Article Tools
- Text Size
- Add a comment (0)
- Print this article
- Email this article
Much of Matthew's gospel deals with the question of faith, and it offers a climactic answer with the proclamation of Jesus as "the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16).
In Matthew’s account, Peter described Jesus as “the Son of the living God,” a phrase not found in Mark’s report of this incident (see Mark 8:29). Some Scripture scholars, comparing these two versions, conjecture that Mark may have preserved Peter’s original words, while Matthew, drawing on a slightly later and more developed understanding of Jesus from the early church, provided the fuller description. The important point for us to glean from this is that faith does not remain static, nor does it stagnate; faith grows and develops in depth and understanding.
The dawning of faith brings us to the spiritual insight that causes us to utter a proclamation similar to Peter’s. And while it is one thing to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, anointed by God to save his people, the deepening of faith brings us to the understanding of…
The full article is available to subscribers only
Access all articles, daily meditations and readings, as well as special resources, by becoming a subscriber. View subscription options.
Special Offer: 2 week free web-only trial subscription. Sign up now.
Existing Print & Web-Only Subscribers: Login for full access.