Neville Goddard on Matthew 16:13-17 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Matthew 16 in context

Scripture Focus

13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 16:13-17

Biblical Context

Jesus asks who people say he is; the disciples report various opinions. Peter declares Jesus as the Christ, and Jesus says this was revealed by the Father in heaven.

Neville's Inner Vision

Beloved, the question is not a test of others but a test of your own state of consciousness. When Jesus asks, Whom do men say I am, he invites you to survey the inner atmosphere you inhabit. Flesh and blood—outer opinions—cannot reveal the higher identity; only the Father in heaven, the I AM within, can awaken the truth. Peter’s confession, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, marks the moment when inner recognition rises above the crowd. This is a revelation, not a deduction; the Christ is your true self perceived, not a label placed upon you. When you align with that Father within, you discover you are the living presence that animates all you do—the Kingdom of God unfolding as your own awareness. The blessing to Peter signals that this knowing comes from within, and the outer world merely reflects your inner shift. So you stand in the confidence that your identity is Christ, here and now, and reality follows the certainty of your awareness.

Practice This Now

Imaginative Act: Sit quietly, revise every outer label into the truth of your inner self, and declare, 'I am the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Feel the Father in heaven unveiling this reality within you as your living identity.