Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

Matthew XVI. 23-26. 553
Christ's life no unholy thought could flow ; but precisely because
he was to be a conqueror of sin, it had to draw near, that in every
form he might overthrow it ; and in his human nature, which only
by degrees received within itself the whole fulness of the Divine life,
sin, when it drew near, made upon him an impression. Such a
sacred moment have we here. With the glance of his soul, the
Saviour at once penetrate;] the source whence sprang this far he it
from thee, and killed the springing evil in its very root. This
explains at once the import of the oaravd, which was addressed to
Peter (a-gacpelg elrre tw nt-rpoj). The opinion that Peter is here
termed a wicked counsellor, or even an adversary* (from -,u'^), stands
completely self-refuted ; the rock of the church cannot possibly be
at the same time an adversary, and assuredly Peter did not, by having
spoken these words, cease to be the rock of tlie church. The
oaravag, Satan, is none other than the ap;^ci)v rov kooiiov tov-ov, ruler
of this ivorld, who has his work in the children of unbelief (Ephes.
ii. 2), and also in the children of faith, in so far as the Spirit of
Chi-ist has as yet not sanctified them, i. e., in so far as the old man,
still exposed to sinful influences, yet hves in them. This influence
had Peter (as the organ of the others, who are to be conceived of
as under the same guilt) admitted into his heart without knowing
what he did. Our Lord, however, brings him to the consciousness
of what he was doing, by naming the element from which sprang
the thought that he had been weak enough to utter. Thus, as in
the foregoing confession (ver. 16), the Divine element was seen
predominant in Peter, so evil now asserts its power over him ; and
here, therefore, we have in his case an exhibition of that ebbing
and flowing of spiritual life, which every one experiences who
has felt in his heart the redeeming power of Christ, Where
sin is powerful, there does grace excel in power (Rom, v, 20) ; con-
versely, however, where grace is mighty, there sin also puts itself
mightily forth,
Yer. 24-26.—Immediately after these words, Jesus, transferring
his discourse from the immediate circle of his disciples to a more
extensive audience (according to Mark and Luke), subjoins an
admonition upon self-denial. The thoughts themselves we have
already unfolded at Matth, x. 37, seq. ; the only inquiry here is,
what association of ideas connects these verses with the foregoing.
The fact that Christ must die, does not seem fo imply as a neces-
sary consequence, the death of his disciples, for indeed Christ died
expressly that we might live. Of bodily death this is undoubtedly
true, but the life and death of Jesus is a pattern for his church (1
* As regards the mere usage of the words, this explanation may be justified by refer-
ring to such passages as 1 Kings xi. 14 ; 2 Sam. xix. 22. In the New Testament, how-
eyer 'jarai'dg never occurs in the sense of adversary.