Matthew 16:18–19
See how he shows himself Lord of heaven and earth in summary. For he promises what is beyond our nature — rather, even beyond the angelic order — and whatever it befits to grant only to the nature and glory highest of all. First he says the church is his own, although the sacred writings dedicate it rather to God and to none of the others — “having no spot or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:27) — and he also promises to found it, assigning it what cannot be shaken, as himself Lord of the powers, and he sets Peter over it as shepherd.
Then he said, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens.” (Matthew 16:18–19) This voice no angel, nor any other rational power, can utter; it befits rather the God who rules all and has authority over earth and heaven.
Greek
Ἄθρει, ὅπως κύριον ἑαυτὸν ἀποφαίνει συλλήβδην οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς· ὑπισχνεῖται γὰρ τὰ ὑπὲρ τὴν φύσιν τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τάξεως τῆς ἀγγελικῆς καὶ ὅσα μόνῃ πρέπει χαρίζεσθαι τῇ ἀνωτάτω πασῶν φύσει τε καὶ δόξῃ· πρῶτον μὲν γάρ φησιν ἑαυτοῦ εἶναι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καίτοι τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων θεῷ μᾶλλον καὶ οὐδενὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀφιερούντων "μὴ ἔχουσαν σπίλον ἢ ῥυτίδα", ἣν δὴ καὶ θεμελιοῦν ἐπαγγέλλεται τὸ ἀκατάσειστον αὐτῇ προσνέμων ὡς αὐτὸς ὑπάρχων τῶν δυνάμεων κύριος καὶ ταύτης ποιμένα τὸν Πέτρον ἐφίστησιν. εἶτα ἔφη· καὶ δώσω σοι τὰς κλεῖς τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. ταύτην δὲ τὴν φωνὴν οὐκ ἄγγελος, οὐκ ἄλλη τις λογικὴ δύναμις φθέγξασθαι δύναται, πρέπει δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ πάντων κρατοῦντι θεῷ καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντι γῆς τε καὶ οὐρανοῦ.
About this text
Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.
English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 72 Commentarii in Matthaeum (Aegean Digital Patrologia / khazarzar) (Greek · CPG 5206 catena fragments (290 parsed heads))
- Checked print matia.gr mirror of same Aegean extract (Greek · Byte-identical PDF; integrity check only)
- Checked print Internet Archive PG 72 volume OCR (bim … 1859_72) (Greek (OCR damaged) · Locus confirmation only; not used as reading text)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.