The Keys
When Jesus said to Peter "I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 16:19), He was referring to the Apostle’s privilege of opening the kingdom [Church] to both Jew and Gentile. The Jews received the Gospel when Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). The first Gentiles to accept Christ were those of the household of Cornelius (Acts 10). The keys, therefore, symbolize that all people, regardless of race, will be welcome in Christ’s Church.
