3 Keys to the Kingdom

Well it's been a while since my last post. I recently did a study on the book of Acts and in the midst of that study I realized the significance of Matthew 16:13-20 being fulfilled in Acts 2, 8 and 10. Now we all have heard of the Apostle called Peter. He was one of the 12 disciples that walked with Jesus while He was here on earth. Peter seemed over zealous on many occasions for Jesus, cutting off the soldiers ear when they came to arrest Jesus before His crucifixion.(Matt 26:51). The night of Jesus arrest, people recognized Peter as having been with Jesus. But all three times that Peter was asked that question "he denied" knowing Jesus. (Matt 26:69-75) Can you imagine the heartache of denying Jesus when you've been with Him for those 3 1/2 yrs. Yet in our flesh we do deny Him by our actions, flirting with the world. If you think about the transformation of these disciples to apostles. Disciple means learners, Apostle means ambassador or messenger. (Zodhiates Dictionary). As you read the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John you will get the big picture of Jesus earthly ministsry and the life of these disciples. Jesus was so loving and patient with these men, even the two sons of Zebedee who asked Jesus if they could sit, one of His right and one on His left, in Heaven. (Mark 10:35-40). Or when Jesus in Matthew 26 asked them to "keep watching and praying" for one hour but yet sleep overcame them. Isn't that what happens to us at night, weariness from our day, we are trying to pray but next thing you know you've fallen asleep, what's up with that. My heart's intention is to pray but my flesh is weak. Back to the disciples and apostles, we have to remember that the Holy Spirit had not come at that time to permanently indwelt believers. Previous blogs talk about being "baptized with the Holy Spirit". Now Acts is a bridge between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, the church is birthed. The power of the Holy Spirit comes to permanently indwell believers.

Moving onto Peter, who was once a learner from Jesus, Jesus has now ascended on high into Heaven sitting at the right had of the Father forever interceding on our behalf. Awesome Truth, well worth stopping right now and meditating on this Truth. In Acts we see a major change in Peter and the others... they are now called Apostles. Ok, now my brain just took a quick turn to what is an Apostle? Bear with me a moment. From the study on Spiritual Gifts, the gift of Apostle is one sent forth (Vines Dict). We see this in Eph 4:11 "He gave some apostles" Apostle, ambassador. The Lord used the word apostle to indicate the distinctive relation to the twelve whom He chose to be His witnesses, office instituted by Christ. Then we have the word Apostleship - a sending, a missions. The original 12 according to scriptures. Equipping the saints, ,appointed by God, authority over unclean spirits, healed diseases, delegated orders, wonders & signs, they were part of the foundation of the church, they revealed the mysteries of Christ, they discerned false apostles. (Heb 3:1, Eph 4:11-13, I Cor 12:28-29, Matt 10:4, Acts 1:25, 2:43, 5:12, Heb 2:1-4)

In Matthew 16:13-20 we see another encounter of Jesus with His disciples. He asks them an amazing question and guess who answered right Peter! Jesus asking "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" some made a few comments but Peter is the one who says "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" and Jesus response to him was "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but My Father who is in heaven. "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church (future tense) and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Now Peter's name means Petros, now Petros always means a stone, never a rock. It is a large stone, a piece or fragment of a rock, such as a man might throw. Now the word "rock" that Jesus uses is the word "petra" which means massive rock. Now Jesus is telling Peter that upon His confession upon who Jesus is, Jesus will build His church upon that confession, not upon Peter himself. Hint Hint! 3 keys. Now we see this played out in Acts 2 when Jesus laid the foundation of the church among the Jews on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) Samaritans (Acts 8) also among the Gentiles in (Acts 10). I love Ephesians especially about the "mystery of the church" Jew and Gentile in one body. Ephesians 2:19-22 "we are no longer strangers and aliens but we are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles (12) and prophets, Christ Jesus being the corner stone, in whom the whole building being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in hom you also are built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit"
What I see is the 12 disciples learners now being called apostles who were being prepared during Jesus earthly ministry to go forth as messengers with the "gospel" they were eyewitness to Jesus death, burial and resurrection. Who better to help lay the foundation of the church with Christ being the precious corner stone. Now in Peters confession of who Jesus was we go further as to what Jesus told Peter "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven". Zodhiates footnote gives a great explanation of what could be a very difficult passage. "before these verses can be correctly understood, a distinction must be made between the "church" and the kingdom of heavens. The Church is representative of the body of believers here on earth while the kingdom of the heavens is made up of both the earthly and heavenly realms. The teaching here is that those things which are conclusively decided by God in the kingdom of heaven, having been so decided upon, are emulated by the Church on the earth. The Church is made up of true believers who acknowledge the deity of Jesus Christ as Peter did. Christ is the "Rock" upon which the Church is built (I Cor 3:11). There is no reference made here to the binding or loosing of persons".

Hopefully to bring this thought to a conclusion. When we go to Acts we see Peter as the head and mouthpiece of the Twelve. He was the first to confess and the first to deny His Lord and Savior. He was the leading apostle from the day of Pentecost to the Council of Jerusalem. As Jesus told him He would give him the "keys". We see in Acts 3 doors being unlocked for the gospel to go forth. First in Acts 2 to the "Jews", Acts 8 to the "Samaritan" th Acts 10 to the Gentiles.
The mystery of the church is unveiled, Jew and Gentile in one body. There was a foundation to be laid Jesus was preparing these 12 Apostles during His earthly ministry, they were human beings like you and I, yet they were all vessels used by God to do a supernatural work. The foundation has been laid and the building is being built, we the body of Christ are being built upon the confession "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" the gospel. The great commission "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age" Matt 28:19-20. While you are going be a witness that's what the Apostle's did and amazing doors were open. We've been equipped, we are those living stones that make up the church. Our foundation is strong and will never be destroyed because it was built by God Himself. So no matter what the world may say about the Church, the gates of hades will not prevail.
Are you significant, yes so be that living epistle to be seen and read of by all men. Grace to you my friends. Denise