02 — The Confession and the Keys
The hinge of the whole Petrine question: the confession at Caesarea Philippi — “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” — and the Lord’s answer, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church… I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 16:16–19). This section narrates the scene and then takes up, as the collection’s source-critical centerpiece, the exegesis of “on this rock” and the keys, laying out the full patristic range and the Orthodox and Roman Catholic readings side by side, each cited.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox (Apostle)
No other passage of Scripture has borne so heavy a weight of controversy. On the words spoken at Caesarea Philippi the medieval and modern Roman case for the papacy was built; on their interpretation the Orthodox East and the Latin West have differed for centuries. This section therefore does two things, in order. The first file narrates the confession itself — its setting, its content, and what it reveals about Peter and about Christ. The second is the heart of the collection: a both-sides, both-traditions handling, per METHODOLOGY §4, of “on this rock I will build my church” and “the keys of the kingdom,” setting out the patristic range (the rock as Peter’s confession or faith, as Christ, and as Peter personally), the Orthodox reading of the keys as given to all the apostles (Matt 18:18; John 20:23), and the Roman Catholic reading — each position stated in its strongest form and attributed to its sources.
Files in This Section
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| The Confession at Caesarea Philippi | The setting at the springs of Paneion; the question “Who do men say that I am?”; Peter’s confession “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:13–20); the revelation “not… flesh and blood, but my Father”; the confession as the faith of the Church; the Markan and Lukan parallels. |
| The Rock and the Keys | The centerpiece exegesis: Petros/petra and the Aramaic Kepha; the threefold patristic range on “this rock” (the confession/faith; Christ; Peter); the keys and binding-and-loosing given to all the apostles (Matt 18:18; John 20:23); the Orthodox “primacy of confession” reading set beside the Roman Catholic reading, dated and sourced. |
See Also
- The Call of Simon — where the name Cephas was first given
- Primacy and the Orthodox Reading — how the exegesis bears on the primacy question
- The Church Fathers — the patristic interpreters of Matt 16
- Orthodox vs Catholic — the doctrinal difference for which this text is the battleground
References
- The Holy Bible — Matthew 16:13–20; 18:18; Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–21; John 20:23.
- Cullmann, Oscar. Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1962.
- Chapman, John. Studies on the Early Papacy. London: Sheed & Ward, 1928.
- Meyendorff, John, et al. The Primacy of Peter in the Orthodox Church. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1992.