Context Study: The Gates of Hell

(5–8 minutes, easy set-up)
For pictures and more information, go to http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/BaniasTemples.html.

Explain that the conversation between Jesus and Peter depicted in Matthew 16 took place in Caesarea Philippi. Then share the following facts about this region:

• It was also known as Panias, the center of worship for the Greek god Pan, who was part man and part goat.
• The worship complex included a temple, pools of water, and a cave where human sacrifices were offered to appease Pan. The cave became known as the “Gates of Hell.”
• Philip, son of Herod the Great, rebuilt and renamed the city and added a temple in honor of the Roman emperor Augustus.

Encourage learners to imagine a place where temples honoring many pagan gods were built in a row. Explain that Peter acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God while surrounded by these pagan influences. Say: Jesus promised His disciples that His Church would not be silenced or defeated by “the gates of hell”—a possible reference to other gods or the people who worshiped them.