Matthew 16

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

1  a And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and b to test him c they asked him to show them d a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them ▼
▼ Some manuscripts omit the following words to the end of verse 3
 f “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ g You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret h the signs of the times. 4  i An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So j he left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and k beware of l the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But m Jesus, aware of this, said, n “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9  o Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember p the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or q the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? r Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12  s Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of t the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13  u Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say v John the Baptist, others say w Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied x “You are y the Christ z the Son of aa the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, ab “Blessed are you, ac Simon Bar-Jonah! For ad flesh and blood has not revealed this to you ae but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you af you are Peter, and ag on this rock ▼
▼ The Greek words for  Peter and  rock sound similar
 I will build my church, and ai the gates of aj hell ▼
▼ Greek  the gates of Hades
 shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you al the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and am whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed ▼
▼ Or  shall have been bound . . . shall have been loosed
 in heaven.” 20  ao Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

21  ap From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that aq he must go to Jerusalem and ar suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on as the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! ▼
▼ Or “[May God be] merciful to you, Lord!”
 This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, au “Get behind me, Satan! You are av a hindrance ▼
▼ Greek stumbling block
 to me. For you ax are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him ay deny himself and az take up his cross and follow me. 25 For ba whoever would save his life ▼
▼ The same Greek word can mean either soul or  life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and twice in verse 26
 will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For bc what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or bd what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27  be For the Son of Man is going to come with bf his angels in the glory of his Father, and bg then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not bh taste death bi until they see the Son of Man bj coming in his kingdom.”

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