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Jesus had a reason for everything He did but going to what was a pagan city is not at first obvious to the modern mind.We need to view the episode with the mind of a 1st century Jew to understand what transpired there at Caesera-Philippi or we may fail to understand the enormity of it all. Here Jesus asks the Apostles a question,`Who do people say the Son of Man is?(Matthew:13-19) and they give various answers.Peter however boldly states ``You are the Messiah,the Son of the living God``

Jesus said to him in reply, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

And so I say to you, you are Kepha(rock), and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'

Now there in Caesarea-Philippi stands a huge rock formation and on top of this rock King Herod had built a temple to the `Divine Caesar`and it was also here that the pagan deity [Pan] was worshipped.It is striking that Pan was the Pagan god of shepherds and that his cult was one of fertility often celebrated by orgies! Here stands Jesus Christ the `Good Shepherd`in opposition to the false god Pan. There where also niches carved out in the rock at Caesarea Philippi for statues of Pan and other pagan gods.At the base of this rock formation is an opening and inside this opening is a natural well,this well was not only called bottomless but was also used by the local pagans for live sacrifices.The victim was thrown into this deep well and The presence of blood downstream was seen as a sign that the gods accepted it.

In time this opening was called the gates of the Underworld(Hell)Today, the area is called Banias which is an Arabic variant of Paneas. Now we begin to see why Jesus came here with the Apostles for it was here that He states that He will build `His church`and the Apostles could not miss the contrast He was making between this and the pagan church sitting on top of the rock of Caesarea-Philippi. Jesus the Good Shepherd would build His church and the gates of the underworld would never prevail against it,and Jesus makes Kephas(Peter)it`s Chief Steward by giving him(Peter) the `Keys`

While all the apostles were granted the authority to bind and loose, only Peter was given the keys. Read (Isaiah 22:19-22). The keys symbolized authority over the household of God. The keeper of the keys served as the chief steward, or Prime Minister of the house. When Christ gave Peter the keys, He was appointing him chief steward over the Church, which is the kingdom of heaven on this earth. Also, Peter's keys symbolize the use of dynastic succession, just as in (Isaiah 22:19-22 (keys pass from Shebna to Eliakim). Peter was appointed by Jesus as the chief steward of the new Davidic kingdom, and these keys have passed to 263 successors over the last 20 centuries.

The Greek word for rock is "petra" Jesus called Simon "Kepha" which, in Aramaic, means a large rock, or massive rock formation. When the Gospel was translated into Greek, the writers translated Kepha into Petros (not petra as this was a feminine noun). This was done to masculinize the name of Peter as Petros.

Because petra in Greek can mean a small rock and the translation reads Petros, Protestants attempt to say that Jesus was calling Peter a small rock, in order to diminish Peter's significance.

But if Jesus wanted to call Peter a small rock, the translation would have read "lithos" (meaning small pebble in Greek), not "Petros."

Nevertheless, Jesus said Kepha (not "evna" meaning small pebble),so the

Petra v. Petros comparison (which really doesn't exist in Greek anyway) is irrelevant,this whole mistranslation is nothing but a later Protestant invention.

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Jesus went to Caesarea Philippi to ask his disciples who they believed he was. It was a significant moment when Peter declared Jesus as the Messiah, showing the disciples' growing understanding of Jesus' true identity. This event marked a pivotal point in Jesus' ministry as he began to prepare his disciples for his upcoming death and resurrection.

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Mark represented caearea philippi as a watershed by showing Jesus was becoming sad that he was going to die and he said to his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah

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Q: Why did Jesus go to Caesarea Philippi?
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Did Jesus announce that he would build his church while at the city of Caesarea Philippi.?

Yes, according to the Gospel of Matthew (16:18), Jesus announced that he would build his church in Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, "Who do you say I am?" and Peter responded, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." In reply, Jesus said, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church."


What city was Jesus in when he made Saint Peter the first pope?

He declared Peter the "rock" upon which he would build His Church in the city of Caesarea Philippi.


Where did Saint Peter become the leader of the Christians?

Matthew Chapter 16, verse 13 tells us that Jesus and his disciples were near the town of Caesarea Philippi at the time.


Where did Saint Jude Thaddeus live?

Saint Jude Thaddeus is believed to have lived in various places during his lifetime, including Palestine, Syria, and Mesopotamia. He is often associated with the city of Beirut in present-day Lebanon. Traditionally, he is also said to have preached in Armenia.


What happened at Caesarea Philippi?

Mark's Gospel consists of a parallel structure, which is a literary sequence in which an opening set of events is contrasted with another set of events that parallels the first.The opening set begins with John explaining the coming of Jesus, followed by the baptism and the voice of God from heaven, and ends with Jesus predicting his death. The contrasting structure begins with the Transfiguration of Jesus and the voice of God from heaven, and ends with the crucifixion, followed by the young man explaining the departure of Jesus. Mark contrasted John's announcement of the coming of Jesus with the young man's explanation of the departure of Jesus. The Gospel contrasts the baptism and the voice from heaven with the Transfiguration and the voice from heaven. And it uses the prediction by Jesus of his death, after they travelled into the towns of Caesarea Philippi (Mark 8:27) at the end of the first set , to contrast with the actual death in the second set.


Where did St. Jude live?

St. Jude is believed to have lived in Palestine during the 1st century AD. He is often associated with the city of Beirut in present-day Lebanon, where his remains are said to be preserved in the St. Jude Shrine.


What did Jesus' disiples think of Jesus?

Mark 827And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?28And they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.29And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.


Who is the messiah of Christianity?

Mark 8:27-29New International Version (NIV) Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"Peter answered, "You are the Messiah."


Where was St. Jude Thaddeus born?

We are not certain where Jude was born, however, tradition tells us that he was born into a Jewish family in Paneas, a town in Galilee later rebuilt by the Romans and renamed Caesarea Philippi. He would have been born early in the first century and was about the same age as Jesus. Tradition also tells us he was a cousin of Our Lord.


Where was St Peter when he told Jesus he was the Messiah?

Matthew 16:13-16New King James Version (NKJV) Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."


How do you say caesarea in English?

Caesarea


What is the population of Caesarea?

Caesarea's population is 4,400.