Dr. Couch, what is going on in Matthew 16:17-20 concerning the kingdom of heaven and the church?
Answer: This is one of the most important sections of Scripture that actually tells us the church is not the kingdom, though it can be an usual passage to try to understand at first glance. Unfortunately, many of the amillennial guys, and allegorists, do not grasp the meaning of the passage. Too, the Catholics use this to claim the supremacy of Peter and, as the head of the church, he holds the keys to the kingdom, i.e. the church. This is not what the passage is teaching!
I have one of the most exhaustive studies on this passage ever written. Many scholars say it is the best explanation ever researched out. What I wrote is published in two books. It is too complicated for answering in a Question Column such as this but you can read my complete discourse in Chapter 16 of my book Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics (Kregel). I draw from the grammar of the passage, Catholic interpretation, and church history to show what is really going on in these verses.
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
Answer: This is one of the most important sections of Scripture that actually tells us the church is not the kingdom, though it can be an usual passage to try to understand at first glance. Unfortunately, many of the amillennial guys, and allegorists, do not grasp the meaning of the passage. Too, the Catholics use this to claim the supremacy of Peter and, as the head of the church, he holds the keys to the kingdom, i.e. the church. This is not what the passage is teaching!
I have one of the most exhaustive studies on this passage ever written. Many scholars say it is the best explanation ever researched out. What I wrote is published in two books. It is too complicated for answering in a Question Column such as this but you can read my complete discourse in Chapter 16 of my book Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics (Kregel). I draw from the grammar of the passage, Catholic interpretation, and church history to show what is really going on in these verses.
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
