Caesarea Philippi

In the Bible

Caesarea Philippi appears in Matthew 16:13 and Mark 8:27. The New Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) renders the place name as "Bilipbo Gaisara" (literally "Philippi Caesarea"). On arriving in this region, Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" and then, "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16).

Luke 9:18–20 records the same exchange but does not name the location. Immediately after this confession, Jesus foretold His suffering, death, and resurrection for the first time (Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31). He also told His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34–35).

Background

The city stood at one of the springs that feed the Jordan River. Its earlier name was Paneas (or Panias), which is generally understood to derive from a sanctuary there dedicated to Pan, the Greek god of shepherds and flocks. The Jewish historian Josephus recorded that Herod the Great built a temple there in honor of the emperor Augustus.

Herod's son Philip the tetrarch (a regional ruler over a portion of a divided kingdom) rebuilt the city and named it "Caesarea" in honor of the Roman emperor (Caesar). To distinguish it from Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast, Philip's name was added, yielding "Caesarea of Philip."

Today the location is an archaeological site known as Banias. Some have associated it with Old Testament place names such as Baal-gad (Joshua 11:17), but this identification is uncertain.

Significance in the Bible as a Whole

In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), the confession at Caesarea Philippi is read as a turning point in the narrative. From this scene onward, Jesus is confessed as the Messiah and the Son of God, and the direction of the story shifts from His ministry in Galilee toward His passion in Jerusalem.

Matthew and Mark follow this scene with the Transfiguration six days later. Scholars differ on whether the mountain was nearby Mount Hermon or Mount Tabor, the traditional site.

Interpretation and Debate

The words found only in Matthew, "thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18), are read differently in different church traditions.

• Roman Catholic Church: Identifies the "rock" as Peter and takes this verse as the basis for the primacy (supreme authority) of Peter and of his successors, the popes.
• Protestantism: Interpretations vary. Some identify the rock with Peter's confession of faith, others with Christ Himself. Still others hold that even if the rock is Peter, the words were addressed to him as representative of the apostles and do not establish an office passed on to successors.

Understandings of "the keys of the kingdom of heaven" in Matthew 16:19 also differ. The Heidelberg Catechism explains these keys as the preaching of the gospel and church discipline. The Westminster Confession of Faith states that the keys have been committed to the officers of the church.

In preaching, the cave at Banias is sometimes linked with "the gates of hell." This is simply an interpretation that has become widespread in modern times, not something the text itself states.

In the Korean Church

The question "But whom say ye that I am?" is frequently used in the Korean church as a sermon text on the theme of confession of faith. The Banias ruins are also often included in itineraries for Holy Land pilgrimages to Israel.