Peter’s Confession of Christ

¹³ Now when Jesus went into the ^[a]region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”^{(A) 14} And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I say to you that you are ^[b]Peter, and on this ^[c]rock I will build My church; and the ^[d]gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ].^{(B) 19} I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth ^[e]will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth ^[f]will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”^{(C) 20} Then He gave the disciples strict orders to tell no one that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).