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InChristianity, theConfession of Peter (translated from the MattheanVulgate Latin section title:Confessio Petri) refers to an episode in theNew Testament in which theApostle Peter proclaimsJesus to be theChrist (Jewish Messiah). The proclamation is described in the threeSynoptic Gospels:Matthew 16:13–20,Mark 8:27–30 andLuke 9:18–21.[1][2] Depending on which gospel one reads, Peter either says: 'You are the Messiah' or 'the Christ' (Mark 8:29); or 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God',[1] (Matthew 16:16), or 'God's Messiah' or 'The Christ of God' (Luke 9:20).[3]
The proclamation of Jesus as Christ is fundamental toChristology; the Confession of Peter and Jesus' acceptance of the title "Messiah" form a definitive statement in the New Testament narrative regarding the person of Jesus Christ.[4][5] In this New Testament narrative, Jesus not only accepts the titles Christ andSon of God, but declares the proclamation a divine revelation by stating that hisFather in Heaven had revealed it to Peter, unequivocally declaring himself to be both Christ and the Son of God.[5]
In the same passage Jesus also selects Peter as the leader of theApostles, and states: "Upon this rock I will build my church." MostChristian denominations agree that the statement applies to Peter, but they diverge on their interpretations of what happens after Peter.[6]
The Confession of Peter is also the name of a liturgical feastday celebrated by several Christian churches, often as part of theWeek of Prayer for Christian Unity.[7][8]
The following comparison table is primarily based on theNew International Version (NIV) English translation of the New Testament.[9]
| Passage | Matthew | Mark | Luke |
|---|---|---|---|
| What people say | Matthew 16:13–14
| Mark 8:27–28
| Luke 9:18–19
|
| What the disciples say | Matthew 16:15–16
| Mark 8:29
| Luke 9:20
|
| Jesus selects Peter | Matthew 16:17–19
| ||
| Jesus silences the disciples | Matthew 16:20
| Mark 8:30
| Luke 9:21
|
In the New Testament, thispericope and the account of theTransfiguration of Jesus which follows it appear towards the middle of the Gospel narrative and jointly mark the beginnings of the gradual disclosure of the identity of Jesus to his disciples.[10][11]
The setting is nearCaesarea Philippi, northeast of theSea of Galilee and within theTetrarchy of Philip, and is at the beginning of the final journey toJerusalem which ends in theCrucifixion andResurrection of Jesus.[2]
Peter's Confession begins as a dialogue between Jesus and his disciples inMatthew 16:13,Mark 8:27 andLuke 9:18. Jesus begins to ask about the current opinions about himself among "the multitudes", asking: "Who do the multitudes say that I am?"[2] The disciples provide a variety of the common hypotheses at the time, ranging fromJohn the Baptist toElijah,Jeremiah,[12] or one of the (other)prophets.[2] TheCambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, following Jewish medieval rabbiDavid Kimhi and theologicanJohn Lightfoot, suggests that Jeremiah "is mentioned as a representative of the Prophets, because in theJewish Canon thebook of Jeremiah came first of the Prophets, following thebooks of Kings."[13]
Earlier in the Gospel narrative, these hypotheses about Jesus' identity were provided inMark 6:14-16 by those in the court ofHerod Antipas when he wondered if Jesus was John the Baptist restored to life.[2][14]
In the three Gospel accounts, after asking about the views of "the multitudes", Jesus asks his disciples about their own opinion: "But who do you say that I am?" Only Simon Peter answers him: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God".[1][15]
Only inMatthew 16:17 Jesus blesses Peter for his answer, and later indicates this revelation is the foundational rock of the Church. This begins with:
Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
In blessing Peter, Jesus not only accepts the titlesChrist andSon of God which Peter attributes to him, but declares the proclamation a divine revelation by stating that hisFather in Heaven had revealed it to Peter.[5] In this assertion, by endorsing both titles as divine revelation, Jesus unequivocally declares himself to be both Christ and the Son of God.[5]
The reference to "my Father" is distinguished in that in the New Testament, Jesus never includes other individuals in such references and only refers tohis Father, however when addressing the disciples he usesyour Father, excluding himself from the reference.[16]
InMatthew 16:18 Jesus then continues:
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
The word "Peter" in this verse is, in Greek, "petros", while this "rock" is "petra". It is a play on words, but if the original language was Aramaic the word in both cases is simply "kepha". A distinction thatpetros meant a stone andpetra a solid piece of rocky ground is sometimes suggested, but Greek use in antiquity seems to have been less precise.[17]
The word "church" (ekklesia in Greek), as used here, appears in the Gospels only once more, inMatthew 18:17, and refers to the community of believers at the time.[4] The "gates of hell" (ofHades) refers to the underworld, and the abode of the dead, and refers to the powers opposed to God not being able to triumph over the church.[18] Thekeys of the kingdom of heaven refer to the metaphor of theKingdom of Heaven being a "place to be entered" as also used inMatthew 23:13, where the entrance to it can be shut.[18]
Peter's authority is further confirmed by: "Whatsoever thou shaltbind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." As discussed below, various Christian denominations have assigned different interpretations to the authority granted in this passage.[citation needed]
All three of the Synoptic Gospels end the account with Jesus telling the disciples not to reveal that he was the Messiah to anyone—an instance of the motif of theMessianic Secret.[citation needed]
Various Christian denominations interpretMatthew 16:18 in different ways. Although most denominations agree that the statement applies to Peter, they diverge on their interpretations of what happens after Peter.[6]
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In theRoman Catholic Church, Jesus' words "upon this rock I will build my church" are interpreted as the foundation of the doctrine of thepapacy, whereby the Church of Christ is founded upon Peter and his successors, the Bishops of Rome.[20] Jesus' next statement, "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." are interpreted as the foundation of the doctrine ofpapal infallibility.[21]
SomeProtestants believe that the verse states that Peter was the foundation stone of the Church, but do not accept that it applies to the continuous succession of popes, as the Bishops of Rome. The statement "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" is usually taken to mean that the Church will never become extinct.[6][21] SomeProtestant evangelical groups adhere to the interpretation that it is Peter's "confession" itself that is "the rock on which will be built the Church of Jesus", i.e., the church will be built on Jesus alone as the foundation stone of his church. This interpretation usually uses the argument of the difference betweenpetros andpetra in Greek ("You are Peter [petros] and on this rock [petra] I will build my church.")
TheEastern Orthodox andOriental Orthodox churches see Jesus' words "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" as bestowing first upon Peter what was later bestowed upon all of the Apostles collectively. The Orthodox believe in theinfallibility of the Church as a whole, but that any individual, regardless of their position, can be subject to error.[6]
Ecumenical meetings among different denominations have taken place regarding these interpretations, but no final agreement has emerged.[6]
TheRoman Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of theChair of St. Peter on 22 February in theGeneral Roman Calendar. In theGeneral Roman Calendar of 1960, the feast is celebrated on 18 January. SomeAnglican andLutheran churches celebrate the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter on 18 January.[8]
The Confession of Peter is the beginning of theWeek of Prayer for Christian Unity, actually anoctave rather than a week, and was originally known as the Octave of Christian Unity. It is an international Christian ecumenical observance that began in 1908. It spans from 18 January to 25 January (theFeast of the Conversion of Saint Paul).[8]
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| Preceded by | New Testament Events | Succeeded by |
