The Delivery of the Keys

Pietro Perugino (c. 1446–1523) — 1481–1482 · Fresco · Sistine Chapel, Vatican

“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” — Matthew 16:19 (KJV)

About

Perugino's fresco (1481–1482) lines the Sistine Chapel wall: in a vast piazza under a temple, Christ hands two keys — gold and silver — to a kneeling Peter, the apostles grouped calmly around, the stoning of Christ and the tribute money telling side stories in the distance.

The Meaning

Rome reads this fresco as its founding charter: I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:19). Baptist readers note the same verse's context — the confession that Jesus is the Christ drew the blessing, and the keys in practice are the gospel itself, which Peter used at Pentecost to open heaven to three thousand.

For Us Today

Use Christ's keys the way Christ did — opening doors for sinners: preach the gospel, forgive the penitent, welcome the returning. Whatever authority we have in His church is a key, not a club (Luke 11:52).

Image: Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons — the file’s page. Tap the picture to open the full-size original there.