Privilege, and Failure Under It
Being Remarks on Matthew 16:13-17
Introduction
In these three narratives we see
the exceeding grace of God toward those who are His; whether it be
(1) in
giving a revelation to His chosen servant, as in the case of Peter, or
(2)
in taking Peter, James and John, and bringing them into a high mountain apart,
to be eye witnesses of His majesty, or
(3) in giving unto the twelve
apostles power to deliver the wretched subjects of the dominion of Satan from
their misery. At the same time are seen the inability fo Peter to walk in
accordance with the revelation given to him, and how little that same apostle
and those with him recognized the glory of Him who had brought them into this
high and glorious place, and how powerless the twelve were on the occasion
which then came before them to exercise the power which had been given to
them.
Part I
Peter received a revelation from the Father as
to Jesus being "the Christ, the Son of the living God," and the Lord afterward
pronounced him blessed, saying: "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and
blood has not revealed it to thee, but My Father who is in the heavens." And
the Lord then bestows honour upon Peter, saying unto him: "I will give to thee
the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; and whatsoever thou mayest bind upon
the earth shall be bound in the heavens; and whatsoever thou mayest loose on
the earth shall be loosed in the heavens."
Peter was thus greatly blessed
in haing a revelation from the Father as to the Person of Him "who, subsisting
in the form of God, did not esteem it an object of rapine to be on an equality
with God, but emptied Himself, taking a bondman's form, taking His place in the
likeness of men; and having been found in figure as a man, humbled Himself,
becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of the cross." (Phil.
2:6-8 NT)
The Word of God is now complete (Col. 1:25), and revelations
are no longer given as they were at the beginning of the gospel. (Luke 1:13,
35; 2:26; I Cor. 14:30; Eph. 3:3) "His divine power has given to us all things
which relate to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has
called us by glory and virtue." (I Pet. 1:3, NT) The Holy Ghost has been sent
from above, and is now here to glorify Christ (John 16:14) and we have the full
testimony of the Scriptures to the dignity and glory of His Person. God has
also during the present century, through vessels gifted for such purpose,
taught to very many of His children truths which were at the beginning
specially revealed to the Apostle to the Gentiles, but which during the last
eighteen hundred years have been nearly if not quite unknown to Christians.
Yet, notwithstanding the full revelation of the Scriptures, and the light upon
them so graciously given in these closing days, the intellect and energy of man
are at the present time being used by the common enemy of us all more than ever
before in order that the thoughts of saints "should be corrupted from
simplicity as to the Christ" (II Cor. 11:3 NT) and that thoughts, both wrong
and irreverent, should be put into their minds respecting the Person of the Son
of God.
Happy are they who, taught simply by the Word throught the
Spirit, are honoured of God in such a day as the present in giving a true
testimony to the Person of Him to whom Peter then so blessedly
testified.
Angels, the heavenly host, the babe in the womb, aged
saints, shepherds, and wise men, all gave honour at His birth to the One who
came into this world to seek and to save that which was lost, of whom also
prophets of old had spoken. We read in Isaiah 9: "For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His
name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, the everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace." The angel Gabriel said to Mary: "The Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the
Son of God"
END OF THIS EXTRACT