The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 134

obvious and straightforward interpretation gates " here may ropresent th,;, evil design& or Christ's words, or suppose that papal pl111med by the powol's of hell to overthrow: claim~ a.re neoesijnrily supported thereby. the Uhurch, the wiles o.nd ml\ohine.tions of I will build my Church (p.ov .-¾,, bco:>..71ula,). the devil and his angels, Ho.des beiug taken, My Church, not thine. Plainly, therefore, not e.s the abode of the doad, but a.a the the Church was not yet builded. Christ ree.lm of Se.tan. Neither malignant spirits speRks of it as II house, temple, or palnce, nor thdr o.llics, such as sin, persecution, perhaps at the moment gazing on ~ome heresy, shall be e.blo to wreok the eternal castle founded securely on a rock, safo from building which Christ was founding. Oom- flood and storm 11nd hostile Rttack. We biniug the two expositions, we may say that know bow commonly he took Lis illustra- Christ herein promises that neither the tions from objects and scenes around him; power of death nor the power of the devil nud the rocky base or the great castle of shall prevail against it (o:anuxiluouu111 ,.r,. Cmsarea Philippi mny well have supplied .-ijs), shall overpower it, keep it in subjection. the mnteri11l for the metaphor here intro- The pronoun refers doubtless to Church, not duced. The word translated "church" rock, the verb being more applicable to the ( io:o:l\71u/a), is found here for the first time in former than the latter, and the pronoun the New Testament. It is derived from e. being nearer in position to lo:o:>..71u{av. To see verb meaning "to call ontl" and in classical here e.n assure.nee of the infallibility of the Greek denotes the regular legislative as- pope, e.s Rowe.nists do, is to force the word.! sembly of e. people. In the Septuagint it of Scripture most unwe.rre.nte.bly in order to represents the HeLrew l.ahal, the congrega- support e. modern figment which he.a done tion united into one society and forming infinite harm to the ea.use of Christ. As one polity (see Trench, •Synonyms'). The Ere.emus says, "Proinde miror esse, qui name kehila in modem times is applied to locnm hunc detol'queo.nt e.d Rome.num Pon,- e,cry Jewish community whicll hns its own ti.ficem." synagogue and ministers. From the use of Ver. 19.-I will give 'lll1to thee the keys t.1.ie metaphor of o Louse, e.nJ the word of the kingdom of heaven. The metaphor employed to designate the Church, we see of a house or castle, with its gates that must that it was not to be e. mere loose collection be opened with keys, is still mo.intaincd; 011 of items, but e.n organized whole, united, else the idea is of the exercise of e. steward- officered, and permanent. Hence the word ship in e. household. Bot the latter seem& Eccle,ia has been that wLich designated nnneoesse.rily to introduce e. new notion, and the Christian society, and has been handed to mar the concinnity of the passage. In, down and recogniwd in all ages and in all Isa.. xxii. 22 we ree.d, "The key of the house countries. It may be regarded e.s the of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and per.,ooo.l part of that kingdow of heaven he she.11 open, and none shall shut; and he- whlch was to embrace the whole world, shall shut, and none shall open "-where when "the kingdom of the world is become the figure is similar. The deli very of the- the kingdom of our Lord, e.nd of his Christ" keys of e. oi ty, etc., to e. person, symbolizes (Rev. :ri. 15; see Introduction, § x.). The the ha.n<ling over of the authority to that i;e.iea of hell (~oou} shall not prevail person. "The kingdom of heaven" means against it. Hades, which our versiou calls here the visible Church of Christ in its mos, " hell," is the region of the dead, e. gloomy extended form. In this Church, hereafter and desolate place, e.ccording to Jewish to be constituted, Peter personally is pro- tmclition, situe.tA;d in the centre of the earth, mised e. oertain authority. This is e. personal a cite.de! with wells and gates, which ad- reward for his good confession, a.nd e. pre- nutted the souls of men, but opened uot for diction of the way in which he we.~ to exer- their egresa. Tllere are two ways of ex- ciae it. At the s!l.me time, there iii e. change plaining these words, though they both in the figure W:1ed. He who we.a the founda- cun,e to much the same idea. The gates of tion of the Church is now its overseer, e.nd fuueg represent the entrance thereto; and may open or shut its doors, may e.dmit or the LorJ affirlDll that death l!hall have ao exclude whomsoever he will, e.lwe.ys follow- power Ol'er the members of the Church ; ing the guide.nee of the inspiring Spirit, they shall be able to riso superior to its This promise we.s fulfilled after the Day of attacks, even if for e. time they seem to PentecosL It seems to J,e.ve been e.t this, succumb; their triumphant cry shall be, tiwe only promised, not conferred upon " 0 death, where is thy victory? 0 death, Peter. The actual gift of the power to him where is thy stiug? " (I Cor. xv. 55), and I, is brother apostles took ple.ce after the 'l'hrough the grave and gate of death they Resurrection, e.s we read in John xx. 22. ~hall pnss to a joyful resurre1:tion. The other The "power of the keys,'' as it is oe.lled, is ink:rpretation is d,·rh·ed from the fact that conijidered to have two branches- legisla- in Urieotal cities tLo ge.tc ~ tLe scc11e of tive powe: e.n<l on absolving power. 'l'he dt:liberation and cou.w;el. licn~e " the former Peto, exe1cl110d when he took tha en, xvi. 1-28.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 137