Nicene/Post-Nicene, Series I, Volume 20

Chrysostom, A.D. 347 - 407

It was in this way that the centurion also said, "I am not fit that thou shouldest enter under my roof;" because of this, he became worthy, and was "marvelled at" above all Jews. On this wise again Paul saith, "I am not meet to be called an apostle;" because of this he became even first of all. So likewise John: "I am not meet to loose the latchet of His shoe;" because of this he was the "friend of the Bridegroom," and the hand which he affirmed to be unworthy to touch His shoes, this did Christ draw unto His own head. So Peter too said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man;" because of this he became a foundation of the Church.
Homilies on Matthew, Homily III, § 8

... At least when Paul and they that were of his company were come up to Jerusalem about decrees they went in straightway unto James. For he was so admired as even to be the first to be entrusted with the bishop's office....
Homilies on Matthew, Homily V, § 6

... And there Andrew calls Peter, but here Jesus calls both. And John saith, Jesus seeing Simon coming, saith, "Thou an Simon, the Son of Jona, thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone." But Matthew saith that he was already called by that name; for his words are, "Seeing Simon that was called Peter" ... .
Homilies on Matthew, Homily XIV, § 3

... And how gave He them the keys also? since if they are not to judge, they will be without authority in any matter, and in vain have they received the power to bind and to loose.
Homilies on Matthew, Homily XXIII, § 1

"For the rain descended," saith He, "the floods came, the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock." 3. By "rain" here, and "floods," and "winds," He is expressing metaphorically the calamities and afflictions that befall men ... . "But to none of these," saith He, "doth such a soul give way; and the cause is, it is founded on the rock." He calls the stedfastness of His doctrine a rock; because in truth His commands are stronger than any rock, setting one above all the waves of human affairs.... and the apostles too are our witnesses, for that when the waves of the whole world were beating against them, when both nations and princes, both their own people and strangers, both the evil spirits, and the devil, and every engine was set in motion, they stood firmer than a rock, and dispersed it all.
¶ For as with regard to virtue, not only from the things to come did He urge them (speaking of a kingdom, and of Heaven, and an unspeakable reward, and comfort, and the unnumbered good things): but also from the things present, indicating the firm and immoveable quality of the Rock ... .
4. ... Such an one was Ahab, but not such Elijah ... for the one had built upon the rock, the other on the sand ... .
Homilies on Matthew, Homily XXIV, § 3

... He sets down the list of them, and their number, and makes known their names, saying thus: "Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; first, Simon, who is called Peter." Because there was also another Simon, the Canaanite ... . Now Mark doth also put them according to their dignity; for after the two leaders, He then numbers Andrew ... . But let us look at the list of them from the beginning. "First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother." Even this is no small praise. For the one he named from his virtue, the other from his high kindred ... . Then, "James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother." Seest thou how He arranges them not according to their dignity....
Homilies on Matthew, Homily XXXII, § 5

3. ... And to Peter again He said not, "If thou lovest me," "do miracles," but "feed my sheep." And whereas He everywhere distinguishes him with James and John above all the rest, for what, I pray thee, did He distinguish them? For their miracles? Nay, all alike cleansed the lepers, and raised the dead; and to all alike He gave that authority.
¶ Whence then had these the advantage? From the virtue in their soul....
4. ... Hear Peter, saying, "Behold we have forsaken all. and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore?" Hear also Christ saying to them, Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones ... .
Homilies on Matthew, Homily XLVI, § 3

2. What then saith Peter, everywhere ardent, and ever starting forward before the rest?
"Lord, if it be Thou," saith he, "bid me come unto Thee on the water."
He said not, "Pray and entreat," but, "bid." Seest thou how great his ardor, how great his faith? Yet surely he is hereby often in danger, by seeking things beyond his measure. For so here too he required an exceedingly great thing, for love only, not for display. For neither did he say, "Bid me walk on the water," but what? "Bid me come unto Thee." For none so loved Jesus.
This he did also after the resurrection; he endured not to come with the others, but leapt forward. And not love only, but faith also doth he display. For he not only believed that He was able Himself to walk on the sea, but that He could lead upon it others also; and he longs to be quickly near Him.
Homilies on Matthew, Homily L, § 2

"Now when Jesus had gone forth into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?"
¶ Then, since they said, "Some John the Baptist, some Elias, some Jeremias, or one of the prophets," and set forth their mistaken opinion, He next added, "But whom say ye that I am?"...
2. (5. sic) What then saith the mouth of the apostles, Peter, the ever fervent, the leader of the apostolic choir? When all are asked, he answers. And whereas when He asked the opinion of the people, all replied to the question; when He asked their own, Peter springs forward, and anticipates them, and saith, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
What then saith Christ? "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee."
3. What then saith Christ? "Thou art Simon, the son of Jonas; thou shalt be called Cephas." "Thus since thou hast proclaimed my Father, I too name him that begat thee;" all but saying, "As thou art son of Jonas, even so am I of my Father." Else it were superfluous to say, "Thou art Son of Jonas;" but since he had said, "Son of God," to point out that He is so Son of God, as the other son of Jonas, of the same substance with Him that begat Him, therefore He added this, "And I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church;" that is, on the faith of his confession.
¶ Then He mentions also another honor. "And I also will give thee the keys of the heavens."
¶ "I will give thee." What dost Thou give? tell me. "The keys of the heavens, that whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in Heaven." How then is it not "His to give to sit on His right hand, and on His left," when He saith, "I will give thee"?
¶ ... For those things which are peculiar to God alone, (both to absolve sins, and to make the church incapable of overthrow in such assailing waves, and to exhibit a man that is a fisher more solid than any rock, while all the world is at war with him), these He promises Himself to give ... .
¶ ... the Father gave to Peter the revelation of the Son; but the Son gave him to sow that of the Father and that of Himself in every part of the world; and to a mortal man He entrusted the authority over all things in Heaven, giving him the keys; who extended the church to every part of the world ... .
¶ But see, throughout all, His authority: "I say unto thee, Thou art Peter; I will build the Church; I will give thee the keys of Heaven."
Homilies on Matthew, Homily LIV, §§ 1, 2, 3

"For do not by any means imagine that this is your following of me; I mean, what ye now do attending upon me. Ye have need of many toils, many dangers, if ye are to come after me. For thou oughtest not, O Peter, because thou hast confessed me Son of God, therefore only to expect crowns, and to suppose this enough for thy salvation, and for the future to enjoy security, as having done all....
Homilies on Matthew, Homily LV, § 1

Because then Christ was a firstborn child, and Peter seemed to be first of the disciples, to him they come ... .
Then, being ashamed to avow their feeling, they say not indeed openly, "Wherefore hast thou preferred Peter to us?" or, "Is he greater than we are?" for they were ashamed; but indefinitely they ask, "Who then is greater?" For when they saw the three preferred, they felt nothing of the kind; but now that the honor had come round to one, they were vexed.... For to him He had said, "I will give thee the keys;" to him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona;" to him here, "Give unto them for me and thee;"...
Homilies on Matthew, Homily LVIII, §§ 1, 3

2. ... For it was their desire, as I suppose, because they heard, "Ye shall sit on twelve thrones, to have the first place of these seats. And that they had an advantage over the others, they knew, but they were afraid of Peter, and say, "Command, that one sit on Thy right hand, one on Thy left;" and they urge Him, saying, "Command."
3. ... For that He Himself hath power over the whole, is manifest from His having the entire judgment. For to Peter too He speaks thus, "I will give thee the keys of the Heavens." And Paul also makes this clear where he saith, "Henceforth is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me in that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also which have loved His appearing.", But the appearing was of Christ. But that no one will stand before Paul, is surely clear to every one.
Homilies on Matthew, Homily LXV, §§ 2, 3

... Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The Stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?"
2. ... And Luke indeed saith, that He declared what these men should suffer; and they said, "God forbid;" and He added the testimony [of Scripture]. For "He beheld them, and said, What is it then that is written? The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner; and every; one that falleth upon it shall be broken." But Matthew, that they themselves delivered the sentence.
¶ ... He both added a prophecy, and reproves them in a way to put them to shame, saying, "Did ye never read, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes;" by all things showing, that they should be cast out for unbelief, and the Gentiles brought in....
¶ ... And by the stone He means Himself ... .
¶ ... He added the punishments also, saying, "Every one that falleth on this stone, shall be broken; but upon whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder." He speaks here of two ways of destruction, one from stumbling and being offended; for this is, "Whosoever falleth on this stone:" but another from their capture, and calamity, and utter destruction, which also He clearly foretold, saying, "It will grind him to powder." By these words He darkly intimated His own resurrection also.
Homilies on Matthew, Homily LXVIII, §§ 1, 2

... Since Peter also, when he confessed the Christ, was blessed, as having spoken the words of the Father; but when he refused the cross, and dissuaded it, he was severely reproved, as savoring the things of the devil....
Homilies on Matthew, Homily LXXVIII, § 2

... For He that has built His church upon Peter's confession, and has so fortified it, that ten thousand dangers and deaths are not to prevail over it; He that hath given him the keys of Heaven, and hath put him in possession of so much authority, and in no manner needed a prayer for these ends (for neither did He say, I have prayed, but with His own authority, "I will build my church, and I will give thee the keys of Heaven"), how should He need to pray, that He might brace up the shaken soul of a single man?...
Homilies on Matthew, Homily LXXXII, § 3

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