Matthew 16:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

14:33), yet they did not receive the title of blessed, despite their affirmation of truth. They acknowledged Him not as Peter did but recognized Him as a son superior to others, not of the very essence of the Father. Likewise, Nathanael exclaimed, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel’ (John 1:49), yet he was also not blessed and was even admonished by the Lord for only recognizing a fraction of the truth. Consequently, Christ remarked: ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree; you will see greater things than these’ (John 1:50). Why, then, is Peter considered blessed? It is because he confessed Christ as the true Son. For this reason, Christ refrained from calling others blessed and, addressing Peter, indicated who had made Him known to Peter. To prevent Peter's confession from being mistaken by many as mere affection or flattery, or as a reflection of his special bond with Christ due to his profound love, the intention was to clarify that Peter’s declaration was taught by the Father, signifying that these words convey not human sentiment but divine truth. But why does Christ not reveal Himself outright, stating, ‘I am the Christ’? Instead, He accomplishes this through His question, prompting His disciples to make their own declaration. This method was more appropriate and essential for instilling their belief in His words. Do you perceive how the Father reveals the Son? How does the Son reveal the Father? ‘No one knows the Father,’ it is said, ‘except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him’ (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22). Thus, the only way to know the Son is through the Father, and the only way to know the Father is through the Son, demonstrating their equality and consubstantiality. What, then, does Christ declare? ‘You are Simon the son of Jonah; you shall be called Cephas’ (John 1:42). Just as you have proclaimed My Father, I likewise refer to Him who has fathered you. Implicitly, it is conveyed that as you are the son of Jonah, so too am I the Son of My Father. Otherwise, it would be unnecessary to state, ‘You are the son of Jonah.’ However, when Peter affirmed Him as the Son of God, Christ, to illustrate that He is as truly the Son of God as Peter is the son of Jonah, or of the same essence as the One who begot him, added: ‘And I say to you, You are Peter, and upon this rock—meaning the faith you profess—I will build My Church’ (Matt. 16:18).

In establishing His church, the Lord created a structure with a foundation strong enough to support all that is built upon it. When the single language was fractured into many, the Lord halted the construction of the tower to prevent mankind from ascending to heaven (Gen. 11: 4-8). This division led them to seek refuge not in the tower but in the truth; for even the overwhelming waves of the floods could not have harmed them if they had sought sanctuary in elevated places. Yet, unrighteousness led to their downfall, while repentance liberated them; indeed, it is truth that saves. Thus, their scattering hindered both the completion of the earthly tower and the eternal edifice, and the evasion of toil.

Afterward, the Saviour Himself provided humanity a tower that ascends to heaven, and a tree whose fruit is the remedy of life. “You are a stone” (cf. Matt. 16:18)—the stone that the Lord established, causing Satan to trip. When Peter implored the Lord, “Let it not be so, Lord!” (cf. Matt. 16:22), Satan attempted to set that stone against the Lord so that He would stumble. We may not have assumed Satan was thinking this way had not the One who knows all revealed, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me!” (Matthew 16:23). The Lord then cast aside this stone from Himself so that the followers of Satan would stumble over it, resulting in them ‘falling backward and prostrating themselves on the ground’ (cf. Jn. 18:6).

It is accurate to note that "Bar Jonah," in our language, translates to "son of the Dove"; however, some interpret that Simon, also known as Peter, was the son of John, based on another inquiry posed by the Lord to Peter, "Son of John, do you love Me?" He replied, "Lord, you know." These interpreters suggest that this passage has been altered due to a scribal error, arguing that instead of "the son of John" (Barjoanna), it was mistakenly written as "the son of Jonah" (Barjona), with one syllable omitted. The name "Johanna" signifies "the grace of the Lord." Nevertheless, both names can be understood in a profound manner, as the dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit, and God's grace represents a spiritual endowment (the gift of the Spirit). Moreover, Christ’s declaration, "For flesh and blood has not revealed it to you," aligns closely with the Apostle's statement: "Immediately I did not put my trust in flesh and blood," signifying here that by "flesh and blood," he references the Jews. This further illustrates that Christ, the Son of God, did not make Himself known to him through the teachings of the Pharisees, but through divine grace.

Consequently, Christ aimed to reveal to His disciples that only Peter understood Him accurately and made his confession without mistake, hence He referred to him as blessed, having received a divine revelation about Him. He stated that flesh and blood, meaning human insight, did not lead you to this sacred acknowledgment of me, but rather my Father—who alone deserves such recognition. The Hebrew term bar translates to son. By affirming Peter’s insight and demonstrating that he had been enlightened by God, observe the remarkable blessings bestowed upon him.

"You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it" (Matt. 16:13-18). Thus, if you, transcending mere human understanding, confess the Son of Man born of Mary as the Son of God, He will show His favor toward you, just as He did with holy Peter. He will establish the entire body of your faith upon this rock of belief, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. He also broke the chains when He descended, through His Holy Body, in order to save those who believe in Him with unwavering faith.

There exists only one name that we may invoke—the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, "for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12), as proclaimed by the Apostle. Thus, it is a prayer, as we seek Divine favor; a vow, as through calling upon Christ we dedicate ourselves to Him; a confession, for in proclaiming it, Peter was declared blessed; the giving of the Spirit, since "no man can call Jesus Lord, but by the Holy Ghost" (1 Cor. 12:3); and a conduit for Divine gifts, because to Peter, Christ promised, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 16:17-19).

Earlier, those aboard the ship after the tempest declared, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’ (Matt. 14:33), yet they were not called blessed, despite their affirmation. They acknowledged a different Son than Peter. Nathanael exclaimed, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel’ (John 1:49) but he was neither honored as blessed nor commended by the Lord, for he had not yet embraced the full truth. Peter alone was deemed blessed because he recognized Him as the true Son. To clarify that Peter’s declaration was not merely born of affection or flattery, rooted in his love for Jesus Christ, the Lord indicates the source of his inspiration, illustrating that Peter spoke as taught by the heavenly Father. Why did Jesus Christ choose not to directly proclaim, ‘I am the Christ,’ but instead led His disciples to arrive at that confession? It was more fitting and conducive to strengthening their belief in His words at that moment. Do you grasp how the Father reveals the Son and how the Son reveals the Father? No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to disclose Him (Matt. 11:25, 27; Luke 10:22). Therefore, no knowledge of the Son comes except through the Father, and no understanding of the Father exists apart from the Son, demonstrating their equality and shared essence.

In Peter's succinct declaration lies the essence of the Christian doctrine regarding the ‘union of the two natures, which for our salvation the Son of God has blessedly fulfilled in Himself’ (St. Isidore Pelusiot), articulated for the first time by a human mouth. The Venerable John Damascene notes that "Jesus Christ, in His humanity poses the question, while in His divinity secretly guides and inspires Peter's response," commending him for not allowing mere human reasoning to overshadow the divine suggestion he received from the Father. Without such a clear affirmation from humanity concerning the profound mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, the foundation of Christ’s Church on earth could not have been established. Thus, in response to this confession, the Lord addresses Simon Peter with great solemnity and regal grace, speaking not only to him but through him to all who acknowledge the truth of God’s Incarnation: "When I chose you to be My apostles, I called you Peter" (John 1:42). I bestowed upon you the name Peter, which translates in Greek to ‘Petros’ or stone, just as I am the cornerstone (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17).

The phrase "flesh and blood have not revealed it unto you" indicates that 'flesh and blood' often represents humanity, particularly its flaws, in contrast to the perfection of God (as referenced in Galatians 1:16). This statement signifies that Peter's recognition did not come from any human being; rather, it was a revelation from the Father in heaven. Had Peter viewed Jesus merely as a son in a common sense or as one among many, his proclamation would not have warranted divine acknowledgment.

Peter is blessed because he recognized Jesus as the true Son of God. Therefore, Christ specifically addressed Peter in this way, highlighting the divine origin of his insight. This serves to clarify that while Peter spoke these words, it was the Father who imparted this knowledge to him, underscoring that such confessions stem not from human reasoning but from divine understanding.