Christ Himself Approves Peter’s Confession

But since I have used the testimony of the chief apostle, in which he openly confessed the Lord Jesus Christ as God, let us see how the one he confessed approved his confession. For of far more value than the apostle’s words is the fact that God himself commended what he said. When the apostle said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” what was the answer of our Lord and Savior? “Blessed are you,” he said, “Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but the Spirit of my Father who is in heaven.” If you do not care to use the testimony of the apostle, use that of God. For by commending what was said, God added his own authority to the apostle’s words, so that although the words came from the apostle’s lips, God, who approved them, made them his own. “Blessed are you,” he said, “Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but the Spirit of my Father who is in heaven.” [a]

So in the apostle’s words you have the testimony of the Holy Spirit, of the Son who was present, and of God the Father. What more can you want, or what can match this? The Son commended, the Father was present, the Holy Spirit revealed. The apostle’s words therefore carry the testimony of the entire Godhead; for these words must carry the authority of the one at whose prompting they came. “Blessed, then, are you,” he said, “Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but the Spirit of my Father who is in heaven.” If, then, flesh and blood did not reveal this to Peter or inspire him, you must at last see who inspires you. If the Spirit of God taught the one who confessed that Christ was God, you see that you are taught by the spirit of the devil if you can deny it.