Symes said:
What are the keys of the kingdom?
Keys open and shut doors. Jesus said "I am the door. No man comes to the Father but by me" (John 14:6) The "keys" Jesus gave to Peter were His own words. His teachings, regarding how man and woman could have forgivness for sin, freedom from condemnation, and peace through His shed blood and death on Calvary's cross.
These are the keys.
"Thou art Petros (a moveable stone) but upon this rock (this immovable foundation-that I am the Christ). I will build my church and the gates shall not prevail against it." The church is built upon Christ. He is the cornerstone rejected by the builders.
1 Peter 2:4-8
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[font=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, [/font][font=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. [/font][font=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. [/font][font=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made * the head of the corner, [/font][font=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto * * also they were appointed. [/font][/font]
That is a very lose translation of Matthew and one that many intellectually honest PROTESTANT theologians reject. I do not want to get into interpreting Matthew in this thread but it has been determined by PROTESTANT theologians that the loosely translated little rock, big rock is just a over reaction to the Catholic Churchs teaching of papal infallibility and it is argued to undermined the Church.
Now with that said, check out Isaiah
Chapter 22
This is the verse that Jesus was quoting Peter and the 12 in Matthew. The apostles being Jews, they knew the OT scriptures and Christ often quoted from them. This verse in Isaiah
supports Christ meaning that he was establishing a Church with an office of authority and succession..
Whatever the Church binds is bound, what ever the Church loses is loosed.
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4 Thus says the Lord, the GOD of hosts: Up, go to that official, Shebna, master of the palace,
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Who has hewn for himself a sepulcher on a height and carved his tomb in the rock: "What are you doing here, and what people have you here, that here you have hewn for yourself a tomb?"
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The LORD shall hurl you down headlong, mortal man! He shall grip you firmly
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And roll you up and toss you like a ball into an open land To perish there, you and the chariots you glory in, you disgrace to your master's house!
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I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station.
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5 On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
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I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
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6 I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open.
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I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family;
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7 On him shall hang all the glory of his family: descendants and offspring, all the little dishes, from bowls to jugs.
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On that day, says the LORD of hosts, the peg fixed in a sure spot shall give way, break off and fall, and the weight that hung on it shall be done away with; for the LORD has spoken.