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What Does Matthew 16:23 TRULY Mean?
***What Does Matthew 16:23 TRULY mean?
Here is Matthew 16:23 from the KJV. “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”
Did Jesus call Peter Satan? Was Peter possessed by Satan? Did Peter have a devil? Was Peter Satan himself?
Or was Peter LISTENING to Satan, and Jesus was actually rebuking Satan himself FOR Peter? Was Jesus rebuking Satan AND ALSO rebuking Peter?
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Was Peter a Satan as Christadephian Christians Claim?
Now, as far as I know, the Christadelphian Christians are the only “Christians” who sincerely believe and teach that Satan, the Devil, is NOT a REAL LITERAL BEING.
In other words, they argue that since James 1:14 says that we are drawn away by our OWN lust, then the devil must be our OWN devil or satan within each and every one of us.
But in TRUTH, James 1:14 actually means that each individual person is NOT tempted with the SAME things.
And thus, we all have our OWN lust, our own weakness or achilles heel, so to speak, that Satan takes advantage of to ENTICE us and draw us away by our OWN INDIVIDUAL lust that another Christian may or may not be tempted by.
So then, as always, let us read the verse in question. Matthew 16:23, being left in its context so that we can see the bigger picture, so to speak.
Matthew 16:21-28.
“From that time forth BEGAN Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. (So then, the Jews were looking for a Messiah King who would deliver them from the oppression of the Roman government.
In other words, they did not want to hear about their Messiah DYING.
And Peter spoke out his feelings concerning what Jesus was teaching about himself suffering many things and being put to death)
Matthew 16:22. Then Peter TOOK him, (Perhaps he took Jesus aside) and began to rebuke him, SAYING, Be it far from you, Lord: this shall NOT be unto you. (Now for the verse in question, Matthew 16:23.
And the questions are, did Jesus call Peter himself Satan?
Or did Jesus rebuke Satan and ALSO rebuke Peter as a way of teaching Peter to not listen to what Satan says to our minds?)
Matthew 16:23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get you behind me, Satan: you are an offense unto me: for you savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Matthew 16:24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Matthew 16:25. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 16:26. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:27. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Matthew 16:28. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”
Now, if Jesus was rebuking Peter himself as being a Satan, as in, there is a satan or a devil, in each and every one of us, as the Christadelphian Christians claim.
Then WHO was Jesus rebuking in Luke 4:8 when he was tempted to give worship to Satan? Was Jesus rebuking a devil or a satan in himself?
NO! Of course not! Jesus was rebuking a real living literal being who tempts and DECEIVES people, and not just Christians.
Luke 4:8.
“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get you behind me, Satan: for it is written, you shall worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall you serve.”
What? Was Jesus tempted to worship himself? NO! Jesus was tempted by a real Devil called Satan to worship the fallen angel named Lucifer as his God.
Join my army of angels and I will give you of my kingdom as far as your eyes can see.
And Jesus REBUKED Satan, saying, get you behind me Satan, which are the SAME words Jesus used when rebuking Satan Himself and ALSO rebuking Peter for listening to Satan.
Let us go ahead and read this same account from Matthew 16:23 in the gospel of Mark with the mindset that Jesus is rebuking Satan, Peter, AND the rest of his disciples.
Mark 8:31-38.
“And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Again, this was NOT what they expected to hear from the one they sincerely believed was the Messiah. Remember the words of two of his disciples after Jesus was dead for three days?
We thought for SURE that he was the Messiah. Then Jesus opened their eyes of understanding)
Mark 8:32. And he spoke that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
Mark 8:33. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get you behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. (Now, did Satan himself savor the things of men? NO! That rebuke is to Peter.
Jesus rebuked Satan FIRST saying, get you behind me Satan.
Then Jesus still looking at Peter AND his OTHER disciples saying, for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
Then Jesus rebuke ALL of the people that he spoke to sayings OPENLY that he must suffer and be killed and rise again after)
Mark 8:34. And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mark 8:35. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
Mark 8:36. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mark 8:37. Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mark 8:38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Now, when the men of Sceva tried rebuking the Devil in the name of Jesus that Paul teaches, the evil spirit said back to them, Jesus I KNOW and Paul I KNOW, but who are you.
And then the devils jumped on them, and they ran out naked and wounded, according to Acts 19:11-16.
So then, evil spirits, fallen angels, devils, and demons are real beings.
And thus, there is no reason to even question whether or not the prince of devils is a REAL literal being who tempts and deceives people.
Luke 22:31-34.
“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luke 22:32. But I have prayed for you, that your faith fails not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren.
Luke 22:33. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with you, both into prison, and to death.
Luke 22:34. And he said, I tell you, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that you shalt thrice deny that you know me.”
So then, if Satan, the Devil, can deceive Peter to DENY Jesus, then he can certainly DECEIVE the Christadelphian Christians to DENY that he literally exists.
But why would Satan do that, some Christians may ask.
Well, for one thing, if there is no REAL Devil, then the Christadekphian Christians have no other alternative but to BLAME Almighty God the Creator for ALL of the EVIL that is in the world.
For you see, without a Devil, the only choice they have is to say that God created all humans with a devil inside of them that lusts after sin.
However, here is the problem with that Christadelphian “interpretation”.
When we were saved, God created in us a NEW HEART and a NEW SPIRIT to become NEW creatures.
And thus, if we STILL have a so-called devil in us, then God is a pretty lousy Creator.
And that is NOT the truth by a million miles. God created us perfectly the day we were born.
And thus, when a baby dies, they are innocent before God and they go to heaven to be with Jesus.
We have all come short of the glory God prepared for us because we all have SINNED at one time or another in our life, and NOT because we were BORN with the stain of sin or a sinful nature. Those are man-made false teachings.
The TRUTH of the matter is that the Christadeplphian Christians have been greatly DECEIVED, and we need to reach out to them.
Please read Jude 1:7-23.
“Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jude 1:8. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, (Now, I do not believe that the Christadelphian Christians give themself over to fornication and other sins of the flesh, but they have yielded themselves to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils by DENYING that evil spirits and devils exist as real beings. And thus, they) despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. (The Greek word translated as despise means to SET ASIDE, to neutralize, to disannul, and to REJECT. Dominion means rulers such as Satan, the god of this present world and the fallen angels that are the principalities and powers ruling in the air, according to 2 Corinthians 4:3,4, Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 6:12, and Romans 8:38. And dignities mean GLORY. In other words, Christadelpians do not speak CORRECTLY about the GLORY of God, the DIGNITIES)
Jude 1:9. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord REBUKE you. (Now, who in their right mind would interpret this to mean that Michael the archangel was contending with sin and that Yahweh REBUKED SIN that was disputing over the body of Moses.
Again, the TRUTH of the matter is that Satan, the Devil is a REAL literal living being that is God’s ENEMY, the fallen angel called Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12-16)
Jude 1:10. But these speak evil (Or INCORRECTLY) of those things which they know NOT: but what they know NATURALLY, as brute beasts, (Or as IRRATIONAL living beings) in those things they CORRUPT themselves.
Jude 1:11. Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Jude 1:12. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withers, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Jude 1:13. Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
Jude 1:14. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints,
Jude 1:15. To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Jude 1:16. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Jude 1:17. But, beloved, remember you the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Jude 1:18. How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. (Do YOU believe in a Devil? Yes! I do, because Jesus believed that Satan is a REAL BEING)
Jude 1:19. These be they who separate themselves, sensual,(Or natural man) having NOT the Spirit.
Jude 1:20. But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (Christadelphian Christians do not believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in Christians today.
But rather, they wrongly believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit CEASED when or around when the last Apostle died.
You can read THEIR words for yourself from their own teaching. Scroll down to the section on the Holy Spirit Gifts TODAY)
Jude 1:21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jude 1:22. And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Jude 1:23. And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”
The Apostle Peter believed and taught that the Devil is a REAL literal BEING.
1 Peter 5:8,9.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, SEEKING whom he may devour: (Now, if Peter INTENDED his words to mean your adversary SIN is as a roaring lion seeking whom IT may devour, then why did he not simply use the Greek word for SIN?)
1 Peter 5:9. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
And Almighty God Himself knows that Satan, the Devil, is a REAL literal BEING, who He REBUKED.
And the angel of Yahweh speaking for Yahweh said, Yahweh REBUKES you Satan.
Zechariah 3:1,2.
“And he showed me Joshua, the high priest, (Who is a FIGURE of Jesus, the MEDIATOR who took upon himself the sins of the world as his “garment”) standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. (Speaking of Satan resisting Yahweh’s FAITHFUL and TRUTHFUL WITNESS, His Christ and MEDIATOR between the fallen angels and Yahweh’s ability to create His creatures PERFECT without any flaws of a sinful nature in the day that He created them.
Please read the related studies linked below)
Zechariah 3:2. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke you, O Satan; even the LORD that (Or Yahweh’s Lord of Lords who) has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?”
Again, once Christians understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And that you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become a Lord, a King, and a God, to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.
More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.
If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.
For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1, In the BEGINNING!
And also read the study called D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!
At the top of my homepage, there are subjects or categories which contain compiled lists of ** ALL Studies! ** I have written on that particular subject. So, if a link within a study is broken, then click on ** ALL Studies! ** to find the suggested study.
Or you can scroll down to the MORE dropdown menu list to find those studies as well.
Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **
And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading ** C-0 The TRUE FOUNDATION of the Church! **
This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.
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