August 27, 2023 Matthew 16:13-20 Peter’s Confession of Faith

This week we take an extended look at Matthew’s version of Peter’s confession, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” along with Jesus’ apparent commendation of Peter as the “rock” on which the church would be built. This text has provoked a great deal of discussion in the history of Christianity, because it is a key text for the role of the Popes in the Roman Catholic Church. We look at the way the Reformers dealt with this, including a woodcut that clearly opposes the Catholic tradition by presenting a counter image to the papal seal. We steer away from that approach and take our cue from Ulrich Luz’s commentary on Matthew, exploring ways that we can find unity through the teaching of the apostles.