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ABORTION, at whatever stage and for whatever reason, IS HUMAN SACRIFICE toINHUMAN SELFISHNESS. Remember Biblical Canaan and South American pre-Columbian civilizations which were notorious for offering human sacrifices to their false gods.
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On the "Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven" Given to Peter by Jesus

(October 7, 2009)

Mt 16:18-20:  "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." NIV


This is my full exposition on the meaning of Jesus' giving to Peter the "keys to the
kingdom of heaven." The keys were symbolic of three authority or power given to
Peter.

The First:  Use of the "key" to unlock closed door'

As commonly understood, "key or keys" are used to "open or close doors" and,
therefore, symbolic of "authority or power" to "include" or "exclude." Jesus'
giving of the "keys to the kingdom of heaven" to Peter, and by historic
extension to his successors "sitting on this rock," could only mean Jesus giving
Peter "the authority and power over matters and affairs of the kingdom of heaven
or over his Church."

Jesus' first confirmation of Peter's "authority" was the opening of the "kingdom
of heaven/Church" to the representatives of "ethnic Israel" by translating the
faithful remnants (Acts 1:15; 2:1-4) of the Jewish people from the "old ethnic
Israel" to the "new spiritual Israel" at Pentecost by the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit on Peter, on the eleven other apostles, and on the rest who were with them.

Jesus' second confirmation of Peter's authority to open the door to the "kingdom
of heaven/Church" was in Samaria with the Samaritans.

Despite the fact that the Samaritans "had already accepted the word of God" and
"had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus," the "Holy Spirit had not
come upon any of them." It took Peter's presence for the Holy Spirit to come
upon them which the representatives of the Samaritan people then received (Acts
8:14-17).

Jesus' third confirmation of Peter's authority to open the door to the "kingdom
of heaven/Church" was the admission of the Gentiles, represented by the
centurion Cornelius, his family, and friends.

Despite the fact that Paul was called by Jesus himself to be the apostle to the
Gentiles, yet it was Peter who the Spirit summoned to go to Cornelius' household
to preach the Gospel (Acts 10:19-20) to them. And, again, it was in the presence
of Peter that the Holy Spirit was poured on Cornelius' household which was
received by all those present.

Such "keys" could again be used by Peter's successors in our days to open the
Church to those who have separated themselves from the Universal (Catholic)
Church by their own desire and free will or after having been deceived by their
so-called "reformers-pastors-prophets."

I look forward to that day when all the "Lay People of God" will be one again
with the Universal (Catholic) Church.

The Second: Use of the "key" to unlock Spiritual Truths

That there are "keys" to unlock spiritual truths in the written words of God
cannot be denied. Jesus in Lk 11:52 cursed the scribes for "taking away the key
to knowledge" from the people, saying, "Woe to you experts in the law, because
you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and
you have hindered those who were entering."

Thus, Jesus' giving to Peter the "keys to the kingdom of heaven" is symbolic of
Jesus giving to Peter the "keys to knowledge to the kingdom of heaven." This is
second application of the "keys."

It means giving to Peter, and by historic extension to his successors, the
"keys" to unlock "spiritual truths" from the written words of God, the Bible; to
receive directly from the Holy Spirit new revelations from Jesus from time to
time; and to receive wisdom to evaluate "private spiritual revelations" and
"personal interpretation of Scripture" from members of the Church for the
Church, the depository of Spiritual Truths, and for the world at large.

This does not deny each of us access to spiritual truths from the Bible for our
own personal guidance and spiritual upliftment through the workings of the Holy
Spirit. But for any one of us to claim to have received "the truth," to build a
church upon such "truth," and then declare the Church founded by Jesus two
thousand years ago on Peter the Rock as "FALSE or APOSTATE" is to be misled or
deceived.

The Third: The key as symbol of authority over a household or government

In Rv 3:7-8, Jesus said: "These are the words of him who is holy and true, who
holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one
can open." NIV.

In Isa 22:15-24, The Almighty, says: "Go, say to this steward, to Shebna, who is
in charge of the palace: . . . . . 19 'I will depose you from your office, and
you will be ousted from your position. 20 In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your
authority over to him. . . . . . 22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the
house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can
open.'" NIV.

Thus, Jesus' giving "the keys to the kingdom of heaven" to Peter was/is
precisely giving Peter, and by historic extension to Peter's successors,
authority over the kingdom of heaven/Church/Household of God.

This does not make Peter or his historic successors "rulers" over the Church but
servants, nay, actually slaves. Jesus made Peter "the servant of all" according
to Jesus' standards of "being number one" or of "being great." In Mt 20:25-28,
Jesus said: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead,
whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever
wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to
be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

And Jesus in Mt 23:11 said: "The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For
whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be
exalted."NIV

By giving Peter "the keys to the kingdom of heaven," Jesus not only made Peter,
and by extension Peter's historic successors, his number one servant but also
the servant, if not slave, of his Church and of God's People - we the Lay People
of God!

Jesus in Mt 24:45-51 asked: 45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom
the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their
food at the proper time?" Remember "feed my lambs and sheep" in John 21:15-17?

The answer: The one to whom was given "the keys to the kingdom of heaven" whose
name is Peter, the Apostle, the rock!

Finally, despite the fact that the historic successors of Peter were supposed to
be "faithful and wise servants" such as Peter was, Jesus knew before hand that
there will be among them (Matt 24:48-49) "wicked ones . . . , who beat his fellow servants, and who eat and drink with drunkards."

To this wicked "successors of Peter" rest assured that they will get what are
due them, which in the word of Jesus (Matt 24:51): "I will cut  him to pieces and assign him
a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." NIV

May God bless us all.

Isabelo S. Alcordo, Ph.D.
In Service to the "Lay People of God"