The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 131

may he.ve ghen rise to this idea.. The rour Person and work of Christ. Herdn Pder populnr opinions here mentioned showed BCknowledges Jesue to be the true Messiah, two fo.cts-thnt Jesus hl\d a high reputntion commissioned and sent by Ood to reveal hie among his contemporaries, e.nd thnt he wna will to man, 0.nd e.ccomplisl,ing all that the by none e.t this time rege.rded e.s the prophets had foretold concerning him; no Messie.h. Even those who, e.fter certain or mere man, not even the moat exalted of his marvellous works, had been ready to men (which common opinion hel,l,iHeasiah honoUJ' him with that title, soon cooled in to be) but the Son of God, of the substance their ardour, and, checked by his reserve of the Fnther, begotten from everlasting, and the slanders of the Pharisees, learned God of God, perfect God and perfect man, to aee in him only a wonder-worker or a Son of God and Son of man. Such was precursor of the expected Prince and Peter's fo.ith. The Church has added Liberator. nothing to it, though she bas amplified Ver. 15.-:But whom (tDho) say ye that I and explained and illustrated it in her am 1 More emphatic in the Greek, ''tµ.••• Creeds; for it comprises belief in Christ's II~ "'"" µ.• Al-y,-r• •Tvm,; But ye, tDho do ye Messiahship, Divinity, Incarnation, person- say that I am f This was the important 1\lity, and the momentous issues depending question to which the previous one led. thereon. We' need not suppose that Peter Ye, who .have shared my life and received understood all this or speculated on the my teaching, witnessed my miracles and question how these severe.I attributes were have been endued by me with supernatural united in Christ. He was content to ac- powers, ye know better than the people, cept and acknowledge the troth, waiting whose crude opinions you have heard and patiently for further light. This is the recounted; so tell plainly what yon believe attitude which Christ approves. of me : who you think and say that I am? Ver. 17.-J'eaus answered and said unto A momentous inquiry I upon which hung him. This weighty and momentous answer the foundation of the Christian Church. is given alone by St. Matthew. St. Mark, Their knowledge of the real nature of Jesus who wrote under the instruction of Peter, was now to be tested. and for Roman Christians, mentions it not; Ver. 16.-Sim6n Peter a.nswered and said, the other two evangelists o.re equally silent, 'l'he ardent Peter, when all were asked, having evidently not understood the special replies in the name of the rest, giving, how- importance attached to it. J!lessed art thou, ever, his own personal sentiment and belief, Simon Bar-jou. "Blessed,'' e.s in the as we see from Christ's answer (ver. I 7). sermon on the mount (eh. v), expressing Some of the others probably would have 11 solemn benediction, not II mere encomium. been less ready to make the same confession ; Peter was highly favoured by o. special but in his vehement loyalty, Peter silences revelation from God. Christ calls him "son all hesitation, and declares boldly what of Jona," to intimate that Peter'~ confes.sion must be the conviction of all his comrades. is true-that he himself is as nature.Uy and He speaks out the persuasion wrought in truly Son of God as Peter is son of Jone.. his soul by Divine grace. Thou art the So Christ addresses him when he restores Christ {d Xp,o-.,.~•), the Son of the living God, the fallen apostle at the See. of G e.lilee The Christ; the Anointed, the Messiah. after the second miraculous draught of The Son of God ; of the so.me substance, one fishes, reminding him of his frail human with the Father. Liuing; as a.lone" havrng nature in the face of great spiritunl privi- life in himself," "the living nnd true God" leges (John xxi. 15, etc.; comp. i. 42). (John v. 26; 1 These. i. 9). The so.me (or Simon would be the name given at bitt neo.rly the same) confession wo.s made by circumcision; Be.r-jono, n patronymic to dis- Peter in the name of all. the e.postles at tinguish him from otliers of the so.me no.me. Cepernl\um (John vi. 69); but the sense of For (8T1), This introduces the reason w liy the expression WI\S different, and sprung Christ Ol\lls him "Blessed." Flesh and from very different conviction. It referred blood. This is II phrase to expres~ the ideQ rather to the subjective view of Christ's of the natural man, with his natural endow- che.raoter, e.s it influenced the believer's in- ments and faculties. So St. Pllul says ward assure.nee of the source of eternal life. (Gal. i. 16), "I conrerred not with flesh aud Here the acknowledgment concerns the blood;" and" Our;wrestling is not against nature, office, e.nd Person of our Lord. flesh and blood" (Eph. vi. 12). The Son That there was some special distinction of Sire.oh speaks of " the generation of flesh between the two enuncintions is evident and blood" (Eoclus. xiv. 18). No naturul from Christ's unique commendation of Peter sagacity, study,or discernment had revealed on this occasion oompo.red with his silence the great truth. None of these had over- on the former. The present confession is come slowness of apprehension, prejudict1• indeed o. noble one, containing itself II com- of education, slackness· of faith. No un- pendium of the Ce.tholic faith ouncerning the regenerate mortal man h&d taught him the  134 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [oa. xvi. 1-28.