Matthew 16:1-18 ▼

1 When the Pharisees and Sadducees arrived, in order to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

2 He replied to them, |You say, 'Red sky at night, what a delight!

3 Red sky in the morning, cloudy and storming.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, yet you can't interpret the signs of the times?

4 An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.| Then he left them and went away.

5 When his disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to take any bread along.

6 Jesus told them, |Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!|

7 As they began to discuss this among themselves, they kept saying, |We didn't bring along any bread.|

8 Knowing this, Jesus asked them, |You who have little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you don't have any bread?

9 Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected,

10 or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many baskets you collected?

11 How can you fail to understand that I wasn't talking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!|

12 Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the yeast used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

13 When Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, |Who do people say the Son of Man is?|

14 They said, |Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.|

15 He asked them, |But who do you say I am?|

16 Simon Peter answered, |You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!|

17 Then Jesus told him, |How blessed you are, Simon son of Jonah, since flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, though my Father in heaven has.

18 I tell you that you are Peter, and it is on this rock that I will build my congregation, and the powers of hell will not conquer it.