In allegiance to its King, the
messianic community is to join with Jesus in his life of suffering whole
holding fast to the assurance of his (and its) final victory, for the community
built upon Peter and his confession. But here, too, we see a parallel between
the fate of the Messiah and the fate of his people. The expression πυλαι αδου (שערי שאול) is found only once in
the Old Testament (Isa. 38:10), and there it refers to the realm of the dead. A
similar phrase, πυλαι θανατου, occurs more frequently and has
an identical meaning. The connection with death is seen clearly in a text
closer to the New Testament period, Wis. 16:13:
συ γαρ ζωης και θανατου εξουσιαν εχεις
και καταγεις εις πυλας αδου και αναγεις
Not only is the expression πυλαι αδου parallel with θανατος, but also
the second half of this verse appears to allude to 1 Kgdms. 2:6:
καταγει εις αδου και αναγει. If this is the case, the simple αδης of 1
Kgdms. 2:6 has become πυλαι αδου with no
change in meaning. On this basis it is best to see πυλαι αδου in Mt.
16:18 as a “pleonastic phrase” with πυλαι used as a pars pro toto for Hades (=Sheol)
itself. Because αδης in the New Testament is distinguished from γεεννα (the place of punishment for the
ungodly), πυλλαι αδου does not
signify the “powers of Hell,” “the Devil,” or the realm of sin and damnation,
but simply the realm of the dead. Death, then, will not “win a victory over” (κατισχυειν) the community o the Messiah.
The meaning of this promise gains
new significance when considered with the following pericope (16:21-23). Jesus,
the Messiah, will himself be threatened by death, but he will not be conquered
by it (16:21). The predicated victory of the Messiah is reflected in the promise
to his community, and we may assume that the former provides the basis for the
latter.” As Schniewind contends, “[those who belong to Christ participate in
his resurrection; and this is promised to them, since the way of the cross lies
directly before them] (V. 21ff.).” (William L. Kynes, A Christology of
Solidarity: Jesus as the Representative of His People in Matthew Lanham,
Md.: University Press of America, 1991], 115-16, comments in square brackets
reflect my translation of the German)
