UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIANITY.

Christianity is a way of life, embodied in a fellowship centered on the worship of the One GOD revealed to men through JESUS of Nazareth, who lived as a human being for about 30 years in Palestine and was crucified at Jerusalem. HE rose from the dead after 3 days and was seen by his disciples on numerous occasions during the succeeding 40 days, after which HE departed.
During the 3 years of His earthly ministry of teaching, when HE was near to Caesarea Philippi, the ancient Paneion on the slopes of Mt. Hermon, Peter answered His question "Who do men say that I AM?" with the declaration "YOU ARE THE CHRIST."
If we look on a map, we will find 3 Caesareas. Caesarea Philippi is located to the North of the Sea of Galilee. It was on the way to the villages of Caesarea Philippi that JESUS questioned his disciples, giving rise to the meaningful conversation regarding the Christian congregation's rock-mass foundation and the use of the keys of the Kingdom of the heavens.
The earliest appearance of the area in history is as the site of a battle between Egypt and the victorious forces of Antiochus the Great. It was then known as Paneas, a name given in honor of the god Pan, a fertility deity, who was worshiped there. Augustus Caesar gave Paneas to Herod the Great, who thereafter built a white marble temple in the place, dedicating it to Augustus. Herod's son, Philip the tetrarch, later enlarged and beautified the city in honor of Tiberius Caesar. It was then given the name Caesarea and, to distinguish it from the seaport city  of the same name, was called Caesarea Philippi.
Still later the city was again enlarged and adorned by Agrippa II and its name changed to Neronias, though this name quickly passed into disuse following the death of Nero. After the destruction of Jerusalem, General Titus staged gladiatorial events there, using captive Jews or other slaves as victims.
In course of time the name of the city reverted to its ancient name of Paneas. The town is now situated at the headwaters of the Jordan River, and since the Arabic language does not use the letter P, the name of the small town is translated as Banyas. At an elevation of 350m/1,150ft above sea level, its location is one of great natural beauty. The town is enclosed on 3 sides by mountains, with the snowcapped peak of Mount Hermon rising majestically to the North East, while to the West extends a lush green plain watered by one of the principal sources of the Jordan springing from a nearby cavern.
The Lord JESUS, in the narrative, is in the North, and HE is in a position from which HE is going to turn and begin a movement directly toward Jerusalem and the cross. Before HE begins the journey, there are 2 things that must be clear in the minds of His disciples : 1) Who HE is, and 2) What HE is going to do. These are the 2 things that all of us have to be clear on in order to be CHRISTIANS.
We have to know WHO HE IS, and we have to know WHAT HE DID, in order to exercise FAITH IN HIM AND BE SAVED.
The narrative in Matthew 16 starts with the warning of false doctrine directly from JESUS:  The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test JESUS they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. HE answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather; for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah."So HE left them and departed. When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread.  JESUS said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."And they discussed it among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread." But JESUS, aware of this, said,  'O men of little Faith, why do you discuss among yourselves the Fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the 5 loaves of the 5000, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the 7 loaves of the 4000, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to 'perceive' that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (1-12)
Now when JESUS came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, HE asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the SON of MAN is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." HE said to them, "But who do you say that I AM?" Simeon Peter replied, "YOU ARE  the CHRIST, the SON of the LIVING GOD."   And JESUS answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father Who Is In Heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD my church, and the powers of Death shall not prevail against it. I WILL GIVE YOU the KEYS of the Kingdom of Heaven, and WHATEVER YOU BIND ON EARTH SHALL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN, and WHATEVER YOU LOOSE ON EARTH SHALL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN." Then HE strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that HE was the CHRIST. (13-20)
We learned from the Scripture that leaven is always a principle of evil and never a principle of good and the religious rulers of the world were trying to trap JESUS and HE is warning His own men to beware of them. The disciples missed the understanding of the leaven at first, thinking that is was a matter of material bread. They should have remembered the 2 miracles that JESUS did providing food for the 5000 and the 4000 - but it was not a matter of material bread. Leaven, according to our Lord's interpretation, is 'false doctrine.' When people speak about the 'leaven of the gospel,' they are using a contradiction of terms. Leaven is never a picture of the gospel. Leaven always is symbol of evil.
If we accept the Lord JESUS CHRIST as an authority, we need to understand what leaven means.
Make note that the LORD's first question:"WHOM do men say that I the Son of Man am?"is testing our Faith even today. JESUS still is the most controversial Person who has ever lived on this earth, and people are still confused about Him.
Simon Peter, being the spokesman for the group of disciples said, "YOU ARE THE CHRIST,"which meant the Messiah, the Anointed One, the One Who was predicted in the Old Testament, and the Lord JESUS was the fulfillment.  JESUS said, "Flesh and Blood have not revealed it unto you;" that is "You didn't learn it by being with ME." The disciples had been with JESUS about two and a have years and still they did not perceive at once His Teachings.
JESUS was perceived as the ROCK in which His Church is built! HE is the foundation. Before Him, there could not have been a church until all this these things  had taken place. JESUS expressed His desire to be done in the very near future. The gates of death shall not prevail against CHRIST' s church.
JESUS gives the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to those who make the same confession made by Peter knowing WHO HE IS and WHAT HE HAS DONE, and ACCEPT HIM BY FAITH.
If we withhold the WORD, we "bind on earth;" if we give the WORD, we "loose on earth".  No man or individual church has the keys -to the exclusion of all other believers. We have the responsibility today to lecture ourselves in the WORD of GOD to know WHO JESUS IS and WHAT HE HAS DONE for us and accept HIM BY FAITH in order to give out the gospel to the world because it is the only way that people can be saved, and we as believers do not be deceived by false doctrines.