“A Peaceful Protest Against Sin”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
August 22-23, 2020
Scripture: Matthew 16: 13-20
You’ve heard me tell you many times that if you are going to study scripture, you must first study it as a First Century Jew. You must go back to the first century, to the beginning, when Christ first came so that you can understand and get a greater sense of the impact of His works and His culture. Certain words will scream out at you – very important words – words that won’t need much explanation. Our Lord was setting up His plan for redemption which, in theology, is called the Economy of Salvation. We are to continue His work of redemption throughout the generations. Our Lord introduced two new words and a whole new concept. The Jews understood them and it was if they had been smacked in the face with a baseball bat. So, if you study scripture, you have to learn how to study it in the original language it was written – whether in Greek, Latin, or Aramaic. I have to tell you…it’s not a whole lot of fun and giggles. My advice is to get a good Catholic Bible.
Our Lord took the apostles aside and said, “Simon bar Jonah (Simon son of John), you are now Peter” (in Greek: Petros, meaning the rock). If you were a Jew, you immediately understood that as going back to Genesis in the Pentateuch. In Genesis 17:5, God said, “Abram, you are now Abraham and the father of holy Jews. In Deuteronomy 28:9, He introduced the Greek term, “qahal” meaning a religious assembly. He said, “I will make you a holy people.” In ancient times, holy people were called qahal, but now they were the holy people of the Church…not a small Christian community and not a body of believers, but the Church. In Matthew 16:18, our Lord uses another Greek term that had never been used before in scripture – “ecclesia” meaning church. “You are My church. I will build on you My church.” He was speaking to Peter directly. The original Greek word used for “you” was singular.
In English, our words are not very precise like other languages, and the word “you” can be singular or it can be plural. “Upon you, I will build my church.” Was he talking to all of the apostles? No, he wasn’t. You have to read it in the original Greek. If you learned French, remember the variation of the word “you” is “tu” and “vous.” “Tu” is used to address a particular person, and “Vous” to address a crowd. “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.” He wasn’t talking to the other apostles or anybody else there. He was speaking to Peter. “Upon you, Peter, I will build My church. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” The other apostles may have been thinking, “Whoa, I’m brighter than that bozo; why is he getting all the praise!”
“Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” So, what does this binding and loosing authority include? It includes forgiveness of sin, governance of the Church, and discipline. However, even with this binding and loosing power, we cannot change the Commandments as almost every other Christian organization has done. No matter who the Pope is, he cannot change Divine Law. He cannot change the word of God. He can only change Disciplinary Law. That is all. We cannot marry a male to a male or a female to a female. We cannot change the Commandments. We will bestow mercy, but we cannot change the Word of God. The binding and loosening authority is meant only for the well-being of the Church and not to change Divine Will. Disciplinary laws such as fasting promote the building up of the Church. They provide guidance to the faithful, preservation from sin, and the increase of virtue.
Our Lord talked about the power of sin and God’s forgiveness. He bestowed the great gifts of His grace and His consolation. He provided the means of salvation to all who came and who wanted to hear. Although we were not born in the First Century, Our Lord wants to make sure we have the same opportunity for salvation as the people who lived during His lifetime. His words shocked the Jews when they heard them. They were awestruck by His teaching, as we all should be.
How will you apply this message to your life? Are you awestruck by the teachings of Christ?