next went to the Samaritans, but the proof of that salvation awaited Peter’s presence. Salvation then went to the Gentiles when Peter was instructed to testify to the work of Jesus.

God’s plan of salvation was intended for all people. This is the intent of Peter’s having been given the “keys” to what was bound in the heavens. The structure of Acts makes it clearly evident that the focus of the book is on Peter from Acts 1 through 12. However, the narrative then shifts to Paul in Acts 13-28. Those things Peter did are repeated through Paul in a precise and meticulously recorded manner.

Peter, being the apostle to the circumcision, verified what God had planned. He spoke the gospel, and he possessed the keys. However, Jesus’ words in no way restrict that same ability and authority from any other person. It simply began with Peter’s witness of the unfolding events in God’s redemptive narrative.

Life application: Something quite common in Christianity is for people to claim they can “bind” a spirit, “loosen a prophetic word,” etc. When you hear this, don’t be fooled that they are somehow super spiritual or possess some gift or authority that you don’t. Such people are tossing out catch phrases that actually mean nothing.

We don’t have such authority. The Bible is written. It is our guide and authority for what we are to do in the church. We don’t need to witness proof of anyone’s salvation. That is up to God to decide. Mormons claim they are saved. Jehovah’s Witnesses do too. And yet, their doctrine is false, and their teachings are heretical.

We are to tell people about Jesus, pray for them when they have needs, rightly instruct them about the faith, and let God be God. Don’t get caught up in goofy catchphrases that actually mean diddly. Be sound in your doctrine. That is sufficient. We don’t need to impress others. We need to do what God has instructed us to do.

Glorious Lord God, may we not be like those who claim authority that we have no right to. The pope claims he sits in Peter’s seat and has the authority to decide things he has no authority over. Help us to stick to Your word, in context, and not get misdirected by false teachings that profit nothing. Amen.

Wednesday, 4 February 2026

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  Matthew 16:18

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And I also, I say to you that you, you are Peter, and upon this – the Rock – I will build My out-calling, and Hades’ gates, not they will overpower her” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that Simon Bar-Jonah was blessed because it wasn’t flesh and blood that illuminated his proclamation. Rather, it was the Father in heaven who did. He continues, saying, “And I also, I say to you.”

Jesus is going to illuminate more concerning what Peter said, expanding on it to ensure that what was said is highlighted and magnified. With that understanding, Jesus emphatically declares, “that you, you are Peter.”

The name Peter has already been seen and explained. It is a masculine noun, Pétros, meaning rock. It is generally a piece of a rock, like a small rock or stone, found along a path. Jesus continues with, “and upon this – the Rock – I will build.”

The word now is petra, a feminine noun signifying a mass of rock, such as a projecting cliff. HELPS Word Studies, citing Zodhiates, says, “(Pétros) always means a stone . . . such as a man may throw, . . . versus 4073 (pétra), a projecting rock, cliff” (S. Zodhiates, Dict).

Of this difference, Ellicott [et al] says, “it would seem clear that the connection between Peter and the rock (the words in the Greek differ in gender, πέτρος [Pétros] and πέτρα [petra], but were identical in the Aramaic, which our Lord probably used) was meant to be brought into special prominence.”

This conclusion may or may not be correct, but the basis for it is inane. The New Testament is written in Greek, not Aramaic. Therefore, the difference cannot be ignored or downplayed. There is obviously wordplay seen, but a definite distinction is being made between Pétros and petra.

As for what Jesus is talking about, there are several prominent views. One is that He is referring not to Peter, but to his proclamation: “You, You are the Christ, the Son of God, the living.” Others believe Jesus is referring to Himself as the Rock. Still others say that it is, in fact, referring to Peter, but without all of the later-added Roman Catholic baggage that has nothing to do with the simple pronouncement.

Further, what is lacking in Jesus’ words is as telling as what He has stated. Jesus does not simply state, “and upon you I will build…” However, in the coming verse, Jesus will directly speak to Peter with words concerning his position and authority. Therefore, Jesus is not speaking of Peter in His words now.

Letting Scripture interpret Scripture, both testaments tell us who the Rock is. Again and again, in typology and in direct metaphor, the Lord is called the Rock. A couple of the many such examples –

“He is the Rock [tsur], His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4

“The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock [tsur]!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.” Psalm 18:46

In the New Testament, Paul and Peter both refer to Christ in this way –

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, ² all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock [petra] that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”
⁸ and
“A stone of stumbling
And a rock [petra] of offense.” 1 Peter 2:7, 8

As such, the Rock is both the proclamation and the Person. Peter wasn’t speaking about an ethereal concept. He was asked to identify who Jesus was. His proclamation is that of Jesus being the Rock, the Lord Yehovah, who is the Christ, whether Peter realized that or not. Jesus was thinking in human terms, but Scripture, and thus Jesus, is referring to God’s means and mode of redemption.

This is all the more certain because the cornerstone is what Paul refers to as well. It is the setting stone of a foundation –

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God, which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:9-11

Jesus, probably pointing to Himself, acknowledging Peter’s confession and what it means, said that He is the Rock. God’s building is not set upon Peter. It is set upon Christ. This building is, as Jesus says, “My out-calling.”

It is a new word, ekklésia, an out-calling. It is derived from ek, from or out of, and kaleó, to call. Thus, it is an out-calling, a group of people called out for a particular purpose. This is the group that Paul calls “God’s building” in 1 Corinthians 3:10. Jesus says that His people will be built upon Himself, “and Hades’ gates, not they will overpower her.”

Another new word, katischuó, to overpower, is used. It is an intensification of ischuó, to have or exercise force. The prefix kata, down, thus gives the sense of overpowering. What is Jesus referring to here? Unfortunately, it is often claimed as a tool for effective evangelizing, as if saying, “We have the power to storm hell itself!”

That is great for sermons, but it has nothing to do with the intent. Gates have two purposes. The first is a defensive barrier that can be opened to allow people in. The second is containment, such as when the gates are shut to keep someone from getting out, a spy or a prisoner, perhaps.

The gates of Hades are gates of containment. Hades (Old Testament Sheol) is the place of the dead. It is where all humanity is destined to go, including saved believers at this time. This is made clear time and again in the New Testament. But a day is coming when the Lord’s out-calling will be taken from there, and the victory Jesus refers to now is realized –

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’
⁵⁵ ‘O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?’
⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

It is true that proclaiming the gospel will change a person’s ultimate destiny, but it is not by our power that Hades’ gates are overcome, but by the power of Jesus, the Subject of the gospel, who had already overpowered Hades’ gates.

Life application: The Roman Catholic coopting of this verse to claim Peter is the first pope and that all popes after him have infallible authority to act and make decrees is utter nonsense. That assumes too much, and it lays hands on that which belongs to God alone.

If Peter were the “rock” spoken of here by Jesus, then it would mean he was the foundation of the church, as they claim. But Peter and Paul laid the same foundation, as noted above. This is then confirmed elsewhere –

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

The “foundation” here is not speaking of the apostles and prophets, as if they are the foundation. Rather, it refers to their proclamation, which is Jesus. This is exactly what Jesus is referring to in Matthew 16. Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, which is the basis of the foundation. He is also the entire foundation as proclaimed by God’s messengers.

Sound theology always points to Jesus, not the Roman Catholic Church.

Lord God, thank You for our sure Foundation and Cornerstone, Jesus! We have a Rock, who is faithful and true, upon which our hope is grounded. Nothing, not even the gates of Hades, can separate us from You. Thank You that when we depart, it will not be forever from Your presence. Rather, a day is coming when we will be gathered to You forever. Hallelujah and Amen.