Matthew 16 Here, upon approaching, the Pharisees and Sadducees – after repeatedly examining and testing Him – laid a request upon Him to exhibit to them or demonstrate for them a sign from the midst of heaven (or: from the atmosphere; out of the sky).

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Here, upon approaching, the Pharisees and Sadducees – after repeatedly examining and testing [Him] – laid a request upon Him to exhibit to them or demonstrate for them a sign from the midst of heaven (or: from the atmosphere; out of the sky). ² So, giving a decided response, He said to them," [note: from here through vs. 3 is omitted by Aleph, B and others] Upon the coming of evening, you folks are customarily saying,' [It will be] fair weather (or: good weather; a fine day), you see, the sky continues being fiery-red;' ³ "and early in the morning, [you say], 'Today [it will be] stormy (or: rainy; or: wintry weather), for the sky continues being fiery-red [and] is progressively being gloomy-looking.' On the one hand you, by experience and familiarity, habitually know how to read and discern (thoroughly discern, judge and decide about) the face and appearance of the sky, yet on the other hand, you continue unable and without power [to discern and interpret] the signs of the appointed seasons and fitting situations (or: fertile moments)! ⁴ "A worthless, wicked and adulterous (or: immoral; [note: an OT word and figure for Israel's idolatry, e.g. Ezk. 16:32]) generation is habitually searching for and thoroughly seeking a sign, and yet a sign will not proceed in being given to it, except the sign of Jonah!" Then He went away, leaving them down behind (or: it may = Then turning His back on them, He walked away). ⁵ At another time, when the disciples were coming into the other side (= other shore), [the state of their provisions] went unnoticed, and thus, they completely forgot to take loaves of bread. ⁶ Now on this occasion, Jesus said to them, "You men be constantly seeing, and be then attentive in holding [yourselves] away from the leaven (yeast) which comes from, characterizes, [and puffs up or permeates] the Pharisees and Sadducees." ⁷ So they began dialoguing and kept on reasoning among themselves, "We did not get or take loaves of bread." ⁸ Now Jesus, being aware [of their conversations] and knowing [what they were saying], said, "Why do you folks keep on discussing and reasoning among yourselves, O men of little trust and small faith? [Is it] because you are not presently having loaves of bread? ⁹ "Are you still not making it a habit to use your minds and intellects (think carefully, conceive and consider, so as to apprehend, and get the point)? Are you folks neither remembering the five loaves of bread pertaining to the five thousand people – and how many wicker hand-baskets you got (or: took [up])? ¹⁰ "Nor the seven loaves of the [situation with the] four thousand – and how many large provision baskets you received? ¹¹ "How [is it that] you men are not using your heads to understand that I did not speak to you about (or: concerning) loaves of bread? Now continue holding your focus and be attentive to keep away from the leaven (yeast) which belongs to, comes from and characterizes the Pharisees and Sadducees!" ¹² At that time they made things flow together and comprehended that He did not say to hold their focus and be attentive to keep away from the leaven of the loaves of bread, but rather, from the teaching which belongs to, comes from and characterizes the Pharisees and Sadducees. ¹³ Now later, upon coming into the parts (= districts) of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus began putting a question to His disciples, proceeding in saying, "Whom are people (the humans; mankind) customarily saying the Son of the Man (the son of mankind; = the son of Adam [a symbolic reference to the anticipated messiah]) is to be?" ¹⁴ So they said, "Well some, on the one hand, [say] John the Immerser (Baptist), yet other folks [say] Elijah. But then, different people [are saying] Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." ¹⁵ He is then saying to them, "But [how about] you men, who are you folks continually saying [that] I am to be (or: what do you now make reference [of] Me being)?" ¹⁶ Now Simon Peter, making a discerning and decided reply, said, "You, Yourself, continue being the Anointed One (the Christ; = the Messiah), the living God's Son!" ¹⁷ So Jesus, making a considered response, said to him, "You continue being a happy and blessed person, Simon, son of Jonah, because 'flesh and blood' (= the human nature or intellect; or: = people; or: = the old covenant system) did not uncover [this] for you, nor disclose [this] so as to reveal [it] to you (or: = you did not come up with this revelation yourself, nor uncover it in yourself, nor disclose it by or for yourself). To the contrary, [it was] My Father – the One within the heavens (or: in the atmospheres)! ¹⁸ "And now I Myself am saying to you that you are Peter (or: that you continue being an isolated stone). And you see, [it is] upon this: the rock mass (or: bedrock) [that] I will progressively be constructing and building up My house – the called-out community. And even gates of [the] unseen (or: gates of an unseen place; [= boulders on the entrances of graves; = {the prison} gates of the 'house of death'; or: the bars enclosing the realm of the dead]) will not continue bringing strength down against it (or: will not proceed to be coming to their full strength in relation to it; or: will not continue overpowering it or prevail in resisting it). ¹⁹ "I will continue giving to you the keys [note: = means of locking or unlocking] which have their origin and source in the reign and activities of the heavens (or: which pertain to and have the characteristics of the kingdom of the heavens; or: which belong to the sovereignty from the atmospheres; or, as a genitive of apposition: the keys which are the sovereign reign of the heavens). And so, whatever you can (or: may; should) bind upon the earth will continue being [something] having been bound, and still remaining bound, within the midst of the heavens (or: in the atmospheres). Also, whatever you can (or: may; should) loose upon the earth will continue being [something] having been loosed (unbound; untied), and remaining free of bonds, within the midst of the heavens (or: in the atmospheres)." ²⁰ At that point He gave respectful caution and admonition to the disciples, to the end that they would say to no one that He, Himself, exists being (or: is) the Anointed One (the Christ; = the Messiah). ²¹ From that time on, Jesus [other MSS: Jesus Christ] began to progressively point out, exhibit and demonstrate to and for His disciples that it is necessary [for] Him – even continues being binding [on] Him – to go away into Jerusalem, and to experience and suffer many things from the elders and chief (or: ranking) priests, as well as the scribes (scholars and theologians of the Law), and then to be killed off – but also to be aroused and raised up on (or: during) the third day. ²² And so Peter, taking Him to himself, began to then be respectfully admonishing Him, expressing increased value of Him, repeatedly saying, "Merciful covering on You (or: [Be] kind and merciful to Yourself; [There is] favorable shelter for You; or: = [Heaven be] propitiously merciful to You; = May God spare You), O Lord (Master)! By no means will this be for You!" ²³ Now, being turned, He said to Peter, "Proceed leading the way (or: bringing things under control) behind Me, O adversary. You are My bait-stick, ensnaring and leading Me into a trap, because you are not in the habit of setting your mind on or having the attitude pertaining to the things of God, but instead, [you continually have opinions which align with] the things of humans (or: mankind)." ²⁴ At that point Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone continues intending (purposing; willing; wanting) to come on behind Me, let him at once deny, reject and disown himself, and then in one move lift up his execution state (cross), and after that proceed to be by habit continuously following after Me! ²⁵ "You see, whoever may intend (or: should purpose; might set his will; happens to want) to keep his soul-life safe (to rescue himself; to preserve the interior life that he is living) will continue loosing-it-away and destroying it. Yet whoever can loose-away and even destroy his soul-life (the interior self) on My account, he will continue finding it! ²⁶ "For what will a person (or: mankind) proceed being benefited, or in what will he (or: they) continue helped or augmented, if he can or would advantageously procure [for himself (or: themselves)] and gain the whole ordered system of society: government, economy, culture, religion – even the whole universe, yet would be undergoing the loss of, receive damage to, or be made to forfeit, his soul-life (his interior self [in its reality])? Or what will a person (or: mankind) continue giving, as a price paid to change his (or: its) soul back (or: to effect the interior transformation of himself/itself, back again to make himself/itself other than he/it is)? ²⁷ You see, the Son of the Man (or: mankind's son; or: = the Son of Adam; or: [the eschatological Messianic figure]; or: the Human Being) is presently about to continue progressively coming within the glory (the manifestation which calls forth praise) of His Father, with His agents (messengers). And at that time, He will proceed giving back (or: repaying; recompensing) to each one in corresponding accord with his practice, behavior and operation of business. ²⁸ It is so (or: Truly; Amen), I am now telling you men, that there are some (or: certain ones) of the folks presently standing here who under no circumstances can (or: may) taste (= partake of, or, experience) death, until they can (or: should) perceive and see the Son of the Man (mankind's son; = the eschatological Messianic figure; = Adam's Son) progressively coming in His reign (or: within His kingdom; joined to His sovereign activities)."