What then saith the mouth of the apostles, Peter, the ever fervent, the leader of the apostolic choir? When all are asked, he answers ... "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
-St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew 16, 4th Century


Yet surely unless he had rightly confessed Him, as begotten of the very Father Himself, this were no work of revelation; had he accounted our Lord to be one of the many, his saying was not worthy of a blessing.
-St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew 16, 4th Century


Since before this also they said, "Truly He is Son of God," those, I mean, who were in the vessel after the tempest, which they saw, and were not blessed ... For they confessed not such a Sonship as Peter, but accounted Him to be truly Son as one of the many ...
-St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew 16, 4th Century


And Nathanael too said, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel;" and so far from being blessed, he is even reproved by Him, as having said what was far short of the truth ....
-St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew 16, 4th Century


Why then is this man blessed? Because he acknowledged Him very Son .... He also signifies who had revealed it. That is, lest his words might seem to the many (because he was an earnest lover of Christ) to be words of friendship and flattery, and of a disposition to show favor to Him, he brings forward the person who had made them ring in his soul; ...
-St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew 16, 4th Century


And wherefore doth He not Himself declare it, nor say, "I am the Christ," but by His question establish this, bringing them in to confess it? Because so to do was both more suitable to Him, yea necessary at that time, and it drew them on the more to the belief of the things that were said ...
-St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew 16, 4th Century


What then saith Christ? ... "Thus since thou hast proclaimed my Father, I too name him that begat thee; ... upon this rock will I build my Church;" that is, on the faith of his confession. Hereby He signifies that many were now on the point of believing, and raises his spirit, and makes him a shepherd ...
-St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew 16, 4th Century


For those things which are peculiar to God alone, (both to absolve sins, and to make the church incapable of overthrow)... I would fain inquire thenm of those who desire to lessen the dignity of the Son, which manner of gifts were greater, those which the Father gave to Peter, or those which the Son gave him?
-St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew 16, 4th Century


For the Father gave to Peter the revelation of the Son; but the Son gave him to sow that of the Father and that of Himself in every part of the world; and to a mortal man He entrusted the authority over all things in Heaven, giving him the keys; who extended the church to every part of the world, and declared it to be stronger than heaven.
-St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew 16, 4th Century


We must admire not only the inner meaning of all the things that are celebrated in the Church of the Orthodox Christians, but also the sacramental actions through which this meaning is expressed: how through divine baptism we become sons of God by grace, though we have done nothing before this, and do nothing after except keep the commandments; and how these awesome mysteries - I refer to holy baptism and holy communion - cannot take place without the priesthood, as Saint John Chrysostom says. Here, too, we see the significance of the power given to Saint Peter, chief of the apostles; for if the gates of the kingdom of heaven are not opened by priestly action, no one can enter (cf. Matt. 16:19). As the Lord says: 'Unless a man is born of water and Spirit...' (John 3:5); and again: 'Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you' (John 6:53).
-St. Peter of Damaskos, Book 1: A Treasury of Divine Knowledge, Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pgs. 208-209, 8th century