Binding and Loosing

By Pastor Jeff Hanson

Matt. 16:13-14, “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” 

The question who is Jesus is still being pondered today, if you ask Google AI and Wikipedia, it says he was Jewish religious leader and preacher in the 1^st century. To Muslims, he was a prophet or messenger of God, to some they don’t even believe He existed.

Matt. 16:15-18, “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” 

This revelation that Jesus is the promised Messiah is still happening today, 1Co 12:3, “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

The church is only as strong as our faith in Jesus Christ stays firm, we hear talk all the time of churches having revival services and they will bring in evangelist, prophet, teachers, and apostles to fire up their pew warmers. The word revival as an act of reviving; the state of being revives such as new attention to or interest in something, an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings. Does that sound to you like a church built upon the rock? 

Mat 16:19-20, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.”

Now many claim that these keys were only given to Peter or the apostles. We have to remember the New Testament was not yet put together as we have before us today. The writers had a tremendous responsibility to transition from the Law that was the backbone of the Jewish faith to a teaching of Grace, Faith, Hope, 1Corinthians 13:13, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

Act 2:42, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” This doctrine was in its infant stage and wasn’t put together as we have it hear until the late 4^th century. The Apostles considered of such importance that they had to appoint deacon to attend to many of the basic daily issues that come with dealing with people, Acts 6:1-2, “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.” 

The use of binding and loosing are expressions that were familiar in Rabbinical schools at the time. The school of Shimmai bound men when it declared this or that act to be a transgression of the sabbath law. The school of Hillel loosed when it set men free from the obligations that were imposed. 

As we read, we find that they had difficulty at times trying to blend these two positions, they were still Jews living under the practices of Old Testament law but now that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Old Testament law, they had to weigh what was correct under the New Testament church. The Apostle Paul had to even confront Peter about this in Galatians 2:11-14, “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”

So, where does that leave us in the thought the keys of the kingdom of heaven, was it just for the Apostles or do we still have access to those keys today? 

Yes, and we have it right here, it’s the wonderful word of God

How about “Binding and Loosing?” What I have found is that they are more about what it is not that what it is. It does not really mean that we have the power to bind up devils, it does not mean that we can decide who receives forgiveness and who does not, forgiveness comes from God not us or some guy behind a curtain.

 It does not mean we can open up the heavens for salvation and close it to others, and it definitely does not mean we can decide what parts of the bible we will accept and what we can ignore.

2Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

2 Timothy2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 

We are living in an age where people have decided for themselves in the church what they will bind and what they will loosen, that was decided two thousand years ago. There is a huge danger in that!

Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.”

You may believe that you can do things without any consequence but does that mean you should?

2Co 6:17, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” 

I’m not a fan of some of the things that have come into the church in the last 30-40 years, you may I’m just old fashioned and not with the times. Maybe I am, but I’m not going to apologize for it.

The entire New Testament is given to us so we can receive eternal life John 3:16, and so that we can lead others to Christ through our words and deeds!

Ephesians 1:4, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Hebrews 11:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”