Matthew 16:13-29 is one of the most pivotal chapters in the New Testament—and when read symbolically, as Neville Goddard taught, it becomes a profound revelation of how our inner world creates our outer experience.
Rather than reading this chapter as a historical account, Neville invites us to see it as a drama of inner awakening. It speaks to the journey of realising who we truly are, and how that realisation becomes the foundation upon which our reality is built.
1. “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (v.13)
Here, Jesus—who symbolises your I AM awareness (Ex 3:14) —asks how others define him. This is the voice in us all that seeks identity through external validation, through the opinions of the world.
But that question soon turns inward...
2. “But who do you say that I am?” (v.15)
This is the turning point of the entire chapter. It’s not about what others think—it’s about what you assume to be true about your own identity.
To Neville, this is the moment you stop looking outward for confirmation and begin to claim your inner creative power. You must define yourself—not by circumstance, but by assumption.
3. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (v.16)
Peter—whose name means rock—makes the declaration. Peter symbolises faith, the unwavering belief in the unseen.
In Neville’s view, Christ is not a man but the power and wisdom of God—your own wonderful human imagination. The “Son of the Living God” is the awakened realisation that your imagination is divine.
4. “Upon this rock I will build my church…” (v.18)
Here is the core of it. This is not about founding an institution, but about establishing a new foundation of consciousness.
The “rock” is not Peter the man—it is the inner realisation that “I AM” is God. From this moment, you begin to build your life (your church) on the truth that imagination creates reality.
5. “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven…” (v.19)
This reflects Neville’s Law of Assumption:
Whatever you accept as true in the world of form (“earth”) is also fixed in the unseen, spiritual realm (“heaven”).
There is no separation between inner belief and outer experience.
6. “Get behind me, Satan…” (v.23)
When Peter resists the idea of Jesus’s coming death, Jesus rebukes him as “Satan.”
Neville taught that Satan is not a being, but a symbol of the doubting, reasoning mind that tries to protect the status quo. Even the faithful part of us (Peter) can become “Satan” when it resists the uncomfortable truth that manifestation requires death of the old state.
7. “Take up your cross…” (v.24)
To follow Christ—your imagination—you must “deny yourself” (that is, deny the limited self) and take up the cross.
The cross is the assumption you carry. It often feels heavy or invisible to others, but to you, it is the fixed idea you hold in the face of contrary evidence. The outer death is simply the shedding of former beliefs.
8. “There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (v.28)
This kingdom is not in some distant heaven. Neville insisted that the Kingdom of God is within—a realm of consciousness realised now, not after physical death.
This verse affirms that spiritual awakening—the realisation of imagination as the Christ within—happens in this life, in consciousness, to those who awaken to it.
Conclusion: The Rock of Inner Realisation
Matthew 16 is not just about Peter or church doctrine. It is about you.
“Who do you say I am?” is the most important question you will ever answer—not about Jesus, but about your own I AM.
When you answer, “I am Christ—the imagination of God in expression,” you begin to build your life on the rock. That is the moment your church is born. And from there, nothing—not even the gates of hell (states of fear, doubt, or limitation)—can prevail against it.
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