Talk:Keys of the Kingdom: Difference between revisions

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Question - What else could Jesus have said that could have made His                    answer any plainer than the words which He said in Matthew                    16:19.
Question - What else could Jesus have said that could have made His                    answer any plainer than the words which He said in Matthew                    16:19.


Remember now, we are reading with an open mind. We know from Verse 18, that Jesus words are directed straight to the Apostle Peter. Listen carefully to what Jesus says, “I say unto Peter, upon this rock I will build
Remember now, we are reading with an open mind. We know from Verse 18, that Jesus words are directed straight to the Apostle Peter. Listen carefully to what Jesus says, “I say unto Peter, upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against It.” Verse 19, “And I will give unto thee the keys to this kingdom.”  
my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against It.” Verse 19, “And I will give unto thee the keys to this kingdom.”  
   
   


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These are great words of comfort and encouragement to the obedient believers.   
These are great words of comfort and encouragement to the obedient believers.   


Question - When will we ever learn? There is a word that Peter uses back in Matthew 16:16, that needs discussing. and I just could not find the right time in our discussion to bring it up. So, we will do that now. Now lets notice what Peter says here, and lets not forget these are not only the words of Peter, but these words are really coming straight from the mouth of God. Lets now read these words from Verse 16. “Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God.” The word living, that Peter uses here is a very important word to God. Question - Why is the word living so important to God? Answer - In the Old Testament time period, we can read from its words                  and find out that most nations had their own so called gods,                  such as the gods of Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Phoenicia, Syria,                  Moab, Edom, Tyre, the Philistines, the Amorites, and many                  others. Question - Were these living gods? Answer - No, they were not. We read in Isaiah 2:8, “They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.” Isaiah 2: 20, “Man makes their own idols of silver and gold for themselves, and then bow down and worship these idols, as their own gods. “Daniel 5:4, “They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.”There are many, many, verses that say these same things. These nations that are mentioned above, made their own gods and then set down and worshiped them. The point that I am trying to prove is this. All these gods
Question - When will we ever learn?  
5that the nations of the people worshiped, were dead gods. None of them were living gods. The Jewish people were knowledgeable about these gods. So, God wanted them to know that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He is a living God, and not a dead god like the nations of the world worship.  To help us to better understand that God gave the keys to the kingdom to Peter only, lets turn our Bibles to Acts 15:7. It says, “And when there had been much disputing, ( we must notice who stood up and what they said. ) Peter rose up, and said unto them, men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth, should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.” Isn’t It Wonderful, When We Let The Scriptures Answer Our Questions, And Not Man. Did we notice that Peter leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind on what he means by using this word “CHOICE”. He said, that It was God, who made a “choice” among us. Now lets read, Matthew 16:17 again. It says, “Blessed art thou, Peter: for flesh And blood has not revealed this unto you, but God the Father did.” Notice, this Is exactly what was said In Acts 15:7. Now we can know also, who the “Us” was referring to in this verse. It was referring to the 12 apostles in Matthew 16:13. Really, this Is easy to understand, If we will read carefully what Peter is saying here in Acts 15:7 Peter says, “By my mouth, the Gentiles will hear the word of the gospel, and believe”. In just plain words Jesus is saying, that He was giving the keys of the kingdom of God to the apostle Peter only, because that was  God’s choice. Question - How long will the key message be in effect? Answer - Until the end of the world. Lets read Hebrews 13:8, “Christ Jesus the same, yesterday, and to day, and forever”. That means that Jesus will never change this key message, as long as this world stands. Now listen to this, man can change this key message to anything that he chooses, but, that will not change the fact, that God chose the apostle Peter, to give the keys of the kingdom to. God will never change His mind. If He did that would make God a liar, would it not, and that is not possible. Hebrews 6:18 says so. We must program our minds with the truth of God’s word, and then have the boldness to proclaim it. If we will practice this, then God is glorified instead of man. So far, we have learned that the kingdom of God and the church that Jesus built are the same thing. We also learned, that, the kingdom of God had not yet come. We can also read about that in Mark 9:1, where Jesus said to His disciples, “Verily I say
6unto you, that there be some of you that are standing here, which will not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”  Note: There are millions of religious people in the world today, who believe that Jesus failed to set up His kingdom on earth, but, He will do so, just before the end of the world, and He will reign here on this earth a thousand years. Can we not see what they have done? They have done “exactly” what Jesus says in John 8:43. They did not hear what Jesus said in Mark 9:1, “That this generation of people who are standing here, will not die till they shall see the kingdom of God come with power.” We can read, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and the kingdom of God is always something that is going to happen In the future. Jesus had the keys, to the kingdom, but it was not God’s plan for Jesus to live in the flesh till the kingdom came. So the keys of the kingdom had to be passed on to someone else, before Jesus’ death on the cross.  God made the decision for Jesus to give the keys to the kingdom, to the apostle Peter before Jesus died. Jesus’ death was necessary before the kingdom of God could come. We read this in Acts 20:28, where it says, “The church of God, which He ( Jesus ) purchased with His own blood.” so, “Jesus purchased His own church, with His own blood.” Now God’s plan for redeeming fallen man, is ready for Peter to reveal the key message, on how to enter into the church or kingdom that Jesus built.  In Acts 2:38, we can read the key message on how to enter into the churchthat Jesus built. From this moment on, the church is referred to as being in existence. God knew that it was very important for Jesus to spend some time with the apostles, after He was resurrected from the dead. They already knew that Jesus had been crucified and buried in a tomb. God in His wisdom knew that the apostles  must spend some fact revealing time with Jesus, so they could be filled with His actual presence among them.  Now, lets read how God accomplishes this. In Acts 1:2-3, we read where Jesus showed Himself to His apostles, alive, by many infallible proofs, being seen by them 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. It would have been impossible for the apostles to have preached the good news of the resurrected Christ, with all the conviction that was needed, to persuade the people that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead, and had ascended back to His heavenly  Father, without spending a lot of time with Him. In Acts 1: 9, “After Jesus had finished speaking to His apostles, they watched Him, as He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” Verse 12  says, “Then they returned to Jerusalem.” At this time there were only 11 apostles, because Judas had hung himself. So, while
7they were at Jerusalem, they decided it was the right time, to fulfill the prophecy that we read about in Verse 20. So, in Verse 26, “They cast forth their lots and Matthias was chosen to take the place of Judas.” Now, they again have 12 apostles. They are now ready for one of the greatest events that ever happened in this world, and that was the establishing of the kingdom of God on this earth. The apostles are now ready for this great event. The apostle Peter is filled with excitement, ready to unlock the door to the church that Jesus has just purchased with His own blood. When Peter gave the key message, on how to become a member of Jesus’ church, there was 3,000 that obeyed Peter’s key message, and we read in Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added them to the church.”  What a wonderful beginning for the Lord’s church. We read in Acts 2:14, where all 12 of the apostles stood up together. Peter will answer the question about who had the keys to the kingdom, if we will read this verse with an open mind. Lets listen to what he said. “I lifted up my voice”, and then He says in this same verse, “Hearken unto my voice.” We must notice, that He did not say, “Hearken unto our voice”. Doesn’t God’s word make it easy to understand debatable subjects, If we will just read with an open mind, instead of reading it with our minds made up on what we believe? God knew by having the other eleven apostles stand up with Peter, while he was unlocking the door to the kingdom ( church ), it gave great witness, that they were all in “one accord”, and they were all aware who Jesus had given the keys to, and they had no problem in honoring that. Praise The Lord For His Wisdom! We All Know What The Purpose Of A Key Is. It Is The Instrument That Is Used To Unlock The Door Of Entrance Into Something. On the subject that we are studying, The key will unlock the door of entrance into the church, or the kingdom of God, upon this earth. We can read in Acts 2:38, the man who Jesus gave the keys to was the apostle Peter. The Jews in Verse 37 had just cried out, “What shall we do”?  Now listen closely to what the key message was. Peter said in Verse 38, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Please Listen Carefully To The Following Words.  This was by far the greatest and the most important day for the Jewish people in their entire lives. Question - Why? Answer - They were in bondage to a law that they were unable to keep.                That law was called the law of Sin and Death - Romans 8: 1-2.
8If we really want to know, what this day meant to the Jews, we must read it from the mouth of one of the greatest Jewish men That ever lived, after the door of the kingdom of God was unlocked. The name of that man was the great apostle Paul.  Lets begin reading in Romans 7:24, and read through Romans 8: 1-4. In these verses, Paul tells us about how life was under this law. He says in ( Romans 7:24, “That he was a wretched man”, while living under this law. He also says, “My greatest desire was to be delivered from it”. And in Verse 25, “he thanks God for being delivered from it.”  This was made possible, when Jesus died on the cross, and purchased the church, with His own blood. Then the apostle Peter took the keys that Jesus gave him, and unlocked the door to the kingdom of God upon the earth, and made it possible, that man’s past sins could be forgiven him, by obeying this key message that was given by Peter on the day of Pentecost, that we read about in  Acts 2. Paul continues on by saying in Romans 8:1, “I have obeyed the gospel and now I am a free man, and now there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, and are walking after the Spirit, and not after the flesh.”            Praise God for This Great Day.  Peter has now completed his first assignment from Jesus, and that was to preach the First key message to the Jewish nation. But Peter’s work Is not over yet. He must also preach the First key message to the Gentiles. Now, lets turn our Bibles to Acts 10:1-6. Here we read in Verse 1, “A man who is a Gentile, who’s name is Cornelius.” Question - How do we know he was a Gentile? Answer - In Acts 10:28, It says that “he was a man of another nation.” God has now made His decision, that the time is right, to open the door of the church or kingdom to the Gentiles. Lets read Acts 10:5, what God tells Cornelius to do. He says “ Send men to Joppa and call for one, Simon, whose surname is Peter.”  There is a great truth again revealed in this verse. Did we notice it? “God told Cornelius to call for one man” ( not 12 men ).  We read in Acts 10:34-35, where Peter begins his sermon by saying, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth God and works righteousness, is accepted with Him.” We then read in Acts 10:48, “he then ended his sermon by commanding them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” At this time in our study, there is something very important that we need to talk about.
9Question - How many doors will a single key unlock? Answer - ONE DOOR. Question - What happens when we use another key on that same door? Answer - IT WILL NOT UNLOCK IT. Question - What was the key message that was given to these believing                    Jews from the apostle Peter? Answer - “Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins, and then                  you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The Key Message Unlocked The Door To God’s Kingdom, And 3,000 Souls Entered In. Question - Do we really believe that God’s word is true, and will last until                  the end of time? Answer - There are millions, and millions, of religious people today who                  do not practice this to be a true saying. For example - the                  apostle Peter said to the believing Jews, to “Repent, and be                  baptized for the remission of sins.” Question - What does the majority of religious preachers and teachers say                  about the truth of God’s word, that Peter has revealed unto                    the world? Answer - Listen carefully to what they are saying today. Believe and say                the sinners prayer, and at that moment you will receive the gift                    of the Holy Spirit.  Question - Is this the key that Jesus gave to the apostle Peter? Answer - NO, IT IS NOT.  Question - Will it open the door to the church?  Answer - NO, IT WILL NOT. Question - Have we forgotten what Samuel said to King Saul, when he did                    not do, what God said for him to do?  Answer - Lets read it again in 1 Samuel 15:22-23, “When we fail to                hearken unto the words of God.” The prophet Samuel tells Saul,                  in Verse 23, “That is rebellion, and that is as the sin of witch                  craft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry, because they                  have rejected the word of the Lord.” Question - Do we have any scriptures that tells us that God has changed                    His mind about being disobedient to His word? Answer - No, We Do Not. We must give serious attention to Hebrews 10:30-31, “Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense  saith the Lord. And again, the Lord
10shall judge His people.” Verse 31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  God, does not leave us in the dark on how He feels about disobedience to His words. It is completely left up to us, whether to believe what God says, or to disbelieve what God says. There is another key word that we must give attention to in Acts 10:5. “God tells Cornelius to send men to Joppa and call for one, Simon, whose surname is Peter.” Note: God did not call ( for 12 men ) “He said to call for one man and his name was Peter.” Question - Do we need to say more on this subject about, who had the                    keys to God’s kingdom on this earth? I Think Not, But For Me And My House, We Will Stand On The Word Of God, And Not On The Words Of Men.  In the text in which we are discussing, there has been much said by man On the last part of Matthew 16:19, where Jesus says, “And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Question - We must understand, who Jesus is talking to in this verse. Answer - Jesus makes it very plain who he is talking to in Matthew 16:                16-18. If we will read these verses with an open mind, we will                  know the truth on the subject that we are studying    Question - In Verse 19, is Jesus statement, addressed to the 12                      apostles or to Peter only? Answer - To answer this question, lets start at Verse 15. “Jesus said unto them, ( them here means, the 12 apostles ), but whom say                ye that I am?” We then must turn our full attention to Verse 16,                “and Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ the Son of                  the living God.” Question - Who answered Jesus? Answer - Peter Did! ( not the 12 ) Now we must listen closely to what Jesus says in Verse 17. “Jesus answered and said unto him.” ( Note - not the 12 ). Jesus even calls him by name, So There will be no confusion to whom Jesus is talking to. Lets notice what Jesus says, “Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jo-na” ( Note - not The12 ). Now we must note what Jesus says in Verse 18. “Thou art Peter.”  Jesus leaves no doubt in our minds who He is talking To. “Jesus says thou art Peter”, ( Note - not the 12 ). Now in Verse 19, we should all know by now that Jesus’ words are directed only to the apostle Peter. ( Note - not
11the 12 ). Notice how Jesus begins Verse 19. He says, “ I will give unto thee. This word “thee” is used in the singular, and not in the plural, which means that Jesus’ words are still addressed to Peter only. ( not the 12 ). Now lets read the rest of the verse. Jesus says, “And I will give unto thee, the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind one earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” We must notice in this Verse 19, that the same person who has the keys to the kingdom, is the same person who receives the binding and the loosening. We must notice, that Jesus does not make a separation in this verse, which means that Jesus did not give the keys of the kingdom to Peter only, and then, give the binding and the loosening  to all 12 of the apostles. This is what most commentary writers say, but please notice Jesus did not say that. We must not get Matthew 18:18, confused with  Matthew 16:19. These are two completely different teachings, in these two  verses. In Matthew 16:15-19, the subject is “Which one of the 12 apostles, will God choose to preach “The First gospel sermon to the Jews”, and also the Firstgospel sermon to the Gentiles”, and “Whatever this key message is, will be bound on earth, and also bound in heaven, and whatsoever is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven.” We find out what the key message was in Acts 2:38, and that the message which will be bound on earth and heaven, will honor that binding. This means that the key message that the apostle Peter gave in Acts 2:38 will be bound on earth, and no one in heaven will ever change it. Thank God For His Unchanging Nature.  Now lets read Matthew 18:18, where Jesus says, “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” We must pay attention to who Jesus is talking to in this verse. We can find our answer in Matthew 18:1. It reads, “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus.” Question - Who was Jesus talking to in Matthew 18:18? Answer - The 12 Apostles. Question - What is The purpose of this meeting between Jesus and the 12                    apostles? Answer - The 12 Apostles Wants To Know Who Is The Greatest In              The Kingdom.


There is a word that Peter uses back in Matthew 16:16, that needs discussing. and I just could not find the right time in our discussion to bring it up. So, we will do that now. Now lets notice what Peter says here, and lets not forget these are not only the words of Peter, but these words are really coming straight from the mouth of God. Lets now read these words from Verse 16.


“Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God.”


The word living, that Peter uses here is a very important word to God.


Question - Why is the word living so important to God?


whatever you bind on earth, will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth, will be loosed in heaven.  Now lets read a few verses that will show us how God was in full control of every word, that the apostles said when they were giving instructions to others on how to become a Christian, and also on how to live a Christian life. Lets begin by reading 2Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by the inspiration of God.” Question - What does that mean? Answer - In the Greek, the word “INSPIRATION” means - God breathed,                 inspired by God, referring to communication from Diety. Question - Do we have a verse of scripture that tells us when this                    happens to the apostles? Answer - Now open our Bibles to John 20:21-22, “Then said Jesus to                the apostles, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me,                 even so I send you. Verse 22, “And when Jesus had said this,                 He breathed on them, and said unto them, “Receive ye the Holy                Ghost”. Now lets listen carefully to Verse 23, “Whosesoever sins ye                remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain,                 they are retained.” These verses should really help us to see what is really taking place, when the apostles are giving Instructions to people, concerning the kingdom of God. It is God speaking through the mouth of the apostles. There Is Something Else That We Could Say A Word Or Two About Before We End Our Discussion. Question - Did The 12 apostles know what the keys to the kingdom was                    before Acts 2:38? Answer - We must read several scriptures to answer this question. Lets                      start at Mark 1:14-15. “Now after that John was put in                  prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the                 kingdom of God, saying the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of                  God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”                 Now lets read Matthew 10:32-33. Jesus said, “ Whosoever                  therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also                  before my Father which is In heaven, But whosoever shall deny                  me, before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in                  heaven.”                 Lets turn our Bibles to Luke 13:3. Jesus said, “I tell you,                  nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” 
Answer - In the Old Testament time period, we can read from its words                  and find out that most nations had their own so called gods,                 such as the gods of Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Phoenicia, Syria,                  Moab, Edom, Tyre, the Philistines, the Amorites, and many                  others.
14                Then in John 3:3, when Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, and                   Jesus tells him “Verily , verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be                  born again he cannot  see the kingdom of God.”                And then In John 3:5, Jesus says, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee,                 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into                  the kingdom of God.”                  We read in John 8:24 where Jesus says, “Ye shall die in your                  sins: for If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Now, lets notice what these verses are saying unto us. That Jesus knows all about the coming kingdom of God, and has revealed what the keys to the kingdom of God are, but the apostles have not understood this. Lets pay close attention to what Jesus has revealed, concerning the keys to the kingdom of God:              1. The Gospel Must Be Preached. - Mark 1: 14-15              2. Hearing Must Take Place. - Mark 1: 14-15              3. Faith Comes By Hearing. - Mark 1: 14-15              4. Repentance Must Take Place. - Luke 13:3-5              5. Confession Must Be MADE. - Matthew 10: 32-33    6. Baptism Must Take Place In Water.  - John 3: 5  It seems, that the apostles had not put the keys to the kingdom of God in their hearts at this time, because of what Mark 16:14, says about the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. “Jesus appeared unto his eleven apostles as they set at meat, and upbraided them because of their unbelief and hardness of heart.” Maybe a better example of the apostles unbelief can be found in John 20:25, where Thomas said, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger Into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Question - What is the time, from in Jesus life, when these things are                    taking place? Answer - After The Resurrection. So, this should really help us In our search for our answer to the question, DID THE APOSTLES KNOW WHAT THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM WERE BEFORE ACTS 2:38? I don’t believe they did, because they did not even believe at this time. Another verse that we can read at this time, that will really help us is found in John 14:26. Jesus is talking to his apostles and says, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
 
15He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Now, lets Go to Acts 2:1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” ( The 12 apostles ). Now notice Verse 4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.” Here we find John 14:26 being fulfilled. Did we notice, when we go to the scriptures and study with an open mind, how easy God can make these questions. Question - Was any one else, ever given the authority to use the keys of                     the keys of the kingdom, after Peter preached the First                  gospel sermon to the Jews, and then about ten years later, he                      Preached the First gospel sermon to the Gentiles? Answer - Lets again go to the scriptures to find our answer. We read in                Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus said, “ All power is given                  unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all                  nations, baptizing them In the name of the Father, and of the                 Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things                  whatsoever I have commanded you: And, lo, I am with you                  always, even unto the end of the world.” Question - Who was Jesus talking to in Verse 19, when He said,                    “Go ye”? Answer - The Apostles. Question - Who was Jesus talking about  in Verse 19, when He said,                    “Baptize them”? Answer - Every Obedient Believer In All Nations. ( Brethren, That’s              Me, And That’s You ). Question - What are we to teach them? Answer - All Things That I Have Commanded You To TeachNow, All baptized believers have the same responsibility as the apostles had. Lets read Romans 1:16. We must feel exactly like the apostle Paul felt when he said, “For I am Not Ashamed Of The Gospel of Christ: For It Is The Power Of God Unto Salvation To Every One That Believeth; To The Jew First, And Also To The Greek.” Lets notice in this verse, that the apostle Paul feels the same thing that God has shared with Peter, and that was to the Jews First, and then to the Gentiles.  There is one more verse, that needs to be brought to our attention, before we bring this lesson to a close. And that is, after we have learned the truth, lets pray the same prayer that Peter and John prayed in Acts 4:29. “Grant unto thy servants that with all boldness, we will speak God’s word to others.” There Is a saying, that one picture is worth a thousand words. Please look at the next page.  
Question - Were these living gods?
16 Jesus by his own mouth, gave the blue prints of this key message in the gospel for all of us to read. and then we read in Matthew 16:19, where Jesus promised the apostle Peter, that He would give To him only,          This Key Message. The responsibility                  that Peter now has, is to preach                    the First gospel for man to the                          Jews, and then at a later date,                           God would determine when                              the time was right, for                                  Peter to preach the First                                  gospel sermon to the                                   Gentiles. We can read in                                  Acts the 2nd Chapter,                                    where Peter preached                                  the First key message to                                the Jews, and then in the                               10th chapter of Acts, We                          can read where Peter                    preached the First gospel          sermon to the Gentiles.  Listed below is The Blue Print that Jesus                                                  gave to Peter. This is the only blue print that                                                  Jesus ever gave. It was given for all                                                  people, this earth. Acts 2:39. This key                                                    message will never change                                                - Matthew 24: 35, and 1 Peter 1:  25.                                                   Question - How many doors will this key Open.                                                                               Answer - ONE. The door to the church.                                                   Question - What if we left off notch 5 from                   key? Would it still unlock the door?                                                  Answer - No.                                                  Question - What if we left off notch 6 from                      key? Would it still unlock the door? Answer - No. 1.  Mark 1:14, - THE GOSPEL - Must first be preached.                                       2. Mark 1:14, - HEARING - Must take place.                                        3. Mark 1:15, - FAITH - In the Gospel.                                          4. Luke 13:3-5, - REPENTANCE - Willing to turn from sin.                                        5. Matthew 10:32-33, - CONFESSION - confess                                                          that Jesus  is Lord.                      6. John 3:3-5, - BAPTISM IN WATER - For      re- mission of sins.
 
Answer - No, they were not.  
 
We read in Isaiah 2:8, “They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.” Isaiah 2: 20, “Man makes their own idols of silver and gold for themselves, and then bow down and worship these idols, as their own gods. “Daniel 5:4,
 
“They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.”There are many, many, verses that say these same things. These nations that are mentioned above, made their own gods and then set down and worshiped them. The point that I am trying to prove is this. All these gods  that the nations of the people worshiped, were dead gods. None of them were living gods. The Jewish people were knowledgeable about these gods. So, God wanted them to know that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He is a living God, and not a dead god like the nations of the world worship.
 
 
To help us to better understand that God gave the keys to the kingdom to Peter only, lets turn our Bibles to Acts 15:7. It says, “And when there had been much disputing, ( we must notice who stood up and what they said. ) Peter rose up, and said unto them, men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth, should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.”  
 
Isn’t It Wonderful, When We Let The Scriptures Answer Our Questions, And Not Man. Did we notice that Peter leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind on what he means by using this word “CHOICE”. He said, that It was God, who made a “choice” among us.
 
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Now lets read, Matthew 16:17 again. It says, “Blessed art thou, Peter: for flesh And blood has not revealed this unto you, but God the Father did.” Notice, this Is exactly what was said In Acts 15:7. Now we can know also, who the “Us” was referring to in this verse. It was referring to the 12 apostles in Matthew 16:13. Really, this Is easy to understand, If we will read carefully what Peter is saying here in Acts 15:7 Peter says, “By my mouth, the Gentiles will hear the word of the gospel, and believe”.
 
In just plain words Jesus is saying, that He was giving the keys of the kingdom of God to the apostle Peter only, because that was  God’s choice. Question - How long will the key message be in effect? Answer - Until the end of the world. Lets read Hebrews 13:8, “Christ Jesus the same, yesterday, and to day, and forever”.
 
That means that Jesus will never change this key message, as long as this world stands. Now listen to this, man can change this key message to anything that he chooses, but, that will not change the fact, that God chose the apostle Peter, to give the keys of the kingdom to. God will never change His mind. If He did that would make God a liar, would it not, and that is not possible.
 
Hebrews 6:18 says so. We must program our minds with the truth of God’s word, and then have the boldness to proclaim it. If we will practice this, then God is glorified instead of man. So far, we have learned that the kingdom of God and the church that Jesus built are the same thing. We also learned, that, the kingdom of God had not yet come.  
 
 
We can also read about that in Mark 9:1, where Jesus said to His disciples, “Verily I say
6unto you, that there be some of you that are standing here, which will not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” 
 
Note: There are millions of religious people in the world today, who believe that Jesus '''failed to set up His kingdom on earth, but, He will do so,''' just before the end of the world, and He will reign here on this earth a thousand years. Can we not see what they have done?
 
They have done “exactly” what Jesus says in John 8:43. They did not hear what Jesus said in Mark 9:1, “That this generation of people who are standing here, will not die till they shall see the kingdom of God come with power.
 
We can read, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and the kingdom of God is always something that is going to happen In the future. Jesus had the keys, to the kingdom, but it was not God’s plan for Jesus to live in the flesh till the kingdom came.
 
So the keys of the kingdom had to be passed on to someone else, before Jesus’ death on the cross. God made the decision for Jesus to give the keys to the kingdom, to the apostle Peter before Jesus died. Jesus’ death was necessary before the kingdom of God could come.  
 
 
We read this in Acts 20:28, where it says, “The church of God, which He ( Jesus ) purchased with His own blood.” so, “Jesus purchased His own church, with His own blood.” Now God’s plan for redeeming fallen man, is ready for Peter to reveal the key message, on how to enter into the church or kingdom that Jesus built.
 
In Acts 2:38, we can read the key message on how to enter into the church that Jesus built. From this moment on, the church is referred to as being in existence. God knew that it was very important for Jesus to spend some time with the apostles, after He was resurrected from the dead.
 
they already knew that Jesus had been crucified and buried in a tomb. God in His wisdom knew that the apostles must spend some fact revealing time with Jesus, so they could be filled with His actual presence among them. 
 
Now, lets read how God accomplishes this. In Acts 1:2-3, we read where Jesus showed Himself to His apostles, alive, by many infallible proofs, being seen by them 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. It would have been impossible for the apostles to have preached the good news of the resurrected Christ, with all the conviction that was needed, to persuade the people that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead, and had ascended back to His heavenly  Father, without spending a lot of time with Him.
 
In Acts 1: 9, “After Jesus had finished speaking to His apostles, they watched Him, as He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” Verse 12  says, “Then they returned to Jerusalem.”
 
At this time there were only 11 apostles, because Judas had hung himself. So, while  they were at Jerusalem, they decided it was the right time, to fulfill the prophecy that we read about in Verse 20.
 
So, in Verse 26, “They cast forth their lots and Matthias was chosen to take the place of Judas.”
 
Now, they again have 12 apostles. They are now ready for one of the greatest events that ever happened in this world, and that was the establishing of the kingdom of God on this earth. The apostles are now ready for this great event. The apostle Peter is filled with excitement, ready to unlock the door to the church that Jesus has just purchased with His own blood.  
 
When Peter gave the key message, on how to become a member of Jesus’ church, there was 3,000 that obeyed Peter’s key message, and we read in Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added them to the church.  
 
What a wonderful beginning for the Lord’s church.  
 
We read in Acts 2:14, where all 12 of the apostles stood up together. Peter will answer the question about who had the keys to the kingdom, if we will read this verse with an open mind. Lets listen to what he said. “I lifted up my voice”, and then He says in this same verse, “Hearken unto my voice.”  
 
 
We must notice, that He did not say, “Hearken unto our voice”.
 
Doesn’t God’s word make it easy to understand debatable subjects, If we will just read with an open mind, instead of reading it with our minds made up on what we believe?
 
 
God knew by having the other eleven apostles stand up with Peter, while he was unlocking the door to the kingdom ( church ), it gave great witness, that they were all in “one accord”, and they were all aware who Jesus had given the keys to, and they had no problem in honoring that. Praise The Lord For His Wisdom!
 
We All Know What The Purpose Of A Key Is.  
 
It Is The Instrument That Is Used To Unlock The Door Of Entrance Into Something. On the subject that we are studying, The key will unlock the door of entrance into the church, or the kingdom of God, upon this earth.  
 
We can read in Acts 2:38, the man who Jesus gave the keys to was the apostle Peter. The Jews in Verse 37 had just cried out, “What shall we do”?  Now listen closely to what the key message was.
 
 
Peter said in Verse 38, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Please Listen Carefully To The Following Words.  
 
 
This was by far the greatest and the most important day for the Jewish people in their entire lives.
 
Question - Why?
 
Answer - They were in bondage to a law that they were unable to keep.                That law was called the law of Sin and Death - Romans 8: 1-2.
 
 
If we really want to know, what this day meant to the Jews, we must read it from the mouth of one of the greatest Jewish men That ever lived, after the door of the kingdom of God was unlocked. The name of that man was the great apostle Paul. Lets begin reading in Romans 7:24, and read through Romans 8: 1-4.  
 
In these verses, Paul tells us about how life was under this law. He says in ( Romans 7:24, “That he was a wretched man”, while living under this law. He also says, “My greatest desire was to be delivered from it”.  
 
And in Verse 25, “he thanks God for being delivered from it.”  This was made possible, when Jesus died on the cross, and purchased the church, with His own blood.  
 
Then the apostle Peter took the keys that Jesus gave him, and unlocked the door to the kingdom of God upon the earth, and made it possible, that man’s past sins could be forgiven him, by obeying this key message that was given by Peter on the day of Pentecost, that we read about in  Acts 2. Paul continues on by saying in Romans 8:1, “I have obeyed the gospel and now I am a free man, and now there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, and are walking after the Spirit, and not after the flesh.”           
 
Praise God for This Great Day. 
 
Peter has now completed his first assignment from Jesus, and that was to preach the First key message to the Jewish nation. But Peter’s work Is not over yet. He must also preach the First key message to the Gentiles. Now, lets turn our Bibles to Acts 10:1-6. Here we read in Verse 1, “A man who is a Gentile, who’s name is Cornelius.”
 
 
Question - How do we know he was a Gentile?
 
Answer - In Acts 10:28, It says that “he was a man of another nation.”
 
God has now made His decision, that the time is right, to open the door of the church or kingdom to the Gentiles. Lets read Acts 10:5, what God tells Cornelius to do. He says “ Send men to Joppa and call for one, Simon, whose surname is Peter.”  There is a great truth again revealed in this verse. Did we notice it? “God told Cornelius to call for one man” ( not 12 men ). 
 
We read in Acts 10:34-35, where Peter begins his sermon by saying, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth God and works righteousness, is accepted with Him.” We then read in Acts 10:48, “he then ended his sermon by commanding them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” At this time in our study, there is something very important that we need to talk about.
 
 
Question - How many doors will a single key unlock?
 
 
Answer - ONE DOOR. Question - What happens when we use another key on that same door? Answer - IT WILL NOT UNLOCK IT.
 
Question - What was the key message that was given to these believing                    Jews from the apostle Peter?
 
Answer - “Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins, and then                  you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The Key Message Unlocked The Door To God’s Kingdom, And 3,000 Souls Entered In.
 
 
Question - Do we really believe that God’s word is true, and will last until                  the end of time?
 
Answer - There are millions, and millions, of religious people today who                  do not practice this to be a true saying.
 
For example - the                  apostle Peter said to the believing Jews, to “Repent, and be                  baptized for the remission of sins.”
 
Question - What does the majority of religious preachers and teachers say                  about the truth of God’s word, that Peter has revealed unto                    the world?
 
Answer - Listen carefully to what they are saying today. Believe and say                the sinners prayer, and at that moment you will receive the gift                    of the Holy Spirit. 
 
Question - Is this the key that Jesus gave to the apostle Peter? Answer - NO, IT IS NOT.  Question - Will it open the door to the church? 
 
Answer - NO, IT WILL NOT.
 
Question - Have we forgotten what Samuel said to King Saul, when he did                    not do, what God said for him to do? 
 
Answer - Lets read it again in 1 Samuel 15:22-23, “When we fail to                hearken unto the words of God.” The prophet Samuel tells Saul,                  in Verse 23, “That is rebellion, and that is as the sin of witch                  craft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry, because they                  have rejected the word of the Lord.”
 
Question - Do we have any scriptures that tells us that God has changed                    His mind about being disobedient to His word?
 
Answer - No, We Do Not. We must give serious attention to Hebrews 10:30-31, “Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense  saith the Lord. And again, the Lord
10shall judge His people.” Verse 31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” 
 
God, does not leave us in the dark on how He feels about disobedience to His words.
 
It is completely left up to us, whether to believe what God says, or to disbelieve what God says.
 
There is another key word that we must give attention to in Acts 10:5. “God tells Cornelius to send men to Joppa and call for one, Simon, whose surname is Peter.”
 
 
Note: God did not call ( for 12 men ) “He said to call for one man and his name was Peter.” Question - Do we need to say more on this subject about, who had the                    keys to God’s kingdom on this earth?
 
I Think Not, But For Me And My House, We Will Stand On The Word Of God, And Not On The Words Of Men. 
 
In the text in which we are discussing, there has been much said by man
 
On the last part of Matthew 16:19, where Jesus says, “And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
 
 
Question - We must understand, who Jesus is talking to in this verse.
 
 
Answer - Jesus makes it very plain who he is talking to in Matthew 16:                16-18. If we will read these verses with an open mind, we will                  know the truth on the subject that we are studying   
 
Question - In Verse 19, is Jesus statement, addressed to the 12                      apostles or to Peter only?
 
Answer - To answer this question, lets start at Verse 15. “Jesus said unto them, ( them here means, the 12 apostles ), but whom say                ye that I am?” We then must turn our full attention to Verse 16,                “and Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ the Son of                  the living God.” Question - Who answered Jesus? Answer - Peter Did! ( not the 12 ) Now we must listen closely to what Jesus says in Verse 17. “Jesus answered and said unto him.”
 
( Note - not the 12 ). Jesus even calls him by name, So There will be no confusion to whom Jesus is talking to. Lets notice what Jesus says, “Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jo-na” ( Note - not The12 ).
 
Now we must note what Jesus says in Verse 18. “Thou art Peter.”  Jesus leaves no doubt in our minds who He is talking To. “Jesus says thou art Peter”, ( Note - not the 12 ). Now in Verse 19, we should all know by now that Jesus’ words are directed only to the apostle Peter. ( Note - not
11the 12 ).
 
Notice how Jesus begins Verse 19. He says, “ I will give unto thee. This word “thee” is used in the singular, and not in the plural, which means that Jesus’ words are still addressed to Peter only. ( not the 12 ).
 
Now lets read the rest of the verse. Jesus says, “And I will give unto thee, the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind one earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” We must notice in this Verse 19, that the same person who has the keys to the kingdom, is the same person who receives the binding and the loosening.
 
We must notice, that Jesus does not make a separation in this verse, which means that Jesus did not give the keys of the kingdom to Peter only, and then, give the binding and the loosening  to all 12 of the apostles.
 
This is what most commentary writers say, but please notice Jesus did not say that. We must not get Matthew 18:18, confused with  Matthew 16:19. These are two completely different teachings, in these two  verses.
 
 
In Matthew 16:15-19, the subject is “Which one of the 12 apostles, will God choose to preach “The First gospel sermon to the Jews”, and also the First gospel sermon to the Gentiles”, and “Whatever this key message is, will be bound on earth, and also bound in heaven, and whatsoever is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
 
We find out what the key message was in Acts 2:38, and that the message which will be bound on earth and heaven, will honor that binding. This means that the key message that the apostle Peter gave in Acts 2:38 will be bound on earth, and no one in heaven will ever change it. Thank God For His Unchanging Nature. 
 
Now lets read Matthew 18:18, where Jesus says, “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” We must pay attention to who Jesus is talking to in this verse. We can find our answer in Matthew 18:1. It reads, “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus.”
 
Question
 
- Who was Jesus talking to in Matthew 18:18?
 
Answer -
The 12 Apostles. Question - What is The purpose of this meeting between Jesus and the 12                    apostles? Answer - The 12 Apostles Wants To Know Who Is The Greatest In              The Kingdom.
 
 
 
 
 
whatever you bind on earth, will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth, will be loosed in heaven. 
 
 
Now lets read a few verses that will show us how God was in full control of every word, that the apostles said when they were giving instructions to others on how to become a Christian, and also on how to live a Christian life.
 
Lets begin by reading 2Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by the inspiration of God.”
 
Question - What does that mean?
 
Answer - In the Greek, the word “INSPIRATION” means - God breathed,                  inspired by God, referring to communication from Diety.
 
 
Question - Do we have a verse of scripture that tells us when this                    happens to the apostles?
 
Answer - Now open our Bibles to John 20:21-22, “Then said Jesus to                the apostles, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me,                even so I send you. Verse 22, “And when Jesus had said this,                He breathed on them, and said unto them, “Receive ye the Holy                Ghost”.
 
Now lets listen carefully to Verse 23, “Whosesoever sins ye                remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain,                they are retained.” These verses should really help us to see what is really taking place, when the apostles are giving Instructions to people, concerning the kingdom of God. It is God speaking through the mouth of the apostles.
 
There Is Something Else That We Could Say A Word Or Two About Before We End Our Discussion.
 
Question - Did The 12 apostles know what the keys to the kingdom was                    before Acts 2:38?
 
Answer - We must read several scriptures to answer this question. Lets                      start at Mark 1:14-15. “Now after that John was put in                  prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the                  kingdom of God, saying the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of                  God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”                 
 
Now lets read Matthew 10:32-33.
 
Jesus said, “ Whosoever                  therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also                  before my Father which is In heaven, But whosoever shall deny                  me, before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in                  heaven.”                  Lets turn our Bibles to Luke 13:3. Jesus said, “I tell you,                  nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” 
14               
 
Then in John 3:3, when Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, and                    Jesus tells him “Verily , verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be                  born again he cannot  see the kingdom of God.”                And then In John 3:5, Jesus says, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee,                  Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into                  the kingdom of God.”                 
 
We read in John 8:24 where Jesus says, “Ye shall die in your                  sins: for If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Now, lets notice what these verses are saying unto us. That Jesus knows all about the coming kingdom of God, and has revealed what the keys to the kingdom of God are, but the apostles have not understood this. Lets pay close attention to what Jesus has revealed, concerning the keys to the kingdom of God:             
 
1. The Gospel Must Be Preached. -
 
Mark 1: 14-15             
 
2. Hearing Must Take Place. - Mark 1: 14-15             
 
 
3. Faith Comes By Hearing. - Mark 1: 14-15             
 
4. Repentance Must Take Place. - Luke 13:3-5             
 
5. Confession Must Be MADE. - Matthew 10: 32-33   
 
6. Baptism Must Take Place In Water.  - John 3: 5  It seems, that the apostles had not put the keys to the kingdom of God in their hearts at this time, because of what Mark 16:14, says about the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. “Jesus appeared unto his eleven apostles as they set at meat, and upbraided them because of their unbelief and hardness of heart.”
 
Maybe a better example of the apostles unbelief can be found in John 20:25, where Thomas said, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger Into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
 
Question - What is the time, from in Jesus life, when these things are                    taking place?
 
Answer - After The Resurrection. So, this should really help us In our search for our answer to the question, DID THE APOSTLES KNOW WHAT THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM WERE BEFORE ACTS 2:38? I don’t believe they did, because they did not even believe at this time.
 
Another verse that we can read at this time, that will really help us is found in John 14:26. Jesus is talking to his apostles and says, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
 
He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
 
 
Now, lets Go to Acts 2:1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” ( The 12 apostles ). Now notice Verse 4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.”
 
Here we find John 14:26 being fulfilled. Did we notice, when we go to the scriptures and study with an open mind, how easy God can make these questions.
 
Question - Was any one else, ever given the authority to use the keys of                    the keys of the kingdom, after Peter preached the First                  gospel sermon to the Jews, and then about ten years later, he                      Preached the First gospel sermon to the Gentiles?
 
Answer - Lets again go to the scriptures to find our answer.
 
We read in                Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus said, “ All power is given                  unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all                  nations, baptizing them In the name of the Father, and of the                  Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things                  whatsoever I have commanded you: And, lo, I am with you                  always, even unto the end of the world.”
 
Question - Who was Jesus talking to in Verse 19, when He said,                    “Go ye”?
 
Answer - The Apostles.
 
Question - Who was Jesus talking about  in Verse 19, when He said,                    “Baptize them”?
 
Answer - Every Obedient Believer In All Nations. ( Brethren, That’s              Me, And That’s You ).
 
Question - What are we to teach them?
 
Answer - All Things That I Have Commanded You To Teach.  Now, All baptized believers have the same responsibility as the apostles had. Lets read Romans 1:16.
 
We must feel exactly like the apostle Paul felt when he said, “For I am Not Ashamed Of The Gospel of Christ: For It Is The Power Of God Unto Salvation To Every One That Believeth; To The Jew First, And Also To The Greek.”
 
Lets notice in this verse, that the apostle Paul feels the same thing that God has shared with Peter, and that was to the Jews First, and then to the Gentiles.  There is one more verse, that needs to be brought to our attention, before we bring this lesson to a close.
 
And that is, after we have learned the truth, lets pray the same prayer that Peter and John prayed in Acts 4:29. “Grant unto thy servants that with all boldness, we will speak God’s word to others.” There Is a saying, that one picture is worth a thousand words. Please look at the next page.
16 Jesus by his own mouth, gave the blue prints of this key message in the gospel for all of us to read. and then we read in Matthew 16:19, where Jesus promised the apostle Peter, that He would give To him only,         
 
This Key Message. The responsibility                 
that Peter now has, is to preach                   
the First gospel for man to the                         
Jews, and then at a later date,                           
God would determine when                             
the time was right, for                                 
Peter to preach the First                                 
gospel sermon to the                                 
Gentiles. We can read in                                 
Acts the 2nd Chapter,                                   
where Peter preached                                 
the First key message to                               
the Jews, and then in the                               
10th chapter of Acts, We                         
can read where Peter                   
preached the First gospel         
sermon to the Gentiles.

Latest revision as of 07:57, 27 June 2021

What are the keys of the kingdom and who has them?


confusing opinion and misunderstandings of the kingdom and the keys is found at: https://churchofchristpreaching.com/WrittenLessons/THE%20KEYS%20OF%20THE%20KINGDOM%20OF%20GOD.pdf

There are so many omissions and so much skewing of meanings within verses so that a person may be directed away from the sound doctrines of Christ in this presentation of the meaning of the scriptures.


Mt 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

end of first recording

Question - Who did Jesus say revealed this answer to Peter?

Answer - He said, “My Father in heaven revealed this answer to Peter.”

Question - What else could Jesus have said that could have made His answer any plainer than the words which He said in Matthew 16:19.

Remember now, we are reading with an open mind. We know from Verse 18, that Jesus words are directed straight to the Apostle Peter. Listen carefully to what Jesus says, “I say unto Peter, upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against It.” Verse 19, “And I will give unto thee the keys to this kingdom.”


Don’t miss what Jesus says in Verse 18. He uses the word church instead of using the word kingdom. Jesus is saying to Peter, I am going to build my church in the near future, and my Father and I are giving you the keys to open the door of my church.


Question - Is there any way to misunderstand these words of Jesus, unless we have help from man?

Answer - We must remember what Romans 3:4 says, “Let God be true, but every man a liar.”

  • The truth is that Simon was a Πέτρος, Petros or stone because he was the recipient of the revelation of God and is that rock of faith that πέτρᾳ petra[1] upon which he was establishing His Church, His called out, His ekklesia[2]
  • To say Jesus is creating an office to exercise authority one over the and the reverse himself in Mathtew 20:25 " But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them." is a lie.


Question - Why?

Answer - “As It is written, THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED IN THY SAYINGS, AND MIGHTEST OVERCOME WHEN THOU ARE JUDGED.”


These are great words of comfort and encouragement to the obedient believers.

Question - When will we ever learn?

There is a word that Peter uses back in Matthew 16:16, that needs discussing. and I just could not find the right time in our discussion to bring it up. So, we will do that now. Now lets notice what Peter says here, and lets not forget these are not only the words of Peter, but these words are really coming straight from the mouth of God. Lets now read these words from Verse 16.

“Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God.”

The word living, that Peter uses here is a very important word to God.

Question - Why is the word living so important to God?

Answer - In the Old Testament time period, we can read from its words and find out that most nations had their own so called gods, such as the gods of Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Phoenicia, Syria, Moab, Edom, Tyre, the Philistines, the Amorites, and many others.

Question - Were these living gods?

Answer - No, they were not.

We read in Isaiah 2:8, “They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.” Isaiah 2: 20, “Man makes their own idols of silver and gold for themselves, and then bow down and worship these idols, as their own gods. “Daniel 5:4,

“They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.”There are many, many, verses that say these same things. These nations that are mentioned above, made their own gods and then set down and worshiped them. The point that I am trying to prove is this. All these gods that the nations of the people worshiped, were dead gods. None of them were living gods. The Jewish people were knowledgeable about these gods. So, God wanted them to know that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He is a living God, and not a dead god like the nations of the world worship.


To help us to better understand that God gave the keys to the kingdom to Peter only, lets turn our Bibles to Acts 15:7. It says, “And when there had been much disputing, ( we must notice who stood up and what they said. ) Peter rose up, and said unto them, men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth, should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.”

Isn’t It Wonderful, When We Let The Scriptures Answer Our Questions, And Not Man. Did we notice that Peter leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind on what he means by using this word “CHOICE”. He said, that It was God, who made a “choice” among us.

  • 1586 ~ἐκλέγομαι~ eklegomai \@ek-leg’-om-ahee\@ middle voice from 1537 and 3004 (in its primary sense); TDNT-4:144,505; {See TDNT 431} v AV-choose 19, choose out 1, make choice 1; 21
1) to pick out, choose, to pick or choose out for one’s self
1a) choosing one out of many, i.e. Jesus choosing his disciples
1b) choosing one for an office
1c) of God choosing whom he judged fit to receive his favours and separated from the rest of mankind to be peculiarly his own and to be attended continually by his gracious oversight
1c1) i.e. the Israelites
1d) of God the Father choosing Christians, as those whom he set apart from the irreligious multitude as dear unto himself, and whom he has rendered, through faith in Christ, citizens in the Messianic kingdom: (#Jas 2:5) so that the ground of the choice lies in Christ and his merits only

Now lets read, Matthew 16:17 again. It says, “Blessed art thou, Peter: for flesh And blood has not revealed this unto you, but God the Father did.” Notice, this Is exactly what was said In Acts 15:7. Now we can know also, who the “Us” was referring to in this verse. It was referring to the 12 apostles in Matthew 16:13. Really, this Is easy to understand, If we will read carefully what Peter is saying here in Acts 15:7 Peter says, “By my mouth, the Gentiles will hear the word of the gospel, and believe”.

In just plain words Jesus is saying, that He was giving the keys of the kingdom of God to the apostle Peter only, because that was God’s choice. Question - How long will the key message be in effect? Answer - Until the end of the world. Lets read Hebrews 13:8, “Christ Jesus the same, yesterday, and to day, and forever”.

That means that Jesus will never change this key message, as long as this world stands. Now listen to this, man can change this key message to anything that he chooses, but, that will not change the fact, that God chose the apostle Peter, to give the keys of the kingdom to. God will never change His mind. If He did that would make God a liar, would it not, and that is not possible.

Hebrews 6:18 says so. We must program our minds with the truth of God’s word, and then have the boldness to proclaim it. If we will practice this, then God is glorified instead of man. So far, we have learned that the kingdom of God and the church that Jesus built are the same thing. We also learned, that, the kingdom of God had not yet come.


We can also read about that in Mark 9:1, where Jesus said to His disciples, “Verily I say 6unto you, that there be some of you that are standing here, which will not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”

Note: There are millions of religious people in the world today, who believe that Jesus failed to set up His kingdom on earth, but, He will do so, just before the end of the world, and He will reign here on this earth a thousand years. Can we not see what they have done?

They have done “exactly” what Jesus says in John 8:43. They did not hear what Jesus said in Mark 9:1, “That this generation of people who are standing here, will not die till they shall see the kingdom of God come with power.”

We can read, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and the kingdom of God is always something that is going to happen In the future. Jesus had the keys, to the kingdom, but it was not God’s plan for Jesus to live in the flesh till the kingdom came.

So the keys of the kingdom had to be passed on to someone else, before Jesus’ death on the cross. God made the decision for Jesus to give the keys to the kingdom, to the apostle Peter before Jesus died. Jesus’ death was necessary before the kingdom of God could come.


We read this in Acts 20:28, where it says, “The church of God, which He ( Jesus ) purchased with His own blood.” so, “Jesus purchased His own church, with His own blood.” Now God’s plan for redeeming fallen man, is ready for Peter to reveal the key message, on how to enter into the church or kingdom that Jesus built.

In Acts 2:38, we can read the key message on how to enter into the church that Jesus built. From this moment on, the church is referred to as being in existence. God knew that it was very important for Jesus to spend some time with the apostles, after He was resurrected from the dead.

they already knew that Jesus had been crucified and buried in a tomb. God in His wisdom knew that the apostles must spend some fact revealing time with Jesus, so they could be filled with His actual presence among them.

Now, lets read how God accomplishes this. In Acts 1:2-3, we read where Jesus showed Himself to His apostles, alive, by many infallible proofs, being seen by them 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. It would have been impossible for the apostles to have preached the good news of the resurrected Christ, with all the conviction that was needed, to persuade the people that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead, and had ascended back to His heavenly Father, without spending a lot of time with Him.

In Acts 1: 9, “After Jesus had finished speaking to His apostles, they watched Him, as He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” Verse 12 says, “Then they returned to Jerusalem.”

At this time there were only 11 apostles, because Judas had hung himself. So, while they were at Jerusalem, they decided it was the right time, to fulfill the prophecy that we read about in Verse 20.

So, in Verse 26, “They cast forth their lots and Matthias was chosen to take the place of Judas.”

Now, they again have 12 apostles. They are now ready for one of the greatest events that ever happened in this world, and that was the establishing of the kingdom of God on this earth. The apostles are now ready for this great event. The apostle Peter is filled with excitement, ready to unlock the door to the church that Jesus has just purchased with His own blood.

When Peter gave the key message, on how to become a member of Jesus’ church, there was 3,000 that obeyed Peter’s key message, and we read in Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added them to the church.”

What a wonderful beginning for the Lord’s church.

We read in Acts 2:14, where all 12 of the apostles stood up together. Peter will answer the question about who had the keys to the kingdom, if we will read this verse with an open mind. Lets listen to what he said. “I lifted up my voice”, and then He says in this same verse, “Hearken unto my voice.”


We must notice, that He did not say, “Hearken unto our voice”.

Doesn’t God’s word make it easy to understand debatable subjects, If we will just read with an open mind, instead of reading it with our minds made up on what we believe?


God knew by having the other eleven apostles stand up with Peter, while he was unlocking the door to the kingdom ( church ), it gave great witness, that they were all in “one accord”, and they were all aware who Jesus had given the keys to, and they had no problem in honoring that. Praise The Lord For His Wisdom!

We All Know What The Purpose Of A Key Is.

It Is The Instrument That Is Used To Unlock The Door Of Entrance Into Something. On the subject that we are studying, The key will unlock the door of entrance into the church, or the kingdom of God, upon this earth.

We can read in Acts 2:38, the man who Jesus gave the keys to was the apostle Peter. The Jews in Verse 37 had just cried out, “What shall we do”? Now listen closely to what the key message was.


Peter said in Verse 38, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Please Listen Carefully To The Following Words.


This was by far the greatest and the most important day for the Jewish people in their entire lives.

Question - Why?

Answer - They were in bondage to a law that they were unable to keep. That law was called the law of Sin and Death - Romans 8: 1-2.


If we really want to know, what this day meant to the Jews, we must read it from the mouth of one of the greatest Jewish men That ever lived, after the door of the kingdom of God was unlocked. The name of that man was the great apostle Paul. Lets begin reading in Romans 7:24, and read through Romans 8: 1-4.

In these verses, Paul tells us about how life was under this law. He says in ( Romans 7:24, “That he was a wretched man”, while living under this law. He also says, “My greatest desire was to be delivered from it”.

And in Verse 25, “he thanks God for being delivered from it.” This was made possible, when Jesus died on the cross, and purchased the church, with His own blood.

Then the apostle Peter took the keys that Jesus gave him, and unlocked the door to the kingdom of God upon the earth, and made it possible, that man’s past sins could be forgiven him, by obeying this key message that was given by Peter on the day of Pentecost, that we read about in Acts 2. Paul continues on by saying in Romans 8:1, “I have obeyed the gospel and now I am a free man, and now there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, and are walking after the Spirit, and not after the flesh.”

Praise God for This Great Day.

Peter has now completed his first assignment from Jesus, and that was to preach the First key message to the Jewish nation. But Peter’s work Is not over yet. He must also preach the First key message to the Gentiles. Now, lets turn our Bibles to Acts 10:1-6. Here we read in Verse 1, “A man who is a Gentile, who’s name is Cornelius.”


Question - How do we know he was a Gentile?

Answer - In Acts 10:28, It says that “he was a man of another nation.”

God has now made His decision, that the time is right, to open the door of the church or kingdom to the Gentiles. Lets read Acts 10:5, what God tells Cornelius to do. He says “ Send men to Joppa and call for one, Simon, whose surname is Peter.” There is a great truth again revealed in this verse. Did we notice it? “God told Cornelius to call for one man” ( not 12 men ).

We read in Acts 10:34-35, where Peter begins his sermon by saying, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth God and works righteousness, is accepted with Him.” We then read in Acts 10:48, “he then ended his sermon by commanding them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” At this time in our study, there is something very important that we need to talk about.


Question - How many doors will a single key unlock?


Answer - ONE DOOR. Question - What happens when we use another key on that same door? Answer - IT WILL NOT UNLOCK IT.

Question - What was the key message that was given to these believing Jews from the apostle Peter?

Answer - “Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins, and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The Key Message Unlocked The Door To God’s Kingdom, And 3,000 Souls Entered In.


Question - Do we really believe that God’s word is true, and will last until the end of time?

Answer - There are millions, and millions, of religious people today who do not practice this to be a true saying.

For example - the apostle Peter said to the believing Jews, to “Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins.”

Question - What does the majority of religious preachers and teachers say about the truth of God’s word, that Peter has revealed unto the world?

Answer - Listen carefully to what they are saying today. Believe and say the sinners prayer, and at that moment you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Question - Is this the key that Jesus gave to the apostle Peter? Answer - NO, IT IS NOT. Question - Will it open the door to the church?

Answer - NO, IT WILL NOT.

Question - Have we forgotten what Samuel said to King Saul, when he did not do, what God said for him to do?

Answer - Lets read it again in 1 Samuel 15:22-23, “When we fail to hearken unto the words of God.” The prophet Samuel tells Saul, in Verse 23, “That is rebellion, and that is as the sin of witch craft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry, because they have rejected the word of the Lord.”

Question - Do we have any scriptures that tells us that God has changed His mind about being disobedient to His word?

Answer - No, We Do Not. We must give serious attention to Hebrews 10:30-31, “Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense saith the Lord. And again, the Lord 10shall judge His people.” Verse 31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

God, does not leave us in the dark on how He feels about disobedience to His words.

It is completely left up to us, whether to believe what God says, or to disbelieve what God says.

There is another key word that we must give attention to in Acts 10:5. “God tells Cornelius to send men to Joppa and call for one, Simon, whose surname is Peter.”


Note: God did not call ( for 12 men ) “He said to call for one man and his name was Peter.” Question - Do we need to say more on this subject about, who had the keys to God’s kingdom on this earth?

I Think Not, But For Me And My House, We Will Stand On The Word Of God, And Not On The Words Of Men.

In the text in which we are discussing, there has been much said by man

On the last part of Matthew 16:19, where Jesus says, “And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”


Question - We must understand, who Jesus is talking to in this verse.


Answer - Jesus makes it very plain who he is talking to in Matthew 16: 16-18. If we will read these verses with an open mind, we will know the truth on the subject that we are studying

Question - In Verse 19, is Jesus statement, addressed to the 12 apostles or to Peter only?

Answer - To answer this question, lets start at Verse 15. “Jesus said unto them, ( them here means, the 12 apostles ), but whom say ye that I am?” We then must turn our full attention to Verse 16, “and Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ the Son of the living God.” Question - Who answered Jesus? Answer - Peter Did! ( not the 12 ) Now we must listen closely to what Jesus says in Verse 17. “Jesus answered and said unto him.”

( Note - not the 12 ). Jesus even calls him by name, So There will be no confusion to whom Jesus is talking to. Lets notice what Jesus says, “Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jo-na” ( Note - not The12 ).

Now we must note what Jesus says in Verse 18. “Thou art Peter.” Jesus leaves no doubt in our minds who He is talking To. “Jesus says thou art Peter”, ( Note - not the 12 ). Now in Verse 19, we should all know by now that Jesus’ words are directed only to the apostle Peter. ( Note - not 11the 12 ).

Notice how Jesus begins Verse 19. He says, “ I will give unto thee. This word “thee” is used in the singular, and not in the plural, which means that Jesus’ words are still addressed to Peter only. ( not the 12 ).

Now lets read the rest of the verse. Jesus says, “And I will give unto thee, the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind one earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” We must notice in this Verse 19, that the same person who has the keys to the kingdom, is the same person who receives the binding and the loosening.

We must notice, that Jesus does not make a separation in this verse, which means that Jesus did not give the keys of the kingdom to Peter only, and then, give the binding and the loosening to all 12 of the apostles.

This is what most commentary writers say, but please notice Jesus did not say that. We must not get Matthew 18:18, confused with Matthew 16:19. These are two completely different teachings, in these two verses.


In Matthew 16:15-19, the subject is “Which one of the 12 apostles, will God choose to preach “The First gospel sermon to the Jews”, and also the First gospel sermon to the Gentiles”, and “Whatever this key message is, will be bound on earth, and also bound in heaven, and whatsoever is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

We find out what the key message was in Acts 2:38, and that the message which will be bound on earth and heaven, will honor that binding. This means that the key message that the apostle Peter gave in Acts 2:38 will be bound on earth, and no one in heaven will ever change it. Thank God For His Unchanging Nature.

Now lets read Matthew 18:18, where Jesus says, “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” We must pay attention to who Jesus is talking to in this verse. We can find our answer in Matthew 18:1. It reads, “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus.”

Question

- Who was Jesus talking to in Matthew 18:18?

Answer - The 12 Apostles. Question - What is The purpose of this meeting between Jesus and the 12 apostles? Answer - The 12 Apostles Wants To Know Who Is The Greatest In The Kingdom.



whatever you bind on earth, will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth, will be loosed in heaven.


Now lets read a few verses that will show us how God was in full control of every word, that the apostles said when they were giving instructions to others on how to become a Christian, and also on how to live a Christian life.

Lets begin by reading 2Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by the inspiration of God.”

Question - What does that mean?

Answer - In the Greek, the word “INSPIRATION” means - God breathed, inspired by God, referring to communication from Diety.


Question - Do we have a verse of scripture that tells us when this happens to the apostles?

Answer - Now open our Bibles to John 20:21-22, “Then said Jesus to the apostles, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so I send you. Verse 22, “And when Jesus had said this, He breathed on them, and said unto them, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”.

Now lets listen carefully to Verse 23, “Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.” These verses should really help us to see what is really taking place, when the apostles are giving Instructions to people, concerning the kingdom of God. It is God speaking through the mouth of the apostles.

There Is Something Else That We Could Say A Word Or Two About Before We End Our Discussion.

Question - Did The 12 apostles know what the keys to the kingdom was before Acts 2:38?

Answer - We must read several scriptures to answer this question. Lets start at Mark 1:14-15. “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, saying the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Now lets read Matthew 10:32-33.

Jesus said, “ Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is In heaven, But whosoever shall deny me, before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Lets turn our Bibles to Luke 13:3. Jesus said, “I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” 14

Then in John 3:3, when Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, and Jesus tells him “Verily , verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And then In John 3:5, Jesus says, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

We read in John 8:24 where Jesus says, “Ye shall die in your sins: for If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Now, lets notice what these verses are saying unto us. That Jesus knows all about the coming kingdom of God, and has revealed what the keys to the kingdom of God are, but the apostles have not understood this. Lets pay close attention to what Jesus has revealed, concerning the keys to the kingdom of God:

1. The Gospel Must Be Preached. -

Mark 1: 14-15

2. Hearing Must Take Place. - Mark 1: 14-15


3. Faith Comes By Hearing. - Mark 1: 14-15

4. Repentance Must Take Place. - Luke 13:3-5

5. Confession Must Be MADE. - Matthew 10: 32-33

6. Baptism Must Take Place In Water. - John 3: 5 It seems, that the apostles had not put the keys to the kingdom of God in their hearts at this time, because of what Mark 16:14, says about the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. “Jesus appeared unto his eleven apostles as they set at meat, and upbraided them because of their unbelief and hardness of heart.”

Maybe a better example of the apostles unbelief can be found in John 20:25, where Thomas said, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger Into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Question - What is the time, from in Jesus life, when these things are taking place?

Answer - After The Resurrection. So, this should really help us In our search for our answer to the question, DID THE APOSTLES KNOW WHAT THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM WERE BEFORE ACTS 2:38? I don’t believe they did, because they did not even believe at this time.

Another verse that we can read at this time, that will really help us is found in John 14:26. Jesus is talking to his apostles and says, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,

He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”


Now, lets Go to Acts 2:1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” ( The 12 apostles ). Now notice Verse 4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.”

Here we find John 14:26 being fulfilled. Did we notice, when we go to the scriptures and study with an open mind, how easy God can make these questions.

Question - Was any one else, ever given the authority to use the keys of the keys of the kingdom, after Peter preached the First gospel sermon to the Jews, and then about ten years later, he Preached the First gospel sermon to the Gentiles?

Answer - Lets again go to the scriptures to find our answer.

We read in Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus said, “ All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

Question - Who was Jesus talking to in Verse 19, when He said, “Go ye”?

Answer - The Apostles.

Question - Who was Jesus talking about in Verse 19, when He said, “Baptize them”?

Answer - Every Obedient Believer In All Nations. ( Brethren, That’s Me, And That’s You ).

Question - What are we to teach them?

Answer - All Things That I Have Commanded You To Teach. Now, All baptized believers have the same responsibility as the apostles had. Lets read Romans 1:16.

We must feel exactly like the apostle Paul felt when he said, “For I am Not Ashamed Of The Gospel of Christ: For It Is The Power Of God Unto Salvation To Every One That Believeth; To The Jew First, And Also To The Greek.”

Lets notice in this verse, that the apostle Paul feels the same thing that God has shared with Peter, and that was to the Jews First, and then to the Gentiles. There is one more verse, that needs to be brought to our attention, before we bring this lesson to a close.

And that is, after we have learned the truth, lets pray the same prayer that Peter and John prayed in Acts 4:29. “Grant unto thy servants that with all boldness, we will speak God’s word to others.” There Is a saying, that one picture is worth a thousand words. Please look at the next page. 16 Jesus by his own mouth, gave the blue prints of this key message in the gospel for all of us to read. and then we read in Matthew 16:19, where Jesus promised the apostle Peter, that He would give To him only,

This Key Message. The responsibility that Peter now has, is to preach the First gospel for man to the Jews, and then at a later date, God would determine when the time was right, for Peter to preach the First gospel sermon to the Gentiles. We can read in Acts the 2nd Chapter, where Peter preached the First key message to the Jews, and then in the 10th chapter of Acts, We can read where Peter preached the First gospel sermon to the Gentiles.

  1. 4073 πέτρα petra [pet’-ra] from the same as 4074 Πέτρος Petros; n f; TDNT-6:95,834; [{See TDNT 624 }] AV-rock 16; 16
    1) a rock, cliff or ledge
    1a) a projecting rock, crag, rocky ground
    1b) a rock, a large stone
    1c) metaph. a man like a rock, by reason of his firmness and strength of soul
  2. 3618 ~οἰκοδομέω~ oikodomeo \@oy-kod-om-eh’-o\@ also ~οἰκοδόμος~ oikodomos \@oy-kod-om’-os\@ #Ac 4:11 from the same as 3619; v AV-build 24, edify 7, builder 5, build up 1, be in building 1, embolden 1; 39
    1) to build a house, erect a building
    1a) to build (up from the foundation)
    1b) to restore by building, to rebuild, repair
    2) metaph.
    2a) to found, establish
    2b) to promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness
    2c) to grow in wisdom and piety