Matthew 16:22-25

16:22 So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: 1  “God forbid, 2  Lord! This must not happen to you!” 16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” 3  16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, 4  he must deny 5  himself, take up his cross, 6  and follow me. 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life 7  will lose it, 8  but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

1 tn Grk “began to rebuke him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

2 tn Grk “Merciful to you.” A highly elliptical expression: “May God be merciful to you in sparing you from having to undergo [some experience]” (L&N 88.78). A contemporary English equivalent is “God forbid!”

3 tn Grk “people.”

4 tn Grk “to come after me.”

5 tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.

6 sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.

7 tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 25-26).

8 sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.