WE USE KEYS TO OPEN THE DOOR OF FAITH

Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) - New Testament - Mt 16:13-20 Saving Faith�Confessing Christ (Matt. 16:13-20)

Keys of the kingdom. A key is a badge of authority (Isa. 22:15, 22; Luke 11:52). "The kingdom of heaven" is not heaven, for no man on earth carries the keys to heaven! (All of the jokes about "St. Peter at the gate" stem from this misunderstanding. They are both unbiblical and in bad taste.). We use keys to open doors. Peter was given the privilege of opening "the door of faith" to the Jews at Pentecost (Acts 2), to the Samaritans (Acts 8:14ff), and to the Gentiles (Acts 10). But the other Apostles shared this authority (Matt. 18:18), and Paul had the privilege of "opening the door of faith" to the Gentiles outside of Palestine ().

Acts 14:27