What are the Keys to the Kingdom (Matthew 16:19)? Great question!
I (Jesus) will give you (Peter) the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
Matthew 16:19
Jesus Gave Peter the Keys
Jesus pledged the keys to Peter after Peter’s confession:
(Peter said), “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
“And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 16:17).”
What are the keys? In the book of Acts, there are three times Peter introduces different people groups into the Kingdom. First, the Jews, then the Samaritans, and after them, the Gentiles.
Peter Welcomed Jews into the Church
(Peter speaking), “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him (Jesus) both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified. Now…they were pierced to the heart, and said …“Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit….So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls (Acts 2:36-38,41).”
In tandem with the Holy Spirit, Peter had just convicted his Jewish brothers, who had just crucified their Messiah. They repented and now believed in Jesus as the Messiah, so Peter welcomed these Jewish believers into the newborn Church. The Holy Spirit baptized (spiritually, not by water) believers into the Church, the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13):
This Man (Jesus), delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power (Acts 2:23-24).”
Peter Welcomed Samaritans into the Church
“Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit ( Acts 8:14-17).”
The Holy Spirit didn’t welcome the Samaritans into the Church until Peter arrived and laid hands on them.
Peter Welcomed Gentiles into the Church
“Of Him (Jesus) all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins. While Peter (spoke), the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised (Jewish) believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also (Acts 10:43-47).”
The Jews were used to having God’s salvation go through them. Jesus told the woman at the well: “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews (John 4:22).” But Peter, noticing that the Holy Spirit had fallen on these Gentile believers just like He had on them (the Jews), convinced the Jews that they couldn’t refuse water baptism to these Gentiles. What are the Keys to the Kingdom (Matthew 16:19)?
What Were the Keys?
Yes, Peter had used the keys. But notice from our introductory verse, Jesus had said, “whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19). Peter was the human agent to welcome people groups into the Church. But, in each case, he followed the Holy Spirit’s lead.
