Matthew 16
New Testament for Everyone
The leaven of the Pharisees
16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tried to catch him out by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 This was his reply to them: “When it’s evening you say, ‘Sky looks like wine, it’s going to be fine.’ 3 And in the morning you say, ‘Red in the sky, rain by and by.’ Well then: you know how to work out the look of the sky, so why can’t you work out the signs of the times? 4 The generation that wants a sign is wicked and corrupt! No sign will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.”
With that, he left them and went away.
5 When the disciples crossed over the lake, they forgot to bring any bread. 6 “Watch out,” said Jesus to them, “and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 They discussed it with each other. “It’s because we didn’t bring any bread,” they said.
8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. “You really are a little-faith lot!” he said. “Why are you discussing with each other that you haven’t got any bread? 9 Don’t you understand, even now? Don’t you remember the five loaves and the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you picked up afterwards? 10 Or the seven loaves and the four thousand, and how many baskets you picked up? 11 Why can’t you see that I wasn’t talking about bread? Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”
12 Then they understood that he wasn’t telling them to beware of the leaven you get in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter’s declaration of Jesus’ messiahship
13 Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. There he put this question to his disciples: “Who do people say that the son of man is?”
14 “John the Baptist,” they replied. “Others say Elijah. Others say Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
15 “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered.
“You’re the Messiah,” he said. “You’re the son of the living God!”
17 “God’s blessing on you, Simon, son of John!” answered Jesus. “Flesh and blood didn’t reveal that to you; it was my father in heaven. 18 And I’ve got something to tell you, too: you are Peter, the rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell won’t overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you tie up on earth will have been tied up in heaven, and whatever you untie on earth will have been untied in heaven.”
20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Jesus predicts his death
21 From then on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day.
22 Peter took him and began to tell him off. “Certainly not, Master!” he said. “That’s never, ever going to happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned on Peter. “Get behind me, satan!” he said. “You’re trying to trip me up! You’re coming at this from a human point of view, not from God’s point of view!”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to come after me, they must give themselves up, and pick up their cross, and follow me. 25 Yes: if someone wants to save their life, they must lose it; and if anyone loses their life for my sake they will find it. 26 What use will it be, otherwise, if you win the whole world but forfeit your true life? What will you give to get your life back? 27 You see, the son of man is going to ‘come in the glory of his father with his angels,’ and then ‘he will reward everyone for the work they have done.’ 28 I’m telling you the truth: some of those standing here will not taste death until they see ‘the son of man coming in his kingdom.’ ”
Matthew 16
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
16 Now the Pharisees and Sadducees came up to Jesus, and they asked Him to show them a sign (spectacular miracle) from heaven [attesting His divine authority].
2 He replied to them, [a]When it is evening you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,
3 And in the morning, It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and has a gloomy and threatening look. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
4 A wicked and morally unfaithful generation craves a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. Then He left them and went away.(A)
5 When the disciples reached the other side of the sea, they found that they had forgotten to bring any bread.
6 Jesus said to them, Be careful and on your guard against the leaven (ferment) of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
7 And they reasoned among themselves about it, saying, It is because we did not bring any bread.
8 But Jesus, aware of this, asked, Why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? O you [men, how little trust you have in Me, how] little faith!
9 Do you not yet discern (perceive and understand)? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many [[b]small hand] baskets you gathered?
10 Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many [[c]large provision] baskets you took up?
11 How is it that you fail to understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But beware of the leaven (ferment) of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
12 Then they discerned that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
13 Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
14 And they answered, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
15 He said to them, But who do you [yourselves] say that I am?
16 Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and [d]to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven.
18 And I tell you, you are [e]Peter [Greek, Petros—a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra—a [f]huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the [g]infernal region) shall [h]not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it].
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth [i]must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth [j]must be what is already loosed in heaven.(B)
20 Then He sternly and strictly charged and warned the disciples to tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised [k]from death.
22 Then Peter took Him aside [l]to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and [m]charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You!
23 But Jesus turned [n]away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are [o]minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [[p]cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].
25 For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life [his blessed [q]life in the kingdom of God]? Or what would a man give as an exchange for his [blessed] [r]life [in the kingdom of God]?
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory (majesty, splendor) of His Father with His angels, and then He will render account and reward every man in accordance with what he has done.
28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in (into) His kingdom.
Footnotes
- Matthew 16:2 Some manuscripts do not have the rest of verse 2 and all of verse 3.
- Matthew 16:9 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies. See also footnote on Matt. 14:20.
- Matthew 16:10 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies. See also footnote on Matt. 14:20.
- Matthew 16:17 Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon.
- Matthew 16:18 The rock on which the church is built is traditionally interpreted as either Peter’s inspired confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah, or it may be Peter himself (see Eph. 2:20).
- Matthew 16:18 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Matthew 16:18 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Matthew 16:18 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 16:19 Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation: “The perfect passive participle, here referring to a state of having been already forbidden [or permitted].”
- Matthew 16:19 Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation: “The perfect passive participle, here referring to a state of having been already forbidden [or permitted].”
- Matthew 16:21 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 16:22 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 16:22 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 16:23 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 16:23 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 16:24 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 16:26 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 16:26 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
