When Jesus told Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19), He was pointing to a plan far greater than one man’s authority. Keys are about access and opening doors, and in the story that follows in Acts we see exactly how those keys were used. Step by step, God unfolded His kingdom, first to the Jews in Jerusalem, then to the Samaritans, and finally to the Gentiles.
The book of Acts is not random history but a carefully ordered record of how the gospel spread in the precise order Jesus promised. Peter stood at the center of those turning points, opening the way each time with undeniable signs of the Spirit. Once the doors were opened, Paul carried the message across the empire, ensuring the good news reached the ends of the earth.
By the time we arrive at Acts 28:28, the progression is complete. Israel’s national priority had closed, and the church fully emerged as one body in Christ, made up of Jew and Gentile alike. From the promise of the keys to the bold preaching in Rome, the story shows us that Christ is the true Key, and the doors of His kingdom stand open still today.
The Promise of the Keys
When Jesus spoke of giving Peter the keys of the kingdom, He was not handing over personal power or authority to rule. Instead, He was describing how the kingdom of God would be opened to the world in its proper order. This promise tied directly to Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ and set the stage for the unfolding events in the book of Acts.
Peter’s Confession and Christ’s Response
In Matthew 16:18–19, Jesus responds to Peter’s bold declaration: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus says, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
This was not a promise of power to Peter alone, but a declaration that Christ would establish His people, the ekklesia, on the confession of His identity.
The Meaning of Ekklesia
The word church is the Greek ekklesia, meaning “assembly” or “called-out ones.” In everyday Greek usage, it referred to a gathering of citizens summoned for a purpose. In the New Testament, it always refers to people, never to a building.
When Jesus spoke of building His church, He envisioned a living community called out from the world to belong to Him. This was the true foundation Peter had confessed: Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God.
The Symbolism of Keys
Keys symbolize access, authority, and stewardship. To hold a key is to open or shut doors at will. In Isaiah 22:22, God speaks of placing “the key of the house of David” on His steward’s shoulder: “he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” In Revelation 3:7, this same authority is given to Christ Himself, who alone opens and shuts the door of salvation.
So when Jesus promised Peter the keys, He was not surrendering His authority but sharing it for a purpose. Peter would play a foundational role in opening the kingdom’s doors at key moments in history. These were Christ’s keys, entrusted temporarily to Peter as a steward, to be used when the time was right.
But how would those keys actually be used? For that, we turn to Jesus’ final instructions in Acts 1:8, a blueprint for the gospel’s spread.
Acts 1:8 – The Blueprint
Before His ascension, Jesus gave His disciples a clear roadmap for how the gospel would spread. His words were more than simple instruction, they were a prophetic outline that would shape the entire book of Acts.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
A Commission with Power
Jesus began with the promise of power. The disciples would not be left to carry out their mission in their own strength. The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost would equip them to bear witness with boldness and authority. This same Spirit that filled them would also direct the unfolding of God’s plan, ensuring that the gospel reached the exact destinations Jesus named.
The Three Stages of Witness
The order given by Christ was deliberate:
- Jerusalem – the city at the heart of Israel’s worship and identity. It was here the church would be born.
- Judea and Samaria – the wider region surrounding Jerusalem, including the Samaritans, who were often despised by the Jews.
- Ends of the earth – the Gentile nations, represented in Luke’s narrative by the city of Rome, the center of the empire.
Each stage marked a widening circle of God’s kingdom, showing that salvation was not confined to one people but intended for all.
Acts as the Roadmap Fulfilled
The book of Acts faithfully follows this pattern. At each stage, the Spirit moved decisively, and Peter stood present as the keyholder, unlocking the door of faith. What began in Jerusalem would ripple outward until the message of Christ reached the very heart of the Gentile world.
With this blueprint in place, the story unfolds as Peter uses the keys Jesus promised, turning them one by one as each new group is welcomed into the kingdom.
Peter Turns the Keys
After Jesus promised Peter the keys of the kingdom, the book of Acts records three decisive moments when those keys were turned. Each time, a new group of people was welcomed into the kingdom. Each moment was accompanied by unique signs of the Spirit, leaving no doubt that God Himself was opening the door. Together, these three key turns fulfill the pattern Jesus gave in Acts 1:8: Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth.
Pentecost – The Jews (Acts 2)
The first key turn came at Pentecost, during the Jewish festival fifty days after Passover. About 120 disciples were gathered in an upper room, waiting for the promise of the Spirit. Suddenly, the Spirit fell with unmistakable signs:
- A sound like a rushing wind filled the house.
- Tongues of fire rested on each believer.
- They spoke in other tongues, understood by Jews from across the empire.
These dramatic signs drew a crowd, and Peter stood to preach. His message centered on Jesus crucified and risen, the fulfillment of prophecy and the hope of Israel. The result was staggering: about 3,000 souls were baptized that day (Acts 2:41).
This was the door of the kingdom opening to Israel, right in the city of Jerusalem. The unique sign-pattern was public and undeniable. God Himself confirmed the birth of the church by pouring out His Spirit in visible and audible ways. The key had been turned, and the church was born.
Samaria – The Outsiders (Acts 8)
The next key turn came in Samaria, a region often despised by Jews because of centuries of division and religious rivalry. Philip, one of the evangelists, preached Christ there. Many believed his message and were baptized. Yet something unusual happened: the Spirit did not fall immediately.
“They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:16–17).
God withheld the Spirit until Peter and John arrived. When they laid hands on the new believers, the Spirit came with visible signs, so striking that Simon the magician “saw” it and tried to buy the power (Acts 8:18).
Why this two-step process?
To preserve unity. If the Spirit had fallen without apostolic involvement, Samaria might have formed a rival, independent church. By waiting for Peter and John, God tied the Samaritan believers directly to Jerusalem.
To affirm apostolic authority. Jesus had promised Peter the keys, and the Spirit’s delay made it clear that this door would open only when the keyholder was present.
This was the door of the kingdom opening to the Samaritans. In a region scarred by division, God visibly sealed them into the same body as the Jews, showing that Christ was breaking down centuries of hostility.
Caesarea – The Gentiles (Acts 10)
The third key turn came in Caesarea, in the home of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Cornelius was a Gentile who feared God and prayed faithfully. God sent an angel to him, telling him to call for Peter. At the same time, Peter received a vision of unclean animals, followed by the command, “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Acts 10:15).
When Peter preached in Cornelius’s house, the Spirit fell suddenly:
“While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised… were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God” (Acts 10:44–46).
Here the Spirit came before baptism and without laying on of hands. God Himself demonstrated that Gentiles were fully accepted, without Jewish ritual or apostolic mediation.
Peter then commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. This was the door of the kingdom opening to the nations. The Spirit’s timing made it clear that salvation was by grace through faith, not by human control or tradition.
The Three Keys Together
Each of Peter’s key turns was unique:
- Jews (Acts 2): Spirit fell from heaven directly, with fire and tongues.
- Samaritans (Acts 8): Spirit came through apostolic hands, affirming unity.
- Gentiles (Acts 10): Spirit fell spontaneously during preaching, confirming God’s acceptance.
Three groups, three doors, three Spirit-signs. Together they fulfilled the pattern Jesus gave in Acts 1:8. By the time Peter left Cornelius’s house, the entire world, Jew, Samaritan, and Gentile, had been welcomed into the kingdom.
With the doors opened, the foundation was complete. From this point forward, the focus shifts to Paul, who would carry the open door far into the Gentile world.
Paul Expands the Mission
From Acts 13 onward, the spotlight in Luke’s narrative shifts from Peter to Paul. The foundation had been laid and the keys had been turned. Now the mission was to take the open door of the kingdom and carry it far into the Gentile world. Paul does not introduce a new gospel or receive a different set of keys. Instead, he faithfully builds on what had already been opened, becoming the chief messenger to the nations.
Everywhere Paul traveled, he proclaimed Christ with boldness. In synagogues he reasoned from the Scriptures, showing that Jesus was the promised Messiah. In marketplaces he confronted idolatry and proclaimed the one true God. In Athens he debated with philosophers, declaring that the unknown God they worshiped was the Lord who had raised Jesus from the dead. His journeys took him through Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece, where he planted churches in cities like Corinth, Galatia, Philippi, and Ephesus. These congregations became centers of witness, multiplying the gospel’s reach throughout the empire.
One striking moment of Paul’s ministry comes in Acts 19. In Ephesus, he encountered disciples who had only received John’s baptism. They had not even heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul explained the fullness of the gospel, baptized them in the name of Jesus, and when he laid hands on them, the Spirit came. About twelve men were filled, speaking in tongues and prophesying. This was not a new key-turn, but a confirmation that the same gospel pattern revealed through Peter, repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and the Spirit’s gift, was consistent everywhere.
Paul’s role was expansion, not foundation. Peter turned the keys, but Paul carried the open door across the empire, ensuring the gospel reached the ends of the earth.
The Final Word – Acts 28:28
The book of Acts closes not in Jerusalem, but in Rome, the heart of the empire and the symbol of the known world. Luke tells us that Paul, though under house arrest, preached the gospel freely for two years, welcoming all who came to him and proclaiming the kingdom of God without hindrance (Acts 28:30–31). This was a remarkable ending, showing that the message of Jesus Christ had reached the very center of power and influence in the ancient world.
Before this conclusion, however, Paul made a solemn and decisive statement to the Jewish leaders who had rejected his message. He declared, “Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen” (Acts 28:28). These words carry enormous weight. Throughout Acts, the gospel had consistently been offered to Israel first, at Pentecost in Jerusalem, in synagogues throughout Judea and the wider regions, and even in Rome itself. But again and again, many among Israel turned away. Paul’s announcement marks a turning point: the national opportunity given to Israel has now closed, and the door stands fully open to the Gentiles.
This moment is seen by some as a dividing line, where the old order finally gave way and the new era of the church was fully revealed. Others view it as the natural outworking of the progression Jesus outlined in Acts 1:8, a completion of the roadmap from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Either way, the meaning is clear: Israel’s special priority had ended, and the gospel was now proclaimed openly and freely to all nations, Jew and Gentile alike, as one body in Christ.
The Overlap of Old and New
So when did the church begin? The answer is clear: at Pentecost. On that day, the Holy Spirit fell, and the ekklesia, the called-out people of God, was born. Yet when we read through Acts, we also see that the unfolding story was not an instant break from everything that had come before. For many chapters, the gospel continued to be preached first to Israel. The apostles still entered synagogues. The temple remained standing and central to Jewish life. Believers often continued observing Jewish customs, not as a means of salvation, but as part of the environment in which the message first spread. It was as if the old covenant and the new covenant touched side by side, overlapping during a time of transition.
That overlap eventually came to a close. At Acts 28:28, Paul declared that salvation had been sent to the Gentiles and that they would listen. With that, Israel’s national role in God’s redemptive story came to an end, and the church emerged fully as one body, Jew and Gentile together with no distinction, united in Christ. The foundation had been laid, the keys had been turned, and the door stood wide open to the nations.
When we step back, the whole story becomes clear. Jesus is the true Key, the one who holds all authority. Peter turned the keys at three decisive moments—Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. Paul carried the open door across the empire. And Acts 28:28 marked the close of Israel’s special priority, sealing the full embrace of the Gentile mission. The result is the church, a spiritual house of living stones, built on the apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself as the cornerstone.
The Big Picture
When we step back and trace the story of the keys through Scripture, a clear and beautiful pattern emerges. Jesus Himself is the true Key, the one who holds all authority over the kingdom of God. As Revelation 3:7 declares, He is the one who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one can open. The authority never rested in Peter as a man, but in Christ, who entrusted him with a foundational role.
Peter used the keys in three decisive moments, each one unlocking the door of the kingdom to a new group of people. On the Day of Pentecost, the door opened to the Jews in Jerusalem. In Samaria, the door opened to a people long divided from Israel. In the house of Cornelius, the door opened to the Gentiles. These three turns fulfilled the blueprint of Acts 1:8 and demonstrated that the gospel was for all.
Paul then carried the open door throughout the empire, taking the message into synagogues, marketplaces, and even to Rome itself. His ministry confirmed that the same gospel pattern applied everywhere. Finally, Acts 28:28 marked the close of Israel’s national priority and the full embrace of the Gentile mission.
The result is the church, a spiritual house of living stones (1 Peter 2:5), built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself as the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).