Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 16:15

"He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am?" — Matthew 16:15 (ASV)

The “you” is emphatic and plural (v.15). Therefore, at least in part, Peter serves as spokesman for the Twelve (as he often does: cf. 15:15–16; 19:25–28; 26:40). Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, i.e., the Messiah .

The Synoptic Gospels show us that the disciples understand only by degrees (16:17). One of the marks of the gospel writers’ fidelity to the historical development of the disciples’ understanding of Christ lies precisely in this—that they show the disciples coming around to the same points again and again, each time with a deeper level of comprehension, but always with a mixture of apprehension.