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SYLLABUS
THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #36
THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS (MAT 16:15-19)
- MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 31:3
- THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS (MAT 16:15-19)
- THIS IS A VERY CONTROVERSIAL PARABLE. THEREFORE, WE WILL CONSIDER ONLY WHAT THE BIBLE
SAYS.
- READ MAT 16:13-20 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
- READ 1PET 2:6-8
- READ 1COR 10:4
- THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE INDICATES THAT RUMORS WERE RUNNING RAMPANT, AND THAT PEOPLE
WERE SPECULATING WHO JESUS WAS. JESUS THEN ASKS HIS DISCIPLES WHO THEY THINK HE IS.
- THEREFORE, THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS WAS SPOKEN TO THE DISCIPLES.
- MAT 16:17 INDICATES THAT IT IS GOD WHO REVEALS JESUS CHRIST TO EACH OF US PERSONALLY AND
INDIVIDUALLY. IT IS THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DO THAT.
- READ LUK 10:22
- READ JOH 15:26
- WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD, "ROCK"?
- IN VERSE 18 OF THE PARABLE, JESUS CHANGES PETER’S NAME.
- PETER’S NAME WAS SIMON, BUT JESUS CHANGES IT TO PETER.
- NAMES IN BIBLE TIMES WERE VERY IMPORTANT. THEY REPRESENTED A PERSON’S WHOLE
CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY. THEY WERE ALSO LIKE A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.
- SIMON’S CHARACTER WAS ONE OF IMPULSIVENESS AND WITHOUT STABILITY. JESUS WANTED HIS
FAITH TO GROW AND FOR HIM TO BECOME MORE STABLE, LIKE A ROCK.
- THE NAME, PETER, IS "PETROS" WHICH MEANS = A SMALL ROCK.
- THEREFORE, THIS PARABLE IS A PLAY ON WORDS. JESUS DID NOT USE THE WORD, PETROS, IN THE
PARABLE. IF HE HAD DONE SO, IT WOULD INDICATE THAT THE CHURCH WOULD BE BUILT ON PETER.
INSTEAD, JESUS USED THE WORD, "PETRA", WHICH MEANS = THE ESSENTIAL ROCK OR
FOUNDATION ROCK.
- WHAT, THEN, IS THE MEANING OF JESUS’ STATEMENT THAT THE CHURCH WOULD BE BUILT ON
THE ROCK?
- ACCORDING TO 1PET 2:6-8 AND 1COR 10:4, JESUS CHRIST IS THE ROCK, THAT FOUNDATION STONE,
THAT IS SPOKEN OF THROUGH THE WHOLE BIBLE.
- THEREFORE, JESUS WAS SAYING THAT HE WOULD BUILD HIS CHURCH ON PETER’S TESTIMONY OF
WHO JESUS CHRIST WAS.
- PETER SAID THAT JESUS WAS THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD, WHICH WAS REVEALED TO HIM BY FAITH
AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
- IT IS JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD, THAT IS THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE TRUE
CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
- WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE PHRASE, "THE GATES OF HELL"? (18)
- THE GATE OF A CITY WAS THE PLACE OF IMPORTANCE. IT WAS WHERE THE GOVERNMENT COUNCILS
MET. IT WAS WHERE A JUDICIAL COURT WAS HELD. IT WAS WHERE ALL FINANCIAL BUSINESS WAS
CONDUCTED. IT WAS THE LOCATION OF THE CITY’S MARKET PLACE. IT WAS THE LOCATION OF TAX
COLLECTING. EVERYTHING LEGAL, POLITICAL, AND FINANCIAL OCCURRED AT THE GATE OF A CITY.
- THEREFORE, JESUS MEANT THAT THE POWERS OF HELL, SATANIC AUTHORITY, AND EVIL INFLUENCE
WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DESTROY THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.
- WHAT DO THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM REPRESENT?
- THE KEYS REPRESENT ACCESS AND AUTHORITY. CHIRST IS GIVING HIS DISCIPLES ACCESS AND
AUTHORITY TO THE BLESSINGS OF THE KINGDOM.
- IT IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE CHURCH ON THE OFFENSIVE, ATTACKING THE VERY IMPORTANT
CENTERS OF SATAN’S POWER AND AUTHORITY.
- WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT THE KEYS WERE GIVEN TO PETER?
- CHRIST GAVE PETER ACTUAL AUTHORITY TO PERMIT ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
- CHRIST GAVE PETER THE LEADERSHIP AMONG THE DISCIPLES TO ENSURE THAT THE GROUP OF
DISCIPLES WOULD CONTINUE AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WERE SAVED
AND BROUGHT INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
- PETER, AS HEAD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH, HAD THE PRIVILEGE AND AUTHORITY TO PERMIT
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.
- CHRIST GAVE PETER AND THE OTHER DISCIPLES SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY OF BINDING AND LOOSING
OVER DEMONIC SPIRITS THAT WOULD ATTACK THE CHURCH.
- SUBSEQUENTLY, THEN ALL BELIEVERS AFTER PETER GET THAT SAME SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY.
- WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE TERMS, "BINDING AND LOOSING"?
- READ MAT 6:9-10
- THIS PHRASE IS A LEGAL PHRASE THAT REFERS TO DECLARING THE TERMS OF A LEGAL CONTRACT.
THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CALL FORTH UPON THE EARTH WHAT GOD
WILLS. THEREFORE, HE IS BINDING SATAN AND HIS DEMONS TO GOD’S COVENANT CONTRACT.
- BINDING:
- BINDING REFERS TO THE ACT OF TYING AN EARTHLY SITUATION TO GOD’S HEAVENLY WILL. IN
OTHER WORDS, IT IS DECLARING THAT GOD’S WILL PREVAIL ON EARTH IN A SPECIFIC
SITUATION.
- LOOSING:
- LOOSING REFERS TO TAKING THE AUTHORITY TO UNTIE OR LOOSE GOD’S COVENANT PROVISION
AND GOD’S RULERSHIP IN THE SITUATION.
- THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS:
- PETER IS A LITTLE STONE, AND UPON THE BIG ROCK OF PETER’S TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS
CHRIST, GOD WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH. THE AUTHORITY OF THE GATES OF HELL, CONTROLLED BY
SATAN, WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE TRUE CHURCH. JESUS CHRIST WILL GIVE TO PETER, AND TO
ALL BELIEVERS THE SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND POWER TO BIND AND LOOSE IN ORDER THAT THE
KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH WOULD EXPAND.
HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED (MAT 17:19-21)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR
CORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS (MAT 16:15-19)
- IS THERE A TOUGH SITUATION IN YOUR LIFE FOR WHICH YOU HAVE PRAYED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF
TIME AND HAVE SEEN NO RESULTS?
- COMMIT TO USE YOUR AUTHORITY OF BINDING AND LOOSING IN PRAYER THIS WEEK CONCERNING THIS
DIFFICULT SITUATION.
PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED (MAT 17:19-21)
- READ MAT 17:14-21 FOR CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
- READ HEB 11:1-40
- WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE STATEMENT, "FAITH AS A GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED"?
- WRITE YOUR OWN DEFINITION OF WHAT YOU THINK FAITH IS.
FOR CLASS DISCUSSION, THINK ABOUT:
WHAT FAITH IS NOT?
FROM WHERE DOES FAITH COME?
HOW DOES FAITH GROW?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAITH AND MENTAL ASSERTION?
HOW CAN YOU TELL TRUE FAITH FROM BLIND DETERMINATION?
MEMORY VERSE: HEB 11:6